Apple Quesadillas Melt some butter in a skillet, then lay a flour tortilla in the pan and top with grated cheddar and thinly sliced apple on one side. Fold the tortilla in half and cook until golden on both sides. Cut into wedges.
Caramel Popcorn Melt 1/3 cup butter with 1 tablespoon honey and a pinch of salt. Toss with 12 cups popcorn and 1 cup pecans. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 15 minutes at 325 degrees F, tossing. Cool.
Fruit Dip Mix 1 cup low-fat sour cream and 2 tablespoons each brown sugar and lime juice; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Thread fruit onto skewers; serve with dip.
Salsamole Mix 1/2 cup salsa, 2 smashed avocados, 2 tablespoons each lime juice and chopped cilantro, and salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.
Chocolate Chow Mein Microwave 1/4 cup each peanut butter, chocolate chips and butter until melted. Put 3 cups each chow mein noodles and Chex cereal, and 1/2 cup each chopped peanuts and raisins in a resealable plastic bag; add the chocolate mixture and shake to coat. Add 2 cups confectioners' sugar and shake again.
Nutella Egg Cream Mix 2 tablespoons room-temperature Nutella and 3/4 cup milk in a glass. Quickly stir, then pour in 1/2 cup seltzer.
Bean Roll-Ups Spread bean dip on a flour tortilla, top with shredded cheddar and roll up. Brush with vegetable oil and bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Serve with salsa.
Nutty Pretzel Wands Spread some peanut butter on the top few inches of pretzel rods. Roll in chopped peanuts and/or dried fruit.
Apple Moons Slice an apple into crescents. Spread with peanut or almond butter and press granola on top.
Crackerwiches Spread peanut butter on saltines. Top with thinly sliced strawberries. Drizzle with honey and top each with another saltine.
Smoky Pretzel Mix Melt 1/2 stick butter with 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Toss with 3 cups mini pretzels and 2 cups mixed nuts. Spread on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes at 325 degrees F, stirring.
Yogurtwiches Place a scoop of frozen yogurt between graham cracker squares. Roll the edges in chocolate chips. Freeze until firm.
Loaded Oatmeal Cookies Prepare a 17.5-ounce package oatmeal cookie mix as the label directs, but substitute 1/2 cup applesauce for the butter or oil and add 1/4 cup wheat germ and 1 cup each chopped mixed nuts, dried fruit and shredded coconut to the batter.
Better Brownies Prepare your favorite brownie batter, adding 1 cup shredded zucchini (squeezed dry); divide among greased mini-muffin cups and bake 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Elvis Waffles Spread peanut butter on toasted mini whole-wheat waffles. Top with sliced banana and honey. From Food Network
Ingredients 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, sliced crosswise 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper 3 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 tablespoon water 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon peanut oil 1 garlic clove, minced 1 cup snow peas, trimmed 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms 1 cup sliced oyster mushroom caps 3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup chopped green onions
Directions Combine chicken, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine oyster sauce, water, sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture and garlic; sauté for 3 minutes. Add snow peas and mushrooms; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Stir in oyster sauce mixture; cook for 30 seconds or until thickened. Stir in onions; remove from heat. From Cooking Light
Directions Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in chicken, tomato, cheese, and basil. Line each pita half with 1/4 cup greens. Divide chicken mixture evenly among pita halves.
Southwestern Chicken Pasta Salad Ingredients 1/2 pound uncooked penne rigate 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless Grilled Chicken (about 8 ounces) 1 cup fresh corn kernels 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup sliced green onions 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 1/2 cup chopped plum tomato (about 2 tomatoes) 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add Grilled Lemon-Herb Chicken and next 5 ingredients (through tomato); toss well to combine. Combine orange juice and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill.
Beef, Orange, and Gorgonzola Sandwiches Ingredients 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup fresh orange sections (about 2 oranges) 4 (2-ounce) Italian or French rolls 2 cups thinly sliced Basic Grilled Flank Steak (about 8 ounces) 1 cup bagged prewashed baby spinach 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
Directions Combine first 5 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Pat orange sections dry with a paper towel. Slice each roll in half. Layer bottom of each roll with 1/2 cup Basic Grilled Flank Steak, 1/4 cup baby spinach, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1/4 cup orange sections. Drizzle each serving with about 2 teaspoons vinaigrette; top with top halves of rolls. Wrap in aluminum foil or wax paper; chill.
Ingredients 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon ground ancho chile powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 (6-ounce) Alaskan salmon fillets Cooking spray 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Directions Preheat broiler. Combine first 6 ingredients; rub spice mixture evenly over flesh side of fillets. Place fish on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 6 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Brush fillets evenly with syrup; broil 1 minute.
Directions Combine Italian dressing and fajita seasoning in a shallow dish or zip-top plastic bag; add steak. Cover or seal, and chill 8 hours, turning occasionally. Remove steak from marinade, discarding marinade. Preheat a two-sided contact indoor electric grill according to manufacturer's instructions on HIGH. Place steaks on grill rack, close lid, and grill 10 minutes (medium-rare) or to desired degree of doneness. Remove steaks, and let stand 5 minutes. Cut steaks diagonally across the grain into very thin slices, and serve with tortillas, cheese, and Pico de Gallo. Garnish, if desired.
Ingredients 1 (3-oz.) package Oriental-flavored ramen noodle soup mix 2 cups water 1 chopped green onion 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 cup fresh snow peas, trimmed 6 peeled and deveined medium-size raw shrimp (26/30 count) OR 1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken 1/4 cup shredded napa cabbage 1 to 2 Tbsp. chopped peanuts
Directions Stir together flavor packet from ramen noodle soup mix, 2 cups water, chopped green onion, and chopped fresh cilantro in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; add noodles and snow peas. Cook 1 minute, and stir in shrimp. Cook 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and top with shredded cabbage and chopped peanuts.
By law, a "light" scoop must sport half the fat or one-third less calories than its full fat counterpart. But "light" is a relative term since regular ice creams start out all across the board when it comes to fat and calories. So we set parameters for the kind of frozen assets that make a "light" scoop skinny enough for a nightly summer treat. Taste testing included national brands (no local dairies) like Breyers, Edy's/Dreyer's, Haagen Daz, Ben & Jerry's, Healthy Choice, and Blue Bunny. In our book, taste and nutrition are both high priority, so not every brand made the final cut. Here are our top picks.
Best Light Vanilla: Breyers® Smooth & Dreamy™ ½ the Fat Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream Artificial vanilla flavors and strange aftertastes are all too common with many light vanillas, particularly budget brands. But time and again Breyers® proves a taste winner with its authentic vanilla flavor. Light on calories and fat, it's the perfect skinny scoop to crown fresh baked brownies or summer's best cherry pie. Frozen assets per ½ cup: 110 calories, 3.5g fat, 2g sat fat, 16g sugars
Best Light Chocolate: Edy's/Dreyer's® Slow Churned® Rich & Creamy Chocolate Ice Cream Craving chocolate? Edy's/Dreyer's® slow churn technology takes smaller amounts of fat and disperses them evenly to deliver a creamy chocolate hit in every bite. At 100 calories a scoop, there's plenty of room to add toasted chopped nuts or stir in a few mini chocolate chips and create your own healthier mix-ins, all without breaking the fat and calorie bank. Frozen assets per ½ cup: 100 calories, 3.5g fat, 2g sat fat, 13g sugars
Best Light Frozen Yogurt: Blue Bunny® All Natural Bordeaux Cherry Chocolate FroYo Blue Bunny's® skinny all-natural blend of chocolate liquor, concentrated cherry juices, and cherry halves helps keep the lid on fat and calories while delivering healthy yogurt cultures. Also noteworthy: a short ingredient list minus all the freaky additives some light brands employ to keep scoops creamy. Look for the new 2-serving size Personals™ portion. Frozen assets per ½ cup: 120 calories, 3g fat, 1.5g sat fat, 17g sugars
Best Sorbet: Whole Fruit® Mango Sorbet This nifty tropical treat from Whole Fruit® hits your taste cylinders with an intense, but not too sweet, flavor. Close your eyes and it's almost like eating a fresh juicy mango complete with a quarter's day supply of vitamin A. Sugar numbers exceed our limit, but a big chunk of that is natural sugar since the main ingredient is mango puree. Runner up: Häagen Daz® Strawberry Sorbet. Frozen assets per ½ cup: 150 calories, 0g fat, 0g sat fat, 36g sugars
Best Fat Free: Breyers® Smooth & Dreamy™ Fat Free Chocolate Fudge Brownie When first introduced, Breyers® Slow Churn Fat Free Ice Creams fooled tasters at Consumer Reports who couldn't believe they were sampling something fat free. To our taste, this ice cream (and the little brownie bits) sport a chewier fudgsicle-like texture that might turn off a diehard ice-cream purist. One downside: the laundry list of gums and additives it takes to create this fancy little faux fat treat. For just 50 calories, serve your favorite scoop in one of these portion-controlled waffle bowls. Frozen assets per ½ cup: 110 calories, 0g fat, 0g sat fat, 15g sugars
Best Premium Light: Ben & Jerry's® Half Baked® Fro Yo McMansions of the ice cream world, premium scoops deliver more of everything—more fat, more calories, and more indulgent mix-ins. So trimming half the fat puts them on par with regular ice creams, not in our light scoop territory. This one from Ben & Jerry's® is almost an exception. Slashing 10 grams of fat from its popular "Half Baked" cookie dough flavor produces a slightly sweeter knock-off of the original. This is our pick for “worth-the-splurge” if premium, goodie-filled scoops are your thing. It's higher in calories and sugar than our benchmark, so go easy. Frozen assets per ½ cup: 200 calories, 3g fat, 1.5g sat fat, 24g sugars
Best Regular Scoop That's Naturally Light: Breyers® All Natural Peach Ice Cream Swirling chunks of sweet fresh peaches into a creamy regular ice cream is one way to capture some of the best flavors of summer. Turns out it also helps lighten the fat and calorie load just enough that this regular scoop from Breyers® easily meets our guidelines for light. All we can say is peachy keen. Frozen assets per ½ cup: 120 calories, 4.5g fat, 3g sat fat, 16g sugars
Instead of buying store brands packed with more sugar and high fructose corn syrup than fruit, I make my own using the freshest ingredients. They’re an easy and refreshing treat.
You will need: A blender 8 ice pop molds (you can also use dixie cups and popsicle sticks) Fine mesh strainer (if you’re using fresh fruit with seeds)
Possible flavor combinations: Watermelon, lime juice, cilantro Mango and orange juice Strawberries and skim milk Raspberry and lemon juice Lemon juice and mint Coconut milk and lime juice
Directions: Put strawberries, honey, lemon juice and vodka (if using) in blender; blend until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve to remove seeds. Pour into molds, making sure to leave room at the top. Insert sticks all the way down into the mold. Freeze overnight. To remove pops from mold, run under warm water for a few seconds. Serving Size: 1 popsicle Nutrition: 26 calories, 0g fat, 6.5g carb, 1g fiber From Healthy Eats Blog by Toby Amidor
Ingredients 8 peaches, pitted and sliced 4 white plums, pitted and sliced 1 pound green grapes, cut in half 3 bottles Prosecco (an Italian sparkling wine) One 12-ounce can Fresca or diet lemon/lime soda One 12-ounce can club soda
Directions Combine all the ingredients and chill for at least 1 hour. Serve over ice. From Bethenny Frankel
Ingredients 1 3/4 cup oat flour 1/4 cup soy margarine room temperature 1-cup honey 1/2-cup no salt creamy natural peanut butter (room temperature) 3/4 cup chocolate chunks (I broke up chocolate bars, because that is what I have in the house) 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp of salt
Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees In large bowl, combine all ingredients and combine using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon Thoroughly combine using an immersion blender or hand mixer Line sheet pan w parchment to prevent sticking. Scoop w 3 oz ice cream scoop onto sheet pan Bake for 20 minutes rotating halfway through Cool and serve *Makes 7 cookies From Bethenny Frankel
Ingredients 2 cups fruit (any mixture of mango, peach, pineapple or papaya) 1 red bell pepper, seeded, chopped 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped jalapeño, seeded, diced 3 green onions, diced Juice from one lime
Directions Chop any combination of fruit to equal approximately 2 cups. Mix all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. From recipetips.com
