Cooking Light Recipe Makeovers

By Meredith Corporation

Your favorite recipes with half the calories, fat, salt, and sugar. With just a few simple substitutions, the nutrition and cooking experts at Cooking Light have figured out how to make the most decadent recipes more healthful without sacrificing flavor. Just as the HGTV stars take some of the worst houses in the neighborhood and turn them into dream homes, we take some of the worst recipes, in terms of fat and calories, and turn them into dream dishes that help you achieve a healthy lifestyle. Before-and-after nutrient values are included with every recipe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Meredith Corporation
• Release date: Jan 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781547854769

Book preview

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01. BREAKFAST & BRUNCH

START YOUR DAY OFF RIGHT WITH LIGHTENED VERSIONS OF ORANGE ROLLS, PASTRIES, AND BREAKFAST CASSEROLES.

20-Minute Fluffy Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

HANDS-ON 7 MIN.

TOTAL 20 MIN.

BEFORE 312 Calories; 11g Sat Fat; 502mg Sodium; 2g Sugars

AFTER 133 Calories; 3g Sat Fat; 305mg Sodium; 0g Sugars

Stir melted butter into cold, fat-free buttermilk and let everything get lumpy as the butter solidifies. Those little pockets of butter disperse evenly throughout the batter, allowing us to use half the amount of butter. White whole-wheat flour adds nutty, whole-grain goodness, and a touch of canola oil keeps the biscuits nice and tender.

5.6 oz. all-purpose flour (about 1¼ cups)

3.6 oz. white whole-wheat flour (about ¾ cup)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sugar

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ cup unsalted butter

1¼ cups very cold fat-free buttermilk

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk to combine.

3. Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at high 1 minute or until completely melted. Add cold buttermilk, stirring until butter forms small clumps. Add oil, stirring to combine.

4. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir with a rubber spatula just until incorporated (do not overmix) and the batter pulls away from sides of bowl (batter will be very wet). Drop batter in mounds of 2 heaping tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 450°F for 11 minutes or until golden. Cool 3 minutes; serve warm.

SERVES 12 (serving size: 1 biscuit) CALORIES 133; FAT 5g (sat 3g, unsat 2g); PROTEIN 4g; CARB 18g; FIBER 1g; SUGARS 0g (added sugars 0g); SODIUM 305mg; CALC 8% DV; POTASSIUM 0% DV

Blueberry–Sour Cream Muffins

HANDS-ON 15 MIN.

TOTAL 38 MIN., PLUS COOLING TIME

BEFORE 274 Calories; 8g Sat Fat; 247mg Sodium; 20g Sugars

AFTER 244 Calories; 4g Sat Fat; 251mg Sodium; 16g Sugars

Heart-healthy canola oil, whole-wheat flour, and reduced-fat sour cream provide plenty of moisture and richness. With its crumbly, sweet streusel topping, you’ll never miss the fat and calories of the original.

Cooking spray

⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp. white whole-wheat flour

⅛ tsp. ground cinnamon

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and divided

9 oz. white whole-wheat flour (about 2 cups)

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

1½ cups fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place 12 muffin cup liners in muffin cups. Lightly coat liners with cooking spray.

2. Place oats, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and cinnamon in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle 1 tablespoon melted butter over top; toss with a fork until combined. Set aside.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.

4. Place 2 tablespoons melted butter, sour cream, granulated sugar, oil, vanilla, and egg in a bowl; stir well with a whisk to completely combine. Add sour cream mixture to flour mixture; stir just until combined. Gently stir in blueberries. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F; bake an additional 13 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

SERVES 12 (serving size: 1 muffin) CALORIES 244; FAT 10g (sat 4g, unsat 6g); PROTEIN 5g; CARB 32g; FIBER 3g; SUGARS 16g (added sugars 13g); SODIUM 251mg; CALC 7% DV; POTASSIUM 1% DV

Zucchini-Pineapple Quick Bread

HANDS-ON 10 MIN.

TOTAL 1 HR. 45 MIN.

BEFORE 208 Calories; 2g Sat Fat; 148mg Sodium; 16g Sugars

AFTER 167 Calories; 1g Sat Fat; 151mg Sodium; 16g Sugars

Add a tropical twist as well as sweetness to this zucchini bread with crushed pineapple. We’ve used less sugar, less oil, and replaced some of the whole eggs with egg substitute to decrease the calories and fat in this cake-like bread.

13.5 oz. sifted all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)

1½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

2 large eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups grated zucchini

⅔ cup canola