Autumn Apple Cake

A moist, dense snack cake, a perfect use for fall apples in season.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg or ¼ cup egg substitute
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup margarine, melted
¼ cup light maple syrup
½ cup 0% Greek yogurt
3 cups chopped apples


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, cinnamon and baking soda in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, mix the brown sugar, maple syrup, egg, margarine, and Greek yogurt. 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 chopped apples and add batter to a 9 X 9 inch pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 35 minutes or until lightly a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Makes 12 servings
Serving size: 1/12th of recipe Calories 138 Protein 3 g Carb 23 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 15 g Fat 4 g Saturated fat <1 g Sodium 233 mg

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The BAD/BETTER/BEST of Foods Challenge Post # 6

RICE

BAD – white rice

This rice is milled, or refined, and though this helps it cook quicker and keep longer, it comes at the price of less nutritional value. There is very little fiber in white rice, less than a gram and it has the lowest vitamin and mineral content of all the rice varieties, unless it is artificially fortified.

BETTER/BEST - whole grain rices (brown rice, wild rice, black rice)

These rice varieties are unmilled so they retain their bran and germ components, making them good source of whole grain. Brown rice, wild rice and black rice are much higher in fiber, containing 2-3 times more than white rice. In addition they are rich in antioxidants and vitamins and minerals, such as iron. They have a heartier texture and nuttier flavor in comparison to white rice as well. To get your dose of healthy whole grains from rice try my Lime Cilantro Rice, Fiesta Rice or Veggie Fried Rice recipes

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Veggie Fried Rice

Delicious fried rice without all the fat….

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked brown rice (I used Trader Joes instant microwavable)
1/2 cup diced green onion
1 cup diced celery (a couple stalks)
1 cup chopped or matchstick carrots
1/2 cup corn or peas
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1-2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
¼- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped nuts (peanuts or cashews)

Directions:

Wash, cut and measure all of the vegetables and chop up the nuts (or you can put the 1/4 cup in a baggie, seal it and crush them). Begin cooking the rice according to package directions.
While the rice is cooking, put the tablespoon sesame oil and all the veggies in a separate large skillet, wok or flat saucepan and put on medium to high heat and sauté, stirring constantly. . Cook for about 7-10 minutes or until they are slightly tender and remove from heat. Once the rice is done, add it into the pan with the veggies. Return to medium heat, add the tablespoon of soy sauce, chopped nuts and the basil and stir well to coat/mix and until warm, about 2-3 minutes.

Makes 4 cups, 4 servings

Serving size: 1 cup Calories 210 Protein 5 g Carb 33 g Fiber 4g Sugars 3 g Fat 4g Saturated fat 1g Sodium 460 mg

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Moroccan Stew

Exotic and hearty, a satisfying stew to add warmth and spice to a chilly night.
Ingredients:
¼ cup chopped white onion
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced zucchini
2 cups cubed eggplant
One 14 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed well
Two 14.5 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1.5 teaspoons curry
1.5 teaspoons cumin
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon tumeric
(note: if you like less spice, use 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, curry and cumin instead of 1.5)
ICB spray or olive oil using olive oil sprayer (if both n/a use a teaspoon of olive oil)

Directions:

In a small bowl combine spices and canned tomatoes and set aside. Wash and chop all the vegetables. Put the onions and carrots into a large sized pot sprayed with ICB or olive oil sprayer (or 1 teaspoon olive oil) and sauté until just before tender (about 5-10 minutes). Put in the rest of the veggies, canned tomatoes/spice mixture and beans in and bring to a light boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 12-17 minutes.
Makes 7 cups, seven servings:

Serving size: 1 cup Calories 110 Protein 4 g Carb 20 g Fiber 6 g Sugars 8 g Fat 1.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 400 mg

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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.

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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
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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