Apple and Caramel Bread Pudding

Sounds sinful, right? Not only is this recipe delicious, but each serving has less than 200 calories and less than 3 grams of fat...not bad for dessert!

Below are the ingredients that I used to make this dish. Read until the end of this post though for a few thoughts on how to make it even better!

1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup light vanilla soymilk
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
 1 tsp vanilla
5 cups 1-inch cubes French bread
3 tbsp sliced almonds
1/4 cup fat-free caramel topping, heated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix first six ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add in bread a little bit at a time to ensure that all pieces are coated in the liquid mixture.

Pour into a 9-inch pie dish greased with cooking spray, and sprinkle almonds on top.

 

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top starts to brown. Cut into 8 servings and drizzle caramel over each piece. 

I thought this was really tasty, but next time I make it, I think I'll cut the bread into pieces that are a little bit smaller, and use maybe 4 - 4 1/2 cups as opposed to 5. I think it would also be good to add a fresh (diced) apple and another half teaspoon or so of cinnamon into the mix.

The original recipe can be found here.

Grilled Salmon with Roasted Corn Relish

The original recipe, found here, was for four servings, but I cut it down to two and made it as follows:

Ingredients:
2 Anaheim Chiles
Cooking Spray
1 ear of corn, shucked
2/3 cup tomato
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
3 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper, divided
1/2 tsp cumin
2 salmon fillets (the ones I used were about 8 oz each)

Warm grill. Coat grill rack with cooking spray and place corn and chiles on grill. Rotate every few minutes until browned on all sides. The chiles will probably be ready before the corn. Take the chiles off the grill and place into a large zip lock back for about 5 minutes. Keep rotating the corn until cooked (probably about 15 minutes or so).

Once chiles have cooled enough to handle, remove the skin. Cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and chop into bite-size pieces. Remove the kernels from the corn, and combine with chiles, tomato, cilantro, and lime juice. Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Combine remaining salt and pepper with the cumin. Mix well. Rub over salmon fillets.

I used a fish grill basket to grill the salmon, but if you don't have one, you can place it directly on the grill rack. Spray the grill with cooking spray to prevent the fish from sticking to the rack.

Depending on the size of the fillets, the cook time will vary, but the fish should flake easily when it is done. (My fillets were about 8 oz each, and I grilled them for about 15-20 minutes, flipping a couple times.) Serve with relish.



Fall Minestrone

Since it is the beginning of fall, and the past couple of days have been so dreary, this hearty (and healthy!) recipe from Cooking Light for Fall Minestrone seemed fitting. I don't cook soups a lot, so this was something new for me and I stayed pretty true to the original recipe. It takes a little bit of time to chop all the veggies, but once that's done, the recipe is very easy.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 1/2 cups red potatoes, cubed
1 cup (1-inch) cut green beans
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup uncooked orzo
1 15.5 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Fresh Parmesan cheese (for topping)

Chop onion, garlic, squash, potatoes, green beans and carrots.

In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil. Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are soft.




Add vegetable stock, chicken broth, squash, potatoes, green beans, carrots, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for several minutes. Add remaining ingredients (minus the cheese). Heat until vegetables are cooked. Time may vary depending on the size of your potato and squash cubes. 

Ladle into a bowl, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve! This soup was pretty good, although next time I might try adding a bit more seasoning, and maybe some mini turkey meatballs.

Zucchini Cakes

Ingredients:
2 large zucchini
1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 cup diced red pepper

1/4 cup grated carrots

2 tbsp chopped green onion

1 tsp minced garlic

2 large egg whites

6 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tbsp corn meal

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
Olive oil


Grate the zucchini in a large bowl. Once you've grated it all, take it by the handful and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. This will help keep your mix from being too watery. Once you've drained as much liquid from the zucchini as possible, mix in the onion, red pepper, carrots, green onion, and garlic.

Add in the egg whites and mix thoroughly. Mix in the flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and cheese.

Heat a large skillet (nonstick preferably) over medium high heat. Drizzle about 1 tbsp olive oil in the pan. When the oil is hot, add heaping spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture to the pan. (*TIP: You can make these larger or smaller depending on whether you are serving them as an appetizer or with an entree)

Heat the zucchini cakes for about two minutes on each side, until browned. To keep them warm while you cook the rest of the cakes, place in the oven at approximately 200 degrees or place in the microwave and use the "warming" feature. Serve hot.

This dish was inspired by a recipe by Ina Garten, although I made quite a few modifications to her version.

Fiesta Mexican Casserole

We hadn't had Mexican in a while, and wanted to try something other than the standard tacos or fajitas. After some researching and online inspiration, we ended up with this.....and it was tasty!

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray

1 1/4 lb ground turkey breast

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chopped onions

1 jalopeno, minced

1/2 cup chopped green onions   

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp chili powder

1 1/2 tbsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn, rinsed and drained

1 can fire roasted tomatoes (or you could use Rotel)

1 4oz can diced green chiles

3/4 cup salsa, divided

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus a little extra for garnish

9 flour tortillas

8 oz Mexican blend cheese

Sour Cream (for topping)

1 avocado

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a large (and deep) skillet with cooking spray. Cook turkey, garlic, onions, jalopeno, and green onions over medium high heat for several minutes until outside of turkey just starts to brown.

Add tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Reduce heat slightly, and continue to cook until turkey is almost all the way cooked and onion is tender.

Mix in beans, corn, fire roasted tomatoes, green chiles, 1/2 cup salsa, and cilantro.

Spray a 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray. (*Note - this is the size I used, and I ended up with a lot of extra meat/bean/veggie mixture. You can either save the extra for tacos or something, or just use a larger pan. If you use a larger pan though, you will probably need more tortillas and more cheese)

Spread the other 1/4 cup of salsa over the bottom of the pan. Layer three tortillas on the bottom of the pan. I split two of them in half using the flat sides to line the edges of the pan, and then one whole tortilla in the middle.

Add 1/3 of the cheese, and some of the meat/bean/veggie mixture.

Repeat with the tortillas, cheese, and mixture one more time. Top with one last layer of tortillas.

Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Then sprinkle the last 1/3 of the cheese on the top and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Cut into 4-6 portions. Garnish each portion with a dollop of sour cream, a couple slices of avocado, a sprinkle of chili powder, and fresh cilantro.

.









Halibut with Tomatoes, Rosemary, and Zucchini in Foil Packs

Originally in Coastal Living magazine, this recipe "packs" a punch of freshness - fresh seafood, fresh veggies, and fresh herbs. Sounded like a pretty good combo to me...

 

I stayed pretty true to the original recipe, only adding a couple ingredients. Also, since I was cooking for two, and the original recipe makes four servings, I modified it as listed below:

Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, quartered and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
1/4 of a small red onion, cut in large pieces
1/8 cup pitted kalamata olives
2 halibut fillets (about 6 oz each)
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon


Preheat grill to approximately 400 degrees. While grill is heating, lay out two large pieces of aluminum foil (at least 12 inches each). Divide and arrange the zucchini, tomatoes, onion and olives evenly between the two pieces of foil.

Place the halibut fillets on top of the veggies. If your fillets have skin, place the fish on the veggies so that the side without the skin is facing up. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Place half of your garlic slices on each fillet, top with rosemary sprigs and drizzle with olive oil. I didn't do this when I made it, but I think that drizzling some fresh squeezed lemon juice over the fish at this point would really add to the flavor. Or, you could wait and squeeze it over the fish when it is cooked.

 

Pull foil over top of the fish, covering completely and crimping the edges to seal. You may need to add another piece of foil. Place fish packets on the grill. 

The original recipe says that you only need to grill them for 10-12 minutes, flipping the packets halfway through, but I found that the cook time was actually about 20-25 minutes until the fish was flaky and the vegetables were cooked. I would start with 12 minutes, check it, and then cook for additional time as needed.

Remove fish and veggies from foil packets and enjoy!

White Bean & Chick Pea Basil Hummus

Hummus is one of those foods that has infinite possibilities.  Once you have the base down, you can play around with different flavors. I had a basil hummus at a restaurant once, so this is my attempt to recreate it.

Ingredients:
1 can chick peas, drained

1 can great northern beans, drained (or you can use two cans of chick peas)
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves (approximately)    
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp bottled minced garlic
2 tsp pepper (to start, can add more to taste)
1 tsp salt (to start, can add more to taste)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper


To start, empty the drained beans and chick peas into a food processor. Add the basil leaves, garlic, tahini, salt, and pepper.

 

Pulse the food processor a few times to break up the ingredients. A lot of hummus recipes call for olive oil to smooth out the consistency, but to keep the fat content down, I substituted the olive oil with chicken broth. Start with about a a quarter cup and continue to blend the ingredients until you achieve a smooth consistency, adding more broth if necessary. I added just enough so that the hummus wasn't chunky. Be careful not to add too much or it could end up runny. Runny hummus = not good.

Now the fun part - the taste test. Depending on how you like it, here you can add more salt and pepper to taste. If you like a little kick of spice, you can add in the red pepper flakes. I used about 1/2 teaspoon, but you can use more or less depending on how much heat you like. Mix in any added ingredients, and serve with warm toasted pita points, or fresh vegetables.

Fish Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Crema

This is a recipe that Clay and I have made several times, and it is so tangy and delicious. The original recipe is from Cooking Light (here). The cilantro and lime crema is so simple, but it really does make the taco. A perfect fresh summertime dinner!

 

Ingredients:

(4 servings)

Crema: 

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tbsp fat free mayonnaise
3 tbsp fat free sour cream
1 tsp grated lime rind
1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Tacos:
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 lbs tilapia (the original recipe calls for red snapper, but this is sometimes difficult to find)
Cooking spray
8 small flour tortillas (as opposed to corn tortillas in the original recipe - I find that corn tortillas fall apart too easily, and then all your taco filling falls out....not fun)
2 cups shredded cabbage


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine cumin, coriander, paprika, red pepper, salt, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place fish on baking sheet. Rub spices on both sides of the fish, and then lightly spray with cooking spray.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily. Add tortillas wrapped in foil for the last couple minutes to head them up.

To prepare crema, mix first 8 ingredients in a small bowl.









Remove fish from oven and place in a bowl. Break up into small chunks. Divide fish evenly among tortillas, and top with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tbsp crema.

Couscous Stuffed Chicken

I love couscous, and I love chicken stuffed with goodness, so when I saw this recipe it looked like the perfect combination. The original recipe is from Cooking Light, and can be found here. I really didn't change it all that much. The only things I did differently were omit the kalamata olives (I'm not such a fan of these), and add in some pine nuts to the couscous stuffing. I also only made two chicken breasts, but still made the original amount of couscous stuffing. I did have a little extra at the end, but it's delicious on it's own, so you can save that for leftovers the next day!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup fat free, lower sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup uncooked couscous
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper, divided
3 tbsp chopped plum tomato (I used cherry tomatoes since I already had them)
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 minced garlic clove
1 tbsp pine nuts
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To make couscous stuffing, bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan. Once it starts boiling, stir in couscous and remove from heat. Cover and let sit for about 5 minutes. Remove couscous from pan and into a small bowl. Allow to cool while you chop your veggies/herbs.

Add 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to couscous, then mix in the remaining ingredients: tomato, feta, olive oil, oregano, parsley, lemon and garlic.







Place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound to 1/4 inch thickness.






Add several heaping spoonfuls of couscous mixture to the chicken. Sprinkle a few pine nuts on top of stuffing on each piece of chicken and roll up, securing with wooden toothpicks. Place in a greased cooking dish, and sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.Pour about 1/4 cup chicken broth in the pan to keep the chicken moist.

The original recipe called for browning the chicken in a pan and then placing it in the oven, but I didn't want to lose the stuffing so I skipped the skillet step and just baked it in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the chicken is done.