Super-Light Pumpkin Pancakes

Can you tell I'm obsessed with breakfast? This, my favorite meal of the day, can be packed with useless calories if I'm not careful. This morning, I whipped up a batch of these fantastically light, full-flavored pumpkin pancakes as a sign that Fall is around the corner. I hope you'll give them a try and that you'll enjoy them as much as we do.

Pumpkin Pancakes
Makes 14

1 1/4 C buttermilk
3/4 C pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin will do - NOT pumpkin pie filling)
4 large eggs, separated
2 T granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T canola oil
1 1/3 C cake flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Whisk buttermilk, pumpkin, egg yolks, sugar, oil, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add dry ingredients to buttermilk mixture and whisk to combine.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in glass bowl until soft peaks form. Fold whites into batter.

Lightly oil or butter heavy large skillet set over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto skillet; cook until bubbles form on top, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn pancakes over and cook until second sides brown, about 1 minute. Transfer pancakes to plates. Sprinkle with nuts and serve with syrup.

Nutritional Info (per pancake)

Calories: 100
Fat: 3.73 grams
Cholesterol: 61.2 mgs
Sodium: 43.5 mgs
Potassium: 92 mgs
Carbohydrates: 13 grams
fiber: .7 grams
Protein: 3.8 grams


Copyright What's Cooking Sunday, 2010

Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins

One of my favorite ingredients is buttermilk. Whatever I make with it has a tender texture and tangy taste. These wonderful muffins are no exception.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins
Makes 16 muffins
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1.5 C buttermilk
1.5 C rolled oats
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 C brown sugar, packed
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 C canola oil
1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
1.5 C all purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C raisins

Spray muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray or line with muffin liners.

In large bowl, soak oats and raisins in the buttermilk for 15 minutes. Stir in eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce, and vanilla.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add to oats mixture and stir just until moistened.

Fill prepared muffin tins until cups are three-fourths full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Nutritional info per muffin:

Calories: 164
Fat: 4 grams
Cholesterol: 1.5 mgs
Sodium: 43 mgs
Potassium: 101 mgs
Carbs: 3.5 grams
Fiber: 1.3 grams
Protein: 4 grams

I just love when pastries are good for you, don't you?

Copyright What's Cooking Sunday, 2010

Big Chocolate Cookie

Way back in the day (about 25 years ago) I was deep into Weight Watchers. Every week, I'd walk into the meeting and there'd be a new, interesting recipe written on the board for us to copy and try at home. One week, this recipe for a Big Chocolate Cookie was up there, and I thought, "wow, what's not to like about this one?" The recipe makes one giant cookie. The cookie has loads of good nutrition in it, and can serve as a main meal. I love it for breakfast. Who wouldn't want chocolate cookies for breakfast?

Big Chocolate Cookie
Makes One cookie
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 packet chocolate ALBA shake mix**
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 C rolled oats
1 T peanut butter
1/2 tsp honey
2 T water
2 T raisins

combine all ingredients in small bowl and form into a big cookie on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 8-10 minutes.

**The tricky ingredient is the Alba shake mix. You can probably find it in the grocery store with the other milk shake mixers.

Nutritional info:

Calories: 340
Fat: 10.25 grams
Cholesterol: 0 grams
Sodium: 180 mgs
Potassium: 310 mgs
Carbohydrates: 73.5 grams
Fiber: 9 grams
Protein: 15 grams

And if you use Weight Watchers old exchange program, like I do:

1 Bread
1 Fat
2 Proteins
1 Fruit
10 optional calories




Copyright What's Cooking Sunday, 2010

Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins

muffin glamour shot

Who hasn't let a bunch of bananas get so so ripe that they practically mash themselves when you pick them up? Before leaving for vacation, I put a pretty ripe bunch in the fridge so I wouldn't have to come home to a puddle on the kitchen counter. When we got home they were intact, though mighty soft. For breakfast I made a batch of these muffins and we ripped through them so fast that I made another batch this week!

Just a note: these banana muffins taste best when the bananas used are good and black, but not to the alcohol stage.

Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins
serves 12
preheat oven to 400 degrees

1-3/4 C all purpose flour
1/4 C sugar
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten
1/3 C vegetable oil
1/2 C skim milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 C mashed banana (about 3 bananas)

1/2 C chopped walnuts
2 oz miniature chocolate chips

Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with papers.

In large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk together. Make a well in the center and set aside.

In small bowl, combine the wet ingredients well and pour all at once into the center of the dry ingredients. Mix quickly with as little stirring as possible. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.

Divide the batter evenly in the muffin tin and bake 20-25 minutes until golden. Check with a toothpick for doneness. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes.

Mmmmm... yummy!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Baked Oatmeal

Who doesn't love breakfast? And who wouldn't want it made ahead, freezable, and reheatable, too? That's what you'll get with this delicious and easy oatmeal recipe.

Baked Oatmeal
Serves 10
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

5 C rolled oats
4 eggs (or 1 C egg substitute to reduce calories)
1/2 C canola oil
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
3/4 C sugar (or Splenda)
2 C skim milk
1 T baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salk
1 large apple, chopped with skins left on
1 C raisins

Put ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Pour into sprayed 9 x 13 inch baking dish and bake for 40 minutes.

Great warm or cold, drizzled with milk (fat free half and half is even better!)


copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

“My Doctor Done Told Me”…

He said I’d have recurring back pain for the rest of my life if I didn’t lose some weight. I started a couple of years ago, and took off 25 pounds – half of what he suggested. Then I got derailed when Pooch got so sick a year and a half ago. Doing all the food prep a diet requires was just too much for me in addition to caring for our terminal friend. So, I found the pounds I lost.

For the past three days, I’ve been hobbling around like an old lady because my back has revolted. Too many cupcakes, not enough bunny food. Add to the mix the fact that North Carolina has just decided to reduce health insurance benefits for state employees who are “seriously obese” (determined by BFI), and it makes sense to take off those clingy extra pounds – all fifty of them. It seems an insurmountable task when I look at the bigger picture. Time to take baby steps… especially since can’t move very fast right now!

I had success the last time I made this vow by combining principles of The South Beach Diet and an older generation of Weight Watchers - no calculating points for me. I cut out a lot of the processed carbohydrates and concentrated on whole grains, lots of fresh veggies, lean meats, and weighing and measuring my portions.

I also resorted to counting calories, something both diet plans eschew. It’s simply a matter of physics: calories in-vs-calories burned determines weight loss. I know for a fact I can pack away a significant number of calories in a day, so I must count them to keep myself honest.

I use Fitday.com, which is a GREAT online journaling site. It takes a bit of time in the beginning. A lot of the foods we eat are not listed in their database, so I had to input all the nutritional info for those. But now, I have a long customized list to choose from each day and tracking my daily intake takes maybe 10 minutes a day. Each morning I plan my food for the day, input it all and the site calculates the caloric value for the day as well as the nutritional distribution for the day.

Here's a fabulous recipe for a high-protein breakfast. We love French toast for breakfast, but now it's off the menu for a while. Here's a substitute - I swear you'll never know the bread is missing!

Faux French Toast
serves 2

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 C part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp Splenda
2 tsp butter or margarine (I use Smart Balance)

In small bowl combine the eggs, cheese, vanilla and Splenda. Mix well. Melt butter or margarine in nonstick skillet and pour in cheese mixture. Allow to cook over medium heat until browned on the bottom and the top is no longer runny. Flip and cook the second side until browned. Serve with a tiny drizzle of maple syrup.

All the flavors and texture of French toast without the bread!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Crepes Suzette

We had such a lovely meal for our anniversary last weekend, including crepes Suzette, that I wanted to share this SUPER-easy Weight Watchers recipe with you. I love when dessert can be considered good for the body. Don’t you?

The crepes can be made in advance and frozen for future use. To freeze them, stack the cooled crepes, using a layer of wax paper between each to separate. Finish the stack with a piece of wax paper, and you can roll the stack into a tube. Wrap the whole thing in a Ziploc freezer bag. Freeze until needed. When ready to use, thaw at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.

Crepes Suzette:
Makes 4 servings, 2 crepes each

Crepes:
1 C skim milk
¾ C all purpose flour
2 eggs

Sauce:
2 T unsalted margarine (I use Smart Balance)
1 T granulated sugar
1 C orange juice
¼ C thawed frozen concentrated orange juice
2 T orange liqueur

To prepare the crepes: In blender container, combine milk, flour and eggs. Process until smooth. Let stand about 15 minutes to allow bubbles to subside.

Lightly spray 6 skillet or crepe pan with nonstick spray and heat. Pour ¼ C batter into pan and quickly swirl to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Cook over med-high heat about 30 seconds until the top looks dry. Carefully turn the pancake over and cook a few more seconds. Slide crepe onto a plate and repeat until you’ve made 8 crepes.

To prepare the sauce: In 12” nonstick skillet melt margarine. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Stir in juice, thawed concentrate, and liqueur and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

To finish the dish: Add one crepe to skillet, coating both sides with sauce. Fold crepe in half, then again to create a triangle shape. Slide to the side of the skillet and repeat with remaining crepes. Serve immediately.

Nutritional info:
Per serving (2 crepes)
286 calories
8 grams protein
9 grams fat
40 grams carbohydrate
106 grams calcium
68 mgs sodium
138 mgs cholesterol

Happy Easter and Good Pesach, Everyone!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Orange Flax Seed Bran Muffins

Back in my South Beach Diet days, I collected many high fiber, flavor-filled recipes. This one is a hit in our house. All of the ingredients are available at Whole Foods. Just a note about ground flax seed: be sure to store it in the freezer. Once the seeds are ground, they go rancid VERY quickly!

Orange Flax Seed Bran Muffins
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Makes 22-24 muffins

1 C oat bran
1 C flour (I use ½ C each of all purpose and whole wheat flours)
1 C ground flax seed
1 C wheat bran
1 T baking powder
½ tsp salt

Combine the above ingredients in a large bowl.

2 whole navel oranges, rinsed and cut into pieces (with peel!)
1 C brown sugar
1 C buttermilk (or 1 C milk + 1¾ tsp cream of tartar. Combine and let sit for 5 min before using)
1/4 C canola oil
1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
1/2 C egg beaters egg substitute
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 C raisins

Place orange pieces in a blender and grind them up first, then add the rest of this group of ingredients to the blender and whiz together. Add orange mixture to the dry ingredients and blend well.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups nearly to the top (the muffins don’t rise much at all). Bake 1-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (They will be very moist muffins when baked.) Cool in tins for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Yields about 22-24 muffins, depending on how full you make the tins before baking. Guaranteed they won’t last long!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Apple Crisp

One of the many diets I've been on is the South Beach Diet. It's probably the BEST one I've experienced, being the easiest to maintain. ( Over time, I became lazy and stopped paying attention to what I was cramming into my face.) Today's recipe is one I gleaned from the Prevention.com South Beach message board many years ago. It seems like it has a lot of fat in it, but I make it very often, and STILL lose weight!

Apple Crisp
serves 4
preheat oven to 350 degrees

4 medium-sized tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 C rolled oats
1/4 C oat flour (place 1/4 C rolled oats in a blender to make this)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2.5 T + 3/8 C Splenda, divided
1/2 C Smart Balance buttery spread
1 T cinnamon
2 T water

Spray a casserole dish with Pam. Place apples in a large bowl with nutmeg, cinnamon, water, and 3/8 C Splenda. Toss until apples are well-coated and transfer to casserole dish.

In a small bowl, combine the oats, 2.5 T Splenda, and oat flour. Add Smart Balance and work together with your fingers until combined.

*Note: this will seem like a sticky mess and you'll think something has gone horribly wrong. Don't worry - it will be delicious and crunchy at the end. Place this oat mixture on top of the apples.

Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes. Top should be golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!

And, as Charmaine of High Desert Diva commented, this is wonderful the next day for breakfast. Not as crisp, but still good.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Blueberry Corn Muffins

Blueberry Corn Muffins:

Makes 12
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1-1/3 C all-purpose white flour
2/3 C yellow cornmeal
1 T baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 C blueberries, washed and stemmed
1 egg
2/3 C skim milk
1/2 C honey
3 T vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar

Spray muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.

In large bowl, stir or whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the blueberries and toss to coat with flour mixture.

In smaller bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the milk, honey, and oil, whisking until well combined.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Do NOT over-mix!

Divide the batter equally between the 12 muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

Bake 18-22 minutes, until risen and golden. Turn onto a baking rack to cool.

169 calories
4 grams fat
143 mg sodium
18 mgs cholesterol

Note: If using frozen blueberries, don't thaw them. Just rinse off ice crystals and pat dry. Toss separately with 3 T of the flour and stir in after liquid is added.

**These muffins go stale very quickly, but then taste fabulous cut in half, toasted, and spread with some sweet butter.