Zucchini & Raisin Whole Wheat Muffins

It’s that time of year! We have zucchini coming out of our ears! This rain has sure helped! My previous boss gave me a zucchini cookbook from our hometown’s garden club. There are oodles of zucchini muffin recipes in the book. I found one of interest and made some modifications to lighten up the calories in these muffins! I made them for my sister and nephew for breakfast this weekend. I added raisins since that’s my nephews favorite snack and the only way I can get him to eat them.

Yields: 12 standard muffins and 6 mini muffins (I love the mini for east tasting & the perfect size for my toddler aged nephew).

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Vietnamese ground cinnamon
1 pinch of ground nutmeg
2 egg whites (local when possible)
1/4 cup local honey
1/4 canola oil
1/2 tsp pure Mexican vanilla extract
1 cup shredded (not pealed) zucchini
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup skim milk
Cinnamon & sugar to sprinkle

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line muffin tins with paper liners or silicone cups and spray with cooking spray.
2. Place flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, & nutmeg in a medium bowl.

3. Whisk to incorporate.

4. In a separate large bowl mix milk, vanilla, egg whites, honey, & oil until combined.

5. Add dry blend into wet mixture.

6. Whisk to incorporate, leaving no dry residue.

7. Add raisins and zucchini.

Fold in with spatula to incorporate evenly.

Use a size 16 to scoop out standard muffins and a size 60 scoop for minis.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (optional). Bake standard muffins for 20 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean. Bake minis for 8 to 9 minutes.

Leave in pan for 5 minutes and remove and let cool on wire rack.

Enjoy with some apple butter !

Blackberry Overnight French Toast

We had a sleepover last night in our household after a night out on the town. I had to work early so I wanted to make sure my family had something to eat when they woke up! This recipe was adapted from one of my cookbooks and the original can be found on FN website.

This is so easy and the bonus is I used leftover heels of bread (about 8 ounces or 8 slices). I freeze them as I get to the end of the loaf and either use them for bread crumbs or breakfast casseroles.

Makes 8 servings !

Ingredients:
2 cups of egg substitute
4 whole eggs
2 cups of skim milk (or if you want to lighten up the calories even more use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
8 heels of light wheat bread (35 calories a slice) (toasted and cut into 1 inch cubes)
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 cups of blackberries (or your favorite berry)
2 TB raw sugar
1/4 cup roasted slivered almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon (plus some for sprinkling about another 1/2 tsp)

You will need a 9 by 13 baking dish for this recipe.

Directions:
1. Scatter the toasted bread cubes evenly along the bottom of the pan.

Set aside.

2. In a large bowl whisk milk, eggs, egg substitute, vanilla, syrup, and cinnamon.

3. Once combined pour liquid evenly over the bread cubes and dust with additional cinnamon for good measure.

4. Spread berries evenly over the bread.

5. Repeat scatter placement and sprinkle with almonds and top with light dusting of raw sugar.

6. Cover with foil and let set over night or for at least 8 hours in refrigerator.

7. Remove from refrigerator and uncover bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

Enjoy!

Caramel Frosted Zucchini Bars

My grandma gave me a bunch of old recipe cards a few years ago. Most of them were blank but one I stumbled across was a zucchini bar. I did modify the recipe to incorporate more heart healthy options.I am always looking for zucchini recipes because the garden is always producing more zucchini then one person can make. This is a flavorful spice bar with a added bonus fiber from the whole wheat flour and zucchini.

I have made zucchini cake before but it’s always been chocolate zucchini cake. This one is more like zucchini bread with frosting!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 1/2 cup AP Flour
2 cup shredded zucchini (no need to peel!) (not strained)
1/4 cup apple butter or unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup raw sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup pecans chopped or walnuts
1/2 raisins
10 by 15 inch baking sheet pan (with 3/4 inch depth)

Frosting
1/2 cup butter unsalted
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup skim milk
1 to 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions: preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on baking sheet.

1. Mix well together in medium bowl flours, salt, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, & cloves set aside.

2. In a large bowl mix oil, sugar, vanilla, apple butter together then one egg at a time mixing after each addition.

3. Add dry mix to wet.

4. Fold in zucchini then nuts, and raisins.

Mix until everything is well blended.

Pour batter into baking sheet and evenly spread with spatula.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. If your zucchini is very moist you may need to bake 20 to 25 minutes. I strained my zucchini and the bars didn’t come out as moist as I would have hoped. Next time I will not remove the excess water. Use tooth pick method to test cake prior to removing from oven. If tooth pick comes out clean remove from oven.

Let cool in wire rack.

Once cooled start caramel frosting. In 2 qt sauce pan melt butter and brown sugar.

Bring to a boil and stir continuous for 2 minutes.

Add milk and bring to a boil and simmer for 2 additional minutes.

Remove the frosting from the heat. Whisk in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time.

Add 1-1/2 1 cups until you reach your desired constancy.

Frost the cake quickly with spatula. The frosting sets quickly.

Enjoy!

spicy kale chips

I love love love Kale! I’ve been growing it in my garden for several years now! One of my favorite things to do with Kale is bake it! This recipe is so simple and worth a try.

Ingredients:

8 medium large kale leaves ( washed and rinsed and patted dry) & remove large stems
Cooking spray
Garlic salt (I love penzeys)
Spicy Mrs Dash Blend

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
3. Spray one side of the Kale with Cooking spray
4. Sprinkle the garlic salt and Mrs. Dash to your taste preference. I’m light on the salt but generous with Mrs dash
5. Bake for 10 minutes
6. Flip the kale leaves

And bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Whole Grain Oat Rhubarb Cookies

My husband and I have oodles of rhubarb this time of year. We were in the mood for some cookies. I adapted this recipe from the TOH website to cut down on the saturated fat.

Yields 32 cookies using a size 60 scoop. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 13 minutes.

Ingredients :
3/4 cup raw sugar
1/2 canola oil
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 egg or 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup fresh rhubarb (patted dry)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground Vietnamese cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg
1 1/4 cup 100% old fashioned oats
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

Directions:
Line half sheet pans with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix canola oil, and sugar together well. Than add egg and vanilla together whisk to incorporate.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, oats, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Whisk to incorporate all dry ingredients together well. Add the dry ingredients into the wet.

Mix with spatula to incorporate.

Add chopped rhubarb, cranberries and white chips fold into cookie batter.

Use a number 60 scoop to measure out into perfect size cookies. Please keep in mind they are very wet and may want to fall apart but will bake just fine.

Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. The rhubarb makes these pretty moist. I let them sit on the pan for about a minute before letting the cool off on wire rack.

Once the cookies are cooled if you wish drizzle them with some melted white chocolate for a special touch.

Place 2/3 cup white chocolate in microwave keep heating by 30 second sections until melted. Place in a squeeze bottle and make zig zag marking!

Enjoy!

Nutella Almond Meal Banana Mini Muffins

Tomorrow we are having one of our quarterly meetings at work. I always bake a sweet treat for the team. Yesterday I made my banana crunch muffins for a coworker’s birthday and I still had some leftover ripe bananas. I didn’t want to make the same recipe and wanted to add some chocolate to the party.

This recipe yields 27 mini muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup AP Flour
1/4 cup Whole wheat pastry flour
1 TB canola oil
3 TB Nutella
1 TB Dutch Cocoa
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup 1/8 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup egg substitute (or two egg whites)
1 medium ripe banana mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line 27 mini muffin vessels with paper liners and spray with cooking spray.

Sift flour, almond flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, baking soda in medium bowl. Set aside.

In a separate bowl mix buttermilk, egg substitute, oil, vanilla, sugar, banana, and Nutella.

Mix the liquid batter until thoroughly combined.

Now gently add dry ingredients to liquid batter.

Whisk until there is no dry residue present. This is why I like to use the clear bowl, to make sure all the dry ingredients have been well incorporated.

Portion out using a size 60 scoop into your pre-line and sprayed baking tins.

Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Check using toothpick method. Place toothpick in the center of the muffin and remove quickly to see if toothpick comes out with no liquid residue. If toothpick comes out clean remove pan from oven. However if any wet residue still remains on toothpick let muffins bake another minute and check again.

Remove from pan immediately.

Allow to cool on wire racks.

Enjoy

Key-lime Cheesecake

My Mom’s birthday was yesterday and I’ve been baking 150 mini cupcakes for a shower all week . My sister asked me what are you going to bake for Mom’s birthday? I laughed and said mini cupcakes but no really what are you going to bake for mom…hmmm…Well let’s check the refrigerator? I made key-lime mini cups earlier in the week and noticed I have quite a few key-limes leftover. My mom loves key-lime and I have excess cream cheese I had an Aha moment cheesecake it is!

This recipe is supposed to taste similar to the Cheesecake Factory’s Key-lime Cheesecake. I did make some alterations to reduce the calories since one slice of the real version yields 870 calories and 34 grams of saturated fat! Yikes!

This recipe calls for a an 8 inch springform pan and yields 12 to 16 servings

Filling Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh key lime juice
2 TB Keylime Zest
1 (8oz package) fat free cream cheese room temperature
1 (8 oz package) 1/3 fat reduced cream cheese room temperature
1 (8 oz package) cream cheese (you could get away with reduced fat here but I didn’t have another reduced fat in my refrigerator) room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Splenda for baking (or sugar substitute of your choice or real sugar)
1 tsp Mexican pure vanilla
1/2 cup egg substitute or 4 egg whites
1 whole egg

Crust ingredients:
1 & 3/4 cup reduced fat graham cracker crumbs
5 TB reduced fat Margarine or unsalted butter
1 TB sugar

Coconut whip-cream
1 cup heavy cream
4 TB powdered sugar
1 tsp coconut extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray springform pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Place graham crackers in food processor and pulse until refined.

Add into a medium mixing bowl crumbs, melted butter, 1 TB sugar.

Mix until texture of the blend looks like wet sand.

Pour the crumbs into springform pan and press the crumbs into the pan with hands. Don’t go up the whole side only about half way.

Bake for 5 minutes in 350 degrees. Allow to cool while preparing the cream cheese filling.

Place softened cream cheese in electric mixer with spatula attachment.

Beat until consistency is creamy without signs of chunks.

Add sugar, Splenda, and vanilla beat to incorporate.

Add egg substitute and whole egg along with zest and key lime juice. Mix to incorporate.

Pour the batter into the slightly cooled springform pan.

Spread the batter with spatula evenly prior to placing the cake in the preheated oven. Place on bottom rack of oven a 8-9 inch cake pan filled with water in oven for steaming effect.

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until
slightly brown. I let mine go to 70 minutes which was too long as you can see below.

Only thing to do when that happens is make a pretty coconut whip cream to top it off and sprinkle with zest of some key-lime and shredded coconut!

Place the heavy cream in a cold metal bowl and beat until until soft peaks form.

Add powdered sugar and coconut extract. Beat until stiff peaks form and pipe with your favorite tip.

Happy Birthday Mom! I love you!

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Fajitas Frittatas

Everyone knows that I don’t like to waste food. I always try and use leftovers a few different ways.

The other night my husband made me veggie fajitas. Then the next night I made cheese and veggie quesadillas with some of the leftovers. Now I am finishing off the rest with these little frittatas using my brownie pan from Pampered Chef! Which I love and not just for brownies!

Ingredients

3 cups of egg beaters
3/4 tsp fajatas seasoning
Pinch of kosher salt
3/4 cup vegetable diced fajitas
6 oz 2% shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
Dried cilantro to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.

Cooking spray the brownie pan set aside.

Place one TB of diced veggies into each vessel.

Now place a 1 TB of shredded cheese on top of the veggies.

Set aside.

Place egg substitute in a pouring measuring cup and mix in fajita seasoning and salt.

Once seasoning is mixed throughout. Pour 3 to 4 TB of egg substitute in each section to the top.

Sprinkle with cilantro if desired.

Place in oven for 23 to 25 minutes on 350 degrees.

Let cool a few minutes before handling.

Enjoy!

Orange Creamsicle Mini Cupcakes

I saw a recipe on the May 2014 Food Network Magazine …orange cream cupcakes (they were pictured on the cover)!! I was so excited and wanted to try it right away.

I loved eating Creamsicle pops in the summer time when I was growing up.
Before I got all my ingredients out and preheated my oven I wanted to check the FN website. One thing I always do before starting a recipe or purchasing a product is read the reviews. The recipe from the May issue didn’t have very good reviews. So I opted not to make that recipe, now I was in the mood for Creamsicle, I I went to my trusty Taste of home website to find one to try. I was in luck they had one but no reviews…no reviews are better than poor reviews. I gave it a try and was pleasantly surprised.

This recipes yields 69 minis using a size 60 scoop

Cupcake Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 low fat buttermilk
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp fresh orange zest
1 tsp orange extract (Penzey’s)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt

Frosting recipe:
2 sticks unsalted butter (softened to room temperature
1 (8 oz block) cream cheese generally I would say use one third fat but I made these for a bridal shower and wanted them to turn out perfectly
1 tsp orange extract I used Penzey’s
1 TB Orange zest
Orange gel food coloring
69 Orange Mike and Ike’s & tooth
picks

Preheat one and paper-line mini cupcakes tins. Set aside

1. In a large electric mixing bowl combine first eight ingredients and beat with spatula attachment together until blended.

2. In a separate medium bowl combine flour baking powder baking soda and salt mixed together with whisk.

2. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

3. Continue beating with spatula attachment until everything is fully incorporated.

4. Portion out into mini cupcake tins using a number 60 scoop.

5. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Test cupcakes using with toothpick method. If toothpick comes out clean they are done. These minis bake very quickly so if they’re not done at nine check every 30 seconds to a minute.

6. Remove from pan right away with no hesitation.

7. Please Let completely cool off on wire rack before frosting.

Directions for frosting:

1. In an electric mixer beat butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy without any chunks.

2. Gradually add confectionery sugar 1 to 1 & 1/2 cups at a time. Maker sure if you don’t have a spatula attachment with rubber scraping sides that you use a hand spatula to scrap down sides occasionally.

3. Add orange zest and orange gel coloring until you reach the desired color for the frosting.

4. Place into large piping bag using an Ateco 808 piping tip and frost into magical swirls. Top with Mike and Ike’s lookalike creamsicles.

And enjoy

baked whole wheat chocolate hazelnut donuts

This recipe is for the love of chocolate hazelnut (aka Nutella ❤️). I asked my husband last night what do you want for breakfast and he smiled and asked for donuts. He loves Nutella and donuts (but the fried ones of course) that said I couldn’t allow myself to get his frier out. No I don’t own a fryer he does (a dietitian cannot own a frier, I’m pretty sure it’s in our own unwritten law).

I love that fact that these are made with 100% whole wheat pastry flour! I stocked up yesterday at the Mesopotamia bulk store.

If you can find a bulk store it’s worth the trip to purchase the special flour there. I was able to get 5.12 pounds of whole wheat pastry flour for 0.49 cent a pound for a whopping total of 2.51. If you ever priced it out before it can be three times as much at a speciality grocery store and even up to 2.83 per pound out of the King Arthur catalog. I wanted to point out that it is not expensive to add whole grain into ones lifestyle. If you know where to find the right resources. If you don’t live close to a bulk store I have found Bob’s Red Mill brand at Big Lots for a fair price (1$ per Pound) when they have their 20% members discount.

Directions:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 -1/4 tsp instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 TB of chocolate hazelnut spread
1/2 cup skim milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/2 raw sugar (turbinado)
1 TB plus 1 tsp canola oil
1 tsp Mexican vanilla extract
1/4 cup egg substitute (or two egg whites)

Glaze
2 TB hot strong coffee
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 TB Chocolate hazelnut spread
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Wilton donut pan
Cooking spray

Yields 8 donuts using the Wilton pan

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cooking spray the donut pan well. Set aside.

Place flour, salt, baking soda, and coffee granules in medium bowl.