FRIDAY FARE - Healthy Barbequed Desserts

It's been awhile since I posted some yummy, healthy recipes here on the blog.  Today, because I'm in a grillin' mood, I thought I'd post some grilled dessert recipes.  Grilled desserts, you ask??  Yep - check 'em out...

Barbequed Peaches

Ingredients

2 firm, ripe freestone peaches, halved and pitted
4 tablespoons barbeque sauce

Directions

1.  Preheat grill for medieum heat and lightly oil the grate.
2.  Slice flesh-side of peach halves diagonally about 1/4-inch deep, twice in each direction
3.  Drizzle flash-side of each peach half with barbeque sauce; brush sauce for an even coat.
4.  Place peaches, flesh-side up, on the grill.  Cook until barbeque sauce bubbles slightly and peaches are a little softer than when you put them on the grill, 7 to 10 minutes.

Extra Simple BBQ Bananas

Ingredients

2 bananas
4 scoops of vanilla ice cream
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint (optional)

Directions

1. Place whole, unpeeled bananas on grill, turning occasionally until the peel is blackened.  Remove stems and skin.
2.  Slice bananas, and serve over vanilla ice cream with mint garnish.

Serving suggestion:  Try slicing the banana in half lengthwise, then grill it flesh side down.  Peel after, top on vanilla frozen yogurt, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with granola. Yum!

Barbequed Pineapple

Ingredients

1 fresh pineapple
1/4 cup rum
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground cloves

Directions

1.  Peel the pineapple and, leaving it whole, cut out the center core.  Slice into 8 rings, and place them in a shallow glass dish or resealable plastic bag.  In a small bowl, mix together the run, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.  Pour marinade over the pineapple, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
2.  Preheat grill for high heat.  Lightly oil grate.
3.  Grill pineapple rings 15 minutes, turning once, or until outside is dry and char marked.  Serve with remaining marinade.

Serving suggestion:  you can replace the rum and sugar with fruit juice!

FRIDAY FARE: Healthy Springtime Recipe Series

I'm in a Springtime mood today - it was 74 degrees outside!!! I thought it would be fun to find a light spring dessert that would be a cinch to make. This one fits the bill... it's from wholeliving.com. ENJOY!!

Lime Souffle

Ingredients

• Granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 4 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 1-quart souffle dish with nonstick cooking spray and dust generously with granulated sugar. Place the souffle dish in the freezer to chill.

2. Stir 1/4 cup of the superfine sugar with the lime juice in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside. Using very clean, dry beaters, beat the egg whites by hand or with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of superfine sugar and the salt while beating. Continue beating until the whites hold a soft peak. Gently fold in the lime juice mixture and the zest.

3. Spoon the souffle mixture into the chilled souffle dish. Wipe the rim with your fingers or a damp cloth to ensure proper rising. Put the dish on a baking sheet and place in the oven immediately. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until the souffle is well risen and lightly browned on top. Serve and eat immediately.

FRIDAY FARE: Healthy Holiday Gifts

It's a week before Christmas, and I thought I'd give you some healthy options for food gifts. I'm including here a soup recipe , a breakfast recipe, and a treat. These recipes all come from Eatingwell.com...


Southwestern Three-Bean & Barley Soup Mix

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/3 cup dried black beans
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 1/3 cup dried kidney beans
• 1/3 cup dried great northern beans

Preparation

1. Layer chili powder, cumin, oregano, black beans, barley, kidney beans and great northern beans in a clean, dry 2-cup jar or bag.
2. To turn the soup mix into a pot of soup: Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 diced large onion, 1 diced celery stalk and 1 diced carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 9 cups water, 4 cups broth and the soup mix. Bring to a lively simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 hours (adding more water, 1/2 cup at a time, if necessary or desired). Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Cranberry-Almond Granola



Ingredients

2/3 cup frozen unsweetened apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup almond oil, or canola oil
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
5 cups rolled oats, (not quick-cooking)
1 cup toasted wheat germ
1 cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped (4 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, (2 ounces)
1 cup dried cranberries, divided

Preparation

Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven; preheat to 325°F. Coat 2 large baking sheets with sides with cooking spray.
Whisk apple juice concentrate, maple syrup, oil and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cinnamon and salt.
Mix oats, wheat germ, almonds and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Stir in the juice mixture; toss to coat. Spread the granola evenly on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the granola for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Reverse sheets top to bottom and back to front. Continue baking until lightly browned and aromatic, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes more. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks; stir 1/2 cup dried cranberries into the granola on each sheet. Let cool completely.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store granola in airtight containers for up to 2 months.

Dark Chocolate Sauce



Ingredients

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups 1% milk
• 2 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Whisk brown sugar and cocoa powder in a large heavy saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk until a smooth paste forms. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking constantly, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate; stir until melted. Stir in vanilla. Let cool slightly; serve warm.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

FRIDAY FARE: Healthy Pumpkin Recipes

Last week, while driving to the store, I passed a pumpkin patch. There were lots of kids there, picking out pumpkins. There was a maze, a huge slide, and lots of other fun things. I turned to my son, Alex, and asked if it reminded him of anything. He said: "Yes! We used to visit pumpkins patches every Fall when we were young kids living in Pennsylvania." He was right - I couldn't believe how the sight of children enjoying themselves at the pumpkin patch brought back memories of beautiful Fall weather, the changing color of leaves (amazing in the East), homemade preserves, apples, and preschool!

Because I see pumpkins wherever I go right now... I decided to try to find some healthy pumpkin recipes.

Pumpkins are low-calorie, rich in potassium, fiber, and loaded with beta-carotene (a powerful antioxidant). Pumpkins seeds are a great source of protein, magnesium, and zinc.

Here are a few for you to try from Health.com...

Pumpkin Waffles with Maple-Walnut Syrup



Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch ground cloves
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk, well-shaken
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
• Powdered sugar, for garnish

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Combine first 7 ingredients (through cloves) in a large bowl. Whisk together next 6 ingredients (through oil) in a medium bowl. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add wet mixture. Stir just until moist.

2. Preheat waffle iron, and coat it with cooking spray. Add about 1/2 cup batter, and spread it to edges; cook until the steaming stops. Repeat with remaining batter, setting waffles aside until all are cooked. Place on baking sheets in oven for 5 minutes to crisp.

3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add walnuts; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly toasted. Add the maple syrup; simmer 2 minutes. Dust waffles with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve with warm syrup.

Pumpkin Pie Pudding



Ingredients

2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice

Preparation

Whisk milk, sugar, and cornstarch in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Beat eggs with a whisk in a large bowl. Gradually add half the hot milk mixture to the beaten eggs. Return milk-egg mixture to pan. Cook over medium heat 3 minutes, or until thick, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in pumpkin, salt, and pumpkin-pie spice. Spoon evenly into 6 (6-ounce) custard cups. Let cool, and chill for about 30 minutes, or until pudding is set.

FRIDAY FARE: Recipe Re-Do... Peach Cobbler

I thought it might be fun to start a series on foods we love and crave, and redo those recipes to make them more healthy. This week I was canning peaches with my mother-in-law (from her own tree), and I told her that I wanted some to make a peach cobbler. Of course, probably the best peach cobbler is Paula Dean's. But, it is also probably one of the most unhealthy. :-) I looked up her recipe, and after looking at how much butter and sugar the recipe had, I looked up healthy cobbler recipes. I got the following recipe from www.food.com:

Light, Fresh Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

6 medium peaches, sliced
6 1/3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3 tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine
1/2 cup nonfat milk

Directions

1 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
2 - In a large saucepan, combine peaches, 1/3 cup of the sugar (5 1/3 tablespoons), cornstarch, lemon juice, and cinnamon; toss to coat peaches.
3 - Set pan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
4 - Cook until mixture thickens, about 1 minute.
5 - Remove from heat and transfer mixture to an 8-inch square baking pan.
6 - To make the topping, in a large bowl, combine flour, remaining tablespoon of sugar, baking powder and salt.
7 - Work in margarine with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
8 - Add milk and stir until flour mixture is evenly moistened.
9 - Drop 8 tablespoons of topping mixture onto peach mixture.
10 - Bake until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes.
11 - Cut into 8 pieces and serve.