Tabasco Pickles

What a joy! A salty crispy delicious Vlasic pickle--with Tabasco. This is truly one of life's joys. I bought a jar because I love dill pickles and I love spicy food, I had low expectations...but I was WAY wrong! You should try them if you haven't already.

Fresh Lime Chiffon Cake

Ingredients
Filling:
1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Cake:
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon cake flour
2 cups sifted cake flour (7 1/2 ounces)
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
3 egg yolks
8 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting:
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
2 1/2 cups fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Fresh mint sprigs (optional)
Fresh blueberries (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation
To prepare the lime filling, combine 1 teaspoon lime rind, 1/4 cup lime juice, and sweetened condensed milk in a small bowl, stirring until blended. Cover and chill 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 325°.

To prepare cake, coat bottoms of 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pans); line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.

Lightly spoon 2 cups cake flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine 2 cups cake flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well combined.

Combine oil, 1/3 cup juice, 3 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon rind, lemon extract, and egg yolks in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add oil mixture to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.

Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into flour mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture.

Divide cake batter equally among prepared pans, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Remove wax paper from cake layers. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons lime juice in a small glass bowl. Microwave at high for 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves. Cool completely. Fold into whipped topping.

To assemble cake, place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread half of filling over cake layer. Top with second layer, remaining half of filling, and third layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Garnish with mint, blueberries, and lime wedges, if desired. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Slice cake into wedges.

Yield
16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Jan Moon , Cooking Light, JUNE 2006

Pasta with Asparagus, Lemon & Prosciutto

Ingredients
1 (9-ounce) package fresh fettuccine
2 teaspoons olive oil
5 cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces very thin slices prosciutto, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and next 4 ingredients (asparagus through salt). Cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in prosciutto; cook, uncovered, for 1 minute. Combine asparagus mixture, pasta, and cheese in a large bowl, tossing to coat.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Lisë Stern , Cooking Light, APRIL 2004

Sauteed Pork Chops Nicoise

Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Cooking spray
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
3 tablespoons dry white wine
4 teaspoons chopped pitted niçoise olives
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge pork in flour, turning to coat; shake off excess flour. Add pork to pan; cook 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove pork from pan. Add garlic to pan; sauté 10 seconds. Add wine, olives, and tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. Return pork to pan; cook 1 minute. Sprinkle with parsley.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and about 1/4 cup sauce)

Robin Webb , Cooking Light, JANUARY 2004

Marinated Heirlom Tomatoes with Mustard & Dill

A definite party favorite!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds large heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Preparation
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add tomato slices, tossing gently to coat. Let stand 15 minutes.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 5 ounces tomato)

Micol Negrin , Cooking Light, JULY 2006

Spiced Shrimp with Avocado Oil

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
Lime wedges

Preparation
Sprinkle shrimp with sugar and salt. Combine chili powder, cumin, coriander, and oregano. Lightly coat shrimp with spice mixture.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil and half of shrimp; sauté 4 minutes or until done. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining shrimp. Place shrimp on a platter; drizzle remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons oil over shrimp. Serve with lime wedges.

Yield
5 servings (serving size: about 4 ounces shrimp)

Maureen Callahan , Cooking Light, MAY 2004

Arctic Lime Freeze

Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) can thawed limeade concentrate, undiluted
1 (12.3-ounce) package reduced-fat silken firm tofu, drained
1 1/2 cups water
Mint sprigs (optional)
Grated lime rind (optional)

Preparation
Combine limeade and tofu in a blender; process until smooth. Add water; pulse to combine. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon the mixture into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 2 hours or until firm. Garnish with mint and rind, if desired.

Yield
5 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Cooking Light, MAY 2004