Dare Foods Contest -- Gluten Free Breaded Fish

I'm pretty certain y'all have heard of Celiac Disease.  Celiac Disease is "an autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine.  It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide.  2.5 million Americans are undiagnosed and are at risk for long-term health complications."  This is according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. 

What is Gluten?
Gluten is the protein that give wheat it's shape and elasticity. 

Where is it found?
breads
baked goods
soups
pasta
cereals
sauces
salad dressings
roux
malt
food coloring
malt vinegar
beer
soy sauce
meat substitutes

And so much more!  Gluten is found in foods you wouldn't expect them to be.  People who suffer from Celiac Disease and gluton intolerances have to read every product label to double check if the food has gluton.  

Did you know that May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month?  And to honor Celiac Disease Awareness Month Dare foods has given The Recipe Redux members a challenge.  To make a light and healthy dish using their new line of Breton Gluton Free Crackers.  They were even nice enough to send out free samples. 

Disclaimer: I received free samples of Breton Gluten Free Original with Flax and Breton Gluten Free Herb and Garlic from Dare Foods Incorporated mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Dare Foods Incorporated and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

When I started thinking about what to make I immediately thought of the girls.  What is one of their favorite foods that I have not seen in a gluton free variety?  Over my standard dinner of fish I realized that I have never seen a gluton free fish stick.  And that's how this recipe was born.  It's quick, it's simple and it's REALLY good.    

Gluten Free Baked Breaded Fish

Ingredients

4 tilapia filets
2 eggs, beaten
1 package Breton Gluten Free Herb and Garlic crackers, crushed


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Dip filets, one at a time, in egg making sure to completely coat it
3. Coat filets in cracker crumbs then lay on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with pan spray
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes, flip then bake for another 10 minutes until your fish is done and breading is browned.

I serve it with rice and vegetables or a nice salad.

An InLinkz Link-up

An Ode To My Mother....Kinda

Growing up I remember my mother used to make a lemonade cake.  It was amazing.  Kind of sweet, super lemony, just great.  I'm a sucker for anything lemon.  So, when I thought about the Recipe Redux theme {Treasured Cookware}, this recipe came to mind.

There isn't a piece of cookware in my kitchen that WAS my mother's but, she has stocked about half of my bakeware throughout the years.  Every Christmas I get a new piece.  One of the things she bought me was my angel food cake pan.  

Honestly I used to hate angel food cake, until it was the ONLY cake I could eat.  Now I love it and love playing around with flavors and different ways of using it.  For this recipe I used sugar free lemonade mix since there is SO MUCH sugar in the cake and then the glaze has added sugar.  I prefer to not have a complete sugar bomb. Pink Lemonade would make this rather pretty too.

Angel Food Lemonade Cake

Ingredients
1 angel food cake (I normally use a box mix and make it myself but, you can use a store bought one)
.25-.5 cup sugar free powdered lemonade mix (depending on how lemony you want it)
1 cup powdered sugar
2-4 T water


Directions

1. Poke holes in the top of the cake with a fork
2. In a small bowl mix together lemonade mix and powdered sugar
3. Whisk in water and continue whisking until you have a nice smooth glaze
4. Pour glaze over the top of the cake making sure some of the glaze gets into all the holes.
5. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

An InLinkz Link-up

Greek Yogurt FroYo

It was close to 80 today!  Spring is finally back!  I'm so excited.  The next week is supposed to be gorgeous and I plan on spending as much time enjoying it as possible.  

Monday was crazy.  So many exciting things happened.  My study materials came, I met with my trainer, my body fat measurer also arrived.  Tuesday was insane due to running errands and Mantha had her opening nite for the yearly musical that the school does.  Today my coach sent my first workout and meal plan.  My nutrition is super tight.  Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month, a month designated to focus on making healthier food choices for better overall health and wellness?  This year the theme for Nutrition Month is “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right,” which is easy when you include California dairy products. 

The California Milk Advisory Board, which represents more than 1500 dairy families, is celebrating “dairy good” nutrition by asking Recipe ReDux members to “lighten up” some of their favorite recipes with California dairy.

In addition to calcium benefits, dairy in any form – whether it’s low-fat milk with cereal, a yogurt parfait, a smoothie, or egg and cheese sandwich – packs protein – which helps keep you full until your next meal. The California Milk Advisory Board and their nutrition partner, The Dairy Council of California, understand that dairy plays a vital role in contributing to an overall healthy diet and in support of National Nutrition Month wants to encourage everyone to adopt healthy food habits with dairy.

Recipe ReDux members are being challenged to lighten up their favorite recipes using at least one California dairy product as an ingredient in recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, side dish, snack, appetizer or dessert. 

Real California Milk and dairy products are sold nationwide and can be identified with the Real California Milk or Real California Cheese seals on packaging. California is the number one dairy state in the U.S., producing more butter, milk and ice cream than any other state. California is number two in cheese and yogurt production. 

I decided to lighten up one of my favorite desserts, frozen yogurt.  I love this recipe.  Sweet, creamy frozen yogurt that is actually healthy.  Yes, you heard right!  HEALTHY!
  The girls asked me to turn it into milkshakes for them.  

Fat Free Mixed Berry Frozen Yogurt
Makes approximately 2 quarts (8 - 1/2 cup servings) 
Calories:  99
Fat:  0.2
Carbs:  15.5
Sugar:  13.3
Protein:   8.5

Ingredients
.5 cup skim milk
.25 cup fat-free dry milk
2 T sugar
2 t plain gelatin
1.33 cup skim milk
2 cups mixed berries {I used a mixture of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries}
.66 cup sugar
1 t vanilla
2 cups California fat free plain Greek yogurt


Directions

1. In mixing bowl combine .5 cup skim milk and dry milk
2. Put bowl and beaters in the freezer for 30-45 minutes.
3. While the bowl is in the freezer puree strawberries with the sugar. {you can leave some out and dice them if you'd like some chunks}  Set aside
4. Bring the bowl out of the freezer and beat on high until it reaches soft peak.  Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  Refrigerate until ready to use
5. In a saucepan combine gelatin and 1.33 cups of milk.  Let it sit for 1 minute then cook over low heat until gelatin dissolves.  Set aside
6. Combine strawberries, gelatin, vanilla and yogurt.  
7. Fold in whipped dry milk.
8. Freeze in an ice cream maker and place in freezer for at least 1 hour

What's your favorite warm weather dessert?  

I received a gift card to offset the expense of my ingredients. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the California Milk Advisory Board and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

An InLinkz Link-up

Pistachio French Toast.....Yum!

Before I had to give nuts and nut butters I was addicted to anything that involved them.  When I found out about this month's Recipe Redux contest my mind immedietly went to pistachio butter.  

Pistachios make a great, everyday healthy snacking choice for people looking to satisfy a salty snack craving the smart way, and still do something good for themselves. Pistachios are a deliciously simple way to snack healthy. A one-ounce serving of pistachios equals approximately 49 nuts, which is more nuts per serving than any other snack nut, and a reduced serving of about 30 pistachios is just about 100 calories.

Crack ‘em, Chew ‘em, Love ‘em, Leave ‘em: Let the Pistachio Principle be your guide! Empty pistachio shells may serve as a “visual cue” of how many pistachios you’ve consumed, so don’t discard the shells after you’ve enjoyed the treat inside. {Side note:  You can also use the shells when you grill.  They will add a nutty smokiness to your food}

Study participants who left pistachio shells on their desk reduced their calorie consumption by 18 percent compared to participants who discarded shells immediately after consumption.

People who consumed in-shell pistachios ate 41 percent fewer calories than those who consumed pistachios without shells. This suggests that empty shells may be a helpful visual cue as to how much has been eaten – thereby potentially encouraging reduced calorie consumption.

Need another reason to go nuts snacking on pistachios? Recent research from Harvard University and published inNew England Journal of Medicine suggests that the benefits of snacking on nuts go up as the number of servings goes up, too. Bottom line: more nuts, more benefits. Go for a daily handful of pistachios as part of a healthy diet. A daily handful of pistachios is a delicious and healthy everyday snack for those striving for seven servings a week.

We were asked to do the Perfect Pistachio Pairing {try saying that 3 times fast}  What could be better than creamy pistachio butter paired with warm french toast and maple syrup?

Creamy + Warm + Sweet = PERFECTION!

This recipe appeals to everyone.  It feels indulgent but it's really not that bad.  The girls and Ken both loved it.

I love how the pistachios gave the french toast a slight green tint

Pistachio Butter

Ingredients
16 oz in-shell pistachios
2 T sugar free maple syrup

Directions

1. Shell pistachios
2. Place pistachios and syrup in food processor and process for about 10-15 minutes until a smooth consistancy

Pistachio Butter Battered French Toast

Ingredients
8 slices whole wheat bread
4 eggs/ equivalent egg substitute
.25 cup skim milk
.25 cup pistachio butter

Directions

1. Combine everything except bread in blender or food processor until completely combined.
2. Dip bread into egg mixture so it soaks into both sides
3. Grease a skillet or griddle and heat on medium.
4. Place bread in the skillet and cook until the first side turns golden brown (about 
5. Flip and cook the second side until brown.
6. Drizzle with maple syrup

Hope you enjoy!  What do you do pair with your pistachios?

I received free pistachio samples from the Pistachio Health Institute mentioned in this post. By posting this pairing I am entering a contest sponsored by Pistachio Health Institute and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

An InLinkz Link-up

Every Day is a Good Day For Pizza

Recipe Redux day!  The theme for the January is Pizza Party.  If you type "pizza recipes" into Google, it finds 99,400,000 results.  Did you know that pizza is a $32 billion industry?  $32 BILLION!!  That's crazy.  Pizza is a $32 billion industry and you can't find a fat free pizza {I actually found a company that mail orders fat free pizza and I have contacted them to see if I can't review their product for you.  I'll keep you updated}  

I love pizza.  I love to eat it and I love to make it.  It's a blank slate that you can customize as much - or as little- ask you'd like.  You never have to eat the same pizza twice.  I watch alot of cooking shows and read alot of cooking blogs so, I've seen quite a few pizza combinations. But, really there are 4 main components to a pizza.  The crust, the sauce, the toppings and the cheese.  Here are just a few options for pizza:

Sauce
Alfredo
Tomato
Pesto
Minced garlic/garlic paste

Vegetable Toppings (honestly most vegetables work on a pizza)
Mushrooms
Onions
Olives
Green Peppers
Spinach
Jalapenos
Banana Peppers
Tomatoes
  
Protein Toppings
Pepperoni
Sausage
Chicken
Ground Beef

Cheese 
Mozzarella
Cheddar
Feta
Ricotta
Any hard cheese that you can grate


There are many ways to put these pizza parts together.  There's a traditional pizza, deep dish, a stromboli {basically a rolled pizza}, and a calzone {a folded over pizza}

I have many many pizzas {pizza night is a monthly thing in our house} and I have eaten many pizzas.  Ken's favorite when we were living in Virginia was a white pizza from Reynolds Street Bar and Grill in Alexandria.  CLICK HERE for a link to their website.  I've never actually had a favorite place for pizza but, before I became the Fat Free Queen my favorite pizza was a Barbecue Chicken Pizza.  {Which you can actually make VERY low fat using vegan chick'n}  

With 5 people in the house it's hard to decide on pizza toppings.  Luckily, we can all agree on mushrooms and onions.  On the days that we have time I like to let everyone make their own personal pizza.  A couple Fridays ago I had a serious craving for pizza.  Friday is one of our eat-on-the-run days.  We have to be at cheer AND swim at 5:00 so dinner is eaten in the car.  

Pizza isn't really a car food.  I made calzones so  that the mess would be minimized. Everyone in the house enjoys BFD (Breakfast For Dinner) so I made breakfast calzones.  Scrambled eggs, melty cheese, sauteed mushrooms and onions, vegetarian sausage and tomato sauces wrapped in crunchy, yet soft pizza dough.  Perfection!

Breakfast Calzones
Serves 5
Calories: 455
Total Fat: 1 gram
Cholesterol: 10 grams
Sodium: 1,053
Carbs: 70 grams
Fiber: 7.6 grams
Protein: 39 grams


Ingredients
10 egg whites (or equivalent egg substitute)
5-10 slices of fat free cheese
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 onions, sliced
1 recipe for your favorite pizza dough
1.25 c tomato sauces/pizza sauce/pasta sauce
5-10 oz vegetarian sausage (I used light life)



Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Saute onions until soft and translucent (7-10 minutes)
3. Saute mushrooms 5-7 minutes
4. Divide pizza dough into 5 portions and roll out into circles
5. Cook eggs
6. On one half of the dough layer: .25 cup sauce, eggs, cheese, sausage, mushrooms, and onions.  Fold other side over filling, crimp closed, cut 2-3 slits in the top (so it can vent), spray top with a bit of pan spray
7. Place on a greased sheet pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown

With the Super Bowl coming soon you could even make these mini and serve them as an appetizer!  

Fancy Seeing You Here!

Hey guys!  Sorry I've been gone for the past 3 weeks.  This month hasn't been any fun for me.  The stress of life kind of sent me into a mini depression.  Ontop of that, the girls and I each were sick.  I wish that once, just once, all the kids would get sick at the same time.  Whatever it was that the girls had went from one kid to the next.  I didn't get a break from it for a week!I'm happy to say that I am stress-free, mentally clear, nobody is sick, and the house is back to normal (or atleast what's considered normal in the house.)

There is one thing that isn't normal though.  The fact that my body has decided it no longer wants to eat fish.  For the past 2 weeks I have been living off of egg substitute, egg whites, and Greek yogurt.  Does this bother me?  Honestly, no.  I actually really like eggs.  Plus they are an AMAZING source of protein.  1 cup of egg substitute and egg whites hava 26.6 grams of protein and only 133.25 calories.  1 cup of plain Greek yogurt has {roughly} 140 calories and 23 grams of protein.  

Before I get any comments on the fact that there are so many other protein sources available that are vegetarian let me explain something.  The only reason I haven't varied my protein much is because I haven't gone shopping.  

Yesterday Mo and Ken went to a Daddy-Daughter Dance at Mo's school yesterday.  

Even though it was a gloomy, drizzly evening they had a blast.

I forgot something important!  Today is the 21st!  The 21st is Recipe Redux reveal day.  The theme for this month was DIY mixes.  As soon as I read the prompt I knew EXACTLY what I was going to do for you.  Flourless chocolate Cookies.  These are some of the best, fat free cookies I make.    Unfortunately I forgot to get a picture of the mix.  But this is what they look like when you bake them. 

Cocoa Cookie Mix
Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients
2.25 cups powdered sugar
.75 - 1 cup cocoa powder

1. Mix together the powdered sugar and cocoa in whatever container you are giving to your hostess

Directions for finishing the cookies
Ingredients
3 egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a cookie sheet
2. Add egg whites to mix
3. Drop 1 T batter onto cookie sheet.  Make sure they are nicely spread out or they will bake together
4.  Bake for about 8 minutes or until the tops start to crack.  
5. Cool on the pan

{You can also whip the egg whites and make them into a semi meringue type cookie.}
 
Nutritional Information
Calories: 55
Fat: 0.5 g
Carbs: 13.2 g
Sugar: 11.1 g
Protein: 1.3 g


Hope you {and whoever you give this mix to} enjoys! 

Recipe Redux October 2013 Slow Cooker Recipe

Sorry for being gone for so long.  School and life has been kicking my butt, AGAIN.  Seems like it happens every few months.  But, I'm {hopefully} back.  I have some new posts planned and I'm super excited.  

My slow cooker is a very under-loved piece of kitchen equipment.  But, for this month's Recipe Redux I was supposed to make a slow cooker dish.  The slow cooker is a great piece of equipment if you are short on time.  

Kaylee has told me before that she loves soup, stews and chilis.  The weather turned chilly for a while so I decided to make this chili.  But, of course, with my luck, the weather was a humid 90 degrees the day I made this!  This recipe was still delicious. 

This recipe is super flavorful and healthy.  I add sweet potatoes to give it a bit of chunkiness and due to my stomach problems I don't add very many beans.  If you love beans in your chili then you can add 1 or 2 more cans. 

Sweet Potato Chili
1 onion, chopped
2 T minced garlic
1 sweet potato, chopped into 1 inch cubes
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 carrot, chopped small
1 rib celery, diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp pizza seasoning
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup TVP
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
12 oz beer or 3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 can (28 oz)  crushed or diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained


Directions

1. Stir everything together in crockpot except beans
2.  Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours
3. Add in beans during the last 30 minutes of cooking

Tips for Quick Dinners

Way too many nites out of the week we are forced to do quick meals.  (Slow cooker meals that fit into my nutritional needs are very hard to find.)  If you remember, last spring the kids and I ate sandwiches 2 nites a week because of Kaylee's soccer practice.  It go old pretty quick. 

Since then I have expanded my list of quick meals.  Before I thought that  cold sandwiches were the only way to get dinner on the tables before 8.  Now I have learned some tricks to get dinner on the table quicker.

1) Premake things.
        You can make a week's worth of rice or any other grain and reheat it throughout the week when you need it. Or, make things early in the day.  On most Thursdays you will find me in the kitchen cooking 90% of my dinner at around 1 in the afternoon.  After Mantha's practice I just come home and reheat things in the microwave and finish everything up.

2)  Think simple.
          A healthy meal is a simple equation.  Protein + veggies + a grain.  It doesn't have to be elaborate, or fancy.  It just needs to be nutritious.

3)  Small pieces
          A chicken breast cooks faster than a whole chicken, right? The same is true for everything you cook.  

4)  Make the slow cooker your best friend.
         You can cook a whole variety of things in the slow cooker.  Beans, soups, meat, bread, even dessert.  Juts throw it in, turn it on and walk away for 3-8 hours. 

5)  Leftovers, they are what's for dinner.
          If you have a microwave then you are even luckier when it comes to leftovers.  I reheat leftovers for dinner a few times a week.  {They are also good for school lunches}

6)  Meal in a day 
          This follows along with tip #1.  If you have time on a Sunday you can do 1 of 2 things.  
     A)  Do all your prepping (chopping, sauteing, etc), put them in zip top bags, label and freeze.  Pull them out the night before you need them so that they can thaw in the fridge.  
     B)  Make the whole entree, put it in a labeled container or zip top bag, and freeze.




The other night I was testing out a recipe and decided to make some sweetpotato biscuits to go along with it.  These are the most amazing biscuits you've ever tasted.  Soft, fluffy, yummy, and bright orange!

Yet again, I need to let you know this stuff:  {You can view my other recipe for the contest HERE}
Recipe Redux members are among the first to be introduced to California sweetpotatoes! Sweetpotatoes are not in fact a “sweet potato”- they are a different vegetable entirely. Sweetpotatoes will now be known as one word to emphasize to consumers that they are quite different from the white potato and other sweet potatoes out there.

What’s unique about California sweetpotatoes is that they are grown in soft sand and are hand sorted during harvest to minimize scarring and scratching. The result is a visually, higher quality (i.e., more attractive) sweetpotato. California sweetpotatoes are a “nutrition bang for the calorie buck” with 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, a good source of vitamin C and more than a day’s worth of vitamin A, all for 105 calories per serving (1 medium size, cooked). Plus, they are available year-round.

Consumers often mistakenly think that sweetpotatoes are yams. The California Sweetpotato Council also wants to set the record straight to clear up this confusion and shift the vernacular. Sweetpotatoes are sweet and moist, while yams are dry and starchy and not readily available in the U.S. Part of the confusion comes from the fact that there are varieties of sweetpotatoes called yams. Sweetpotatoes with orange interiors have a higher beta-carotene content than true yams. Sweetpotatoes are grown in the United States, while yams are imported from the Caribbean. (The scientific name of sweetpotato is Ipomoea batatas and it's a member of the morning glory family. A yam on the other hand belongs to the Yam plant family.)

and....  I received free samples of California sweetpotatoes mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the California Sweetpotato Council and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Sweetpotato Biscuits
Makes 6 biscuits 

 
.5 cup mashed California Sweetpotato
.75 cup skim milk
1 t apple cider vinegar
1.25 cup all purpose flour
.75 cup whole wheat flour
1.5 t baking soda

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400
2. Mix together milk and vinegar, set aside
3. Mix together dry ingredients
4. Mix milk and sweetpotatoes together
5. Add sweetpotatoes to dry ingredients
6. Knead 
7. On a floured cutting board roll out dough to 3/4" thick
8. Cut with biscuit cutter
9. Place biscuits on a greased cookie sheet
10. Bake 12-15 minutes

UnBirthday Party

MAD HATTER:
Now, statistics prove, prove that you've one birthday

MARCH HARE:
Imagine, just one birthday every year

MAD HATTER:
Ah, but there are three hundred and sixty four unbirthdays!

MARCH HARE:
Precisely why we're gathered here to cheer

BOTH:
A very merry unbirthday to you, to you

I love that movie!  It's actually my favorite Disney movie.  Sleeping Beauty and Princess and the Frog come in a VERY close second and third though. 

Why am I quoting Alice in Wonderland and talking about unbirthdays?  Because Sunny realized the other day that we have been talking about her and her sisters' birthdays and what kind of party they wanted but, I never have a party;.  (Honestly I haven't had a party in the last 19 years)

I simply explained that I don't have friends in the area so I can't have a party.  (I didn't bother to tell her that our vacation every year actually IS my "party" and the only friends I need are my family)

Her response?  "I'm sorry.  You should have an unbirthday party."  And that's what we did.

The UnBirthday Spread.  Fancy Tablecloth and "wine"

I made 4 different types of tea sandwiches; cucumber with dill cream cheese,  tuna, peanut butter and jelly, and cheese with caramelized onions.  I put out fresh fruit and veggies with a ranch dip for the vegetables.  

For dessert I made planned on making a chocolate sweetpotato cake.  But, because I'm an idiot, I mixed up 2 recipes and the cake turned out like a lava cake.  It was actually delicious and the girls loved it.

Recipe Redux members are among the first to be introduced to California sweetpotatoes! Sweetpotatoes are not in fact a “sweet potato”- they are a different vegetable entirely. Sweetpotatoes will now be known as one word to emphasize to consumers that they are quite different from the white potato and other sweet potatoes out there.

What’s unique about California sweetpotatoes is that they are grown in soft sand and are hand sorted during harvest to minimize scarring and scratching. The result is a visually, higher quality (i.e., more attractive) sweetpotato. California sweetpotatoes are a “nutrition bang for the calorie buck” with 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, a good source of vitamin C and more than a day’s worth of vitamin A, all for 105 calories per serving (1 medium size, cooked). Plus, they are available year-round.

Consumers often mistakenly think that sweetpotatoes are yams. The California Sweetpotato Council also wants to set the record straight to clear up this confusion and shift the vernacular. Sweetpotatoes are sweet and moist, while yams are dry and starchy and not readily available in the U.S. Part of the confusion comes from the fact that there are varieties of sweetpotatoes called yams. Sweetpotatoes with orange interiors have a higher beta-carotene content than true yams. Sweetpotatoes are grown in the United States, while yams are imported from the Caribbean. (The scientific name of sweetpotato is Ipomoea batatas and it's a member of the morning glory family. A yam on the other hand belongs to the Yam plant family.)

I received three different types of sweetpotatos to sample.  I chose the O'Henry variety because according to description paper that was included "this tater's white flesh is sweet, [and] creamy."  It sounded like the perfect  variety for my cake.

Oh and before I forget, the legal stuff: I received free samples of California sweetpotatoes mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the California Sweetpotato Council and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Sweetpotato Lava Cake


1.25 cups white Flour (you can also use whole wheat)
.25 cup cocoa powder
1.5 t baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup mashed California sweetpotato
1 cup cinnamon applesauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Stir together dry ingredients
3. Mix in wet
4. Spray a 9 inch cake pan with pan spray and pour in batter
5. Bake 30-40 minutes until the top is set and center has a pudding-like consistancy
6. Serve warm

Normally the girls aren't big sweet potato fans but, the loved this!  It's fairly healthy and if you switch the sugar for sugar free maple syrup this recipe is healthy enough to eat for breakfast.

What's your favorite Disney movie?   


   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Recipe Redux -- No Bake Banana Bites

So I had my first blogger vs mommy internal debate while making these.  But my debate went something like this.

Sunny -- "Mommy, can I help you?"
Mommy Brain -- "Of course you can help!"
Blogger Brain -- "No!  These are for Recipe Redux!  They have to look perfect!"
Mommy Brain -- "These are perfect for Sunny to help with.  Nothing too hard and they're simple."
Blogger Brain -- "But I have to take a photo of them.  They have to be pretty."
Mommy Brain -- "We haven't done our weekly baking project.  She'll be content making these."
Blogger Brain -- "Pretty pictures!!  Perfection!!"

And as you will be able to tell from the photo, Mommy brain won the battle.  Funny thing is, I ended up putting too much yogurt in the first batch so, I had to go back and redo them.  But, I'm still using Sunny's for the photos since she is so proud of them.

The Recipe Redux this month was No-Cook Desserts.  These delicious banana sandwiches take about 5 minutes to prepare.  Waiting for them to freeze is the difficult part.  They are addictive.  You could also add about 1/2 a tablespoon of cocoa powder to make them even more addictive.  Or, if you're not too worried about fat, dip them in chocolate.  

Frozen Banana Rounds
4 servings

Ingredients
4 medium ripe bananas
2 T PB2 
2 oz. yogurt

Directions

1. In a food processor, or with a fork mash 1 banana and yogurt then stir in the PB2.
2. Slice the bananas into rounds and put a small dollop of the yogurt mixture onto half of the bananas.
3. Freeze for about 2 hours

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Recipe Redux -- Food in A Jar

I really don't understand this jar craze.  When I saw that the Recipe Redux theme this month was Raising the Bar on Food in a Jar I was completely stumped.  I spent many hours scouring websites for a recipe inspiration, wracked my brain, and made the ugliest no bake pie in a jar.  After all this I was seriously about to give up and not participate this month.

All of a sudden I realized something.  There IS something that I make in a jar all the time.  Salad dressing!  So today I bring you, my fat free vinaigrette.  It's sweet, it's simple, it's got a bit of tang from the vinegar.  It's perfect to brighten up a salad and just add a bit of flavor and moisture. This salad dressing has only 25 calories for the whole recipe!

Did you know that most salad dressings have over 5 grams of sugar per serving?  And even fat free salad dressings have about 50 calories in 2 tablespoons.  I love my salads but, I am heavy handed with  my salad dressings.  This salad dressing is perfect.   

Fat Free Sugar Free Sweet and Tangy Dressing
Calories:25
Fat: 0 g
Sodium: 37.5 g
Carbs: 12.0 g


Ingredients
.25 cup rice vinegar
2 T sugar free apricot preserves
1 T sugar free maple syrup
1 T minced garlic

Directions

1. Put all ingredients into a jar
2. Shake to mix

Simple, right?  It pairs well with any salad.  I actually really like it with a spinach salad topped with tuna.  

Do you make your own salad dressing?  What kind do you make?

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Recipe Redux -- Have Snacks Will Travel

Recipe Redux time!!  This month's theme?  Travel snacks!  I love that it was set for after I got back from vacation.  I made 3 different travel snacks.  Granola bars, apple chips and squash chips.  All three were delicious.  I have a cavity I found out about right before the trip so, eating them was a bit painful at times but, it honestly didn't stop me.  

I rarely make apple chips anymore because I can eat 3 or 4 apples worth of chips in 1 day!  I'm addicted to them.  

Granola bars before they were cut

Granola Bar
Makes 8 or 16
Calories: 127 / 63
Fat: 0.8 / 0.4
Carbs: 29.8 / 14.9
Protein: 3.8 / 1.9

2 1/2 cup Quaker multigrain cereal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 + 1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup dried mixed fruit
1 cup mashed banana
1 cup pumpkin puree {NOT PIE FILLING}

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees and spray an 8 x 8, or 9 x 9 pain with pan spray (choose which size depending on how thick you want them)
2. Stir together the cinnamon, syrup, vanilla., banana, pumpkin.
3. In a separate bowl combine the fruit and oatmeal.
4. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry and stir together until the cereal is completely coated
5. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the are slightly dry on top
6. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes then put them on a wire rack to finish cooling.  Cool completely, then cut. 

Apple Chips

For some reason I didn't get an AFTER shot of my apple chips
Ingredients
Apples

Directions

1. Core and slice apples.  {I used my mandolin}
2. Toss the apples in some lemon juice. {to keep them from browning}
3. Dehydrate for 12-18 hours
4. Cool before storing

Acorn Squash Chips

Before

After

These were a pain in the butt to slice!  So I only did a quarter of the squash and roasted the rest for my dinner the next nite.  They took about 4.5 hours in the dehydrator. They tasted kind of nutty.  Needed a bit of salt.  So, if you want to add a bit of flavor (and don't mind a bit of fat) I'd toss them with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt.


What kind of snacks do you enjoy when you travel?  Do you take store bought or home made?


   

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Recipe Redux -- Sowing Seasonal Seeds

The Recipe Redux theme this month was "Sowing Seasonal Seeds".  As we all know seeds are not fat free so, I don't use them often.  I honestly wracked my brain trying to figure out what I could make using seeds.  Then I realized something...MUSTARD is a seed!  Did you know that??  Many other spices are seeds too but, mustard is the one I chose for today's recipe.  

I love fish.  I could never be a vegetarian due to my extreme love of seafood.  Steelhead trout and salmon are the only 2 type of fish {that are not of the "stick" variety} we can get Sunny to eat.  She only eats it because it's pink. 

Mustard Topped Stealhead Trout
Adapted from Olga's Flavor Factory

Calories: 230
Fat: 10.2 g
Protein: 30.8g
Carbs: 1.7g

Ingredients
3 T + 2 tsp Dijon mustard (I used Publix brand with horseradish)
2 T sugar free syrup
1 T rice vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 T horseradish or a few shakes of hot sauce (both optional)

1 lb Steelhead Trout

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except for the trout
2. Heat broiler on high.  Line a pan with tin foil and spray with pan spray
3. Lay trout skin side down and broil for 5 minutes
4. Slather mustard on the trout and broil for another 8-9 minutes.

I have two suggestions for this dish.  The first one is that if you like spicy mustard then make sure to add hot sauce or horseradish.  The mustard gets very muted when it's cooked.  The other problem was that the fish skin doesn't get crispy like I like it.  I would suggest getting skinless fish if you don't like limp skin or, you could try cooking it for the first 5 minutes skin side up then flip it when you put the mustard sauce on it.

Do your kids like fish?  What kinds will/won't they eat?