7,151 light recipes

Cold avocado soup blended with half-and-half, chicken broth, and lemon juice until silky smooth. A no-cook, 15-minute chilled soup that's creamy, refreshing, and rich.

Fresh mushroom bisque with a full pound of mushrooms, half-and-half, egg yolk, and lemon juice. A rich, velvety cream soup ready in 25 minutes with no stock needed.

Classic pecan pralines, the New Orleans candy with toasted pecans suspended in a creamy brown sugar candy. Six ingredients, no nuts skipped, classic Cajun holiday treat.

Coconut lace cookies with corn syrup and brown sugar bake into thin, golden, web-like rounds with crisp caramelized edges. A fragile, old-school holiday cookie made from one bowl.

Cognac cookies, no-bake bourbon-ball cousins made with melted semisweet chocolate, crushed vanilla wafers, finely chopped pecans, and a generous splash of cognac. Roll in sugar and let them mellow.

Grilled beef tenderloin steaks crowned with a creamy herb and garlic cheese sauce loaded with mushrooms. Steakhouse-quality dinner for four ready in 45 minutes.

Cranberry-orange bread pudding made with French bread, half-and-half custard, Grand Marnier, and tart fresh cranberries. Holiday dessert with crisp top, custard center, ruby pops in every bite.

Elegant black tie tomatoes topped with a yogurt-mayo dressing and a half teaspoon of black caviar each. Six-ingredient appetizer that dresses up halved tomatoes for cocktail parties.

Chocolate lace cornucopias: delicate chocolate-nut cookies rolled warm into crisp cones and filled with whipped cream. A stunning, bakery-style dessert cookie.

Candied grapefruit peel: slow-simmered in sugar syrup until translucent, rolled in superfine sugar, and optionally dipped in dark chocolate for an old-fashioned confection.

Christmas gift-box cake decorated with homemade red ribbon and holly leaves made from melted vanilla chips and corn syrup, dusted with edible glitter. A centerpiece-worthy holiday showstopper.

Sweet potato chips layered with brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon, then gently stewed and finished with a splash of sherry. A warm, spiced side dish ready in 20 minutes.

Idiot's Delight: a layered no-fuss dessert with pecan shortbread crust, cream cheese filling, butter pecan pudding, whipped topping, and praline pecans. Potluck royalty.

Cheddar cauliflower soup thickened with a butter-flour roux and finished with half-and-half. Creamy, cheesy, and ready in 30 minutes with tender vegetables throughout.

Banana split sundaes for two with a microwave hot fudge sauce made from semisweet chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, and corn syrup. A 10-minute date-night dessert.

Crunchy cabbage slaw with shredded carrot, green pepper, and currants in a tangy vinegar-mayo dressing with celery seed. Light, crisp, and better after a good chill.