Friday, December 11, 2009

Potato Pancakes (Latkes)

Ingredients
1 1/4 pound(s) potato(es), peeled and shredded
2 medium egg white(s)
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 medium scallion(s), minced
3/4 tsp table salt
4 tsp vegetable oil

Instructions

* Soak the potatoes in cold water 30 minutes; drain and blot dry. Preheat the oven to 375° F.

* In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, egg whites, flour, scallions and salt. Form into 12 pancakes.

* In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat one third of the oil. Cook the pancakes, 4 at a time, until just golden, about 2 minutes on each side; transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining oil and pancakes. Bake until crisp and cooked through, 5-7 minutes.

Six servings (2 pancakes each); 1 WW point per pancake.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Black Bean Salad

From Cooking Light, March 2009

Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can rinsed and drained black beans
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes,
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Combine in a medium bowl; toss well to coat

Tex-Mex Calzones

From Cooking Light, March 2009
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 calzone and 1 tablespoon sour cream)

Ingredients
8 ounces ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup salsa
1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated thin-crust pizza dough
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Mexican blend cheese or fat-free cheddar
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add onion and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring mixture occasionally. Remove turkey mixture from heat; stir in salsa.
3. Unroll dough; divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 6 x 4–inch rectangle. Working with one rectangle at a time, spoon about 1/2 cup turkey mixture on one side of dough. Top with 3 tablespoons cheese; fold dough over turkey mixture, and press edges together with a fork to seal. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and turkey mixture. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until browned. Serve with sour cream.

(Suggestion: serve with Black Bean Salad)

Nutritional Information (need to confirm; seems rather high)
Calories: 416
Fat: 14.1g (sat 6.1g,mono 4.9g,poly 1.6g)
Protein: 25.7g
Fiber: 2.5g
Cholesterol: 44mg
Sodium: 771mg
Calcium: 195mg

Monday, November 9, 2009

Tuna Noodle Casserole

From the Web

Ingredients:
3 cups noodles, cooked and drained
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
¾ c milk
¼ c chopped celery
1 can (~6 oz) tuna, drained
¾ c shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375
Mix all ingredients and place in casserole dish
Bake for 30-35 minutes

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition info: If made with non-fat milk and cheese, low-fat soup, and fiber-rich (e.g., Smart Taste) noodles, about 225 calories (5 WW points)

Confetti Rice

2 tbsp. uncooked rice
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup frozen peas and carrots

Directions:
Place rice, vegetables and broth in a small pot with tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover tightly and reduce heat to medium low heat; cook for about 18-20 minutes, or until water has been absorbed and rice is soft, but not sticky.

Good with Chili Salmon with Salsa Cruda

Chili Salmon with Salsa Cruda

From eDiets (note: this recipe = 1 serving)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 oz. salmon filet
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 Italian plum tomato
1/4 cup chopped or sliced cucumber
1/4 small red onion
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro
1/4 bell pepper
2/3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Rinse and pat dry the salmon. In a small bowl whisk together half of the lemon juice with the cumin and chili powder until well blended. Coat both sides of the salmon with the lemon juice mixture. Place salmon on baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes until cooked through and it is opaque. Rinse and chop the tomato, cucumber, red onion, pepper and cilantro. Combine all vegetables in a bowl with the remaining lemon juice. Cover and let stand 5-10 minutes for flavors to blend. Serve salmon topped with salsa, alongside Confetti Rice

Citrus Broiled Salmon

From eDiets (note: this recipe = 1 serving)

Ingredients:
4 ounces of salmon
1 Tbsp. of unsweetened orange juice
1 tsp. of fresh lime juice
1 clove of garlic
1/4 tsp. of cumin
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Directions:
Preheat broiler. Rinse and pat dry the salmon. Mince the garlic. In a small bowl whisk together the orange and lime juices with the minced garlic, cumin and ginger until well blended. Pour the citrus juices over the salmon and marinade in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes. Coat the broiler pan with cooking spray and cook the salmon for about 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked and no longer opaque. Serve hot w/2 oz rice

Pineapple Salsa Fish (aka Fantasy Fish)

From eDiets (note: this recipe = 1 serving)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 ounces of fish, fillet
1 tsp. of olive oil
1/4 tsp. of chili powder
1/4 tsp. of cumin
1/4 tsp. of paprika
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
2 Tbsp. of low sodium salsa
1/4 cup of pineapple chunks
1/2 Tbsp. of fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp. of oregano

Directions:
Rinse and pat dry fish. In a small bowl, combine spices: (you can use less spice if you like): rub over both sides of fish. In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat and sauté fish about 3-5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan and keep warm. In same skillet, add pineapple with juice and salsa. Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook 1-2 minutes, add cilantro and oregano, and continue to cook for 1-2 more minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Serve fish over 2 oz rice and top with sauce.

(Fantasy Fish was the original name given to this recipe, but it made Adam and me laugh too hard, so we renamed it.)

Caribbean Fish in a Packet

Adapted from Moosewood Cooks at Home

Ingredients:
2 5- or 6-oz firm fish fillets or steaks; tilapia works well
1 small tomato and/or bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 T olive oil
3 scallions, chopped
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
lime juice to taste
1/2 fresh chili, minced, or a few dashes of Tabasco/hot sauce
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450OF.
2. Tear off two sheets of aluminum foil, 12" x 24"; fold each in half to make a square of double thickness. Brush a little oil in the center of each.
3. Rinse the fish and prepare all the ingredients.
4. Place half the fish on each square. Top with the tomato/bell pepper, remainder of oil, scallions, cilantro, lime juice, chilis or hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Fold the foil into airtight packets and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Carefully avoiding the steam that will be released, open a packet to check that the fish is cooked (works well if you use a kitchen scissors to cut end of aluminum foil).
6. Transfer fish, vegetables, and juices onto serving plates. Works well when served with rice or baked sweet potato.

Note: This is a good recipe to make after serving Chili Salmon with Salsa Cruda. If you have leftover "salsa," use it in place of or in addition to the ingredients listed above; they're quite similar.

Polynesian Chicken

Adapted from eDiets

Ingredients:
2 lb chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into 1" chunks
1 tsp. of chili oil
1-2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 c teriyaki sauce
1 can pineapple chunks in natural juice (unsweetened)
1 large red pepper, cut into 1/2"-1" chunks
1-2 zucchini, sliced in quarters and cut into 1/2" chunks
2-3 green onions, chopped (1/4"-1/2")
1/4 c peanut butter

Directions:

Spray nonstick pan, heat on medium. Add chicken and soy sauce. Cook 8 minutes. Remove chicken to large bowl (leave liquid in pan).

Add teriyaki sauce to pan, and juice from pineapple can (place pineapple chunks in large bowl with chicken). Heat until boiling.

Add peppers and zucchini. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until vegetables are beginning to soften. Remove vegetables to large bowl (with chicken and pineapple), leaving liquid in pan.

Add green onions. Cook 2 minutes or until soft but not denatured. Strain onions and remove to large bowl, again leaving liquid in pan.

Add peanut butter to liquid and mix until smooth. Return chicken and vegetables to pan and stir to coat. Cover pan and heat a few minutes. Serve over rice.

Portola Valley Chicken

Adapted from the Orange County Register

Ingredients:
1 T corn oil margarine
3 T flour
¾ c chicken broth
½ c skim milk
¼ t salt
dash of garlic powder
dash of pepper
½ t curry powder
½ c cold water
½ c nonfat mayonnaise
½ c brown rice
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, undrained
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 lb)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 11x7 baking dish with Pam
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the margarine. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute; do not brown. Add broth and milk and stir, using a wire whisk, until mixture boils. Add spices and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat, stir in water and mayonnaise, and set aside.
Sprinkle rice over bottom of baking dish. Layer the spinach evenly over the top. Cover the spinach with half the sauce mixture, then the chicken, then the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. Serve hot.

Nutrition Information:
Makes 4 servings: 366 cal, 9 g fat (8 WW points)

Curried Chicken with Apples and Currants

From Rebecca Hertzman

Ingredients
4 boned chicken breasts (boneless? Bone-in?)
flour
2 Tbsp oil
10 oz chicken stock
pepper to taste
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp dry sherry
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 ½ tsp curry powder
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
4 med apples, peeled and sliced
1 c currants or raisins
1 c walnut pieces

Directions:
1. Dredge chicken in flour and fry in oil until brown; remove. Add garlic to pan, sauté, and then discard remainder of oil
2. Mix remaining ingredients (to apples), pour in pan with garlic
3. Return chicken to pan; add apples and walnuts.
4. Cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve with rice.

Chicken Apple Curry

Adapted from eDiets

Ingredients:
1 c diced onion
2 lb ounces of chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into 1" chunks
4 medium apples (6-8 oz each), peeled and cut into 1/2"-1" chunks
2 c fresh mushrooms, quartered or sliced in chunks

1 Tbsp. of lemon juice, fresh
4 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 c nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/2 c low sodium chicken broth

Directions:
1. Spray nonstick pan with cooking spray; cook onion 10 min on med heat until translucent; remove to a large bowl.
2. Re-spray pan if needed, add chicken, and cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat or until no longer pink on outside. Sprinke with salt. Using slotted spoon, remove chicken to a large bowl (leave liquid in pan).
3. While chicken is cooking, clean and prepare mushrooms and apples, and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Add to pan and cook 5 minutes, then add curry powder and cook another 5-10 minutes, until apples are medium-soft.
4. Add chicken and onions to mushrooms and apples in pan, and add yogurt and broth. Heat through, about 2-3 minutes, and server over rice.

Makes 8 servings

Per serving:
190 calories
20 g carbs
2 g fat
28 g protein

Grilled Chicken Breast

From eDiets (note: this recipe = 1 serving)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. of olive oil
1/4 tsp. of oregano
1/4 tsp. of thyme
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
4 ounces of chicken breast, boneless and skinless

Directions:
Preheat either grill or broiler. Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Whisk olive oil and spices together in a pie plate or small platter; add chicken and coat. If possible, cover with plastic wrap and let marinate, refrigerated, for 30 minutes. Grill chicken, reserving marinade, approximately 6-8 inches from heat source for 5-7 minutes, then turn and baste with remaining marinade. Cook an additional 5-7 minutes or until inside is no longer pink. Serve. Discard any leftover marinade.

Crispy Baked Chicken Cutlet

From eDiets (note: this recipe = 1 serving)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of tomato sauce, low sodium
3 ounces of chicken breast, boneless and skinless
2 Tbsps. of breadcrumbs, low sodium
1/4 tsp. of oregano
1/4 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
1/2 cup of low fat or nonfat milk

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare pasta according to recipe provided, omit salt. Rinse and pat dry chicken. In a flat dish, combine breadcrumbs, onion powder, garlic powder and oregano. Add milk to a separate flat dish. Dip chicken into the milk to coat, then coat with breadcrumb mixture. Discard excess of both. Spray baking sheet or shallow pan lightly with cooking spray and bake chicken for 20-25 minutes, or no longer pink inside. In a small saucepan, heat tomato sauce with red pepper flakes on low heat. Add pasta and heat through, about 1-2 minutes. Serve chicken with 1 oz pasta.

Grilled Chicken Breast and Peperonata Sandwiches

Adapted from a lowfat sandwich book Adam found somewhere

Ingredients:
1 t olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced into strips
3/4 C onion slices (about 1 medium onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 heaping tsp chopped garlic from a jar)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb total)
4 small French rolls, split and toasted, or 8 thinly sliced new potatoes

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers, onions, and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir about 10 more minutes until vegetables are somewhat soft. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and remove from skillet.
2. If making sandwiches, grill the chicken 10 minutes on each side until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Then place chicken in rolls and spoon pepper mixture evenly into each sandwich.
3. If serving with potatoes (not as sandwiches), place potatoes in skillet and cook about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until potatoes are cooked. (Note: you may need to spray the skillet with nonstick spray or use a little more oil.) Remove from skillet and place in same bowl as pepper-onion mixture. Then slice chicken into strips and sauté in skillet until done. If skillet is large enough, transfer potatoes-onion-pepper mixture to skillet to sauté with chicken for 5 minutes. Add extra seasoning to taste—salt, pepper, chili powder, fajita seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, or other seasonings.

Makes four servings of about 300 calories each; about 8g fat (= 22% of calories).

Chicken Mozzarella Melts

Adapted from a lowfat sandwich book Adam found somewhere

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, crushed (or 1 rounded tsp chopped garlic from a jar)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (approx 1/4 lb each)
Nonstick cooking spray
1/8 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 T prepared pesto sauce (if you can find lowfat, that works well too)
4 small hard rolls (French rolls or Italian hoagie style), split
12 fresh spinach leaves
8 whole, fresh basil leaves (do not substitute dried basil)
3 ripe plum tomatoes, sliced
1/2 C (2 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350OF. Rub garlic on all surfaces of chicken. Spray medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat until hot. Add chicken; cook 5-6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in center. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Brush pesto sauce on bottom halves of rolls; layer with spinach, basil, and tomatoes. Place chicken in rolls; sprinkle cheese evenly over chicken.
3. Wrap sandwiches in aluminum foil. (Note: if desired, sandwiches may be prepared up to this point and refrigerated until ready to bake.) Bake about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted; if using pre-refrigerated sandwiches, bake 20 minutes.

Makes four servings, about 300 calories each (5g, or 16%, from fat)

Turkey Tamale Pot Pie

From Cooking Light

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)

Ingredients

Filling:
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained


Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°.
To prepare filling, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and turkey; cook 5 minutes or until turkey loses its pink color. Add chili powder, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, tomatoes, and beans; cook 3 minutes. Spoon turkey mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
To prepare topping, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Combine buttermilk and egg; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moist. Spread cornmeal mixture evenly over turkey mixture. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until topping is golden.

(Or cook filling over stove as "chili" and cook cornbread in oven, separately, in 8x8 or 9x9 pan)

Nutritional Information
Calories: 329 (8% from fat)
Fat: 3g (sat 0.9g, mono 0.5g, poly 0.4g)
Protein: 27.6g
Fiber: 6.8g

Turkey Sloppy Joes

From the Web

Ingredients:
2 lb ground turkey
1 c finely chopped celery
½ c finely chopped onion
1 10-oz can condensed cream of tomato soup
¼ c ketchup
1 T white vinegar
¼ c packed brown sugar
1 ½ t Worcestershire sauce
½ t salt
¼ t garlic powder

Directions:
Cook meat in large skillet until “crumbled”
Add onion and celery, then cover and cook 5 min until transparent; drain off grease
Stir soup, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce into meat mixture
Season with salt and garlic powder, then simmer over low heat until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently

Curried Turkey Burgers

Adapted from Parade Magazine

Ingredients:
1 t olive oil
1/2 C chopped red or yellow onion
2 t curry powder
1 lb ground chicken or turkey
1 small egg or two egg whites
1/2 C breadcrumbs (or more, to desired consistency)
1/4 C peeled and grated tart apple (Granny Smith or other), or unsweetened applesauce
1/4 C chopped mango chutney
2 scallions, very finely sliced
salt and pepper to taste
4 toasted hamburger buns

Directions:
1. Sauté the onion in the oil over medium-low heat; cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add curry, and cook, stirring, for another minute. Remove to a bowl and cool.
2. Add all other ingredients to bowl (except burger buns, of course) and mix well. Form mixture into four patties about 1" thick
3. Cook over outdoor grill or on Foreman grill. If using a Foreman grill, cook about 10 minutes total; burgers will come out a little blackened, but will be properly cooked. If cooking on outdoor grill, cook over medium heat for 5 minutes per side, until cooked through.
4. Serve on buns; additional mango chutney makes a good topping.

Serves four; about 400 calories per serving (including bun), about 10 g fat

Chicken/Turkey Meatball Grinders

Adapted from a lowfat sandwich book Adam found somewhere

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 C bread crumbs
1 egg white
3 T finely chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
1/4 chopped onion
1 can (8 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (4 oz) reduced sodium tomato sauce
1 t dried Italian seasoning
4 small hard rolls (French or Italian), split
2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Combine chicken, bread crumbs, egg white, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Form mixture into 12-16 meatballs.
2. Spray medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium. Add meatballs; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until browned on all sides (I seem to recall this takes more than 5 minutes). Remove meatballs from skillet.
3. Add onion to skillet; cook and stir 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning; heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Return meatballs to skillet; simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
4. Place 3-4 meatballs in each roll. Divide sauce evenly and spoon over meatballs. Sprinkle with cheese. (Also good if you add some pasta sauce and serve over spaghetti or other pasta of choice.)

Note: meatballs are also good with spaghetti or other pasta, with a jar of spaghetti sauce or with the homemade sauce described here.

Makes four servings of about 340 calories each (7 g fat = 17% of calories)

Bartenfelder Farm’s Family Squash Casserole

Adapted from Washington Post via Rebecca Hertzman

Ingredients:
1 package Morningstar Farms Griller Crumbles (or 1 lb cooked ground beef)
1 med onion, cut into ¼ inch dice
2 med cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs of celery, cut into ¼ inch dice
½ cup bell pepper, cut into ¼ inch dice
6 c spaghetti sauce
1 t chopped basil leaves
1-2 lb mix of summer squashes (yellow, zucchini, etc.), trimmed and cut into ¼ inch slices
1 c Italian style breadcrumbs
½ c nonfat shredded mozzarella cheese
½ c crumbled Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x12 inch baking dish with Pam
Cook crumbles, onion, garlic, celery, and green bell pepper in a skillet for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened
Add 2 c spaghetti sauce and basil, mix well, then remove from heat
Meanwhile, slightly steam the squash until they are tender but not fully softened
Cover baking dish with a single layer of squash, then layer in the following order in even amounts: the vegetable mix, the breadcrumbs, the spaghetti sauce, and the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Bake for about 1 hour, or until the cheese and breadcrumbs have started to brown. Serve hot

Nutrition Information:
Total recipe: 1365 calories, 35 g fat, 52 g fiber
Makes 8 servings, 3 WW points each

Rosemary Zucchini Omelet

From eDiets (note: this recipe = 1 serving)

Ingredients:
4 ounces of liquid egg whites
1/2 tsp. of fresh rosemary
1/2 fresh medium zucchini
1 Tbsp. of low fat or nonfat parmesan cheese
1 svg. of cooking spray

Directions:
Rinse and slice zucchini into thin rounds. Chop rosemary very fine. Heat a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium. When pan is hot, pour in egg whites and swirl pan to cover the entire surface. Layer zucchini over one half of the skillet. Sprinkle with rosemary and Parmesan cheese and cover. Cook for 3-4 minutes until set, and then using a spatula, gently fold one side over the other. Cook for 1 minute more and serve.

Zucchini Tomato Frittata

From eDiets (note: this recipe = 1 serving)

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1 egg white
1/2 tsp. of olive oil
1/2 cup of squash, zucchini or yellow
1 Italian plum tomato
1 green onion
1 oz. of low fat or nonfat shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat broiler. In a small bowl, beat eggs lightly and mix in the cheese; set aside. Rinse and chop the zucchini, tomato, and green onion. Heat an ovenproof skillet with the oil over medium heat and cook vegetables for about 5-6 minutes until zucchini is crisp tender. Add egg mixture and cook on low medium heat until eggs are almost set, for about 5 minutes. Place skillet in broiler about 4-5 inches from the heat for about 1-2 minutes until top is set.

Spinach Lasagna

From the kitchen of Rebecca Hertzman

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb fat-free ricotta
2 c shredded fat-free mozzarella
1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp oregano
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 30 oz jar spaghetti sauce
½ package lasagna noodles (8 or 9)

Directions:
1. Mix ricotta, 1 c mozzarella, spinach, salt, spices, and egg(s).
2. Spray 9x13 pan with Pam, then cover bottom with ½ c sauce.
3. Layer remaining ingredients twice, as follows:
  • 3 or 4 noodles
  • ½ cheese mix
  • 1/3 of sauce
4. Cover with one more layer of noodles, remainder of spaghetti sauce, and 1 c mozzarella
5. Pour almost 1 c water around edges
6. Cover lightly with foil
7. Bake at 350 for 75 minutes or until bubbly; remove foil and continue baking for another 5 minutes if desired

Cottage Cheese Pie aka Souffle

From Rebecca Hertzman

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C milk
1 1/2 lb cottage cheese
3 eggs
3/4 C flour (or matzo meal, for Passover)
3 T sour cream or plain vanilla yogurt
4 T melted margarine
4 T sugar (or Splenda)
1-2 tsp vanilla
1/8 - 1/4 t cinnamon

additional cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F; grease and lightly flour 9"x13" pan.
2. Mix all ingredients together (beat or whisk or stir lightly)
3. Place in pan, sprinkle top with more cinnamon, and cook 1 hr 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Notes: As main dish, this is like a blintz without the crepe and can be low-fat and low-cal if you use nonfat milk, nonfat cottage cheese, nonfat yogurt, and lowfat margarine. Works equally well as lowfat or regular (good meal for toddlers if you use full-fat options). If you use sour cream, you may want to use a little extra vanilla to avoid a mildly sour taste.

(Note: tastes really good with apple sauce)

Nutrition Info:
Calories 200 Sodium 400 mg
Total Fat 9 g Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 0 g Total Carbs 15 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 7 g
Trans 0 g Protein 15 g
Cholesterol 110 mg



Tomato Pizza

From eDiets (note: this recipe = 1 serving)

Ingredients:
2 ounces of pizza dough
1/2 tsp. of dried basil
1/4 tsp. of oregano
1/4 tsp. of italian seasoning
3 ounces of low fat or fat-free shredded mozzarella cheese
(or use less mozz and add tofu pepperoni and pre-cooked mushrooms and/or green peppers)
1 tomato, fresh, medium size (or substitute tomato sauce)
1/2 tsp. of olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray nonstick pizza pan or jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Slice tomato, set aside. Press pizza dough evenly into pan. Brush oil over surface and arrange sliced tomato on top and sprinkle seasonings over pizza. Bake until slightly golden, about 10 - 15 minutes; sprinkle with cheese and return to oven until cheese melts, about 2 minutes, then serve.

Vegetarian Calzone

From eDiets (note: this recipe = 1 serving)

Ingredients:
2 ounces of pizza dough
1/2 tsp. of oregano
1/4 tsp. of italian seasoning
1/2 tomato, fresh, medium size
1-2 T tomato sauce (not pasta sauce or pizza sauce)
1 oz. of shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese
2 oz. of tofu pepperoni or cooked griller crumbles
(add pre-cooked mushrooms and/or green peppers as desired)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Drain tofu and coarsely mash in a small bowl. Rinse and dice tomato and dice vegetarian cheese. Spray a nonstick pizza pan lightly with cooking spray and press pizza dough evenly into pan. Top one half with sauce, diced tomato, cheese, and pepperoni, and sprinkle with oregano and Italian seasoning. Fold over and press edges together to secure. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Favorite Cheesy Pizza

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Bread Machine Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 C plus 2 T water
2 T olive oil (preferably garlic-infused)
3 C bread flour (or 2 1/2 c bread flour and 1/2 c whole wheat bread flour)
2 T grated or shredded Parmesan cheese (or Romano or Asiago)
1 1/2 t Italian seasoning
1 t sugar
1 t salt
2 1/2 t bread machine yeast

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients, in this order, into bread machine pan.
2. Select dough/manual cycle.
3. When dough is done, move oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 400.
4. Using garlic- (or other-) infused olive oil, grease deep-dish pizza pan or two cookie sheets. If using pizza pan, plop dough in center of greased pan and spread pizza to edges; if using cookie sheets, divide dough in half and spread until crust is desired thinness/thickness (approx. 12-inch circle). Let rise for 30 minutes. If you like having a crispy crust, bake in oven for 10 minutes before adding toppings.
5. Top with desired toppings—start with pizza sauce or tomato sauce, then mozzarella cheese, then other toppings (cooked griller crumbles and raw or cooked veggies if you want to keep it veg, or pepperoni or other cooked meat, etc.). Sprinkle some parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning over top (you may also want to try onion powder or chili seeds for flavor). Bake deep-dish pizza about 25-30 minutes; smaller pizzas about 18-20 minutes or until crust reaches desired crispiness.

Meatlessagna (aka Meatless Lasagna)

Adapted from various meat lasagna recipes; makes 12 servings

Ingredients:
1 package Boca or Morningstar Farms griller/recipe crumbles*
3 c (26 oz jar) spaghetti sauce
1 ½ c water
15 oz nonfat ricotta or small curd cottage cheese
2 c nonfat shredded mozzarella
½ c grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
¼ chopped fresh parsley, or 2 Tbsp dried parsley
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
9 pieces uncooked lasagna noodles

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350
2. In a large bowl, mix the griller crumbles, spaghetti sauce, and water
3. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, 1 c mozzarella, ¼ c parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt, and pepper
4. Pour 1 c spaghetti sauce mix on bottom of a 9x13” baking dish. Arrange three lasagna noodles on top, and cover with another cup of spaghetti sauce mix
5. Spread half the cheese filling on top of the sauce, and cover with three more noodles
6. Cover noodles with 1 c sauce and the other half of the cheese sauce
7. Place last three noodles on top, cover with remaining spaghetti sauce, 1 c mozzarella cheese, and ¼ c parmesan cheese
8. Cover lightly with foil and bake 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake 10 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

*If you really want to use meat, use a pound of cooked ground beef or ground turkey, drained.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Spicy Chicken and Pumpkin Stew

From Cooking Light

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 cup stew and 1/2 cup rice)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
4 cups sliced onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger (or 1 t ground dried ginger)
1 Tbsp minced seeded jalapeno pepper (or 1/4 tsp pepper flakes)
2 tsp curry powder
dash of allspice
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups cubed peeled fresh pumpkin or other winter squash (such as acorn)
1 cup water
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
5 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Preparation:
1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat 1 tsp oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add half of the chicken, and sauté for 8 minutes or until browned. Remove the chicken from pan. Repeat procedure with 1 tsp oil and remaining chicken; set aside.

2. Heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 5 ingredients (onion through garlic); sauté for 2 minutes.

3. Stir in pumpkin, water, and coconut milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.

4. Return chicken to pan; cook 10 minutes or until heated. Stir in cilantro; serve over rice.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 267 (16% from fat)
Fat: 4.7g (sat 2.4g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.4g)
Protein: 19.3g
Fiber: 2.6g

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Adapted from Cooking Light

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients:
2 tsp stick margarine
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 tsp dried rubbed sage
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 Tbsps all-purpose flour
3 (10 1/2-ounce) cans low-salt chicken broth
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt
3 cups cubed peeled fresh pumpkin (1 pound)
1 cup chopped peeled McIntosh or other sweet cooking apple
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk *(see note below)
Sage sprigs (optional)


Preparation:
1. Melt margarine in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes.
2. Add spices; cook 30 seconds.
3. Stir in flour; cook 30 seconds.
4. Add broth, tomato paste, and salt, stirring well with a whisk.
5. Stir in pumpkin and apple; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until pumpkin is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
6. Place mixture in a blender or food processor (or use a handheld blender like the Cuisinart Smart Stick - makes it really easy!); process until smooth. Return mixture to Dutch oven; add milk and stir.
7. Cook until thoroughly heated. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 122 (23% from fat)
Fat: 3.1g (sat 0.8g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.7g)
Protein: 5.5g
Fiber: 2.3g

Note: you can make evaporated milk from powdered milk by placing 1/3 c (rounded) of powdered milk and ½ c water in a jar, closing tightly, and shaking well; this will make more than the 1/2 c needed for this recipe.

Tasty Chicken Salad

From eDiets

 

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size chunks

1/4 C fresh lemon juice

1/2 C white wine

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

4 cup lettuce, romaine or lettuce of choice

4 cup fresh spinach

1/2 C fat free honey mustard salad dressing

4 plum tomatoes or equivalent

4 tbsp. sliced almonds

 

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 400OF. Rinse and pat dry chicken, and cut into bite-size chunks.

2.     In small bowl, combine lemon juice, wine, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.

3.     Place chicken in an ovenproof casserole dish and pour mixture over the chicken; cover tightly with foil and marinate if possible, up to 12 hours. Bake for 20 minutes or until done.

4.     Wash, spin or pat dry lettuce and spinach, and tear or slice into bite size pieces. Slice tomatoes.

Toss all ingredients together; sprinkle with almonds.

Chicken Fiesta Salad


From eDiets

Ingredients:
2 (4 oz.) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (1.27 oz.) packet dry fajita seasoning, divided
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (11 oz.) can Mexican-style corn
1/2 cup salsa
1 (10 oz.) package mixed salad greens
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, cut into wedges

Directions:
1.     Rub the chicken with 1/2 of fajita seasonings. Grill or pan fry until cooked through, let cool and then chop.
2.     In a large saucepan, mix beans, corn, salsa and other 1/2 of fajita seasoning. Cook over medium heat until warm.
3.     Prepare the salad by tossing the greens, onion and tomato. Top salad with chicken and dress with the bean/corn mixture. If desired top with shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

Makes 4 servings. Nutritional values per serving: 280 calories, 23.4g protein, 1.9g total fat, 1,531mg sodium, 34mg cholesterol, 41.3g carbohydrate and 10.5g fiber.

Couscous Vegetable Medley

From eDiets (makes 6 servings)

Ingredients:
3/4 c vegetable broth
1 medium-large onion
4-5 carrots
15 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cumin
1 lb 13 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
3 fresh medium zucchini
3 bell pepper
1/2 c raisins
3/4 c couscous
1 1/2 c chicken or vegetable broth



Directions:

Rinse and drain the chickpeas, set aside. Rinse and chop zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and carrot into bite-sized pieces, set aside. Place the onions and carrots in a pot with the canned tomatoes and the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add chickpeas, zucchini, bell pepper, raisins and spices; continue to simmer, covered, for another 5 minutes. In a smaller saucepan, bring 1 1/2 c broth to a boil. Stir in couscous, remove from heat, cover and allow to stand for about 5 minutes. Serve couscous topped with vegetables.

Vegetable Chili

Adapted from New Basics Cookbook

Ingredients

1 T olive oil
2 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 onions, cut into 1/2 inch dice
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or 2 spoons of pre-chopped garlic)
2 large red bell peppers, cored and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 can (35 oz.) Italian plum tomatoes, with their juice (whole; chopped is OK too)
1 1/2 lbs ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch dice
2 T chili powder (or less, to taste; start with 1 T and work your way up)
1 T ground cumin
1 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano
2 t ground black pepper
1 t salt
1 t fennel seeds
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley
1 C canned dark red kidney beans, drained
2 T lemon juice

Optional toppings:
Sour cream, cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, scallions, croutons

Directions:
1. Spray large (nonstick) skillet with Pam (or other cooking spray); place over medium heat and then add zucchini. Sauté until just tender, 5-7 minutes (may take longer). Transfer zucchini to large pot.
2. Place oil in skillet and sauté the onions, garlic, and bell peppers until just wilted, about 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to the large pot.
3. Place pot over low heat. Add canned tomatoes and juice, fresh tomatoes, all the spices, and the parsley. Cook, uncovered, stirring often, for about 30 minutes.
4. Add kidney beans and lemon juice; cook for another 15 minutes (or longer, to desired softness). Stir well, and adjust seasonings to taste.
5. Serve with bowls of optional toppings.

Makes four servings of 250 calories each, not including optional toppings.

Curried Carrot Soup

From the web

Ingredients:
2 lb carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 tsp ground curry powder
4 C vegetable broth (or water and vegetable bouillon)
2 C water

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, sauté the onion in the oil until translucent, and add the curry.
2. Add the chopped carrots and stir until the carrots are coated with the onions and curry. Then add the vegetable broth and simmer until the carrots are soft.
3. Transfer the carrots and broth to a food processor and purée until smooth. Pour back into the pan and add up to 2 C water, depending on desired thickness.

Optional other seasonings to add, to taste: cinnamon, nutmeg, pinch of sugar.

North African Cauliflower Soup

Adapted from Moosewood Cooks at Home

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C chopped onions (1 large onion)
1 T vegetable oil
2 C diced potatoes (1 large baking potato)
1 medium head cauliflower (about 5 C chopped)
2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t ground fennel
4 C hot water
1 T vegetable bouillon powder or one cube
2 t fresh lemon juice
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Toppings:
Chopped fresh tomatoes
Steamed carrot chunks (diced carrots)
Plumped raisins

Directions:
1. In a soup pot on medium heat, sauté the onions in the oil for 5-10 minutes, until translucent. While the onions sauté, dice the potatoes and chop the cauliflower.
2. Stir the cumin, fennel, and potatoes into the pot, and cook for a minute. Then add the hot water. Cover, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower and bouillon, and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
3. In a food processor, purée 1/2 to 2/3 of the vegetables and all of the broth until smooth. Add puréed mixture to remaining vegetables; add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Reheat soup if necessary, taking care not to scorch it.
4. Serve with bowls of toppings for garnish. Looks kind of like oatmeal, but with a completely different flavor. One bowl is quite filling; serve with salad and/or multigrain rolls.

Makes 4-6 servings; each 8-oz serving has about 90 calories and less than 3 grams of fat.

Chicken Taco Soup

From Rhoda Neal (from Rita Matter)

1 can drained chicken chunks (or the equivalent of cut grilled chicken breast strips – about 12 oz.)
1 can diced tomatoes (28 oz)
1 can green chiles (7 oz mild or hotter, if you prefer)
1 can pinto beans (15 oz)
1 can kidney beans (15 oz)
1 can black beans (15 oz.)
1 can white beans (15 oz)
1 can whole kernel corn (15 oz)
2 Tbsp taco seasoning (1/2 pkg)
1 pkg Ranch dressing mix

Shred chicken if desired or cut into pieces. Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and stir. Use all the liquid from the remaining products. Cook on high for 2 hrs. or on low for 4 hrs.

Garnish (as desired) with sour cream, chopped green onions, shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

If the soup seems too thick, add chicken or vegetable broth (1/2 can or more); or water; or wine.

It freezes well. After defrosting, you can put it back in crockpot and heat as long as you like. I used low sodium products, when possible. I also sweetened the soup with approx. 2 T. sugar to lower the acid taste.

Serves about 8 very generous bowls (2 ladles each)

Nutrition Info:
274 calories 1.5 g fat, 19 g protein, 14 g fiber (5 WW points)

Black Bean Soup

Adapted from Moosewood Cooks at Home
Serves 4

Ingredients:
10 sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1 c boiling water
1 1/2 c chopped onions
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp ground cumin
3 c undrained canned diced tomatoes (28 oz can)
4 c undrained cooked black beans (2 16-oz cans)
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped
sour cream (optional)

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, cover the sun-dried tomatoes with the boiling water and set aside (overnight is ok); drain and chop the tomatoes and reserve the water
2. In a soup pot, sauté the onions, garlic, and cayenne in the oil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the cumin, 1/3 c of the sun-dried tomato water, and the tomatoes
4. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes
5. Add black beans and their liquid and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking
6. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the soup and cook 5-10 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir in cilantro and remove soup from heat.
7. Puree half the soup in a food processor, and return it to the pot. Reheat gently.
8. Serve with a dollop of sour cream (optional)

Nutrition Info:
204 calories, 10.8 g protein, 3 g fat, lots of fiber

Pumpkin Muffins

From Cooking Light

Yield: 18 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin (or pumpkin puree, but it may not taste as pumpkin-y?)
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.

3. Combine pumpkin and next 6 ingredients (pumpkin through egg white); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon the batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

4. Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and brown sugar; sprinkle over muffins.

5. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.


Nutritional Information
Calories: 164 (19% from fat)
Fat: 3.5g (sat 0.6g,mono 0.8g,poly 1.9g)
Protein: 3.5g
Fiber: 1g

Apple-Cinnamon Muffins

Adapted from Moosewood Cooks at Home “Muffin Madness”

Wet Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1/3 c vegetable oil
¾ c brown sugar (or ½ c Splenda brown sugar)
½ t vanilla extract
2 c grated apples (~4 apples) or unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp lemon juice

Dry Ingredients:
1 ½ c white flour
½ c wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
1. In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients; in a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients
2. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients
3. Spray regular or mini-muffin pans with Pam; spoon batter into the pans. Bake mini-muffins for 10-15 minutes; regular muffins for 20-25 minutes

Low-Fat Banana Spice Muffin

Adapted from Moosewood Cooks at Home “Muffin Madness”

Wet Ingredients:
2 large eggs
½ c unsweetened applesauce
1 T canola oil
¾ c brown sugar (or ½ c Splenda brown sugar)
½ t vanilla extract
3 large, ripe bananas (or two bananas and ½ c add’l applesauce)

Dry Ingredients:
1 ½ c white flour
½ c wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp each nutmeg and cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
1. In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients; in a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients
2. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients
3. Spray regular or mini-muffin pans with Pam; spoon batter into the pans. Bake mini-muffins for 10-15 minutes; regular muffins for 20-25 minutes

Makes 36-48 mini-muffins (1 WW point each)

Corn Bread

Adapted from Cooking Light (topping from Turkey Tamale Pot Pie recipe)
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 can corn, drained

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°.
Spray 8x8 pan with cooking spray and dust lightly with flour.
Lightly spoon 1 c flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
Combine buttermilk, egg, and corn; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moist.
Spread cornbread mixture evenly in pan and bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until golden.

Raisin Bran Bread

Adapted from the Web

Ingredients:
1 c + 1 T water
1/4 c packed brown sugar
2 T vegetable oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 c raisin bran
2 1/4 c bread flour (or 2 1/4 c all purpose flour + 1 T gluten)
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 c raisins or craisins

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients to bread machine in order listed; set to "dough" setting and start.
2. Once dough is ready (usually 1 1/2 hours), spray loaf pan with Pam; place dough in pan and place pan in unheated oven. Let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.
3. Leave pan in oven and turn on oven to 350 F (ideally, convection). Cook for 35 min including while oven is warming up.
4. After 35 minutes of cooking, turn off oven but let loaf remain in oven for additional 5 minutes.
5. Remove pan from oven and place on wire rack. Let cool 5-10 minutes before removing from pan. Leave loaf on wire rack until completely cool, then place in plastic bag.

Note: if your bread machine has a time-delay setting, you can prep this overnight. Make an indent in the flour and carefully add the yeast and baking soda to the indentation, so they don't touch the water until mixing begins.

Nutrition Information:
16 slices/loaf
115 cal, 2 g fat, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein per slice

Traditional Challah

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Bread Machine Cookbook

Bread:
3/4 C water
2 eggs
1 T margarine
1 T honey
3 1/4 C bread flour
2 T sugar
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t bread machine yeast

Topping:
1 egg yolk
1 T cold water
1 T poppy seeds (or to taste)

Directions:
1. Place all bread ingredients, in this order, in bread machine pan (wet ingredients first, then dry).
2. Select dough/manual cycle
3. Lightly flour large surface. When dough is ready, place on surface and divide in four equal pieces. Roll and/or squeeze each piece until it's about 1.5 feet long. Place them side by side on floured surface and pinch together top end. Braid according to drawing (Figure 1) -- not too tight, but not too loose either (this takes practice). Pinch bottom ends to seal, and tuck under braid.
Grease large cookie sheet and sprinkle it with corn flour until lightly coated; transfer braided dough on sheet. Place in unheated oven for about 1 hour, until braid has doubled in size.
4. Remove sheet from oven and heat oven to 375OF. While oven is heating, mix egg yolk and cold water. Brush over braid slowly, allowing entire mixture to absorb. Sprinkle with poppy seed. Bake about 25 minutes* until golden brown.

Makes 12 servings of approx. 175 calories each (30 calories from fat)

* Note: if you know your oven runs hot, be sure to bake at a “lower temp” but for the full time; I once baked at 375 for 20 minutes, once I realized that my oven's "375" was really about 400. The challah wasn't properly cooked, but it was too crispy on the outside.

Pumpkin Puree

Take pumpkin pieces (from Jack O’Lantern carving or other pumpkin), remove membrane and outer skin, and steam until soft. Cool slightly and mash with a potato masher. Refrigerate up to one week, until ready to use.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 c flour
¼ c packed brown sugar
1 ½ t baking powder
¼ t salt
½ t cinnamon
½ t ginger
¼ t nutmeg
1 egg
1 T vegetable oil
1 c milk
1/3 c pumpkin puree

Directions:
Whisk dry ingredients (through nutmeg) in a medium bowl.
In a small bowl, combine wet ingredients and then stir into dry mix.
Let stand 5 minutes, then cook on griddle.

Nutrition Information:
¼ c batter per pancake; makes 8-10 pancakes
2 pancakes = 226 cal, 5 g fat, 1.6 g fiber

Pumpkin Waffles

Adapted from Cooking Light
Yield: 8 waffles (serving size: 2 waffles)

Ingredients:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Preparation
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (flour through cloves) in a large bowl, and make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (milk through egg) in a bowl, and add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist.
Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray; preheat. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter per waffle onto hot waffle iron, spreading the batter to the edges. Cook 5 to 7 minutes or until steaming stops; repeat procedure with remaining batter.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 255 (20% from fat)
Fat: 5.7g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.5g,poly 2.3g)
Protein: 7.4g
Fiber: 2g

Note: 1 recipe makes 5 Belgian Waffle squares, each ~200 cal, 4.5 g fat, 1.7 g fiber

Pancakes (regular or buttermilk)

Adapted from Joy of Cooking

 

Dry Ingredients:

1 c flour

½ c wheat flour

3 Tbsp sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda (1 tsp if using buttermilk)


Wet Ingredients:

1 ½ c milk or buttermilk

3 Tbsp canola oil

2 large eggs

½ tsp vanilla

 

Directions:

1. Whisk dry ingredients in large bowl

2. Whisk wet ingredients in medium bowl

3. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and mix just until fully moistened

4. Spoon ¼ c batter onto griddle for each pancake; add blueberries to pancakes if desired

5. Cook to desired darkness and serve hot.

Belgian Waffles (lower fat)

Adapted from Cooking Light

 

Dry Ingredients:

2 c flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar or Splenda

½ tsp salt

 

Wet Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten

1 ½ c milk

¼ c margarine, melted

1 T vanilla

 

Directions:

1. In large bowl, combine wet ingredients

2. In smaller bowl, combine dry ingredients

3. Sift dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well

4. Bake in waffle maker as directed, to desired darkness

Blintz Kugel aka Souffle

From Rebecca Hertzman

Ingredients:
12 frozen cheese blintzes (2 packages)
1 1/2 pints of sour cream (nonfat is ok)
4 eggs
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (grind one packet of 8 whole crackers in blender)

Directions:
1.     Grease a 13x9 inch pyrex pan (Pam or Crisco).  Place frozen blintzes fold side down in pan.
2.     Beat eggs well, add sour cream and beat some more.  Add sugar, salt, vanilla and mix in well.
3.     Pour over blitzes, sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top, and bake at 350 for C. 50-55 min.

Serve with sour cream to top.

Calories per blintz: 254
[120 (blintz) + 44 (graham crackers) + 24 (egg) + 16 (sugar) + 50 (nonfat sour cream)]

Baked French Toast

Adapted from Web

 

Ingredients:

1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices

8 eggs or equivalent egg substitute

3 1/2 cups Light Vanilla Soymilk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup butter or margarine

1 1/3 cups brown sugar

3 Tbsps light pancake syrup

 

Directions

 

1.     Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with Pam. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, soymilk, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

2.     The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and syrup; heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture.

3.     Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

David Eyre/Dutch Baby Pancakes

Adapted from Joy of Cooking (less fat, just as tasty)

Ingredients:
½ c milk
½ c flour
¼ c sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 Tbsp margarine

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Whisk together first four ingredients until smooth
3. Melt margarine in a 10” oven-proof skillet (for a double recipe, melt the margarine in a 12x9” Pyrex dish). Tilt pan/dish to coat the sides
4. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook on stove over medium-high heat, without stirring, for 1 minute
5. Place skillet in the oven and bake until the pancake is puffed and golden, approximately 12-15 minutes (15-17 minutes for a double recipe).
6. Serve immediately with powdered sugar, lemon juice (optional), and raspberry (or other) preserves - my younger son is partial to a guava jam we brought back from the Bahamas, but the rest of us are traditionalists.