This lemon herb rub from Cooking Light is always a classic. I have used this rub recipe before to make brick chicken, where you butterfly a whole chicken and use bricks wrapped in foil to press it down to the grill for a crisp skin. This time, I tried to make things a little easier on myself by using leg quarters instead. The herb rub works well in both scenarios.

Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken

1 (5 lb) roasting chicken or leg quarters
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground pepper

1. Prepare your chicken:

If using a whole chicken, remove and discard giblets and neck. Rinse chicken with cold water, and pat dry. Trim excess fat. Place chicken, breast side down, on a cutting surface. Cut chicken in half lengthwise along backbone (do not cut through breastbone). Turn chicken over. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.

If using leg quarters, rinse chicken with cold water, and pat dry. Trim excess fat. Using your fingers, loosen the skin from the meat.

2. Combine parsley, thyme, juice, salt, and pepper; rub mixture under loosened skin and over chicken. Gently press skin to secure. Place chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.

3. Preheat grill to medium heat.

4. Place chicken, skin side up, on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 30 minutes (for leg quarters) to 55 minutes (for a whole chicken) or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 180°. Remove chicken from grill; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Remove and discard the skin.

Since this little human I am growing has left me utterly exhausted recently, I haven’t been doing much adventurous cooking or trying many new recipes. Now that I’m in my second trimester, both my energy and my cooking are making a comeback.

I recently tried this Spring Vegetable Penne from the most recent issue of Cooking Light and LOVED it. The lemon cream sauce is both comforting and bright at the same time, and the veggies are perfect in it.  The only thing I might do differently next time is grill the asparagus for some extra flavor (and just because I can, since it’s finally nice out).

Spring Vegetable Pasta with a Lemon Cream Sauce

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
1 (4 oz) package presliced mushrooms
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
½ cup half-and-half
¾ cup frozen green peas
3 tbsp shaved Parmesan cheese, divided
½ tsp grated lemon rind
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 oz uncooked penne (I used vegetable pasta, hence the reddish color)
1 pound (1 in) diagonally cut asparagus

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add thyme and garlic; sauté 1 minute.

2. Sprinkle mushroom mixture evenly with flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

3. Stir in broth and half-and-half; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add peas, 2 tablespoons cheese, rind, and next 3 ingredients (through pepper); cook 1 minute or until peas are thoroughly heated.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add asparagus to pot; drain.

5. Add pasta mixture to mushroom mixture; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cheese.

I really love quiche, but I had never made one until now. I’ll pretty much eat anything with caramelized onion in it, so this Cooking Light recipe seemed like a good place to start. I thought it turned out great and, after initially turning her nose up at it, Olivia eventually gave in and ate her whole piece. We had this dish for dinner, but it would also be a fantastic brunch option.

Zucchini and Caramelized Onion Quiche

1 refrigerated pie crust
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tsp sugar
4 cups sliced zucchini
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¾ tsp kosher salt, divided
1 cup low-fat milk
1½ tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp pepper
3 large eggs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent. Sprinkle in sugar, stir, and continue cooking until the onions are very tender, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool and then finely chop.

2. Preheat oven to 425°. Unroll pie crust and fit into a 10-inch pie plate. Bake the pie crust for 12 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove and allow to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375°.

3. Heat large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add remaining olive oil the pan. Add zucchini and garlic, and sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt. Sauté 5 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Cool slightly.

4. Arrange caramelized onions over the bottom of the pie crust; top with zucchini mixture. Combine ½ tsp salt, milk, flour, pepper, eggs, and cheese in a mixing bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Pour the egg mixture over the zucchini and onions.

5. Bake the quiche at 375° for 35 minutes or until set. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting. 

We usually eat vegetarian a few nights a week, so I’m always on the lookout for recipes that are outside of the usual salad/pasta/quinoa rotation. I saw this recipe for vegetarian stuffed peppers and decided to try my own spin on it. 

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

2 green peppers
2 red peppers
2 yellow peppers
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 small onion, chopped
2 small tomatoes, diced
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup goat cheese crumbles
1 clove minced garlic
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°, and lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place the halved and seeded peppers cut side down on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.

3. While the peppers roast, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for one minute.

4. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and spinach and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

5. In a large bowl, mix together the rice, vegetables, goat cheese, salt, and pepper.

6. After the peppers are done roasting, flip them over and fill each half with the rice and vegetable mixture.

7. Return the peppers to the oven and roast for another 5 minutes.

My husband is not a fan of grits, but I thought this recipe just might bring him over to the dark side. I was right—he enjoyed every bite, much to his chagrin.

With no cream or flour, this recipe is lighter than what you’ll find in most restaurants but it’s every bit as tasty!

Shrimp and Grits

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ lemon, juiced
¼ tsp Tabasco sauce
¼ tsp cayenne
4 slices of bacon
¼ red pepper, chopped
¾ cup onion, chopped
1½ cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup quick grits
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 tbsp butter
Salt
Pepper

1. Combine shrimp, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, and cayenne; set aside.

2. Cook bacon in a large sauté pan until crispy. Drain on a paper towel, but reserve the drippings in the pan. Crumble bacon and set aside.

3. Add the red pepper, onions, and mushrooms to the bacon drippings and cook until tender. Stir in the shrimp and bacon and cook until the shrimp turns pink.

4. In a medium saucepan, bring water and chicken broth to a boil. Slowly whisk in grits, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking until the grits are thick, about 5 minutes.

5. Remove the grits from heat and stir in cheddar, butter, salt, and pepper.

6. Portion grits into bowls and top each with some of the shrimp and veggie mixture.

Instant rice and rotisserie chicken make this meal super quick and easy for a busy weeknight. I tweaked a few things from the original recipe (like using brown rice instead of white, wheat tortillas instead of flour, and shredded reduced fat colby jack instead of queso fresco), but the finished product was still delicious. I cut my two year old’s tostada into quarters so it would be easier for her to pick it up, but it was still a bit difficult for her to handle—she ended up just eating the stuff off the top.

Chicken Tostadas with Chipotle Rice

Adapted from Cooking Light

3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp salt
1 cup diced tomato
½ cup diced white onion
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 (6-inch) whole wheat tortillas
2 cups shredded green leaf lettuce
1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups shredded boneless rotisserie chicken breast
¼ cup shredded reduced fat cheese

For the rice:
1 ¾ cups water
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp chipotle seasoning
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 cups instant brown rice
1 small can of mild green chiles
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add tomato, onion, cilantro, and avocado; toss gently to coat.

2. To make the rice, combine water, chipotle seasoning, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add rice and stir gently. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the cilantro and green chiles.

3. Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ¾ tsp oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 1 tortilla to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure 3 times with remaining 2 ¼ tsp oil and tortillas.

4. Place 1 tortilla on each of 4 plates. Layer each tortilla with ½ cup lettuce, about ½ cup beans, ½ cup chicken, ¼ cup avocado salsa, and 1 tbsp cheese.

Lentils are a one-pot superstar. They’re low in calories and fat while packing a punch when it comes to fiber, protein, and iron. They sometimes get a bad rep for being difficult to cook, often turning out crunchy or mushy. But if you get the process down, they can be filling and flavorful when cooked correctly. I actually found this recipe on the bag of Safeway brand lentils (go figure), and it’s now one of our cold weather favorites!

Sausage and Lentil Stew

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1½ cups chopped carrots
1 lb smoked sausage (I use Hillshire Farms Turkey Polska Kielbasa)
1 lb dried lentils, rinsed thoroughly and drained
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 lb fresh spinach or kale

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions, garlic, and carrots until tender (about 10 minutes).

2. Add sausage, lentils, broth, sage, thyme, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until lentils are barely tender.

3. Stir in spinach or kale and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes or until lentils are tender. Ladle stew into bowls and serve.

*Recipe originally from Safeway 

One of my go-to weeknight meals is homemade pizza. And when I say “homemade,” I mean refrigerated pizza dough because really, who has an hour to let their dough rise when bedtime is at 7:30 p.m.? I like to use the Pillsbury Artisan Whole Grain Pizza Crust but any type of refrigerated dough works.

Because we have pizza so often, I’m always looking for unique toppings to shake things up. I saw this combination in Cooking Light and thought it sounded delightfully different. I made a few changes to the original recipe (refrigerated dough rather than from scratch, slight variation on the toppings, etc.), but we all agreed this would go into our regular rotation.

Pear and Prosciutto Pizza

Adapted from Cooking Light 

1 refrigerated pizza crust
6 oz crumbled goat cheese
3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 ripe Bartlett pear, cored and thinly sliced
4 cups baby spinach
Balsamic glaze (I used Supremo Italiano Fig Glaze with Balsamic Vinegar)
Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out the crust in your pizza pan. Brush the crust with olive oil and prebake for 7 minutes.

2. Top the crust with the pears, prosciutto, and goat cheese and continue baking for 8-10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

3. Allow the pizza to cool just slightly before topping with the spinach. Drizzle the pizza with the balsamic glaze, and then cut and serve.

Last month, I made soba noodles for the first time (Soy Citrus Scallops with Soba Noodles), and my family loved them! Since then, I’ve been looking for another tasty recipe to use the rest of the noodles I bought. So when I came across this recipe the other day on Foodie Crush, I had to try it.

It was so delicious! The flavors are so fresh and bright, but the dish is comforting at the same time. I can’t wait to make this again in the summer when we can throw the shrimp on the grill for a little extra flavor.

Garlic Soba Noodles with Grilled Shrimp
From Foodie Crush
serves 4

for the sauce
1/4 cup ponzu sauce, found in the Asian aisle of most grocers
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
the juice of one lime

for the noodles & shrimp
1 8 or 9 ounce package of soba noodles (substitute whole wheat spaghetti if needed)
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil, divided
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
8-10 brown mushrooms, sliced
1/2 jalapeno, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cliantro, chopped
1 green onion, chopped for garnish
1 lime, quartered and sliced

1. In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and mix until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

2. Fill a large pot 2/3 full of water and bring to a boil. Season water with 1 to 2 tablespoons of salt and add soba noodles. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender. Drain in colander, rinse well with cold water and set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet on medium-high heat until oil slithers about the pan and add garlic, shallots and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently taking care that garlic doesn’t burn. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and shallots a bit crispy. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Meanwhile, heat a skillet or grill over medium high heat and lightly coat with cooking spray. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to shrimp, season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until just opaque on the inside. Shrimp will continue to cook once taken off the heat so cook carefully or they’ll become tough.

5. Transfer noodles and mushroom mixture to a bowl, season with sauce mixture and combine. Plate noodles in mounds and top with grilled shrimp. Serve with cilantro, green onion and jalapeno slices.

Growing up in southern Virginia, this comforting dish was a staple at our dinner table the moment the temperature dropped. I consider myself something of a connoisseur when it comes to chicken and dumplings, so when I came across a healthier version in Cooking Light, I wasn’t expecting much.

How could this low-cal version possibly compare to my beloved (and now closed *sniff sniff!) Rodman’s Bones & Buddy’s? I’d say it compared pretty well! I made a couple of changes to the original recipe to make it a bit easier and to up the veggie count. You need to try this one before the winter’s out—trust me, you won’t be disappointed (Mom, I’m talking to you!).

Chicken and Dumplings
Adapted from Cooking Light 

1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ cup dry sherry
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
4 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
1 can condensed, reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, green beans, and corn)
¼ cup water
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups Bisquick mix
2/3 cup skim milk

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray.  Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the next five ingredients (sherry through soup) and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and bring back up to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 35 minutes.

3. Stir in the frozen vegetables.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and the cornstarch, and then add the mixture to the pot, stirring well.

5. In another bowl, mix together the Bisquick and the milk. Drop the dough in spoonfuls into the pot.

6. Bring the chicken mixture to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 minutes, turning over the dumplings and stirring occasionally.

7. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until the dumplings are done.