Buffalo Chicken Dip

Taken from my good friend and temptress, Ehme. You can find her recipes at Other People's Recipes.

This dip.... this dip is AMAZING. If you like buffalo wings or dip or anything like that you will not be able to keep your hands or anyone else's off this dip. I dare you to try it.

4 chicken breasts

1 bottle Franks red hot

2 pkgs. cream cheese

1 16 oz blue cheese

8 oz shredded cheddar or jack.

Boil chicken until done. (15 mins) Drain. Cool. Shred. Combine chicken with hot sauce in bottom of baking dish. In saucepan combine cream cheese and blue cheese dressing. Stir over medium heat until cream cheese is melted. Pour over chicken. Bake 20 mins at 375. Sprinkle with cheese and bake ten more minutes.

Eat with Fritos or Scoops or celery sticks.

Fig, Prosciutto and Gorgonzola Salad

Sweet-tangy balsamic vinegar reduces to a syrupy glaze that glistens atop this simple yet elegant first course.

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces very thin slices prosciutto, cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips
• 12 large dark-skinned fresh figs, halved (such as Black Mission, Celeste, or Brown Turkey, about 1 pound)
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 8 minutes). Cool.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

Arrange 4 fig halves on each of 6 salad plates. Divide prosciutto evenly over servings. Sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons cheese; drizzle with 2 teaspoons balsamic reduction. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:196 (27% from fat)

Fat:5.8g (sat 3.1g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.3g)

Protein:6.6g

Carbohydrate:32.8g

Fiber:3.7g

Cholesterol:19mg

Iron:0.8mg

Sodium:481mg

Calcium:124mg

Cooking Light, JUNE 2007

Lemon Verbana Iced Tea

Lemon verbena infuses the lightly sweetened iced tea with sunny citrus flavor. You can also use the fragrant syrup to enliven cocktails or moisten pound cake. Blanching the herb leaves brightens their color so the syrup will stay green. Avoid using a strongly flavored tea, such as Earl Grey, as it will overpower the taste of the syrup.

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup lemon verbena leaves
• 4 cups ice
• 6 cups brewed tea, chilled
• Mint leaves (optional)
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Cool sugar syrup completely.

Cook lemon verbena leaves in boiling water 1 minute. Drain and plunge into ice water; drain.

Combine sugar syrup and verbena leaves in a blender; process until smooth. Cover and chill overnight. Strain sugar syrup through a fine sieve into a bowl. Place 2/3 cup ice into each of 6 tall glasses; add 1 cup brewed tea and 2 tablespoons sugar syrup to each serving, stirring to combine. Garnish with mint leaves and lemon wedges, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:67 (0.0% from fat)

Fat:0.0g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)

Protein:0.0g

Carbohydrate:17.4g

Fiber:0.0g

Cholesterol:0.0mg

Iron:0.0mg

Sodium:7mg

Calcium:0.0mg

Judy Lockhart, Cooking Light, JUNE 2005

Light Potato Salad

"For years, we grew several varieties of potatoes, but keeping ahead of the beetles was a full-time job. Finally, we decided to call it quits, and we gave up growing potatoes. But we'll never stop eating them." Mike Kressy

Yield 5 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients

• Dressing:
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns
• 
  Salad:
• 4 cups cubed Yukon gold potato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Preparation

To prepare the dressing, combine the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.

To prepare the salad, place potato in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 9 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool. Combine the dressing, potato, celery, parsley, peas, and chives in a large bowl, and toss well.

Nutritional Information

Calories:173 (25% from fat)

Fat:4.9g (sat 1.1g,mono 1.4g,poly 2.1g)

Protein:5.2g

Carbohydrate:27.8g

Fiber:3.1g

Cholesterol:7mg

Iron:2.4mg

Sodium:289mg

Calcium:79mg

Jean and Mike Kressy, Cooking Light, JUNE 2003

Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup

If the broccoli florets are large, break into smaller pieces at the stalk instead of chopping them; they'll cook more quickly. Count on having dinner on the table in about 40 minutes, and serve this soup the moment it's done for the best results. In fact, if you wait, you'll find it gets thicker with time. If you have leftovers, you will want to thin the soup with a little chicken broth or milk to the desired consistency.

Yield 10 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup presliced mushrooms
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1.1 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup)
• 4 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 4 ounces uncooked vermicelli, broken into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded light processed cheese (such as Velveeta Light)
• 4 cups (1-inch) cubed cooked chicken breast
• 3 cups small broccoli florets (8 ounces)
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; add butter to mushroom mixture, stirring until butter melts. Sprinkle mushroom mixture with flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gradually add milk and broth, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Add pasta to pan; cook 10 minutes. Add cheese to pan, and stir until cheese melts. Add chicken and remaining ingredients to pan; cook 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender and soup is thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information

Calories:317

Fat:12.3g (sat 6.8g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.9g)

Protein:27.5g

Carbohydrate:23.8g

Fiber:1.9g

Cholesterol:74mg

Iron:1.6mg

Sodium:723mg

Calcium: 179mg

Holly Kapherr, Cooking Light, MARCH 2009

Butterscotch Bars

A small square of these rich bars is enough to satisfy a dessert craving. The flour and oats mixture is somewhat dry after combining, but it serves as both a solid base for the soft butterscotch chip layer and a crumbly, streusel-like topping.

Yield 36 servings (serving size: 1 bar)

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
• 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/4 cups butterscotch morsels (about 8 ounces)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl. Stir in vanilla and egg. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Add oat mixture to sugar mixture; stir with a fork until combined (mixture will be crumbly). Place 3 cups oat mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray; press into bottom of pan. Set aside.

3. Place sweetened condensed milk, butterscotch morsels, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until butterscotch morsels melt, stirring every 20 seconds. Stir in walnuts. Scrape mixture into pan, spreading evenly over crust. Sprinkle evenly with remaining oat mixture, gently pressing into butterscotch mixture. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Place pan on a cooling rack; run a knife around outside edge. Cool completely.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 148

Fat: 5.1g (sat 2.7g,mono 0.9g,poly 1.1g)

Protein: 2.6g

Carbohydrate: 23.4g

Fiber: 0.8g

Cholesterol: 11mg

Iron: 0.8mg

Sodium: 87mg

Calcium: 31mg

Kathryn Conrad, Cooking Light, APRIL 2009

Limoncello-Mint Sorbet with Fresh Blackberries

Limoncello, the citrusy Italian liqueur, brightens this sorbet. It's nice to have a bottle on hand to splash with soda in a spritzer or macerate with fruit for a quick dessert.

Yield 8 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup sorbet and 1/4 cup berries)

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup limoncello
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 large lemons)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
• 2 cups blackberries
• Lemon slices (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add lemon juice and mint. Cover and chill.

2. Strain juice mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm. Serve with blackberries; garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 184

Fat: 0.2g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.1g)

Protein: 0.6g

Carbohydrate: 39.3g

Fiber: 2g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Iron: 0.2mg

Sodium: 1mg

Calcium: 13mg

Anthony Rosenfeld, Cooking Light, MAY 2009

Gaylord's Mac n Cheese with Truffle Oil

(My name is Gaylord. So this is mine, mine, all mine.)

Do not walk, RUN to your grocery store and make this. You won't regret it. My husband and I recently had a mac n cheese dish at a nice restaurant near Times Sq. with some friends and HOLY MOLY was it good. The new addition? Truffle oil. Lord have mercy. My husband ordered THREE of them - 2 for the table, and 1 all for himself. (He likes cheese.)

I made up my own recipe for it and just made it a couple of days ago. And now I'm sharing it with you. I also doubled this recipe and it made a LOT of it. Oops!

1 1/2 cup uncooked tri-colored orzo
1 1/2 cups grated, slightly packed, sharp cheddar cheese (I might recommend Wisconsin, I used regular sharp cheddar and it was delicious)
1-2 Tbs white truffle oil
2-3 green onions, sliced thinly
2 Tbs (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 Tbs flour
3/4 cup milk (I used whole, 2% would be fine too)
3/4 cup canned vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste

Bring 2 quarts lightly salted water to boil in medium pot. Add orzo slowly, stirring to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom. Bring back to rapid bowl, stirring, and boil for 8-10 minutes. Discard water, drain orzo.

In another medium pot over medium-high heat, melt 2 Tbs of butter, add flour and whisk constantly for 2 minutes. Add milk and vegetable broth, whisking constantly, and bring to boil. Continue whisking for 2 additional minutes. You will see it begin to thicken.
Add green onions, continue whisking for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add grated cheddar cheese, stirring until all the cheese has melted. Add 1-2 Tbs white truffle oil, stirring until incorporated. Add drained orzo and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately or chill and heat up to serve again. Yum!

Marble Cheesecake Squares

If you've forgotten to set out the cream cheese to soften, arrange the unwrapped blocks in a single layer in a large bowl, and microwave at HIGH a minute or until slightly soft.

Yield 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 9 cookie sheets)
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 (8-ounce) blocks fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 large egg
• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°.

Place crumbs in a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray; drizzle with butter. Toss with a fork until moist. Press into bottom of pan. Bake at 325° for 8 minutes; cool on a wire rack.

Place cheeses in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until smooth. Add sugar and flour; beat well. Add vanilla, egg whites, and egg; beat until well blended. Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan.

Place chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave at high 1 1/2 minutes or until soft, stirring after 45 seconds (chocolate should not completely melt). Stir until smooth. Drop melted chocolate onto cheese mixture to form 9 mounds. Swirl chocolate into batter using the tip of a knife. Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 239 (29% from fat)

Fat: 7.6g (sat 4.1g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.2g)

Protein: 9.7g

Carbohydrate: 31.4g

Fiber: 0.6g

Cholesterol: 41mg

Iron: 0.6mg

Sodium: 355mg

Calcium: 124mg

Patricia Baird, Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2004

Strawberry Layer Cake

You can use fresh orange juice instead of Grand Marnier in the cream cheese frosting.

Yield 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 1 1/4 cups sliced strawberries
• 10 ounce all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 cups)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 teaspoon red food coloring
• Cooking spray
• 
  Frosting:
• 1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier (orange-flavored liqueur)
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 12 whole strawberries (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare cake, place sliced strawberries in a food processor; process until smooth.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in egg whites. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add pureed strawberries and food coloring; beat just until blended.

4. Divide batter between 2 (8-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

5. To prepare frosting, place cream cheese, 1/3 cup butter, and liqueur in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar, and beat just until blended.

6. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Cut 1 whole strawberry into thin slices, cutting to, but not through, the stem end. Fan strawberry on top of cake just before serving, if desired. Cut remaining 11 strawberries in half. Garnish cake with strawberry halves, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 348

Fat: 11.3g (sat 6.9g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.6g)

Protein: 4.3g

Carbohydrate: 57.7g

Fiber: 0.7g

Cholesterol: 55mg

Iron: 1.1mg

Sodium: 212mg

Calcium: 74mg

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light, MAY 2009