Renee's Kitchen Adventures: January 2012

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Bursting Berry Muffins


Bursting Berry Muffins is not the name the creator of this recipe originally gave it...but they really WERE bursting with berries...so that is what I am calling my version!  I got this recipe from a new cookbook I picked up last weekend.  Did I need another cookbook?  Of course not.  Did I want another cookbook?  Of course I did...and it was 20% off too, so I treated myself!  The cookbook I picked up is called 400 Calorie Fix by Liz Vaccariello.  It's a really nice cookbook and diet plan of sorts.  I haven't really had a chance to give it the attention it deserves, but from what I have glanced at you are given ideas of what to eat to keep your meal under or around 400 calories.  At the end of the book, there are recipes.  The author offers very practical advice with lots of easy ideas and recipes that are readily available to most.  I like it because it has great pictures and easy to follow recipes WITH nutritional information!  One of the first recipes that caught my eye was the one for these muffins. 

Each muffin is 180 calories.  Not bad.  Plugging the numbers into WW calculator, each muffin comes in at 5p+.  They are nice sized muffins as well.  And did I mention they were EASY?


Bursting Berry Muffins
adapted from 400 Calorie Fix


Servings - 12   Serving size - 1 muffin   Points Plus per serving - 5 Points+
Calories - 180,   Total Fat - 5g,   Carb. - 30g,   Protein - 4g,   Fiber - 1g


2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBS. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 TBS. canola oil
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
1 cup frozen mixed berries ( I used raspberries, blackberries and blueberries)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line muffin tins with paper or foil liners.  

2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in large bowl.  

3.  In small bowl, combine the yogurt, eggs, buttermilk, oil, and almond extract with whisk.  

4.  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until JUST COMBINED!   Don't over-mix.  Gently fold in frozen berries. 

5.  With spoon or ice cream scoop, ( ice cream scoop works well because batter is thick) portion batter into 12 lined wells of muffin tin.  

6.  Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until pick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.  



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Like all low fat baked goods, take care not to overwork the batter. Over mixing the batter will give you a tough end product!  These were a really nice afternoon treat with a cup of coffee.  The berries really did burst out of the muffins, giving them so much character!  lol  

Looking for more fruity muffins recipes?  Try these:

Monday, January 23, 2012

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup


Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup was one word....amazing!  Let me start off by saying...Chicken soup is NOT one of my favorite kinds of soups...I am more of a vegetable soup girl...but the flavors of this soup worked so well together, I might have to amend my list of "favorites" because of it. I've never much been much of a soup fan.  Probably because when I was young, Campbells was the gold standard for soup in my house.  Not that I have anything against canned soup...but homemade soup is just sooo much better!  And truth be told, not that much more work than opening up a can and heating it up...

Friday, January 20, 2012

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage


This delicious baked ziti recipe comes from one of this month's Weight Watchers Weekly handouts.  I made several adjustments from the original recipe..but was pretty happy with the results.  It makes a fairly easy weeknight meal paired with a veggie salad.  One hearty serving comes in at 8p+.


Since the original recipe called for 3/4 of a pound of spicy turkey sausage, I used my scale to measure out that much raw sausage.  It came out to 3 links of the sausage I used. My sausage wasn't "spicy" so I added some crushed red pepper and smoked paprika to the sauce when I made it. ( I can find a use for smoked paprika in just about anything, I love the stuff!)  I also added 2 garlic cloves to the sauce, that wasn't called for in the original version.

I had to substitute red bell pepper for the green.  I would have used green, but my market was all out of green peppers!  ( how does that even happen?)  Doesn't matter though, I prefer the red peppers anyway.  They are less bitter than green ones.  I also subbed whole wheat penne pasta for the ziti.  Could not find ziti in the whole wheat variety anywhere.  Since the pasta came in a box of "13-point-some-ounce" size, I once again used my scale to measure out 12 oz.  Maybe the elusive whole wheat ziti already comes in a 12 oz box?  IDK.  My scale was used once again to perfectly measure out 6 oz. of mozzarella cheese, since most  preshredded cheeses come in at least an 8 oz. package.  The last adjustment I made to the original recipe was to add water to the sauce.  I like a lot of sauce and I don't care for a dry pasta dish.  The addition of water did not effect the finished product's taste, but I believe it greatly improved the texture.

When cooking your pasta, remember to under cook it by a few minutes.  It will finish cooking in the oven...and nobody likes mushy pasta! 

After all the changes and adjustments...my family gave this dish two thumbs up.  I actually liked the addition of the peas.


Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage 
adapted from Weight Watchers Weekly Handout


Servings - 8   Serving Size - 1/8th of recipe   Points Plus per Serving - 8 Points+
Calories - 312.5,   Total Fat - 7.4g,   Carb. - 45.5g,   Protein - 21.1g,   Fiber - 7.7g

3/4 lb raw, spicy ( or not) turkey sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped ( or green)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes ( or to taste)
smoked paprika, to taste  (optional)
2 TBS tomato paste
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. fennel seed
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 - 14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 - 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1/2 of one of the empty 14 oz. cans of tomatoes filled with water (optional)
10 oz. frozen green peas
12 oz. uncooked whole-wheat ziti OR penne, UNDER cooked according to package directions by a few minutes
6 oz. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese


1.  Once the pasta is cooked and drained, open the frozen peas and place on top of the hot pasta. 

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  

3.  In a large nonstick skillet , crumble the sausage and brown over medium heat.  Drain off any fat, and add garlic, onion and pepper.  Cook stirring often until softened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste, crushed pepper flakes,smoked paprika, both cans of tomatoes, water (if using), oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seed, salt and pepper.  Bring to simmer, then reduce heat and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes.  

4. Stir in the cooked pasta and peas and half the cheese.  Spread evenly in the 13 x 9 " baking pan.  Top evenly with remaining cheese. 
5.  Bake until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes.  Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. 

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Great weeknight meal!  ( with enough leftovers for lunch the next day!)  

I missed my WW meeting this week due to some bad weather we had forecasted.  That totally doesn't give me a free pass to eat off plan and not exercise!  According to my home scale, I am down about another pound...but not officially.  Even though we have had a really easy winter this year so far ( with a few snowstorms and arctic blasts thrown in for fun) I will be happy when weather isn't a factor in determining where and how I spend my time.  

I want to thank everyone who took the time to vote for the BEST vegetable soup recipe on FavDiets Blog Hop!  I won!  Woo hoo!  I wish I could share my prize with everyone...but a product review will have to do.  I am looking forward to trying some of the new Quaker products that was the prize.  


Thursday, January 19, 2012

Fresh Blueberry Sauce


When fresh blueberries are abundant and reasonably priced, I pick up a bunch.  Blueberries are a great source of fiber and antioxidants.  When buying look for plump firm berries covered with the dusty silvery bloom that indicates a sign of freshness. 

What we don't eat I freeze for future use...but what a better way to transform fresh berries and fancy up your pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, or dare I say, frozen yogurt or a slice of angel food cake than with a simple and quick blueberry sauce? 


The sauce makes just about anything you put it on special.  It would be fantastic on these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes or The BEST Protein Pancakes.


Fresh Blueberry Sauce *EASY*
from the kitchen of MKA


Servings - 8   Serving Size - about 1/4 cup of sauce   WW Points Plus per Serving - 1 Point+
Calories - 48.3,   Total Fat - 0g,   Carb. - 12.3g,   Protein - 0.3g,   Fiber - 1g

2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 TBSP cornstarch
juice of 1/2 lemon

In small saucepan, mix the berries with sugar.  Combine the water, lemon juice and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved in a small bowl or glass measuring cup.  Pour onto the blueberries and sugar mixture.  Heat over medium heat until the blueberries soften and the sauce becomes bubbly and thick.  Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.  Leftovers can be refrigerated. 


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I like fresh fruit just fine, but let's face it, it can get really boring and predictable after a while.  It's nice to change it up a bit without too much work to get there.  This sauce is just that.  You could change this sauce up by adding ginger, cinnamon or using juice instead of water and omitting the sugar for a totally different taste too.  


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Baked Egg " Muffins"

Baked Egg "Muffins" With just a few ingredients these beautiful baked eggs will be a hit on your table! #egg #baked

I can be certain I am not the first person who has done this idea, nor will I be the last...but with half a package of wonton wrappers left in the fridge and baked eggs on my mind, I put this cute little cup together in no time...and it was a HIT!

I have to say, the perfect solution to serving eggs at a brunch buffet or to a crowd for sure.  The wonton wrappers hold the egg perfectly in place and you don't even need utensils to eat them if you don't want to!  You can just eat them like a muffin!


My entire family adored these babies and for so little calories,  I have a fondness for them as well!  I made 6 egg "muffins", but you could make as many as you need.  They are super easy too!


It basically just involves spraying a muffin tin with nonstick spray, placing one wonton wrapper per well, cracking an egg inside, topping with salt, pepper and dried parsley then baking in a 375 degree F oven until done ( you decide how well you like your eggs done )   Once they come out, sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese!

We like our eggs runny in the middle, so I cooked them just long enough to keep it that way!


MMMMMM......Wish I had one right now!



Baked Egg "Muffins"
from the kitchen of MKA


Servings - 6   Serving Size - 1 egg "muffin"   Points Plus per Serving - 2 Points+
Calories - 92.9,   Total Fat - 6.3g,   Carb. - 0.9g,   Protein - 8.1g,   Fiber - 0g

Ingredients: 

6 wonton wrappers ( found in refrigerated section of grocery store)
6 whole eggs ( I used large eggs )
salt and fresh ground pepper
dried parsley or dried herb of your choice ( optional)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
chopped fresh parsley or chives or herbs of your choice for garnish ( optional)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray 6 wells of nonstick muffin tin with cooking spray.  Insert ONE wonton wrapper to each well, pressing down.  ( it's ok if it pops back up, the egg will keep in in place)

2.  Crack one egg per wonton wrapper.  Place in the middle. ( Its ok if it looks like part of the whites are seeping out of the wrapper. )  Sprinkle each egg with salt, pepper and dried parsley ( if using).  

3.  Bake eggs to desired doneness.  I baked mine for about 6 - 7 minutes.  You might want to go longer or shorter.  Just watch them.  

4.  Once out of the oven, sprinkle each with a bit of Parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh parsley or chives.


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Like I said, yummy, elegant looking and portable!  What more could you ask for?  Oh ya....low cal too!  This recipe is sure to become a regular for my family as I make a Sunday breakfast every week.  You could even jazz them up more by adding other ingredients to the cups, like turkey sausage, sauteed spinach, or bacon!  The possibilities are endless! 








Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Lightened Up Streusel-Filled Coffee Cake


I'll be honest with you...I really thought it would take longer for me to recover from the sugar coma of the holidays...but 2 weeks into the new year, I found myself with a wicked craving for cinnamon coffee cake!  I found the original recipe for this delicious treat in the Holiday catalog 2011 for Penzeys Spices.  Have you ever been to Penzeys?  I got to visit one for the first time over the holidays...and I was in heaven.  I have been getting their catalogs at home for about a year now.  I love them.  Filled with great recipes using Penzeys products.  I drool over them and make a mental wish list as I browse the pages.  Once inside the store, I was sort of dazed.  LOL  I made some choices I am happy with, and have been using them in my daily cooking.  I am looking forward to another trip there soon though!

Back to the coffee cake....

I lightened up the original recipe by reducing the sugar, using low fat buttermilk, and omitting the nuts.  The result was outstanding.  ( or maybe it was just because I had such a bad craving! )  It is an easy recipe that comes together quickly.  The original recipe does say the batter can be made ahead, layered in the pan, and then refrigerated overnight and baked off the next morning.  I haven't tested this tough.  It is best eaten warm...and leftovers can be reheated gently in the microwave.  Take care to not overwork the batter, as a less tender cake will result.  I imagine it would also make awesome muffins!

I was happy to find out once it was cut into 16 servings, each serving worked out to a respectable 4pp.  Not bad for a buttery, cinnamon-y, warm sweet treat!   If you prefer bigger pieces, you could cut the cake into 12 servings, making each piece 6pp. 




Lightened Up Streusel-Filled Coffee Cake
adapted from Penzeys Spices Holiday Catalog 2011


Servings - 16   Serving Size - 1/16th of cake   Points Plus per Serving - 4 Points+
Calories - 143.4,   Total Fat - 4.9g,   Carb. - 25.7g,   Protein - 2.1g,   Fiber - 0.3g

Servings - 12  Servings Size - 1/12th of cake   Points Plus per Serving - 6 Points+
Calories - 191.2,   Total Fat - 6.5g,   Carb. - 34.2g,   Protein - 2.8g,   Fiber - 0.5g


Cake Batter:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold room temp and cut into small pieces (not freezer cold, but not mushy, still firm...but easy to cut into) 
1 egg
3/4 cup low fat buttermilk ( you could use 1/2 cup skim milk instead, it won't change nut stats much)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Streusel Filling/topping:
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 TBS all purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 TBS unsalted butter, melted


1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with a cooking spray with flour added ( like baker's joy)   OR grease and flour pan.  Set aside.   In large mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar.  Cut in cold butter pieces with a pastry blender until the mixture is like fine cornmeal.  ( you could also do this in a food processor to save time)  Set aside. 

2.  In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the streusel filling/topping.  Set aside.

3.  In another small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine the egg, buttermilk and vanilla extract.  

4.  Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry cake ingredients.  Mix to just combine.  DO NOT OVERWORK...or you will get a tough cake. 

5.  Spoon half the cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle half the streusel mixture on top.  Top that with the remaining batter and then repeat with remaining streusel.   ( Unbaked cake and be covered with plastic wrap and  put into refrigerator at this point for baking at a further time.  Just bring it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temp and remove plastic wrap before baking)

6.  Bake cake at 375 degrees F for 20 - 30 minutes, or until done.  Best enjoyed warm! 



Hungry for more Coffee Cake recipes? 

Give this amazing Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake a try!


Thursday, January 5, 2012

No-Bake Macaroni and Cheese w/ Broccoli


While this wasn't the most fantastic mac and cheese recipe I have ever had...it certainly was quick and easy and uses ingredients readily found in most pantries, freezers and refrigerators.  The original recipe is from Eating Well.  I've made recipes from them before and I find their recipes tend to be hit or miss.  Many of the recipes I try from this source are sort of bland, but this dish was not. The original recipe called for full fat cheddar cheese and low-fat milk, but I used skim milk and reduced fat cheddar, because that is what I had on hand, and I think it came out just fine.  It uses NO BUTTER...sorry Paula Deen!  lol  Yet despite the lack of butter, still had good flavor, I think because of the garlic powder and the dijon mustard.   I made this as a side dish, but I really think it would be terrific as a main dish with the addition of some sliced grilled chicken breast.  This recipe made quite a bit. According to Eating Well it makes 4 servings, but honestly, I found it made closer to 6.  A cup and a quarter seemed too big of a serving if you were serving it as a side dish.  Perhaps if you make it as a main meal it would be about right.  I topped my version with a few crushed club brand crackers for presentation. 



No-Bake Macaroni and Cheese w/Broccoli
adapted from Eating Well


Servings - 6   Serving Size - 1/6th of recipe ( about 1 cup)   Points Plus per serving - 6pp
Calories - 250.9,   Total Fat - 4.4g,   Carb. - 37.1g,   Protein - 16g,   Fiber - 4.3g


8 oz. whole-wheat elbow noodles ( 2 cups ) ( I used my scale to weigh out the portion - and I used Barilla Plus pasta)
1 - 10 oz. package of frozen chopped broccoli
1 3/4 cup skim milk, divided
3 TBS. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
3/4 cup  shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dijon mustard
4 Club crackers, crushed ( for topping ) 


1.  Bring large pot of water, which has been liberally salted, to a boil.  Add pasta and cook for 4 minutes.  Add frozen broccoli to pasta and continue to cook for 4 - 5 minutes longer or until broccoli is tender and pasta is al dente.  Drain.

2.  While pasta and broccoli are cooking, heat 1 1/2 cups milk in another pot until just simmering.  Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup milk, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl or large glass measure.  ( use the glass measure!  Less dishes to clean!)   Add the flour mixture to the simmering milk and whisk constantly over med heat until the mixture is thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat and whisk in cheddar and the Parmesan cheeses and the dijon. 

3.  Add the drained pasta/broccoli to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.  Pour into serving dish, and top with crushed crackers. 


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Like I said...not the greatest mac and cheese that ever existed...but not bad for a quick week night meal and better than a boxed mix.  The boys all liked this dish...and no one complained about the broccoli nestled between the pasta!  I also think a cup-ish serving of a pasta and cheese dish for 6 pp is pretty darn good!  

I went to my WW meeting today.  I am afraid the holiday indiscretions have caught up with me.  That's ok though....moving forward.  This week's topic was believing in yourself.  This is truly something I struggle with.  I have more faith in others than I do in myself sometimes.  I am going to work hard this year to change that.  I am going to believe I can achieve!  How about you?  Are you a believer or a doubter? 


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