Thursday, April 28, 2011

Sweet N' Spicy Party Mix

You know those addicting snacks that you just cannot stop eating no matter how hard you try?  Well, this is that snack.  But have no fear- this mix is low fat and will give you no guilt while snacking!  (or over-snacking!)  This snack takes barely any time to make and anyone you feed it to, will keep going back for more!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white sugar 
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground chile pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chile powder 
2 egg whites
2 cups pretzel sticks
1 cup whole grain cheddar Goldfish crackers
2 cups wheat Chex cereal
2 cups corn Chex cereal
1 cup dry-roasted slightly salted peanuts
1 cup dry-roasterd salted almonds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  In a small bowl combine the first 6 ingredients and stir with a whisk.  In a large bowl, add two egg whites and whip with whisk until foamy and white.  Add pretzels, Goldfish, cereals, peanuts, and almonds to the egg whites.  Stir and coat each pieces with the egg whites.  Top with the spice mixture and stir to coat all pieces of mix.  Place parchment paper onto 2 cookie sheets.  Sprinkle mix all over the cookie sheets in an even layer.  Put in over and bake for 15 minutes.  (At 7 minutes, I stir the mixture so it can cook evenly.)  Once 15 minutes is up, stir mixture again and turn off oven and let mixture cook for another 15 minutes.  Once that is done, let mix cool and become crunchy.  Enjoy!  (Keep in air-tight container to keep fresh!) 

*Remember- Nuts are so good for you, but try not to eat too much- the fat adds up :)

Friday, April 22, 2011

Cinnamon Delights

We love cinnamon and since we never have enough cinnamon, we made a cinnamon cookie!  These little tasty treats are so delicious and the cinnamon glaze makes them even better.  The best thing is they are healthier than your average cookie, but taste just like them.  So give them a try!! :)

Ingredients:
3 TBS butter, softened
2 TBS brown sugar
6 TBS granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Glaze:
2/3  cup powdered sugar
2 tsp skim milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
cinnamon sugar 
sliced almonds, toasted

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spread out sliced almonds on a cookie sheet.  Place in oven and bake for about 5 minutes or until toasted and slightly brown.  (You usually will smell them when they are done!  Keep a close eye on them- you do not want them to burn!)  Remove almonds from oven and let cool.  Combine butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.  Add egg whites, one at a time and mix well after each addition.  In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon with a whisk.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture.  Beat until well combined.  (FYI: The dough will be very separated and dry, so do not be alarmed you did something wrong!)  Take a tablespoon and scoop out the separated dough into your palm.  Push the dough together to form a ball, then form into a disk.  (It may be difficult at first, but you will get used to it!  Just put some arm into it!)   The cookie should be about 1 1/2 -2 inches in diameter, and about an 1/8 inch thick.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and add cookies to sheet, leaving them about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly brown and firm.  Cool cookies on wire rack.  While cooling, combine powdered sugar, milk, and cinnamon together with a whisk to create the glaze.  Once cookies are cool, drizzle glaze on cookies and place 2-3 sliced almonds onto cookies.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Drizzle a little more glaze on top of the almonds and sprinkle again with cinnamon sugar.  Enjoy!!

Nutrition Facts:   
Serving Size: 24 cookies 
Amount per serving: 1 cookie
Calories: 90 
Fat: 1.5 g

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Three Cheese Macaroni

Nothing says comfort food more than macaroni and cheese.  Who doesn't love digging into a yummy, ooey gooey, creamy mac and cheese?  Here is our healthier version of this delicious meal that normally would pack on the pounds.  Dig in without the worry!

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (Or whatever small pasta you like)
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cups onion, finely chopped (about 2 small onions)
4 TBS all-purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups 1% low fat milk
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cup part-skim Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded & divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup panko Japanese breadcrumbs


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until al dente.  While noodles are cooking, drizzle a saucepan with a small amount (about 1/2 tsp)  of olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Once heated, add onion to pan and cook until onions are soft and translucent.  Stir frequently.  Add flour and garlic and cook for about a minute, stirring consistently.  Add milk and bay leaves.  Once brought to a boil, constantly stir with a whisk and cook until thick.  Discard bay leaves.  Add Cheddar cheese and 3/4 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano.  Add salt and pepper and stir until cheeses have melted and mixture is creamy.  Drain the pasta and add to the cheese mixture.  Spray 5 ramekins generously with non-stick cooking spray.  (We used eight 12 ounce ramekins.  You may also bake this pasta in a baking dish.)  Add pasta mixture to the ramekin, only filling up the ramekin half way.  Sprinkle a little mozzarella cheese over the pasta mixture.  Fill the rest of the ramekin with pasta mixture.  Sprinkle bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano over all of the ramekins to cover pasta.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the breadcrumbs, just so the breadcrumbs can get crispy. Bake for 25 minutes.  Turn on your broiler, and broil the pasta until tops are golden brown.  Enjoy your macaroni and cheese, please :)   

Nutritional Facts: 
Serving Size: 8 people
Amount per serving: 12 ounces
Calories: 338
Fat: 13 g

*We only calculated calories and fat because for us, that is what is most important :)

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Turtle Ice Cream Pie

Nothing is better than a yummy, old-fashion, ooey-gooey turtle candy.  Delicious pecans, covered in rich carmel then dipped in chocolate, there is nothing like it!  This divine candy inspired us to create this amazing sweet sensation.  This turtle ice cream pie cures any sweet tooth craving without hurting your waistline, so feel free to indulge!
Ingredients:
1 store bought chocolate cookie pie crust
1 square unsweetened chocolate
3 TBS water
1/4 cup sugar
Dash of salt
1 TBS butter
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1 bag whole pecans
1 jar Fat-free caramel sauce
1 tub of Half The Fat Vanilla Ice Cream (We use Dreyers)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
To make the fudge, heat unsweetened chocolate square with water in a small saucepan on low heat.  Once the chocolate has melted, add the sugar and salt, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.  Add the butter and vanilla and mix until combined.  Pour the chocolate fudge onto the bottom of the pie crust and spread the fudge all over the sides so the bottom and sides of crust are covered.  Take a handful of the whole pecans and crush with fingers.  Sprinkle all over sides and bottom of crust.  (You can chop the pecans, if easier.)  Drizzle desired amount of caramel sauce all over the pecans on the crust.  Put in freezer and freeze until fudge hardens.  Take out ice cream while freezing crust and let ice cream soften. While ice cream is softening and crust is hardening, heat milk chocolate chips in microwave for 30 second intervals until melted.  Take desired amount of whole pecans and dip them in the chocolate.  (It is easiest to do with a fork and spoon.)  Place chocolate pecans on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Place in freezer and freeze until hard.  Once ice cream is done softening, take out the crust and carefully spread the vanilla ice cream all on to the crust.  Once ice cream is evenly spread on crust, drizzle desired amount of caramel sauce on top of ice cream.  Take out frozen chocolate pecans and place decoratively on top of pie.  Freeze until ready to eat.  To prevent freezer burn, cover with saran wrap after slicing.  Enjoy! :)