Quick & Easy Low-Fat Recipes

Ever wondered how to cook brown rice quickly and easily? Cook it in your Instant Pot (or other pressure cooker)! This Instant Pot brown rice recipe is as basic as it gets. Cooking brown rice in an Instant Pot is easy, and you get the same toothsome texture and nutty flavor you get by cooking it on your stove--without the fuss.

Creamy apple butter and sharp Cheddar cheese are a perfect match in these easy party hors d'oeuvres. This recipe calls for prepared pie crust, which is pressed into mini muffin tins to make little tart shells, so it's super easy to make as well. Add slices of apple for extra crunch, if you'd like, or keep these bites simple. Either way, consider making a double batch--they'll go quickly.

Salty-tangy blue cheese pairs beautifully with sweet fig jam in these easy appetizers, which are perfect for a holiday party. The optional minced chives add a nice pop of color, but these are just as tasty without herbs. Keep the ingredients on hand and you can whip these up for impromptu holiday cocktail parties.

Can't get enough pumpkin spice and pumpkin? Get those fall flavors you love in this dairy-free and vegan ice cream alternative made with bananas and pumpkin puree. This easy and healthy dessert contains no added sugar, unless you use the optional maple syrup--which is a delicious touch. Add some chopped pecans to make it really special.

Stay a little warmer this winter with this riff on a classic hot toddy. Ginger gives this healthy cocktail a pinch of spice.

Carrot juice adds a sweet and earthy counterpoint to the smoky mezcal.

Cooking bacon and green beans on a sheet pan together simplifies holiday meal prep. Red-wine vinegar and lemon juice provide a balanced, bright flavor.

Flavored decaf tea adds a seasonal twist to a traditional hot toddy recipe. You can use any flavor of tea for this easy cocktail, but we love the comforting notes of pumpkin-spice in the fall and winter.

Sofrito is a flavorful cooking base for all sorts of dishes. It has countless variations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. This Puerto Rican sofrito contains tomatoes, onions, garlic, bell pepper and cilantro. Make a batch to use for flavoring rice, stews and much more. Try it in Mofongo Dressing for Thanksgiving (see Associated Recipes).

Cranberry sauce has a role beyond tradition at the T-day meal. The tart berry adds excitement to mild turkey, but it also provides balance by cutting through the richness in other dishes. For this easy relish recipe--which comes together in minutes--the earthy sweetness of dates and cinnamon, plus a touch of citrus, complement the zing of the berries to create a familiar holiday flavor profile.

Packed with tomatillo and tart lime flavor, this salsa is a great way to try out (or use up) any green tomatoes you have lying around. A versatile salsa, it's perfect for dipping with tortillas or adding to a grilled fish taco. You might even want to try stirring it into sour cream for an enchilada sauce. For less of a spicy kick, omit the jalapeños.

Inspired by the classic mojito cocktail, this festive and healthy fruit salad gets zing from rum, lime and mint. The optional piment d'Espelette--a sweet, spicy ground pepper from the Basque region of France--adds a hint of heat that's a nice contrast to the sweet fruit. Look for this spice at specialty stores, well-stocked markets or online. You could also swap in chile-lime seasoning blend (such as Tajín) for a similar subtle kick or omit the spice altogether. Feel free to skip the rum if you prefer an alcohol-free salad. With or without the rum, this salad has summertime backyard BBQ written all over it.

Salty prosciutto, tangy feta, crunchy pistachios, sweet watermelon and bright mint come together wonderfully in this fresh and easy summer salad. Feel free to sub crumbled bacon for the prosciutto, or skip the meat altogether for a vegetarian version of this salad.

Apple adds natural sweetness to this homemade sauce so you can cut down on the amount of added sugar for a delicious dip you can feel good about eating and serving to your kids. Try it on burgers and as a dip for oven-baked fries.

Use up your apple-picking haul in this easy applesauce recipe. All you need are five ingredients (and one of them is water!) and 25 minutes to make the classic, delicious fall favorite. You don't even have to peel the apples! We've seasoned the sauce with pumpkin pie spice, which works beautifully with apples, but feel free to sub in cinnamon or any other fall spice. The sauce makes a great healthy snack and it's also wonderful dolloped on pancakes.

This creamy strawberry-mango nice cream is a delicious healthy ice cream alternative. It's all fruit, dairy-free, vegan and contains no added sugar. And this three-ingredient dessert is super-fast and easy to prep. Serve it as a snack or light dessert on the hottest days of the summer--or any time you want a refreshing treat.

This refreshing cocktail calls for elderberry syrup--if you've tried trendy St-Germain elderflower liqueur, which is made from the same plant, the flavor of elderberry syrup is somewhat similar but not as floral. Stock up on the syrup for this cocktail and for your health--research shows that it can help you recover from a cold faster. (One brand, Sambucol, is widely available in supermarket supplement sections.)

Enjoy this fresh tomato sauce hot or cold. Its bold flavor is delicious in a simple pasta salad or topping any protein just off the grill.

Basic quinoa is the starting point for all sorts of healthy recipes: Buddha bowls, salads, pilafs, stir-fries, breakfast bowls and more. Cooking quinoa in an Instant Pot--or any other multicooker--really requires just 1 minute of active time, so once you press a button you can turn your attention to whatever else is on your menu. Quinoa also keeps well, so make a big batch and you'll be enjoying quinoa salads for days.

Scoop this easy and healthy peach-mango salsa up with tortilla chips, serve it with grilled chicken, salmon or pork chops, or use it as a taco topper. It's a versatile and vibrant addition to all sorts of meals.