Here are several easy and light meals, some which you don't even need to cook.
The first one is a No Cook Tomato Sauce
You do need to boil the pasta, but the tomato sauce isn't cooked. The heat of the freshly cooked pasta warms it a bit, and with the olive oil makes a bright tasting sauce. In the end, No-Cook Tomato Pasta is as easy as chopping tomatoes and boiling water.
1 lb. fresh, supremely ripe
tomatoes
1 small clove garlic (optional)
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs fresh basil
Salt
1 lb. angel hair pasta
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
While the water comes to a boil, chop the tomatoes. Halve the tomatoes and squeeze the excess juice from them into a large bowl. Chop the tomatoes and add to their juices.
Mince garlic, if you like, and add it to the tomatoes. Add olive oil to tomatoes and toss to combine everything.
Remove leaves from the basil stems and cut the leaves into ribbons, which is only rolling them up and cutting them. Add three-quarters of the basil to tomatoes.
Add enough salt to the boiling water to make it taste as salty as the sea. Seriously, you want the water seasoned so the pasta gets a bit of seasoning as it cooks and brings it to the whole dish.
Boil pasta until tender to the bite, drain, and quickly add it to the tomatoes. Toss well to combine everything thoroughly. Divide the pasta into 4 to 6 servings bowls and garnish with the remaining basil.
Or you can get out the grill. The heat will not be in the home, and you can enjoy the breeze (maybe) outside.
Bring out the best flavors of fresh vegetables by basting them with herb-infused chicken broth during grilling. Sometimes simple is best!
You may use any variety of chicken broth including light version.
Herb Grilled Vegetables
Grill: 10 min.
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 large red onion, thickly sliced
(about 1 cup)
1 large red or green pepper, cut
into wide strips (about 2 cups)
1 medium zucchini or yellow
squash, thickly sliced (about 1
1/2 cups)
2 cups large mushrooms
Stir the broth, thyme and black pepper in a small bowl. Brush the vegetables with broth mixture.
Lightly oil the grill rack and heat grill to medium. Grill vegetables for 10 minutes or until they're tender-crisp, turning over once during grilling and brushing often with the broth mixture.
When tender, remove and serve. You can also leave out the chicken broth for vegetarians. Just brush with olive oil and grill.
***********
You have your main and side dishes, now for the best part of the meal, or so I think, dessert.
Very Berry Dreamboat Parfaits
2 tablespoons (1/2 of a 4-serving
box) sugar-free fat-free vanilla
instant pudding
2 tablespoons granulated
no-calorie sweetener
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 cup fat-free whipped topping,
thawed if frozen
1/2 cup fat-free cream cheese,
room temperature
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
Fat-free whipped topping
(from an aerosol canister), optional
1 sheet (4 crackers) low-fat
graham crackers, lightly crushed
It's important that the cream cheese is at room temperature. If needed, soften it in the microwave for just a few seconds.
Combine pudding mix, sweetener, vanilla extract, and milk in bowl. Stir vigorously until it's smooth and slightly thickened. Mix in whipped topping and cream cheese. Stir thoroughly, until it's completely mixed and smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Evenly spread raspberries between 2 parfait glasses (or any mid-sized glasses). Place half the chilled pudding mixture between glasses, about 1/4 cup per glass.
Repeat layering with strawberries and remaining half of the pudding mixture.
If you like, top each parfait with a squirt of whipped topping. Evenly spread crushed graham crackers between glasses. Enjoy!