Maggie, I've been eating much, much lighter for over a year now, I've posted this before but it's my favorite way to cook a pork loin and it's from Cooking Light. I really like Cooking Light, also Eating Well, they both have nice healthy recipes on their web sites.

APPLE CIDER BRINED PORK ROAST

3 cups apple cider
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
¼ cup salt
1 tbls black peppercorns
1 tbls coriander seeds
1 2 lb. Pork loin, trimmed
2 cups cider
1 ½ tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 ½ tsp chopped fresh sage
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat, cool, and pour into a Ziploc bag or container big enough to hold the pork loin. Add pork, seal and let marinate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350, bring 2 cups cider to a boil over medium high heat. Boil until cider is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 15 minutes. Set aside. Remove pork from bag or container and discard brine. Place pork on broiler pan or baking dish and lightly coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining herbs and bake about 1 hour, until pork is done, basting twice with the reduced cider in the last 20 minutes of baking. Remove from oven, baste with remaining cider reduction. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 8

200 calories per 4 oz. Serving, 6 grams fat

I made these for Dad this weekend, he loves pancakes, and they're a bit better than the fluffy buttermilk regular ones. Of course, I used two eggs in place of the egg substitute, my "girls" have started laying one or two eggs a day again. Soon I'll have dozens, but for now, I have enough for a batch of pancakes.

Oat Bran Pancakes
Serves: 6

1 cup oat bran hot cereal, uncooked
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup egg substitute

Heat nonstick griddle or frying pan over medium to medium high heat. Combine oat bran, flour, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Beat together buttermilk and egg substitute in a small bowl with a wire whisk. Pour the egg mixture over dry ingredients. Stir together until ingredients are just blended and no large dry lumps appear.
Pour approx. 1/4 cup pancake batter onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes until puffed, browned and slightly dry around the edges. Flip over and cook other side until golden brown.

Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories 130 : Calories from Fat 20 : Protein 7g : Fat 2g (sat 1g) : Carbohydrate 20g : Fiber 2g : Cholesterol 5mg : Sodium 300mg : Sugar 4g

Annie

This is a recipe I use a lot in the summer as a light meal. Serve it on a bed of greens along with some fresh fruit, perhaps some cheese and you have a complete meal. Like all good salad recipes, you can change the ingredients to things you have on hand or in abundance from the garden.

-Grainlady

WHITE BEAN AND PEPPER SALAD

Source: Better Homes and Gardens NEW DIETER'S COOK BOOK

2 T. lemon juice
1-1/2 t. olive or salad oil
1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. dried dillweed or fennel seed, crushed
1/8 t. pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 15-oz. can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. chopped green or sweet red pepper
1/2 c. chopped cucumber
1/4 c. sliced green onions

In a medium mixing bowl stir together lemon juice, oil, sugar, dillweed or fennel seed, pepper, and garlic.

Add beans, green or sweet red pepper, cucumber, and green onions. Toss to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for 2-24 hours. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Information: 74 calories, 4g protein, 12g carbohydrate, 1g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 2mg sodium, 237 mg potassium

Maybe not light, just lighter. My favorite is from Cooking Light magazine:

Black Forest Cherry Cheesecake
-----------------------------------------------------------
Ingredients

Cherry topping:
2 cups pitted dark sweet cherries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Crust:
1 1/3 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 9 1/2 cookie sheets)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted
1 large egg white
Cooking spray
Filling:
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
36 dark sweet cherries, pitted and halved

Preparation
To prepare the cherry topping, place 2 cups cherries in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Combine the pureed cherries, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour cherry topping into a bowl; cover and chill.
Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the crust, combine crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, and egg white in a bowl; toss with a fork until well-blended. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 300°.

To prepare the filling, combine sour cream, milk, and cheeses in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and eggs; beat well. Stir in minichips. Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 300° for 50 minutes or until almost set (center will not be firm, but will set up as it chills). Turn oven off; cool cheesecake in closed oven 40 minutes. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack. Spread cherry topping over cheesecake. Top with cherry halves. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Yield
16 servings

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 292(25% from fat); FAT 8.1g (sat 4.3g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 7.6g; CHOLESTEROL 43mg; CALCIUM 106mg; SODIUM 233mg; FIBER 1.1g; IRON 0.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 47.5g

Cooking Light, JULY 2000

This is a good thread. I have hundreds of recipes (don't worry, I will only post 1 or 2) but I can't post until first of the week. I am eager to see what people will post here.
Sherry, (who has gained back some weight ...from the prednisone, of course, but who is determined to get back with the plan.)

I've got several low fat recipes on my web page.

Pizza dough, black bean soup, potato soup, creole chicken thighs, pasta with sausage cream sauce (Light cooking BHG), beef steak with fresh tomato sauce and Rich Chocolate Dessert.

Here are some of my tried & true lighter fare recipes.

Kung Pao Chicken
Adapted from a recipe found in Cooking Light

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 red pepper, cut in strips
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 T ground ginger (or shredded fresh ginger)
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Preparation
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli to pan; sauté 1 minute, add pepper strips and water. Cover; cook 2 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from pan; keep warm.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan; add crushed red pepper, and chicken. Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.
Combine broth and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Return broccoli mixture to pan; toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts, serve over rice.
Yield: 4 servings

My notes: Really easy and on the table in 30 minutes! Not super spicy.

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream 1 lb fresh white fish (tilapia, halibut or haddock work well) 1/2 c sour cream 1 tsp chipotle in adobo, finely chopped 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 c onion, finely chopped 1/2 c chopped tomato 3 T snipped fresh cilantro 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 2 T butter 1 tsp finely shredded lime peel 1 T lime juice 4 9\-10 inch flour tortillas, warmed Fresh lime wedges Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, chipotle & 1/8 tsp salt. In another bowl, combine onion, tomato & cilantro. Set aside. In small bowl, stir together garlic, cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and cinnamon. Rub mixture evenly over both sides of the fish. In a 12 inch non stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add fish, cook 3 minutes. Turn fish and cook 2 minutes more. Break fish into bite size pieces, sprinkle with lime peel and juice. Cook 1\-2 minutes more or until fish begins to flake. Remove from heat. With slotted spoon remove fish from pan and discard liquid. To serve, fill each tortilla with 1/2 c fish mixture, and 1/4 c onion mixture. Top each with 2T of the chipotle sour cream , fold in half or roll up. Serve with lime wedges ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Steak With Marsala Sauce From "Eat and Stay Slim" cookbook 1 lb boneless beef sirloin steak cut one inch thick Cooking spray 1 c sliced fresh mushrooms 1/2 c sliced onion, separated into rings 1/3 c dry marsala wine 1/4 c water 2 T snipped parsley 1/2 tsp instant beef boullion granules Dash ground pepper Trim separable fat from steak. Place steak on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 inches from heat for 5 minutes, turn and broil 3\-7 minutes more or until done to your liking. Meanwhile spray a medium saucepan with cooking spray. Preheat the pan over medium heat, add mushrooms and onions. Cook and stir until tender. Stir in marsala, water, parsley, beef boullion and pepper. Boil gently, uncovered, for about 4 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 3/4 cup. To serve, slice steak, serve sauce over slices. Yield 4 servings Linda

Maggie

I am copying and pasting that cake recipe ... it looks and sounds delicious :)

This one was great, I served it with green salad and baked tortilla chips.

DASH Diet Mexican Bake
1 1/2 C Cooked rice, preferably brown
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut bite size
2 14.5 oz. cans tomatoes, diced or crushed (I used low sodium)
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 C frozen yellow corn kernels
1 C chopped green bell pepper
1 C chopped red bell pepper
1/2 C chopped yellow onion
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 C shredded reduced fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
**********************************************************
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread rice in shallow 3 quart casserole. Top with chicken. In a bowl, combine tomatoes, beans, corn, peppers, onion, seasonings and garlic; pour over chicken. Top with cheese. Bake 45 minutes. 6 servings.

DONNA

Maggie

I made your Banana Yogurt cake today, didn't have yogurt though, so subbed sour cream. The food critic loved it !

Ohiomom - I am so glad the food critic approved! Beautiful photo! I love desserts or snacks that have nutrional value...that includes chocolate!

I love this soup. The onion rings make it.

Andrew Weils Curried Cauliflower Soup

This powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant soup, rich in cancer-fighting compounds, comes by way of Dr. Andrew Weil, the pioneer of integrative medicine.
Creamy without dairy, and filled with exotic, bright flavors, Curried Cauliflower Soup is a real standout for both health and taste.

Soup

1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon hot curry powder
1 tablespoon sweet curry powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Kosher salt
1 large head cauliflower, separated into florets
4 - 6 cups vegetable stock
3/4 cup cashews
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 cup cilantro sprigs, chopped

Onion Rings

1 large onion, peeled and sliced into rings
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent. Add the curry powders, turmeric, and salt to taste. Cook for 1 minute. Add the cauliflower and stir to mix well. Add enough stock to cover the cauliflower; bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is just tender.

2. Meanwhile, make the onion rings: preheat the oven to 250F. In a bowl toss together the onion rings and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the onions on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, moving them about as necessary.

3. Place the cashews in a blender and grind to a fine powder. Add the water and blend on high speed for 2 minutes.

4. Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the cauliflower mixture. Add the cashew mixture and sugar. Add more stock or water if the soup is too thick. Bring to a simmer and season with more salt, if needed.

5. Sprinkle the onion rings on top of the soup along with the cilantro as a garnish.

Serves 4 to 6.

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Blueberry Breakfast Cereal Bread

2 Cups cereal, crushed (about ¾ cup) I used Bran flakes
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon grated orange or lemon peel
¼ cup orange juice
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg or ¼ cup fat-free egg product
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom only of 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix cereal, water, orange peel, orange juice and vanilla; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients except blueberries. Stir in blueberries. Pour into pan.

Bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loose sides of loaf; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely before slicing, at least 1 hour.

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We really enjoy this salad. It is from Lickety-Split Meals by Zonya Foco

Combine

1 bunch of broccoli, cut into bite size florets
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced, then chopped
1/2 chopped pecans
1 cup dried cherries

Whisk together in a small bowl. Then pour over broccoli mixture, toss gently and serve.

1/2 cup Miracle Whip Light
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 T sugar
1 T vinegar (cider or any variety
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Calories 185, calories from fat 40%, Fat 9 gm, Sat. fat Barbara

OOPS That's 1/2 Cup of chopped pecans

Barbara, I make a similar broccoli salad, but mine uses fat free sour cream instead of yogurt, and no parmesan cheese. I'm going to try your recipe next time.

I just tried a light recipe for cup cakes that I really liked. It is very simple and does not taste like you lowered the fat.

1 box cake mix (I use Pillsbury Devils Food)
1 1/3 cup water
6 egg whites (or 3/4 cup egg beaters)
3 TBSP apple sauce (or pear sauce)

Mix and bake as directed on box for cupcakes or cake(do not add anything else). My husband could not even tell that there was no oil in these. If you are using baking cups for cup cakes be sure to lightly spray the cups with cooking spray or the cup cakes will stick. I have not tried these changes on a homemade cake yet, but I will.

Joanne