Cooking Done Light

I have had quite a few questions regarding whole wheat pastry flour, whole wheat flour, and all purpose flour. I hope that this answers some of your questions.

You can substitute all purpose flour in place of the whole wheat with the same results, and the calorie count will stay pretty much the same. Most flours vary only slightly by brand, and usually contain between 100 and 115 calories per 1/4 cup, regardless of whether they are white or wheat. The only reason that I use whole wheat flour when baking is because I find it lends a very nice flavor to the baked goods, as well as containing many added benefits that white flour does not provide (white flour is basically just “bulk” – it does not offer any nutritional value at all). Whole grains, on the other hand, add fiber, vitamins, minerals and heart-healthy compounds. But there is a big difference between the whole wheat pastry flour and the regular whole wheat flour. The regular whole wheat flour will make your baked goods much more dense, heavy and “chewy” (not what you want in a light, fluffy baked good). If you are having a hard time finding whole wheat pastry flour, there are few things that you can try. First, you can put the regular whole wheat flour in a blender or food processor for just a few seconds to make it a less coarse, “finer” grain. If that is too much of a hassle, you can just swap the quantities on the all purpose and the whole wheat – for example, if it calls for 1 cup WW pastry flour and 1/2 cup all purpose, use 1 cup all purpose flour, and 1/2 cup regular whole wheat flour.

Rebecca was looking for a low-calorie version of one of America’s favorite “take-out” foods — General Tsao’s Chicken.

I have to tell you all that I was shocked to find out that the typical take-out dish that you would get from pretty much any restaurant, has between 875 and 1200 calories!!! I knew the number was high, but I was actually quite surprised to find out that it was that high!

Since I share Rebecca’s love for this particular dish, (and have banned myself from ordering it ever again, after seeing those numbers!) I was really looking forward to redoing the recipe. I have spent the majority of the week so far trying to get this dish to have just the right balance of flavors – and I think this one comes pretty darn close to the traditional! I hope that it is just what Rebecca had in mind – and I hope that you all enjoy it.

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Rebecca was looking for a low-calorie version of one of America’s favorite “take-out” foods — General Tsao’s Chicken.

I have to tell you all that I was shocked to find out that the typical take-out dish that you would get from pretty much any restaurant, has between 875 and 1200 calories!!! I knew the number was high, but I was actually quite surprised to find out that it was that high!

Since I share Rebecca’s love for this particular dish, (and have banned myself from ordering it ever again, after seeing those numbers!) I was really looking forward to redoing the recipe. I have spent the majority of the week so far trying to get this dish to have just the right balance of flavors – and I think this one comes pretty darn close to the traditional! I hope that it is just what Rebecca had in mind – and I hope that you all enjoy it.

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This dish serves as both a fantastic brunch, and a quick and easy dinner on those nights when you want something fast, hearty, warm and delicious!

I love to make this frittata as a brunch centerpiece and serve it with whole grain toast, assorted mini-muffins, fresh fruit, and turkey sausage or hash patties. For dinner, it goes great with a fresh mixed salad and garlic bread.

This dish is so flavorful and satisfying that it always receives rave reviews! If you are not a fan of zucchini, feel free to substitute any other veggies that you would prefer. I have made it with crumbled turkey bacon, broccoli, peppers, onion, and cheddar cheese with great results – so be sure to play around with recipe for some yummy variations!!

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I figured that I need to make a nice seafood dinner before the cold weather gets here and the price of fresh seafood skyrockets in my area!! Crab and pasta is a classic, delicious combination – although it is used served in a heavy and rich cream sauce. I decided to keep the “classic combo”, but lighten it up a little by giving it an Asian-inspired flavor. If you aren’t crazy about the idea of having the lettuce in this dish, by all means serve the crab and pasta hot (instead of room temperature) with the dressing called for, and just add a small salad on the side to make it a complete meal.

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I have received quite a few requests for some “healthier” chocolate chip cookies in the past few weeks. Traditional chocolate chip cookies can vary from 120 calories PER COOKIE (that is the “lowest” I could find) up to a whopping 285 calories per cookie, depending on how they are made!!! Now I don’t know about you – but for 285 calories, I want more than one stinkin’ cookie!!!

So what’s the problem? Well, I have been hesitant to post a recipe for two main reasons:

#1 – People are VERY particular about their chocolate chip cookies. There are typically two groups of chocolate chip cookie lovers – the soft, moist chewy group, and the crispy, crunchy group.

#2 – You can use the same exact recipe time after time when making your cookies – and one time they will come out perfect, “just the way you like them”, and then the next time – something is just not quite right. How can be this be? Well I have listed quite a few reasons for this phenomenon (along with “tips and tricks” on how to get them “just the way you like them every time. So be sure to check out all of the useful information that follows the recipe!

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I have received quite a few requests for some “healthier” chocolate chip cookies in the past few weeks. Traditional chocolate chip cookies can vary from 120 calories PER COOKIE (that is the “lowest” I could find) up to a whopping 285 calories per cookie, depending on how they are made!!! Now I don’t know about you – but for 285 calories, I want more than one stinkin’ cookie!!!

So what’s the problem? Well, I have been hesitant to post a recipe for two main reasons:

#1 – People are VERY particular about their chocolate chip cookies. There are typically two groups of chocolate chip cookie lovers – the soft, moist chewy group, and the crispy, crunchy group.

#2 – You can use the same exact recipe time after time when making your cookies – and one time they will come out perfect, “just the way you like them”, and then the next time – something is just not quite right. How can be this be? Well I have listed quite a few reasons for this phenomenon (along with “tips and tricks” on how to get them “just the way you like them every time. So be sure to check out all of the useful information that follows the recipe!

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Black Forest Cake is one of my family’s favorite desserts. Who could blame them? Rich, dark chocolate cake with sweet, moist cherries and whipped cream – what a combination! The picture above is of the cake that I made for my father this past week for his birthday. I normally make this cake with just two layers, but for my dad, I made the recipe as stated below, but then cut each cake layer in half to make 4 layers, instead of the two called for (because I wanted it look really impressive!) I must say, that while it looked great – it was A LOT more work! Next time I will definitely keep it more simple with just the two layers. Also, I topped his cake with dried cherries instead of reserving some of the sour cherries – so feel free to make that substitution as well.

This cake definitely takes a little time, a little extra work, and a lot of dirty dishes – but it is really, really worth it. A few family members stated that it was more moist and flavorful than the black forest cakes they get from their bakeries!! Now that’s quite a compliment! And THIS version has 1/3 the calories of the black forest cakes from the bakery – so keep in mind that even though it takes a little more work – it is well worth the reward!!

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This is a fantastic, fast and easy meal that is simply packed with flavor. Don’t let the simplicity of the ingredients and the recipe fool you – everything in this dish compliments each other so well, that you wind up with a very rich meal with great depth. If you are looking for something a little more “hearty”, cook some very lean ground beef or chicken to mix in to the sauce, top it with a little low fat shredded cheese, and serve it with a salad and fresh multi-grain bread; Voila! A great, delicious, well-balanced and healthy meal in less than a half an hour!

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This traditional hearty, warming cool-weather specialty is a favorite of many. We revamped the recipe to be lighter on calories and fat, without sacrificing it’s rich, comforting flavor.

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