Cooking Done Light

The classic combination of chocolate and orange make this cake the perfect, decadent dessert for your holiday table.

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It has been exceptionally cold here in New Jersey for the past week, so last night I had planned on making a simple, comforting, and warming dinner of Tuscan chicken and white beans. That’s it – nothing fancy. Unfortunately, the best laid plans are often put asunder. Unexpected dinner guests left me with eight mouths to feed, and ingredients for a recipe that only serves six. I wasn’t about to head back out in the cold to run to the market, so I improvised. I made the Tuscan chicken and white bean dinner that I had planned for, only I served it over whole wheat penne topped with a little shredded asiago cheese. I also heated some garlic bread and tossed together a simple mixed green salad and managed to turn my recipe for six into a substantial dinner for eight.

So what is the point of this long-winded story? You need to PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD! A recipe is merely a guideline……not a law. Don’t like white beans? No problem – chop some broccoli, mushrooms and spinach, and top the dish with a little red sauce instead. Change up the herbs if you prefer different flavors. Even change the proportions of herbs and veggies called for in a recipe to suit your mood and your tastebuds. The recipe merely gives you the idea – you have the ability to make it your own, special dish by playing with the ingredients a little. Not only may you surprise yourself with the results – but chances are you’ll have some fun along the way.

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I am a huge fan of breakfast and brunch foods.  Whenever I have family or friends over for brunch, no matter how small the group, I always go overboard!  I just want to be sure that there is a “little something” to please everyone – eggs, hash brown potatoes, fresh fruit, bacon and sausage, pancakes, french toast, waffles, and (of course) assorted savory and sweet muffins of all sizes.  But this week, even with such a large and impressive brunch spread, this savory mini muffin is easily going to stand out as the star of the meal.  Rich cheddar cheese and sweetly tart cranberries complement each other perfectly in these little muffins – bringing sharp, sweet, tart, delicious flavors together in a every single bite.  A platter of these little gems can’t help but look tempting on your holiday brunch table!!  So regardless of what your holiday brunch menu currently consists of, you will definitely want to make room to squeeze these muffins onto the table – I promise that neither you nor your guests will be disappointed!

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I am a huge fan of breakfast and brunch foods.  Whenever I have family or friends over for brunch, no matter how small the group, I always go overboard!  I just want to be sure that there is a “little something” to please everyone – eggs, hash brown potatoes, fresh fruit, bacon and sausage, pancakes, french toast, waffles, and (of course) assorted savory and sweet muffins of all sizes.  But this week, even with such a large and impressive brunch spread, this savory mini muffin is easily going to stand out as the star of the meal.  Rich cheddar cheese and sweetly tart cranberries complement each other perfectly in these little muffins – bringing sharp, sweet, tart, delicious flavors together in a every single bite.  A platter of these little gems can’t help but look tempting on your holiday brunch table!!  So regardless of what your holiday brunch menu currently consists of, you will definitely want to make room to squeeze these muffins onto the table – I promise that neither you nor your guests will be disappointed!

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Posole (also spelled pozole) is a thick, hearty Mexican soup that is traditionally served as a main course around the holidays.  It is typically garnished with thinly sliced radishes, avocado, tortilla strips, sour cream, or shredded cabbage – but you can top it with whatever you would like.  It can also be made with chicken, if you are not a fan of pork.  Hominy is a dehydrated corn that can be found in practically all supermarkets.  It is typically located in the “ethnic foods” aisle.

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This is down-home, Southern comfort food at its very best. Nothing compares to a hearty, filling, delicious dish of chicken and dumplings. But as any Southerner will tell you, they are not overly concerned with the “health benefits” of their food – the important thing, as far as they are concerned, is the TASTE! Well we gave this classic chicken and dumplings dish a healthy makeover which greatly reduced the fat and calories – but we left it with enough “down-home” flavor that even Paula Deen would be proud!! If you are a fan of chicken and dumplings, this meal will definitely not disappoint – And it is so easy to prepare that you can even make it on a weeknight.

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I had never even heard of Indian pudding before, much less tasted it, when I received an email requesting that I come up with a more “figure-friendly” version. Since the request came with the original recipe, I made a small batch, so that I could determine what the new recipe was supposed to taste like. And oh my goodness – is this stuff GOOD!!! I was hooked after my very first taste!! This sweet and spicy dessert has a creamy texture and a warm comforting flavor that is truly amazing.

So after a few weeks of effort – I think that I finally got it just right. As a matter of fact, after the new recipe was done, people couldn’t pick which dish was the original and which dish was the “healthy” one (SUCCESS!!)

This recipe makes 4 servings – but I found them to be rather large, so you may actually wind up with 6. Also, at 240 calories calories a serving, you may not think of this as the most healthy recipe – but when you take into account that the original version had almost 720 calories a serving – it’s quite a drastic reduction.

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The ideal Thanksgiving meal for those of us that are not going to be feeding an army of 30!!

My mother has 7 brothers and sisters, all of whom live within an hour of each other. All of them are married, with children – and all of them actually like each other, and enjoy each other’s company. Our family get-togethers are typically very loud, very crowded, and a LOT of fun (hey, they’re Irish…. cocktail hour starts at 9 am!). So I was raised learning how to prepare a large, elaborate Thanksgiving meal, with all of the trimmings, for anywhere from 60 – 80 people! Unfortunately, this year due to “scheduling conflicts”, my family will be having their celebration the weekend after Thanksgiving – and due to prior engagements, John and I will not be not be able to attend.

So this year, I have no need for my normal 30+ pound turkey, but I do still want my turkey experience – and since John and I have no desire to be faced with 25 pounds of leftover turkey, I plan on making a “scaled down” version of what I have come to know and love as “Thanksgiving”. By preparing a turkey breast, smaller batches of stuffing, mashed potatoes, and veggies, and mini pies for dessert, I won’t have to miss out on any of my favorite foods.

This recipe calls for a total of 3 tablespoons of butter, (Hey, it’s a holiday – indulge a little!!) but you can cut back on that if you so choose. The herb butter and stuffing can be made a day in advance, so in the morning, your workload isn’t so bad.

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This is an absolutely delicious, moist, perfect pumpkin bread for a holiday brunch, an afternoon “get-together”, or even a weekday morning.  The pumpkin flavor is not too overwhelming, and combined with the spices, it simply wonderful!!  If you really want to make a good impression on someone (or just want an extra special treat) spread this perfect bread warm with a little spiced cream cheese frosting (recipe follows).  I promise, this bread will not disappoint! It is easy to make, very moist and flavorful, has a fantastic flavor, and keeps for a week wrapped on the counter – even the most skeptical “pumpkin-flavored” critics will be asking for a second slice!

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This chocolate pudding pie is a fantastic lower calorie holiday treat to serve at your next family get together.  Maybe there are people in your family that aren’t partial to the traditional Thanksgiving “pumpkin, apple, pecan, and/or sweet potato” pies.  With this chocolate pie, both kids and adults alike, will be asking that you make this delicious treat for years to come.   Enjoy!

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