Cooking Done Light

Move over chicken noodle, the new cure for winter colds has arrived! Many people believe that hot and sour soup is far better for curing what ails you (including sore throats, body aches, and the common cold) than our old standby chicken noodle. Now I’m not quite ready to give up my chicken noodle soup just yet, but I will certainly be adding this soup to my rotation of “chilly weather meals”. This is a warm, delicious hot and sour soup, just like you would get from your favorite Chinese restaurant, only with far fewer calories, and far less fat. Give it a try this weekend – even if you’re not feeling under the weather- it is a wonderfully filling, comforting, and satisfying meal.

[Read more →]

This sundried tomato pesto can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks, so you may want to make a little extra to have on hand. This dish is simple and delicious all on it’s own – but feel free to add chicken sausage, meatballs, or even diced chicken for an even heartier meal. And, of course, don’t forget the garlic bread!!

[Read more →]

I’m sure that is what most people think on those “way-to-busy-for-anything-but-fast-food-nights”. Well, guess what – no matter how many times you try to convince yourself that “it can’t be all that bad”, and that “Once a week won’t hurt”, you may be very, very wrong! Take a look at this list of the most popular fast foods – and while you are perusing it, keep in mind that the “average” man should be consuming between 2200-2500 calories a day, while the “average” woman needs only about 1600 – 1900 calories. (PER DAY folks, not PER MEAL!!). It just may cause you think twice about just how “appealing” that drive-thru really is!!

[Read more →]

I’m sure that is what most people think on those “way-to-busy-for-anything-but-fast-food-nights”. Well, guess what – no matter how many times you try to convince yourself that “it can’t be all that bad”, and that “Once a week won’t hurt”, you may be very, very wrong! Take a look at this list of the most popular fast foods – and while you are perusing it, keep in mind that the “average” man should be consuming between 2200-2500 calories a day, while the “average” woman needs only about 1600 – 1900 calories. (PER DAY folks, not PER MEAL!!). It just may cause you think twice about just how “appealing” that drive-thru really is!!

[Read more →]

I would like to thank you all for your patience as we get our site established in it’s new home. I am aware that some of the recipes have been negatively affected by the move and are incorrect/missing information or full directions/missing nutrition info, etc.

John has been working tirelessly to correct these problems, get the site running smoothly again, and even add some exciting new features that will be showing up very soon. I thank you all for bearing with us, and I promise that things will be back to normal very soon!

Manicotti has always been one of my favorite dishes. Not only is it delicious, filling, and comforting, but after the initial work of assembling the dish, it’s so easy. It also freezes really well, so you can always make a double batch and store one in the freezer for a busy night. The only problem that I have with traditional manicotti, is that it can get somewhat boring after a while. So last week, I wanted manicotti for dinner – but I wanted a “jazzed up” version; I wanted all of the delicious comfort that this dish offers, but I wanted it with an exciting, different twist. And so that is how this broccoli stuffed, cheesy, zesty manicotti dish was created! It is a truly delicious version – with all of the familiarity of traditional manicotti paired with some unique and fresh flavors. If you don’t want this too spicy, be sure to remove the seeds from the jalapenos before adding them to the sauce.

[Read more →]

A reduced calorie version of the classic Russian dish!

[Read more →]

This dish will ensure a delicious beginning to any meal as a unique appetizer packed with flavor and nutrient-rich spinach, as well as a fantastic substitute for meatballs in a variety of dishes. Serve them over pasta with your choice of sauce, as you would traditional meatballs; make a variety of different dipping sauces, and serve them with cocktail toothpicks as a fresh, new hors d’oeuvre at your next get-together; serve a delicious “low-key” tapas dinner with spinach balls, stuffed mushrooms, chicken tenders, broccoli bites, mini pizza bites, and jalapeno “poppers”, for a fun and easy family meal. They are so very easy to make, and have such a deep, delicious flavor, that I am sure you will all find numerous ways to include them in a variety of dishes. Enjoy!

[Read more →]

When it comes to pumpkin pie, people either love it or they hate it. For those of you that hate it, I deeply apologize – I will make it up to you with some great holiday baked goods over the next few weeks. For those of you that love it – this lower-calorie version will knock-your-socks-off! I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do!!

[Read more →]

This is a wonderful fall dish to serve as either a side dish or a light dinner. This particular version contains apples and raisins – but it is also wonderful with cranberries and walnuts, savory wild rice, crumbled chicken sausage, tomato sauce and spinach. Acorn squash has a mild, slightly sweet flavor – so you can really feel free to stuff it with any fillings that you would like. The presentation of this dish is so impressive (yet it is so easy to make), that you could definitely serve it to company. If you have never tried acorn squash before, this is a great way to try it for the first time.

[Read more →]