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Try whipping up some light treats you can take to your friends

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updated 10:58 p.m. ET Oct. 18, 2005

July 3 - Whether you’re celebrating the nation’s birthday by visiting friends or family or you’d like to create a special recipe for your neighbor’s backyard barbecue, you may want to consider some of the dishes in the latest issue of Cooking Light magazine. Ellen Carroll is a registered dietitian and senior editor of the magazine, and on NBC’s “Today” show, she shares some great ideas for your summer menu. Sample some of the recipes below.

PEACH COBBLER
Ellen Carroll

Yield: 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into 6 pieces
6 tablespoons ice water
Cooking spray
6 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 3 3/4 pounds)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 large egg
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Recipe continues below ↓
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DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse 2 to 3 times. Add butter pieces; pulse 10 times or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, slowly add ice water through food chute, processing just until combined (do not form a ball).

3.Gently press dough into a 4-inch circle. Slightly overlap 2 lengths of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface. Place dough on plastic wrap; cover with 2 additional lengths of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into a 15 x 13-inch rectangle. Place in freezer 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed; remove top sheets. Fit dough, uncovered side down, into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray, allowing dough to extend over edges; remove remaining plastic wrap.

4.Combine peaches, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 1/2 tablespoons flour, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl; toss gently. Spoon into prepared dish; fold edges of dough over peach mixture. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar over mixture; sprinkle with almonds.

5.Combine egg and water in a small bowl. Brush egg mixture over dough; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crust is lightly browned. Let stand 30 minutes before serving.

Nutritional information:

CALORIES 302 (27% from fat); FAT 9.2g (sat 1.6g, mono 4.3g, poly 2.7g); PROTEIN 4.5g; CARB 51.5g; FIBER 2.8g; CHOL 11mg; IRON 1.9mg; SODIUM 149mg; CALC 39mg

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LOBSTER ROLL
Ellen Carroll

Yield: 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups cooked lobster meat, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped celery
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash hot sauce
4 hot dog buns

DIRECTIONS

This is the classic New England lobster roll: a basic hot dog bun filled with lobster salad. There are no fancy seasonings here; the lobster is showcased in a simple mayonnaise dressing. This salad is also great over greens for a main dish.

1. Combine first 7 ingredients.

Spoon 3/4 cup salad into each bun.

Nutritional information:

CALORIES 352 (13% from fat); FAT 5.2g (sat 0.7g, mono 0.6g, poly 2.2g); PROTEIN 42.1g; CARB 31.2g; FIBER 1.2g; CHOL 136mg; IRON 2.1mg; SODIUM 1,516mg; CALC 175mg

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ORZO SALAD WITH CORN, TOMATOES, AND BASIL
Ellen Carroll

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups).

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed

Salad:

1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
2 cups fresh yellow corn kernels (about 4 ears)
2 cups chopped tomato
1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

The tiny pasta soaks up the vinaigrette as it stands. Ditalini or small shells also work.

1. To prepare dressing, combine first 6 ingredients in a jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously.

2. To prepare salad, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, and place in a large bowl. Spoon half of dressing over pasta; toss to coat. Cool to room temperature. Add the remaining dressing, corn, tomato, onion, and basil to pasta; toss to coat. Let stand 30 minutes.

Nutritional information:

CALORIES 312 (16% from fat); FAT 5.4g (sat 0.8g, mono 3g, poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 10.1g; CARB 59g; FIBER 5.1g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 2.9mg; SODIUM 318mg; CALC 27mg

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WHITE BEAN, TOMATO, AND SPINACH SALAD
Ellen Carroll

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cups).

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Salad:

4 cups chopped spinach
2 cups chopped tomato (about 1 pound)
2 cups chopped yellow tomato (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1Ú4 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously.

2. To prepare the salad, combine spinach and the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour dressing over salad, tossing to coat.

Nutritional information:

CALORIES 207 (28% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 0.8g, mono 3.8g, poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 9.1g; CARB 29.9g; FIBER 11.5g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 4.3mg; SODIUM 489mg; CALC 89mg

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APPLE, CUCUMBER, AND TOMATO SALAD
Kathleen Daelemans

4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
Coarse-grained salt
2 large tomatoes, cored, peeled, and cut into wedges
3 scallions, thinly sliced (white part only)
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
1/2 jalapeòo, seeded and minced (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons roughly chopped mint leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1 lime (or more to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Place cucumber slices in a colander. Season generously with salt and toss until well coated. Place a 1-gallon plastic bag, filled with water and sealed, over cucumbers to weight them down and let stand in sink 1 hour. You can skip this step altogether but the salad won’t have as intense a cucumber flavor.

Place cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, apples, jalapeòo, and mint in a medium nonreactive bowl. Pour olive oil over salad and toss to coat evenly. Add lime juice and season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.

TIPS

Prep the cucumbers ahead, squeeze the lime juice if you get a spare minute or two, slice the scallions, and prep the tomatoes.

If you’ve never skinned a tomato, here’s how: Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Set the pot of hot water in a sink. Plunge tomatoes into the hot water for a minute and remove. Water that spills over will go down the drain instead of all over the stove. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, core and peel. However, if you don’t mind the skins, skip the whole process.

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GAZPACHO
Ellen Carroll

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup).

INGREDIENTS

3 large ripe tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup water

DIRECTIONS

To garnish this cold soup, top each serving with an ice cube.

1. Combine first 9 ingredients in a food processor; pulse 4 to 5 times or to desired consistency.

Pour into a bowl; stir in water.

Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Nutritional information:

CALORIES 58 (31% from fat); FAT 2g (sat 0.3g, mono 1.2g, poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 1.7g; CARB 9.9g; FIBER 2.4g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 1mg; SODIUM 207mg; CALC 19mg

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APRICOT AND CHERRY SALAD WITH LIME-POPPY SEED VINAIGRETTE
Ellen Carroll

Yield: 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Salad:

6 cups trimmed watercress
4 cups sliced apricots (about 12 medium)
3 cups halved pitted cherries

DIRECTIONS

Sweet gold and red fruits contrast with peppery green watercress in this refreshing side salad.

1.To prepare vinaigrette, place first 5 ingredients in a blender, and process until blended. Add oil and poppy seeds, and process until blended.

2.To prepare salad, place 1 cup watercress on each of 6 plates. Top each serving with 2/3 cup apricot slices and 1/2 cup cherries. Drizzle 2 tablespoons vinaigrette over each salad.

Nutritional Information:

CALORIES 184 (30% from fat); FAT 6.2g (sat 1.1g, mono 1.7g, poly 2.9g); PROTEIN 3g; CARB 32.4g; FIBER 4.2g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.9mg; SODIUM 406mg; CALC 85mg

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Ellen Carroll is a registered dietitian and senior editor of Cooking Light magazine. For more information and recipes from Cooking Light, you can visit their Web site at: http://www.cookinglight.com/.

© 2009 msnbc.com Reprints

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