Pumpkin Pancakes

Great starter for a cool fall morning or a special Halloween breakfast!

Ingredients:

1 cup oat flour (if you are on a gluten free diet use a brand such as Bob’s Red Mill or you can make your own to by grinding gluten free oats in food processor)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-2 Tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ cup egg whites
2/3 cup nonfat milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
¼ cup cooked pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

Directions:

In a small bowl combine the baking powder, flour, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice together. To a larger bowl add the egg whites, pumpkin and milk and whisk together. Then slowly whisk in the flour mixture until a smooth, thin batter is formed. Let stand for a few minutes. Add ¼ cup (for 1 pancake) to a non stick skillet, or one coated with cooking spray and heat on high heat for 1-2 minutes each side. Repeat with ¼ cup mixture 5 more times for a total of six small pancakes.

Makes 6 pancakes

Serving size: 1 pancake Calories 80 Protein 3 g Carb 14 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 5 g Fat 1.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 135 mg

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Just a few simple ingredients easily combine to create this amazing treat. Great for dessert, a snack- maybe even breakfast!

Ingredients:

1 cup oats (old fashioned, not quick), if you are on a gluten-free diet, use gluten-free oats
½ cup creamy natural peanut butter
½ cup light maple syrup
¼ cup sugar free or reduced sugar jelly (I’ve used Welch’s Reduced Sugar Strawberry or Trader Joes Reduced Sugar Blueberry)

Directions:

Add the peanut butter and maple syrup to a small-medium pan and warm on low heat stirring frequently until blended together and softened (a very thick liquid consistency)- about 3-4 minutes. Pour in the oats and continue to stir until mixed well, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool and press mixture into an 8 by 8 inch pan. (Lining the pan with parchment paper and folding it over to press down works nicely.) Chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes to allow it to harden a bit. Take the mixture out of the fridge and use a sharp knife to make a cut down the center, dividing t into two large rectangle shaped halves. Spread the ¼ cup jelly across one of the halves and place the other halve on top , like a large sandwich. (Using a spatula is helpful to scoop it up without breaking it.) Wrap the sandwich mixture in parchment paper or foil and refridgerate another 1-2 hours . Take it out and cut it into 8 squares, then cut each smaller square in half diagonally to make a triangle ( for a total of 16) and serve. Store in the fridge.

Makes 16 triangles, 16 servings

Serving size: 1/16th of recipe Calories 86 Protein 3 g Carb 9 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 5 g Fat 4 g Saturated fat <1 g Sodium 56 mg

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Mediterranean Inspired Sauce

A hearty and versatile sauce that is great over pasta, cous cous, brown rice or even works well as a stew base to add beans or meat to.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped white onion
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped, (or 2 teaspoons crushed/jarred)
one 8 ounce package sliced white or crimini mushrooms
1 teaspoon olive oil
one 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
one 15 ounce can tomato sauce
¼ cup chopped green olives
¼ c capers
1-2 teaspoons oregano
2 tablespoons red wine (optional)
chopped basil and parmesan cheese (optional for garnish)

Directions:

Add one teaspoon olive oil to a large pan or skillet, add eggplant, garlic, onion and peppers and sauté on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, until soft and starting to brown. Throw in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms olives, capers, oregano and wine and simmer for 12-17 minutes until all the veggies are very soft and tender. Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil.

Variation: if you are watching sodium, use low sodium, tomatoes and tomato sauce

Makes 8 cups, 8 servings

Serving size: 1 cup Calories 81 Protein 2.5 g Carb 9 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 4 g Fat 2 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 603 mg

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Mexican Pizzas

A new and fun twist on pizza!

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 corn tortillas (*get corn tortillas with no gluten of you are on a gluten-free diet)
½ cup diced bell peppers (red, green, yellow or a mix)
½ cup canned black beans, rinsed
½ cup finely chopped mushroom
¼ cup finely diced white onion
¼ cup enchilada sauce (I used Frontera, which is gluten-free)
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese (*use a gluten-free brand such as Trader Joes if you are on a gluten-free diet)
4 teaspoons chopped cilantro
4 tablespoons chopped avocado

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put the olive oil in a small dish and lightly brush both sides of each tortilla and place them on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spread one tablespoon of enchilada sauce over each tortilla, top with the onion, peppers, mushrooms and black beans. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges of the tortilla are crispy. Remove from oven, sprinkle one tablespoon of cheese over each tortilla, return to oven and bake for another two minutes, or until cheese is melted. Garnish each with one teaspoon cilantro and one tablespoon avocado and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Serving size 1 pizza (w/o avocado) Calories 130 Protein 5 g Carb 19 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 2 g Fat 6 g Saturated fat 2 g Sodium 290 mg

Serving size 1 pizza (w/ avocado) Calories 150 Protein 5 g Carb 20 g Fiber 5 g Sugars 2 g Fat 7 g Saturated fat 2 g Sodium 290 mg

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