Thanksgiving is around the corner, so I thought I would share a couple of my favorite dishes for Thanksgiving. One is a dessert and one is a salad. Not only are they both delicious, but healthy alternatives for your Thanksgiving feast. I must say that the Pumpkin Swirl cheesecake is one of my favorites and is always a favorite of relatives. I found the recipe in Cooking Light about 14 years ago and I have been making it ever since.   I also love the butter lettuce, pear and pomegranate salad. It is very fresh and it is a great way to try pomegranates while they are in season.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Tart

Ingredients:

Preparation:

1. Preaheat oven to 300 degrees
2. Combine ½ cup condensed milk and the cream cheeses in a medium bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Add vanilla, salt, 1 egg, and egg white; beat until combined. Spoon ½ cup cream cheese mixture into a small bowl; add ¼ cup condensed milk, 1 egg, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, stirring well with a whisk.
3. Pour remaining cream cheese mixture into crust. Pour pumpkin mixture over cream cheese mixture; swirl together using a knife. Bake at 300 degrees for 50 minutes. Turn oven off; cool tart in closed oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven; cool completely. Cover; chill.

Butter Lettuce, Pear and Pomegranate Salad

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add lettuce in a bowl. Pour all but two tablespoons dressing over; toss to coat. Divide greens among 6 plates. Arrange 4 pear wedges in spoke pattern on each plate. Drizzle 2 tablespoons dressing over pears. Sprinkle with cheese and pomegranate kernels. Makes 6 servings.

Who doesn’t love enchilada casserole? I found this recipe in the newspaper and it’s a delicious and easy dish to make any day of the week. The recipe calls for ground beef, but for a healthier version you can always use ground turkey. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
1 (11.5-ounce) jar mild taco sauce (divided use)
6 corn tortillas (divided use)
1 ¼ cups shredded 2 percent sharp cheddar cheese (divided use)
2 green onions, finely chopped
Shredded lettuce, chopped fresh tomatoes and fat-free sour cream for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cook ground beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat until meat is browned and cooked through, then drain. Add chili powder, cumin, pepper, garlic and water. Simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes or until water has evaporated and meat mixture is thick.

Lightly cover bottom of 9×13-inch pan with half of taco sauce. Place 3 tortillas in bottom of pan, cutting tortillas to fit, if necessary. Spread meat mixture on top of tortillas. Sprinkle with 1/2-cup cheese. Drizzle remaining taco sauce over cheese and top with remaining 3 tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4-cup cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5 additional minutes. Garnish with green onions and serve with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and fat-free sour cream if desired.

I love to cook, but there are times when I just need a break.  With that being said, I’m so glad I came across this easy and delicious recipe several years ago. No pots and pans are required for this easy, no-mess Mediterranean recipe. Simply use a glass measuring cup to heat the broth in the microwave, place dry couscous in the serving bowl, and then add the broth. Once the remaining ingredients are stirred in, the dish is ready to serve. So for those who hate to cook, making dinner is as easy as 1-2-3.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 package toasted pine nut couscous mix
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (about 1 rotisserie chicken)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (for garnish)
1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

Heat broth and seasoning packet from couscous in the microwave on HIGH for 3 to 5 minutes or until broth begins to boil. Place couscous in a large bowl, and stir in broth mixture. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Fluff couscous with a fork; stir in chicken and next 6 ingredients. Serve warm or cold. Garnish with basil.

You know I love my recipes from Cooking Light, but sometimes it’s okay to be a little bad. I found this recipe in the Dallas Morning News a few years ago and just love it. It is SO easy to make and has great flavor.  All you need is some basic ingredients and enough time to cook (approximately 3 hours). I serve the short ribs on top of mashed potatoes (I like to add horseradish to give it a little zing) and also serve with a side salad or veggie.  If you are looking for a wine to go with these short ribs, I really like a syrah or zinfandel. One of the great value wines I came across is the 2009 Big House Slammer Syrah, a smokey and fruity syrah and a great value wine which is priced at under $10. A nice mid-range wine to complement this dish is the Frei Brothers Zin which I have written about in the past. If you are looking to splurge a little, I love the syrah from Drew Wines (a boutique winery in the Anderson Valley wine region). So, if you are craving some good ol’ comfort food, give Clara’s Short Ribs a try.

Preparation:

1. Cook short ribs in boiling water about 5 minutes to remove excess fat. Drain and place in a baking dish.
2. Mix remaining ingredients to create baking sauce.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pour sauce over meat and cover. Basting often, bake for about 2 hours or until meat is falling off the bones. Note: In my experience, it may take up to 3 hours.

Serves 6: Adjust recipe accordingly for more or less people

Once again, I struck gold with a recipe from Cooking Light. I tore this recipe out of the April issue a couple weeks ago and I have already made it twice…I can tell that this will be in the frequent recipe rotation. This recipe is very easy to make and delicious! So if you like the flavors of Asian food, here’s a recipe for you. Enjoy!

Preparation: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken to pan; cook 13 minutes or until chicken is done. Combine fish sauce and the next 6 ingredients (through salt) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add fish sauce mixture to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring to coat chicken. Remove from heat. Stir in basil.

I have never been a huge fan of cauliflower, but I found a recipe that made me like this other white vegetable. Once again, Cooking Light came to the rescue with an easy and delicious recipe that was profiled in their Budget Cooking section. All the ingredients work so well together. I love the tang of the marinara beef sauce, the texture of the cauliflower and to top it off (literally), the bread crumbs and cheese give the dish that extra crunchiness needed to complete the dish.  So if you are looking for a recipe to add to your cooking rotation, give this one a try. Enjoy!

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in beef. Sprinkle with salt and peppers, and sauté 3 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in sauce and olives. Preheat broiler.

Steam cauliflower 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Place cauliflower in an 11 x 7-inch broiler-safe baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with sauce mixture.

Place bread in a mini chopper; pulse until coarse crumbs form. Combine crumbs and cheese; sprinkle over cauliflower mixture. Broil 4 minutes or until browned.

I love chicken lettuce wraps and I came across a delicious and easy recipe in Cooking Light.  I made some tweaks to the recipe, so my version is below. I like to serve this with brown or jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not to tear them. Set aside.

2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add first 3 ingredients to pan. Cook 5 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring to crumble. Drain. Return chicken mixture to pan; stir in mint, cilantro, lime juice, red pepper, water chestnuts and hoisin sauce.

3. Spoon chicken mixture onto each lettuce leaf. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

When the weather gets colder,  I’m always on the hunt for savory recipes perfect for a fall or winter meal. I found this in Cooking Light and made it a couple weeks ago. Not only was it easy to make, but it was also delicious. So, if you are looking for an easy and hearty meal, give this one a try.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage to pan, and sauté for 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove sausage from pan; drain. Wipe pan with paper towels. Melt butter in pan. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; sauté 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and salt; sauté 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.

Stir in sausage and broth. Remove from heat. Spoon potato mixture into an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with cheese. Cover and bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle with thyme.

I first encountered this sea bass recipe about 13 years ago at this fantastic Japanese restaurant in Dallas called Tei Tei Robata bar. The restaurant is still open and still sells this melt-in-your-mouth dish.  This dish is easy and delicious and you should be able to find all the ingredients at a Whole Foods or other specialty store. I know that sea bass can be difficult to find, so you could also substitute black cod or even halibut. I love to serve this with soba noodles and baby bok choy that I have sauteed with sesame oil and red pepper flakes.  It is easy enough for every-day cooking and elegant enough for a dinner party. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Preparation:

In a shallow baking dish or lidded container, whisk together the miso, mirin, sake, sugar and ginger until smooth. Add the sea bass and turn to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat the broiler. Remove the seas bass (or cod) from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Please the fillets on a broiler pan and broil 3 inches from the heat source until browned with crusty edges, about 4 minutes. Turn, brush with the reserved marinade and broil until browned on the other side, 3 to 4 minutes. The fish should flake when touched with a fork.

I’m always to trying to find light and easy recipes, especially during the hot summer months. I found this recipe in the paper and I found it easy and delicious. In addition to the sauce, I also bought a Thai peanut sauce to go with the meatballs. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Preparation:

In nonstick sauté pan, warm 2 tablespoons peanut oil over medium heat. Saute grated carrot and jalapeno pepper until carrot is soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Transfer to medium-sized bowl. Add ground chicken, ¾ cup of the scallions, egg, 4 tablespoons of the cilantro and salt. Mix well with hands. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Form chicken mixture into 12 meatballs. Heat remaining peanut oil over medium heat in nonstick sauté pan. When oil is hot, but not smoking, add meatballs and cook, turning, for about 6 to 8 minutes total or until cooked throughout. Remove meatballs to plate covered with piece of paper towel.

Meanwhile, prepare rice noodles according to package directions.

To serve dish, divide noodles among 4 plates. Top with meatballs and drizzle each with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of sauce. Garnish with peanuts, and remaining cilantro and scallions.

Makes 4 servings.

SAUCE: Combine 1 teaspoon lime zest, 2/3 cup lime juice, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon chile oil, 1 teaspoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro.