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:  6 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)                 Ingredients 2 cups   cooked long-grain rice 3/4 cup   (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, divided 3/4 cup   egg substitute, divided 1 teaspoon   dried dillweed 1/2 teaspoon   salt 1  small garlic clove, crushed Cooking spray 1  (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained 3/4 cup   fat-free milk 1/4 cup   sliced green onions 1 tablespoon   Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon   ground white pepper Green onion strips (optional) Preparation Preheat oven to 350°. Combine rice, 1/4 cup cheese, 1/4 cup egg substitute, dillweed, salt, and garlic; press into a 9-inch pieplate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes. Arrange artichoke quarters on bottom of rice crust; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Combine remaining 1/2 cup egg substitute, milk, and next 3 ingre...

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: 3 ounces steak and about 1/2 cup salsa)                Ingredients 1 cup   frozen corn, thawed 1/2 cup   drained canned black beans 1/2 cup   finely chopped red bell pepper 1  jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped 1  garlic clove, crushed 2 tablespoons   fresh lime juice 2 teaspoons   chopped fresh cilantro 2 1/4 teaspoons   black pepper, divided 1 pound   flank steak 1/2 cup   dry red wine 1/4 cup   fresh lemon juice 3  garlic cloves, crushed 2 tablespoons   chopped onion 2 tablespoons   Worcestershire sauce Cooking spray Preparation Combine corn, beans, bell pepper, jalapeño, 1 garlic clove, lime juice, cilantro, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and chill 8 hours. Sprinkle steak with remaining 2 teaspoons black pepper, and place in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Combine wine and next 4 ingredi...

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:  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...

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:  5 minutes Cook Time:  6 minutes Yield:  2 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)                   Ingredients 1 teaspoon   olive oil 3/4 pound   peeled and deveined large shrimp 1  small garlic clove, minced 1 cup   trimmed snow peas 1/4 cup   chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 2  green onions, thinly sliced 2 teaspoons   fresh lemon juice (1/2 small lemon) 1/8 teaspoon   salt 1/8 teaspoon   coarsely ground black pepper Preparation Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and garlic, and sautà 5 minutes or until done. Add snow peas and remaining ingredients; sautà 30 seconds. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 173 Calories from fat: 19% Fat per serving: 3.7g Saturated fat per serving: 0.7g Monounsaturated fat per serving: 1.9g Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 0.8g Protein per serving: 27.2g Carbohydr...

Yield:  8 servings (serving size: 3 slices pork and 2 tablespoons sauce)                 Ingredients Cooking spray 1/4 cup   minced white onion 1 teaspoon   grated peeled fresh ginger 2  garlic cloves, minced 1 cup   water 1/2 cup   sugar 1/4 cup   low-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons   red wine vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons   Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons   butter 2  (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed 1 tablespoon   black peppercorns, crushed 1 1/2 teaspoons   chopped fresh thyme 1/4 teaspoon   salt Preparation Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add water and sugar; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat; carefully stir in soy sauce, vinegar, and mustard. Add butter, stirring with a whisk. Set aside; keep warm. Preheat oven to 350°....

Prep Time:  6 minutes Cook Time:  2 minutes Yield:  4 sandwiches (serving size: 1 sandwich (1 piece bread, 1/4 cup ricotta, 1 cup vegetables, 1 tbsp. vinaigrette))                Ingredients 3 tablespoons   olive oil, plus more for grill grates 4  1/2-inch-thick slices country bread 2  6-inch sprigs fresh rosemary 1  small clove garlic, sliced 1 tablespoon   balsamic vinegar 1 cup   part-skim ricotta 4 cups   mixed grilled vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes Preparation 1. Heat grill; lightly oil grates. Grill bread and rosemary, turning often, until rosemary is lightly charred and bread has grill marks, about 1 minute for rosemary and 2 minutes for bread. 2. Strip leaves from rosemary; set aside 2 tsp. Purée garlic, remaining rosemary, vinegar and oil in a blender until smooth. 3. Top bread slices with ricotta and vegetables. Spoon vinaigrette over ...