Grape-Nut Pudding: This one's for you, Mom.

Reminiscing about going out to eat as a kid with my family, I recall one dessert item my mother always liked. Grape nut pudding.
I've not had it in years, but there's something very homey and comforting about this dessert (or snack). But not only is it comforting, it's loaded with calcium and protein, and my version is low in fat.
The thought came into my head to try to make it (and well, once a thought is in my head about food these days, the pregnancy takes over and I.must.have.it.now).
Here's the recipe I played around with, I hope it brings you back, also!


What you need:
3 cups of skim milk
3 eggs (You could definitely substitute egg beaters here, I just do not currently have any in the house)
1/2 of sugar
1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (eh, toss a little extra in there) of grape-nuts cereal
pinch of salt
1 tsp of vanilla extract


How to make it:
Place all ingredients in a large bowl. With a hand mixer, blend until eggs and other ingredients are well combined (maybe about a minute on medium speed).

Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non stick cooking spray and add the custard mix to the pan.
Place the 8x8 pan in a water bath in a larger pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, or until firm (very little jiggle).

 Best served with whipped cream!

Servings, about 6-- Roughly 2/3 cup per serving- picture below? Not to scale! 

Amount per Serving

Calories 170

Calories from Fat 21.8

Total Fat 2.42g

Saturated Fat 0.75g

Cholesterol 109.5mg

Sodium 166.67mg

Total Carbohydrate 31.17g

Dietary Fiber 1.17g

Sugars 22.83g

Protein 8g

Pesto Dip Revisited

I'm having a few ladies over my house tomorrow and wanted to try something new. We're having a bunch of appetizers, salads, and desserts and I wanted to make a pesto for either crostinis, vegetables, or both!


However, I had no pine nuts in my pantry (insert sound of tiny violin playing). But I did have pistachios!


So I decided that I wanted to make a quick and easy dip or spread, and it would be Spinach Pistachio Pesto.


Here's the recipe!


About 2.5-3 cups of baby spinach
About 1 cup of basil leaves
About 3 very large garlic cloves
3-4 tbsp of grated parmesan 
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup roasted pistachios (place in a skillet on medium low heat for about 5-6 minutes, shaking pan occasionally)
Kosher salt and pepper
About a 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (one specific for dressings and marinades will be best)


Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until blended. Season with salt and pepper.
With the food processor running, slowly stream in the oil. Mixture will be thick. If using recipe for pasta, add some more oil. If using as a dip or spread; leave as is.


Note: Due to the limited "not good for you" ingredients in this recipe, I've omitted the nutrition information. The recipe should easily serve 8-10 people.


Enjoy!

The best damn brownies, ever.

Yeah. I try to stay healthy. I exercise. I watch what I eat (most of the time- definitely not as much since becoming pregnant). And often my treats on my blog are healthier alternatives to full calorie/full fat delectables.


I wanted brownies....and I wanted them bad since watching Ina Garten, Ms. Barefoot Contessa, make her Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies on the Food Network last week. Don't be mistaken. I have seen this episode about 18 times; but this last time is what did me in. I had to have these.

So hats off, Ina. You've done it again. Sure, I still made a few changes. It wouldn't be me if I didn't. But honestly, If they taste this good with minor (I'm talking very minor) adaptations, imagine what they would be like with no changes at all!


These are the damn best brownies, ever. And therefore, no nutrition information will be provided. Just enjoy them.


Adapted from: Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies: Ina Garten

1 pound unsalted butter (I used 1/2 lb unsalted butter & 1/2 lb land o lakes light butter)
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
3/4 cup egg beaters
1.5 tbsp ground coffee 
1 tbsp brewed coffee
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an aluminum foil lined 12 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan with non stick cooking spray and sprinkle some flour over it.

Melt together the butter (I diced the butter so it would melt quicker), 16 ounces of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, egg beaters, ground coffee, brewed coffee,  vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add this to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the remaining 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. 

Pour into the prepared sheet pan. Spoon the peanut butter over the top of the chocolate mixture and using a knife, swirl it through the chocolate mixture. I placed 3 large spoonfuls in different places on the batter to ease the spreading of the mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes, then tap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie batter. Bake for about 10  minutes more or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Allow to chill, completely, prior to cutting into these love bugs.

Easy Weeknight Dinner: Salmon Croquettes

Growing up, one dish my mother always made was salmon croquettes. They were also something I never passed up. 
Now, her sides of choice were (and still are!) peas and mashed potatoes. While that works well, I really am not a fan of peas, and like to bring in other grains and starches into my diet. So, I chose to use Trader Joes Healthy Grains mix which is a combination of Quinoa, Cous Cous, and other great grains. You could try using Quinoa or Cous Cous alone, and it would work well.


So I revisited this home style classic and was so impressed with the results, I decided to share with you. You'll be impressed with how quick this dinner is & the total calories for both dishes is under 500 calories. Enjoy!


What you need for the croquette patties:

• 1 can (about 15 ounces) Alaskan pink salmon
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 a medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp (about) dried dill weed
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
• Roughly 3 tbsp of Smart Balance Omega-3 Vegetable Oil (obviously, any vegetable oil will work; but this is what I used)

How you make them:
Drain the can of salmon. Mash the salmon, eggs, regular bread crumbs, minced garlic, diced onion, salt, pepper, dill weed, parsley.

Make into patties. Place the panko in a bowl or a plate for dipping. Dip the croquettes into the panko. 

Heat the oil in a 12" fry pan. Fry patties about 4 minutes each side until golden brown.


Seriously. That's it.

The facts for the salmon:

Serving Size: 1.25 patties (batch makes about 5)

Amount per Serving

Calories 223

Calories from Fat 89.7

Total Fat 9.97g

Saturated Fat 2.63g

Cholesterol 132.5mg

Sodium 580.06mg

Total Carbohydrate 11.8g

Dietary Fiber 1.01g

Sugars 1.63g

 Protein 20.11g

Now for the grains.

What you need:

1 1/4 cups of Trader Joes Healthy Grains 

1 3/4 cups of water

1 tbsp smart balance light butter spread

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 a medium cucumber, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 ounces light feta cheese, diced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tsp dried dill weed

1/4 tsp kosher salt

How you make it:

Chop the vegetables and feta cheese, set aside.

Boil the water and butter. When boiling, add in the grains. Cover and simmer per package directions, approximately 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, dill, and salt. When the grains are done, add the dressing to the grains. Turn off the heat and add the vegetables and feta.

The facts for the grains:

Serving Size: 1 cup (makes about 4-5 cups approximately)

Amount per serving:

Calories 267

Calories from Fat 79.1

Total Fat 8.79g

Saturated Fat 2.1g

Cholesterol 6mg

Sodium 77.2mg

Total Carbohydrate 37.39g

Dietary Fiber 2.73g

Sugars 2.96g

Protein 9.6g

Done and done. Under 30 minutes and you have a meal that is high in protein and tastes delicious.

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Snickerdoodle Cookies

Whenever I want a cookie, it never fails I am missing an ingredient in the house. I really wanted chocolate chip or chocolate chocolate cookies today, but alas. No chocolate chips.


I still wanted to bake cookies though. As long as you have cream of tartar in your cabinet...you have everything (most likely) you need for a Snickerdoodle.

Ingredients:

Oven to 375 degrees.

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup smart balance light (like all my recipes, you can sub regular butter instead; just don't pay attention to my nutrition facts)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.5 tbsp granulated sugar + 1 tsp ground cinnamon for rolling the cookies in prior to baking

How to:

Either with your stand mixer or an electric mixer, beat the butter for about 30 seconds until whipped. Add in the sugar. Mix until combined. Add the cream of tartar and baking soda. Next mix in the egg & vanilla. Blend until combined. Add in the flour. Place plastic wrap over the mix and chill the cookie dough either for 40-45 minutes in the freezer or 60 minutes in the fridge.

When the dough is ready, take a tablespoon and roll the dough into your palms and then roll the ball in the sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Place each ball on a non stick sprayed cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 11 minutes. 

These are easy and tasty cookies for when you just need something sweet.

Serving Size: 1 cookie, yields 24 cookies

Amount per Serving

Calories 78

Calories from Fat 16.7

Total Fat 1.86g

Saturated Fat 0.56g

Cholesterol 8.96mg

Sodium 40.73mg

Total Carbohydrate 14.46g

Dietary Fiber 0.3g

Sugars 8.27g

Protein 1g

Blueberry Muffins, for a snowy (or any) morning!

Not going to lie, I was pretty happy that we were getting slammed by snow today. This meant a few things.
1. Work from home
2. Multi tasking from home
3. Baking


I know I have definitely abandoned my poor blog for some time; and I feel awfully bad about it. 
So, here's my way of making it up to you.

Blueberry Muffins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
What you need- For the muffin mix:

• 1.5 cups of all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp of kosher salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup of skim milk
• 1 cup of fresh blueberries (if you use frozen, thaw them first and dry them)

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup of butter, diced  (I used land o lake "light" butter for this. My nutrition facts are based on this)
• 2 tsp of cinnamon

For the mix; in a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder. In a 1 cup measuring cup, measure out 1/3 cup of applesauce. Add the egg. And then enough milk to fill to the 1 cup line. 

Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture. DO NOT OVER MIX! Fold in the blueberries. Again, do not over mix.

For the topping, mix with a fork the butter, sugar, and cinnamon until crumbly.

Spray a muffin tin with non stick spray. 

Fill the muffin tins with muffin mix, to the top, it's okay. You can do it.

Next, sprinkle the topping on the muffins. Now, be careful. This mix will spread and crisp up. This is a crunchy, sugary topping that will melt and *warning* may cause your pan to crisp up. Don't worry, soaking for about 20 minutes after will take the crispy residue right off. Don't know what I'm talking about? You will.

Place on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. I baked mine for 23 minutes and I should have taken them out early. Still pretty yummy, though!

Amount per Serving (makes 9 muffins)

Calories 211

Calories from Fat 29.0

Total Fat 3.22g

Saturated Fat 1.72g

Cholesterol 30.74mg

Sodium 190.66mg

Total Carbohydrate 44.78g

Dietary Fiber 1.09g

Sugars 29.86g

Protein 3.15g

Enjoy my snow angels!

No Butter Magic Layer Bars

I had a hankering for something sweet today, and I really wanted to bake.
So I opened up the refrigerator door only to find... No butter. 
But I saw apple sauce...but didn't feel like making cookies...and I recently made brownies (Raspberry Chambord Brownies, mind you...coming soon!)....I wanted another bar like treat. Like Seven Layer/Magic Bars.


So I looked in my pantry and found all the necessary ingredients...again, but no butter.
I decided to use maple syrup instead to bind the graham cracker crumbs together, and it came out pretty well!


I hope you enjoy these delectable treats! Warning: These are not low calorie, but the fat in them comes from the coconut and walnuts, which are better fats for you then those from butter!


What you need:

• 1/2 cup 100% pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 (14 ounce) can low fat sweetened condensed milk
• 1  cup shredded coconut

How you do it:

Preheat oven at 350.
In a bowl, mix graham crackers and maple syrup.

Line a 13x9 dish with foil, and spray with cooking spray.
Press down graham cracker crumb mixture at the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, followed by the butterscotch, and then the chopped walnuts.
Now, layer the sweetened condensed milk on top of that.
Lastly, sprinkle the shredded coconut on top.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown. TIP: Let the bars sit in the pan they cooked in, on a cooling rack, for a minimum of one hour before cutting into them. They need to solidify.

Yields about 36 small bars; under 250 calories and 10 grams of fat per bar. 'Tis the holiday season, you're allowed to indulge. Pardon the less-than-pretty photo; I couldn't wait the full hour before I could cut into them to share these with you!