Cook Without Book

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups and 1 tablespoon cheese)                    Ingredients Cooking spray 1 pound   ground round 1 1/4 cups   chopped onion (about 1 large) 1 1/4 cups   chopped green bell pepper (about 2 small) 6  garlic cloves, minced 2  (14 1/2-ounce) cans no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped 1  (15-ounce) can no-salt-added kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1  (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce 1  (1-ounce) envelope onion soup mix 1 cup   water 3 tablespoons   chili powder 1 tablespoon   paprika 1 1/4 teaspoons   hot sauce 6 tablespoons   (1 1/2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese Preparation Coat a Dutch oven with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add meat and next 3 ingredients; cook until meat is browned, stirring until it crumbles. Drain. Return mix...

Yield:  8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)                    Ingredients 4 cups   vegetable juice, chilled 2 cups   chopped tomato 1 1/2 cups   chopped sweet onion 1 1/2 cups   chopped seeded peeled cucumber 1 cup   chopped bell pepper 1/4 cup   finely chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons   fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons   fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons   tarragon vinegar 1 tablespoon   extravirgin olive oil 1 teaspoon   dried basil 1 teaspoon   honey 1/2 teaspoon   dried tarragon 1/4 teaspoon   ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon   dried oregano 2  garlic cloves, minced Preparation Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Place 4 cups vegetable mixture in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed vegetable mixture to bowl, stirring to combine. Cover and chill. Nutritional Information Calories per servin...

Ingredients 4  bacon slices (uncooked) 1 cup   chopped onion 1/2 cup   chopped celery 1/2 teaspoon   chopped fresh thyme 2 1/2 cups   2% reduced-fat milk 1/4 cup   flour 2  (14.5 ounce) cans fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 pound   red potatoes, diced (about 1/4-inch) 1 1/2 cups   corn kernels (fresh or frozen) 1 pound   lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed 2 tablespoons   chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon   lime juice 1/2 teaspoon   kosher salt Preparation 1. Cook the bacon over medium heat in a large soup pot. Remove bacon from the pot and place it on a paper towel to drain. 2. Add the onion, celery, and fresh thyme to the soup pot; cook 3–4 minutes until softened. 3. Whisk the milk and flour together; add to the pot. Add the chicken broth and potatoes, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer until the potatoes are cooked...

Yield:  8 servings (serving size: 1 enchilada and 1/2 cup lettuce)                 Ingredients 8  (6-inch) corn tortillas Cooking spray 1 1/2 tablespoons   chopped onion 1 1/2 tablespoons   chopped fresh cilantro 1  jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped 3 cups   shredded cooked chicken breast 3  (10-ounce) cans enchilada sauce, divided 1 1/2 cups   (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup   diced tomato 1/3 cup   sliced ripe olives 4 cups   shredded iceberg lettuce Preparation Preheat oven to 350°. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil; bake at 350° for 15 minutes. While tortillas bake, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, cilantro, and jalapeño; sauté until onion is tender. Add chicken and 1 can enchilada sauce; cook 5 minutes. Spoon chicken mixture evenly down centers of tortillas. Roll...

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2  cups)                  Ingredients 3/4 pound   skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into pieces 1/2 teaspoon   black pepper Olive oil-flavored cooking spray 1 teaspoon   olive oil 10 ounce   turkey breakfast sausage 2 1/2 cups   chopped onion (about 2 large) 2 1/4 cups   chopped celery (about 6 stalks) 1 3/4 cups   sliced green onions (about 7) 1 cup   chopped green bell pepper (about 1 large) 2  garlic cloves, minced 2  chicken-flavored bouillon cubes 3 1/3 cups   hot water 3 tablespoons   fat-free Italian dressing 1 1/4 cups   uncooked long-grain rice Preparation Sprinkle chicken with black pepper. Coat a Dutch oven with cooking spray; add oil. Place over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken; sauté 3 minutes. Remove chicken; set aside. Combine sausage and next 5 ingredients in pan....

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 1/4 of tomato mixture)               Ingredients 1 tablespoon   olive oil 1/4 cup   chopped onion 1/4 cup   chopped green bell pepper 1  garlic clove, minced 1  (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped 2 teaspoons   low-sodium Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons   red wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon   dried basil 1/4 teaspoon   salt 1/4 teaspoon   freshly ground black pepper Dash of hot sauce 4  (6-ounce) red snapper fillets Fresh basil sprigs (optional) Preparation Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, green bell pepper, and garlic; sauté until tender. Add tomatoes and next 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil; add fillets, spooning tomato mixture over fish. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Garnish...

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)                 Ingredients 6  (2-ounce) whole wheat submarine loaves 1 pound   ground round 1/4 cup   finely chopped onion 3 tablespoons   Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons   water 1/4 teaspoon   pepper 1  large egg white, lightly beaten 1 1/2 cups   low-fat, reduced-sodium pasta sauce 3/4 cup   (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese Preparation Cut an oval piece out of top of each loaf. Reserve oval pieces for another use. Combine meat and next 5 ingredients. Shape into 36 (1-inch) balls. Cook meatballs in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove from heat, and pat dry. Preheat oven to 400°. Return meatballs to pan; add pasta sauce. Cook over medium-low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Place loaves on a baking sheet; top each with 6 me...

                Ingredients 1 tablespoon   olive oil, divided 1  (20-ounce) package shredded potatoes (about 3 1/2 cups) 1  large egg white, whisked 1 tablespoon   all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon   salt 6 ounces   fresh spinach 1/4 cup   chopped onion 2 tablespoons   water 6  large eggs 1/4 cup   part-skim ricotta cheese Freshly ground black pepper 2 ounces   Swiss cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup) 1 ounce   Canadian bacon, finely chopped Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Coat inside of a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate with 1 teaspoon olive oil; set aside. 2. Combine potatoes and egg white in a large bowl. Toss lightly. Add flour and salt; toss to coat. Transfer to pie plate, and pat evenly into bottom and sides to form crust. Drizzle remaining 2 teaspoons oil over crust. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Remove from oven. Reduce oven tempera...

Prep Time:  8 minutes Cook Time:  10 minutes Yield:  16 potato cakes (serving size: 1 potato cake)                  Ingredients 2  (1-pound, 4-ounce) packages refrigerated mashed potatoes (such as Simply Potatoes) 1 tablespoon   dried minced onion 1/2 teaspoon   pepper 1 cup   matzo meal Cooking spray Preparation Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide mixture into 16 portions, using about 1/3 cup in each portion. Pat each portion into a 4-inch diameter cake; place on wax paper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat both sides of each cake with cooking spray; place in batches in pan. Reduce heat to medium; cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan, and place on wax paper. Cool completely. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 80 Calories from fat: 9% Fat per serving: 0.8g Saturated fat per serving: 0.0g Monounsat...

                   Ingredients 4  (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained 1 1/2 cups   chopped onion (about 1 large) 1/2 cup   sugar 1/2 cup   white wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon   crushed red pepper 1/2 teaspoon   ground allspice Preparation Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 3 cups, stirring often.

                Ingredients 8 ounces   uncooked linguine 2 teaspoons   olive oil 1/2 cup   chopped onion 1  (2.5-ounce) package cooked bacon pieces (such as Hormel) 1 1/3 cups   grape tomatoes, halved 4  garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon   dried oregano 1 teaspoon   salt 1/4 teaspoon   pepper 1/4 cup   (1 ounce) preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese Preparation Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Add bacon bits; sauté 2 minutes. Add tomato, garlic, and oregano; sauté 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add pasta, reserved pasta water, salt, and pepper. Stir well, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 3 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Nutritional Information C...