Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Low Fat Cran-Blueberry Muffins…

I love muffins from a coffee shop, but those muffins do not like us. They are usually high in fat and sugar. Just because you are watching your weight does not mean you have to do without, you have just have to make smarter choices. The muffin recipe today uses whole-wheat, orange juice, blueberries, apricots and cranberries. If you wanted to replace the white sugar, my choice would be clear agave syrup. This recipe was written by Annette Snoek, for Weight Watchers and yes, I did tinker with it a bit…
I read once that if you only did your grocery shopping on the outside rows you would have everything you need to sustain life. Fruits, veggies, dairy and meat, interesting concept, but it is true our bodies do not need any of the engineered processed foods. I thought about it and started a self-argument of I need the baking row for the spices… well I don’t since I can buy fresh herbs. So for those who need a challenge, try it out!
This should make 18 muffins.
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
1½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup cold margarine, diced
¾ nonfat plain yogurt
1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 eggs
1 ½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
24 dried apricot halves, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F
Either spray muffin cups with cooking spray or insert paper liners.
In a medium bowl combine, yogurt, orange juice, and eggs.
In a large bowl combine, flour, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, cut in margarine until flour mixture looks like crumbs.
Stir the yogurt mix into the large bowl, until just combined. Gently fold the fruit into the mixture.
Spoon batter into muffins cups, filling two-thirds full.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.


Monday, February 4, 2013

Seven Layer Casserole...

We have all heard of and maybe even consumed seven layer dip, but what about seven layer casserole? I saw on Southern Food while looking for a tamale pie recipe and thought it was interesting. I would suggest adding a taco seasoning, omitting the bacon and changing the tomato sauce with a can of Rotel. Before serving top with salsa, sour cream and guacamole. I would serve with refried beans and tortillas.
Ingredients:
·         1 cup uncooked rice, washed and drained
·         1 cup whole kernel corn, drained
·         dash salt and pepper
·         1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce and 1/2 cup water
·         1/2 cup chopped onion
·         1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
·         3/4 to 1 pound extra lean ground beef, uncooked and broken up
·         dash salt and pepper
·         1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
·         4 strips bacon, cut in half
·         1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese or Cheddar Jack blend
Preparation:
Layer the ingredients in a buttered 1 1/2- to 2-quart casserole in the order given. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover and cook 30 minutes longer, until bacon is crisp. Top the casserole with the shredded cheese the last 10 to 15 minutes.
Seven layer casserole serves 4.