Make ahead instructions

Vegetable & Tuna Pasta Salad

Nifer — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:29:37 +0000

This delicious pasta salad recipe is made with zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula and chunk light tuna, which is lower in mercury than white albacore tuna. For the best flavor, combine the pasta salad with the dressing about 1 hour before serving. If you’re looking for an environmentally sustainable canned tuna option, check the label—tuna that was caught by troll or pole-and-line is considered the best choice, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program. Or look for the blue Certified Sustainable Seafood label from the Marine Stewardship Council.

Peas & Ham Pasta Salad

Nifer — Mon, 06 May 2013 17:38:58 +0000

Peas & Ham Pasta Salad

This creamy pasta salad recipe with peas, ham and mushrooms is lower in calories and fat compared to a classic pasta salad. Using whole-wheat pasta and loading it with plenty of vegetables makes it as nutritious as it is delicious. If you have fresh-shelled peas on hand, use those instead of frozen peas. For the best flavor, combine the pasta salad with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.

Melon & Chicken Pasta Salad

Nifer — Mon, 06 May 2013 17:28:20 +0000

Melon & Chicken Pasta Salad

Melon, prosciutto and dried cranberries pair well together in this chicken pasta salad recipe. Fresh grilled chicken breast is best, but you can save time by using roasted or grilled chicken from the supermarket. For the best flavor, combine the pasta salad with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.

Antipasti Pasta Salad

Nifer — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:58:09 +0000

Antipasti Pasta Salad

This Italian pasta salad recipe has all the flavors of antipasto—salami, Provolone and pepperoncini— tossed together with a tangy vinaigrette and whole-wheat pasta. This healthy antipasti pasta salad is perfect for a light dinner. For the best flavor, combine the pasta salad with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.

Frozen Peanut Butter-Pretzel Pie

Erin McCormick — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:55:18 +0000

Frozen Peanut Butter-Pretzel Pie

If you like chocolate and peanut butter together, try this frozen peanut-butter-and-pretzel pie recipe in a chocolate cookie crust. The sweet vanilla frozen yogurt and chocolate cookie crust combine with the salty flavors of pretzels and peanut butter for an irresistible dessert.

Frozen Raspberry-Chocolate Terrine

Erin McCormick — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:48:33 +0000

Frozen Raspberry-Chocolate Terrine

Fresh or frozen raspberries work equally well in this quick raspberry and chocolate terrine recipe made with low-fat frozen yogurt. Don’t worry about getting the layers perfectly even in this dessert terrine—the unevenness makes each slice look unique.

Mini Frozen Baklava

Erin McCormick — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:37:45 +0000

Mini Frozen Baklava

Try this recipe for frozen mini baklava bites using low-fat frozen yogurt the next time you want to whip up a quick dessert. Shelf-stable mini phyllo cups are widely available, but for this recipe the frozen cups are best.

Pecan-Berry Coffee Cake

Nifer — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:18:16 +0000

Pecan-Berry Coffee Cake

This scrumptious coffee cake recipe has a crumbly pecan topping and is speckled with blueberries or raspberries. You’ll never guess there’s apple in the berry coffee cake: it replaces some of the butter found in most coffee cakes and adds a decidedly sweet taste and moist crumb. This is a great recipe to serve at brunch and can be made the day before.

Spiced Pistachios

Erin McCormick — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:42:54 +0000

Spiced Pistachios

Chinese five-spice powder is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns; it adds subtle flavor to these pistachios. Look for it in the spice section at the market or with other Asian ingredients. Omit the added salt if you use salted pistachios.

Guacamole-Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Sarah Hoff — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:54:57 +0000

Guacamole-Stuffed Poblano Peppers

A cousin of chile rellenos, these roasted stuffed poblano peppers are filled with guacamole and shredded lettuce. Serve this healthy Mexican recipe as a light lunch or go all out and serve it as a side dish with tacos or enchiladas for dinner.

Garlic Stir-Fried Snow Peas & Pea Greens

Sarah Hoff — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:39:42 +0000

Garlic Stir-Fried Snow Peas & Pea Greens

This healthy, fresh snow pea stir-fry recipe is fragrant with garlic and ginger. It incorporates pea greens, also known as pea shoots, the leaves, tendrils and flowers of a mature pea plant. Adding a little garlic scape pesto at the end gives an added subtle garlicky flavor. Garlic scapes are green, spiral-shaped sprouts that appear on the top of garlic plants in the spring. Look for them at farmers’ markets in the spring and early summer. Regular garlic cloves can be used as a substitute for garlic scapes in the garlic scape pesto recipe. Use any leftover pesto in scrambled eggs, added to soup or in pasta sauces.

Roasted Garlic & Asparagus Salad

Sarah Hoff — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:17:22 +0000

Roasted Garlic & Asparagus Salad

The dressing for this roasted asparagus salad recipe uses fresh garlic scapes—available in spring from farmers’ markets or gardeners. Use chopped fresh garlic in the dressing if you can’t find garlic scapes.

Snap Pea & Quinoa Salad

Sarah Hoff — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:33:59 +0000

Snap Pea & Quinoa Salad

Snap peas and mushrooms are combined with the fresh flavor of lemon in this pretty, healthy quinoa salad recipe. If you can make it ahead of time, do—this quinoa salad is even better the next day, after the dressing has soaked into the mushrooms and quinoa. (Adapted from “Quinoa Revolution” by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming; Pintail Books, 2012.)

Spinach Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

Sarah Hoff — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:16:33 +0000

Spinach Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

This healthy spinach salad recipe uses one avocado two ways: half goes into a healthy creamy ranch dressing and the other half of the avocado gets chopped to top the spinach salad.

Slow-Cooker Pinto Bean Stew with Jalapeño-Corn Dumplings

Sarah Hoff — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:56:07 +0000

Slow-Cooker Pinto Bean Stew with Jalapeño-Corn Dumplings

This healthy slow-cooker pinto bean stew recipe is bursting with veggies—onion, bell pepper, celery and corn—and topped with crunchy bits of radish and chile- and lime-flecked cornbread dumplings. If you’re pressed for time, skip the dumplings and serve this pinto bean stew straight out of the crock pot, topped with crushed tortilla chips and a sprinkling of Monterey Jack cheese. Make sure to soak your dried beans before using them in the slow cooker to ensure even cooking.