You should try cookinglight.com  I know you said you don't want diet food, but they have many takes on comfort food that are made with lighter ingredients. I've cooking from their magazine for a year now and I can tell you that it does not taste like diet food.  Another good book for this would be The South Beach Diet cooking book. Again, don't get hung up on the word diet, the stuff really does taste good. This is my favorite recipe from the cook book and I think it fits your criteria. If you don't have time during the week, this would make a great weekend meal with some garlic bread and a salad. 1 cup reduced fat ricotta 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 cup crushed tomatoes 4 slices reduced fat mozzarella cheese Combine the ricotta with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Rub the chicken with the garlic powder. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 12 minutes per side. Place the chicken breasts, side by side, in a large baking dish and allow to cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spoon 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and 1/4 cup tomatoes onto each chicken breast. Top each breast with 1 slice mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the breast registers 170 degrees and the juices run clear. Makes 4 servings. For lunch I would suggest deli turkey breast, shredded cheese and bacon bits warmed on a honey wheat tortilla.  It's really good and only takes about five minutes to whip up.

WHAT A NICE RESPONSE-YOU TOOK TIME TO GIVE

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I need some really easy recipes to follow, but first a little explanation... For the past 10 years I have lived in Las Vegas. I got in the habit of eating fast food (quick, easy, cheap) for just about every meal. When I didn't have fast food, I ate frozen dinners or cereal. Well, after 10 years of this I am just about to hit 300 pounds. So I decided to make a change. I am walking to the bus stop every day for work (doesn't sound like much but for me its very hard to walk 3 blocks) and for 2007 I will not eat fast food. I am not dieting, I am just doing those 2 things. I need recipes that use regular, inexpensive ingredients that you would find every day at the grocery store. I made up one the other night... stick four pieces of chicken in a baking pan and dump a can of cream of mushroom soup and bake at 350 for 1.5 hours. Delicious! If you have any recipes like this, I would very much appreciate it. But please, no diet stuff... I can only do so much... at least for THIS year!   Thanks, DL OK here's one, seems quick and easy to me but maybe I make it so often I'm just used to it. HOBO STEW   (6 Quart Slow Cooker) Ingredients: 1 lb any meat except fish (whatever's leftover or on sale)* 1 Tbsp cooking oil 6 cups water or 3 cans beer* 2 cups dried beans ( I prefer mix of limas and red kidneys) 6 Tbsp beef soup _base_ (boullion)* 2 Tbsp worchestershire sauce 2 tsp garlic powder 3 small/med potatos 2 cups sweet peas* 1 large onion* 2 large carrots* 4 stalks celery* a mix of any available vegatables to fill pot Preparation: Soak the beans over night. Cut the meat, potatos , onion, celery and carrots into small (about3/8 in) pieces. Mix the meat worchestershire sauce and garlic powder together. In a fryingpan brown the meat in the cooking oil, drain any excess grease. When the meat is browned add the onion and celery to the pan and cook until the vegetables are translucent. Throw everything into a stewpot or slow cooker, fill to within an inch of the top with any mix of vegatables of your choice and cook untill the beans are tender. By the bye my favorite vegatables to add to fill the pot are; green beans, wax beans, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, sweet peas, snow peas, mushrooms, bell peppers, whole kernel corn and pretty much anything that's in season and cheap. * These are necessary PS if you partially pre cook the dried beans or use canned it goes a lot faster.

I need some really easy recipes to follow, but first a little explanation... For the past 10 years I have lived in Las Vegas. I got in the habit of eating fast food (quick, easy, cheap) for just about every meal. When I didn't have fast food, I ate frozen dinners or cereal. Well, after 10 years of this I am just about to hit 300 pounds. So I decided to make a change. I am walking to the bus stop every day for work (doesn't sound like much but for me its very hard to walk 3 blocks) and for 2007 I will not eat fast food. I am not dieting, I am just doing those 2 things. I need recipes that use regular, inexpensive ingredients that you would find every day at the grocery store. I made up one the other night... stick four pieces of chicken in a baking pan and dump a can of cream of mushroom soup and bake at 350 for 1.5 hours. Delicious! If you have any recipes like this, I would very much appreciate it. But please, no diet stuff... I can only do so much... at least for THIS year!   Thanks, DL May I first say congratulations on a life_style_ change!  Processed food is NOT the way to go; it's filled with fillers (ahem), sodium, hidden fat, fake crap, preservatives......I'll stop there.  You may even think they're cheaper, but they're really not.  If you home cook an actual meal, you can save money on leftovers. Do you like ham?  An easy meal.  Buy a ham.  Cook according to package directions.  Boil some potatoes.  Mash them.  Add butter, salt and milk. Toss in a frozen veggie and you can have leftovers for a week.  For example: Toasted Ham & Swiss sandwiches.  Ham and eggs.  If you get courageous, slice up potatoes, dice up some ham, add LOTS of cheese, a little milk and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Spaghetti somebody already mentioned, but it's so simple.  It's obvious. Hint: add a touch of red wine to the sauce; it really imparts a richness. Shepherd's pie also comes to mind.  Ground beef, veggies topped with mashed potatoes.  Oh, now that we've come to ground beef, how about tacos or burritos?  That's super easy and it's always good. I wish you luck and I hope you continue to post your progress here.  :~) kili

Since I'm a very lazy cook I love the steam-in-the-bag vegetables they have now - just toss them in the microwave for a few minutes and voila they're done. Where are these in the store? In the frozen vegetable section? Sounds like something I'd like to try.

I need some really easy recipes to follow, but first a little explanation... For the past 10 years I have lived in Las Vegas. I got in the habit of eating fast food (quick, easy, cheap) for just about every meal. When I didn't have fast food, I ate frozen dinners or cereal. Well, after 10 years of this I am just about to hit 300 pounds. So I decided to make a change. I am walking to the bus stop every day for work (doesn't sound like much but for me its very hard to walk 3 blocks) and for 2007 I will not eat fast food. I am not dieting, I am just doing those 2 things. I need recipes that use regular, inexpensive ingredients that you would find every day at the grocery store. I made up one the other night... stick four pieces of chicken in a baking pan and dump a can of cream of mushroom soup and bake at 350 for 1.5 hours. Delicious! If you have any recipes like this, I would very much appreciate it. But please, no diet stuff... I can only do so much... at least for THIS year!   Thanks, DL Do you have a good non-stick skillet?  Buy a bag of individually quick frozen (IQF) boneless skinless chicken thighs.  Thaw however many you think you'll need, and cook them in a nonstick pan with just a tiny bit of oil or bacon grease to get them started