15 4 ingredient low calorie Recipes

zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced length wise 1/4 -inch thick, salt, tomato sauce ( no salt added ), chopped onion, garlic clove, minced, black pepper freshly ground, dried oregano, part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded, parmesan cheese freshly grated, fresh parsley minced, lasagna noodles

gorgonzola cheese polenta, more) low-salt chicken broth, polenta (coarse cornmeal), crumbled gorgonzola cheese (about 4 oz), whipping cream, bring 5 cups of the chicken broth to a boil in heavy 4-quart saucepan., gradually add polenta , whisking constantly. return mixture to boil., reduce heat to low, cover , and simmer until polenta is tender, stirring frequently and adding more chicken broth by 1/4 cupfuls if polenta is too thick, about 10 minutes. remove from heat., add gorgonzola and cream; stir until cheese is melted. season to taste with salt and pepper. serves 8.

olive oil, fresh chorizo or other spicy sausage, casings removed, chopped peeled carrots, chopped onion, chopped celery, bay leaves, garlic cloves, chopped, chopped fresh thyme, more) low-salt chicken broth, black beans, drained and rinsed, skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

yellow-flesh potatoes , cut into 3/4-inch chucks, butternut squash (about 1 lb), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks, salt, butter, divided, fresh (2- to 3-inch) sage leaves , stacked and cut across into 1/4-inch strips, low-fat milk (approximate), freshly ground black pepper

muffin pans, a special metal baking pan , sometimes referred to as a muffin tin, with 6 or 12 cup-shaped depressions. most often this pan is made from aluminum., muffin cups are, standard muffin cup is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter., giant or texas-size muffin cup is about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 5/8 cup batter., muffin cup is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and holds 1/8 cup or 2 tbsp batter., muffin-top cup is about 4 inches in diameter but are only 1/2 inch deep ., substituting a different size muffin cup, substitute another size muffin cup for original size listed in recipe. if substituting a larger size muffin cup the recipe will yield fewer muffins and if using smaller size muffin cup the recipe will yield more muffins. the bake time will be changed also. bake a larger muffin longer than the original time and smaller muffins a shorter time., tips on baking muffins, grease muffin cups by spraying each cup with no stick cooking spray or using a paper towel dipped in shortening to grease each cup., use paper liners in muffin cups for easy clean-up., if muffin cups are filled more than 3/4 full the muffins will have flat, flying saucer tops. if sufficient room is not allowed for muffins to expand before reaching the top of the cup the muffin will flatten on top., if some muffin cups will remain empty during baking , put 2 to 3 tbsp water in the unused muffin cups to keep the pan from warping., if baked muffins stick to the bottom of the muffin cup, place hot muffin pan on a wet towel for about two minutes., source : land o lakes, all about muffins, are you eating muffins or cupcakes, hot breads are always a hit and muffins are 1 of the easiest to make. they are more quickly and easily made than biscuits and no kneading, rolling or cutting is required. they can be a savory, last minute dinner muffin or a sweet delicious breakfast muffin. made using whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, bran, honey, fruits and nuts they can be very nutritious. but like the healthy granola craze which turned into candy bars, muffins also can quickly turn into cupcakes. eating cupcakes for breakfast is your choice, but don tsp tell yourself you are eating healthy breakfast muffins. a recent magazine article revealed some muffins available in new york delicatessens were claimed to be low fat, but actually contained up to 23 g of fat. that s more fat than two egg mcmuffins., what is the difference between muffins and cupcakes, some say cupcakes have frosting. a basic formula for muffins is 2 cups flour, 2-4 tbsp sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil, shortening or butter, 1 cup milk. when the fat, sugar and egg ratio in a recipe reaches double or more than this, you have reached the cake level., other technical difference between muffins and cupcakes, method of cooking is different for muffins and cupcakes. the muffin method is by far the fastest and easiest. flour, sugar, baking powder and salt (all the dry ingredients) are mixed together. this is where the leavening can be uniformly dispersed into the flour. sugar is mixed with the flour to prevent the flour from lumping when combined with the wet ingredients., making and baking muffins, in a large bowl, oil (or melted butter) and egg are beaten together to form an emulsion to disperse the fat more uniformly. then the milk is stirred in. this much mixing can be done ahead and held. the two are combined just before baking., combine, cut and fold liquid into the dry ingredients. mix only to combine. batter will be lumpy but no pockets of dry ingredients should remain. the general rule is only 12 strokes., bake as soon as it s mixed. when filling cups, do not mix batter between scoops. excessive mixing causes loss of leavening., cake method for making muffins, sometimes muffins are made using the cake method , i.e. cream the fat and sugar, add eggs, add the dry ingredients and milk alternately. this is more time consuming but produces a lighter, more tender, cake-like muffin., perfect muffin, perfect muffin has a thin brown crust , a slightly rounded top with a pebbled appearance and a moist, even interior. there should be no peaks, no tunnels which are usually caused by excessive mixing and too much liquid (muffin batter should not be fluid)., more leavening is not better, just because a recipe is in print does not mean that it is in balance. a guide for leavening 2 cups of flour in a recipe is either 2 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder, or 4 tsp fast acting baking powder, or 1/2 tsp soda plus 1 cup buttermilk (for the acid) and 1 1/4 tsp baking powder. excess baking powder and soda taste bitter., here are a few tips for altering muffin recipes, substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg in the recipe. if these are stiffly beaten and folded in at the end it will produce a lighter muffin with less fat., use non-fat milk instead of whole milk ., use salad oil in place of butter. in place of the fat in the recipe , use 1-fourth of the oil and replace the other three-fourths with fruit puree such as applesauce. jars of baby food fruits provide a quick choice of purees other than apple. adding non-gluten grain products (bran, germ, oatmeal, corn meal) for part of the flour makes a more tender muffin., create your own taste sensations, begin with the basic formula and change 1/2 cup of the flour to corn meal, bran, wheat germ, rye, oatmeal or leftover cooked cereal. add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped apple, dates, prunes, raisins, apricots, figs, blueberries, cranberries, cheese, nuts., make your favorite muffin mixes by measuring the dry ingredients twice (or more ) into two separate bowls. use 1 and package 1 with the list of wet ingredients to be added when mixing at a later date.

sugar cookie recipe, after trying over 50 sugar cookie recipes , i found this 1 to be my absolute favorite. i love this basic sugar cookie recipe for many reasons. it taste great. it is simple with few ingredients. it will maintain it s shape which makes the dough ideal for molding. you must chill the dough for a couple hours (or overnight is great) or it will be very sticky to work with., butter, softened, cream cheese, softened, sugar, egg, vanilla, all purpose flour, in large mixer bowl combine all cookie ingredients , except flour., beat at medium speed , scraping bowl often until creamy., reduce speed to low ; add flour. beat, scraping bowl often, until well mixed., divide dough into 2 equal portions; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate unitl firm (at least 2 hours)., heat oven to 350o. roll out on lightly floured surface or parchment paper. bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. remove from cookie sheets; cool completely., url : cookiedecorating.com, chocolate cut-out recipe, yummy! crisp chocolate cut-outs with a brownie-cookie type flavor. this dough should be chilled for an hour or two (or overnight) or it may be sticky to roll., butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, all purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, in large mixer bowl beat butter , sugar, egg and vanilla until well blended. in medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture and blend well., refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., preheat oven to 325o. on lightly floured surface or parchment paper, roll out dough. bake 5 to 7 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched., cookie sheets ; cool completely., url : cookiedecorating.com, run sugar, run sugar icing is the classic cookie icing. it is a smooth textured icing that forms a very hard crust. it is made by taking royal icing at it s fluffiest form and adding water to make it flow. when it dries, you can stack the cookies. this type of icing takes several hours to dry. the icing has a simple, flavor with some crunch., powdered sugar, meringue powder, gum arabic, cream of tarter, water, water, first , mix-up royal icing (use this recipe or follow instructions on the commercial royal icing), in small mixing bowl, combine water, meringue powder and cream of tarter., beat until stiff peaks form ., in separate bowl, combine powdered sugar and gum arabic. mix thouroughly, then add to meringue., beat on low , then medium speed until stiff peaks form. after the royal icing has been mixed, divide the mixture into several small containers and cover with wet towel. add a small amount of water to each batch until it us just barely fluid, not watery. test consistency by dropping a small amount from spoon onto waxed paper. it should smooth itself in about 10 seconds. if it runs too much, add more powdered sugar. if it is too thick, add a bit more water., remember : keep this icing covered when you are not using it. it dries out quickly. place the icing in a bag with a tip #3 or #4. outline the area to be covered. quickly fill in the outline. if the icing is running off the cookie, too much water was added to the royal icing. if the icing is not smooth, add a bit more water to the royal icing. when icing crusts, pipe adjoining color. for added dimension or outlining, allow icing to harden (several minutes) and pipe on the top., royal icing, is probably the most popular icing that cookie decorators use. it is preferable because it holds up very well if the cookies need to be stacked, shipped, stored, etc.. royal icing can be made into a very nice glaze and also works great for very fine detail work. the biggest problem with royal icing is that it dries hard as a rock, and also tends to dry out the cookies more than a buttercream icing would. the drying rock-hard isn tsp a big deal if you are doing a cookie that has a thin layer of glaze and some basic outlines or decorations, but if you need a cookie to have thick piping, the thick decorations would almost be impossible to eat in royal icing., meringue powder, powdered sugar, water, vanilla extract (use clear vanilla if you want a pure white icing), almond extract, beat all ingredients together until stiff peaks form (about 10 minutes). to vary the consistency, add water to thin and add powdered sugar to thicken.

baked cheddar broccoli rice cups, thanks to fountain ave. grill: http://fountainavenuekitchen.com/baked-cheddar-broccoli-rice-cups, simple to whip up with ingredients you have on hand, this side is a sure kid-pleaser that adults will enjoy as well. i employ 1 of my favorite kitchen tricks with this recipe: any time i use frozen broccoli or spinach that needs to be thawed and drained well, i put it inside a tea towel and literally wring it out. you will be surprised by how much water is released, and getting rid of it will prevent your finished product from becoming soggy., vary the cheese if you like or bake in a casserole dish or jumbo muffins tins. for my better-for-you ranch dressing, quick-cooking rice , like minute rice (can substitute about 2 cups regular, cooked rice and omit the 1 cup stock below), chicken stock, frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed and excess water squeezed out, shredded cheddar cheese, divided, homemade ranch dressing (see recipe), or store bought, eggs, lightly beaten, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, low-fat buttermilk, chobani 2% plain yogurt, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, canola or olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, minced chives, whisk all ingredients together ., dressing will keep for a week or so, covered, in the refrigerator., if you prefer a thicker dressing , use approximately 1/4 cup of buttermilk depending on your personal preference and intended use.

flavor of this stew really depends on good fresh corn. don tsp forget to scrape the pulp out of the cobs (see below) or the stew will be watery and a little bland. this homey dish is usually served with a crusty, rustic loaf of bread to help sop up the sauce and plenty of hot sauce; you can also serve this over plain steamed rice., ears corn , husks and silk removed, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (8 to 10 thighs), trimmed, salt and ground black pepper, vegetable oil, kielbasa sausage , sliced 1/4 inch thick, red bell peppers , stemmed, seeded , and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, onions , minced, celery ribs , minced, cayenne pepper, garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 tsp), minced fresh thyme leaves , or 1/4 tsp dried, low-sodium chicken broth, bay leaves, minced fresh cilantro leaves, removing corn kernels and pulp from the cob, hold the cob on its end inside a large wide bolw and cut off the kernels using a paring knife., once the kernels are removed , firmly scrape the pulp and milk out of the cob using the back of a butter knife.

needed : 5 quart slow cooker, lean ground beef, onion, chopped, salt, pepper, water, potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes, italian diced tomatoes low-sodium, undrained, low sodium v8 juice, chopped celery, sliced carrots, sugar, dried parsley flakes, dried basil, bay leaf

summer squash, sliced, turkey bacon, cut into 1 inch bits, egg, beaten, low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, salt & pepper

all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, fresh tarragon leaves , or 1/2 tsp tarragon, dried, salt, unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces, extra virgin olive oil , or 1/4 cup canola oil, low-fat plain yogurt, extra virgin olive oil , or 2 tbsp canola oil, red onion, thinly sliced, carrots, grated, dry sherry , or 2 tbsp rice vinegar, divided (see ingredient note), dijon mustard, reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded, low-fat plain yogurt, low-fat milk, eggs, fresh tarragon, finely chopped , or 3/4 tsp, dried tarragon, salt, fresh ground pepper

oreo cookie lb tube cake, oreo cookies, flour, sugar, milk, shortening , butter flavored, salt, vanilla extract, eggs , large, chocolate glaze, semi-sweet chocolate pieces., shortening , butter flavored, milk, corn syrup, preheat oven to 350. grease and flour 9-inch fluted tube pan. cut each cookie into quarters. in large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat flour and remaining ingredients except cookies and chocolate glaze until blended. increase speed to high; beat 2 minutes, scraping bowl. spoon about 3/4 cup batter into pan. gently stir cut-up cookies into remaining batter and spoon into same pan. bake 50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched with finger (toothpick test won tsp work). cool cake in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan; cool on rack. when cake is cool, prepare chocolate glaze. place rack with cake over large plate to catch drips, then pour warm glaze over top and side of cake. this cake freezes well and good cold from refrigerator. chocolate glaze: in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, heat chocolate pieces, shortening, milk and corn syrup, stirring constantly until melted and smooth.

sized hard-shell clams provide the flavor for the broth and the tender clam meat for this hearty soup. this rendition is not like the traditional commercial offerings with a thick broth that resembles tomato sauce. instead, the broth is briny and clean tasting, flavors from the sea standing out and tomatoes and vegetables offering dimension in flavors and colors. the potatoes provide substance, and cooking them before adding the tomatoes enables their starch to be released into the broth, lightly thickening it. this soup will hold for two days. reheat over a low flame, being sure not to boil the chowder, which will toughen the clams., clams , medium-sized hard-shell , such as cherrystones, washed and scrubbed clean, pancetta , finely chopped, spanish onion , chopped small, red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and chopped small, carrot , chopped small, stalk celery , chopped small, garlic cloves , minced, dried oregano, fennel seeds, hot red pepper flakes, dry white wine, clam juice, yukon gold potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice, bay leaf, diced tomatoes, salt and ground black pepper, fresh parsley leaves , chopped