Nutrition 12 scones: 120 calories
Ingredients:Saturday, February 4, 2012
Low-Fat Cheese Scones
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup whole wheat or all purpose flour (I use whole wheat)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt or buttermilk
• ¾ cup grated reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 tsp dried chives
Directions:
Mix flours, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl mix yogurt, oil, chives, and cheese, and let it sit five minutes to let the flavors combine. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix with a fork quickly until it is just blended. The dough will still be crumbly. Do not knead. Pat it out gently in a ¼” circle on a floured surface. It will still be a bit crumbly, and some pieces may fall out of the dough. Just push them back in gently. Cut into 10-12 wedges and bake at 400 for 20 minutes until they are brown and a toothpick at the center comes out clean. Tap the bottom to see if they are done – it will sound hollow.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Chocolate Pudding
Nutrition per serving (4 servings): 190calories
Ingredients
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp cornstarch (=corn flour in England & KSA)
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• Pinch salt
• 2 cups low fat milk
• 1 oz good quality dark chocolate
• 2/3 tsp vanilla
• Optional garnishes - fresh mint sprigs, toasted sliced almonds, dark chocolate shavings
Directions:
Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium, heavy saucepan; stir with a whisk. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and simmer 10-15 minutes until thick. Remove from heat; add chocolate and stir until melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. If the mixture has any lumps that won’t dissolve strain through a fine mesh strainer or pulse it a few times in a food processor. Divide evenly into ramekins; cover surface of each serving with plastic wrap. Chill at least 4 hours. It will thicken as it cools. Remove plastic wrap; serve. Garnish, if desired. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator up to five days.
Ingredients
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp cornstarch (=corn flour in England & KSA)
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• Pinch salt
• 2 cups low fat milk
• 1 oz good quality dark chocolate
• 2/3 tsp vanilla
• Optional garnishes - fresh mint sprigs, toasted sliced almonds, dark chocolate shavings
Directions:
Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium, heavy saucepan; stir with a whisk. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and simmer 10-15 minutes until thick. Remove from heat; add chocolate and stir until melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. If the mixture has any lumps that won’t dissolve strain through a fine mesh strainer or pulse it a few times in a food processor. Divide evenly into ramekins; cover surface of each serving with plastic wrap. Chill at least 4 hours. It will thicken as it cools. Remove plastic wrap; serve. Garnish, if desired. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator up to five days.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Crepes
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup low-fat or non-fat milk
½ cup water
Pinch salt
Optional: 1 tbsp butter or oil (I omit)
Filling options:
-Nutella & banana (for a healthier version mash a ripe banana with 1/2 tbsp cocoa)
-Mix 2 tbsp light cream cheese + 1 tbsp honey
-Berry compote (Simmer fresh or frozen berries over low heat until syrup-like then blend. Add sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste.)
-Pure maple syrup
-Honey-butter (1:1 ratio of honey & butter + cinnamon, to taste)
Directions:
1. Mix milk, eggs, flour, water, butter, and salt. Process in a blender.
2. Cover and leave in the fridge for 1 hour (bubbles will subside, so tearing is less).
3. Heat a lightly greased non-stick skillet. Pour enough crepe batter to thinly line the bottom of the pan and swirl to evenly distribute. Cook for 1 minute on medium-high heat or until bubbles start to burst the crepe surface. Flip and cook for 30 more seconds. Repeat with the remaining batter.
To make ahead:
You can stick the crepes on a plate in a barely warm (200°F) oven, where they’ll stay warm until you are ready to assemble them. Line wax paper between them to keep them from sticking, and cover with foil.
Banana-Bran Muffins
Nutrition per 18 muffins (basic recipe): 140 calories
Ingredients• 2 ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten well
• 1/4 c honey
• 1 1/4 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1 cup low fat buttermilk (1 tbsp vinegar + milk & let sit 5 min)
• 1.5 cups wheat bran
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• Optional – oats, chocolate chips, walnuts, chopped prunes, etc.
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
2. Mix eggs in a medium bowl. Add honey, bananas, buttermilk, wheat bran, oil and vanilla. Let sit 5-10 minutes to hydrate bran.
3. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not over-mix. Stir in chocolate chips, walnuts, etc., if using.
4. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
5. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
Bran Muffins
Nutrition 12 muffins: 135 calories each
INGREDIENTS:1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup low fat buttermilk (or milk + 1 tbsp vinegar & let sit 5 min)
1/3 cup applesauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large egg, beaten well
1/3 c honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
Optional – raisins, blueberries, chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 5-10 minutes.
3. Beat together applesauce, egg, honey and vanilla and add to buttermilk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture, until just blended (do not over-mix). Fold in raisins or other ingredients (if using) and spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.
4. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Dinner rolls
Makes 16 small rolls, 110 calories each
Ingredients:
• 2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour, including 1 tbsp wheat gluten (optional)
• 1.5 tsp yeast
• ¼ cup warm water
• ¾ cup warm nonfat or low fat milk
• 3 tbsp honey
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter
Directions
• Combine yeast with ¼ cup warm water and let sit until frothy, 5-10 minutes.
• Combine milk, butter and honey in a small bowl and heat in microwave until warm (not hot or you will kill your yeast).
• In bowl of mixer combine warm milk mixture and 1/2 cup flour and mix until incorporated (this will dilute the salt and oil, which can reduce yeast activity).
• Now add in yeast and water mixture.
• Add additional flour a few tbsp at a time, allowing time to mix in between, until a soft dough forms. It should be soft, gooey and just sticky enough to knead.
• Knead by hand 8-10 minutes (12-15 minutes of using whole wheat), or 2-4 minutes in a kitchen aid mixer.
• To knead, stretch it out or fold and flip. Use balls of wrists to push and stretch (you will feel it rolling), then fold it back on itself. Add flour as needed. You can tell if your dough is under-kneaded if it's floppy and loose, tears easily, and still looks shaggy. Over-kneading is only a concern in a stand mixer. If the dough feels very dense and tough when you knead it against the counter, that is a sign that it's starting to become over-kneaded.
• Place dough in a oiled bowl, flip it, cover it with plastic wrap and a towel, and let rise 1 hour in a warm place, until dough has doubled.
• Punch down. Divide and roll into 16 balls (do this by cutting the dough into 16 pieces – for each fold over and pinch tightly at the bottom, turn 90 degrees, fold, and pinch tighly at the bottom again- continue until a nice ball has formed).
• Shape into greased 16x16 pan (leave space in between, as they will expand), let rise another 45 minutes (longer if using more whole wheat) in a warm place.
• Bake at 350 for 15-25 minutes (the whole wheat rolls don’t brown much on the top, so take them out and check the bottom to see how they are doing).
• When they are done, they will be golden and the bottom will sound hollow when tapped. Remove from the pan immediately to prevent them from going soggy, and let cool on a rack.
Notes:
• Depending on humidity and temperature, the amount of flour needed in a recipe may vary by as much as a cup or two. Therefore, the amount of flour called for in a recipe is always approximate.
• Always start with the full amount of liquid, adding a bit of flour at a time until the proper consistency is reached. You may not need all of the flour, and that’s fine. Dry dough will yield dry bread.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour, including 1 tbsp wheat gluten (optional)
• 1.5 tsp yeast
• ¼ cup warm water
• ¾ cup warm nonfat or low fat milk
• 3 tbsp honey
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter
Directions
• Combine yeast with ¼ cup warm water and let sit until frothy, 5-10 minutes.
• Combine milk, butter and honey in a small bowl and heat in microwave until warm (not hot or you will kill your yeast).
• In bowl of mixer combine warm milk mixture and 1/2 cup flour and mix until incorporated (this will dilute the salt and oil, which can reduce yeast activity).
• Now add in yeast and water mixture.
• Add additional flour a few tbsp at a time, allowing time to mix in between, until a soft dough forms. It should be soft, gooey and just sticky enough to knead.
• Knead by hand 8-10 minutes (12-15 minutes of using whole wheat), or 2-4 minutes in a kitchen aid mixer.
• To knead, stretch it out or fold and flip. Use balls of wrists to push and stretch (you will feel it rolling), then fold it back on itself. Add flour as needed. You can tell if your dough is under-kneaded if it's floppy and loose, tears easily, and still looks shaggy. Over-kneading is only a concern in a stand mixer. If the dough feels very dense and tough when you knead it against the counter, that is a sign that it's starting to become over-kneaded.
• Place dough in a oiled bowl, flip it, cover it with plastic wrap and a towel, and let rise 1 hour in a warm place, until dough has doubled.
• Punch down. Divide and roll into 16 balls (do this by cutting the dough into 16 pieces – for each fold over and pinch tightly at the bottom, turn 90 degrees, fold, and pinch tighly at the bottom again- continue until a nice ball has formed).
• Shape into greased 16x16 pan (leave space in between, as they will expand), let rise another 45 minutes (longer if using more whole wheat) in a warm place.
• Bake at 350 for 15-25 minutes (the whole wheat rolls don’t brown much on the top, so take them out and check the bottom to see how they are doing).
• When they are done, they will be golden and the bottom will sound hollow when tapped. Remove from the pan immediately to prevent them from going soggy, and let cool on a rack.
Notes:
• Depending on humidity and temperature, the amount of flour needed in a recipe may vary by as much as a cup or two. Therefore, the amount of flour called for in a recipe is always approximate.
• Always start with the full amount of liquid, adding a bit of flour at a time until the proper consistency is reached. You may not need all of the flour, and that’s fine. Dry dough will yield dry bread.
Cinnamon rolls
Dough
• 2 cups bread or all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour, including 1 tbsp wheat gluten
• 1.5 tsp yeast
• ¼ cup warm water
• ¾ cup warm nonfat or low fat milk
• 3 tbsp honey
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter
• Honey for drizzling over rolls when they come out of the oven - optional
Filling
• Roll out dough, drizzle with 3 tbsp honey and spread with a spatula. Combine 1 tbsp cinnamon with 1-2 tbsp brown sugar and sprinkle on top. Optional - ¼ cup raisins and/or ¼ cup chopped pecans.
Icing (optional)
• ¼ cup cream cheese & 2 tbsp honey or powdered sugar
Directions
1. Combine yeast with ¼ cup warm water and let sit until frothy, 5-10 minutes.
2. Combine milk, butter or oil and honey in a small bowl and heat in microwave until warm (not hot or you will kill your yeast).
3. In bowl of mixer combine warm milk mixture and 1/2 cup flour and mix until incorporated (this will dilute the salt and oil, which can reduce yeast activity).
4. Now add in yeast and water mixture.
5. Add additional flour a few tbsp at a time, allowing time to mix in between, until a soft dough forms. It should be soft, gooey and just sticky enough to knead.
6. Knead by hand 8-10 minutes (12-15 minutes of using whole wheat), or 2-4 minutes in a kitchen aid mixer.
7. To knead, stretch it out or fold and flip. Use balls of wrists to push and stretch (you will feel it rolling), then fold it back on itself. Add flour as needed. You can tell if your dough is under-kneaded if it's floppy and loose, tears easily, and still looks shaggy. Over-kneading is only a concern in a stand mixer. If the dough feels very dense and tough when you knead it against the counter, that is a sign that it's starting to become over-kneaded.
8. Place dough in a oiled bowl, flip it, cover it with plastic wrap and a towel, and let rise 1 hour in a warm place, until dough has doubled.
9. When it is well risen, punch the dough down - put your fist into the dough and smash down to force all the air out of it. Let rise again 10 minutes, then roll out.
10. Spread honey, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar and raisins, cut into 16 strips, roll, and shape in pan.
11. Cover with a towel, and let the dough rise again 30 minutes-1 hour in a warm place. Keep an eye on it and don’t let it rise too much at this step, as large bubbles will form and the rolls will lose their shape.
12. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees (baking too long will dry it out, so be watchful). When it is done the top will be golden brown. It will be well risen, and crusty. Carefully turn the hot bread out of the pan and onto a dishtowel on the counter. Thump the bottom with your finger. If it sounds hollow then it is done. If it doesn’t sound hollow, then put it back into the pan and bake it some more.
13. Take it out of the pan immediately when it is done to prevent sogginess. Drizzle with honey while still warm or spread honey-cream cheese frosting on top. They are also nice served with a mixture of honey-butter (1 tsp butter, 1 tsp honey, 1/8 tsp cinnamon).
Notes:
• Depending on humidity and temperature, the amount of flour needed in a recipe may vary by as much as a cup or two. Therefore, the amount of flour called for in a recipe is always approximate.
• Always start with the full amount of liquid, adding a bit of flour at a time until the proper consistency is reached. You may not need all of the flour, and that’s fine. Dry dough will yield dry bread.
Apple Crumble with Almond and Oat Topping
Filling:
• 3 granny smith apples, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 firm sweet apples, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp sugar or honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• Optional – fresh raspberries or blackberries, chopped dried cranberries or chopped dried figs
Topping:
• 1/3 cup almonds
• 1/3 cup oatmeal (not instant)
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup honey (if you like use 1-2 tbsp brown sugar in place of honey)
• 1 tsp melted butter
• Optional - chopped, toasted pecans
Place apples in the bottom of a casserole dish with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and berries (if using). For the topping, grind the almonds in a food processor until it is like flour and some almond ‘butter’ is starting to form. Combine it with oatmeal, flour and cinnamon. Combine honey and butter and mix in slowly until crumbly. Bake 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Cover with foil halfway to avoid burning the top. Drizzle with honey before serving (optional).
Can make the topping ahead of time and freeze it, or bake the entire thing and freeze it. To use, thaw overnight in the fridge. Then heat in oven at 350 for 20-30 minutes, covered in foil.
Whole Wheat & Honey Brownies
Ingredients
o 6 tbsp oil
o 6 tbsp honey
o 2 tbsp sugar
o 1 teaspoon vanilla
o 2 eggs
o 1/3 cup cocoa powder
o 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ¼ tsp baking powder
o 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
o 4 tbsp mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
o 4 tbsp finely chopped walnuts
o Optional - sprinkle with powdered sugar
Directions
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Mix oil, honey, and vanilla. Add eggs and mix until blended. If you want your brownies to rise a bit, beat the egg mixture. If you want dense brownies minimize beating of eggs.
• Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
• Stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture (fold in and don’t over-mix or you will end up with tough brownies). Add chocolate chips and walnuts.
• Pour into a greased 8x8 square pan. If doubling recipe use a 9x13 pan.
• Bake for about 20 minutes, until sides just start to pull away from the pan. Undercook them a bit so they will be moist and gooey – the edges will be done, but the center will still look a bit wet – this is important if you want chewy brownies! Check that the center rises slightly (it will fall as it cools). If the center doesn't rise, the inside will be gooey-raw.
• Cool completely before cutting. Cut in 16 squares, and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
Spiced Nuts
• 2 1/2 cups mixed nuts (I use pecans, almonds, and walnuts)
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• ¼ tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp allspice or cloves
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Mix everything in a bowl, except the nuts, and heat in microwave for 10 seconds. Add nuts and stir to coat. Spread evenly over a baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 8 minutes. Stir, and bake another 3-5 minutes. Be careful as they burn easily, so keep your eye on them, but make sure to cook them long enough or they won't be crunchy. It's a very fine balance, but you will get used to it with practice. Let them sit 5 minutes, then pull them off the baking sheet and place on a clean piece of foil to dry. Store them in the fridge or freezer.
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins
Nutrition 12 muffins: 125 calories
Ingredients: • 1 c quick cooking oats (not instant)
• 1 c whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 c low fat buttermilk (or 3/4 tbsp vinegar + milk & let sit 5 min)
• 1/4 c honey
• 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2-3 tbsp chopped chocolate chips
Directions:
Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the liquid ingredients and mix well. Then combine the wet and dry ingredients with a minimum of stirring. Finely chop the chocolate chips and fold them into the batter. The batter may seem a bit wet. Distribute the batter evenly into 12 muffin tins. Try to bake as soon as possible since the baking powder begins to act as soon as the wet and dry ingredients mix. Bake at 375 for approximately 10-15 minutes.
Date and Cinnamon Scones
This recipe was given to me by my friends Nasra and Jacob. You can use unbleached white or whole wheat pastry flour in place of kamut flour, but I really recommend trying it for it's soft texture and sweet, buttery flavor (in addition to it's health benefits). I buy it at the GNC.
Nutrition per 12 scones: 115 cal
Ingredients:Nutrition per 12 scones: 115 cal
o 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
o 1 cup unbleached white flour or kamut flour or whole wheat pastry flour
o 2 tsp baking powder
o 1/3 tsp salt
o 3 tsp cinnamon
o 1 tbsp olive oil
o 3/4 cup + 3 tbsp plain yogurt (I use low fat) or buttermilk
o 1/3 cup pureed dates (soften in 2 tbsp hot water, mix well)
Directions:
Soften the dates by simmering over low heat with 3 tbsp water in a saucepan for several minutes, stirring until soft, then cool in the fridge. Once cool, mix with yogurt and oil until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix with a fork quickly until it is just blended. Dough will still be a little crumbly. Pat it out gently in a ¼” circle on a floured surface. Don’t knead. Cut into 10-12 wedges and bake at 400 for 20 minutes until they begin to brown and a toothpick at the center comes out clean. Tap them to see if they are done – they will sound hollow.
Savory Scones
This recipe was given to me by my friends Nasra and Jacob. You can use unbleached white or whole wheat pastry flour in place of kamut flour, but I really recommend trying it for it's soft texture and sweet, buttery flavor (in addition to it's health benefits). I buy it at the GNC.
Nutrition per scones (12 scones): 100 cal
IngredientsNutrition per scones (12 scones): 100 cal
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup kamut flour (or whole wheat or all purpose)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt or buttermilk
• ½ cup minced scallions
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill or 2 tsp dry - let soak in yogurt 5 minutes
• 1/8 tsp pepper
Mix flours, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl mix yogurt, oil, pepper, dill and scallions. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix with a fork quickly until it is just blended. The dough will still be crumbly. Do not knead. Pat it out gently in a ¼” circle on a floured surface. It will still be a bit crumbly, and some pieces may fall out of the dough. Just push them back in gently. Cut into 10-12 wedges and bake at 400 for 20 minutes until they are brown and a toothpick at the center comes out clean. Tap the bottom to see if they are done – it will sound hollow.
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