Flag Cake

from: Jess original

Ingredients
2 bags mini marshmallows
half a stick of butter
1 cup (approx?) peanut butter
rice cereal (rice krispies or similar) … 8 cups? I dunno
1 bag (larger) milk-chocolate chips

Directions
This is basically the recipe for rice krispie treats, but with a peanut butter chocolate cast to them. So you melt up the butter and then you add the marshmallows and melt them in like 1 min increments, stirring in between until they're all melty. Then you spoon in a bunch of peanut butter … until it looks more peanut butter colored. Then you toss in a bunch of rice krispies until it's the right consistency. I like fewer rice krispies in mine than the old recipes call for, but whatever you like. Then you smush the whole blob into a greased 9×13 pan and then you pour the chocolate chips over it in an even layer. Then you stick the whole thing in an oven (I did a couple of minutes broil this time, but next time I think I'll do 350 for a bit longer, maybe) and then the chocolate gets all melty and you can smooth it out with a spoon or knife or whatever so there's a layer on the top.

from: Cooking Light October 2003

Ingredients
4 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Place potato in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return potato to pan. Add milk and remaining ingredients; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Nutritional Info (3/4 cup(
CALORIES 215(30% from fat); FAT 7.1g (sat 4.5g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 4.5g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 51mg; SODIUM 280mg; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 0.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.5g Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

from: Cooking Light May 2006

Ingredients
3 cups (1-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1 pound)
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated linguine
4 bacon slices (uncooked)
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded Parmesan cheese
Shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions
Cook asparagus and pasta according to pasta package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; set aside.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp; cool slightly. Remove bacon from the pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon. Add onion, garlic, and oregano to drippings in the pan; sauté 4 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Stir in butter, salt, and pepper; remove from heat. Place asparagus mixture in a large bowl; add tomato mixture and juice, tossing well. Top with bacon and shredded cheese. Garnish with shaved Parmesan, if desired.

Nutritional Info (2 cups pasta mixture, 2 T cheese(
CALORIES 360(30% from fat); FAT 11.9g (sat 5.3g,mono 3.9g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 16.9g; CHOLESTEROL 23mg; CALCIUM 171mg; SODIUM 683mg; FIBER 5.6g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.1g

from: FillorBurst.com

Ingredients
2 Tilapia fillets
2 Portuguese rolls (or other not too hard, not too soft roll)
Blackened seasoning (Old Bay makes a nice one)
Chili powder
Cayenne pepper
Horseradish sauce
1/3 cup Light mayo
2 leaves Romaine lettuce torn

Directions
Mix mayo with cayenne pepper, chili powder and horseradish to taste. Chill. Sprinkle both sides of fillets with blackened seasoning and pan fry with a little bit of oil. Put mayo mixture on top and bottom of rolls. Place lettuce on top of roll and also bottom to keep roll from getting soggy. Place fillet between lettuce. Assemble and eat. Serve with baked or regular chips on the side.

from: Cooking Light November 2002

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup water
1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach, chopped
2 cups chopped plum tomato
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 1/2 pound)
1/4 cup chopped cooked bacon (about 2 slices)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 cups hot cooked angel hair (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Asiago cheese

Directions
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add water and spinach; cover and cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts.
Stir in tomato, chicken, bacon, and vinegar; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve over pasta; sprinkle with cheese.

Nutritional Info (1 C spinach mixture, 1 C pasta, 1 T cheese(
CALORIES 350(21% from fat); FAT 8.1g (sat 2.4g,mono 2.6g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 26.4g; CHOLESTEROL 42mg; CALCIUM 153mg; SODIUM 433mg; FIBER 4.7g; IRON 4.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 44.7g

from: Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

For the icing:
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

To assemble:
2 half-pints blueberries
3 half-pints raspberries

Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 18 x 12 x 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.

Spread three fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.