10,000 lowfat recipes

Entertain those guests you're having over for dinner tonight with this delicious side dish that's really easy to make.

Crab and corn cakes pulse half the corn with garlic, mustard, and egg as a binder, then mix with whole corn kernels, lump crab, and scallions for pan-fried savory cakes. A summer-easy seafood appetizer.

Light linguine with white clam sauce made with canned clams simmered in their own briny liquid with onion, parsley, and Parmesan. A low-fat Italian pasta that lets the clean ocean flavor of the clams shine through.

Smoky bacon, tender potatoes, corn, and tomatoes simmered into a chunky chowder with catfish fillets stirred in at the end. A 30-minute Southern comfort bowl.

Toriwasa is a Japanese izakaya classic: sake-poached chicken shredded thin and tossed with blanched parsley in a sharp wasabi-soy dressing, finished with shredded nori. Light, clean, and full of bite.

Pottsfield pickles, a sweet-spiced relish of green and red tomatoes, onions, peppers, and celery in a cinnamon-clove brine. End-of-season Appalachian classic for the cellar.

Fresh spinach salad tosses tender baby spinach with a Caesar dressing thinned by cottage cheese for a creamy, lightened-up dressing. Three-ingredient salad ready in minutes.

Whole wheat penne in a creamy tomato-vodka sauce with crispy pancetta, garlic, a kick of cayenne, and fresh basil. Your new favorite weeknight penne alla vodka.

Asian-style beef and couscous with flank steak in an apricot-ginger sauce, bell peppers, and mushrooms. A sweet-savory microwave meal with crisp-tender vegetables.

Grilled eggplant and portobello sandwich stacks smoky grilled eggplant and meaty mushrooms with a garlic-lemon mayo, arugula, and tomato on whole-wheat. A hearty, satisfying vegetarian sandwich.

No-bake rum cake layers milk-soaked sponge cake with vanilla pudding, chocolate pudding, whipped topping, almonds, and cherries. A retro icebox cake assembled the day before for stress-free entertaining.

Soft drop cookies sweetened with honey instead of sugar, packed with plump raisins and a hint of warm nutmeg. Done in 30 minutes.

Fat-free chocolate cake made with cocoa powder, egg whites, and corn syrup instead of butter, oil, or whole eggs. Topped with a cocoa-powdered sugar glaze. Rich chocolate flavor, zero fat.

Fiery Caribbean pepper sauce blending mango, habaneros, ginger, turmeric, and mustard with vinegar. Fruity heat that keeps in the fridge for 6 weeks. No cooking required.

Vegetarian bean burritos with from-scratch mashed pinto beans and fresh salsa Mexicana made with tomatoes, jalapenos, and cilantro. No refried beans from a can needed.

Peanuts are a symbol of longevity in Chinese culture. Feel free to vary the basic recipe by experimenting with different combinations of spices.