Tag Archives: easy

Lowfat “Hummingbird Bread” (aka Pineapple Banana Bread)

Posted on by

0

20101026_hummingbird_bread-1

I’m always looking for new ways to use my over-ripe bananas. Usually it’s just a basic banana bread. But that gets boring after a while. I was inspired by a Hummingbird Cake recipe on Martha Stewart’s site and decided to make my own lowfat version. In making it lowfat, I knew the texture would end up being more of a bread than a ‘cake’, so I put it in a loaf pan and am calling it Hummingbird Bread. I also left out the nuts to keep it lowfat, but feel free to add pecans to the batch if you’d prefer.

I LOVE this recipe because it’s SO incredibly easy! Literally throw everything in a bowl, mix and bake. My husband is addicted. I can’t keep the stuff in the house.

Lowfat Hummingbird Bread (aka Pineapple Banana Bread)

Serves 12

  • 3 cups self-rising flour
  • 1 1/2 cups Splenda
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 bananas, mashed
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple, with juice
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 1 t cinnamon
  • 5 egg whites
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly spray 2 loaf pans with nonstick spray.
  2. Mix all ingredients together until just combined. Divide batter between pans. Bake 40 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before sliding a knife around the edges and inverting the bread onto a plate.
  3. Optional: Make a cream cheese frosting for the top out of light cream cheese (approx 4 Tbsp), powdered sugar (approx 1/3 cup), vanilla and a bit of milk (approx 2 Tbsp).

Nutrition (without frosting): 185 cal, 0.4g fat, 40.4g carb, 1.8 fiber, 13.8g sugars, 5g protein

Chewy Trail Mix Granola Bars

Posted on by

0

20100923_granolabar-1

I’m a huge fan of Kashi TLC Granola Bars. My husband and I buy them in bulk at Costco for quick grab-n-go snacks. I know that granola bars really aren’t that difficult to make. The problem was I’d never found a recipe I really liked. They usually ended up being too crunchy (I like chewy bars), too dense, too high fat, or too – I don’t know – Just “too”!

Until I found a couple of key ingredients that has helped me turn the corner in the elusive perfect granola bar recipe – Peanut Flour (aka PB2) and Brown Rice Syrup.  The peanut flour helps keep them together and adds a lovely protein punch and the brown rice syrup is thick and sticky enough to keep them chewy.

They are still “too”. This time, they’re “too good” and I can’t stop eating them. :)

I love these and I hope you do “too”… Have fun playing with the ingredients. The base recipe works, so whatever you want to toss in to your own preference, have at it!

Chewy Trail Mix Granola Bars

Makes 8 bars

  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 cup high fiber cereal (Trader Joe’s or Fiber One) OR 1 cup of unsweetened, whole grain cereal of your choice
  • 1/4 cup brown rice syrup
  • 2 Tbsp agave nectar
  • 1 t olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lowfat peanut flour or PB2
  • 1/4 t kosher or sea salt
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruits)
  • 1/8 cup mini dark chocolate chips (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Generously spray a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick spray.
  2. Spread oats and almonds over a baking sheet.  Bake for 10-15 mins, stirring once midway through. When the almonds have turned slightly darker and are fragrant, remove from oven.
  3. While oats and almonds are baking, combine brown rice syrup, agave nectar, olive oil, peanut flour and sea salt in a large bowl.
  4. Remove oats and almonds. Turn oven down to 300 F
  5. Place hot oats and almonds in the syrup bowl, add fiber cereal and cranberries stirring until completely coated.  Pour mixture into loaf pan.
  6. Using the back of a spoon that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick spray, lightly press the mixture into the pan until the top is smooth and the mixture is slightly compressed. Do not press down too much or your bars will be to dense, but if you don’t compress them slightly, they will fall apart. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the top.
  7. Bake for 20 mins. Remove from oven and let cool for approx 20 mins. Slide a knife around the edges of the pan and very gently (so as not to lose all your chocolate chips) invert the pan onto your hand or cutting board. Slice into 8 even bars.

Nutrition: 140 cal, 3g fat, 27g carb, 5.5g fiber, 4g protein

Vegetarian Lentil Loaf and Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Posted on by

2

Lentil Loaf

When I’m in need of some real ‘comfort’ food – something with sustenance and will make me feel full and satisfied, I almost always turn to this easy, ‘meaty’ recipe for vegetarian lentil loaf (‘meatloaf’) with mashed cauliflower  “potatoes”. With its high protein and fiber, combined with low calorie content and tons of flavor, what’s not to like? Even my meat eating husband will make a meal out of this lovely little loaf (thanks, mom, for showing me the recipe!). Serve it up with some steamed green beans and you have the perfect all-American dinner. Plus, it makes great leftovers (a sandwich, maybe?). I even think it might taste better after sitting overnight after the flavors have really mixed. Try it out and enjoy!

Vegetarian Lentil (“Meat”) Loaf

Serves 8

  • 2 cups water
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 cup oats
  • 3/4 cup lowfat cheese (2% cheddar or mixed), shredded
  • 2 egg whites (or 1 egg), lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup marinara sauce (I usually use Trader Joe’s “traditional” marinara sauce)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 Tbsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp barbecue sauce (I use Trader Joe’s)
  • 2 Tbsp ketchup
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Bring water and a dash of salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add lentils and simmer, covered, 25-30 minutes, until lentils are soft and most of the water is evaporated. Drain and lightly mash lentils
  3. Stir in onions, oats and cheese. Add egg, marinara sauce, garlic powder, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well.
  4. Spread mixture into a non-stick or greased loaf pan. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Mix barbecue sauce and catchup together and spread over the top of the loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until edges look dry, firm and golden brown.
  5. Cool for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edges of the pan, slice and serve.

Nutrition: 190 cal, 5g fat, 27g carb, 9g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 11.5g protein

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower (“Potatoes”)

Serves 8

  • 2 heads cauliflower florets (approx 4 cups)
  • 3 Tbsp fat free sour cream
  • 2 Tbsp fat free milk (plus more as needed)
  • 2 Tbsp fat free cream cheese
  • 1 Tbsp light butter
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  1. Place cauliflower florets in a microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle water over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 5-7 minutes, until very soft.
  2. Drain and use a paper towel to press out access moisture, taking care as the cauliflower will be very hot.
  3. Place cauliflower in a food processor with garlic. Process until lightly pureed. Add sour cream, milk, cream cheese and butter. Continue to process adding additional milk as needed until they reach a desirable consistency.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition: 35 cal, 1g fat, 5g carb, 1.5g fiber, 2g sugars, 2.5g protein

Cran Apple Bran Muffins (Faux VitaTop Muffin Copycat)

Posted on by

9

I have developed a love for the lowfat, low calorie muffin tops that are the Vitalicious VitaTop Muffin Tops. However, I DON’T love the exorbitant amount of money these little morsels cost. So, I set out to make my own.  My two favorite flavors are Deep Chocolate and Cranberry Apple Bran.  I think I have successfully found recipes that copy both (chocolate one to come at a later time).  After finding a nice base recipe for a Cranberry Apple Bran recipe (full fat), I started tweaking (while enduring some pretty dry/flat versions) until I got a lowfat/low cal version of it that I’m happy with. And here I am to share my results with you.

Plus, like the VitaTops, these are right around 95 calories each with just 0.4 g fat and about 2.2g fiber. (i.e, good for you!). The full nutrition stats are at the bottom of the post for all of you out there who want the deets.

These muffins are GOOD. So good I can’t wait for them to cool down after they come out of the oven and generally end up burning my tongue off on the super hot apples inside. Worth the burn.

Cran Apple Bran Muffins

Makes 18 muffins. (faux vitatop muffin copycat recipe)

  • 1 c wheat bran
  • 3/4 c skim milk
  • 1 1/4 c wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 t baking powder
  • 1/4 t baking soda
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1 1/2 t cinnamon
  • 1/4 t nutmeg
  • 1/4 c brown sugar
  • 1/2 c splenda
  • 1/3 c applesauce, unsweetened
  • 1/4 c nonfat egg substitute (or egg whites)
  • 1 Tbsp vinegar
  • 1 1/2 chopped, peeled apples
  • 1/3 c Craisins
  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a 18 cups of 2 muffin tins with nonstick spray.
  2. Combine wheat bran and milk. Let rest 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, splenda, applesauce, egg and vinegar.
  5. Add wheat bran and milk mixture and wet ingredient mixture to the dry mix and stir until just combined (do not over mix)
  6. Stir in apples and Craisins (or reserve Craisins to sprinkle over the top if you wish).
  7. Divide batter evenly between 18 muffin cups. Bake 12-15 mins, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Devour!

Nutrition: 95 calories. 0.4g fat. 20.7g carb. 2.2g fiber. 2.2g protein.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Posted on by

0

My mom gave my sister and I each our own copy of King Arthur Flour Whole Wheat Baking. She’s had this book since last year and has great luck with each and every recipe. So much that my sis and I kept calling her for recipes. She must have got sick of us always asking and decided we needed our own. Anyway… I very highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in whole grains and baking. You’d be surprised at how light and fluffy a lot of these recipes taste. You’d never guess they were whole wheat/grain!

Back to the recipe on hand…. Last night, I decided to try out the Whole Wheat Pita Bread recipe. I’ve heard pitas are pretty easy to make and I had some falafel and greek yogurt (that I turned into tzatziki) that I needed to use. It only took about 5 mins to mix all the ingredients together, let them rise for 1 1/2 hours while I went to the gym, then came home and whipped them out in no time!

I ate them with my falafel last night and this morning I had them again for breakfast with some scrambled egg and feta cheese. Yum!

Important Notes if you’re going to try this recipe that I found made it easier and made those little rounds get nice and puffy:

#1: Move your oven rack all the way to the bottom, closest to the heating coils.

#2: They cook quickly and require a turn mid-baking. This means you’re going to lose a lot of heat in a conventional oven from so much open/closing. I recommend upping the temp to 465 (from the recommended 450).

#3: Pre-heat your baking sheet or whatever you’re baking them on (I didn’t have the bread stone it called for, so I used a cookie sheet).

#4: Use a spatula to flip them over halfway through. Tongs don’t work (as I quickly found out after my first attempt. Silly me!

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Makes 8 pitas
Cook Time: 5 mins each batch (cook 2 pitas per batch)

  • 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 cups bread flour (I didn’t have this on hand so I used whole wheat pastry flour instead. Bread flour has more gluten and makes the texture better. Pastry flour also has a fairly high gluten content, and I felt they came out just fine)
  • 1 1/2 t salt
  • 1 1/2 t instant yeast (or active dry yeast dissolved into 1/4 cup of the recipe’s water)
  • 1 1/4 cups warm water
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  1. Combine all ingredients together and mix or kneed by hand or mixer until you have a soft supple dough. About 8 minutes by hand, 5 minutes by mixer (the kitchen aid dough hook works perfectly for this!). It should feel tacky to the touch. You may need a bit more flour, but not too much.
  2. Cover the bowl and let rise until approx doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 hours.
  3. Place a baking stone on the bottom rack of your oven and preheat overn to 450 (I did it at 465 to make up for all the in and out I was going to do)
  4. After it’s risen, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Cut each half into 4 equal parts until you have 8 lumps of dough. Form each into a ball, cover and let the dough rest 10 mins. Make sure to keep the dough covered unless you’re working with it at the moment.
  5. After the dough has rested 10 minutes, use a rolling pin to roll out each ball into a circle approx 6 inches diameter and less than 1/4 inch thick. Use only enough flour to prevent sticking but do not over-flour. Keep the waiting dough covered as you work.
  6. Load 2 pitas at a time directly onto the baking stone (or in my case, an ungreased baking sheet). Bake approx 3 mins on one side, flip and bake on the other 2 additional minutes. It should take 3-4 minutes to go into full “balloon”. Turn them once when they are baking.
  7. Stack the warm pitas together in a kitchen towel to keep them from crisping as they cool.
  8. EAT THE PITAS!

Nutrition: 196 cal, 4g fat, 6g protein, 35g carb, 4g fiber.

Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Posted on by

0

These are amazing and addictive! I made them for my family’s Christmas Party as a last minute idea since I didn’t have enough time to make the casserole I was originally planning to make. I didn’t have any white chocolate chips on hand, so I just made them with a mix of milk, semi-sweet, and bittersweet chocolate and no one could tell the difference. They turned out just as well! I also didn’t do the drizzle over the top (lazy!). They were such a hit that I decided to make a second batch for Christmas Eve.

Triple-Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Makes approx 30 cookies.
Recipe from Bon Appetit, December 2004 courtesy of Epicurious.

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 2 ounces milk chocolate or white chocolate, chopped (for drizzling)

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and oats and stir until blended. Stir in all chocolate chips and cranberries.

Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are light brown, about 16 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely.

Stir chopped milk chocolate in top of double boiler until melted and smooth. Using small spoon, drizzle melted chocolate over cookies in zigzag pattern. Let stand until milk chocolate sets, about 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)