Cook Without Book

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...

                  Ingredients 2 cups   extra-virgin olive oil 2 ounces   lemon juice 10  garlic cloves, minced 6  guindilla chile peppers or other medium-hot peppers, broken open 1 pound   (26–30) shrimp, peeled and deveined Salt, to taste 1/2  bunch parsley, finely chopped Preparation Add first 4 ingredients to a fireproof dish large enough to place shrimp in a single layer. Place over high heat until mixture starts to sizzle. Season shrimp with salt, and carefully add to hot oil mixture in 1 layer. Cook for 20 seconds, then flip to other side and cook until pink and opaque. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

                     Ingredients 1 pound   (about 20) sea scallops 2  small heads fennel, cored and thinly sliced 1  pint grape tomatoes, halved 1/2 cup   pitted kalamata olives, halved 1  garlic clove, thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon   kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon   freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup   dry white wine 1 tablespoon   olive oil Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Fold 4 (16- x 12-inch) pieces of parchment paper or foil in half crosswise; unfold onto 2 baking sheets. 2. Arrange scallops, fennel, tomatoes, olives, and garlic evenly on one half of each parchment sheet, leaving a 2-inch border at edge. Season with salt and pepper; drizzle with wine and oil. 3. Fold top half of each parchment piece over ingredients. Crimp edges in tight folds to seal. Bake until packets puff up and scallops are cooked through (about 17-20 minutes, depending on size of scallops). Tran...

                       Ingredients 1 pound   fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for cartilage 1  egg, whisked 1/2 cup   chopped scallions (optional) 2 tablespoons   mayonnaise 1 tablespoon   Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon   salt 1/2 teaspoon   black pepper 2 tablespoons   breadcrumbs, preferably whole-grain (use more as needed) 2 tablespoons   olive oil Lemon wedges (optional, for serving) Cherry Tomato and Corn Salad Preparation 1. Combine crabmeat, egg, scallions (if using), mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add enough breadcrumbs to bind mixture enough to form into cakes. Refrigerate the mixture until you're ready to cook. 2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes; add oil, and heat until it shimmers. Shape crab mixture into 8 (1-inch-thick) cakes, using 1/3 cup mixture for each; cook, adjusting heat as nec...

                              Ingredients Dressing: 1/3 cup   extra-virgin olive oil 2 1/2 tablespoons   red wine vinegar 1/3 cup   fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 1 tablespoon   chopped shallot 1/4 teaspoon   kosher or regular salt 1/4 teaspoon   pepper Salad: 20  medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 pound) 2 cups   (1-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1 pound) 1  coarsely chopped yellow bell pepper 1/2  chopped seeded peeled cucumber 1/2  diced peeled avocado 4 cups   mixed salad greens Preparation 1. Fill a large pot half-full with water, and bring to a boil. 2. Meanwhile, combine the dressing ingredients in a blender and process until smooth, about 20-30 seconds. Set aside. 3. When water is boiling, add shrimp and asparagus pieces; cook 3-4 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through and asparagus is bright green. Drain ...

               Ingredients 1 tablespoon   olive oil 1 1/2 pounds   sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry 1/2 teaspoon   each salt and pepper 2 teaspoons   olive oil 2  garlic cloves, minced 2 cups   sliced shiitake  1 teaspoon   each dried oregano and dried thyme 2  (5-ounce) packages baby spinach 1/4 cup   dry vermouth Preparation Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season sea scallops with salt and pepper; add to pan. Sear for 1 minute per side or until golden brown. Remove scallops; set aside. Using same pan over medium heat, carefully add 2 teaspoons olive oil and minced garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add sliced shiitake mushrooms, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until mushrooms soften and release their juices. Add oregano and thyme, and cook 1 minute more or until fragrant. Add spinach and vermouth, and cook for 30 seconds or until spinach just begi...

                 Ingredients 1 1/2 cups   flour   1 teaspoon   baking powder   1/2 teaspoon   salt 1  stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter   1 cup   sugar   3  eggs   1 teaspoon   vanilla extract   3/4 cup   milk   1  stick ( 1/4 lb.) unsalted butter   1/2 cup   shortening 3 cups   confectioners' sugar   1/2 teaspoon   vanilla extract   dash of salt assorted food coloring assorted tubes icing in various colors assorted candy, such as licorice string, mini and regular M&M's, mini marshmallows, jellybeans and gummy candies Preparation Make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin (or mini-cupcake tin) with cupcake liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla...

                  Ingredients 1/2 cup   reduced-fat sour cream 1/2 teaspoon   ground cumin 1  (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup   ripe diced peeled avocado (about 1) 1/2  poblano chile, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup) 1/4 cup   finely chopped red onion 1/4 cup   chopped fresh cilantro leaves 3 tablespoons   fresh lime juice (about 1 large lime) 1/4 teaspoon   salt 4  (8-inch) flour tortillas Preparation Combine sour cream and cumin in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine beans and next 6 ingredients in a bowl. Spoon equal amounts of black bean mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up, cut in half, and secure with wooden picks if necessary. Serve with sour cream mixture. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 298 Calories from fat: 38% Fat per serving: 12.6g Saturated fat per serving: 3.9g Monounsaturated fat per serving: 5g Pol...

              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 ingredients; pour over cheese. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or u...

                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...

               Ingredients Brownie layer: 5 tablespoons   unsalted butter 1/4 cup   semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup   all-purpose flour 1/3 cup   unsweetened cocoa 1/4 teaspoon   baking soda 1/4 teaspoon   salt 2  large eggs, lightly beaten 1 1/4 cups   sugar 1 teaspoon   instant espresso granules dissolved in 1 tablespoon water 1/2 teaspoon   vanilla extract Cheesecake swirl: 1  (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, at room temperature 1/2 cup   sugar 1  large egg white, lightly beaten Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. 2. For brownie layer, combine butter and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave until nearly melted. Stir. 3. Combine next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, espresso mixture, and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture; stir unti...

              Ingredients 4  (6-ounce) salmon fillets Cooking spray 2 tablespoons   chopped green onions 1 tablespoon   low-fat mayonnaise 1 tablespoon   plain fat-free yogurt 1 teaspoon   lemon pepper 1/4 teaspoon   salt 1/4 teaspoon   dry mustard Chopped green onions (optional) Lemon wedges (optional) Preparation Preheat oven to 425°. Place fish, skin side down, in a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Combine 2 tablespoons green onions and next 5 ingredients; spread evenly over fish. Bake 2 additional minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Serve immediately. If desired, sprinkle with additional chopped green onions, and garnish with lemon wedges. Tip: Because it has a higher fat content than many other kinds of fish, salmon stays moist and flavorful even if it's slightly overdone. It's a great choice if you'...