Sweet Squash

Ever find yourself wanting to incorporate more veggies into your diet, but not really having the drive to? Have an undeniable sweet tooth? Are you cold and want something to warm you up? Want your kitchen to smell amazing? Looks like I have just the recipe for you- and it's easy, too! Forget your typical microwave veggies. This squash dish is sure to please you and your family!

Ingredients:
-20oz pre-cut butternut squash
-2 tsp granulated sugar
-1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
-Set oven to 350
-Put squash in pyrex with 1 inch water
-Bake for 30-45 minutes (or until you can easily stick a fork through squash)
-Mash squash in medium-sized bowl and add in sugar and cinnamon

-Makes 4-6 servings

-Nutrition (4 servings): 65.75 calories, 15g carb, .4g fiber, 1.2g protein

-Nutrition (6 servings): 43.8 calories, 10g carb, .2g fiber, .8g protein

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

This may just be my favorite muffin to date. It is absolutely delicious and super easy to adapt to suit your own particular flavor cravings. I got the original recipe from SparkPeople.com and I have included the link below for your perusal. The moist texture and cinnamon flavor are absolutely wonderful in this 94 calorie treat. They have officially become part of my breakfast regiment!

Ingredients:
-1 cup Old Fashioned Quaker Oats
-1 cup skim milk
-1 cup wheat flour
-1/2 cup brown sugar (I suggest granulated)
-1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
-2 egg whites
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 tsp granulated sugar

Directions:
-In large bowl, combine oats and milk and let sit for 1 hour
-After 1 hour, set oven for 400
-Add applesauce and egg whites to oat mix
-In smaller bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar
-Add to wet mix until just mixed together
-Fill lightly sprayed muffin tin (12 muffins)
-Bake 15-20 minutes

Nutrition: 93.5 cal, .5g fat, .4g cholesterol, 196.2mg sodium (probably less for my recipe), 20.5g carb, 1.7g fiber, 2.9g protein

Notes:
-Original recipe calls for cinnamon and granulated sugar to be added on top (I like them in the mix).
-Original recipe calls for 20 minute baking time (I think it's a little too long).
-Original recipe calls for salt (I took it out).



Here is the original recipe URL: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=5763

Zucchini Sticks!

Ok, this is the last recipe that I served at my New Year's party- it's still January, so I think I'm ok! :-). These are a healthy alternative to potato chips, french fries, etc. They are oven-baked and when done right are quite tasty! The ingredient list is fairly simple and the recipe itself is really easy. Credit is due to EatingWell.com. I did modify it ever so slightly. The pic on their website is much yummier looking than mine!

Ingredients:
-Cooking spray
-1/2 cup wheat flour
-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
-2 tbs cornmeal
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
-2-3 medium zucchini
-2 egg whites

Directions:
-Set oven to 475
-Coat baking sheet with cooking spray
-Cut zucchini into 3 X 1/2 inch pieces
-Combine both flours, cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a ziplock (or equivalent) bag
-Put egg whites in a bowl
-Drop zucchini sticks (one by one) into egg bowl then into flour bag and shake
-Place coated sticks on baking sheet (not touching)
-Spray all the sticks once on baking sheet
-Bake for 10 minutes
-Flip sticks and bake for another 10 minutes (respraying sticks)
-Do this until they are crispy (not burnt)

-Makes 4 servings

Notes:
-I baked these above the center rack
-You may need to bake them for longer
-You may want to add spices for more flavor

Nutrition: 127 calories, 2g fat, 23g carb, 427mg sodium, 7g protein, 4g fiber, 524mg potassium

Here is the link to the original recipe: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/oven_fried_zucchini.html

Blueberry apple cider muffins

This is another recipe that I made on my own. I like this one better than the Chocolate yogurt oat muffins. The blueberries really make this. All of the ingredients go into one bowl, so it's also a very easy recipe to make! :-). Unbelievably- it's under 90 calories! Let me know if you try this!



Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cups wheat flour
-1/2 cup Old-Fashioned Quaker Oats
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 cup apple cider
-1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
-1 cup blueberries (fresh are best)
-1/4 cup cold water (optional)

Directions:
-Set oven at 375
-Mix flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda in a large bowl
-Add in applesauce, cider, vanilla extract and mix
-If mixture is too sticky, add in water and stir
-Add in blueberries
-Put mix in lightly sprayed muffin tin
-Bake for 18-25 minutes

-Makes 12 muffins


Nutrition: 89.25 calories, .3g fat, 18.75g carb, 2.6g fiber, 2.5g protein

Sugar lovers- you will probably not like this so much. They aren't super sweet, but they are tasty. For more sweetness, sub in cinnamon applesauce or regular applesauce. You can always add some sugar to the top. I'm content with them like this, but I'm also used to eating like this. The beauty of them being less than 90 calories is that you can add in other ingredients and still keep the calorie total around 100 calories per muffin.

Cezerye

This is a continuation of my posts about food I served at my New Year's party. I didn't get to serve this one, but I did prepare it and have been enjoying it ever since! It's a delicious carrot dessert from GiveRecipe.com. It's a traditional Turkish recipe that is super simple and super delicious. It has a lot of sugar, so I can't vouch for it being completely healthy, but it does have carrots and walnuts!

Ingredients:
-2 cups shredded carrots
-1 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 cup chopped walnuts
-2 tsp cinnamon
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened coconut (to coat carrot mixture)

Directions:
-In a saucepan on medium heat, combine sugar and carrots
-Mix until a thickened texture is reached
-According to several recipes, this texture means sticks to one finger when rolled between two
-You may need to add water (but not too soon!- you might not need it at all!)
-Add in cinnamon and vanilla and stir through
-Add walnuts and stir through
-Flatten mixture out on a piece of parchment paper (1 inch thick)
-Wrap in parchment paper and place in fridge for a few hours
-Remove from fridge and paper and cut into pieces
-Toss pieces in shredded coconut

Nutrition (18 pieces): 85.7 calories each

I love this! It's such a yummy treat. I know I usually post healthy things, but I was intrigued by how easy this looked. I made the mistake of putting in water while the carrots and sugar were heating. Thus, my mixture didn't solidify right in the fridge. I put it in the freezer and coated it with coconut and it's still in there. I snack on it periodically. I'll let you know next time I try it if it works better!

Curried veggie and cheese roast

Every once in a while I find it useful to purge my kitchen of things that I fear will expire. I don't like wasting food if I can avoid it. This tendency leads to some interesting creations. This one is full of veggies and is made delicious by adding lots of cheese that melts right into it. The cheese and veggie combo is interesting. This is surprisingly filling! You can put it into a wrap or over rice (calorie info for both listed). I also seem to be on a curry kick...hmm. It's working so far!


Ingredients:
-1 cup chopped carrots
-1/2 cucumber
-1 small zucchini (optional)
-1/4 large onion
-1 tsp minced garlic
-1 tsp curry powder
-1/4 cup fat free ricotta
-1/4 cup part skim mozzarella

Directions:
-Preheat oven at 350
-Steam carrots
-Combine carrots, cucumber, ricotta, onion, garlic, curry, (zucchini if you have it)
-Spread in lightly sprayed oven-safe dish
-Sprinkle with mozzarella
-Cook for 20 minutes or until cheese is fully melted
-Eat like this or place in a wrap

Nutrition: This entire concoction (including both wrap and zucchini) is only 337 calories. Take out the wrap and zucchini and you're down to 237 calories.

As usual, this recipe is open for adjustment. You can add in your own veggies/spices. If the cheese doesn't work for you, take it out or use a different kind. You can put it over a serving of rice for 467 calories. It's completely up to you!

Chocolate Oat Yogurt muffins

I decided to try my hand and a brand new recipe that I could completely call my own. This was my first attempt at becoming Martha Stewart. They aren't too bad, actually! They are very moist and a good source of protein and fiber. I also try to bake without butter/oil/eggs as often as I can. Not that I dislike those things, but the butter/oil is bad for you and I don't always keep eggs in the house. Note: I baked these with things I found around my kitchen, so they are a bit of a hodge-podge of items. Read below for switchout options to try on your own! :-)

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cup wheat flour
-4 tbs cocoa powder
-1/2 cup Old-Fashioned Quaker Oats
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 container Dannon Light & Fit yogurt (I chose strawberry banana)
-1 cup apple cider
-1 tbs brown sugar

Directions:
-Set oven to 375
-In one bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda
-In another bowl, combine applesauce, vanilla, yogurt, cider, brown sugar
-Combine mixtures and fill lightly sprayed muffin tin
-Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

-Makes 12 muffins

Nutrition: 97 calories, .5g fat, 21.3g carb, 2.6g fiber, 3.1g protein

Switchouts/suggestions: You can use any flavor yogurt you want or go with plain and add a bit more sugar and perhaps some fresh fruit (like blueberries or chopped apples).

Apple Cider Cinnamon Oat muffins

Mmmm muffins!

It's snowing out, you don't quite want to venture outside yet to do all that shoveling. Still have electricity? Try making these warm, hearty, yummy muffins! They're quick and delicious! The original recipe for these is in my Lighten Up cookbook, but I changed it up a bit to produce this one.



Ingredients:
-1 1/4 cup wheat flour
-3/4 cup Old-Fashioned Quaker Oats (separated)
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
-1 cup skim milk
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-1 tbs plus another 1 tsp cinnamon (separated)
-2 tbs white sugar
-3 tbs brown sugar
-3 tbs apple cider

Directions:
-Set oven at 375
-Mix flour, 1/4 cup oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt in one bowl
-Mix applesauce, milk, vanilla, 1 tbs cinnamon, white sugar in another bowl
-Combine mixtures
-Fill 12 cup lightly sprayed muffin tin with batter
-In separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup oats, brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, apple cider
-Sprinkle this mixture over muffins and pat down
-Bake for 15-20 minutes

-Makes 12 muffins/servings

Nutrition: 98 calories, .5g fat, 15.7g carb, 2.5g fiber, 3g protein)

Notes: The original recipe called for apple juice, not cider. It also called for a full cup of oats for the topping. I found that I didn't need it- these tasted just fine!

Bean and lean beef chili

The impending snowstorm about to slam New England inspired me to cook up something yummy, warm, and healthy. I started getting a craving for chili. Fortunately, the internet has a plethora of recipes to try. I found this great chili recipe on eatingwell.com. I changed it up ever so slightly, but I do give credit to them for the original.



Ingredients:
-1 pound extra lean ground beef (93% lean)
-1 large red bell pepper
-1 large onion
-6 garlic cloves
-1 tsp chili powder
-2 tsp cumin
-2 tsp paprika
-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
-1/4 cup water
-1 16oz jar of enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso)
-1 15oz can pinto beans (rinse them)

Directions:
-Chop red pepper and onion
-In a large saucepan, combine and ground beef, pepper, onion until meat is browned
-Chop garlic and add that along with chili powder, cumin, paprika, and cayenne
-Add in water and enchilada sauce, bring to light boil, simmer 15 minutes
-Add in pinto beans and simmer again 5 minutes

Makes 4 servings (12 oz each)

Nutrition info: 307 calories, 8 g fat, 29 g carbohydrates, 27 g protein, 6 g fiber, 516 mg sodium [For full nutrition info, see eatingwell.com's beef & bean chili recipe]

Switchouts: kidney beans for pinto beans, 1 tbs chili powder and no paprika, taco sauce or equivalent for enchilada sauce.

This made my kitchen smell phenomenal. I made some Monday night and will have it through Thursday night- perfect!

Homemade corn muffins

I have officially found a new component to my breakfast! I found this recipe in my Lighten Up! cookbook. These corn muffins are super easy to make and are very healthy. The entire process takes about 20-25 minutes and you can freeze what you don't eat! The list of ingredients is fairly basic, too. You may not even need to venture to the grocery to make them!

Ingredients:
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-1 cup cornmeal
-1 1/4 cup skim milk
-1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
-2 tbs sugar
-1 tbs baking powder
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
-Set oven at 375
-Lightly spray muffin tin (or line them)
-Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt in large bowl
-Combine milk, applesauce, vanilla in medium sized bowl
-Add wet mix to dry mix
-Spoon mix into muffin tin
-Bake for 15 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).

-Makes 12 muffins

-Nutrition: 98 calories, 3g protein, 2.2g fiber, 21.2g carbs

These muffins are quite dense, so you'll want them with your coffee/tea or some butter or jam. They don't have the oily and sugary taste of normal cornbread, so prepare yourself. :-)

I made up a batch and I'm freezing my leftovers, so I can take them out and heat them as I want to eat them.

Homemade Salsa and Chips

This is my new favorite party snack! I adapted the salsa recipe from allrecipes.com, but I changed it up a bit. The chips are my own. :-)

Homemade Chips:
Ingredients:
-6 inch tortillas (2 tortillas per serving)

Directions:
-Set oven at 475 and move rack to second rung from top
-Lightly spray and wipe off baking sheet
-Cut tortillas into 6 triangles and place on baking sheet
-Bake for 5-10 minutes (until light brown on edges)
-Flip and bake for another couple of minutes


Cooking time can vary depending on how crispy you want them.

Nutrition info: 160 for 12 chips (2 tortillas)

Exchange options: Corn tortillas, etc. The Cedar's brand are sodium heavy, so just watch out for that.

Homemade Salsa:
Ingredients:
-2 small zucchinis
-1/2 large cucumber
-finely diced coriander
-1 cup cantaloupe cubes
-2 jalapeno peppers (depending on hotness preference- with or without seeds)
-1/2 large onion
-1 tbs lemon juice
-1 tsp minced garlic
-Dashes of salt and pepper



Directions:
-Chop zucchini, cucumber, cantaloupe, jalapeno into 1/3 dime sized pieces
-Finely chop coriander, onion
-Combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl
-Stir
-Chill for 1-2 hours

Nutrition: 15-20 calories per serving (makes 10-15 servings)

Total nutrition: 175-180 calories

Curried stuffed tomatoes

The next several posts will be dedicated to the recipes I tried for my New Year's Eve party. They were all new and thus quite an experiment! These tomatoes are adapted from a recipe that I found on Giverecipe.com. The lady who runs that site originally filled these with feta and served them cold (no baking). I wanted something warm for a chilly night though.

Ingredients:
-12 small tomatoes
-3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
-Curry powder

Directions:
-Set oven at 350
-Spray cooking dish lightly and wipe off most oil
-Carve the tops of all of the tomatoes off
-Remove seeds, etc. from tomatoes
-Fill tomatoes with cheese (I mix cheese a bit first)
-Sprinkle with curry powder
-Place tomatoes in dish and cover
-Cook 25-30 minutes

Nutrition: less than 36 calories per tomato

This recipe is very basic and can be jazzed up by using different cheeses and spices. You can also experiment with tomato size.