Cooks' Books by Lisa Messinger

"Cooking Light Complete Cookbook" edited by Mary Kay Culpepper, Heather Averett and Anne C. Cain, MPH, RD (Oxmoor House, $24.95).

The wish most readers dream to be granted when it comes to "light" or "diet" cookbooks is that there's no trace of all that. The appetizers should make you think you're enjoying happy hour at a fun restaurant; the entrees should be crisp, chunky, succulent —- all those words that dieters have virtually erased from their vocabularies; and the desserts should be rich, creamy and about as far from a lonely bowl of fresh fruit as one can get.

All that being said, did a genie write the "Cooking Light Complete Cookbook"? Just a glance at some of the more than 600 mouthwatering color photographs is enough to make you ecstatic that you are watching what you eat. Although multitudes of "light" cookbooks come out each year —- especially around this time of year that we begin contemplating buying new bathing suits —- this one that has been updated through the years is my favorite of all. The sheer number of recipes will take you many seasons to prepare.

A Smothered Burger is topped with caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms and melted Swiss cheese on Texas toast. For an appetizer, will you choose beer-battered onion rings (complete with photos of each step) or a baked onion stuffed with breadcrumbs and feta cheese all crispy and bubbling as it emerges from the oven? The decadent dessert choices are endless, like a banana split ice cream sandwich oozing with chocolate syrup.

Cooking Light is the top health-conscious culinary magazine in the country with more than 10 million readers. All that makes the magazine sparkle, plus much more. Each section starts with a full list of all recipes and their page numbers. Even the book's index is unusually helpful, featuring color-coded words next to each recipe, like "quick and easy," "freezable" and "make ahead."

The extras and more than 500 tips are excellent, but even slimmed down without those, the book is a plump 1,200-plus recipe standout. From everyday to gourmet, sitting alone in front of the TV to entertaining a crowd, the book shines on every level and shows how relying on fresh ingredients, herbs and low-fat and low-calorie cooking techniques doesn't have to mean deprivation.

SMOTHERED BURGERS

Nonstick cooking spray, for coating skillet

2 cups vertically sliced onion

2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt (divided use)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (divided use)

1 (8-ounce) package pre-sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 pound ground round

4 (1-ounce) slices French or Italian bread

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Yields 4 servings.

Prepare grill.

Coat medium nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray.

Heat skillet over medium heat.

Add onion; cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, uncovered, 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Remove onion from pan and keep warm.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, Worcestershire sauce and beef. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Preheat broiler.

Carefully place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side, or until done. (The USDA suggests cooking ground beef to a minimum internal temperature of 160 F.)

Carefully place bread on grill rack; grill 1 minute on each side or until toasted. Arrange bread on baking sheet. Carefully top each bread slice with 1 patty, 1/4 cup onion, 1/4 cup mushrooms and 2 tablespoons cheese; broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve open-faced.

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO PUDDING

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups fat-free soy milk

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Yields 4 servings.

In medium-size, heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, coffee and salt; and stir well with a whisk. Gradually stir in soy milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute, or until thick.

Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until melted. Stir in vanilla. Pour about 1/2 cup pudding into each of 4 dessert dishes; cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap. Chill at least 4 hours. Remove plastic wrap and serve.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "After-Work Gourmet" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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