542 joy lighter Recipes

buitoni refrigerated reduced fat pesto with basil, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, vine-ripened or heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, chopped fresh basil (optional), salt and ground black pepper (optional)

light margarine, neufchatel cheese, brown sugar , packed, eggs, vanilla non-fat yogurt, tb grated orange zest, tb orange juice, whole wheat flour, flour, baking powder, fresh or frozen cranberries, white chocolate chips

salt, bottled marinara sauce , preferably no-sugar-added, low-fat milk or plain soy milk, crushed red pepper, whole-grain penne, vodka (inexpensive), parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated, chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

dijon mustard, whole-wheat sandwich rolls (such as pepperidge farm deli flats), halved horizontally, lean sliced ham, sliced turkey, reduced-fat swiss cheese, canola oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, quartered, pepperoncini, cored, seeded, thinly sliced

beef tenderloin , cut into thin strips, canola oil, divided, sliced fresh mushrooms, onion, thinly sliced, garlic cloves, minced, all-purpose flour, dried basil, salt, pepper, beef broth, apple juice, tomato paste, worchestershire sauce, fat-free sour cream, ground nutmeg, hot cooked yolk-free noodles, fresh basil leaves , optional

butter, softened, sugar, brown sugar, egg, canola oil, vanilla extract, king arthur unbleached all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, beaten egg white, popsicle or lollipop sticks

onion, chopped, butter, fresh pumpkin, cubed, chicken broth, fresh ginger, chopped, curry, turmeric, half-and-half cream (or you can use lighter cream or milk depending on how creamy or light you wish to have the soup), salt

muffin pans, a special metal baking pan , sometimes referred to as a muffin tin, with 6 or 12 cup-shaped depressions. most often this pan is made from aluminum., muffin cups are, standard muffin cup is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter., giant or texas-size muffin cup is about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 5/8 cup batter., muffin cup is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and holds 1/8 cup or 2 tbsp batter., muffin-top cup is about 4 inches in diameter but are only 1/2 inch deep ., substituting a different size muffin cup, substitute another size muffin cup for original size listed in recipe. if substituting a larger size muffin cup the recipe will yield fewer muffins and if using smaller size muffin cup the recipe will yield more muffins. the bake time will be changed also. bake a larger muffin longer than the original time and smaller muffins a shorter time., tips on baking muffins, grease muffin cups by spraying each cup with no stick cooking spray or using a paper towel dipped in shortening to grease each cup., use paper liners in muffin cups for easy clean-up., if muffin cups are filled more than 3/4 full the muffins will have flat, flying saucer tops. if sufficient room is not allowed for muffins to expand before reaching the top of the cup the muffin will flatten on top., if some muffin cups will remain empty during baking , put 2 to 3 tbsp water in the unused muffin cups to keep the pan from warping., if baked muffins stick to the bottom of the muffin cup, place hot muffin pan on a wet towel for about two minutes., source : land o lakes, all about muffins, are you eating muffins or cupcakes, hot breads are always a hit and muffins are 1 of the easiest to make. they are more quickly and easily made than biscuits and no kneading, rolling or cutting is required. they can be a savory, last minute dinner muffin or a sweet delicious breakfast muffin. made using whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, bran, honey, fruits and nuts they can be very nutritious. but like the healthy granola craze which turned into candy bars, muffins also can quickly turn into cupcakes. eating cupcakes for breakfast is your choice, but don tsp tell yourself you are eating healthy breakfast muffins. a recent magazine article revealed some muffins available in new york delicatessens were claimed to be low fat, but actually contained up to 23 g of fat. that s more fat than two egg mcmuffins., what is the difference between muffins and cupcakes, some say cupcakes have frosting. a basic formula for muffins is 2 cups flour, 2-4 tbsp sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil, shortening or butter, 1 cup milk. when the fat, sugar and egg ratio in a recipe reaches double or more than this, you have reached the cake level., other technical difference between muffins and cupcakes, method of cooking is different for muffins and cupcakes. the muffin method is by far the fastest and easiest. flour, sugar, baking powder and salt (all the dry ingredients) are mixed together. this is where the leavening can be uniformly dispersed into the flour. sugar is mixed with the flour to prevent the flour from lumping when combined with the wet ingredients., making and baking muffins, in a large bowl, oil (or melted butter) and egg are beaten together to form an emulsion to disperse the fat more uniformly. then the milk is stirred in. this much mixing can be done ahead and held. the two are combined just before baking., combine, cut and fold liquid into the dry ingredients. mix only to combine. batter will be lumpy but no pockets of dry ingredients should remain. the general rule is only 12 strokes., bake as soon as it s mixed. when filling cups, do not mix batter between scoops. excessive mixing causes loss of leavening., cake method for making muffins, sometimes muffins are made using the cake method , i.e. cream the fat and sugar, add eggs, add the dry ingredients and milk alternately. this is more time consuming but produces a lighter, more tender, cake-like muffin., perfect muffin, perfect muffin has a thin brown crust , a slightly rounded top with a pebbled appearance and a moist, even interior. there should be no peaks, no tunnels which are usually caused by excessive mixing and too much liquid (muffin batter should not be fluid)., more leavening is not better, just because a recipe is in print does not mean that it is in balance. a guide for leavening 2 cups of flour in a recipe is either 2 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder, or 4 tsp fast acting baking powder, or 1/2 tsp soda plus 1 cup buttermilk (for the acid) and 1 1/4 tsp baking powder. excess baking powder and soda taste bitter., here are a few tips for altering muffin recipes, substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg in the recipe. if these are stiffly beaten and folded in at the end it will produce a lighter muffin with less fat., use non-fat milk instead of whole milk ., use salad oil in place of butter. in place of the fat in the recipe , use 1-fourth of the oil and replace the other three-fourths with fruit puree such as applesauce. jars of baby food fruits provide a quick choice of purees other than apple. adding non-gluten grain products (bran, germ, oatmeal, corn meal) for part of the flour makes a more tender muffin., create your own taste sensations, begin with the basic formula and change 1/2 cup of the flour to corn meal, bran, wheat germ, rye, oatmeal or leftover cooked cereal. add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped apple, dates, prunes, raisins, apricots, figs, blueberries, cranberries, cheese, nuts., make your favorite muffin mixes by measuring the dry ingredients twice (or more ) into two separate bowls. use 1 and package 1 with the list of wet ingredients to be added when mixing at a later date.

butter (room temp ) no margarine, granulated sugar ( i like to use raw sugar in this 1), eggs, pure vanilla extract, all purpose flour (for a lighter cake, use 2 cup flour and 1 1/4 cup cake flour), baking powder, salt, milk

diced canadian bacon, garlic, minced, onion, diced, green bell pepper, seeded and diced, petite-cut , no-salt diced tomatoes, dry white wine, plain nonfat greek-style yogurt, hot sauce, salt, dozen large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on, uncooked quick-cooking polenta, water, chopped fresh chives, for garnish , optional

red new potatoes , scrubbed, light or reduced-calorie mayonnaise, chopped shallot, lime juice, smoked sweet paprika, olive oil, garlic, minced, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, chopped fresh cilantro

eggs, plain nonfat greek-style yogurt, chopped pickles , such as rick s picks low sodium classic sours, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, paprika spice blend , such as paula deen s, smoked paprika brine from pickled okra , optional, such as rick s picks smokra, sliced pickled okra, for garnish , such as rick s picks smokra

eggs, beaten, very ripe bananas, mashed, all purpose flour, salt, white sugar, baking soda, chopped walnuts (optional)

olive oil, yellow squash (or zucchini), sliced longways, yellow onion, diced, garlic cloves, minced, salt and pepper to taste, crumbled feta cheese (approximately ), white cheddar, cut into small pieces (i cut up several slices into pieces), approx 1/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese, sprinkling of bread crumbs, chips of butter

aged soft chevre (goat) cheese, nonfat plain yogurt (made without gelatin)

ff cream of mushroom soup, carton light sour cream, lipton onion soup mix, frozen chicken boneless , skinless breasts, egg noodles

russet potatoes, enough canola oil to half fill your largest cooking pot or deep-fat fryer, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, all-purpose flour, paprika, kosher salt, lager beer (the lighter and fizzier, the better), skinless, boneless large-flake white fish (we use wild alaskan cod because of its quality and sustainability), enough canola oil to half fill your largest cooking pot or deep-fat fryer, kosher salt, good-quality malt vinegar , for serving

this earthy-tasting , full-flavored pork and hominy stew originated in mexico, although it is now extremely popular in the american southwest. this stew is typically accompanied by an assortment of crunchy toppings (each in a small bowl) and warm tortillas. verde means green in spanish and green pozole, not surprisingly, is lighter and more refreshing than red pozole. green pozole is prepared with lots of cilantro, fresh jalapenos, and tomatillos. these ingredients are cooked for a very short time; the flavors are bigger, brighter, and fresher than pozole with red sauce. a slightly different set of garnishes accompanies green pozole as well: diced tomato, diced avocado, and minced jalapeno. in other words, forego the cilantro, oregano, and ancho chile puree garnishes suggested for pozole rojo., stew, bone-in pork picnic shoulder roast , (about 5 lb), salt and ground black pepper, vegetable oil, onions , chopped coarse (about 3 cups), garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 tsp), chopped fresh oregano leaves , or 1 tsp dried mexican oregano, low-sodium chicken broth, hominy , white or yellow, drained and rinsed, verde sauce, tomatillos , husked, washed, and quartered, jalapeno chiles (medium) , stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse, onion , chopped coarse, water, fresh cilantro leaves and stems (about 5 cups), limes , cut into quarters, head romaine lettuce , sliced crosswise into thin strips, radishes , sliced thin, onion , minced, fresh cilantro leaves , roughly chopped, fresh oregano , or dried mexican oregano, chopped, corn or flour tortillas , warmed