Is one of your goals of 2015 to take the stress out of cooking weeknight dinners? These meals from Cooking Light magazine will help you reach it. Here, they share their recipes for maple-glazed chicken with apple-Brussels sprout slaw, Cantonese-style shrimp and Napa-style cabbage and more.
Maple-glazed chicken with apple-Brussels sprout slaw
Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 2 cutlets and about 3/4 cup slaw
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 (2-ounce) chicken cutlets
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 8 ounces Brussels sprouts
- 1/4 cup dried currants
- 1 medium Fuji or Gala apple, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and syrup to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until reduced to 3 tablespoons. Return chicken to pan; turn to coat with glaze.
2. Cut Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise. Place remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add Brussels sprouts, currants, and apple; toss to combine. Serve slaw with chicken.
Cantonese-style shrimp and Napa cabbage
Serve this dish with a side of brown rice or soba noodles.
Yield: Serves 4
Serving size: About 3/4 cup
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons medium dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons peanut oil
- 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
- 1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
- 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
- 4 cups shredded Napa cabbage
- 1/3 cup diagonally cut green onions
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
2. Heat a wok or skillet over high heat. Add oils to pan; swirl to coat. Add shrimp; stir-fry 1 minute. Add ginger and garlic; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add broth mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in cabbage; cook 1 minute. Top with onions.
Pulled pork sandwiches with Sriracha BBQ sauce
Serves 12
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (3 1/2-pound) boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 2/3 cup water
- 3 tablespoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong), divided
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 12 (1 1/2-ounce) whole-wheat hamburger buns
If you plan to use a pressure cooker or Dutch over, follow these directions:
Pressure cooker: Using a 6- or 7-quart pressure cooker, follow instructions through step 2. Close lid securely; bring to high pressure over high heat (about 4 minutes). Adjust heat to medium-high or level needed to maintain high pressure; cook 55 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 20 minutes. Place cooker under cold running water to release pressure. Remove lid. Place pork in a bowl; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Bring cooking liquid to a boil over medium-high heat; cook for 10 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon Sriracha. Shred pork; return to Sriracha mixture.
Dutch Oven: Using a large Dutch oven, follow instructions through step 2. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 3 hours and 15 minutes or until pork is tender. Proceed with step 4.
Three-bean vegetarian chili
This soup has a mild chile flavor. If you want more heat, increase the amount of chili powder and don't seed the jalapeños.
Yield: 8 servings
Serving size: 1 cup soup, 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups organic vegetable broth
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped seeded jalapeño pepper (2 peppers)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 2 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Combine first 12 ingredients in a 6-quart electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Ladle soup into bowls; top with sour cream, cheese, and cilantro.
White pizza with tomato and basil
Heating a cookie sheet in the oven before you put the pie on it gives you a crisper crust for this white pizza with tomato and basil.
Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 2 slices
Total: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (10-ounce) Italian cheese-flavored thin pizza crust (such as Boboli)
- 1 teaspoon cornmeal
- Cooking spray
- 3 tablespoons refrigerated pesto with basil (such as Buitoni)
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup sliced small tomatoes (such as Campari tomatoes)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup small basil leaves
- Crushed red pepper (optional)
1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Place a baking sheet in oven; heat for 10 minutes.
3. While baking sheet heats, place crust on another baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Lightly coat crust with cooking spray. Spread pesto evenly over crust, leaving a 1-inch border; sprinkle mozzarella evenly over pesto. Dollop ricotta, by teaspoonfuls, evenly over mozzarella. Slide crust onto preheated baking sheet, using a spatula as a guide. Broil 5 inches from heat for 5 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Remove from oven; top evenly with tomatoes, black pepper, and basil. Sprinkle with red pepper, if desired. Cut into 8 slices.