Banana Nut Bread or Muffins (Light)

This recipe is originally a bread recipe but if you are in the mood for muffins simply grease or line a muffin tray to make 12 delicious muffins! This is a lightened up version of the classic that I think tastes no different than the full-fat versions, maybe even better.

Banana Nut Bread/Muffins
Makes: 1 loaf or 12 muffins, Serving Size: 1/12th loaf, or 1 muffin
Nurtional Info (per serving): Calories 200, Fat 3.75g, Saturated Fat 2.5g, Cholesterol 41.6mg, Carbohydrates 38g, Protein 3g, Fiber 1.5g, Sodium 158mg

Ingredients
Nonstick baking spray w/flour
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2oz) cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (5 1/4oz) sugar
3 very ripe large bananas (about 1 1/4lbs), mashed well (1 1/2cups)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9x5 inch loaf pan or 12 muffin cups with nonstick spray. Mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powser, baking soda, salt, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together in a medium bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the mashed bananas, yogurt and vanilla together; set aside.
2. Beat the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and butter together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Beat in half of the flour mixture until just incorporated, followed by one-third of the banana mixture, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add half the remaining flour, followed by another one-third of the banana mixture. Repeat this process once more, being careful not to overmix the batter, which should look thick and chunky.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle top(s) evenly with walnuts (if using). Bake until loaf/muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, about 55 minutes for loaf 15-18 minutes for muffins, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer ta wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Cooks Illustrated Best Light Recipe

Blueberry Scones

I can't believe I haven't posted this sooner! This is one of my favorite treats! It was my Starbucks guilty pleasure several times a week when I was working. These are easy to make and even easier to eat!

Blueberry Scones
Makes: 8 scones, Serving Size: 1 scone
Nutritional Info: Calories 296.6, Total Fat 18.2g, Saturated Fat 11.3g, Cholesterol 60.2mg, Sodium 341.0mg, Potassium 73.2mg, Total Carbohydrate 30.9g, Dietary Fiber 1.2g, Sugars 7.3g, Protein 3.7 g

Ingredients:
2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar (plus more for dusting)
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in 1/4" cubes
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen do not thaw)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup heavy cream

Ingredients:
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425.
2. Place the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl or the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Whisk together, or process with six 1-second pulses.
3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingertips and quickly cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps. If using a food processor, remove the cover and distribute the butter evenly over the dry ingredients. Cover and process with twelve 1-second pulses. Transfer the dough to a large bowl.
4. Stir in blueberry and zest gently. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula gently, continue mixing with hands to keep blueberries intact.
5. Transfer the dough and all dry flour bits to a countertop and knead the dough by hand till it comes together into a rough sticky ball, about 5-10 seconds. Press the dough into an 8" circle and with a sharp knife or bench scraper cut the dough into 8 wedges. Place the wedges on an ungreased baking sheet. (The baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours)
6. Just before baking sprinkle a small pinch of sugar over each wedge. Bake until the scone tops are light brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Adapted from: Cook's Illustrated New Best Recipe

Banana Nut Pancakes (Light)

These are delicious! They are another recipe from Skinnytaste.com. I use this recipe for all my pancake variations. I've made it replacing the bananas with pumpkin butter, apple butter, and more. The bananas in this recipe give the pancakes a sweet flavor without adding sugar.

Banana Nut Pancakes
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 2 pancakes • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 145.7 • Fat: 4.0 g • Protein: 6.7 g • Carb: 22.1 g • Fiber: 3.1 g

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 large banana, very ripe, mashed
1 cup 1% milk
3 large egg whites
2 tsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp chopped walnuts (optional)
butter flavor cooking spray

Directions:
1. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine milk, egg white and mashed bananas in a bowl and mix until smooth. Combine wet ingredients with the dry and mix well with a spoon until there are no more dry spots. Don't over-mix.

2. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Spray oil to lightly coat and pour 1/4 cup of pancake batter. When the pancake starts to bubble and the edges begin to set, flip the pancakes. Repeat with the remainder of the batter.

Makes about 3 cups of batter which yields 12 pancakes.

Source: SkinnyTaste.com

Blueberry Crepes

I couldn't help myself to BOGO blueberries this past week. In an effort to use them all up I looked for some new ways to use them. I was planning on making crepes for breakfast while the hubby was off, so I decided to combine my efforts. The blueberry sauce was originally from a pancake recipe, and the crepe recipe is a previous post (link below). These were thoroughly enjoyed and will make a reappearance in our house soon.

Blueberry Crepes
Yields: 12 Crepes + 3 C. Sauce
Serving Size: 2 crepes + 3 TB. sauce inside (1 TBSP outside - if desired)
Nutritional Info: Calories 205.8, Fat 2.9g, Cholesterol 30.2mg, Sodium 58.4mg, Potassium 161mg, Carbs 38.3g, Fiber 1.7g, Sugar 21.3g, Protein 6.6g

Ingredients:
10-12 Czech Crepes (click link for recipe)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cold water
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions (for filling/topping):
1. In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water until smooth. Add blueberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.
2. Fill each crepe with 3 Tablespoons blueberrie filling. Fold into thirds, Place another tablespoon blueberry mix over top. Repeat with remaining crepes. Garnish with a dollop of Cool Whip or Whipped Cream. Serve warm. Drizzle with maple syrup if desired.

Adapted from: Taste of Home's Blueberry Pancakes

Grilled Pork Chops with 2 Melon Salsa

Pork Chops are so versatile and so well priced that they have become a staple in our freezer. I made this several times over the summer. A great way to use any leftovers from this dish is to dice the pork and toss it and the salsa over a green salad.

Grilled Pork Chops with 2 Melon Salsa
Serves: 4 Serving Size: 1 pork chop and 1/2 cup salsa
Nutrtional Info (per serving): Calories:256, Fat:13.5g (sat 4.3g,mono 6.4g,poly 1.6g),Protein:25g, Carbohydrate:8.7g, Fiber:0.9g, Cholesterol:70mg, Iron:0.9mg, Sodium:458mg, Calcium:37mg

INGREDIENTS
Salsa:
1 cup chopped seedless watermelon
1 cup chopped honeydew melon
3 tablespoons finely chopped sweet onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Pork chops:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork chops, trimmed
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. To prepare salsa, combine the first 7 ingredients; set aside.
2. To prepare pork chops, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine oil and next 4 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small bowl. Rub oil mixture over both sides of pork chops. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with salsa.

Source: Cooking Light

Upside-Down Berry Cornmeal Cake

I made this for my in-laws during their stay with us shortly after we moved to Redondo Beach. We went running everyday on the beach while they were here and this was a wonderful breakfast to have post-run. The basil blends in suprisingly well in the cake. This cake called for a glaze, but I topped mine with a light dusting of powdered sugar and additional berries.

Upside-Down Berry Cornmeal Cake
Serves: 10, Serving Size: 1/10th cake - slice
Nutritional Info: Calories 208, Total Fat (g)7, Saturated Fat (g)1, Monounsaturated Fat (g)4, Polyunsaturated Fat (g)2, Cholesterol (mg)43, Sodium (mg)152, Carbohydrate (g)35, Total Sugar (g)13, Fiber (g)2, Protein (g)4

Ingredients
2-2 1/2 cups combo of fresh blueberries, raspberries, and/or blackberries
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 Tbsp. finely snipped fresh basil
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup canola oil
Garnish: Powdered Sugar, Fresh Basil and/or mint (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 8-inch round cake pan, line bottom of pan with parchment paper; grease. Arrange 1 1/2 cups berries in bottom of pan; set side. In bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, basil, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. In another bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir until combined; pour over berries. Spread evenly.

3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 5 minutes. Run knife around edge of the pan to loosen sides . Invert. Remove parchment. Top with remaining berries, powdered sugar, basil and mint (if desired).

Adapted from: Better Homes and Gardens

Overnight French Toast

My ultimate go-to recipe for big breakfast gatherings! This recipe is so great and versatile. You can change up the type of bread, berries, nuts, and so on to meet what you have in your pantry. Below is the version I make most often which differs from the original from Taste of Home.

Overnight French Toast
Serves: 8, Serving Size: 1/8th pan
Nutritional Info: Calories 469.0 Total Fat 16.2 g Saturated Fat 5.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat 3.6 g Monounsaturated Fat 5.9 g Cholesterol 120.0 mg Sodium 316.1 mg Potassium 515.6 mg Total Carbohydrate 81.5 g Dietary Fiber 6.1 g Sugars 43.5 g Protein 12.8 g

Ingredients
12 slices bread, cubed (nutritional info is for wheat bread)
5 eggs, beaten
1-3/4 cups milk 1%
1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions
1. Place bread cubes in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle almonds over egg mixture. Combine butter and remaining brown sugar and cinnamon; drizzle over the top.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with berries. Bake 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm with maple syrup or agave nectar.

Adapted from: Taste of Home

Dutch Apple Pie

There is something about the topping on a Dutch Apple Pie that is so addicting! I love this recipe because the filling is just as addicting as the topping. The sour cream gives the pie a "melt-in-your-mouth" flavor that will have you asking for seconds.

Dutch Apple Pie
Serves: 6-8 Serving Size: 1/6-1/8 of pie - slice
Nutritional Info (per 1/8th slice): 481 calories, 21 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 77 mg cholesterol, 194 mg sodium, 67 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.

Ingredients
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) sour cream
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Spice Island® Pure Vanilla Extract
3 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

CRUMB TOPPING:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold butter

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the egg, sour cream, sugar, flour and vanilla. Stir in apples. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine brown sugar and flour. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over pie. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until filling is set and topping is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

Source: Taste of Home

Golden Peach Pie

One of my favorites fruits to pick up at the farmers' market are peaches. The Castro Valley Farmers' Market has a stand that always has the biggest and tastiest peaches. Every week I would pick up enough for snacking and occasionally some extra to make this pie. Also, feel free to play around with cookie cutters when making the top. I made this once for a new mommy and used duck cookie cutters and booties for the crust.

Golden Peach Pie
Serves: 8 Serving Size: 1/8 pie - slice
Nutritional Info (per slice): 425 calories, 17 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 267 mg sodium, 67 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Ingredients
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
5 cups sliced peeled fresh peaches (about 5 medium)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
Milk

Directions
Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim even with edge of plate. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, lemon juice, orange peel and extract. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg and salt. Add to peach mixture; toss gently to coat. Pour into crust; dot with butter.
Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; make decorative cutouts in pastry. Set cutouts aside. Place top crust over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Brush pastry and cutouts with milk; place cutouts on top of pie. Cover the edges loosely with foil.
Bake at 400° for 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator.


Source: Taste of Home

Autumn Pear Bread

It is so sad to say goodbye to many of the farmers' markets at the start of fall. So it is nice that pears hit their peak right about this time to keep us satisfied with some "fall fruit". I made this almost every week when Shane was in the academy. He and his carpool buddy would eat almost the entire loaf on their drive. Needless to say he really likes this bread. The original recipe calls to make it into 2 small loaf pans, but I always make it in a full-size.

Autumn Pear Bread
Serves: 16; Serving Size: 1/16th slice of loaf/ 1/8th in mini loaf pans
Nutritional Info (per serving): 173 calories, 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 42 mg cholesterol, 208 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup cold butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup finely chopped peeled ripe pears

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Combine the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla; stir into the flour mixture just until moistened. Fold in pears.
3. Spoon into two greased 5-3/4-in. x 3-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Source: Taste of Home

Phyllo Fruit Tart

I found this recipe yet again on Gina's Skinny Taste site. I believe she found this recipe from another blogger...the recipe exchange keeps truckin' along. ;-)

Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1/8th  Points: 4 pts
Calories: 183 • Fat: 6 g  Protein: 4.5 g  Carb: 26 g  Fiber: 3 g
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 8 sheets phyllo dough (14 x 9)
• 1 pkg. (8 oz) FF cream cheese
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 cup Cool Whip Free
• 1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
• 4 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
• 1-1/2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1 oz white baking chocolate, melted

In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a baking sheet. Brush with butter mixture. Repeat with remaining sheets. Bake at 400 for 5-7 minutes or until browned. Cool completely.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar. Beat well. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over cooled phyllo. Top with fruit. Melt chocolate in microwave and drizzle over fruit.

Source: Gina at Skinny Taste

Lightened Up Czech Crepes

Crepes have always been my favorite (remember the German International Crepes at IHOP?) They can be filled with fruit, jam, whipped cream, you name it! This is a simple yet delicious low-calorie dessert or breakfast. I found this recipe at Gina’s Skinny Taste Site (see link below).

Czech Crepes
Yields: 12 crepes Serving Size: 2 crepes
Nutritional Info(including Pam+2tsp sugar/crepe): Calories 157.5 Total Fat 2.9 g Saturated Fat 0.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g Monounsaturated Fat 1.0 g Cholesterol 30.2 mg Sodium 55.5 mg Potassium 128.6 mg Total Carbohydrate 26.0 g Dietary Fiber 0.7 g Sugars 11.3 g Protein 6.3 g

Ingredients:
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups 1% milk
• 1/3 cup egg whites (or 2 large egg whites)
• 1 whole egg
• 1 tsp oil
• Butter flavored spray
• Powdered sugar

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, milk, eggs and oil until smooth using a wire whisk or you can put in the blender. Heat a large nonstick pan on medium-low flame. When hot, spray with buttered flavored spray to coat bottom of skillet. Pour about 1/4 cup crepe mixture into pan, swirling pan slightly to make crepe thin and smooth. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until bottom of crepe is light golden brown. Flip; cook 30 seconds to 1 minute or until light golden brown. Repeat with remaining buttered flavored spray and crepe mixture.


Source: Gina's Weight Watcher recipes at skinnytaste.com

Berry Yogurt Pops

A great summer treat!

1½ c. Sliced Strawberries
2/3 c. Simple Syrup
12 TB. Vanilla Flavored Yogurt
1½ c. Blackberries
1 tsp. Lemon Juice


1. Place strawberries in blender/food processor, add 1/3 cup cool simple syrup process till smooth. Pour 3 tablespoons strawberry puree into each mold. Freeze for 30 minutes.
2. Remove molds from freezer. Add 2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt to each mold. Freeze.
3. Puree blackberries in food processor with 1/3 cup simple syrup, process till smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Add 1 tsp lemon juice. Place 2 TBSP over each mold (leaving room at top to expand). Place stick/top in mold. Freeze for at least 6 hours.

Source: Cooking Light Magazine, June 2010 issue