Light and Easy Pumpkin Loaf

Whip this up for breakfast, dessert or a nice snack- moist and wholesome!

Ingredients:

1 + 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour will do too)
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup light coconut milk
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 c egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters®)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all of the above ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour into a loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 12 servings
Serving size: 1/12th of recipe Calories 123 Protein 2 g Carb 27 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 16g Fat 1 g Saturated fat <1 g Sodium 16 mg

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Creamy Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce

A nice blend of tangy and creamy, this sauce will liven up your favorite pasta!

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped red bell pepper
2/3 cup chopped white onion
One 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
½ cup fat free half and half (*use a gluten-free brand such as Darigold if you are on a gluten free diet)
ICB or 2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)

Directions:

Spray a large pan with ICB (or coat with 1 teaspoon olive oil), add the onions, garlic and peppers and sauté on medium heat for 7-10 minutes until soft and browned. Then add the tomatoes to the pan and heat for another 3-5 minutes, turn of f heat, add the fresh basil and set aside to cool a bit. \
Carefully transfer the cooled tomato/pepper mixture from the pot into a blender. If you have a smaller blender only add one fourth to half of the mixture at a time (you can put the other half in a large bowl until ready to blend). Blend on low speed for about a minute, until a smooth consistency is reached.

A note about blending hot liquids: In order to be safe, it is recommended when you blend hot liquids that you never fill the jar more than half full, that you put the lid on and then cover it with a dry towel and hold it down by hand. Or instead, cover with the top, but leave out the center plastic covering, place a kitchen towel on top which will allow air to escape more gently Also, use as slow a speed as possible. NEVER blend hot liquids fully covered and at high-initial speed...you're just inviting burns as the hot liquid quickly blends, heats up the air above it, and causes an explosion through the blender top

Put the blended mixture back in the pan, add the fat free half and half and simmer for 5 minutes on low heat.

Makes 4 cups, eight servings
Serving size: ½ cup Calories 70 Protein 2 g Carb 12 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 7 g Fat 1.5 g Saturated fat <1 g Sodium 140 mg

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New Segment: Kid Friendly Eats

Now that I am a new mom with a little one at home, I have to admit that my routine and ways of thinking have changed quite a bit! Words like childproof and phrases such a kid-friendly have become a regular part of my vernacular and my focus with respect to many areas in my life- and this includes food and cooking too. I am still enjoying creating new recipes for my husband, friends and family and maintaining this blog but I also find myself wondering about how things will be in the future when cooking for my daughter is added to the mix. She is only 2 months old now, but time flies and before I know it I will be whipping up tasty (hopefully in her opinion) treats for her tastebuds AND nutrition. So I have decided to add a new category to my posts: KID FRIENDLY. I have already gone back and looked at the recipes created so far so click HERE for a list of them that kids as well as adults can enjoy. I will continue to make a note of these types of recipes from now on as well to add a new dimension to my blog :)

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Fall Pumpkin Cookies

Moist and chewy cookies reminiscent of pumpkin pie…

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 ¼ cups oats (quick or regular)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg or ¼ cup egg substitute
¼ cup margarine
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup raisins
1.5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

Directions:

Note: This dough is best made the day before and refrigerated for at least 8-12 hours ahead of time.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, oats, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice in a small to medium bowl. In a larger bowl, mix the brown sugar, egg, margarine and pumpkin. Slowly start adding the flour mixture to the larger bowl with the egg/sugar mixture until a soft thick dough is formed. Stir in the raisins and drop the cookie dough in rounded spoonfuls (or use a small ice cream scooper) onto a baking sheet to make 24 cookies. Bake for 14- 17 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes 2 dozen cookies
Serving size: 1 cookie Calories 100 Protein 2 g Carb 12 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 9 g Fat 2.5 g saturated fat 0g Sodium 85 mg

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Grilled Eggplant Roll Ups

A fun appetizer or a hearty side dish with Italian flair

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant
3 sticks light string cheese (*use a gluten-free brand such as Trader Joe's if you are on a gluten-free diet)
6 tablespoons marinara or tomato Sauce
3- 6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Aluminum foil, cooking spray and toothpicks

Directions:

Rinse and cut the eggplant lengthwise into ¼ inch thick strips (should make about 6). Place on a heated grill (or nonstick pan) and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes each side. Set aside to cool a bit. Meanwhile rinse and chop the basil and cut each string cheese in half vertically, to make two shorter sticks. Lay the eggplant slices on a clean surface and spread one tablespoon of marinara sauce on each. Sprinkle with basil. Place one of the string cheese halves at the top of each slice and roll the eggplant around it and place a dampened toothpick through the middle to secure. Put the roll ups back on the grill or heated pan for another 3-5 minutes until warmed and the cheese is melted.

Makes 6 servings

Serving size: 1 roll up Calories 50 Protein 5 g Carb 7 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 2 g Fat 1 g Saturated fat <1 g Sodium 180 mg

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Continuation of the last post: Ridiculously Easy Version of Strawberry Vinaigrette

I forgot to list a second, easier way to make the Strawberry Vinaigrette in my last post, so here it is-Strawberry Vinaigrette Ridiculously Easy version:

Just blend ¼ cup your favorite fat free balsamic vinaigrette (I like Trader Joes brand) with ¼ cup fresh strawberries, 2 tablespoons water and pepper to taste.

Makes about ½ cup, 4 servings
Serving size: ¼ of recipe (about 2 tablespoons) Calories 16 Protein 0 g Carb 4 g Fiber 0 g Sugars 3 Fat 0 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 43 mg

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Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

A beautiful looking salad that pairs savory with sweet- perfectly!

Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh spinach leaves, rinsed well and patted dry
1 cup washed and sliced fresh strawberries
¼ cup slivered almonds
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese (*use a gluten-free brand such as Trader Joe's if you are on a gluten-free diet)

Directions:

Toss all of the above ingredients in a large bowl, chill if not serving immediately. Add the dressing (see recipe below) just before serving.

Makes 4 servings
Serving size: ¼ of recipe Calories 120 Protein 7 g Carb 6 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 3 g Fat 9 g Saturated fat 4 g Sodium 75 mg

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup chopped fresh strawberries
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons sugar or honey
a few dashes of pepper (optional)

Directions:

Put all of the above ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until smooth. Chill if not serving immediately.

Makes about ½ cup, 4 servings
Serving size: ¼ of recipe (about 2 tablespoons) Calories 70 Protein 0 g Carb 5 g Fiber 0 g Sugars 4 g Fat 5 g Saturated fat <1 g Sodium 0 mg

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Parmesan Crusted Chicken

This basic but tasty chicken recipe gives you an entrée which is a blank culinary canvas, you can add your favorite herbs/spices to jazz up the breading and/or serve with the sauce/dip of your liking..

Ingredients:

16 ounces raw chicken breasts (about 4 average or 2 very large)
1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 egg whites
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 whole wheat English muffins(I used Oroweat double fiber) or 2 cups whole wheat breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. To make homemade breadcrumbs, cut the English muffins into small cubes and convert to breadcrumbs by putting in a blender or food processor on high for 10-15 seconds. Spread the breadcrumbs on a large plate and mix with the parmesan cheese. Put the egg substitute/whites in a small plate or shallow bowl. Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture to wet each side and then coat each side with bread crumbs. Place the coated chicken breasts on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes. Flip them over and bake for another 15 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center.

Makes 4 servings
Serving size: 1 small chieken breast (or 1/2 large) Calories 229 Protein 33g Carb 14 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 2 g Fat 4.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 378 mg

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Triple Tomato Bisque

Fresh, canned and sundried tomatoes plus a few simple ingredients come together to create this soup that’s smooth and full of flavor.

Ingredients:

Two 14 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
Two 14 ounce cans of chicken or vegetable broth (*use a gluten-free brand such as Progresso Natural if you are on a gluten-free diet)
1 1/3 cup diced fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes
2/3 cups diced onion or shallots
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup fat free half and half (*use a gluten-free brand such as Darigold if you are on a gluten-free diet)
1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

Add the teaspoon olive to a large pot, throw in the shallots, (or onion), fresh tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, oregano and garlic powder and sauté for a few minutes on medium heat until soft. Add the broth, canned tomatoes and simmer for 5-10 minutes. . Remove the tomato broth mixture from heat, let cool a bit and add the fresh basil. Carefully transfer the soup into a blender. If you have a smaller blender only add one fourth to half of the mixture at a time (you can put the other half in a large bowl until ready to blend). Blend on low speed for about a minute, until a smooth consistency is reached.

A note about blending hot liquids: In order to be safe, it is recommended when you blend hot liquids that you never fill the jar more than half full, that you put the lid on and then cover it with a dry towel and hold it down by hand. Or instead, cover with the top, but leave out the center plastic covering, place a kitchen towel on top which will allow air to escape more gently Also, use as slow a speed as possible. NEVER blend hot liquids fully covered and at high-initial speed...you're just inviting burns as the hot liquid quickly blends, heats up the air above it, and causes an explosion through the blender top

Put the blended mixture back in the saucepan and warm on low heat stirring frequently (to prevent the thick soup from spattering.) Add the fat free half and half and simmer for 5 minutes on low heat until uniformly heated.

Makes 10 cups, 10 servings
Serving size: 1 cup Calories 45 Protein 2 g Carb 9 g Fiber 1g Sugars 4 g Fat < 1g Saturated fat <1g Sodium 520 mg

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Super Simple Potato Salad

I had a couple of requests to develop a potato salad recipe so I whipped this one up. Pretty tasty and low in fat too!

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds new potatoes (I used a combo of red, purple and white)
½ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely chopped green onion
½ cup light mayo (*use a gluten-free brand such as Best Foods if you are on a gluten-free diet)
¼ cup non fat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil the potatoes in a large pot of water for 25-30 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the water and place the potatoes to cool in the fridge for about 1-2 hours. Once cooled, chop into small chunks and place in a large bowl with the celery and green onion. In a smaller bowl combine the light mayo, Greek yogurt and vinegar and add this mixture to the potatoes. Stir until evenly coated and add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4.5 cups, 9 servings

Serving size: ½ cup Calories 100 Protein 2 g Carb 14 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 2 g Fat 4.5 g saturated fat <1 g Sodium 120 mg

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