I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a while, looks like I had bookmarked it about a year ago and finally got around to making it.  Originally from a Cooking Light recipe, this modified version from The Kitchen Sink features chicken, potatoes, and other veggies in a smoky-tasting, creamy broth — using just 1/4 cup of cream.

This is bueno — I knew I’d saved that link for a reason…

Lisa says:

It’s pretty creamy tasting…

Chris says:

I know! There’s a little cream in there, but not a lot — most of the texture is from pureeing the broth and onion, celery, and carrots.

Lisa says:

Oh good, I like that the potatoes aren’t pureed in. I like the chunks.

Chris says:

Same here… and I just want to add lime and cilantro to every recipe.

Lisa says:

Don’t we already?.

Chris says:

Good point.

Lisa says:

Good dinner.

Chipotle Chicken Chowder
1 chipotle chile canned in adobo sauce, minced with 1 tsp of the adobo sauce *
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground oregano
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken broth
2 small chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3/4 lb yukon gold potatoes, in 1/2″ dice
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more to garnish
1/2 teaspoon salt
lime wedges

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped chile, adobo sauce, onion, carrot, celery, cumin, oregano, and garlic; cook 7 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Remove pan from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth. Stir in the potatoes and chicken; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in cream and cilantro; simmer 5 minutes. Top with additional cilantro and serve with the lime wedges.

* Tip: To avoid wasting an entire can of chipotles when you only need one for a recipe, do the following: Once the can is opened, line a baking sheet with foil, spoon each chipotle chile with sauce onto the foil, and place in the freezer. Once frozen, remove from the foil (they’ll slide right off) and place into a ziploc bag or other container and keep in the freezer. Easy to remove just one when required for future recipes.

Lisa got tired of my experiments and just wanted to make a light, healthy asian-themed salad for dinner, and this one, featuring rice noodles, quick-stir-fried vegetables, and tofu was just what she wanted.  The vegetables are still nice and crisp when you place them on the platter, and the entire dish is incredibly refreshing.  The recipe comes from The Best of Cooking Light: Everyday Favorites.

Now this is what I’m talking about.

Chris says:

Have to admit, it’s delicious — but how could it not be? The dressing is pretty good too.

Lisa says:

Yeah, I love dishes like these; I could eat them every day.

Chris says:

You basically do, don’t you? This is just a stir-fry over noodles, really.

Lisa says:

Ha — yeah, you’re right! I knew I liked it for a reason.

Chris says:

You could add anything you want to this. Snap peas… carrots… yum!

Lisa says:

As long as it’s eventually added to my plate…

Rice Noodle Salad with Vegetables and Tofu
4 oz rice sticks
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp chopped dry-roasted peanuts
6 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 serrano chiles, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp sesame oil
1 large yellow squash, halved and thinly sliced
2 cups thinly sliced red/orange bell pepper rings
1 medium zucchini, halved and thinly sliced
3 cups sliced cabbage
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cups chopped green onions
12 oz baked tofu, cubed

Cook noodles according to package directions and set aside.
Combine mint, soy sauce, sugar, peanuts, rice wine vinegar, chiles, and garlic cloves; mix thoroughly. Pour half of the mixture over noodles in a large bowl.
Heat the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add squash, bell pepper and zucchini and saute for four minutes. Add the cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions, and tofu, and saute for an additional three minutes. Place the noodles on a platter, then top with the cabbage/veggie mixture.

6 Servings

The Third Place Books close to us was having a blowout on used books a couple of weeks ago, and we picked up a copy of The Best of Cooking Light: Everyday Favorites for four bucks (I’m a sucker for cookbooks with pictures). This pork posole recipe caught my eye because it looked pretty much like a normal (aka, non-light) posole recipe. Pork is browned and then added to a stock made from chicken broth and pureed ancho chilies. This recipe is all about the condiments: a squeeze of lime and a bunch of cilantro really brings out the flavors in this soup.

We must love posole — I think we have four different recipes on the site.

Chris says:

Yep, and each one is a little different.

Lisa says:

I’m not sure about this one, you know I like the stewier ones.

Chris says:

Well, even though this one is broth-based, I think you’ll like it.

Lisa says:

Hmmm… kind of bland.

Chris says:

What? Ahhh… hit it with those garnishes. Squeeze that lime! Add those onions! Savor the cilantro!

Lisa says:

Wow, that makes a big difference… yum! It’s definitely growing on me.

Chris says:

Yeah, keep going…

Lisa says:

Awesome — I’m going back for more.

Chris says:

Mission Accomplished!

Pork Posole
4 ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
2 cups boiling water
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into (1/2″) pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2 15.5-oz cans white hominy, undrained
sliced radishes
chopped green onions
minced fresh cilantro
lime slices

Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Place chilies in pan; flatten with a spatula. Cook 10 seconds on each side or until blackened. Combine toasted chilies and 2 cups boiling water in a bowl; let stand 10 minutes or until soft. Place pepper mixture in a blender; process until smooth.

Cook cumin seeds in a large Dutch oven over medium heat for 1 minute or until toasted and fragrant. Place in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Do this in batches if you must — don’t crowd the pork or it’ll steam instead of brown. Remove pork from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 8 minutes or until onion is browned, stirring frequently. Stir in pork, pureed chilies, toasted ground cumin, broth, sugar, salt, and hominy; bring to a simmer. Cook 30 minutes or until pork is tender. Spoon equal portions posole into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with radishes, green onions, and cilantro. Serve with lime slices.

6 Servings

Chris says:

I love all these treats that have been coming out of the kitchen lately.

Lisa says:

Pretty good, aren’t they?

Chris says:

I’ll say — if these muffins needed a movie title I’d suggest 3:10 to Yumma.

Lisa says:

And they’re actually good for you!

Chris says:

I’m totally taking credit for the coconut ones though.

Lisa says:

You certainly get credit for eating them.

Chris says:

Hey! Don’t give me any flak…

Lisa says:

That’s flax, actually. Told you they’re good for you!

Morning Glory Muffins
———————
Cooking spray
1 cup whole wheat flour (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1 cup regular oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon wheat bran
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup chopped pitted dates
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed (about 2 tablespoons whole)
sweetened coconut, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°. Place 18 muffin cups liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine yogurt, banana, and applesauce; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Add more applesauce if batter seems too dry. Fold in dates, walnuts, cranberries, and raisins. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly with flaxseed. Sprinkle sweetened coconut over half of the muffins. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

18 Muffins

Chris says:

Yum, these are good! They’re light and chewy like the soft-baked kind — I like the buckwheat.

Lisa says:

A lot of the reviews mentioned they were kind of cakey. And I changed the recipe a bit based on the flour we had on hand, the original didn’t have buckwheat.

Chris says:

Where’d you see the recipe?

Lisa says:

Cooking Light… they call them “Good-For-You” cookies… they’re healthy! Plus I added walnuts and peanut butter to it.

Chris says:

So, you made them… less healthy?

Lisa says:

Yeah, but more delicious. And it’s not like I added 13 sticks of butter or anything.

Chris says:

Is it bad that I just ate 5 of them?

Lisa says:

Someone has to eat them… hey, where’d the cat go?

Hailey says:

(Almost…) Good-For-You Chocolate-Chip Cookies
———————————————–
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup reduced-calorie stick margarine, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
2/3 cup reduced-fat semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Set aside. Combine margarine and sugars in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until light and fluffy. Add applesauce, vanilla, egg, egg white, and peanut butter; beat well. Add dry ingredients; beat at low speed until well-blended. Stir in chips and walnuts.

Drop dough by level teaspoons, 1 inch apart, onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until almost set. Remove from oven; let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pans; let cool on wire racks.

Makes 5 Dozen

Chris says:

Yum, is that pizza? Oh wait. Yum, lasagna!

Lisa says:

Bzzzzt… wrong… that’s eggplant.

Chris says:

Yum, eggplant!

Lisa says:

I love recipes that enable us to pig out like this.

Chris says:

Mmm-hmmph.. iphs rlly goodtoo!

Lisa says:

You really shouldn’t type with your mouth full.

Chris says:

Ha! Did that actually come across?

Lisa says:

Yeah, although I’m not sure why having food in your mouth would affect your typing like that.

Chris says:

Oh yeah. Right. Whatever. The point is that I enjoyed stuffing my face with this meal you made.

Baked Eggplant with Mushroom-Veggie-Tomato Sauce
————————————————
1 peeled eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 1/4 pounds)
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
1 zucchini, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp black pepper, divided
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce, divided
2/3 cup (about 3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat broiler.
Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; broil 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
Heat oven to 375°.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat; add onion and next 7 ingredients (onion through mushrooms). Cover and cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring mixture occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high; uncover and cook for 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates.
Spread half of mushroom mixture in bottom of a 1 1/2-quart round baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of eggplant slices over mushroom mixture; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Top with 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1/3 cup mozzarella. Spread remaining mushroom mixture over mozzarella; top with remaining eggplant slices. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon pepper; top with remaining tomato sauce and breadcrumbs. Cover and bake at 375° for 1 hour. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 10 minutes.

4 Servings

Tonight Lisa made this labor-intensive lasagna based on a Cooking Light recipe, and added extra spices and mushrooms. I’m usually a bigger fan of tomato-sauce based lasagna, but this one hit the spot with its variety in textures and sheer number of sauteed vegetables.

Chris says:

Wow you’re on a roll with these Cooking Light recipes. Good picks.

Lisa says:

This one is delicious — and actually has portion sizes that are relatively generous for a “light” recipe…

Chris says:

I heart this lasagna.

Lisa says:

Me too! I still can’t believe it’s low fat.

Chris says:

I love that we have enough leftovers for like three more meals.

Lisa says:

Good thing we liked it, then!

Garden-Style Lasagna
——————–
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped zucchini (about 8 ounces)
2 cups chopped yellow squash (about 8 ounces)
2 cups thinly sliced carrot (about 8 ounces)
2 cups chopped broccoli (about 6 ounces)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tsp oregano
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
3 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
12 precooked lasagna noodles, divided

Preheat oven to 375°.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon onion mixture into a large bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, mushrooms, and yellow squash; sauté 4 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown. Add to onion mixture. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced carrot; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add chopped broccoli; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add to onion mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and oregano; toss well to combine.
Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg; stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.
Combine cottage cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over spinach mixture in dish; top with half of cottage cheese mixture (about 1 1/2 cups), half of vegetable mixture (about 2 1/2 cups), and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

12 Servings

Chris says:

I love salads like this.

Lisa says:

Yeah it reminds me of that other green bean and mushroom salad we did a while back.

Chris says:

The green beans are so crisp! And I love, love, love roasted bells.

Lisa says:

The dressing is really vinegary, but delicious. It has half a cup of cilantro!

Chris says:

Everything should have half a cup of cilantro in it.

Lisa says:

Only half a cup?

Roasted Red Pepper and Green Bean Salad
—————————————-
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
4 cups sliced mushrooms, roasted
2 roasted red bell peppers, cut into 3-inch strips

To roast red bell peppers, brush with a little oil and place under a broiler, rotating every few minutes, until blackened on all sides. Place in a paper bag and close; the steam coming off the peppers will make the skins easily removable. To roast the mushrooms, place in a shallow dish and cook in a 350 degree oven until they give up their juices.
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well; set aside.
Steam beans, covered, 3 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain well. Add beans and remaining ingredients to bowl; toss gently to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator up to 24 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Chris says:

This Chocolate Chipotle Chili is Dinner and Dessert in one Dish!

Lisa says:

Soooo chocolaty!

Chris says:

Wow, I’m already getting full.

Lisa says:

See? This is what I’m talking about… a soup that’s actually filling for once!

Chris says:

That chocolate you stir in at the end thickens it up a bit.

Lisa says:

This is awesome — I wouldn’t want it all the time, but I really like the unique flavor.

Chocolate Chipotle Chili
————————
2 cups diced onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, minced
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup light sour cream
Chopped green onions

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add the turkey, onions, bell pepper, and garlic and sautee for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender and turkey is cooked through. Add the sugar through the chipotles to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add *up to* 2 ounces of the chocolate, a little at a time, until you reach your desired consistency and taste.

8 servings

Lisa was at the helm tonight and whipped up these delicious crab cakes using a recipe found in Cooking Light. They turned out perfectly: crispy on the outside, hot and steamy on the inside — I loved all the minced green onions in there. We served the crab cakes along with some heirloom tomatoes, pictured, and a mushroom couscous.

Maryland Crab Cakes
——————-
1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
1 1/3 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/3 cup minced green onions
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon 2% low-fat milk
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 egg whites
1 1/3 cups fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Lemon wedges (optional)

Combine first 10 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Divide crabmeat mixture into 8 equal portions. Place 1 1/3 cups breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Dredge crabmeat portions in breadcrumbs, shaping into patties about 3 1/2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick.
Heat 1 tablespooon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 patties, and cook 3 minutes. Carefully turn patties over, and cook 3 minutes or until golden. Repeat procedure with the remaining oil and patties. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

8 Servings