Cook Yourself Thin & The Cookbook

What I LOVE best is that they do not tell you NO! You can have the foods you love and enjoy the most. They simply teach you how to have the taste you love without the fat and calories that you don't. You still get to have butter, cream & cheese in a way that works!

You have to feel satisfied with your food - or you won't eat it. Learn how to make the great foods you love - with less... but still have the taste!

New Tip !!!

I have made this several times - I love it as it is written - HOWEVER - not everyone agrees. They have issues with the amount of Mushrooms. I love them - but there are a lot of mushrooms in this recipe. So my new tip is to cut the mushroom amount in half - and replace the other half with zucchini. This is clearly a "Vegetable Lasagna" - and this is a perfect substitution - and it also adds to the color and texture of the dish.

Spinach and Mushroom Veggie Lasagna

Makes 12 servings
Calories per serving: 337

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds cremini and/or shiitake mushrooms, sliced (see new tip above)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt
1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta
3/4 cup skim milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups shredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided evenly
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more to garnish
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups tomato sauce (40 oz. of store bought Marinara Sauce}
12 sheets no-cook lasagna noodles
Nonstick cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and thyme and season with salt. Cook until softened, about 10 to 12 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, milk and eggs, and stir. Add 1 cup of mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, basil and oregano; season with salt and pepper and stir to incorporate.

4. Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9-x-13-x-2-inch pan. Layer 4 sheets of lasagna on top, slightly overlapping. Spread half the ricotta mixture on the noodles, and cover with half the mushroom mixture. Top with 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce. Repeat with 4 sheets of lasagna pasta, remaining ricotta mixture, remaining mushrooms and 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce. Cover with the remaining 4 sheets of lasagna, the remaining cup of tomato sauce and the remaining mozzarella cheese.

5. Lightly coat a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray and cover the uncooked lasagna, spray-side down. Bake at 375 degrees, covered, until bubbly, about 45 minutes. Remove foil from lasagna and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Cook until cheese browns, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm and garnish with basil.

We made these for the Family and they never suspected they were low-fat...

Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes
Calories per serving: 204

For the frosting
3 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
Pinch salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

For the cupcakes
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups peeled zucchini, finely grated

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. To make the frosting: Combine the egg whites, sugar, salt and vanilla extract in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Stir continuously over heat until the mixture is warm and the sugar is completely dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Remove the bowl from the heat. Using a handheld electric or standing mixer set on high, beat until the mixture is entirely cooled, glossy and stiff, about 7 minutes. Blend in the lemon zest until smooth - once smooth, take care not to overbeat or the mixture will get lumpy. Let frosting set and cool in the refrigerator (at least 30 minutes), while making the cupcakes.

4. To make the cupcakes: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 12-muffin pan with cupcake liners.

5. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, almonds and baking powder; set aside. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla with a handheld or standing mixer until thick and light-colored, about 4 minutes. Beat in the zucchini on low speed until fully incorporated.

6. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl once with a spatula during beating. Use a 1/3-cup measure to spoon into the muffin cups.

7. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes, turning the pan midway through baking. Transfer cupcakes out onto a wire rack and cool completely before icing with the chilled frosting.

It's all about re-vamping what you love to eat - but with far less calories. They are still talking... Baked Ziti, Milkshakes, Fries, Chicken Tenders, and Chocolate Chip Muffins - some of the things you love to eat, but with a faction of the calories!

Why does it get requested in "cook yourself thin" recipes? How does it differ from regular bread crumbs? First... it is more like flakes. It is larger which means it absorbs more seasoning and also absorb less oil.

In Asian cuisine, panko are often used to create a lacy outer layer of breading. The flaky structure of panko means the crumbs do not compress, but instead forms a layer of air rich breading on the exterior of fried foods. Grease drains easily from foods dredged in panko, making foods taste less heavy and oily than usual. Seafood, in particular, does very well with a coating of panko.

"Cook Yourself Thin" started in the UK with four host. Harry, Gizzi, Sal and Sophie. It did so well that Lifetime picked it up. As far as I can tell - Harry is the only "original" host that "crossed the pond".

I think she has enough personality to carry the show. She has so many great ideas.

I feel that she can teach us how to re-learn many of our food and cooking habits - that she will make a "Huge" difference!!!

They are Ketchup Dippers that had Them That Way...

Oven-Baked Crispy Chicken Tenders

2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 pound chicken tenders (about 12)
1 1/2 cups cornflakes, crushed to medium crumbs
Nonstick cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. For the chicken: In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, spices and buttermilk. Add the chicken and turn in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

3. Place the cornflake crumbs on a plate. Drain the chicken tenders. Pick up a chicken tender with one hand, and turn it in the cornflake coating, using the other hand to gently press additional coating onto the sides. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Continue on in this way to coat all of the chicken pieces, arranging them on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 400 degrees until firm, about 15 minutes.

Quick and Easy Snack

2 Wasa Crisp'n Light Wafers - 20 calories each
2 Tbsp Philly 1/3 Less Fat Flavored Cream Cheese - 70 calories (I like Chive & Onion)
1 thinly sliced tomato
Fresh Basil

Spread 1 Tbsp on each wafer and top with sliced tomato, salt, fresh ground pepper, and fresh basil. A great treat with less than 120 calories.

It amazes me how many changes that we can make in our cooking that can replace the flavor that we have gotten with "Fat". There are so many options that are available to use that we have not thought of - until now!