Monday, September 26, 2011

Confetti Cous Cous

This Cooking Light gem is good with grilled chicekn, grilled pork chops, fish, or just about any other lighter meat you can think of. It's also chock-full of vegetables.

CONFETTI COUS COUS


Recipe Notes



For whatever reason, I really dislike eggplants. Therefore, I omitted the baby eggplants from this recipe. If you'd like the original eggplant-filled recipe, it's available on Cookinglight.com.



Nutritional Information (per serving - makes 8 one-cup servings)



271 calories - 9.8 g. fat - 39.3 g. carbs - 6.8 g. protein - 4.6 g. fiber



Ingredients



  • 2 yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

  • 2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into quarters

  • 1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tsp. salt, divided

  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided

  • 2 c. water

  • 1-1/2 c. fat free chicken broth

  • 2 c. uncooked Israeli cous cous

  • 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar

  • 1-1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

  • 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
Instructions

1. Prepare grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.



2. Brush squash and bell peppers evenly with 4 tsp. olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.



3. Grill 3 minutes on each side or until slightly charred. Cool, chop, and set vegetables aside in a large bowl.



4. Bring 2 c. water to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in cous cous. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes or until cous cous is tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.



5. Combine cous cous, remaining salt and pepper, and vegetable mixture. Toss to combine.



6. Combine red wine vinegar and mustard in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in remaining olive oil. Drizzle oil and vinegar mixture over cous cous and toss to coat.



7. Stir in basil and serve.



Monday, September 19, 2011

Strawberry Icebox Pie

This Cooking Light recipe is supposed to be made into a tart. I made it into a pie instead. If you want to make it into a tart, here is the original recipe from Cooking Light.

STRAWBERRY PIE


Recipe Notes


According to Cooking Light, you can assemble the crust and filling up to two days ahead and then top with the strawberry mixture on the morning of your event.


Nutritional Information (per serving - serves 10)


289 calories - 8.9 g. fat - 4.5 g. protein - 3 g. fiber - 48.7 g. carbs


Ingredients


For the crust



  • 36 honey graham crackers

  • 2 tbsp. sugar

  • 2 tbsp. butter, melted

  • 4 tsp. water

For the filling



  • 2/3 c. light cream cheese

  • 1/4 c. sugar

  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 1/4 tsp. almond extract


For the topping



  • 6 c. fresh strawberries, divided

  • 2/3 c. sugar

  • 1 tbsp. cornstarch

  • 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

  • 2 tbsp. sliced almonds, toasted


Instructions


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. Prepare crust: place graham crackers in food processor and process until crumbly. Add butter, sugar, and water from crust ingredient list above. Pulse until moist.


3. Place graham cracker mixture in a 10-inch glass pie plate, pressing into the bottom and up the sides. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.


4. Prepare filling: combine cream cheese (softened), sugar, and extracts. Stir until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over the bottom of the graham cracker crust.


5. Prepare topping: place two c. strawberries in a food processor and process until pureed.


6. Combine puree, sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and stir for one additional minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.


7. Combine remaining 4 c. strawberries with lemon juice, toss to coat. Arrange berries over filling and spoon half of the glaze over the strawberries. (I used more than half because the recipe otherwise does not use all of the glaze).


8. Sprinkle toasted almonds around the edge of the pie. Cover and chill for three hours before serving.