Low Fat Blueberry Muffins

I have wanted to bake since starting my healthy eating plan. I decided that this was a good place to start. I changed up the recipe a bit. I thought they were good and my husband liked them because they were not too sweet. I would recommend spraying the muffin tins with cooking spray instead of putting them in liners because mine stuck to the liners.

Low Fat Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup non-fat milk
2 tbsp canola oil (I used Smart Balance)
1 large egg, lightly beaten (I used egg substitute)
1 cup blueberries (I used dried that were soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes , then drained)
Preparation:Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a nonstick 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper cups.
In a large bowl, stir flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. In a small bowl, combine milk, canola oil and egg.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add milk, oil and egg mixture. Stir until just moist. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake 18-20 minutes until golden. Cool on wire rack.
Makes 12 muffins.
Per Muffin: Calories 137, Calories from Fat 26, Total Fat 2.9g (Sat 0.3g), Cholesterol 18mg, Sodium 159mg, Carbohydrate 24.3g, Fiber 0.9g, Protein 3.5g

Pasta and Veggies

This was last night's dinner. DH actually cooked(he never cooks) the corn dish. He found it in a vegetable gardening book I got at the library. It was actually very good. The pasta is a dish that I came up with on my own. The zucchini/yellow squash is just roasted but oh so good.

Creamy Pasta
I don't measure any of my ingredients for this. I just put in how much we want.

Chicken (boneless, skinless breasts)
Mushrooms (sliced)
Onions (sliced and cut into quarters)
Minced Garlic
Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Salt to Taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Fat Free Half and Half
Flour
8-10 oz Whole Wheat Pasta (I used regular last night)

Bring pot to boil. Add pasta. Heat olive oil in pan. Add chicken. Cook for a bit. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms. Once cooked pour in fat free half and half with a little flour to thicken it up. Let it come to a simmer and let it cook until at the consistency you like. Add seasoning and parmesan cheese. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Toss and enjoy.

Corn Maque Choux

1 T butter
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and diced (we used an orange one)
4 cups corn, cooked and stripped from the cob (we used frozen)
2 tomatoes
1/2 tsp tabasco sauce (we use more)
Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste

Heat the butter in a heavy pan and saute the onion until softened. Add the pepper and continue cooking 3-4 minutes. Toss in the corn and the remaining ingredients and, over a low heat, simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and serve.

Strawberry-Peach Fat Free Frozen Yogurt

I used my ice cream maker for the first time this weekend. It was so easy. I would love to make the real stuff but my husband and I need to eat healthy. This was good. I think I may make a few changes next time. I may try fat free half and half instead of milk and I would add more fruit and not puree all of it.

Fat Free Peach Frozen Yogurt

Makes: about 2 quarts
1 (16-ounce) container plain fat-free yogurt
2 cups pureed fresh or frozen peaches (I used strawberries as well)
1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Fat Free Sweetened Condensed Skimmed Milk (not evaporated milk)
1 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Combine all of the ingredients and add to ice cream maker. Freeze according to directions for your ice cream maker. Store in airtight container.

Beans and Rice

This is a new favorite for my husband and I. This is the second time we have made it and I just kind of throw things in until we like it. We made it with brown rice this time (even healthierand I made extra to make chicken fried rice the next night). We used a can of pinto beans with jalapenos (last time we used black beans). I added a can of diced tomatoes (seasoned with oregano, basil and garlic), some salsa. oregano, tabasco, and cumin. It tastes so good and is even better the next day when all the flavors soak into the rice. We will definitely be sticking with brown rice and we will probably go back to black beans. I love that I am now able to make meals by just throwing stuff in instead of just following a recipe.

Zucchini from the Garden

Here is the third zucchini and the first tomato from our garden. So being that we had three now we decided to cook them. I just drizzled them with olive oil and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. I cooked them at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes and they were so good. We have been roasting a lot of vegetables lately and they always turn out well. I am looking forward to cooking a lot more zucchini.

Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread

I knew I was having lunch with one of my best friends today. She has been such a great friend lately that I wanted to surprise her with a loaf of banana bread. She loves this bread. I have made it for her many times and she requests it for her birthday and special occasions. It is a Cooking Light recipe so it is not horrible for you either. The only change I make is that I just throw mini chocolate chips into the finished batter instead of doing the marbling. I need to make this again for myself. I am always giving it away.

Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar1/4 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 chipsCooking spray

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. Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices

(serving size: 1 slice)CALORIES 183 (23% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 2.8g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 3.1g; CHOLESTEROL 8mg; CALCIUM 18mg; SODIUM 180mg; FIBER 1.3g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.4g Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2003

My Vegetable Garden

Here are the first two zucchini from our vegetable garden. They are about 7 inches each.

This is our first artichoke. I was so excited to see it. That is life size so it's got a way to go.

Fleming's Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe was printed in our local paper per a reader's request. The chef from Fleming's provided the recipe. I tried to lighten it up a bit and it was so good. I love being able to make things at home that taste like the dishes you love at a restaurant. It was a little more time consuming than I thought it would be but it was worth it.

FLEMING'S CHIPOTLE CHEDDAR MACARONI AND CHEESE
Yield:8-10 servings
1 pound cavatappi or curly pasta
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 cup onion, 1/2-inch diced
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (I used Smart Balance)
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream (I used 2 cups fat free half and half)
3 cups half and half (I used 3 cups fat free half and half)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
3/4 pound smoked cheddar cheese, grated; see cook's notes
1/4 pound cheddar cheese, grated (I used the 2% sharp cheddar cheese)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
Cook's notes: Smoked cheddar cheese is available at Whole Foods and Bristol Farms.
Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, bring 1 gallon of water to boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt and pasta and cook for 8-9 minutes. Drain pasta and cool under cold running water. Pasta should be slightly firm. Toss drained pasta in oil and reserve.
2.Melt butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, but do not brown. Add cream, half and half, kosher salt and white pepper. Bring pot to a simmer. Cook until sauce is thick, about 5-6 minutes. Blend cheese into sauce. Add cooked pasta.
3. Pour pasta and sauce into a 9-by-12-inch baking dish. Reserve.
4.In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add oil and chipotle chili powder. Heat for 30 seconds, until pan starts to smoke. Remove from stove and stir in bread crumbs.
5.Sprinkle bread crumbs over the pasta and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool slightly before serving.

My First Post-Fried Rice

This was my first attempt at fried rice and it turned out great. I did not even follow a recipe and used my wok for the first time.