Cook Without Book

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)                     Ingredients 1  (9-ounce) package frozen cooked chopped chicken breast, thawed 1  (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained 1 cup   chopped seeded cucumber (about 1 small) 1/2 cup   chopped green onions (about 4 small) 1/4 cup   chopped fresh mint or basil 1/2 cup   plain fat-free yogurt 2  garlic cloves, minced 1/4 teaspoon   salt 2 cups   prepackaged baby spinach leaves 1/3 cup   (1.3 ounces) feta cheese with cracked pepper, crumbled 4  lemon wedges Preparation Combine first 8 ingredients; toss gently. Gently fold in spinach leaves and feta cheese. Serve salad with lemon wedges.

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...

             Ingredients 4 ounces   uncooked rice vermicelli 1 tablespoon   peanut oil 2 tablespoons   minced a  1 tablespoon   minced peeled fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon   ground anise 1/4 teaspoon   ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon   ground nutmeg 6 cups   water 1/3 cup   lower-sodium soy sauce 4  sprigs cilantro; garnish 4  sprigs fresh basil or mint (garnish) 1  fresh hot red chile, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced (garnish) 2  scallions, chopped (garnish) 2  limes, cut into wedges (garnish) 1 cup   mung bean sprouts (garnish) 1 pound   (4 cups) sliced vegetables, (such as bok choy, carrots, green beans) 6 ounces   cubed tofu Preparation 1. Soak vermicelli in boiling salted water until tender (5-10 minutes); drain and rinse. Place in cold water. 2. Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook un...

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)                 Ingredients 1 teaspoon   olive oil Cooking spray 1 1/2 cups   chopped red bell pepper 1  garlic clove, crushed 2 tablespoons   chopped fresh basil 2 tablespoons   balsamic vinegar 1/8 teaspoon   salt 1/8 teaspoon   black pepper 6 ounces   uncooked linguine Fresh basil sprigs (optional) Preparation Heat oil in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add red bell pepper and garlic; cook, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside, and cool slightly. Place pepper mixture in a blender; add chopped basil and next 3 ingredients. Process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. To serve, top pasta with pepper sauce. Garnish with basil sprigs, if desired. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 117 Cal...

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)                  Ingredients 1 teaspoon   olive oil Cooking spray 5 cups   cubed yellow squash (about 1 1/4 pounds) 1 cup   grape tomatoes, halved 2 tablespoons   chopped fresh basil 1/4 teaspoon   salt 1/4 teaspoon   freshly ground black pepper Preparation Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add squash; cook, stirring occasionally, 6 minutes or until tender. Add tomato and remaining ingredients; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 49 Calories from fat: 31% Fat per serving: 1.7g Saturated fat per serving: 0.3g Monounsaturated fat per serving: 0.9g Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 0.3g Protein per serving: 1.9g Carbohydrates per serving: 8.4g Fiber per serving: 3.6g Cholesterol per serving: 0.0mg Iron per serving: 1mg Sodium per servin...

              Ingredients 8 ounces   uncooked spinach fettuccine 1 1/2 pounds   sea scallops 3/4 teaspoon   freshly ground black pepper Cooking spray 2 tablespoons   extravirgin olive oil 1 tablespoon   Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon   chopped fresh basil 1/4 teaspoon   salt 3/4 cup   dry white wine or low-sodium chicken broth 1/3 cup   finely chopped green onion (about 2) 3 tablespoons   chopped fresh parsley Preparation Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Rinse scallops, and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle scallops with pepper. Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of scallops; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove scallops from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining scallops. Combine olive oil and next 3 ingredients; set aside. Place same pan over high ...

                        Ingredients 8 ounces   penne Salt and pepper 1 cup   diced grilled eggplant (from about 3 grilled lengthwise slices) 1 cup   diced grilled zucchini or other summer squash (from about 5 grilled lengthwise slices) 1/2 cup   diced grilled bell peppers (from about 3 grilled lengthwise slices) 4  stalks grilled asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup) 1/3 cup   pitted kalamata olives, halved 1 cup   grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large 1/4 cup   thinly sliced fresh basil, plus more for serving 1 teaspoon   finely grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon lemon  2 tablespoons   olive oil Preparation 1. Cook penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, as package label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and return to pot. 2. Combine grilled vegetables, olives, tomatoes, basil, lemon z...

Prep Time:  1 minute Cook Time:  13 minutes Yield:  2 servings (serving size: 1 cup scallop mixture, 1/4 cup sauce, and 1 cup pasta)                    Ingredients 1 teaspoon   olive oil 1 teaspoon   butter Cooking spray 3/4 pound   sea scallops 2 teaspoons   capers 1/4 teaspoon   salt 1/4 teaspoon   coarsely ground black pepper 1/2 cup   dry vermouth or dry white wine 2 cups   hot cooked vermicelli (about 4 ounces uncooked pasta) 2 tablespoons   chopped fresh basil Preparation Heat oil and butter over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Add scallops; cook about 3 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through. Add capers, salt, pepper, and vermouth. Cook 30 seconds or until vermouth evaporates. Spoon mixture over pasta. Sprinkle evenly with basil. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 389 Calorie...

Yield:  Makes about 30 appetizers (serving size: 1 appetizer)                    Ingredients 2  pints cherry or grape tomatoes 1 pound   bocconcini (fresh mozzarella) 1  bunch fresh basil Sea salt Ground black pepper Extra-virgin olive oil Preparation Thread ingredients onto skewers in this order: cherry tomato, fresh basil leaf, bocconcini, fresh basil leaf, and grape tomato. Sprinkle each skewer with sea salt and black pepper; drizzle with olive oil. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 46 Fat per serving: 4g

                  Ingredients 1  large onion, diced (about 3 cups) 2  garlic cloves 1 tablespoon   olive oil 1/2 teaspoon   each salt and pepper 1  (26-ounce) can whole tomatoes Dash of sugar 1/2 cup   chopped fresh basil 1 pound   frozen medium shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined Salt and pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon   olive oil 1/2 pound   cooked pasta Garnish: additional basil Preparation Cook onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon warm olive oil until tender. Season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and a dash of sugar; cook 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste, and sauté with 1 tablespoon warm olive oil in a separate pan for 3 minutes or until opaque. Add shrimp to tomato mixture, and toss with cooked pasta. Garnish with additional basil.

             Ingredients 1  Sharlyn melon, peeled, seeded, and cut into medium cubes (about 4 cups)* 1  honeydew melon, peeled, seeded, and cut into medium cubes (about 4 cups) 1  cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut into medium cubes (about 4 cups) 3 ounces   prosciutto di Parma, julienned 1  bunch basil 8  fresh dark-skinned figs, trimmed and quartered 1/4 pound   arugula 1 tablespoon   extra-virgin olive oil 1  (4-ounce) block ricotta salata, shaved, for garnish 1 tablespoon   crushed red pepper, for garnish Preparation 1. For each serving, place 1/2 cup of each melon in the center of the plate; place about 1/3 ounce prosciutto on top of the melon, followed by a few basil leaves, 4 fig quarters, and a few arugula leaves. Drizzle each serving with a little olive oil, and garnish with the shaved ricotta salata and a dash of crushed red pepper. *Note: If you can't find Sharlyn m...

Penne Rigate Arrabiata Prep Time:  5 minutes Cook Time:  20 minutes Ingredients 1  (26.46-ounce) box strained tomatoes (such as Pomi) 2 tablespoons   extra-virgin olive oil 3/4 teaspoon   kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon   crushed red pepper 12 ounces   uncooked whole-wheat penne rigate (tube-shaped pasta with ridges) 1/2 cup   shredded fresh Parmesan cheese 8  fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced Preparation 1. Heat a large deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, oil, salt, and pepper flakes to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until very thick (about 20 minutes), whisking frequently to prevent sticking. 2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. 3. Transfer pasta to serving bowls; top with tomato sauce, Parmesan, and basil. Serve immediately. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 298 Fat per serving: 7g Saturated fat per serving: 2g Monounsaturated fat per serving: 4g P...