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Healthy Carrot Soufflé

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:50:12 -0800

When my sister moved to Georgia a few years ago, I had the chance to spend Thanksgiving with her. Amongst all the dishes on the table was a Southern staple that I thought about for months after coming home - brown sugar and maple glazed carrots. I wanted to make this dish at my own Thanksgiving dinner this year, but was shocked to find out how much sugar and butter the recipe calls for. I decided to try and make my own healthy alternative to the dish and I think you'll be happy with the results.

There's barely any butter in my version and the dish has much, much less sugar. I also decided to make it into a souffle (I'm using the term loosely here!) to cut back on oil and give it a creamier taste and texture. This would be a great side dish for your Thanksgiving meal and it's an awesome replacement for a candied yam dish - carrots have fewer calories than yams and are exploding with vitamin A. Chances are your guests won't even know the difference!

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Healthy Carrot Soufflé
original recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds of peeled, cut carrots
1/3 cup of plain lowfat yogurt
2 eggs and 1 egg white, beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
Pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Steam carrots until tender, about 20 - 25 minutes.
Place carrots in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.
Combine yogurt, eggs, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract into the carrots.
Pulse in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt to the mixture.
Transfer mixture to a 2-quart baking dish that has been lightly coated with cooking spray or butter.
Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until set and firm.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

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Healthy T-Day Dessert: Pumpkin-Carrot Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

FitSugar — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:30:05 -0800

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and my love of all things pumpkin is hardly waning. From yogurt to muffins, I relish this tasty flavor of Fall. If you're looking for a pumpkin pie alternative, these pumpkin-carrot bars are delish. The bit of cream cheese frosting adds a deceptive element of decadence.

Low in calories while remaining full of flavor, these pumpkin bars make a great dessert - perfect for potlucks (much easier to share with large groups than pies) and they're relatively guilt-free. They're high in vitamin A - and trust me you cannot even taste the shredded carrot - and a bar only contains 70 calories and less than two grams of fat. With nutritional stats like that, it's OK to go back for seconds.

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Pumpkin-Carrot Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
Modified from SparkPeople

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Earth Balance (or other butter substitute)
2 eggs
2 large egg whites
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin pie filling
2/3 cup finely shredded carrot

Cream cheese topping:
4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon skim milk

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Spray a 15 x 10 jellyroll pan with cooking spray.
In small bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and baking soda.
In larger bowl, use electric mixer to beat sugar, Earth Balance, and brown sugar until crumbly. Add eggs, egg whites, pumpkin pie filling, and carrots. Beat until well blended.
Add flour mixture and mix until well blended. Spread onto greased pan.
To prepare cream cheese topping: mix together cream cheese, sugar, and milk until thoroughly blended.
Drop teaspoon-fulls of topping over pumpkin batter and swirl and cut mixture into batter with a butter knife.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan completely on wire rack before cutting into squares.

Makes 48 squares.

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Looking for more healthy recipes? Then check out the Healthy Recipe Group - the name pretty much says it all.

Healthy Recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Walnuts

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:50:57 -0800

One vegetable delight of Autumn is the Brussels sprout. These small leafy balls are packed with fiber as well as taste, and they deserve a place at your Thanksgiving table.

My favorite method of cooking Brussels sprouts is to roast them. It's a simple preparation, but I have added nuts, balsamic vinegar, and cheese to fancy up the dish. While I have often had Brussels sprouts with bacon or pancetta, adding walnut imbues them with a meaty flavor while providing some healthy fats not found in bacon. This recipe is simple to make and is a crowd-pleaser for all ages - my 4-year-old ate three helpings!

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Walnuts
Modified from Recipezaar

Ingredients

1 stalk of Brussels sprouts (or about two pounds of sprouts)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesean cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take Brussels sprouts off the stem, wash, and rip off outside leaves.
Chop sprouts until they are a uniform size, leaving the small ones whole and possibly cutting the larger ones into eighths.
Boil Brussels sprouts for 5 minutes. Pat dry.
Place Brussels sprouts in roasting pan and pour in olive oil and vinegar and stir until sprouts are coated well. Salt and pepper to taste.
Roast for 20 minutes, stirring Brussels sprouts to ensure even roasting. After 20 minutes, add chopped walnuts and roast for 5 more minutes or until walnuts are browned.
Sprinkle roasted sprouts with cheese and serve warm.

Serves 6.

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Thanksgiving Side Dish: Apple Squash

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:47:08 -0800

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because I love all the warm, savory dishes. This one has been in my family for years and it's sweet, creamy, and has a crunchy topping that reminds me of homemade mac and cheese. It's easy to prepare ahead of time, and is a great alternative to mashed potatoes or stuffing.

To see the recipe and find out how many calories are in one serving read more.

Recipe for Apple Squash
a family recipe

Ingredients

Bottom layer:
4 Cortland apples, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons Smart Balance margarine

Middle layer:
8 cups butternut squash (about two whole), peeled, de-seeded, and diced
2 tablespoons Smart Balance margarine
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Top layer:
2 cups fruit juice sweetened corn flakes, crushed
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Smart Balance margarine, melted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Heat two tablespoons of Smart Balance in a skillet and add the sliced apples. Cover and simmer for five minutes. Spread in bottom of a casserole dish.
Boil the butternut squash for 15 minutes.
Mash the squash with two tablespoons Smart Balance, two teaspoons brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Spread it on top of the apples.
Mix the two tablespoons of melted Smart Balance with the crushed corn flakes, two teaspoons brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Sprinkle on top of the squash.
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy.

Makes 10 servings.

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Here's the nutritional info for this Thanksgiving apple squash.

Serving Size	1/10 of the dish
Calories	159.6
Total Fat	5.9 g
Saturated Fat	.6 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Sodium	182.1 mg
Carbs	28.2 g
Fiber	3.9 g
Sugars	10.7 g
Protein	2.2 g

If you have a healthy recipe to share, please post it in the Healthy Recipe community group.

Healthy Holiday Swap: DIY Pumpkin Yogurt

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:47:40 -0800

I love pumpkin-flavored anything - pies, muffins, cheesecake, even ice cream! But gorging on too many sweet pumpkin treats can leave me with a sick stomach full of unhealthy fats and sugars. One way I've been satisfying my pumpkin cravings is by making my own pumpkin-flavored yogurt at home.

It's really easy to do, just mix plain yogurt with canned pumpkin puree. If you're trying to cut back on sugar, use 100 percent pure pumpkin puree and add your own spices and sweetener. If you want the instant flavors of pumpkin pie, mix yogurt up with canned pumpkin pie puree that's been sweetened with sugar and spices.

I sometimes use vanilla yogurt with the pure pumpkin mix just to give it a little sweetness, and if I'm craving the texture of pumpkin pie, a nice sprinkling of healthy granola or oats seems to do the trick.

Share your healthy snack ideas in our Snack Attack group!

Healthy Recipe: Apple Pear Oatmeal Crisp

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:50:44 -0800

It's harvest time for apples and pears, and nothing says Autumn like warm crisp featuring both Fall fruits. Here is a variation of a recipe from RecipeZaar. I substituted a few things like Sucanat for brown sugar, whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour, and Earth Balance margarine in place of butter. The soft, cinnamony fruit and crunchy oat topping are a perfect combination, and it was so delicious that my family polished off the entire crisp within a day.

This would make a great dessert for Thanksgiving, because it's a cinch to whip up. To see the recipe read more.

Healthy Recipe: Apple Pear Oatmeal Crisp
Adapted from RecipeZaar

Ingredients

2 apples, sliced
3 firm pears, sliced
2 tablespoons Sucanat
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
2/3 cup water

Topping

1 cup oats
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup Sucanat
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons of Earth Balance, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Remove the cores and slice the unpeeled fruit. Place slices in the bottom of a greased nine-inch dish. Drizzle with lemon juice.
Sprinkle two tablespoons of Sucanat, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and water on the fruit.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add melted Earth Balance and mix until crumbly.
Spread the crumb mixture evenly on top of the fruit.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, so the top is lightly brown and the fruit is bubbly.
Serve warm or cold with vanilla ice cream, vanilla yogurt, or enjoy by itself.

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Here's the nutritional info for this Apple Pear Oatmeal Crisp. RecipeZaar suggests that a serving size is one-sixth of the crisp, but I found one-eighth of the crisp to be a more appropriate portion.

Serving Size	1/8 of the crisp
Calories	330
Total Fat	5.3 g
Saturated Fat	1.5 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Sodium	165 mg
Carbs	51.7 g
Fiber	4.5 g
Sugar	30.6 g
Protein	4.2 g

If you have a healthy recipe to share, please post it in the Healthy Recipe group.

Healthy Recipe: Indian-Spiced Chard

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:00:35 -0700

As the weather turns cooler, I like adding spice to my meals. Nothing warms me up like a little curry. Last night I cooked up some red Swiss chard with some garam masala and tofu. Chard is one of my favorite leafy greens, which is why it's one of my must haves for October.

This Indian-spiced chard makes a great main dish, or leave out the tofu for a side dish. I served it with toasted whole wheat pita - my easy replacement for naan - or you could serve it over rice and cauliflower with turmeric as a side. It's a tasty meal and even better as leftovers.

Check out the recipe.

Healthy Recipe: Apple Oatmeal Flax Cookies

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:50:29 -0700

Fall is officially here and that means it's apple season. Take a trip to your local orchard and pick a peck of McIntosh, Cortland, or Empire apples and give this recipe a try. With chunks of apples, oats, flax meal, and walnuts, these are packed with fiber and a taste that'll warm your soul.

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Recipe for Apple Oatmeal Flax Cookies
original recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flax meal (ground flaxseed)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Sucanat (or sugar)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups quick oats
2 medium apples, peeled and chopped
1 cup walnuts

Directions

In a bowl, mix the flour, flax meal, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat together oil, Sucanat, eggs, and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in the oats, apples, flour mixture, and nuts.
Spoon out cookies onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cook seven to eight minutes, or until edges are slightly brown. Place cookies on a cooling rack.

Makes three dozen cookies.

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Healthy Recipe: Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese, and Sweet Pecan Salad

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:00:10 -0700

I was surfing the FitSugar community page, checking out the recipes in the Healthy Recipes Group and I saw this amazing salad delorganic added to the page.
It looks really tasty and is a great way to incorporate nutritious and colorful beets into your meal. Do you have a healthy recipe to share? Join the my recipe group, since healthy food is a cornerstone to living the fit life. To check out the recipe and possibly learn a new technique for roasting beets, just read more.

Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese, and Sweet Pecan Salad
Original Recipe

The sweet-salty contrast of the roasted beets, the tang of the goat cheese and crunch of the pecans is a delicious combination and the colors are absolutely beautiful.

Ingredients

2 beets, green cuts off, and skins trimmed
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbled
3 cups mixed greens
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thinly slice the beets (about 1/4-inch thick slices) and toss with coconut oil and season with sea salt. Place on baking sheet in single layer, roast for 15 minutes, Remove pan from oven and turn beets over using a spatula. Return beets to oven and roast for another 10 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.

After beets are out of the oven, lower temperature to 250 degrees. Toss pecans with the maple syrup and spread out on a cooking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stir and then bake another 15 minutes until pecans are dried and crispy. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl whisk together balsamic vinegar and olive oil. In a large bowl toss mixed greens with 3/4 of the salad dressing. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and add more dressing if needed. To assemble, divide salad greens on four plates. Divide the beets evenly and place on top of greens. Sprinkle with maple pecans and goat cheese. Serve immediately.

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If you would like to read up about coconut oil, my pals at Nutrition Data have some great information on the subject.

Healthy Dinner Idea: Tomato, Black Bean, and Tofu Quesadillas

FitSugar — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 03:30:09 -0700

Right about now, gardens across the country are overflowing with tomatoes, so here's a quick recipe you can whip up before they go bad.

To see the easy recipe read more.

Recipe: Tomato, Black Bean, and Tofu Quesadilla
from my kitchen

Ingredients

1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 block of firm tofu, cubed
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
3 cups diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
4 whole wheat tortillas
Shredded cheese

Directions

In a pan, sauté the onions in one teaspoon of olive oil on medium heat.
In a separate pan, sauté tofu in one teaspoon oil. Season with some salt and pepper, stirring every so often until lightly browned.
Add the peppers to the pan with the onions, and sauté for five minutes.
Add the tomatoes, the cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper, and cook on low for 10 minutes, or until it's thickened up. Mix in the black beans and cook for another few minutes.
Stir in the tofu and remove from heat. Place in a storage container for now.
Wash the pan and place it back on the stove on medium heat with one teaspoon olive oil. Place a tortilla in the pan and spin it around to distribute the oil.
On one half, sprinkle a little shredded cheese. Add half a cup or so of the tomato and bean mixture, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle on a little more cheese and fold the tortilla in half. Cook on both sides for a couple minutes, then serve.
Cook up the rest of the quesadillas or place the tomato mixture in the fridge for later.

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Want more healthy meal ideas or have a recipe of your own to share? Then check out Fit's Health Recipe Group.