Creamy, Light Potato Soup

Ingredient:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup chopped onion 
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 pound cubed peeled baking potato (about 2) 
• 1 pound cubed Yukon gold potato (about 4)
• 5 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound cauliflower, cut into florets (about 1/2 head)
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk 
• 3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
• 1/2 cup fat-free fromage blanc (such as Vermont Creamery) or sour cream 
• 2 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled 

Preparations:

Hands On: 35 Minutes 
Total: 1 Hour, 10 Minutes 

1. 1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. 2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, thyme, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes, stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.
3. 3. While potatoes simmer, combine remaining 1 tablespoon oil, cauliflower, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray; toss to coat. Roast at 450° for 30 minutes or until browned, turning once.
4. 4. Place cauliflower mixture and milk in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour cauliflower mixture into a large bowl. Add half of potato mixture to blender; pulse 5 to 6 times or until coarsely chopped. Pour into bowl with cauliflower mixture. Repeat with remaining potato mixture. Place cauliflower-potato mixture in Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 cup green onions, and fromage blanc; stir until fromage blanc melts. Ladle soup into 8 bowls. Top evenly with remaining green onions, cheese, and bacon.

Sidney Fry, MS, RD, Cooking Light 
January 2013

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken

• Ingredients:
• 4 teaspoons canola oil, divided $
• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
• 4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 2 Thai or serrano chiles, minced
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce $
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper $
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 4 lime wedges

Preparation:

1. 1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots; sauté 2 minutes. Add bell pepper; sauté 1 minute. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Remove shallot mixture from pan.
2. 2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well. Return chicken to pan over medium heat. Add chiles; cook 1 minute. Add shallot mixture to pan. Stir in fish sauce and next 3 ingredients (through black pepper); cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove pan from heat; stir in basil and juice. Serve with lime wedges.

Laraine Perri, Cooking Light 
January 2013

Browned Butter Gnocchi with Broccoli and Nuts

Ingredients

• 2 (16-ounce) packages prepared gnocchi (such as Gia Russa)
• 5 cups chopped broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1.5 ounces shaved fresh pecorino Romano cheese (about 1/3 cup)

Preparations

1. 1. Cook gnocchi in a large Dutch oven according to package directions. Add broccoli during last minute of cooking; cook 1 minute. Drain.
2. 2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter and oil; cook 7 minutes or until butter browns. Add gnocchi mixture and pepper to pan; toss to coat. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups gnocchi mixture into each of 6 shallow bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons pine nuts and about 2 teaspoons cheese.

Carolyn Tesini, Cooking Light 
January 2013

Seared Scallops with Bacon, Cabbage, and Apple

• Ingredients

• 3 center-cut bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups chopped Fuji apple (1 medium)
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 16 large sea scallops (about 1 pound)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

Preparation

1. 1. Cook bacon pieces in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon pieces from pan, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons drippings in pan. Add sliced cabbage and chopped thyme to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring cabbage mixture occasionally. Add 1/2 cup water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover pan. Cook 5 more minutes. Stir in chopped apple and cider vinegar; cover. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in cooked bacon and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. 2. Heat a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle scallops with 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until scallops are done. Place about 1 cup cabbage mixture on each of 4 plates. Arrange 4 scallops on each serving. Sprinkle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon dill.

Carolyn Tesini, Cooking Light 
JANUARY 2013

Veggie and Tofu Stir-Fry

• Ingredients
• 
  
• 1 (14-ounce) package water-packed extra-firm tofu, drained
• 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
• 3 large green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tablespoon julienne-cut ginger
• 4 small baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
• 2 large carrots, peeled and julienne-cut
• 1 cup snow peas, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine) or dry sherry
• 1/4 cup organic vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce 
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Step-By-Step

Hands On: 19 Minutes 
Total: 49 Minutes 

1. 1. Cut tofu lengthwise into 4 equal pieces; cut each piece crosswise into 1/2-inch squares. Place tofu on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 30 minutes, pressing down occasionally.
2. 2. Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Combine tofu, pepper, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Add tofu to pan; stir-fry 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove tofu from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a medium bowl. Add onions, garlic, and ginger to pan; stir-fry 1 minute. Remove from pan; add to tofu.
3. 3. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add bok choy; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add carrots; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add snow peas; stir-fry 1 minute. Add Shaoxing; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in tofu mixture.
4. 4. Combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, broth, and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan; cook until slightly thickened (about 1 minute).

Charlotte Autry, Cooking Light 
January 2013

Apple-Glazed Beef Brisket

1 boneless beef brisket (4 to 5 lbs.)
1 medium quartered onion
2 cloves garlic, halved
10 whole cloves
water
1 ounce apple jelly
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard or 3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
3 tablespoons green onions, minced w/tops
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
parsley

Directions:

1. Place brisket; onion, garlic and cloves in large dutch oven.
2. Add water to cover.
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until tender.
5. Drain brisket, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
6. To prepare glaze, combine apple jelly, wine, mustard, green onions, salt, peppercorns and curry powder in small saucepan and heat until jelly melts, stirring occasionally.
7. Place brisket in shallow roasting pan.
8. Brush with glaze and roast in preheated 325-degree oven 45 minutes, basting frequently with glaze.
9. Place brisket on heated serving platter and garnish with parsley and tomato roses.
10. Carve brisket into thin slices and serve with remaining glaze.
11. Brisket may also be cooked on charcoal grill for 30 minutes, basting often with glaze.

Grilled Shrimp with Mango Salsa

INGREDIENTS
Shrimp:

2 cups olive oil

8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Juice of 2 limes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined (20-24 shrimp)

For the Salsa:

2 ripe mangoes

6 green onions, including tender green tops, thinly sliced

2 fresh jalapeno chili peppers, stemmed, seeded (if desired) and finely diced

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 2 limes

1 teaspoon salt

Step-by-Step

In a frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour into a shallow non-aluminum dish and let cool. Add the lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Using bamboo skewers, thread 4 or 5 shrimp onto each skewer, passing the skewer through points near both the head and tail sections of each shrimp. Place the skewers in the olive oil mixture, turning to coat evenly. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.

FOR THE SALSA:
Peel each mango and cut the flesh from the pit. Cut into 1/4-inch dice and place in a bowl. Add the green onions, chilies, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Stir to mix, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

SHRIMP:

Prepare a fire in a charcoal or gas grill. When the fire is hot, place the skewers on the grill rack about 3 inches from the coals and grill, turning once, until the shrimp turn pink and are opaque throughout, about 3 minutes per side.

TO SERVE:
Arrange a bed of salsa on each plate and top with a skewer of shrimp, or remove the shrimp from each skewer and arrange atop the salsa. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired, and serve.

Hashbrown Casserole

 Ingredients:

2 pounds frozen hash brown potatoes, thaw
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups Colby cheese, grated

Step-by-step:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. 

Combine soup, margarine, salt, pepper, onions and cheese. Gently mix in the potatoes and pour into prepared pan or dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes.