Food Network Lite's Blog

We’re moving!

Thindulge — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 02:52:36 +0000

Food Network Lite is moving to a new home! No need to send housewarming presents. You can find us at thindulgeyourself.wordpress.com. Food Network Lite is now going to be Thindulge. We’re broadening the scope of the show to bring in all kinds of new recipes, from cookbooks to TV chefs to Grandma’s home cookin’. We are excited about our change and are looking forward to bringing you all new delicious recipes all while helping you stick to your diet. If you have any recipes you would like to see on the blog or the show, please email them to Anthony at anthony@reddawnproductions.com.

Thank you for your support – we could not do this without you!!!

Emeril Lagasse’s Chipotle Deviled Eggs

Thindulge — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:42:51 +0000

If you are a follower of this blog, then you know I’m a huge fan of deviled eggs. Here is my latest creation with a little bit of a kick. It has a nice amount of spice in it, but it won’t knock you on your butt, either. I’m a wuss when it comes to spices, but I can handle it. Of course, if you want it hotter, you know where the cayenne is.

We don’t have a video of this recipe right now, but check out our channel at http://www.youtube.com/FoodNetworkLite and see videos of other recipes from this blog. If you have any requests, please let us know!

CHIPOTLE DEVILED EGGS – Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS

1 dozen hard boiled large eggs, peeled

1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely minced pickled jalapenos, drained

2 tablespoons canned chipotle in adobo sauce

1/2 teaspoon Southwest Seasoning (recommended: Emeril’s)

Pinch salt

1/4 teaspoon smoked hot paprika, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Slice the eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks. Discard 2 yolks and press the remaining yolks through a fine-mesh sieve into a mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, jalapenos, chipotle in adobo, Southwest Seasoning, and salt to taste. Stir to blend well. Spoon (or pipe with a pastry bag) the mixture into the egg whites. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Sprinkle with the paprika just before serving. (If the paprika is added too early it will stain the eggs.)

Here’s the skinny:

First, I got rid of 2 yolks. Yolks are where all the fat and cholesterol of an egg live, so by getting rid of those, you’ve cut the fat and cholesterol by 15%.

I also used fat free mayo, cutting out the vast majority of the fat and calories in the dish.

Giada De Laurentiis’ Shrimp and Sausage Cioppino

Thindulge — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 20:32:18 +0000

I’ve never been a big fan of cioppino because I’m not a huge seafood lover, but I have been having a love affair with shrimp for ages. To see it paired with shrimp’s mistress, sausage, I knew I couldn’t resist. Plus, Giada makes it pretty healthy too! However, I saw a couple of spots where I could make it extra healthy. As they say, it’s the small foxes that spoil the vine!

We don’t have a video of this recipe right now, but check out our channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/FoodNetworkLite and see videos of other recipes from this blog. If you have any requests, please let us know!

SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE CIOPPINO – Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil cooking spray

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon

1 pound spicy Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed

2 cups white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

1/4 cup no salt added tomato paste

3 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1 bay leaf 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

DIRECTIONS

Spray a Dutch oven or large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, garlic, shallots, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage and break into 1/2-inch pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomato paste, chicken stock, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

Uncover the pan and add the shrimp, beans, basil, and thyme. Simmer, uncovered, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Ladle the cioppino into soup bowls and serve.

Here’s the skinny:

First, I used a cooking spray instead of olive oil. You don’t need the extra 56 grams of fat to make this dish delicious.

Also, I used chicken stock instead of broth to intensify the flavor, masking the lost fat.

To cut down on sodium, I used no salt added tomato paste. You can always put more in if you need it.

Lastly, Giada serves it with crusty bread. I took that out. This soup is great on it’s own. Maybe a light salad would be a better accompaniment instead.

Marcela Valladolid’s Sweet Strawberry Tartlets

Thindulge — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:58:19 +0000

I saw Marcela make these and thought they were delicious, but I didn’t have the little tartlet pans to make them. Then, my sister gave me the pans as a gift, completely unprompted. I figured it was a sign – I need to be making these tartlets! But just because the signs were there, that doesn’t mean I need to be putting on a few pounds in the process. I came up with this new reinvention and it’s delicious! What’s also great about these is you can substitute out the strawberries for different fruit if you like. I’m thinking pineapple would be great!

SWEET STRAWBERRY TARTLETS – Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups hulled quartered strawberries

1/2 cup sugar substitute, plus 3 tablespoons (recommended: Splenda with Fiber)*

5 ounces Maria crackers** (about 1 pack or 32 crackers), or graham crackers

1/2 cup very cold light butter spread, cubed (recommended: Smart Balance Light)

2 (8-ounce) bars fat free cream cheese, room temperature (recommended: Philly)

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

1 envelope powdered whipped topping (about 1/4 cup powder) (recommended: Dream Whip)

6 individual tart tins with removable bottoms or 1 (9-inch) tin

Nonstick cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

Mix the strawberries and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in a small bowl. Let the strawberries macerate at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange 6 individual tartlet pans with removable bottoms on a baking sheet. Spray the tartlet pans with nonstick cooking spray. Blend the Maria crackers in a processor until coarse crumbs form. Add the butter and process until the crumbs come together. Press the crumbs into the prepared tartlet pans. Bake until the tartlet shells are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese and the sour cream in a small bowl, until fluffy. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and whip until well combined. Add the whipping powdered topping and whip until very fluffy. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the macerating liquid from the strawberries. Fold the strawberries and the reserved 2 tablespoons of liquid into the cream mixture. Spoon the filling over the tartlets, dividing equally. Tarts can be prepared 1 day ahead, covered and refrigerated.

*Cook’s Note: Sugar substitute will not soften strawberries as well as regular sugar and will not provide a lot of juice.

**Cook’s Note: Maria Crackers (Galletas Marias) are a round sweet biscuit with vanilla flavor. They are the Mexican version of the English Marie biscuit and can be used in layered deserts as you would with lady fingers. They can easily be substituted with graham crackers.

Here’s the skinny:

First, I used sugar substitute instead of real sugar. I also took the sugar out of the crust. Actually, I did it by mistake, but it didn’t need it at all. This isn’t a sugar free dish, as there is a little sugar in the powdered topping and the crackers, but it’s still vastly reduced.

I also used a light butter spread instead of butter to cut out about 80% of the saturated fat from the butter.

Lastly, I used fat free cream cheeses and sour cream to cut out more fat and calories.

2010 in review – Thanks for making us a success!

Thindulge — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 16:27:17 +0000

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is on fire!.

Crunchy numbers

A helper monkey made this abstract painting, inspired by your stats.

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 8,500 times in 2010. That’s about 20 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 101 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 126 posts. There were 3 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 3mb.

The busiest day of the year was November 24th with 132 views. The most popular post that day was The Neely’s Sweet Potato Pie Cookies with Orange Glaze.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, en.wordpress.com, youtube.com, search.aol.com, and my.yahoo.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for bacon cheeseburger soup, sandra lee chicken pot pie, paula deen jambalaya, braciole tyler florence, and mountain dew cake paula deen.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

The Neely’s Sweet Potato Pie Cookies with Orange Glaze October 2010

Paula Deen’s Bacon Cheeseburger Soup April 2010

Giada De Laurentiis’ Orange and Raspberry Cake March 2010

Sandra Lee’s Chicken and Turkey Pot Pie with Pepper Biscuit Topping January 2010

Paula Deen’s Jambalaya February 2010

Sunny Anderson’s Peaches and Cream Oatmeal Cookies

Thindulge — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:18:18 +0000

When I saw Sunny make these, they looked like they’d be good. Then I read the reviews and it sold me – everyone was loving these cookies! They’re a great dough to freeze and have a lot of substitution options. (I like to use apples instead of peaches.) I really wanted to try them out, but I wasn’t ready to sacrifice my waistline for a freezable versatile cookie. I came up with this reinvention to get the same flavor but without the “bad stuff”. They’re so good, I’m bringing them to my in-laws for Christmas. I NEVER bring stuff to them unless I’m positive it’ll be a hit!

PEACHES AND CREAM OATMEAL COOKIES – Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt

1/2 cup light butter spread, softened (recommended: Smart Balance Light)

1/4 cup brown sugar substitute (recommended: Splenda)

1/4 cup sugar substitute (recommended: Splenda with Fiber)

1/4 cup egg substitute

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped dried peaches

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add egg substitute and continue mixing. Slowly add flour mixture, oats, peaches, walnuts, and white chocolate chips. Mix until combined.

Line 2 sheet trays with parchment. With wet hands make 20 balls from the dough placing evenly among sheet trays. Press down on cookie dough with palm of your hand to make a flat circle.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and still a bit tender in the center. Remove from oven and let sit on sheet trays 1 minute. Remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

Here’s the skinny:

First, I used white whole wheat flour to make this a 100% whole grain cookie.

Next, instead of butter, I used a light butter spread. This saved about 25 grams of fat and about 15 grams of saturated fat, or about 80%.

I also cut down the brown sugar in half by using a brown sugar substitute blend. I also used a sugar substitute with fiber instead of granulated sugar to cut out unhealthy sugars and add fiber to the cookie as well.

Also, I used egg substitute instead of eggs in order to cut out the fat and cholesterol in the eggs.

Lastly, I cut the amount of white chocolate chips in half. White chocolate is one of the most unhealthy ingredients you will find, but there really isn’t anything out there that can mimic the taste. However, you don’t need a lot in order to get the flavor, so I cut the amount in half. Trust me, you won’t feel like you’ve cut down on the chips at all.

Rachael Ray’s Date-Nut Mini Tarts

Thindulge — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:36:53 +0000

I saw this recipe in Rachael’s magazine and it reminded me of a cookie my Aunt Terry makes for Christmas. For nostalgia value alone, I had to try it out. However, nostalgia doesn’t always mean I need to look like Santa, so I came up with a slimmer version so I can enjoy them guilt free! This is also a great substitution recipe – you can use other fruits aside from dates if you like. Dried cranberries also work great!

DATE-NUT MINI TARTS – Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS

One 14-ounce box (2 sheets) refrigerated pie dough

1/2 cup egg substitute, room temperature

2 tablespoons brown sugar substitute (recommended: Splenda)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup dark corn syrup

2 tablespoons light butter spread, melted (recommended: Smart Balance Light)

1/2 cup finely chopped dates

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375°. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter and working with 1 sheet of pie dough at a time, cut out rounds of dough from each sheet. Reroll scraps to cut additional rounds. Fit the rounds into 2 nonstick 24-cup mini-muffin tins; refrigerate. (You won’t fill both sheets.)

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, brown sugar and salt at high speed until thick, about 2 minutes. Beat in the corn syrup and butter.

Divide the dates and pecans among the muffin cups. Spoon the egg mixture into the cups, filling to just below the dough’s edge, making sure not to spill or overfill. Bake until puffed and set, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the pans.

Here’s the skinny:

First, I used egg substitute, cutting out the fat and calories from the eggs.

Next, I used a brown sugar blend substitute to cut down on the unhealthy sugars in the recipe.

Lastly, I used a light butter spread, cutting about 80% of the saturated fat from the butter.

Paula Deen’s Easy Vanilla Sheet Cake with Egg Nog Sauce

Thindulge — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 05:46:51 +0000

I’m a huge egg nog fan. The second it’s available in the stores, I buy some and I buy the store out when they’re trying to get rid of it. When I come home for Christmas, my dad makes sure to have egg nog in the house. The rest of adults have coffee with their cookies, but I always have egg nog. So, when I saw Paula’s recipe for an egg nog cake, I drooled. Seriously – I think the corner of my mouth got a little wet. But just because my dream combo of Paula Deen and egg nog were paired together, it doesn’t mean I needed to blow my diet over it.

EASY VANILLA SHEET CAKE WITH EGG NOG SAUCE - Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS

1 box sugar free yellow cake mix (recommended: Pillsbury)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/2 cups prepared light egg nog

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup egg substitute

Egg Nog Sauce, recipe follows

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13×9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray

In a large bown, combine cake mix, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add egg nog, vanilla, applesauce and egg substitute. Beat at medium speed with a mixer until smooth. Spoon batter into pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Drizzle with egg nog sauce and garnish with cinnamon, if desired.

Egg Nog Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 (8-ounce) package fat free cream cheese (recommended: Philly)

1/2 cup light butter spread, softened (recommended: Smart Balance)

1/4 cup prepared light egg nog

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar substitute (recommended: Ideal)

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with a mixer until just smooth. Add egg nog and nutmeg, beating until combined. Gradually, add confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth.

Here’s the skinny:

First, I used a sugar free cake mix. Paula calls for a French Vanilla cake mix, but they don’t make that sugar free, so I got a yellow mix and added vanilla extract to give it the vanilla flavor without the sugar.

Next, I used a light egg nog instead of regular, cutting down on the fat in the cake and sauce.

To cut out more fat, I used applesauce and egg substitute instead of oil and eggs.

Instead of using marshmallow creme to make frosting, I used fat free cream cheese to cut out the sugar. It doesn’t have the consistency of frosting, so I used it as a sauce to drizzle instead. Same flavor but without all the fat and sugar.

Lastly, I used a light butter spread instead of butter to cut down on fat and cholesterol in the frosting.

Sandra Lee’s Quesadilla Pie

Thindulge — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 05:35:09 +0000

Steve got me an issue of Sandra Lee’s magazine and I found this recipe in there. It looked so amazingly good and intriguing. Whenever Steve gets me a cookbook or magazine, I always make something out of it as a way to say thank you. But I didn’t want to blow my diet on a thank you, so I made some changes to make sure I wasn’t feeling guilty after showing my gratitude!

QUESADILLA PIE – Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS

1 (10-oz) can green enchilada sauce

1/4 cup fat free half and half

4 (8-in) reduced carb flour tortillas (recommended: Mission Carb Balance)

1 (16-oz) can spicy refried beans

3/4 cup reduced fat Colby jack blend

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

2 cups shredded cooked skinless chicken breast

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

Lime wedges, for garnish, optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together enchilada sauce and half and half. Spoon 1/3 cup of mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

Take three tortillas and spread 1/3 of the refried beans on each tortilla. Place one tortilla on the bottom of the pan, top with chicken, cheese and cilantro. Repeat with remaining 2 tortillas. Top with remaining tortilla. Pour remaining enchilada cream mixture over the top. Cover loosely with aluminum foil, using toothpicks to keep the foil from touching the top tortilla.

Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes longer. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Here’s the skinny:

First, I took out the whipping cream and added fat free half and half to give a creamy texture without all the fat.

Next, I used carb friendly tortillas to cut back on the empty carbs in the dish.

Instead of pepper jack cheese, I used a reduced fat colby jack cheese and added jalapenos. I can’t find a reduced fat pepper jack cheese or reduced fat monterey jack, so this is the best I can do. If your store carries the other cheeses, by all means, go with it.

Lastly, I used chicken breast. Sandra says “chicken” and I’m using just the breast since it’s lower in fat than dark meat. I’m also specifying skinless since most of the fat in chicken is in the skin.

Paula Deen’s Broccoli Casserole

Thindulge — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 22:38:16 +0000

When I saw Paula make this, it looked delicious! Well, that’s partially because the only healthy thing in it was the broccoli! Broccoli is one of my faves, but I knew I had to make some changes to eat this and feel guilt-free afterwards!

BROCCOLI CASSEROLE – Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli, steamed and drained

1 cup fat free mayonnaise

1 cup grated fat free cheddar

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can low fat low sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup egg substitute

2 cups crushed whole grain crackers (recommended: Wheat Thins)

2 tablespoons light butter spread, melted (recommended: Smart Balance Light)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, mayonnaise, cheese, soup and eggs. Mix well with a metal spoon. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Place crackers in a resealable bag. Pour in melted butter and combine until butter is incorporated into all the crackers. Top with the crushed crackers. Bake for 35 minutes or until set and browned.

Here’s the skinny:

First, I used fat free mayo and cheese, cutting out over 100 grams of fat.

I also used a low fat low sodium soup to help cut back even more.

Next, I used egg substitute to cut out the fat and cholesterol in the eggs.

Also, I used whole grain crackers to get good carbs into the dish instead of the empty carbs from before.

Lastly, I used a light butter spread instead of butter to save about 80% of the saturated fat in the dish.