(52) Kimchi-Style Slaw

This recipe was suggested by Cooking Light to go with the Barbecued Pork Chops. This made the meal extra spicy but may I just say... YUM! I only used 1 tsp garlic (I didn't want dragon breath!) which worked fine. The flavors here were spicy and tangy and even my non-slaw loving husband liked it. (actually, the baby did too, go figure!). Using bagged shredded cabbage made this a super quick side!

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Kimchi-Style Slaw

Yield: 4 servings
Source: Cooking Light, June 2009

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 to 2 teaspoons Sriracha
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 cups shredded Napa cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

Combine first 7 ingredients (vinegar through sugar) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add cabbage and green onions; toss to coat.

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(47) Black Bean Salad

I was looking for something light to compliment the Stuffed Pork Sandwiches and came across this recipe online. I highly recommend the Simply Recipes website - she always has great recipes and beautiful photography!

Anyway, this recipe was delicious!! It was labor intensive on the chopping front, but it was worth the knife time. I used pickled jalapenos and probably not enough (it was spicy, but not overly). I thought for sure that the basil or cilantro would be overwhelming, but they weren't! The flavors were perfectly balanced. I can't wait for the leftovers!

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Black Bean Salad

Source: Simplyrecipes.com
Yield: 6 to 8 servings (I measured 8 servings that were a hefty 1/2 cup each)

1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, thoroughly rinsed, and drained (or 1 1/2 cup of freshly cooked black beans)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, defrosted (or fresh corn, parboiled, drained and cooled)
1/2 cup chopped green onions or shallots
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced, or 1 whole pickled jalapeño pepper, minced (not seeded)
3 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
2 Tbsp lime juice (about the amount of juice from one lime)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sugar (to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Make sure to rinse and drain the beans, if you are using canned beans.

In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, onions, jalapeno chile peppers, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, basil, lime juice and olive oil. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste. (The sugar will help balance the acidity from the tomatoes and lime juice.) Chill before serving.

Serves 6 to 8.

I ran the nutritional information on Spark Recipes and came up with 8 servings for 130 calories, 5.6g fat, 19.4g carbs, 4.5g protein, 5.5g fiber.

Original Recipe (You can print from here)

(43) Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

I think I'm officially on a cauliflower kick! I've never made mashed cauliflower before, but I've heard that it's good. I'm here to report that yes, indeed, it is GOOD! I went with the microwave version and I had too cook it nearly twice as long as suggested. It was really easy, though. The garlic was nice and mellow and the consistency was extremely creamy! We both give this two thumbs up!

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Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

Source: Eating Well Magazine, February/March 2005
Yield: 4 servings, 3/4 cup each

Our savory cauliflower puree makes a perfect low-carb stand-in for mashed potatoes. It gets its fabulous flavor from garlic, buttermilk and a touch of butter and, best of all, it has about one-quarter of the calories of typical mashed potatoes. If you like, vary it by adding shredded low-fat cheese or chopped fresh herbs.

8 cups bite-size cauliflower florets (about 1 head)
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk (see Tip)
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Snipped fresh chives for garnish

1. Place cauliflower florets and garlic in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place florets and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water, cover and microwave on High for 3 to 5 minutes.)

2. Place the cooked cauliflower and garlic in a food processor. Add buttermilk, 2 teaspoons oil, butter, salt and pepper; pulse several times, then process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garnish with chives, if desired. Serve hot.

Per serving : 107 Calories; 7 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 3 mg Cholesterol; 10 g Carbohydrates; 5 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 339 mg Sodium; 288 mg Potassium

Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk. (for this recipe that's 1/3 c milk, 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice!)

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(35) Creamy Cheese Grits

I've made quite a few cheese grits in my life and they tend to fall into two categories. They're either the garlicky, super sharp cheese variety or the mild, creamy version. This recipe is the latter. This is an easy recipe and was a perfect compliment to the grilled pork chops.

Side note: Dry grits on a hot, flat top stove = flames. Ohhhh boy. I've never had a fire in the kitchen until today. Good times, good times!!

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Creamy Cheese Grits

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
Source: Southern Living Magazine, January 2006

5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits*
1/2 (8-ounce) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1/2 (8-ounce) block Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bring 5 cups water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in grits; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in Cheddar cheese and remaining ingredients until cheese is melted and mixture is blended. Serve immediately.

*Stone-ground grits may be substituted. Increase liquid to 6 cups, and increase cook time to 50 minutes.

(18) Fiesta Rice

I have a recipe that I normally use when I want a zesty Mexican side dish. I decided to try this one because we've been on a brown rice kick lately. This took a while to cook, but was DELISH and very filling. I will make this again!

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Fiesta Rice

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Source: Cooking Light, May 2007

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of salt
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add corn to pan; cook 10 minutes or until corn starts to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan. Set aside.

Melt butter in pan. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, cumin, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add chicken broth, black pepper, salt, and diced tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in reserved corn and beans. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and juice.

CALORIES 226 (16% from fat); FAT 3.9g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.7g); IRON 2.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 52mg; CARBOHYDRATE 43.5g; SODIUM 354mg; PROTEIN 6.6g; FIBER 4.9g

(8) Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms

This dish was an awful lot of prep. It took close to 30 minutes to trim, quarter, slice, chop, etc. It was worth it, though! This is an elegant presentation of vegetables. Quite honestly, I could see this on a Thanksgiving dinner table. Also, it was not extremely strong, which I worried about with 5 cloves of garlic. (I hate having dragon breath!!)

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Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, September 2006

Cremini mushrooms are a surprisingly good source of niacin. Roasting is a great way to cook green beans, giving them crisp browned edges and intensifying their flavor.

6 cups quartered cremini mushrooms (about 1 pound)
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
Cooking spray
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine first 4 ingredients on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with thyme and pepper. Toss well to coat. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until beans are lightly browned. Sprinkle with salt; toss to combine.

CALORIES 107 (32% from fat); FAT 3.8g (sat 0.3g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.2g); IRON 1.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 75mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.7g; SODIUM 310mg; PROTEIN 4.8g; FIBER 4.6g

(2) Crisp Mashed Potato Cakes

Back in the saddle again, kind of.... I tell you, I would like to claim mommy brain sometimes. If you have kids, you know what I mean. I was cooking, talking to my husband, singing songs with the baby, fixing her food, etc etc. So I wasn't 100% focused on cooking. I totally failed to cook the green onions. OOPS. I realized it as I was putting the tray in the oven. We don't mind raw green onions, so it was fine.

These were DELISH. Let me make a few suggestions. First, don't make them too big. Secondly, don't be tempted to over cheese them. I know, I know, I wanted to just PILE the cheese in, but that would equal disaster. Also a good shortcut - I used my favorite refrigerated mashed potatoes (please note that nobody is paying me anything for saying this!! I just love these!):

The recipe suggests that you flip them. I flipped one and was like "no freaking way". So I didn't flip any of the others. That's FINE. They needed browning, so I gave them a minute or two under the broiler before I brought them out. I hope you'll try these. They are delish and something different for a side dish!

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Crisp Mashed Potato Cakes

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 potato cake)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, November 2007.

Cheddar cheese, bacon, and a panko coating make these a satisfying side dish.

Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cups mashed potatoes, chilled
2 tablespoons shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 center-cut bacon slice, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add green onions to pan, and cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Place mashed potatoes in a medium bowl. Stir in onions, cheese, salt, pepper, and bacon. Divide potato mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place panko in a shallow dish. Dredge patties in panko. Place patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes. Carefully turn patties over; bake an additional 12 minutes or until golden.

CALORIES 122 (16% from fat); FAT 2.2g (sat 1.1g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.1g); IRON 0.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 40mg; CARBOHYDRATE 22g; SODIUM 290mg; PROTEIN 3.6g; FIBER 2g

(110) Creamy Polenta

Delish! I have never quite had the knack for making a good polenta, but this recipe was it for me!!

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Creamy Polenta

Source: Everyday Food - Jan/Feb 2005
Yield: 4 servings (approx: 3/4 cup per serving)

4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter

1. In a large saucepan, bring water, salt, and pepper to a boil over high heat
2. Whisking constantly, very gradually add cornmeal. Simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently, until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan cheese and butter until smooth.

Nutritional Information (per sparkrecipes.com)
Calories 137, Total Fat 5.6 g, Cholesterol 12.7 mg, Sodium 1,001.6 mg, Potassium 74.3 mg, Total Carbohydrate 17.9 g, Dietary Fiber 1.7 g, Sugars 0.1 g, Protein 4.5 g

(109) Stacey's Sausage Stuffing

This comes from Stacey who was kind enough to share the recipe with me! She told me that it is "so good and so easy" and that she was excited for Thanksgiving to get here so she could hog on it :) After having made it, I can't say that I blame her!! She gave me her roundabout way of making it, but I'm going to try to write out exactly how I did it! I tested it today because I hated the idea of making a totally new recipe with an audience of 25 people! eek!

This makes a full 13x9" pan. I used only 8 oz of mushrooms, but I think for Thanksgiving, I'm going to use 16oz because the mushrooms are SO GOOD in this!

1/2 lb mild sausage (bulk - the kind in the tube)
1/2 lb hot sausage (again, bulk - the breakfast kind!)
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3-4 Tbsp unsalted butter
16 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
14 oz bag of cubed herb stuffing (Pepperidge Farms)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
handful of chopped sage (I used about 5 or 6 leaves)
handful of chopped fresh parsley (I used a few pinches of dried)
cracked black pepper - to your personal liking (I forgot this step! oops! I will probably use about 1/4 tsp next time I make it)

1) Cook the sausages in a skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Chop up with your spatula so you don't have too many big hunks of sausage. [Stacey says she runs hers through the food processor!] Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon & place in a bowl. Wipe grease from skillet.

2) Melt 3-4 Tbsp of butter in skillet. Saute onions and celery until translucent and tender. Add mushrooms and saute until softened.

3) Place stuffing cubes in a large bowl. Soften the cubes with 1c water and 1c chicken broth. Add the onion/celery/mushroom mix and sausage to the stuffing cubes. Add the sage, parsley, and black pepper. Stir with a big spoon or use your hands to combine. Gradually add the remaining 1c of broth  until the stuffing is wet. (you can use even more water after this if you think you need it. I only needed the 3c liquid)

4) Spoon stuffing into a 13x9" pan sprayed with Pam. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes (until browned and crispy on top). Enjoy!

(108) Bacon and Brown Sugar-Braised Collard Greens

I might live in Florida, but I was raised in Virginia - Southern Virginia, to be exact. I grew up eating collards and Smithfield ham and biscuits and corn pudding and all those other yummy southern dishes *drool*. I don't normally make collards following a recipe, but I had pulled this one out to try.

I made a few changes - I added 3 cups of water when the collards started cooking. I also added 2 more cups of water at the 1 hour mark. I cooked them 2 hours on a really low simmer. They were fine at 1 hr, but in my opinion, collards are one of those things you can't cook too much!!

PS: They were spicy, so if you dont like the heat, cut the red pepper down to 1/4 tsp or less!

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Bacon and Brown Sugar-Braised Collard Greens

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)
Source: Cooking Light, JUNE 2007

Cooking collard greens in a lightly sweetened braising liquid curbs their bitter bite. This Southern-inspired side dish is great with grilled pork chops and corn bread.

2 bacon slices
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (16-ounce) package prewashed torn collard greens

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add onion and garlic to drippings in pan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in crumbled bacon, 2 cups water, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper). Gradually add greens. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until tender.

Calories 60 (42% from fat); Fat 2.8g (sat 0.9g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.4g); Iron 0.2mg; Cholesterol 4mg; Calcium 90mg; Carbohydrate 7.2g; Sodium 208mg; Protein 2.3g; Fiber 2.4g

(106) Oven-Roasted Squash with Garlic & Parsley

I don't make nearly enough squash, so this was a nice change for a side dish. Let me tell you, though, PLEASE just be safe and go with butternut squash. I thought I would be adventurous and bought 1 butternut and 1 buttercup squash. WOW. What a total pain in the rear! It took me nearly 30 minutes to figure out how to cut it and my hands HURT at the end. The 'skin' was totally thick. Sooooo, learn from my misfortune and go easy!! (butternut squash is pretty easy to cut!)

Watch the squash - I overdid it and mine was a bit too soft. I LOVED the garlic/oil at the end. I thought it would give me dragon breath, but nope, just YUMMY! This makes a ton, too, so you could easily half the recipe and have plenty.

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Oven-Roasted Squash with Garlic & Parsley

Source: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2009
Yield: 10 servings, about 3/4 cup each

Winter squash becomes tender and sweeter when roasted—a delicious side for a holiday dinner. Look for interesting squash like kabocha or hubbard at your farmers’ market and try them in this recipe. (Recipe adapted from Alice Waters.)


5 pounds winter squash (such as butternut, buttercup, kabocha or hubbard), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks (see Tip)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Toss squash with 4 teaspoons oil, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread evenly on a large baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until tender throughout and lightly browned, 30 to 45 minutes (depending on the variety of squash).
3. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Toss the roasted squash with the garlic and parsley. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve.

Nutrition
104 Calories; 3 g Fat; 0 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 21 g Carbohydrates; 2 g Protein; 6 g Fiber; 357 mg Sodium; 555 mg Potassium; 1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving; Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat

Nutrition Note: Vitamin A (430% daily value), Vitamin C (50% dv), Potassium (16% dv).

Make Ahead Tip: Cut squash up to 1 day ahead; store airtight in the refrigerator.

(103) Warm Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Red Onions

If you like Brussels sprouts, this is a recipe for you! Quite tasty and easy to make once you've got everything chopped!! I didn't buy applewood bacon because I'm cheap! Regular bacon worked fine.

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Warm Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Red Onions

Source: Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Slice the Brussels sprouts to help them cook quickly, then splash them with a warm bacon vinaigrette. Use the best bacon you can find for this recipe.

2 slices applewood-smoked bacon
2 cups diced peeled Granny Smith apple
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 cups thinly sliced Brussels sprouts (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon stone-ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add apple, onion, and garlic to drippings in pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add 2 tablespoons water and vinegar to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add Brussels sprouts; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in mustard, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with bacon. Serve immediately.

Calories 54 (25% from fat); Fat 1.5g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.2g); Iron 0.9mg; Cholesterol 3mg; Calcium 28mg; Carbohydrate 8.4g; Sodium 228mg; Protein 3g; Fiber 2.6g

(97) Thyme-Garlic Roasted Asparagus

I love oven roasted asparagus and really liked the idea of putting minced garlic underneath. It gave the asparagus a garlicky flavor but you don't feel like you could breathe fire from it! I have 8.6 million spices in my cabinet, but for some reason, I was out of thyme! I used dried basil with no issues. Will repeat this one.

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Thyme-Garlic Roasted Asparagus

Yield: 4 servings
Source: Lynda Bennett, Belvedere, California, Cooking Light, JUNE 2007

3 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400°.

Spread garlic in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange asparagus in an even layer over garlic; drizzle with oil. Combine thyme and salt; sprinkle evenly over asparagus. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender, turning once.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 45 (24% from fat), Fat: 1.2g (sat 0.2g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.1g), Protein: 2.6g, Carbohydrate: 5.8g, Fiber: 2.6g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 0.6mg, Sodium: 146mg, Calcium: 31mg

(96) Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes

We had this with ham and asparagus for dinner. I'll be really honest with you, my nose is TOTALLY stuffy, so I couldn't taste a lot, but my husband is my taste gauge. If he oohs and ahhhs, it means he really likes something. This dish got those raves, so you'll have to take his word on this one!

I will say that I think the breadcrumbs could be skipped. I like breadcrumbs on my macaroni, but they were a little time consuming and messed a lot of dishes, all for not a lot of bread.

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Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes

In Step 4, the macaroni mixture is cooked over medium-low heat so the cheese won't become stringy and the sauce, grainy.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, January 2005

3 cups halved cherry tomatoes
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 ounces sourdough bread, torn into pieces
1 teaspoon butter, melted
12 ounces large elbow macaroni
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated low-fat milk

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.

While tomatoes cook, place bread in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until crumbly. Toss crumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle the crumbs on a baking sheet, and bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.

Cook macaroni in boiling water 7 minutes; drain. Return macaroni to pan; place over medium-low heat. Add cheese and remaining ingredients; cook 4 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes. Sprinkle each serving with about 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 357 (29% from fat), Fat: 11.4g (sat 6.6g,mono 3.1g,poly 0.8g), Protein: 18.1g, Carbohydrate: 45.2g, Fiber: 2g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Iron: 2.7mg, Sodium: 669mg, Calcium: 350mg

(87) Sweet Potato Fries with Malt Vinegar

Sweet Potato Fries with Malt Vinegar

Our cooking club member Kevin was in charge of cutting fries. He looked like he might pass out, he cut so many sweet potatoes. All we could think was WOW that's a lot of fries. Um, no. We ate every last one of them!!! These were great! Thanks for all the chopping, Kevin :)

Source: Guy's Big Bite (foodtv.com)
Yield: 4-6 servings

4 cups peeled and julienned sweet potatoes
3 cups vegetable oil
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1 teaspoon granulated onion powder
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons malt vinegar

Add the julienned potatoes to a bowl filled with ice water while you heat the oil.

Preheat the oil in a cast iron skillet or fryer to 325 degrees F. In a small bowl, add all the spices and combine well.

Remove the potatoes from the ice water and pat dry with paper towels. Fry the potatoes, in batches, for 3 to 4 minutes to cook the inside. Remove the potatoes from the oil to a bowl and bring the oil up to 350 degrees F. Add the potatoes and fry again, in batches, this time to cook the outside until golden brown. (They will not achieve the texture of a French fry, but will have a nice color and be slightly crispy).

Remove the potatoes from the oil to a paper towel lined plate. Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl or platter. Sprinkle generously with the spice mix and sprinkle with malt vinegar. Serve immediately.

(76) Two-Corn Polenta with Tomatoes, Basil, and Cheese

Polenta is not something that I make very often, but this recipe caught my attention. The flavors work really well together and the texture is great! Please, whatever you do, don't use dried basil as a substitute! This recipe needs the real stuff!! Oh and I don't know that I've ever bought a bag of instant polenta. I just use plain old yellow cornmeal!

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Two-Corn Polenta with Tomatoes, Basil, and Cheese

Corn kernels and polenta layer texture and flavor in this dish. Serve with green beans and grilled pork.

Yield: 7 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, June 2008

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion (2 medium)
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup instant dry polenta
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth, corn, and garlic; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Slowly add polenta, stirring with a whisk until polenta is thick (about 5 minutes). Add cheese, stirring to melt. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove from heat; sprinkle with tomato and basil. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 194 (20% from fat), Fat: 4.3g (sat 1.5g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.4g), Protein: 8.9g, Carbohydrate:31.6g, Fiber: 4.6g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Iron: 1.1mg, Sodium: 457mg, Calcium:
134mg

(65) Southwestern Corn & Pepper Gratin

I think the recipe name is deceiving. Gratin to me is a layered vegetable (potato or otherwise) dish with lots of cheesy/milky sauce... This is a southwestern corn pudding. No matter what it's called, it was yummy. HUGE HUGE serving size. I will definitely make this one again! (PS: I made it in a 2qt baking dish)

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Southwestern Corn & Pepper Gratin

Yield: 4 servings
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, July 1997

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced red bell pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 3/4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears), divided
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated sharp cheddar cheese
Cooking spray
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add bell peppers, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Add 2 cups corn, jalapeño, and cumin; sauté 5 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese. Spoon about 3/4 cup bell pepper mixture into each of 4 gratin dishes coated with cooking spray.

Combine 3/4 cup corn, 1/2 teaspoon salt, milks, flour, and eggs in a blender; process until smooth. Pour about 1/2 cup egg mixture over vegetables in each dish. Place dishes on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until golden.

Note: This recipe can also be prepared in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake at 425º

Nutritional Information
Calories: 279 (31% from fat), Fat: 9.5g (sat 3.2g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.5g), Protein: 15.9g, Carbohydrate: 36.8g, Fiber: 5.6g, Cholesterol: 176mg, Iron: 2.8mg, Sodium: 617mg, Calcium: 243mg

(61) Spinach-Cheese Bake

I thought for SURE this recipe had bombed - it was just so weird looking after it was put together. I was really anticipating having chips and salsa for dinner... but guess what!? It was not a bomb at all! It was VERY tasty! This came out almost like a spinach lasagna - good texture and great flavors. YUM. I cut it as 8 servings vs. 12 and served with breaded pork chops and some fruit. I'll make this again for sure!

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Spinach-Cheese Bake

You can assemble the casserole in less than 10 minutes by using preshredded cheeses. Pair this dish with fresh berry salad and mini muffins for a lovely Mother's Day or graduation brunch.

Yield: 12 servings
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, May 2007

1 tablespoon butter, melted
Cooking spray
2 (6-ounce) packages fresh baby spinach
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 3/4 ounces)
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper



1) Preheat oven to 350°.

2) Pour the butter into the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; tilt dish to coat. Place spinach evenly in bottom of dish; sprinkle evenly with cheeses.

3) Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until blended. Pour milk mixture over cheese. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 157 (34% from fat), Fat: 6g (sat 3.7g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.4g), Protein: 10.8g, Carbohydrate: 15.1g, Fiber: 1.6g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Iron: 2.6mg, Sodium: 494mg, Calcium: 263mg

(19) Basque Vegetable Rice

This rice was a real treat. Sligthly spicy, very creamy, chock full of good stuff! It was like risotto or even jambalaya. Worth repeating!

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Basque Vegetable Rice

Serves: 6
Source: Recipezaar

This is a versatile rice. You can add all sorts of vegetables or spicy Italian sausage for a heartier dish. Use Arborio rice for a creamier dish or short-grain paella rice, such as Valencia rice.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small dried red chili pepper, broken (can substitute crushed red pepper flakes)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon paprika, preferably Spanish
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups short-grain white rice, Valencia or arborio rice
3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
2 tablespoons parsley, fresh minced for garnish

1. Heat oil in 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat.

2. Add chile pepper, onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until onion is soft but not browned, about 6 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

4. Add rice; stir to coat well with the tomato mixture.

5. Add broth; bring to boil.

6. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, 25-30 minutes.

7. Serve hot directly from pan; garnish with parsley.

(8) Greek Bulgur (or couscous!) Salad

Greek Bulgur (or couscous!) Salad

This recipe was one of those 'suggested sides' recipes along with the Pork Chops Oreganata. They suggested you use hot cooked bulgur but I didn't have that on hand, so I used couscous. Because couscous isn't very moist on it's own and doesn't retain heat well, I had to microwave the couscous + spinach to get it to wilt.

3 cups hot cooked bulgur
5 ounces baby spinach
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta

Combine hot bulgur and spinach. Cover and let stand 15 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese.