918 light recipes

If you omit the raw egg, you still get a nice sauce. According to an ancient proverb, "Garlic is as good as 10 mothers." If the latest flu bug has hit your house--and whose has escaped--you may be ready to test claims for garlic's medicinal powers.

Spaghettini topped with breaded and fried eggplant strips, tomato sauce, and grated Parmesan. A crispy Italian-style pasta dish with salt-pressed eggplant for zero bitterness.

Yeast-free carob date bread made with whole wheat, buckwheat, and brown rice flour. Kneaded by hand and rested overnight for a dense, naturally sweet, low-fat loaf.

Chewy chocolate chip cookies loaded with whole wheat flour, oats, and sunflower seeds. Rolled in seeds before baking for a nutty, crunchy coating that makes 6 dozen crowd-pleasers.

Fall pear pie with thinly sliced fresh pears, nutmeg, and quick-cooking tapioca in a double crust, brushed with egg wash and finished with a pour of cream.

Holiday cheddar date cake bakes a tube of brown sugar batter loaded with shredded sharp cheddar, dates, pecans, candied cherries, and golden raisins. A surprising savory-sweet fruitcake that keeps for 6 weeks.

Shrimp and jicama salad dressed with a homemade jalapeño chile vinegar over sliced tomatoes and fresh tomatillos. A light, crunchy Mexican-inspired salad.

Pasta with grilled turkey or chicken sausages, fresh tomatoes, roasted peppers, and saffron vinegar. A light, Mediterranean-style pasta toss ready in 30 minutes.

Boston cookies are an old-fashioned drop cookie with cinnamon, raisins and chopped walnuts in a simple butter-sugar base. Soft in the middle, lightly chewy at the edges, ready in 30 minutes.

Try this light, but savory dish that is made with snow pea pods, green peas and chickpeas.

Chicken tagine with pine nut couscous braises chicken thighs in a fragrant Moroccan spice blend with dried apricots and prunes, served over couscous scented with lemon zest and toasted pine nuts. A dinner-party-worthy North African main.

Soft maple walnut oatmeal cookies with brown sugar and cinnamon, topped with maple-flavored frosting and a walnut half. Chewy, sweet, and warmly spiced.

Peanut butter and jelly streusel bars with a brown sugar PB cookie base, strawberry jam middle, and oat-crumble topping. The lunchbox sandwich reinvented for the cookie tray.

Malosolnye ogurtsy are Russian lightly-salted pickles made with fresh dill, horseradish, garlic, and a simple brine. Crisp, garlicky, and ready in just four days.

Mexican chicken soup with fresh lime juice, cilantro, red bell pepper, and rice in a bright broth. Tomatoes stirred in off the heat to keep them fresh. Quick and light.

A light main or hearty side dish, pearls of couscous with grilled veggies and a Lemon-Balsamic dressing.