Monthly Archives: March 2014

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

Tomorrow is my boss’s birthday. I know he loves chocolate and peanut butter so I thought I cannot go wrong with this combination.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt kosher
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar,unpacked
1/4 cup egg substitute

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Foil line a 13 by 9 inch glass dish. Spray with cooking spray.

Place oats, flours, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix with spoon to incorporate.

In a separate bowl beat together canola oil, applesauce, peanut butter, and both sugars.

Add egg substitute and vanilla.

Beat to incorporate.

Add chocolate chips and fold into batter.

Place the batter into the lined pan.

Spread the batter evenly. Place in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Cut into 36 bars. Enjoy with your favorite milk skim or vanilla almond.

BBQ Country Style Ribs

My sister-in-law wanted ribs and the only rib item we could find at the local grocery store was country style. So we had to make the most out of what could at the moment. We were shopped out from our adventure earlier in the day.

Ingredients:
3 lbs of country style beef ribs
2 1/2 cups of your favorite BBQ Sauce
2 TB Apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 TB franks red hot sauce
1 TB northwood fire seasoning
1 medium onion sliced

Directions:
Sprinkle the northwood seasoning on the ribs. Place in crock pot on low heat.

Add onion and garlic on top of the meat.

In a small bowl mix the remaining ingredients together.

Add sauce mixture into the crock pot.

Cook on low heat for 6-7 hours.

Make sure to cover.

Enjoy!

Tiramisu Brownies

I made these for a coworker’s birthday the other day. She loves coffee! They are very rich and will definitely hit the spot if you are craving a chocolate fix. The marscapone gives the right bit of creaminess to these bite sized tasty little devils. The original recipe called for double the ingredients which made for a pricy dessert so I cut it in half and tried to decrease some of the saturated fat as well. The original is a TOH recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cake flour
1/16 cup instant coffee
1/16 cup espresso powder
1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips (6oz)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 stick of butter (2 oz) softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup egg substitute
8 oz Marscapone cheese (softened)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cocoa Dutch processed
1/2 cup raw sugar plus 1/8 cup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Foilline an 8 by 8 inch baking dish.

Set a side.

Mix flour with the coffee granules and expresso powder together in a small bowl and set aside.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl place the chocolate chips to melt.

Place in microwave and cook in 30 second intervals (Until melted).

Add butter, sugar, vanilla, and canola oil to melted chocolate.

Add egg substitute, and one egg, mix to incorporate.

Add dry mixture.

Whisk to mix ingredients together.

In a separate bowl mix marscapone, 1/8 cup of sugar and 1 egg until incorporated. Set aside.

Now take the brownie batter and place 3/4 cup to 1 cup on the bottom of the cooking sprayed 8 by 8 dish.

Top evenly with marscapone cheese batter; make sure to cover all the brownie batter.

Top with remaining brownie batter. Make sure to cover all the marscapone spread.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until tooth pick comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack and dust with coco powder.

Yields 16 brownies! Enjoy with you favorite cup of joe!

Josh and Julie’s favorite mac & cheese

I have made this recipe so many times! It is probably my most requested recipe by far. I try and tweak it with each reveal. I have tried many recipes of Mac and cheese but always go back to this tried and true recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups of dry. macaroni noodles (dreamfields or smart taste)
2 cups plus 1/4 cup of 2% cheddar cheese
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 Fat Free sour cream
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 cup of skim milk
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray and 8 by 8 glass dish with cooking spray.

Cook macaroni according to the directions on the package.

In the meantime measure out milk, sour cream, and egg substitute. Mix together with fork.

Once cooked and drained place noodles back into the pan.

Remove from heat.

Add cheese and stir.

Add liquid ingredient mixture, salt, pepper, and mustard. Fold until incorporated.

Now pour noodles into the glass dish.

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese for an added flare.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Buttermilk Blueberry Malted Waffles

Waffles or Pancakes that was the debate here at our household this morning… Waffles won! Yum! My favorite!!

This recipe yields five 6″ fluffy and fabulous waffles

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of milled flaxseed
I have a cup of canola oil
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup of malted powder
1/4 cup of egg substitute
3/4 cup of dry blueberries
1 1/2 cup of nonfat buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 tablespoon baking powder

Directions
Preheat your waffle iron according to the directions on the box.

Place all wet ingredients in a small bowl.

Set aside. In a separate bowl add all the dry ingredients. Except for the dried blueberries.

Whisk the wet ingredients together.

Add dry ingredients to the wet.

Now whisk to incorporate.

Mix by hand until no lumps.

Fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.

Place about 3/4 heaping cup of batter onto the waffle.

Cook to the degree that you like your waffles.

Enjoy with syrup or powdered sugar.

Cornbread Muffins Gluten Free

My husband’s mom is cutting the gluten out of her diet. Last weekend we were fortunate to have them over for supper after the hockey game. Making gluten-free options is easier than you might think. Traditionally cornbread is made without all-purpose flour (which contains gluten). Since this recipe does not contain any gluten and is made with cornmeal it yields a denser product. The buttermilk makes these muffins very moist. I think next time I might add some pickled jalapeno for an extra kick.

Ingredients
1/4 cup of egg substitute
1 tablespoon of raw sugar or honey
2 cups of yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups of buttermilk (preferably fat-free)
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 of a small onion finely grated
3 tablespoons of canola oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare 12 muffin tins
with paper liners and spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Place cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Mix until combined.

Add butter milk and egg substitute .

Whisk until Incorporated however be careful not to overmix.

Fold in grated onion.

Using a heaping size 16 scoop to perfectly portion your muffins place into the prepared tins.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Allow the muffins to cool in tin for one minute.

Enjoy ! This recipe goes well with my Mom’s chili http://www.apinchofluv.com/wordpress/?s=Chili&submit=Search

Nutrition Facts Corn Bread Muffins Gluten Free
12 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories		106.5

Total Fat		2.4 g

	Saturated Fat	0.4 g

	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.7 g

	Monounsaturated Fat	1.0 g

Cholesterol		1.2 mg

Sodium		146.1 mg

Potassium		146.7 mg

Total Carbohydrate		18.8 g

	Dietary Fiber	1.5 g

	Sugars	1.6 g

Protein		3.2 g


Vitamin A	1.0 %

Vitamin B-12	1.1 %

Vitamin B-6	3.6 %

Vitamin C	0.6 %

Vitamin D	0.0 %

Vitamin E	2.0 %

Calcium	5.5 %

Copper	2.1 %

Folate	1.7 %

Iron	4.2 %

Magnesium	7.3 %

Manganese	5.2 %

Niacin	3.8 %

Pantothenic Acid	1.7 %

Phosphorus	10.5 %

Riboflavin	5.2 %

Selenium	5.4 %

Thiamin	5.9 %

Zinc	3.3 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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Homemade Granola in the Actifry

Today is Registered Dietitian Day!! In honor of this special day I made my coworkers homemade granola in the ActiFry. It turned just right with so much less fat than tradition granola! I placed the granola in recycled jelly jars. For an added touch I placed a decorative cupcake wrapper on the top and tied a string with handmade name tag. The stickers on the jar reads “energy in a jar”. Perfect snack during a long day!

Ingredients:
2 cups of rolled oats
3/4 cup slivered almonds and/or pumpkin seeds
2 tsp milled flaxseed
1/6 cup dried blueberries
1/6 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1 TB canola oil

Directions:

Place all ingredients in bowl except for dried fruit. Mix well to incorporate. Place the mix into the ActiFry. Set timer for 7 minutes. Once timer does off add dried fruit and set timer for 3 additional minutes. Once the time has elapsed spread the granola onto a sheet pan to cool. Enjoy! We like it best in our yogurt!!!

Mom’s Chili

Nothing says winter Sunday like Mom’s chili. My mom graciously shared her recipe of chili one weekend when my husband and I moved a year and a half ago. Just this past weekend we had my family over for a visit and shared this warm hearty lunch. This recipe is perfect to start early in the day and let it simmer for 4 to 5 hours on low.

Ingredients:

1 TB canola oil
1 pound 93 % lean ground beef
Onion-1 medium diced
garlic 3 really large cloves (diced)
Add salt pepper to taste
1pkg food club chili mix-season meat or one heaping TB of penzeys chili powder (I used penzeys chili powder this last time but my mom prefers food club or Mccormicks Chili packet)
1 tsp red pepper flake (optional)
1box beef stock (32 oz)
One 32 oz V8 spicy or equivalent of 32 oz
1tb brown sugar
1 dark can of kidney beans drained & rinsed
1 light can of kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies such as rotel
1 large green pepper (diced)
1 tsp Berbere (penzeys seasoning)

Directions:

Place canola oil in a large Dutch oven on medium heat. Add ground meat to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook meat until browned.

Add onion, garlic and peppers. Season with salt, pepper, red pepper, berbere, brown sugar, and high quality chili powder.

Cook until onions and peppers are tender about 6-8 minutes.

Add beans, tomatoes and stir.

Now add stock, & V8.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to lowest setting as let cook for 4 hours.

Enjoy with some reduced fat cheddar cheese!

Baked Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cranberry Donuts

I had some fresh cranberries in my refrigerator. I have been dying to use them up. I always have pumpkin puree around so I thought what a fun combination when I came across a TOH recipe for Pumpkin Cranberry Doughnuts. As I started to read the directions, I thought I could sure improve the nutrient content by changing out the butter for canola oil and of course baking vs deep frying. Not to much adding more fiber by substituting almost half the flour for whole wheat pastry flour. These are pretty festive and would be good for a Thanksgiving or Christmas morning!

Ingredients:

This recipe makes 24 donuts using the wilton donut pan

3 TB canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs or 12 cup egg substitute
1 Tsp vanilla extract
2 cup of Ap flour
1 1/2 cup of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/ 4teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup buttermilk (fat free if available)
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (food processor finely chopped)
1 tsp Lemon zest (optional)
Cooking Spray

SPICED SUGAR:

1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Dash ground nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and spray the donut pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl mix canola oil, and sugar together. minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing with a swisk well after each addition then add in vanilla.