Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Get Your Chocolate Fix..
and Your Vegetables All In One Bite!

For a final goodbye to Summer, I decided to make my favorite muffin recipe. I made a few revisions to my original recipe and I think they are even better now! I know the combination of chocolate and zucchini sounds a bit suspicious, but trust me, you do not taste the zucchini at all.
The flavor is very chocolatey and the texture is soft and velvety. Very moist as well, due to the zucchini, of course! What more could you ask for in a muffin? Oh, and by the way, they're somewhat low-fat too!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
by Mixed Salad Annie

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup extra light olive oil (or canola oil)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsps. vanilla
6 oz. container "SO Delicious" Cultured Coconut Milk
2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium, unpeeled, do not squeeze)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375º. Spray non-stick muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper cups.

Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in cocoa and heat for another 30 seconds. Set aside to cool.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Cream together cocoa butter mixture and sugars in mixing bowl until well combined,
using electric mixer at medium speed. Beat in oil; add coconut milk, then blend in eggs and vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients and blend until just combined. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins. If you have extra batter

Decrease oven temperature to 350º. Bake 19 - 24 minutes, turning pan halfway through. Muffins are done when toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.

The Easiest Tiramisu Ever

Not Traditional, but So What!

If you have ever made tiramisu before than you know it is a little time consuming. It involves making a zabalione which requires a bit of time beating the eggs over low heat in order to ensure that they are safe to eat (no salmonella!). The traditional way to prepare it also requires fresh whipped cream made from scratch- which takes time and not to mention adds more calories. So when I came across this quick, easy and light recipe from Supreme Dairy Farms (located right here in RI!), I knew I had to try it.

The Supreme recipe uses ricotta cheese in place of the mascarpone and no eggs which is not traditional at all for a tiramisu. I would have tried the recipe just as written, but I happened to get a great deal on mascarpone cheese at Whole Foods and it was sitting in the fridge just waiting for a reason to be used! So I obliged.

The other great thing about this recipe is that it can be made ahead and can even be frozen. I actually made this 2 weeks ago and popped it in the freezer. So I am all set to bring it over my brothers house for Thanksgiving, and he is none the wiser. He doesn't need to know that I didn't slave over it like I usually do... (Unless he reads this post, Hi Bro!)
Happy Thanksgiving everyone ;)

The Easiest Tiramisu Ever
adapted from Supreme Ricotta Cheese

24 ladyfingers
3⁄4 cup espresso or strong coffee, cooled
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 -8 3/4 oz container mascarpone cheese
1 cup fat-free or part skim ricotta cheese, well drained
1 -6 oz. container fat-free vanilla yogurt, well drained
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
3 tablespoons amaretto liquor or brandy or coffee liquor
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup cocoa powder or 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange rind

Preheat oven to 375°, arrange ladyfingers on baking sheet. Bake until toasted, about 5 mins. Mix the teaspoon of sugar with the espresso and dip ladyfingers in it quickly turning to coat each side.

Arrange half of the ladyfingers in a 2 or 2 1⁄2 quart oval or rectangular serving dish.
In a small bowl, mix mascarpone, ricotta, yogurt, sugar and liquor; beat thoroughly until smooth. Spread half of the mixture on the ladyfingers in the serving dish. Sprinkle with half of the chocolate. Repeat layers of ladyfingers, dipped in espresso, mascarpone mixture and chocolate. Cover with foil and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Dust with cocoa powder or fresh grated orange rind before serving.

Peanut Butter Biscotti

Who doesn't love cookies? I know I for one could live on them. I love all kinds of cookies, cake-like, soft and chewy, and for sure- crisp and crunchy. In other words, biscotti. The word biscotti means twice baked in Italian.I learned that word a long time ago when I was a kid from my Italian mama. My mom loves to bake, but doesn't usually make biscotti. She likes to make bars mostly. But she is a big fan of MY biscotti and can't wait to try any new batch that I dream up.
She really enjoyed this last recipe. I asked her what she thought of them and she said "DELIZIOSO!"

Peanut Butter Biscotti
by Mixed Salad Annie

1 1/4 cup unbleached AP flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
2 tablespoons wheat germ (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup plus 1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup molasses
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1 whole egg, plus 2 egg whites
4 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil sprayed with cooking spray.

In a food processor, grind the oatmeal and wheat germ if using, until fine. In a bowl sift together oatmeal mixture, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, peanut butter, molasses and water. Add flour mixture and mix just until ingredients are combined. If mixture is too dry, add an additional teaspoon or two of water. Stir in chips.

Divide the dough in half; place half the dough on one side of the cookie sheet and form into a log about 3 inches wide. Repeat with second half of dough keeping logs about 3 inches apart; flatten slightly. Bake until light brown, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°. Once cool cut log into 3/4-inch thick bars. Place bars, cut side down, back on the cookie sheet and bake for about 10-20 depending on your preference of crunchiness. minutes longer. (Cookies will crisp once cool.)

Ricotta Pie

Making Traditions Come Alive!

In Rhode Island, and other heavily Italian populated areas, it is tradition on Easter to make and eat rice pies, rice and ricotta pies, also known as pastiera and ricotta pies. Although I am Italian, on my mom's side, she nor I have ever made or even eaten one. Can you believe that? I don't know what took so long but I finally did it. I made a ricotta pie. I have wanted to make one for such a long time and somehow never got to it.

It was so exciting, getting all the ingredients together, trying to figure out which way to go with it. Should I add pineapple, chocolate chips, candied fruit, etc.? I looked at many recipes and and got some ideas from Susan's blog Food Blogga, and also from Emeril. I sort of created my own based on everything I looked at.

Also, it was my first time using a real vanilla bean. YUM!!! So much fun... I will definately be using these again!

I couldn't wait for my mom to try the pie, so I decided to film her first bite...
Here it is.

She's so cute!!! I love her to pieces.


















Italian Ricotta Pie
For the dough:

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter; cut into pieces
1 large egg
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:

1 1/2 pounds reduced-fat ricotta cheese, drained well
3/4 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 vanilla bean, inside scraped out
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12-15 times or until the flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg and 2 1/2 tablespoons of water and pulse repeatedly until the mixture forms a ball; adding more water if necessary. Remove the dough from the processor, form a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or place in the freezer while making filling.

Roll the dough out between two sheets of waxed paper to 1/8-inch thick. Fit the dough into a greased spring form pan or a greased 9 1/2-inch deep dish pie pan. If using a spring form pan, pat the dough into the bottom of the pan and up 3/4 of the sides. If using pie plate, trim the edges so that an inch hangs over the sides and refrigerate.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the ricotta cheese, orange zest and vanilla bean scrapings and sugar until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add chocolate and pine nuts and stir to combine.

Pour the filling into the pastry-lined pie pan. If using a pie plate crimp the edges decoratively using either your fingers or a fork.

Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425º; lower temp to 350º and bake for 40 minutes, or until the pastry is light golden brown and the filling is just set (and does not jiggle when moved). If the edges of the pie start to brown, cover them with a piece of aluminum foil wrapped around the pie.

Remove the oven and cool on a wire rack. The pie can be served slightly warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Note: Don't worry too much if you see cracks form on the top of the pie. As it cools, the filling will sink a bit and the crack become less apparent.

Reduced-Fat Spinach and Turkey Lasagna

Low-Fat Doesn't Have to Mean No Flavor!

Sorry about the crappy picture. I bought a new camera and I'm still trying to figure out all the settings! It is the Cannon Power Shot Sd770 IS Elph. I do like it though, it takes awesome videos. The view screen (I don't know the technical term) is really large. It makes it easier to view the picture after you shoot it. But I digress. So on to the lasagna...

I love lasagna, but I don't make it that often. Mostly because it does take a little time to prepare. Also, because it is heavy and usually full of fat. I have made low-fat lasagnas in the past and they came out fine but nothing to rave about.
This one is different. I think I hit on something here. This lasagna was tasty and hearty but not overly filling or fattening. Plus it was a bit easier to make because I used the no-boil lasagna noodles. It saves a lot of time and aggravation. I used tomato sauce on the top and bottom layers of the lasagna. The garlic bechamel sauce dominates the middle layers, so the flavor is more creamy than a traditional lasagna which uses mostly tomato sauce throughout.

It got all thumbs up from the sometimes picky family, so I hope you give it a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the results!

Reduced-Fat Spinach and Turkey Lasagna
by Mixed Salad Annie

12 sheets of Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 (15 ounce) container low-fat ricotta cheese (I recommend
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Italian 3 cheese blend includes mozzarella, provolone and parmesan cheese, divided use (I used Kraft)
3/4 cup Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano cheese, divided use
dash nutmeg
1 package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and squeezed dry
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb ground turkey, 93% lean
1 leek, washed thoroughly and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
3 cups reduced-fat garlic bechamel sauce, recipe below
1 (26-27 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce or your own

Preheat oven to 375. Cover a baking sheet with foil and set aside a 13x9x2 pan.

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until wilted and translucent but not brown; around 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds to one minute. Raise heat to medium high, add turkey, salt, pepper and cook until no longer pink. Remove from heat and add basil. Drain in a colander and set aside.

In bowl, combine beaten eggs, ricotta cheese, 3/4 cups of the shredded cheese, 1/4 cup Romano and nutmeg. Set aside.

Prepare bechemel sauce.

Spread 1/2 of the jar of sauce or 1 1/2 cups your own sauce on bottom of pan.
Layer in order, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles (slightly overlap), then 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture, 1/2 of the browned turkey mixture, 1/2 the spinach and 1/2 of the bechamel sauce.

Next layer, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, remaining 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture, remaining half browned turkey mixture, remaining half of the spinach and remaining 1/2 of the bechamel sauce.

Next layer, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, remaining 1/2 jar of sauce or another 1 1/2 cups of your own sauce, remaining 3/4 cup shredded cheese and remaining 1/2 cup of Romano cheese.
Spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray. Cover pan with foil and cook for about 1 hour or until bubbling.
Uncover and continue cooking until all the cheese is melted on the top (about 5 minutes).
Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Reduced-Fat Garlic Bechamel Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups fat-free creamer or skim milk
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
pinch to 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

In a medium saucepan heat creamer/milk until hot but not boiling.

Heat butter, oil and garlic in a medium saucepan until garlic is fragrant. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat until the flour mixture turns light golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Slowly add milk to flour mixture; whisk until smooth. Add salt. Bring to a boil and cook for around 6-8 minutes, until sauce thickens. Remove the pan from heat and add nutmeg. Set aside.

Cinnamon Breakfast Biscotti

Breakfast Anyone?

I have been craving anything with cinnamon lately. It must be the crisp December air. Cold weather always makes me think of all the warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, etc. So it got me thinking of cinnamon cookies. Of course cookies are always on my mind, so this was not a far reach. ;) I was going to make snickerdoodles since I have never made them before, but I decided to go with biscotti at the last minute.

Biscotti are like a guilt free cookie to me. Because there is not a lot of fat used in most biscotti recipes, I feel like I can eat more of them. I made this recipe on an even healthier note. I used a lot less sugar than in a traditional biscotti. It also has lots of heart healthy whole grains in it. Since these biscotti are not overly sweet, they are perfect for breakfast or even a late night snack!

Cinnamon Breakfast Biscotti
by Mixed Salad Annie

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 tablespoons wheat germ
3/4 cup natural sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large egg whites and 1 whole large egg
2 tablespoons tub margarine, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, mixing with a whisk. With an electric mixer combine eggs, margarine, and vanilla on low speed. Add to flour mixture, mixing just until moist.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly for about 1 minute. Shape dough into 2 16-inch-long rolls. Place rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; flatten slightly and square off ends. Sprinkle reserved cinnamon sugar over dough; pushing down lightly with fingers.

Bake at 325° for 20 minutes. Place rolls on a cutting board; let cool 10 minutes. Cut each roll diagonally into (1/2-inch) slices. Place cookies on their sides back onto the baking sheet. Bake at 325° for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet; let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Hate Zucchini?
No problem. Have a piece, I promise
you won't taste it.

This is my favorite kind of recipe. The kind that allows you to "hide" something healthy like vegetables, in this case zucchini, in something seemingly unhealthy like a double chocolate loaf. If just the thought of zucchini with chocolate makes you shiver, fear not, you will absolutely not taste the zucchini. In fact, just forget it's even in there and enjoy a nice piece of double chocolate loaf.

You might remember the Chocolate Zucchini Muffins that I posted a while ago, well this is basically the same recipe with just a few minor changes. Sometimes it's just easier to make a loaf than muffins. By the way, you could even add some walnuts for an added crunch and a boost of omega 3!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
by Mixed Salad Annie

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/3 cup tub margarine or butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsps. vanilla
3/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
2 cups grated zucchini
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees or 325 degrees for glass pans. Spray loaf pans with cooking spray and dust by sifting a tablespoon of cocoa over the pans. Shake pans to evenly cover.

Melt the margarine or butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cocoa and heat until fragrant, stirring constantly about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Cream together cocoa butter mixture and sugars in mixing bowl until light and fluffy,
using electric mixer at medium speed. Beat in oil; add yogurt, then blend in eggs and vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients and blend until just combined. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes.

Strawberry Shortcake... Sort of.

A Childhood Favorite

I've always liked strawberry shortcake. I remember when I was a kid we would have it all the time. My mom would buy those little round yellow sponge cakes and we would fill them with lots of strawberries and top them off with some Reddi Whip whipped cream.

My mom would always prepare the strawberries ahead of time, by washing, cutting and sprinkling them with sugar and letting them sit overnight, to bring out their natural juices and create a delicious sauce. I didn't know it then, but this is known as macerating the fruit. It's kind of like marinating meat, only its with sugar, not an acid. This process really brings out the flavor in the strawberries and makes them softer and easier to digest.

I can even remember the container that my mom would use to macerate the berries in. I think it was an old ham container. Funny, huh? I guess she liked it because it was made of metal and had a clear plastic lid and it was the perfect size for the amount of strawberries she had.

My dad also loved this dessert. He would always have seconds, and following in his footsteps, so would I (and still do).

Technically I didn't make the traditional strawberry shortcake, which uses, well shortcake.
I made this on the fly, so I kind of cheated by using fat-free cool whip and made angel food cake cupcakes which takes a lot less time than a whole cake. But you could use whatever cake you wish. Even pound cake would be good.

Strawberry Shortcake

1 quart strawberries, washed, de-stemmed and cut in half or smaller if they're really big
1 tablespoon sugar
Cake of your choice, short cake, angel food, pound cake or even those little round yellow thingys
Topping of your choice, homemade whipped cream, Reddi Whip whipped cream, or even fat-free cool whip

Place the strawberries in a bowl and add the sugar. Stir until well coated, cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Top your cake of choice with strawberries and top with your choice of topping.

Serves 4-6

Apple Cinnamon Butterscotch Muffins

More Boxed Muffins...With a Special Touch!

Looking through my cabinets lately has been so exasperating. I can't believe how many boxed baking mixes I have. I am kind of addicted to buying them. The weird thing is I really like to bake from scratch, but I forget about that when I see those pretty boxes with all the beautiful pictures of delicious baked goodies on the front cover. Whether it's muffins, brownies, cakes, cookies, you name it, I've got them in my cabinets.

It's a little frustrating because I have so many homemade recipes that I want to make, but I don't want these mixes to get too old, so I have to use them up. So be prepared for lots of "semi-homemade" posts.

I did jazz these muffins up. Because they are organic, I figured that they would need a little extra something, something to make them even better. I added toasted walnuts for some crunch, organic apple sauce, and organic cinnamon and butterscotch chips for a little sweet surprise. I thought it would be a good flavor combination with the apple cinnamon. I was right! YUM. The butterscotch chips kind of give a caramel flavor to the muffins.

*Note: If you prefer a low-fat muffin omit the butterscotch chips and reduce the walnuts to 1/4 cup.

Apple Cinnamon Butterscotch Muffins

1 box Dr. Oetker Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix
1 cup milk, minus 2 tablespoons
1 large egg white
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1/4 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. for shiny metal pan, 425 degrees F. for dark non-stick pans.
Spray bottom of muffin pan or use paper muffin cups.

Blend milk, egg white, oil, applesauce and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in muffin mix and stir until just blended.

Add in most of the walnuts and butterscotch chips, reserving a small amount.
Spoon batter evenly between 12 muffins cups (about 3/4 full). Add the rest of the walnuts and butterscotch chips to the tops of the muffins.

Place muffins in oven and reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees. If using a convection oven, reduce temperature by 50 degrees. Bake for about 14 minutes turning pan half way through cooking.

Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes. Remove to cooling rack.
Makes 12 muffins

Honeyed Orange Blueberry Muffins

Add A Little Sunshine To Your Day!

While visiting one of my favorite blogs, Food Blogga, I noticed this delicious sounding recipe - Honeyed Orange Ginger Muffins (Quat, Optional). The creative and daring, Susan created this recipe using orangequats. I have never had nor seen an orangequat, but no problem because Susan made the recipe "quat-optional", substituting with naval oranges. One look at her luscious muffins and I knew I had to make some.

I altered the recipe a bit for a few reasons. One, like I said, I have never seen orangequats in my supermarket, so I used naval oranges as Susan suggests. Two, I had my Mom in mind when making this recipe and she loves the flavor of orange and blueberries, but does not like a spicy flavor and usually prefers her muffins with less sugar. So I substituted blueberries for the raisins and changed the minced ginger to half the amount of minced candied ginger. I also reduced amount of sugar and opted for organic unrefined sugar.

I think they came out great; very tasty and light. I don't know how it happened but I ended up with extra batter, so I made 10 mini muffins with the left-over batter. (Very dangerous, because they are very "pop-able", and I popped quite a few in my mouth without hesitation). Although, I didn't really feel that bad because these muffins are fairly low in fat, using canola oil and only one egg. Thanks for the inspiration Susan!

Honeyed Orange Blueberry Muffins
adapted from Food Blogga-Honeyed Orange Ginger Muffins (Quat, Optional)
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 teaspoon reserved
1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup freshly squeezed navel orange juice (about 2 oranges)
1/4 cup finely minced navel orange pulp
1 tablespoon navel orange zest (about 1 orange)
1 teaspoon candied ginger, minced
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pint fresh blueberries

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. and set on convection, or 375 F. for conventional oven. Spray a 12 mold regular size muffin pan with cooking spray or use paper muffin liners.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, egg, and juice. Add the orange pulp, orange zest, ginger, honey, and vanilla, and whisk until just combined. Add to the flour mixture and stir quickly until well combined. Toss blueberries in the reserved teaspoon of flour until evenly coated. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Spoon the batter evenly into the 12 molds. If you have extra batter, spoon into an additional muffin pan. (I made 10 mini muffins).

Bake for 12-15 minutes for regular sized muffins, and 8-10 minutes for mini muffins, or until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin and placing on a wire rack to cool.

Lightened-Up Classic Egg Salad

Totally Under-Rated!

Was there a food that you ate often as a kid, that at the time didn't thrill you, but as an adult you have grown to love? Well with me, one of those foods is egg salad.

We had it quite often when I was growing up and I didn't really care too much for it. I recently made it and could not believe how much I liked it. Actually, I can't wait to make it again.

I lightened up the recipe a bit by eliminating some of the yolks. You really don't miss them at all. I used regular mayo because the reduced-fat just does not compare. To compensate I used only 1/2 the amount and replaced the other 1/2 with yogurt.

So not only is this classic dish delicious, now it's healthy too!
You're Welcome... No, really. It's my pleasure!

Put it on a low-carb bagel and you'll think you're in heaven.

Lightened-Up Classic Egg Salad

1/8 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup fat-free plain yogurt, drained over paper towels in sieve to remove excess liquid (at least 30 minutes)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
7 hard-cooked eggs*, discarding 4 of the yolks
1/2 cup finely chopped celery

In medium bowl, stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, salt, if desired, and pepper until well blended. Slice one egg and reserve 4 center egg slices for garnish, if desired. Chop remaining eggs. Stir in chopped eggs and celery until evenly coated with dressing. Cover and chill to blend flavors. Garnish with reserved egg slices.

* For Perfectly Cooked Hard Boiled Eggs...from What's Cooking America

Bring your eggs to room temperature before cooking. If the egg has been stored in the refrigerator it can be warmed gently under a flowing hot tap water. By bringing the eggs to room temperature, they're much less likely to crack in the hot water. Also the temperature of the egg at the start of the cooking process will affect the cooking time. An egg that is at room temperature at the start of the cooking process will require about 1 minute less cooking time than eggs taken directly from the refrigerator.

Gently place the eggs in a single layer in a pan with enough cold water to cover eggs completely (approximately by 1 1/2 inches). If you have two or three layers of eggs stacked up in a small pot, they may cook unevenly. NOTE: Use a tall pan, and limit cooking to 2 dozen
eggs at a time.

Over high heat, bring water JUST to a rapid boil.

As soon as the water reaches a rapid boil, remove pan from heat and cover
egg pan tightly with a lid.

Set timer for 17 minutes for large eggs or 20 minutes for jumbo eggs.

After exactly 17 or 20 minutes (depending on size of your eggs), remove from heat and drain off water from the eggs. Transfer the eggs to the bowl of ice cubes and cold water. Let eggs cool at least 10 minutes in cold water, then drain either store in refrigerator or peel** the eggs. NOTE: Watch the time when cooking the eggs carefully. Overcooking causes a green layer to form around the yolk. This layer is caused by a reaction between the iron in the yolk and the sulfur in the white. Heat speeds up this reaction, so the longer your eggs cook, the greater the chance of discoloration.

** Easy Peel Eggs:

To peel eggs easily...

1. Cool eggs in refrigerator

2. Tap the top and bottom of the eggs on the counter to crack.

3. Roll the egg with the palm of your hand back and forth on the counter so that it looks like little broken pieces all over the shell.

4. Start peeling from the wide end of the shell and remove the skin all around the egg that holds the shell on the egg.

Spicy Low-Fat Pumpkin Muffins

For Quick, Easy and Delicious Muffins...
Doctor up those mixes!

Move over Sandra Lee. Annie has some business
with boxed baking mixes.
I don't normally like to use boxed mixes for muffins, but sometimes you just can't beat 'em. Especially the Pillsbury Quick Bread mixes. I always turn out great loafs and muffins when using them. Of course, by adding my own ingredients to flavor them and reducing the fat, they are even better tasting and healthier. You can't go wrong.
These muffins turned out exceptionally good.
They were very tender and super flavorful!

Spicy Low-Fat Pumpkin Muffins

1 (14 oz.) package Pillsbury® Pumpkin Quick Bread
1/4 cup soy milk
1 (6 oz.) container plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 teaspoons canola oil
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated candied ginger

1. HEAT oven to 375°F* if using a convection oven; 400°F if not.
Spray 12 muffin cups with no-stick spray or line with paper cups.
2. Combine yogurt, soy milk, oil, applesauce, grated ginger,
cinnamon, egg whites and molasses in a large bowl. Add
pumpkin bread mix and stir until just blended, about 50 strokes.
3. FILL each muffin cup, dividing batter evenly with filling; about
3/4 full.
4. BAKE for 15 minutes. Remove muffins from pan. Place on baking rack to finish cooling.

*Reduce temperature by 25°F if using a dark pan.

Salad. Assembly Required.

Don't Cook...Just Assemble.

So you can't cook. Don't worry, there's always salad. Salad is the perfect answer to any cooking dilemma. It can be a first course, the perfect lunch or a light dinner. I love it for all three.

I make all kinds of salads. Some are simple chef salads, others might include leftover cooked chicken or meats with cheese, some have beans, tomatoes and crutons, others highlight fruit and nuts and some have a little bit of everything.

The photo above was my dinner the other night. I call it Kitchen Sink Salad. It basically has everything but the kitchen sink. It is rarely made with the same ingredients because I just use whatever I have in the fridge. So play around with what ever you have in your fridge and you will find that building the perfect salad is really easy.

Kitchen Sink Salad
by Mixed Salad Annie -Serves two

Use your favorite ingredients or whatever is in your refrigerator.

6 large Lettuce Leaves, torn into bite size pieces (I used Romaine)
1 Fruit, cut in cubes (I used a Brabern Apple)
2 tablespoons Dried Fruit (I used Cranberries)
1/4 cup Raw Vegetable, chopped or julienned (I used Julienned Carrots)
2 tablespoons Cheese, diced or shredded (I used shredded reduced fat Sharp Cheddar)
2 tablespoons Nuts, chopped (I used Walnuts)
1/4 cup cooked Steak, Chicken or whatever protein, chopped (I used Sliced Turkey)
Fresh herbs, optional (I used flat leaf parsley and basil)
Dressing (I made my own, see below)

Add all ingredients to a bowl. Add dressing and toss coat all ingredients. Enjoy your creation!

My Favorite Salad Dressing
by Mixed Salad Annie - Four Servings

1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Bragg organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar (See health benefits)
20 dashes or about 1/2 teaspoon McCormick's Salt Free It's A Dilly Seasoning

Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl and add to your favorite salad.

Healthy Mac and Cheese

Why is it healthy?

The secret ingredient is what makes this Mac and Cheese so healthful. It may sound weird but, there is a vegetable in this dish. You would never know it however because this mystery veggie blends wonderfully with the color and flavors of the mac and cheese. So what is it you ask? Ok, enough suspence...It's butternut squash!
The inspiration for this dish came from Ellie Krieger's Macaroni and 4 Cheeses. I changed it a little to my specs and was very pleased with the outcome. Actually, this dish was so good, I think I will always make my mac and cheese this way from now on. The cheese sauce can also be used atop of broccoli and cauliflower or whatever veggie you like!

Healthy Shells and Cheese

Cooking spray

1 pound medium size shells, or any other small/medium size pasta
1 1/2 lb.butternut squash, cooked and pureed
2 cups evaporated skim milk
6 ounces 75% low-fat extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup low-fat whipped cottage cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard
pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unseasoned fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the shells and cook until tender but firm, about 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place squash and milk into a large saucepan and warm over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the cheddar, cottage cheese, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Low-Fat Bechemel Sauce

My inspiration for this dish was a recent episode of Everyday Italian. Giada was making Butternut Squash Torellini and it looked fantastic. I didn't feel like running out and getting wonton wrappers, however, so I decided to create my own idea with some of her ingredients and flavors.

Another unusual ingredient in her recipe was the addition of amaretti cookies to the butternut squash filling. I love Amaretto so this was a flavor I decided not to leave out. Although I didn't have amaretti cookies on hand either, so I decided to some up with a substitute for it. I added Amaretto liqour to toasted fresh bread crumbs, yum!

She used a brown butter sauce on her tortellini, which looked absolutely delicious, but this would not work with baked shells. I decided to use a bechemel sauce and kept it on the light side by using fat-free half and half. I admit, it wasn't the best bechemel sauce I have ever made but it wasn't "half" bad either. The only thing is that it sort of drys up and forms a skin if you don't use it immediately. If I made it again, I think I would use less flour and possibly try low-fat milk instead.

Speaking of "low-fat", I tried something totally non traditional in the filling. Instead of the usual ricotta filling, I used low-fat "whipped" cottage cheese. Don't cringe. I know it sounds weird but believe me you could not tell the difference here. I promise. The part-skim ricotta, which is what I normally use, had 4 grams of saturated fat per serving. The low-fat cottage cheese had 1.5 grams of saturated fat per serving. I think that is worth looking at, don't you?

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Low-Fat Bechemel Sauce

1 (12-ounce) package jumbo shells pasta
1 butternut squash, approx. 2 pounds, cubed (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1 1/2 teaspoons herbs de Provence
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 bunch scallions, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup low-fat whipped cottage cheese
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Amareto liquor
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Low-Fat Bechemel Sauce

1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/2 tablespoon smart balance spread
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free half and half (warm)
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

On a foil-lined baking sheet toss together the butternut squash, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until soft and golden, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook the scallions and garlic until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and set on a oiled baking sheet to cool.

In a small saute pan over low heat, toast the fresh bread crumbs until dry and light brown. Add the Amaretto and stir to coat. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an immersion blender, combine the butternut squash mixture, the scallion mixture, and the cottage cheese and pulse a few times to blend. Add the bread crumb mixture, nutmeg, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until smooth. The filling can be made one day ahead.

Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the butternut squash mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, baking dish coated with cooking spray or buttered.

Make bechamel sauce:

In a medium pot, melt the butter and spread over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.

Pour the sauce over the shells. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Do You Know The Muffin Man?

I Think He Retired... So I Made My Own!

A few weeks ago, I was on The Cookbook Junkies blog and she had made the most delicious looking orange berry muffins. She got the recipe from Dorie (I can't remember her blog name) but I've been there before and enjoyed it.

Anyway, I decided to make a version of that recipe and the low-fat blueberry muffin recipe from America's Test Kitchen that I usually make. Only this time I used 5 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil instead of 4 tablespoons of butter and I added more blueberries. The turned out really good.

Orange Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cup blueberries*, washed and dried
2 cups plus 1 Tbl. all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites (from large eggs)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tbls. canola oil
5 Tbls. virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled
3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
Grated zest and juice of 1 small to medium orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Double wrap the blueberries in freezer bags and freeze for at least an hour or overnight, as frozen ones won't all sink in the batter. Don't take them out until the batter is made and oven is preheated.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, run the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of orange is strong. Whisk egg whites and brown sugar together until thoroughly combined. Gradually whisk in melted coconut oil and canola oil, then buttermilk, orange juice and vanilla until well blended.

Fold into dry mixture with rubber spatula (a few streaks of flour should remain).
Remove blueberries from freezer and toss with remaining tablespoon flour in small bowl. Gently fold blueberries into batter, being careful not to break berries.
Distribute batter in muffin tin and bake until light golden brown and toothpick or skewer inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

A New Spin On Chicken Parm!

First I have to say that this chicken was so fantastic that you don't even notice that it is baked and not fried. Honest.

My inspiration came from Giada DeLaurentiis' Crunchy Parmesan Chicken which I love. She uses buttermilk as a marinade/first coating before dipping the chicken into a parmesan-breadcrumb mixture. It tenderizes and also keeps the chicken moist while it bakes at a very high temperature of 500 degrees.

My spin on this dish is to use chicken cutlets in place of the tenders and swap out the buttermilk for fat-free plain yogurt. The result: Oh my. So Good!

Baked Chicken Parmesan

4 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup fat-free plain yogurt (If it is too thick add 1 tablespoon milk or water)
4 boneless skinless chicken cutlets
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups plus 1/8 cup divided, freshly grated Parmesan
3/4 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup marinara sauce

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Brush 1 tablespoon of oil over each of 2 heavy large lined baking sheets. Place the yogurt in a large bowl. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Let stand at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

Stir the 1 1/4 cups of Parmesan and bread crumbs in a pie dish. Remove the chicken from the yogurt (shaking to remove excess) and dredge them in the bread crumb mixture to coat completely, pressing to adhere. Arrange the coated chicken on the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the chicken and bake until they are cooked through and golden brown, about 12 minutes.(Flip them half way through cooking for even browning).

Add about 1 tablespoon sauce and about 1 tablespoon of mozzarella on top of each cutlet. Sprinkle each cutlet evenly with remaining parmesan cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve with pasta if desired.

Something Different- and Sugar Free!

A Twist on the Old Stand By...

I love Grapenut Pudding, especially my Moms. She makes it all the time, the traditional way and with raisins. But being the adventurous type that I am, I decided to mix things up a bit and went a little crazy with it. I decided to make it sugar-free (using Splenda), low-fat and gave it an orange essence. It was actually pretty good, in a non-traditional sort of way.

First off let me say I am not a proponent of Splenda or any other sugar substitute. I really don't like using any artificial sweeteners (or artificial ingredients of any kind) in my cooking. But my mom was concerned at one point that she may not be able to have sugar in her diet and it got me thinking about sweet alternatives to some of her favorite recipes. So I gave it a try. It was pretty good and I didn't detect that "fake" sugar after taste that I detest.

All in all, if you don't have to limit your sugar intake, I wouldn't recommend using Splenda. Not because it tasted bad, but just because it isn't natural and the long term effects of these chemicals in our bodies (in my opinion and from what I have read) could be detrimental to our health. Using it once in a while, however, shouldn't hurt. So give it a try if you already have a box in the house.

Sugar-Free Orange Grapenut Pudding
(Double Recipe)

3 whole eggs and 2 egg whites (beaten)
4 cups of Simply Smart Fat-Free Milk*
1 cup Grapenuts
2/3 cups Splenda
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup raisins
Zest from one orange (optional)
Sprinkle of nutmeg

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first six ingredients in a oven safe bowl or casserole. Sprinkle with nutmeg and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Bake for about one hour or until middle is set.
Serve warm or chilled with cream if desired.

*I'm not sure if regular skim milk would work as well. The fat-free Simply-Smart or Over the Moon brands work well because they are ultra-pasteurized and they have a creamier texture and taste. Plus, besides that fact that it's fat-free, it is better for you because it also contains 25% more protein than whole milk, 20% more calcium than whole milk, and is lower in cholesterol.

Twice Baked Eggplant Parmigiana

No Fry Zone!

This is a healthly alternative to the traditional eggplant parm we all know and love.
The eggplant slices are still dusted in flour, dipped in egg and dredged in breadcrumbs.
The difference is that they are then baked in the oven and then layered with cheese and marinara sauce as usual.

I posted this recipe last year- Check it out!