7,057 light recipes

Crockpot orange chicken: tender chicken breasts slow-cooked with carrots, peppers, ginger, and orange juice concentrate, then served over rice. A lighter, dump-and-go take on takeout.

Chicken chili with kidney beans, diced apples, and tomato juice simmered low and slow for two hours. A lighter chili with a surprising sweet-savory twist from fresh apples.

Schweines mit Bodabire und Aepfel is a rustic Swiss-German pork stew braised with potatoes, tart apples, and turnip in its own juices. Just eight simple ingredients.

Reduced fat chocolate snack cake made with chocolate syrup, cocoa powder, and semi-sweet chips, topped with chopped nuts and a vanilla powdered sugar drizzle. A lighter take on rich chocolate cake.

Amaretto cheesecake delite blends silken tofu and reduced-fat cream cheese into a lighter cheesecake spiked with amaretto and vanilla. Topped with caramelized almonds on a chocolate cookie crust.

Lamb Creole gumbo with browned lamb riblets, okra, black-eyed peas, stewed tomatoes, and white wine simmered low and slow. A hearty Louisiana-style pot that serves eight and freezes well.

Fresh clams steamed open with eight cloves of garlic, olive oil, white wine, chile pepper, and bread crumbs that thicken the broth into a scoopable sauce. Simple, rustic, and loaded with garlic.

Potato, artichoke, and leek soup pureed silky smooth with fresh thyme and a touch of Tabasco. Served hot or cold, this creamy soup uses milk instead of heavy cream for a lighter bowl.

A lighter chicken pesto pasta with a yogurt-based spinach pesto, fresh basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan tossed with penne. Half the fat of traditional pesto, all the flavor.

Quick spaghetti sauce made with ground chicken or turkey, white wine, tomato sauce, and fresh vegetables. A lighter meat sauce with basil and sage, ready in 30 minutes.

Ground chicken and veal patties loaded with sautéed mushrooms and herbs, pan-fried and oven-crisped, then served with a punchy Dijon and English mustard sauce. Bistro-style burgers for eight.

Baked chicken breast coated in a Dijon mustard and yogurt mixture, then topped with seasoned bread crumbs and thyme. A lighter, crumb-crusted chicken that stays juicy without frying.

Crustless crab quiche with zucchini, mushrooms, reduced-fat cheddar, and evaporated skim milk. A lighter take on quiche with both microwave and oven instructions.

Fresh mushroom soup with butter-seared mushrooms, sweet onion, and skim milk thickened with arrowroot. A lighter, creamier take on the canned standby in under 30 minutes.

Ground turkey simmered in marinara with mushrooms and bell peppers, piled over fluffy baked potatoes and finished with Parmesan. A lighter spin on sloppy joes in 45 minutes.

Granny Smith applesauce tarts with golden hot-water pastry shells filled with honey-sweetened, lemon-brightened chunky applesauce. A lighter, old-fashioned dessert.