Healthy Marbeled Banana Bread

Recipe from Cooking Light

Now, to continue with my Fall theme and my eating right theme I found this recipe from the Cooking Light website.  Now, I'm a HUGE fan of banana bread and usually make my Grandma's recipe, but wanted to see how this healthy version would taste to sort of "lighten" things up this week. We are going to eat a piece of this for dessert tonight after our Minestrone Soup.  I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate chips)
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
• Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add banana, egg substitute, and yogurt; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.
• Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters together using a knife. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Cooking Light
SEPTEMBER 2003



Layered Fiesta Taco Bake

LAYERED FIESTA TACO SALAD BAKE

1lb. ground beef (I used extra lean ground turkey)

1 can spicy chili beans, undrained

1 can corn, drained (I used no salt added)

1 cup salsa {I used Joe T's}

1 pkg. Taco seasoning {I used McCormick’s Reduced Sodium)

2 cups crushed tortilla chips {I used Indiana Popcorn Chips}

These are low-fat, low calorie,and have fiber!

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 cup shredded cheese {I used colby & jack reduced fat}

1 large avocado, peeled and cubed/sliced

Shredded lettuce

Coarsely crush two cups of tortilla chips and throw them into a deep casserole dish.

Cook ground turkey and drain. Return to large skillet and stir in beans, salsa, taco seasoning, and corn. Heat to boiling and stir often.

Remove meat mix from heat and layer over top of the tortilla chips.

Cut your veggies and start layering.

First add the tomatoes…

Cover with green onions…

And top it all off with  cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly :)

Remove from oven and top with avocado, shredded lettuce, and any other fixin’s you’d like.

Now shove some tortilla chips alongside the edges of your baking dish to finish it off.

Serve and ENJOY…because I promise you will!!!

Crock pot Minestrone Soup

Okay, we've all had that feeling.  You wake up in the morning and realize that the pants are a little tighter than last week, you're feeling sort of "blah" from over indulging over the weekend.  (Thanks dad for that Oreo McFlurry by the way.:)  Just like my blog states, I believe in a life of balance.  I am not going to deprive myself of special "treats," but I do listen to my body and for this week's meals it is saying vegetables please:)  To continue with my Fall themed meals, I found a recipe for Minestrone Soup.  This meal will be satisfying, but also feed my body those nutrients it really wants:)  Enjoy!

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

These are the best brand!

• 1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini or navy) 
• 3 cups fat free chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)
• 1 oz chunk of good Parmesan cheese rind
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 2 bay leaves

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves 

• salt and fresh pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (defrosted) spinach
• 2 cups cooked small pasta like ditalini or elbows (al dente)
• extra parmesan cheese to top 

Rinse and drain beans. Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender.

In a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Forty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes.

I love this brand because it's full of fiber and protein!

Add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

No Sugar Added Strawberry Crockpot Applesauce

After waking up this morning to cooler weather it TOTALLY put me in the mood for Fall cooking.  After Austin's 5:30 AM feeding I opened up all of the windows and sat with some coffee and looked up Fall inspired recipes for the week.  I always wanted to find a special recipe that was just for Lilly and ran across a recipe for "No Sugar Added Crockpot Strawberry Applesauce."  Lilly enjoyed helping me make this recipe and all day she has been asking for it because it smells SO good!  I hope that you enjoy!

• 10 cups apples (semi-tart, quartered and cored, not peeled)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
• 2 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries

Directions:

1.  Wash apples really well

2.  Cut apples into quarters and make sure they are cored.  I bought a fancy new gadget at WalMart this morning and it helped do the trick quickly!

3.  Pour the apple juice into the bottom of the crock pot and then put apples and frozen strawberries.  Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or high for 4. 

4.  Use an immersion blender to blend all of the apples and strawberries together. 

 

5.  Depending on the tartness of your apples, you might want to add some sugar sparingly, but we did not.

6.  If you want to freeze, let applesauce cool completly, ladle into freezer bags, and lay flat in the freezer.

Sausage Hashbrown Casserole

Okay, so I have the BEST 4th grade team EVER!!!  We decided the second year our school was open that we were going to have what is called "Fun Friday," and each of the team members are responsible for a certain Friday of the month to bring a treat for the rest of the team.  My favorite thing to cook is breakfast because I can't think of anything better than having my classroom full of team members eating and talking about what we are going to do for the weekend before school even starts.  I always laugh because my students are always jealous about how the teachers got a special breakfast and they didn't:)  If state law allowed me to feed my students I would bring some for them too:)  I made this this past Friday and everyone seemed to love it!  The librarian and another 5th grade teacher even sneaked some.  I made it the night before and just woke up extra early Friday morning to pop it in the oven so it was nice and warm for everyone.






Ingredients

.     1pound mild ground pork sausage

1 pound hot ground pork sausage

1 (30-ounce) package frozen hash browns

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

6 large eggs

2 cups milk

Preparation

• Cook sausages in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well.
• Prepare hash browns according to package directions, using 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
• Stir together hash browns, sausage, and cheese. Pour into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
• Whisk together eggs, milk, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Pour evenly over potato mixture.
• Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes.

**I made all of this the night before so I had to cook it a little over an hour.  So yummy!!!!

Southern Living
OCTOBER 2003

Whole Grain and Flax Blueberry Muffins

I have really enjoyed finding healthy breakfast recipes for Lilly to have at school.  Lilly and I made these this morning and she LOVES them!!! 





Whole Grain and Flax Blueberry Muffins

1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup hot tap water
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup agave nectar or honey
1/2 cup organic sugar
1 cup plain greek yogurt (or soy yogurt)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flax seed meal
1 pint fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the top of 2 standard size muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray and line with 24 paper liners. Set aside. In a large liquid measuring cup, combine oats and water. Set aside.

2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda baking powder, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together agave nectar, sugar, yogurt, eggs, vanilla, oil, and flax meal. Add in oatmeal and dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries.

4. Fill liners about three fourths of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center muffins comes out clean.

Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork

Ingredients:

1 whole Large Onion

1 whole Pork Shoulder ("pork Butt") - 5 To 7 Pounds

Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 can (11 Ounce) Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce

2 cans Dr. Pepper

Peel the onion and cut it into wedges. Lay them in the bottom of the crockpot.

Generously salt and pepper the pork roast, then set it on top of the onions in the crockpot fat side up.

Pour the can of chipotle peppers over the pork (include the sauce.) I only used half of the peppers because I didn't want it too spicy for Lilly, Pour in both cans of Dr Pepper.

Place lid tightly on crockpot, then set on low for 7-8 hours..

Remove meat from crockpot and place on a cutting board or other work surface. Use two forks to shred meat, discarding large pieces of fat. Strain as much of the fat off the top of the cooking liquid as you can and discard it. Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid, and keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve on warm flour tortillas. Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, grated cheese, avocado slices, salsa, and whatever else you'd like. Tostada shells are also great with this recipe

Posted by Ree on March 22 2011

Mini Meatball Sliders

Ingredients:

1 package of Hawaian Sweet Rolls

1 package of provolone cheese

1 jar of spaghetti sauce

1 pound of lean ground turkey

dash of salt and pepper

1/2 cup of panko crumbs

1/2 cup of milk

1 glove of garlic (minced)

Take a pound of lean ground turkey and place in a bowl.  Mix the panko crumbs in with the meat.

 

Mince a clove of garlic and add that in…

Then add plenty of salt and pepper.

Next, pour in a little milk.

Now,  knead the mixture all together until it’s totally combined.

Scoop out about a tablespoon of the mixture…

Then roll them into neat balls.  Once I have them rolled out I then place them on a plate and wrap them real tight with plastic wrap and place them in the freezer. 

After I have placed the meatballs in the freezer I take my rolls and slice them in half in a casserole dish.




Then, I add a slice of provolone cheese to the top and bottom of the roll.

At this point I stop for the day and cover the rolls with foil and place them in the fridge. Tomorrow morning before I go to work I will take the frozen meatballs and place them in the crockpot and dump a jar of spaghetti sauce over the top of them and cook on low for 6-7 hours.  When you are ready to eat take the rolls out of the fridge. Spoon a meat ball (and a good amount of sauce) on each roll.

Top it off, then throw ‘em on a plate and serve ‘em! The cheese will melt and it will taste SOOO yummy!  Serve these up with a side of veggies and sweet potato fries and you've got yourself a great dinner!

Recipe adapated by The Pioneer Woman

Homemade Granola Bars

Now that Lilly is attending a new daycare I have to provide breakfast for her before she goes to school.  Because we have to wake up early, I wanted to find something for her that she would be able to eat on the way to school that wasn't going to be messy.  I also wanted something that was healthy for her and not full of preservatives.  After making these our house smelled so good, and my husband even tried one and loved them!  Enjoy!

To make these delicious and good for you granola bars, you will need the following ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup ground flax meal

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup raisins

1/3 cup chopped almonds

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup honey

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups rolled oats,

3/4 cup packed brown sugar,

1/2 cup ground flax meal,

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon,

1 cup flour,

1/2 cup raisins,

1/3 cup chopped almonds,

3/4 teaspoon salt.

Stir to combine.

Create a well in the dry mixture and add 1/2 cup honey,

1 egg lightly beaten,

1/2 cup veg oil,

and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Use (both) hands to mix ingredients into a sticky dough.

In a 9×13 Pyrex that I sprayed liberally with Pam, push the mixture into the preparred Pyrex. You will notice it is very sticky.

Place the pan into a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden on the edges.
Let cool for about 5 minutes then cut into bars or squares. (Make sure you cut these when they are warm, when they harden it will be too late)

Enjoy!!