Cook Without Book

Yield:  5 servings (serving size: 1 kebab)                 Ingredients 1  (1-pound) beef tenderloin 2 teaspoons   Worcestershire sauce 1  medium-size green bell pepper, cut into 20 squares 10  cherry tomatoes 10  small mushrooms 2  small yellow squash, cut into 10 slices 1/8 teaspoon   black pepper Cooking spray 1/4 teaspoon   salt Preparation Prepare grill. Cut meat into 20 (3/4-inch) cubes. Sprinkle Worcestershire sauce over meat. Thread meat, bell pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms, and squash alternately onto 5 (12-inch) skewers. Sprinkle evenly with black pepper. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill, uncovered, 10 minutes or to desired degree of doneness, turning once. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Tip: If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water 30 minutes before threading to keep them from burning during grilling. Nutritional Information C...

Yield:  8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups soup and 1 tablespoon cheese)                    Ingredients 1 tablespoon   olive oil Cooking spray 1 cup   chopped onion 1 cup   sliced carrot 1/2 cup   chopped green bell pepper 2  garlic cloves, crushed 2  (14-ounce) cans less-sodium beef broth 1  (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1  (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1  (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1 1/2 teaspoons   dried Italian seasoning 1/2 teaspoon   salt 1/4 teaspoon   black pepper 6 ounces   uncooked ditalini pasta 1/2 cup   grated fresh Parmesan cheese Preparation Heat oil in a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; sauté until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add beef broth and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat,...

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: about 2/3 cup)                   Ingredients 1 pound   fresh green beans 1 3/4 cups   coarsely chopped seeded peeled tomato (about 2 tomatoes) 1/3 cup   less-sodium beef broth 1 teaspoon   minced garlic 2 ounces   reduced-fat, low-salt ham, diced 2 tablespoons   chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon   dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon   pepper Preparation Trim stem end from beans. Arrange beans in a steamer basket over boiling water; cover and steam 10 minutes. Combine tomato and next 3 ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in beans, parsley, thyme, and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes or until beans are tender. Tip: When you season fresh beans with lean ham instead of ham hock, you get all of the flavor but none of the fat. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 74 ...

Prep Time:  4 minutes Cook Time:  17 minutes Yield:  2 servings (serving size: 1 steak and 1/4 cup sauce)                    Ingredients 2  (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (about 1 inch thick) 1 teaspoon   freshly ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon   salt Cooking spray 4  shallots, peeled and sliced 1 cup   fat-free, low-sodium beef broth 2 teaspoons   Dijon mustard Fresh thyme (optional) Preparation Preheat broiler. Sprinkle steaks with pepper and salt. Place steaks on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 5 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat shallots with cooking spray, and add to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Stir in mustard. Spoon sauce over steaks. Garnish with thyme, if desired. Nutritional Information Calories...

Prep Time:  11 minutes Cook Time:  7 hours Yield:  8 servings (serving size: about 1 3/4 cups)                      Ingredients 1.1 ounces   all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup) 1 1/2 pounds   lean top round steak, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 teaspoons   spicy herb blend 2  (16-ounce) packages frozen gumbo vegetables mix 1  (10-ounce) package frozen chopped onion 2  (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained 2  (14.5-ounce) cans fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth 1 tablespoon   minced garlic 1 tablespoon   lower-sodium Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon   salt 1/2 teaspoon   freshly ground black pepper Preparation Place flour in a large zip-top plastic bag; add steak cubes. Seal and shake to coat. Remove steak from bag; set aside. Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add steak, ...

Yield:  10 servings (serving size: 1 cup)                  Ingredients 2 1/4 cups   (6 ounces) uncooked wagon wheel pasta Cooking spray 3/4 pound   ground round 1 cup   chopped onion (about 1 medium) 3 cups   low-fat spaghetti sauce 1/2 teaspoon   ground oregano 2  (14-ounce) cans less-sodium beef broth 1  (15-ounce) can no-salt-added kidney beans, undrained Preparation Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Coat a Dutch oven with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add meat and onion; cook over medium heat until meat is browned, stirring until it crumbles. Drain. Return meat mixture to pan; add cooked pasta and remaining ingredients. Cook 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 223 Calories from fat: 0.0% Fat per serving: 4.2g Saturated fat per serving: 1.1g Monounsatur...

Cashew Coconut Meatballs   SERVES 4 1 pound beef, ground ½ cup cashew nuts 4 green chilies 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 small onion, minced 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped 1 cup coconut, grated 1 large egg Salt to taste 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 medium onion, fi nely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 green chilies, minced 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon ground fennel ½ teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 2 medium tomatoes, chopped Salt to taste 2 cups water ½ cup cilantro, chopped In a food processor add the beef, cashew nuts, green chilies, fennel, onion, garlic, coconut, egg and salt and process until well blended. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Divide and shape the meat mixture into two ounce portions. Refrigerate until ready to use. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally to pre...