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Cooking Light Magazine Review | Magazine & Cookbook Reviews

Looking To Cook Lighter, But Don’t Know Where To Start or Even How To Do It? Cooking Light Magazine Could Be Just The Ticket.

Magazine: Cooking Light
Publisher: Southern Progress Corporation/Time
Price: $4.99 (Newstand)/$18 yearly subscription
Publication Schedule: Monthly (11 issues)

Ratings (1-4 Scale: 1= poor, 2= fair, 3= good, 4= excellent)

Recipe Originality: 4
Directions/Ease of Prep: 4
Overall Content: 3
Design & Visual Appeal: 4
Price/Value: 4
Overall Rating: 3.8

Cooking Light Pros:

• Nearly 100 healthy recipes each month
• Photos accompanying nearly every recipe
• Full-nutritional labeling for each recipe
• Easy recipe index lets you quickly find meals that interest you or fit your schedule
• Good selection of meatless and meat-based recipes
• Tested recipes with clear directions
• Regular tips, tricks and tutorials that can help you become a better cook
• Excellent website that supports the magazine
• Good value from a price perspective
• Good supporting editorial content on nutrition and health news

Cooking Light Cons:

• One-third of the article content is not directly related to cooking (travel, lifestyle, wellness, etc.)
• Exercise advice and routines are kind of fluffy

Cooking Light Magazine Review

Eating healthy and cooking light doesn’t have to mean bland.

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Salmon Patties Recipe | Healthy Recipes & Snacks

A salmon pattie recipe made extra-healthy without sacrificing flavor … and it’s even lightly fried!

Whenever I sing the praises of my salmon patties recipe, people who have never had a salmon patty always seem surprised that salmon can be “pattied.” After-all, isn’t salmon something you eat filleted on a cedar plank? They also get that same weirded out look that people get when they first find out escargot are snails.  The thought of fish shaped into a patty probably brings back bad memories of “fish fillet” day in the elementary school cafeteria, so I supposed you can’t expect to turn someone into a salmon patty lover over night.

Unless, of course, you can get them to try one — which usually involves me comparing them to crab cakes, which nearly everyone loves. Or, you can just call them salmon “croquettes” and the substitution of a French word for the word “patties” makes them sound gourmet and upscale. Suddenly, people think they are chic and want to try one.

Here’s the thing though: Salmon patties are wicked healthy, especially if you make a few modifications to the traditional salmon patties recipes floating around out there.  So if you are trying to add more healthy fats from things like fish into your diet, it’s worth your time to at least give this salmon pattie recipe a spin. If you like it, it will probably become a staple recipe in your clean eating diet.

First, a few things you should know about salmon patties and this particular salmon patty recipe.

Salmon Patties Are Easy!

One of the great things about salmon patties is that they are one of the simplest dishes to make, and they don’t take any special ingredients or equipment. Think meatloaf, but made out of salmon and pressed into little discs.

You literally can put this salmon patty recipe together in less than 10 minutes with canned salmon and six additional ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and refrigerator.  All you need is a glass bowl, a fork and your hands (that’s why they call them “patties.”) Cooking time is about 15 minutes, so you can have a healthy, clean meal in less than 30 minutes. And if you make extras (which I would recommend) you can either eat them for lunch or dinner the next day, or freeze them for a later meal.

If you want to make them with fresh salmon the preparation is a little more involved. Since we are trying to limit your time in the kitchen, so you can instead spend it running, working out or staying physically active, we’re going to use the tried and true canned salmon, which makes preparation very fast.

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Quinoa Couscous Salad Recipe | Healthy Recipes

This couscous salad recipe uses the ancient super-grain Quinoa to make a cool, fluffy, high-protein, low-fat dish perfect for the summer months.

Couscous is one of my favorite summer dishes — loaded with fresh vegetables like cucumbers, red onion and tomatoes — and lean protein from chicken breast, it’s a quick, easy and healthy main course or side dish that takes advantage of summer’s bounty of fresh vegetables. This particular recipe for couscous salad uses a surprisingly tasty and nutritious substitute for the normal couscous pasta — Quinoa.

What Is Couscous?

Traditional couscous (or kuskus, in the U.K)  is technically a form of pasta, not a dish unto itself. It’s made with tiny, BB size balls of moistened semolina flour that are then coated with a light layer of fine wheat flour. The pasta is then steamed and served under a stew made from meat or vegetables. Couscous is a staple in much of Northern Africa, in the same way that pasta is a staple in Italy and rice is in Asia. It’s also popular in parts of the Middle East, Israel and even Sicily. In the U.S., many people associate couscous with a dish eaten chilled as a salad.

Nutritionally, couscous is pretty much on par with other semolina-based pastas. You can get quick-cooking versions of couscous made with whole wheat flour in the rice isle at the grocery store, which is healthier than the non-whole-wheat couscous. However, eating grains in their original whole-kernel state is even better. But making couscous salad with something like cracked wheat or whole brown rice wouldn’t result in the fluffy, airy texture that makes couscous so delicious.

That’s where the Quinoa comes in.

What Is Quinoa?

Quinoa (pronounced: Keen-Wa) is an ancient grain cultivated for more than 6,000 years in the Andean region of South America. The grain is actually the edible seeds of the goosefoot plant, which is uniquely suited for high-altitudes and has been a staple in traditional Andean diets for centuries.

The ancient Incas held the crop to be sacred, but European explorers dismissed Quinoa as “food for Indians.” Turns out they shouldn’t have been so quick to write the grain off — it is extremely high in protein (12%-18% protein), is gluten-free and easy-to-digest, is high in fiber and has a complete amino acid profile. The last point is an important one, because traditional European grains like wheat or rice do not contain all eight essential amino acids. This makes Quinoa ideal for vegetarians, vegans or people who are just trying to add more non-meat sources of protein into their diet.  It’s also high in minerals like phosphorus, iron and magnesium.

Quinoa also has an extremely fluffy, light texture and a slightly nutty flavor. This makes it a great substitute for rice — or couscous.  And it cooks quite quickly — in under 15 minutes — making it convenient and easy to prepare.

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Espresso Royale Organic Dark Sipping Chocolate | Healthy Snack of the Day

Get The Health Benefits of Organic Dark Chocolate without the Fat and Calories with this Fantastic Premium Dark Hot Chocolate

Chocolate and fat-loss are not two things you normally associate with each other. But with evidence mounting that chocolate, especially the dark variety, has a number of health benefits it’s suddenly become okay to include a little dark chocolate in your diet, even if your goal is fat loss.

The Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Because chocolate is made from plants, it contains many of the same types of phytochemicals and polyphenols – including powerful flavanoids (specifically epicatechin and gallic acid) with antioxidant properties — that you find in other antioxidant powerhouses like blueberries, pomegranates, tea and red wine. 

Antioxidants are believed to help the body’s cells resist damage caused by free radicals, which are formed by normal bodily processes such as breathing or environmental contaminants like cigarette smoke or environmental pollution. 

In fact, in terms of total antioxidants, chocolate ranks at the top of the list.

It also contains arginine, an amino acid that helps the body produce nitric oxide (NOS), which aids in cell division, wound healing, and removal of ammonia from the body. Arginine also is a vasodialator — which means it causes blood vessel relaxation, which can decrease blood pressure. There is also some indication that arginine may improve sexual function as well, which may explain why chocolate is considered an aphrodisiac.

The health benefits of chocolate may include:

• Lower blood pressure, especially among people with hypertension
• Increased HDL cholesterol (the “good” kind of cholesterol)
• Increase glucose metabolism
• Improvements in mood
• Possible anti-cancer properties due to the high antioxidant content of dark chocolate

Over the past decade, a number of studies have provided clinical research to back up some of these health claims.

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Steamed Asparagus with Dijon Mustard Sauce | Healthy Recipes

Let The Flavor of Springtime Asparagus Shine Through With This Simple and Healthy Dijon Mustard Sauce Recipe

Note from Matt: Today’s post is dedicated to the memory of my Grandmother, Doris Williams, who had her own asparagus patch and taught me everything I know about preparing and eating this amazing vegetable. Grandma, I just ate my first asparagus of the spring … seven beautiful stalks I plucked out from the among the weeds in the side yard at your old house.  Yes … they still come up each year. You are missed.

Nothing says “spring is here” like a bowl of fresh steamed asparagus.  We’re not talking about the bland stuff that’s shipped in from California during the winter — this is the real deal, in season, in all of it’s sublime glory.

Crisp, slightly sweet and never tough or chewy, asparagus is one of the first vegetables to make it’s way onto the table in the spring, and if you’re lucky enough to have a u-pick farm nearby, or even your own asparagus patch, once you’ve had asparagus in-season, it’s hard to ever get used to the store-bought stuff again.

The Health Benefits of Asparagus

And asparagus is wicked good for you.

It’s an extremely nutrient dense food. It’s high in folic acid and is a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin. It also has no cholesterol or fat, and is low in sodium and calories. 

A single 5.2 oz serving of asparagus provides 60% of your daily requirement of folicin (folic acid), which is critical for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease.

Folic acid is critical during period of rapid cell growth and division, such as infancy and pregnancy, and research indicates a link between insufficient folic acid and birth defects, like neural tube defects. Folic acid also may decrease circulating homocysteine levels. There is evidence that elevated homocysteine levels are an independent risk factor for heart disease and stroke.  A recent study from the University of California - Berkeley also found that men who eat folate rich foods may also lower the risk of birth defects in offspring, since folate seems to prevent certain chromosome abnormalities in sperm.

In other words, if you’re not eating asparagus, it’s time to start.  

Why Does Eating Asparagus Make Your Pee Stink?
Asparagus contains sulfur compounds that give off the distinct “asparagus pee” odor when broken down by the body (usually within 15-30 minutes after ingestion.) Believe it or not, there is actually a raging scientific debate over what the actual compound is that’s responsible for this unique “scent.” One theory says it’s methanethiol. However, in 1975, a California chemist using gas chromatography claimed that the offending compounds are actually S-methyl thioesters.  One interesting point: while all people produce these stinky compounds, only but only about 40% of the population have the autosomal genes required to smell them. 

A Simple, Delicious Asparagus Recipe That’s Ready In Five Minutes

This particular recipe for preparing asparagus is so simple, that you’ll be surprised at how good it tastes based on the little time it takes to prepare and the limited ingredient list. Asparagus is almost always best served with a very simple sauce, since you want the flavor of the asparagus to take center stage — not the sauce that it’s swimming in.

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Healthy No Bake Cookies | Healthy Recipes

This heart-smart, no bake cookie recipe will satisfy your sweet tooth and help keep you lean and healthy.

Got a chocolate craving you just can’t make go away?

Try this healthy version of the traditional no bake cookie when fruit alone won’t solve your cravings. 

Loaded with protein, soluble fiber from oats and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats from the peanut butter, this is a great substitute for a sports or nutrition bar, which are often high in sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.

The best part is you can mix this recipe up in less than five minutes, and eat it straight from the bowl (go ahead, it’s GOOD for you) or refrigerate it for a great, healthy snack the next day. 

Healthy No Bake Cookies

Ingredients

1 packet Kashi Instant Heart to Heart Golden Maple Oatmeal
1 tbs natural peanut butter
1 scoop chocolate whey powder
2-3 tbs water
1 tbs organic, unsweetened coconut (optional)
1 tbs salted, chopped peanuts (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the first four ingredients and mix thoroughly.
2. Eat directly from the bowl, or cover a plate with waxed paper, spoon out the batter on to the waxed paper, sprinkle with coconut and refrigerate until firm.

Also, if you like a sweet and salty flavor, add 1 tablespoon of chopped or whole salted peanuts.

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: One recipe

Calories 389.8
Total Fat 10.6 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.4 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 191.0 mg
Potassium 399.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 47.1 g
Dietary Fiber 5.7 g
Sugars 23.6 g
Protein 27.7 g

Vitamin and Mineral Information

Vitamin A 25.0 %
Vitamin B-12 100.1 %
Vitamin B-6 100.7 %
Vitamin C 50.1 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 0.0 %
Calcium 1.8 %
Copper 5.4 %
Folate 100.0 %
Iron 11.9 %
Magnesium 24.8 %
Manganese 76.4 %
Niacin 3.0 %
Pantothenic Acid 2.2 %
Phosphorus 2.9 %
Riboflavin 3.6 %
Selenium 0.0 %
Thiamin 11.3 %
Zinc 10.1 %

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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Low-Fat Homemade Vanilla-Orange Granola | Healthy Recipes from Answer Fitness®

Want an economical, low-fat and low-sugar homemade granola recipe? Try this homemade orange granola and be prepared to be blown away.

Oats are considered a fitness power food, and granola is a tasty way to get your daily oats. The problem is that most granola recipes are loaded with sugar. You could buy a low-fat or low-sugar prepackaged granola at the store, something like a Bear Naked Granola, but at nearly $6 a bag, it’s more economical to make your own.

This particular recipe uses freshly squeezed orange juice and a touch of honey to naturally sweeten the granola. There is no processed or brown sugar added. 

The sugar content is minimal in this recipe and it uses no oil, so the granola is about as pure and close-to-the-earth as it gets. The only fats are the healthy kinds from walnuts, almonds, pecans and flax meal. And the coconut, although high in saturated fat, is plentiful in medium- and short-chain fats, which the body burns more readily for energy.

Best of all, this particular granola recipe is wicked easy to make.  If you aren’t crazy about nuts, you can substitute dried fruit like raisins, dried cherries, blueberries, cranberries or even dried apple slices or banana chips. Add these after the granola has been cooked and cooled.

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