Lighten up, y’all is Virginia Willis’ latest book and a tasty one it is. You can have a dose of Southern food comfort more frequently with these healthy, wholesome recipes. I covered the book briefly in my Spring Round Up post but would love to share a little more about this fantastic book with you.
I am a Virginia Willis fan. I love her previous books Bon Appetit, Y’all and Basic to Brilliant, Y’all and it was just as I typed this sentence I realized the “y’all” in each title….I’m all about the recipes and not titles, obviously.
Virginia covers it all from appetizers to desserts with recipes for hot mess spinach and feta dip, grilled shrimp and pepper poppers*, cornmeal-crusted chicken bites with jalapeno dipping sauce, a baked onion blossom, sweet potato gratin, bacon and chile-wrapped scallops with lemon gremolata, smoky seafood etoufee, lightened up pimento cheese, smothered and covered chicken and gravy, buttermilk biscuits with turkey sausage gravy, multigrain pecan waffles that made me want to fire up the waffle maker, a pie crust made with yogurt, big rich Texas sheet cake, chocolate brookies and so many more.
I have a few friends that have made recipes and were very pleased with the results. I have a chicken in the fridge to roast – so I may try the chicken with Virginia’s honey mustard Carolina quail recipe for Sunday dinner, with chicken of course instead of quail.
The multigrain pecan waffles were delicious! Easy to make and do not taste lightened up at all. This is Andrew’s portion with butter and syrup — yum.
GIVEAWAY:
I have an extra copy of this great book to give away to one reader. Please leave a comment here telling me what dish you would like lightened up. I, myself, wish that maple syrup had no calories and well tequila, I wish tequila had no calories. Giveaway for US Addresses only. A random winner will be chosen on April 30th. Good luck! RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR PICKED #12 MARCIA!
*Every time I read about pepper poppers I think of Valerie Bertinelli and her addiction to pepper poppers. I can so relate. I can see the obituary now: Jenny Hartin, Death by Pepper Poppers, Maple Syrup and Tequila.
I would like Pecan Pie lightened up…. yum!
I would love it if someone could find a way to lighten up Gooey Butter Cake!
Macc and cheese!
Those pecan waffles sound amazing!!
I would like to lighten up Mac and Cheese.
I wish someone could figure out how to lighten up Gooey Butter Cake?
Lasagna. Every time I make one with low fat cheeses, etc..it tastes low fat.
Lightened up pimento cheese?
Lightened up pimento cheese is covered in the book!
Ok, sorry, how about banana pudding? Southern dish for sure! I’m a Tennessee gal!
Biscuits. I wish 4 or 5 had the calories of one. And then there’s the butter and jam.
Lightened up mac and cheese (that doesn’t taste lightened up) would be fabulous!!
Cheesecake
I’m glad you reviewed this book. I have it on my wishlist and I have been waiting to hear more about it from fellow Junkies. I would love to figure out how to lighten up Hummingbird Cake. One of my very favorites, but oh so rich.
Cheesecake. But it has to taste like cheesecake and not chalky light weird fluffy sponge.
That is so true on the cheesecake. I tried making it with neufchatel cheese and it was horrible!
I would like King Ranch Chicken casserole lightened up.
Any desserts, but my favorite would be a cheesecake!
I love all desserts! It would probably be a cheesecake.
Apple pie with vanilla ice cream. But it has to taste and have the same texture.
Linguine!
I would love a mac and cheese recipe lightened up…. or vodka? I feel you with the tequila Jenny! I love it too!
I wish someone could figure out how to lighten up Mississippi Mud Pie, but until that time, I will eat whatever I want!
Everything that is “bad” for me!
I’d like to see Beef Stroganoff lightened up.
I want to lighten up a sausage biscuit sandwich!!!
Pizza. I would love to see pizza lightened, without becoming brown cardboard.
If only ice cream had no calories….
I wish new england clam chowder could be lightened up!
I’m in love with all kinds of lettuce salads and would love lighter dressing ideas.
I refuse to believe that tequila has any calories at all. In fact, when I ingest tequila, I find I dance around a lot so I say it burns calories!
And could you please lighten up the calories in potato chips without taking away the flavor and making them taste like baked cardboard?
I love southern cooking and would love to learn how to make my favorites the “light” way.
I would like to lighten up Mac & Cheese! it is a favorite of my family and it would be nice to have a not so heavy version.
Lighten up linguine carbonara. I’m gaining weight just thinking about it.
I would love to see pancakes with syrup lightened up!
Can we lighten up Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy? And have it still taste good???
I’m most interested in trying her lightened up onion blossom. Can’t imagine not frying one of those.
Hmm…. So many things I wish had no calories…..wine, cake, ice cream, chocolate……sigh!
I need to lighten up quiche.
Fried Chicken….I want a new and lightened Fried Chicken..ready set go.
My absolute favorite cook is the ginger cookie from Gourmet 50th anniversary issue. I would love this one lightened up. I don’t even keep Crisco around as a staple anymore.
mac and cheese and lemon pound cake
I would like to lighten up Baked French Toast.
What a great book!!! Would love it in my kitchen!
Croissant…..but that would be counter productive right?!
I would love to lighten up delicious sourdough bread. 🙂