Zucchini Bread

This Recipe is for Zucchini bread made even healthier. I used to love when my mom made it for me as a kid.

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded zucchini

1.5 cups All-Purpose Flour

1.5 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1.4 Cups Sugar

1/3 cup Canola Oil

2/3 cup unsweetened Organic Applesauce

2 Tablespoon Cinnamon

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

3 Eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Sift all both types of flour, baking soda, baking Powder, and Cinnamon in a bowl and set aside

3. Beat Eggs, Oil, Applesauce, and sugar in another large bowl until well mixed and creamy

4. Slowly combine dry ingredients into the creamy mixture and beat for another minute or until well mixed

5. Add Zucchini to mixture

6. Pour into a buttered or sprayed loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes

I added the whole wheat flour for the health benefits to this recipe; however, if you make it all with whole wheat flour, then the taste isn't as smooth

I also used Canola oil instead of Vegetable Oil since it has far less Saturated fat and I substituted the rest of the oil for the applesauce which cuts both fat and calories.

In addition, I put less sugar in because the applesauce is sweet naturally.

My verdict on this recipe is: Doesn't taste exactly like mom's zucchini bread, but tastes pretty close. I could not tell much of a difference.

A Slice of Heaven - Flourless Chocolate Cake

8 0z. Dark Chocolate Chips

8 oz. Unsalted Butter at room temperature

4 Large Eggs

1 Cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Vanilla

6 Tablespoons Cornstarch

Before you start you will need two mixing bowls and 1 mold or spring form pan

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees

2. Brush the mold or spring form pan with butter

3. Place chocolate in a bowl that is set above a pot of simmering water - a double boiler will also do. Once chocolate is melted, remove from heat and let cool.

4. In a separate bowl cream butter

5. Pour chocolate into mixing bowl with butter and beat for another 2 minutes

6. In separate bowl beat eggs and start adding sugar, beat at high speed until the eggs are thick (about 6 minutes)

7. Beat chocolate/butter mixture into egg/sugar mixture

8. Add Vanilla and cornstarch to mixture

9. Pour batter into prepared mold and cover chocolate in mold with buttered wax or parchment paper.

10. Put mold in baking dish and fill baking dish with hot water, until the water almost comes up to the top.

11. Place in oven and bake for 45-50 minutes

12. Turn mold over on serving plate and wait 30 minutes until the mold is cooled

I also like to make a raspberry sauce to go on top, I find its the perfect compliment to the rich chocolate. This is how it is made:

1 Cup of Pureed Raspberries

1/2 Cup of Sugar

juice squeezed from 1/2 of a lemon

All contents are placed in a sauced pan and cooked over low heat until contents have been cooked off and reduced. Keep stirring while it is over heat though.

Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli

Broccoli is my other favorite vegetable. When I studied abroad in France and lived with a host family, they could always tell when I was cooking because I made the whole house stink of broccoli. I practically had it almost every day, and it really does smell when cooking.

This particular recipe is actually an Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Recipe. Ina Garten and I also share the same love for France and French Food, hence my love for her dish.

I cooked this dish for the first time for Tim's Dad's 60th Birthday Party, and it gets good reviews every time I make it!

Ingredients
4 to 5 pounds broccoli
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.

Note: I sometimes halve the recipe if cooking for just Tim and I, it yields a large serving.

Court's Mashed Sweet Potatoes

One of my favorite veggies is Sweet Potatoes! Not only are they delicious, but they have many vitamins and minerals that are good for you too. They contain fiber, much Vitamin A, Beta-Carotene, Lutein, Vitamin B6, and Folate among many other vitamins.

For this recipe I used my friends Sara and Kristin as taste testers. I think they were rather pleased, and I kept the recipe healthy!

How to make the sweet potatoes: (serving size: 4)

2 large sweet potatoes or 3 medium sized sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
2 table spoons maple syrup
2 shakes of Cinnamon

First for this recipe, I peeled the skin off the potatoes and discarded of it. I then cut the potatoes into chunks and boiled them for about 15 minutes or until soft.

Next, combined the sweet potatoes, sweetened condensed milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon into a bowl and mixed for about two minutes until smooth and creamy. Then they are ready to serve, its really that easy!

The reason I used the sweetened condensed milk was to add some creaminess and sweetness to the sweet potatoes. I used the Maple Syrup to also add sweetness and it also offers many antioxidants and is high in vitamins, Manganese and Zinc. Cinnamon has a reputation to cure colds, has been used to treat digestive issues, has antimicrobial properties, and is also high in antioxidants. What a healthy side dish!

Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

When Tim and I go out to eat at Chinese restaurants, our favorite item off the menu is chicken and broccoli; however, while it sounds healthy, it can be rather unhealthy due to the amount of oil and sodium it has at the restaurant. My goal was to make a healthier recipe, and while being quite skeptical about it, it actually tasted better than the dish at the Chinese restaurant. I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com.


Ingredients
Game Plan:
Marinate the chicken while you prepare the rest of the ingredients
1 pound chicken breast (about 2 breasts), cubed
3 scallions, whites only, thinly sliced on an angle
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
About 1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 to 6 cups broccoli, trimmed sliced stalks and medium florets (keep the 2 cuts separate)
3/4 to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
Garnish: toasted sesame seeds, optional
Serving suggestion: Jasmine rice
Directions
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the scallion whites, about half the garlic and ginger, the soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the sherry, and the sesame oil. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix the remaining cornstarch with 1/3 cup water.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat. Add the broccoli stems, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the florets and the remaining garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons of water, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Get the skillet good and hot again, and then heat 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the chicken and chili flakes if using. Stir-fry until the chicken loses its raw color and gets a little brown, about 3 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce, return the broccoli to the pan and toss to heat through. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil to thicken. Add more water if need to thin the sauce, if necessary. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if you like. Mound the stir-fry on a serving platter or divide among 4 plates and garnish with sesame seeds; serve with rice.

Website Notes: The garlic and ginger can be chopped together in a minichopper to save time.

Scallion greens can also be used to garnish, if you like that extra onion-y flavor and you want to use up the scallions.

The broccoli stems are used (love all that fiber) to add textural contrast and also to help bulk up the dish, and why waste them?

My Notes: To make the dish healthier, I steamed the broccoli first, why add extra oil when you don't have to. I then just sauted the garlic and ginger in a tiny bit of oil and mixed that in the broccoli. I then used half the amout of oil when making the chicken and instead of vegatable oil I used Canola Oil since it is lower in saturated fat and calories.

For rice I used Brown rice instead of the suggested Jasmine Rice, it has more whole grains and is healthier.

This recipe got two thumbs up from both Tim and I. I definitely will cook it again, its a balanced meal with grains, protein, and vegetables!

New Lunch Sandwich

I got this recipe from FitnessMagazine.com via EatingWell.Com

This streamlined version of a northern Italian idea is perfect for a summer evening: no-fuss, no-cook and big taste. You can even make it ahead and store it, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. If you do, use it as a wrap filling for the next day's lunch.

Servings: 4 servings, 1 cup each
Prep: 10 mins
Total: 10 mins
Rated : Not yet rated
Rate and Comment
Ingredients
2 6-ounce cans chunk light tuna, drained
1 15-ounce can small white beans, such as cannellini or great northern, rinsed (see Ingredient note)
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 scallions, trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Combine tuna, beans, tomatoes, scallions, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir gently. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips:
Ingredient Note: When you use canned beans in a recipe, be sure to rinse them first in a colander under cold running water, as their canning liquid often contains a fair amount of sodium.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 253, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 53 mg, Sodium 453 mg, Carbohydrate 20 g, Fiber 6 g, Protein 31 g, Potassium 451 mg. Daily Values: Vitamin C 20%. Exchanges: Starch 1,Vegetable 1,Lean Meat 3.5,Fat 1.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet


This recipe is yummy, healthy, and cheap! I put spinach in mine instead of lettuce. Spinach is such a powerhouse for extra good vitamins such as Iron, Vitamin A, Beta-Carotine, Lutein, Folate, and Vitamin C among many others! This recipe is a good alternative to the regular boring sandwich.