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5 picnic foods that won’t pack pounds

I used to be into rock concerts packed with people, and the louder the better. Well, things have changed. I much prefer sprawling out on a checkered blanket on a lawn listening to live classical music. Not only is this more relaxing, but it allows me to do what I do best, pack an awesome picnic. Portability is key. But I also want to make sure what I’m packing in my picnic basket isn’t going pack on the pounds.

I’ve learned a few tricks since working in the EatingWell Test Kitchen that help keep my picnic fare light. I use low-fat mayonnaise and yogurt instead of full-fat mayo in my coleslaw (see the recipe below). I batter my “fried” chicken without skin and cook it in the oven instead of in a huge vat of oil. That way I can relax, eat healthfully and enjoy the music.

Here are a few classic picnic food recipes that I have learned to make healthier and are still delicious. Remember to use plenty of icepacks and a good insulated cooler to keep your picnic fare cool on warm days:

Potato Salad—Lebanese Potato Salad: Dressed with a tangy lemon vinaigrette and fresh mint, this invigorating—and dairy-free—potato salad makes the perfect summer potluck contribution.

Pasta Salad—Garden Pasta Salad: This lightly dressed pasta salad gets lots of flavor from Kalamata olives and basil. A colorful mix of diced bell pepper, shredded carrot and tomatoes adds vitamins and minerals. Serve on a crisp bed of greens. Toss in canned chunk light tuna, cooked chicken or flavored baked tofu (see Note) to add protein and make it more substantial.

Deviled Eggs—EatingWell Deviled Eggs: Deviled eggs are a perennial potluck favorite. Our recipe replaces some of the egg yolks with nonfat cottage cheese—keeping the filling velvety and rich while reducing some of the fat. No one will know the difference.

Coleslaw—Broccoli Slaw: We've lightened this popular potluck classic with a dressing of reduced-fat mayo and yogurt. To speed preparation, use shredded broccoli slaw from the produce aisle.

10 Basic Recipes Every Grad Should Know

Graduating with all A's except F's in cooking? Learn to cook with ten basic recipes

Congratulations, graduates! It's time to get out there and put your mark on the world. The only problem? When school ended, so did your meal plan, and as much as you thought you could live on take-out Chinese and frozen pizza, even that's getting tired. In other words, it's time you learned to cook. But where do you begin? Back in the day, students took home economics in high school and learned how to roast and bake. Today, despite all the attention bestowed on food, many people, young and old, can barely boil water.

Before you go into starvation mode or your food budget goes sky-high, we're here to help. The first step is to learn some very basic techniques (think roasting, sautéing, marinating) that allow you to follow myriad recipes and prepare an almost infinite number of meals. We've gathered a collection of ten very basic recipes—and each is geared to help you learn a different skill. We also have tips for kitchen beginners. For more guidance, watch our technique videos, which cover topics such as knife skills, peeling and deveining shrimp, and making vinaigrette, and check out our Essential Equipment Guide for Beginning Cooks. And, for graduation party recipes, drinks, and entertaining ideas, as well as gifts for high school and college grads, check out our complete graduation guide.

Kitchen Tips:

Freeze for Later

Save time and money by making double batches of recipes and freezing a portion. Even better, freeze individual servings. Leftovers can be heated up for a last-minute dinner or taken to work as a healthier, cheaper alternative to the take-out near your office. This works particularly well for soups, sauces, and casseroles.

Serve One or Serve More

Roast chicken is a great basic that can feed one person for several days (use leftovers to make sandwiches, salads, even chicken pot pie) or be the centerpiece of a dinner party menu. Plus, once you master roasting, it's a flexible dish. Experiment with different herbs and vegetables, and if you don't have the equipment this recipe calls for—a shallow roasting pan—feel free to use a glass casserole dish or a Dutch oven.

Add a Salad

Salads can round out almost any meal and are a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. To add variety, experiment with different seasonal greens and vegetables or a sprinkling of nuts or cheese. Turn your salad into a light meal by adding filling ingredients, such as grilled chicken or poached salmon.

Make It Your Own

Like salads, stir-fries are completely customizable. Don't like sugar snap peas? Use slices of red bell pepper instead. If you have lots of carrots in the fridge, toss those in too.

Serve Breakfast for Dinner

More than just a healthy breakfast, an omelet makes a quick, no-fuss dinner, especially when paired with a simple green salad. Plus, omelets are a great way to use up leftover veggies, cheese, and herbs.

Don't Forget Dessert

Brownies are easy to make and are always a crowd-pleaser. For an elegant dinner-party dessert, just add your favorite ice cream and, if you're feeling decadent, some hot fudge. If you don't own a 13- x 9- x 2-inch metal baking pan, you can buy a disposable aluminum version at most supermarkets.

Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken:
Great news—crunchy, flavorful fried chicken can be healthy. In our Oven-Fried Chicken recipe (see below) marinate skinless chicken in buttermilk to keep it juicy. A light coating of flour, sesame seeds and spices, misted with olive oil, forms an appealing crust during baking. And with only 7 grams of fat per serving rather than the 20 in typical fried chicken—that is good news.

Active time: 20 minutes | Total: 1 hour 35 minutes (including 30 minutes marinating time) | To make ahead: Marinate the chicken for up to 8 hours.

Ingredients
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk (see Tip)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 1/2-3 pounds whole chicken legs, skin removed, trimmed and cut into thighs and drumsticks
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil cooking spray

1. Whisk buttermilk, mustard, garlic and hot sauce in a shallow glass dish until well blended. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or for up to 8 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set a wire rack on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.
3. Whisk flour, sesame seeds, paprika, thyme, baking powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the flour mixture in a paper bag or large sealable plastic bag. Shaking off excess marinade, place one or two pieces of chicken at a time in the bag and shake to coat. Shake off excess flour and place the chicken on the prepared rack. (Discard any leftover flour mixture and marinade.) Spray the chicken pieces with cooking spray.
4. Bake the chicken until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 40 to 50 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 226 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 130 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrate; 34 g protein; 1 g fiber; 258 mg sodium; 400 mg potassium.
0 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1/3 starch, 4 very lean protein, 1 1/2 fat

Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

Enchilada Meat Loaf

This new twist on the classic meatloaf dish will have your family asking if it is meatloaf night or Mexican night. A corn muffin mix forms an outer shell for this main dish recipe that combines salsa and chili powder with ground beef. With a preparation time of only 20 minutes, you'll have time to help with homework while it bakes.

Top ideas for dinner tonight:

• 30-minute (or less) spring dinners
• Quick and easy chicken dishes
• Garden-fresh entrée salads

ingredients

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup bottled salsa
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 8.5 oz. pkg. corn muffin mix
• 2 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
• Bottled salsa (optional)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl combine egg, onion, 1/4 cup salsa, the chili powder, garlic, and salt; add ground beef and mix well. Shape into a ball and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Flatten meat mixture to a 6-inch circle; set aside.
2. Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions. Spread corn muffin batter over meat mixture in pie plate. Bake about 50 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meat loaf registers 160F. Remove from oven. Halve cheese slices and arrange on top of the corn muffin mixture. Cover loosely and let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, serve with additional salsa. Makes 6 servings.

Broiled Steak with Horseradish Cream

Broiled Steak with Horseradish Cream

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Active time: 10 min

Total time: 20 min

Ingredients

• 1 (1-inch-thick) sirloin steak (1 1/2 to 2 lb)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons drained bottled horseradish

Preparation

Preheat broiler. Oil rack of a broiler pan.

Pat steak dry and sprinkle all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Broil steak on rack of broiler pan 3 inches from heat 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 5 minutes.

Stir together sour cream, horseradish, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl and serve with steak.

Shrimp Lo Mein

This Asian-inspired main dish can be made in just over 30 minutes. Stir-fry cabbage, fresh pea pods, and carrots, then throw them in with cooked shrimp and bubbly soy sauce. Add cooked Chinese egg noodles and you've prepared a quick and tasty meal. If you want more kick, add hot peppers to your stir-fried vegetables.

ingredients

• 1 pound fresh or frozen peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 stalks celery, thinly bias-sliced (1 cup)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 cups fresh pea pods, strings removed, or one 6-ounce package frozen pea pods, thawed
• 1 medium carrot, shredded (1/2 cup)
• 4 ounces dried Chinese egg noodles or linguine, cooked and drained
• 2 green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
• Carrot flowers (optional)

directions

1. Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise. Set aside.
2. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together water, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. Pour cooking oil into a wok or 12-inch skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry celery and chopped onion in hot oil for 2 minutes. Add cabbage, fresh pea pods (if using), and carrot; stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from the wok.
4. Add half of the shrimp to the hot wok. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque. Remove shrimp from the wok. Repeat with remaining shrimp. Return all shrimp to the wok. Push shrimp from the center of the wok.
5. Stir sauce. Add sauce to the center of the wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return cooked vegetables to the wok. Add hot cooked noodles or linguine, green onions, and thawed frozen pea pods (if using). Toss all ingredients together to coat with sauce. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Serve immediately. Garnish with carrot flowers, if desired. Makes 4 servings.
6. Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare vegetables; cover and chill up to 4 hours before cooking.