Cook Without Book

Yield:  4 servings                 Ingredients 1  (3-ounce) package ramen noodles 1  (7-ounce) package baby spinach (about 8 cups) 1  (9-ounce) package frozen cooked chopped chicken breast, thawed 1  red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1  (6-ounce) package frozen snow peas, thawed and drained 1/2 cup   golden raisins 1/4 cup   honey 3 tablespoons   cider vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons   low-sodium soy sauce 1 1/2 tablespoons   grated peeled  fresh ginger Preparation Discard seasoning packet in package of noodles. Crumble noodles. Place 2 cups spinach on each of 4 plates. Top evenly with of noodles, chicken, and next 3 ingredients. Combine honey and remaining 3 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Spoon about 2 1/2 tablespoons honey mixture over each salad. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 373 Calories from fat: 14% Fat per serving: 5.7g Saturate...

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:  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:  16 servings (serving size: 1 cup)                  Ingredients 4 cups   water 2 1/2 cups   chopped tomato (about 2 large) 1 1/2 cups   chopped green bell pepper (about 2 small) 1 cup   chopped onion (about 1 medium) 1 teaspoon   dried Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon   chili powder 1 teaspoon   hot sauce 3/4 teaspoon   salt 3  garlic cloves, minced 1  bay leaf 2 cups   uncooked instant rice 3  (8-ounce) cans no-salt-added tomato sauce 2  (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added red kidney beans, undrained 1  (16-ounce) package frozen sliced okra, thawed Preparation Combine first 10 ingredients in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Add rice and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes or until okra is tender. Remove and discard bay leaf. Nutritional Inform...

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...

Prep Time:  7 minutes Cook Time:  9 minutes Yield:  7 cups (serving size: 1 cup)                  Ingredients Cooking spray 1  onion, finely chopped 1  large yellow bell pepper, finely chopped 1  small eggplant, finely chopped 3  garlic cloves, minced 1/4 teaspoon   freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup   fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons   dry white wine 1  (4-ounce) jar diced pimiento, drained 3  (6-ounce) packages Italian-style chopped cooked chicken breast (about 4 cups) Preparation Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chicken broth and wine; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in pimiento and chicken. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 133 Calories from fat: 20% Fat per serving: 3g Saturated...

Prep Time:  10 minutes Cook Time:  14 minutes Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)                 Ingredients 1 pound   boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch pieces 1  yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into large pieces 1  small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices 1/2  red onion, cut into wedges 3  garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons   fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon) 2 tablespoons   olive oil 1 tablespoon   dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon   salt 1/2 teaspoon   pepper Cooking spray Preparation Prepare grill. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add garlic and next 5 ingredients; toss gently to coat. Arrange lamb mixture in grilling basket coated with cooking spray on grill rack. Grill covered, 14 minutes, turning once, until lamb is done and vegetables are tender. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 232 Calories from ...

Prep Time:  5 minutes Cook Time:  11 minutes Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)                     Ingredients Cooking spray 1  green bell pepper, chopped 1  (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms 4  (1.3-ounce) frozen vegetable protein sausage patties, thawed and crumbled 1/8 teaspoon   salt 1/8 teaspoon   freshly ground black pepper 1 cup   egg substitute 1/4 cup   fat-free half-and-half 1/2 cup   (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese Preparation Preheat broiler. Place a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chopped bell pepper and mushrooms; sauté 3 minutes. Add sausage, salt, and pepper; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 1 minute. Combine egg substitute and half-and-half; carefully pour over sausage mixture. Cover and cook 6 minutes. (Frittata will be slightly moist on t...

                             Ingredients 1  (8-ounce) package five-grain tempeh 1 cup   pineapple juice   1/4 cup   low-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons   fresh lime juice 2 teaspoons   ground cumin 2 teaspoons   canola oil 1/2 teaspoon   freshly ground black pepper, divided 1  garlic clove, minced 2 cups   (1/2-inch) vertically sliced onion 1 1/2 cups   (1/2-inch-thick) slices green bell pepper   Cooking spray 1/4 teaspoon   salt 4  (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas 1/4 cup   chipotle salsa (such as Frontera) Preparation Cut tempeh in half crosswise; cut each half lengthwise into 6 strips. Place tempeh in a shallow dish. Combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, lime juice, cumin, oil, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and garlic in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Pour pineapple juice mixture over tempeh. Marinate at room temper...

Prep Time:  12 minutes Cook Time:  12 minutes Yield:  Serves: 4 (serving size: 2 cups)                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 juice 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...

Yield:  serves 4 (serving size: 1 wrap)                    Ingredients 3/4 cup   fresh white corn kernels (about 2 ears) 2 tablespoons   finely diced green bell pepper 2 tablespoons   finely diced seeded plum tomato 1 teaspoon   minced seeded jalapeño pepper 1 tablespoon   minced fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon   fresh lime juice 1/2 teaspoon   salt, divided 4  large eggs, lightly beaten 1/4 teaspoon   ground cumin Cooking spray 2 tablespoons   finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese 4  (8-inch) flour tortillas 4  lettuce leaves Preparation Combine first 6 ingredients (through lime juice) in a small bowl; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt with eggs and cumin. Heat a medium nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add egg mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring gently until set. Remove from heat; sprinkle with...