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Healthy Holiday Recipe: Onion Bread Pudding

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:00:00 -0800

The other day I had a baguette that was past its prime, and my first thought was "I'll make bread pudding." But with all the holiday sweets around, I didn't want to add to the temptation with another dessert. So I dug up this recipe for a savory Onion Bread Pudding instead.

The recipe comes from Cooking Light, and despite the fact that the main ingredients are bread and cheese, this holiday side dish is comparatively low cal and low fat. For nutritional details and step-by-step photos, read more.

Made with sweet onions and Gruyere cheese and seasoned with thyme, this bread pudding has the consistency of stuffing. The flavor is delicate and subtle, like a lighter twist on French onion soup. I served mine as a main dish with a simple salad, but it would also make a delicious side dish for your holiday dinners. Get the recipe here, and check out my photos below.

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Nutritional Info Per Serving: 364 calories, 12.2 g of fat (5.7 g saturated fat), 19.7 g of protein, 43.8 g of carbs, 3.4 g of fiber, 136 mg of cholesterol, 2.1 mg of iron, 806 mg of sodium.

Scary Recipe Ingredients to Look Out for

FitSugar — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Butter has a bad reputation in the cooking world but the truth is that there are many other cooking ingredients that are just as unhealthy for us as butter. It's scary that many of us don't even bat an eye at when tossing them into our recipes.

To see the scariest recipe ingredients to watch for, just read more

WebMD has compiled a list of the scariest ingredients, healthwise, for your recipes that you should keep an eye out for when you're cooking this holiday season (and beyond):

Ingredient	Common Serving	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)
Mayonnaise	1/4 cup	396	44	6.5
Bacon grease	2 T	250	28	13
Heavy whipping cream (liquid)	1/4 cup	205	22	14
Puff pastry	2 ounces	312	22	3
Cheese (like cheddar)	2 ounces	228	19	12
Light whipping cream (liquid)	1/4 cup	174	18.5	11.5
Sausage, cooked	2 ounces	209	18	6.1
Bacon	4 strips	150	13	4
Butter	1 T	102	12	7.2
Sour cream	1/4 cup	123	12	7.5
Cheddar cheese, 1 oz	1/4 cup	115	9.4	6
Pie crust, 9-inch deep dish	1/8 slice	115	8	2
Half-and-half	1/4 cup	79	7	4.3

Me, I always scan a recipe for any of these ingredients and if it has 'em, I typically skip it. If I am feeling creative, I'll work with the recipe figuring out ways to cut out the unhealthy stuff. For example, I'll use turkey bacon instead of regular bacon. What do you do? Share the ways you cut out the unhealthy stuff in the comments section below.

Source

Say Farewell to Pumpkin Pie

YumSugar — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 11:13:12 -0800

A few years ago I was looking for an alternative to my family's standard pumpkin pie with Thanksgiving. After searching through piles of recipes I came across this beautiful looking cake in an issue of Cooking Light. It ended up being a perfect blend of delicious pumpkin pie spices and moist cake texture. Although I orginally made it for Thanksgiving, it has since become my favorite cake to bring to parties all holiday season long. Besides, I found it in Cooking Light, so that means I can eat more, right?! For the recipe, read more

Pumpkin Pie Cake
from Cooking Light

Cake:
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Orange slices (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Dust pans evenly with 2 tablespoons flour.

Combine 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until well blended. Add egg substitute and eggs; beat until well blended. Add pumpkin, beating until blended.

Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating just until blended. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove cake from pans; cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until blended (do not overbeat). Add juice, stirring until blended.

Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1 cup frosting over layer, and top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top of cake. Sprinkle with pecans, and garnish with orange slices, if desired.

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Soup's On: Baked Potato Soup

partysugar — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:57:31 -0800

Cooking Light magazine recently highlighted a baked potato soup recipe and called it their "best soup ever." I had a bunch of potatoes leftover from Thanksgiving, so I decided to test out the recipe. The potatoes are baked before being added to the soup, creating a wonderful texture. The end result is a soup that tastes exactly like a baked potato in a bowl. Sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions, and bacon provide the delicious flavor. Is it really the best potato soup ever? Make it and find out! To see how it's done, read more

Baked Potato Soup
Modified From Cooking Light magazine

2 tbsp. butter
1/4 of a large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 baking potatoes (about 2-1/2 lbs.)*
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 oz.)
6 cups milk (use 2 percent reduced fat if you prefer)**
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided (use reduced fat if you prefer)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Cracked black pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until soft, about 8 minutes.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour into the vegetables; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes).

Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil).

Ladle 1-1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 tsp. cheese, 1-1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tbsp. bacon. Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.

Serves 8.

*I used Yukon Gold because that is what I had in my kitchen.
**I didn't have enough milk so I used 4 cups of milk, 1 cup of half and half, and 1 cup of chicken broth.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Cavatappi with Prosciutto and Parmesan

partysugar — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 05:48:44 -0800

With Thanksgiving only two short days away, the last thing you need to be worrying about is what to make for dinner! To reduce stress, simply make this delicious and light pasta recipe tonight. It's a great last minute meal because it comes together in the amount of time it takes to boil and cook the pasta. Although it's quite uncomplicated, the ingredients - prosciutto and parmesan - make it elegant. Want the recipe? Please, read more

Cavatappi with Prosciutto and Parmesan
From Cooking Light magazine

1/2 pound uncooked cavatappi
Cooking spray
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce very thin slices prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 3 tablespoons cooking liquid.
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.
Add garlic to pan, and sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Add reserved 3 tablespoons cooking liquid and pasta to pan; let stand 2 minutes.
Stir in parsley, oil, salt, pepper, and prosciutto; sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 313(30% from fat); FAT 10.4g (sat 2.7g,mono 5.6g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 12.4g; CHOLESTEROL 11mg; CALCIUM 103mg; SODIUM 555mg; FIBER 1.9g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 43g

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The Basics: Mashed Potatoes

partysugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:00:54 -0800

My mother can hardly be described as a home cook, but there are a few dishes she makes and excels at. Basic mashed potatoes are one of her specialties. When it comes to mashed potatoes, she prefers them as pure and simple as possible.

"I don't understand why people stir in garlic, herbs, and other things that make mashed potatoes taste like something other than potatoes. This recipe is for when you want mashed potatoes that taste like potatoes," she explained when teaching me the technique.

Her method is easy, but she employs a hand mixer to give the potatoes a light, pillowy, and incredibly smooth texture. Half and half is her liquid of choice, although heavy cream or milk make good substitutes. To look at the recipe, read more.

Mom's Mashed Potatoes
From Ellen Sweeney

Ingredients

4 medium-sized russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
salt
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup half and half
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

Fill a large pot with cold water. Add the potatoes and season the water with salt.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, boiling at medium high heat, until potatoes are fork tender, 15-20 minutes.
Drain potatoes in a colander and return to the hot pot.
Add the butter. Using a hand mixer, beat the butter and potatoes to combine about 30 seconds.
Add the half and half and beat until potatoes are whipped and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

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Do you have an amazing Thanksgiving recipe? Please participate in our Thanksgiving recipe challenge. All you have to do is upload your recipe, an image, and a brief description to the Kitchen Goddess group. If you're lucky, we might just feature your recipe here on YumSugar!

Reader Recipe: Black Bean Tortilla Soup

Yum Community — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:50:10 -0800

This story was written by member SweetPeasMom and comes from the Kitchen Goddess group in the YumSugar Community. The soup looks like it would make a wonderful cold-weather dinner. It's quick, simple, and perfect for busy weeknights. Check out her recipe when you read more

Don't Forget the Sides: Caramelized Onion Cranberry Sauce

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:40:14 -0800

When I was younger, cranberry sauce was one of those Thanksgiving sides that wasn't given much thought; often, we ate something that was pre-made or canned. However, I have since learned that fresh cranberry sauce is light-years better than the canned variety. It's exceptionally easy to make and can be prepared up to three days prior to the feast.

The combination of sweet caramelized onions and tart cranberries is perfect to pair with turkey. While I might not be cooking my bird for a couple more weeks, I can't wait to use this sauce to top chicken or a meatloaf sandwich. If you want to give up the can and make your own scrumptious cranberry sauce, keep reading.

Reader Recipe: Pumpkin Ravioli With Gorgonzola Sauce

YumSugar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:08:39 -0800

Earlier this week, I shared the beautiful pumpkin wontons that TeamSugar whipped up for us. A few days after Team posted her recipe, llendril posted hers for Pumpkin Raviolis With Gorgonzola Sauce. I love that, while they're on the opposite ends of the sweet-savory spectrum from each other, they are both beautiful little packets of pumpkin joy. Llendril's recipe, which also uses wonton wrappers, looks like a delicious way to treat yourself to a hearty Autumn meal. To get the recipe, read more

Recipe from TeamSugar member llendril

'tis the season for fantastic food

and can i say how much i absolutely love it when the best thing that i have eaten in recent memory is something that i actually made myself?
granted, that's not the biggest accomplishment ever. because i naturally will know what i expect to enjoy before choosing a recipe. but the recipe in question is particularly amazing. i have had it dog eared since my november issue of cooking light arrived in the mail. i got off work early today, i wasn't afraid of the grocery stores (as i have been for the past week or so), and i wanted to finally cook something for the first time a while. here's how it all went down.

pumpkin ravioli with gorgonzola sauce
adapted from cooking light magazine, november 2007

for the ravioli:

* 1.25 cups canned pumpkin
* 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
* 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh sage
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 30 wonton wrappers (i could only find square)
* 1 tablespoon corn starch
* cooking spray

1) spoon pumpkin onto several layers of paper towels and spread to 1/4 inch thickness. cover with more paper towels and allow to sit for five minutes
2) scoop pumpkin into a bowl. mix with break crumbs, parmesan, salt, sage, pepper, and nutmeg
3) working with one wonton wrapper at a time, scoop a small amount of filling into the center. wet the edges and seal, crimping shut as best you can as you go. place each completed raviolo on a piece of foil sprinkled with corn starch. continue to fill wontons until all wrappers are used are all filling is gone (hopefully both with occur simultaneously)
4) fill a large dutch oven with water. bring water to a simmer. place half of the ravioli into the water and cook until they start to float (do not boil). remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. spray with cooking spray. cook remaining ravioli and follow the procedure, keeping all cooked ravioli warm as you go

for the sauce:

* 1 cup fat-free milk
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1.5 tablespoon butter
* 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola
* 3 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts

1) whisk together milk and flour in a saucepan
2) bring to a boil and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly
3) remove from heat. stir in butter until it is melted
4) stir in gorgonzola
5) place desired amount of ravioli into a bowl. spoon sauce on top. sprinkle on hazelnuts

with roasted asparagus on the side.

pellet helped a little tonight =)

to show what an actual bite looked like . . .

and, basically, wow. these were good. i've never been a huge fan of gorgonzola on its own (is anyone?). but i could tell that, with all of the different components to this dish, it was going to taste wonderful. even the wonton wrappers added a great doughy taste and texture to the meal that i wouldn't have really expected. the hazelnuts were a perfect topping-- the nuttiness took away a little bit of the gorgonzola's bite.
the only thing i believe i would do differently the next time i make this is add a bit more sage. even though the entire package was absolutely delectable, i think a tiny bit extra of that flavor would have made it just slightly more special.

again and again, yay for fall ingredients. and i hope everyone had a lovely thanksgivin

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Baked Pasta With Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese

partysugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 06:45:41 -0700

When it comes to baked pastas, most people think of lasagna or macaroni and cheese. However, ziti, a thick, tubular pasta, is ideal for baking, especially when coated with a dense, rich sauce.

This comforting version is made with turkey sausage and canned tomatoes. It's a no-fuss, simple dish that's sure to win over even the most finicky eaters. To make this for your family tonight, get the delicious MyRecipes.com recipe and read more.

Baked Pasta With Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese
From Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (short tube-shaped pasta)
1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage links
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.
Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil.
Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers.
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve.

Serves 8.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 413 (26% from fat), Fat: 11.8g (sat 6.1g,mono 2.2g,poly 1g), Protein: 24.1g, Carbohydrate: 53g, Fiber: 4.5g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Iron: 7.9mg, Sodium: 941mg, Calcium: 265mg

Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:

- Quick and Easy Meal Ideas
- 10 Chicken Dinners for the Busy Cook
- Dinner Tonight Recipes in 45-Minutes or Less
- Eat Smart at CookingLight.com

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