Cooking Light fans? Who out there enjoys healthful cooking??

DaneanP

I love, love, love to cook. But I need recipes. I have subscribed to Cooking Light magazine since 1997 and cook out of the website database probably 90% of the time now. Any other fans out there? Don't you love how you can use their meal planners to make your grocery list?

Anyway, tell me about the things you enjoy cooking. Where do you get your inspiration?

SunflowerCat74

I do use a lot of their recipes, but really like their cookbooks. Especially their "cooking Light Comfort Food" cookbook. Yum!
I love to cook because I'm usually disappointed with restaurants and love to eat. I also want to familiarize my kids with foods that they don't usually see in our small town.

DaneanP

Yes, I know they put out books too. Some of their comfort food recipes are outstanding. But if you subscribe to the magazine, you get access to their entire database (along with other magazines - Sunset, Southern Living, Oxmoor House) and the ability to use their storage and grocery list options. Well worth the $22 or something a year, IMO. Love the crossover to MFP too - most recipes are already loaded on the site. Very handy.
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I don't mean to sound like an advertisement, I just find it a very useful tool.

WalkingAlong

DaneanP wrote: »

I love, love, love to cook. But I need recipes. I have subscribed to Cooking Light magazine since 1997 and cook out of the website database probably 90% of the time now. Any other fans out there? Don't you love how you can use their meal planners to make your grocery list?

Anyway, tell me about the things you enjoy cooking. Where do you get your inspiration?

I like online recipes with many reviews. Just finding a recipe with hundreds or thousands of positive reviews can make me excited to try it. I have some Cooking Light cookbooks, but I don't get the same excitement from a printed recipe.

misscaligreen

I enjoy it! I am redirecting my food obsession to be healthy and I love making food that is bright, colorful and healthy. I don't usually follow recipes I just get an idea from recipes I have seen and then make it my way. I hate measuring
swordfish with fresh mango salsa, fish tacos, imitation crab "ceviche", stuffed portabello mushroom cap and hot Italian chicken sausage links.

HeidiCooksSupper

Yup. I use recipes more for inspiration than dictation. One thing I do is browse around for baked replacements for fried things just by googling. Right now, for example, I'm making a big batch of frozen baked felafel for the freezer to grab and microwave for breakfast. I just googled "baked felafel" to find a few recipes to read and went from there.

misscaligreen

Ple

HeidiCooksSupper wrote: »

Yup. I use recipes more for inspiration than dictation. One thing I do is browse around for baked replacements for fried things just by googling. Right now, for example, I'm making a big batch of frozen baked felafel for the freezer to grab and microwave for breakfast. I just googled "baked felafel" to find a few recipes to read and went from there.

Let me know how it turns out! I LOVE falafel.

DaneanP

@misscaligreen those photos look tantilizing (except the brussel sprouts)! Good thing I just had lunch...

Need2Exerc1se

I love to cook, though I seldom use recipes anymore. My inspirations come from all over. Gardening and cooking websties. Older relatives and friends. Experimentation.

I used recipes more when I was young, but now I usually just get ideas and then make my own version.

lemurcat12

I also love to cook and almost never use recipes. One reason I've always enjoyed cooking more than baking is that you can just wing it. I get ideas from the 800 cookbooks I seem to have acquired over the years (I love reading them and get ideas for later), or I search on epicurious or various blogs (I like 101cookbooks, which I've recommended here before). The cookbooks I find most useful are those that focus on vegetables, since they give ideas on veggies I might not eat much or for new things to try. Years ago I learned to cook fish by cooking through Mark Bittman's Fish.

I rarely seek out low calorie recipes but typically cook in a way that reduces calories (less oil and the like).

lngrunert

I love their recipes! A lot of times I just use them for inspiration rather than following them to the letter, but I've gotten some amazing ideas from their website.

WalkingAlong

lemurcat12 wrote: »

...Years ago I learned to cook fish by cooking through Mark Bittman's Fish.

I rarely seek out low calorie recipes but typically cook in a way that reduces calories (less oil and the like).

Me too on that last thing.

And I love Mark Bittman.

DaneanP

Oh I have Mark Bittman's Vegan Before 6 Book. I tried my best for a good month but couldn't continue. Too many GI issues and for someone who does home nursing visits for a living, that wasn't a good option for me. But I like him a lot too.