902 light recipes

Low-calorie cottage cheese plate with fresh vegetables or tropical fruit, a hard-boiled egg, and rye crisp crackers. A high-protein, no-cook light lunch on a bed of lettuce.

Old-fashioned peach ice made with fresh peaches, sugar syrup, and beaten egg whites for a light, airy texture. A vintage frozen dessert from the days before electric ice cream makers.

Nonfat cheesecake fruit pie with a crisp corn flake crust, fluffy marshmallow-and-cream-cheese filling, and a swirl of fruit cocktail. Light, no-bake-style cheesecake with serious retro charm.

Chewy coconut almond macaroons made with homemade almond paste, ground coconut, and egg whites. Naturally gluten-free, crisp on the outside, soft in the middle. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.

Hearty double-bran muffins brightened with fresh orange and lemon zest, studded with chopped dates, and finished with a sesame seed crunch. A fiber-packed grab-and-go breakfast that actually tastes great.

Silky pureed potato and leek soup simmered in white wine and fish stock, finished with milk and topped with tender poached fish. A light, elegant fish soup that works hot or chilled.

Bread machine oatmeal bread sweetened with applesauce instead of sugar. A light, hearty whole-grain loaf with a tender crumb. Set it and forget it for fresh-baked bread in the morning.

Fruit pudding: apples and prunes simmered into a sweet, juicy base, topped with light dumplings steamed right on the fruit. A cozy, low-fat stovetop pudding that comes together in one pan.

Mike's Baked Stuffed Eggplant fills eggplant shells with a Parmesan, breadcrumb, and egg stuffing, then bakes over a rustic potato-tomato sauce for 90 minutes. A hearty Italian-style vegetarian main.

Authentic Ukrainian varenyky with tender egg yolk dough and two classic fillings: creamy potato-cheese and tangy sauerkraut-bacon. A from-scratch dumpling recipe worth every fold.

Greek-style green beans and potatoes braised slow in tomato until meltingly tender, finished with a fresh hit of mint. A vegan side or light main that's even better the longer it simmers.

Pepper poached pears simmer in white wine with black peppercorns, ginger, cinnamon and a whisper of chili heat, then chill in a syrup reduced from the poaching liquid. An elegant, lightly spiced dessert.

Pasta with crab sauce: sweet crab meat folded into a light tomato and white wine sauce with shallot and celery, tossed over hot pasta. An elegant seafood pasta that comes together in about half an hour.

Crisp, crumbly Swedish coconut cookies leavened with baker's ammonia for an ultra-light snap. Rolled into walnut-sized balls and baked until golden. Makes 4 dozen buttery, coconut-flecked treats in under an hour.

No-bake raspberry chiffon pie in a cinnamon vanilla wafer crust with whipped cream, gelatin-set raspberry filling, and lemon zest. A light, creamy frozen raspberry dessert that chills to a mousse-like texture.

A big-batch beef chili with 5 lbs of ground beef, three kinds of beans, jalapeños, and three types of onions simmered in chunky tomatoes. Feeds 12 and freezes like a champ.