Pancake Fun

I NEVER, EVER leave the house without a good breakfast under my belt.  It was a habit I had to get into.  It wasn't easy and some mornings start early, but it is so worth it.  Breakfast will make or break my day.  You better believe my family isn't allowed to walk out the door without it either.

We love pancakes and I LOVE to experiment with them.  I have a base recipe that I use, but I will play around with different fruits and stuff to switch things up.  My sweet boys are always so good about trying my experiments even when they turn out funky colors (like the raspberry lemon pancakes I made, delicious, but funky).

Pancakes


1 C Whole Wheat Flour
1 C Oats
2 Tbls Ground Flax
1 Tbls Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Salt
2 Eggs
2 C Low Fat Milk (sometimes the amount varies, I always start with 1 & 1/2 then add more if needed)

*You can top them with whatever you'd like.  I use a little bit of agave and what ever fruit I put in them.

Extras

Peanut Butter Banana:

1/4 C Peanut Butter (heaping)
1 Banana pureed or mashed
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Vanilla

Raspberry Lemon:

1/2 C Pureed Raspberries
Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon
3/4 Tsp Almond Extract
2 Tbls Sugar

Yes, these come out a fantastically, awesome blue, not sure why, but they are delicious!

Strawberry Orange:

1/2 C Pureed Strawberries

Zest and Juice of 1 Orange

3 Tbls Almonds

3/4 Tsp Almond Extract

Apple Pancakes:

1 green apple with peel; Grated

1 Tsp Cinnamon

3/4 Tsp Nutmeg

1 Tsp Vanilla

There are so many different, fun variations to try!

A Healthy Comfort Classic

I love cooking, I always have.  I think I might have a small addiction to cookbooks. . .

I found a new book that has been SO fun.  It's "Now eat This!" by Rocco Dispirito.  He has an awesome story that he tells in the cookbook.  Long story short, he was challenged by the producers of, my all time favorite show, "The Biggest Loser" to remake the contestants favorite foods, their absolute weaknesses.  They wanted him to make them healthier and still taste good.  He didn't think it could be done.  He took on the challenge ended up losing 30 pounds, getting into triathlons and writing a book dedicated to these recipes, and they REALLY are good!

This is one that my boys absolutely love.  I hadn't made it in a very, very long time because I just couldn't stomach feeding it to them in it's classic version.  The age old classic:

Macaroni and Cheese with a Crusty Crunch

Nonstick cooking spray

4 oz. whole-wheat elbow macaroni

1/2 Onion-Garlic Puree (recipe below)

1/2 tsp dry mustard

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 C shredded reduced fat or fat free cheddar cheese

1/3 C nonfat Greek yogurt

Salt

1/4 C whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs (I can't find whole-wheat)

1/4 C grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat the oven to 425.  Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray, and set it aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions, 7 to 9 minutes; drain.

While the pasta is cooking, bring the Onion-Garlic puree, mustard and cayenne to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often.  Whisk in the cheddar until it has melted.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the yogurt.

In a medium bowl, toss the cooked macaroni with the cheese sauce to coat thoroughly.  Season with salt to taste.  Pour the macaroni into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle the panko over the top.  Top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake until the cheese has melted and the macaroni is hot throughout, about 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.  

Onion-Garlic Puree

1 large Vidalia onion, roughly chopped

9 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1/2 C water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the onion, garlic, and water in a microwave-safe bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap,and microwave on high for 10 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a blender and blend until it is completely smooth (I use a food processor).  Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired.  Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours. 

I put it with whatever veggies I have on hand at the time.  I did this with some steamed carrots, tossed in olive oil, a little bit of brown sugar, dry parsley flakes and a little bit of salt.

Spiced Pumpkin-Gingerbread Waffles

My apologies, this one is a little late.  It's more of a fall recipe, but I love it all winter long and my boys LOVE these, they don't care what time of the year it is.   I don't know if Jon is a big fan, but the kids and I LOVE them.  They cook up so big and fluffy and they're really filling.  One waffle goes a long way.

Spiced Pumpkin-Gingerbread Waffles

3 C all-purpose flour

1 Tbls baking powder

2 tsp ground ginger

1 Tbls cinnamon

1 Tbls nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 C sugar

1/4 C brown sugar

1 egg

3 egg whites

1 1/2 C canned pumpkin

1 C nonfat milk

1 Tbls vanilla extract

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and sugars.  In another bowl, add the egg, egg whites, pumpkin, milk, and vanilla: stir to blend.  Combine dry and wet mixtures, stirring gently.  Pour  about half a cup of batter into a standard 8-inch waffle maker.  Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.  Makes about 8 waffles.

Calories: 298,  Fat: 2,  Carbs: 62,  Protein: 9,  Fiber: 5,  Sodium: 56 mg

Crock Pot Turkey Chili

I love, love, love crock pot meals!!

This chili is SO good!  My boys have serious bean issues and they both asked when we could make this again.  The recipe makes a lot so for me it's really nice to put half of it in a big zip lock bag and freeze it.  Pull it out stick it in the crock pot to thaw it out.  Or, you can just half the recipe.  This is one of those meals that, I think, is better the next day (Jon does too).  It has time for all the flavors to sink in and mmmm, it's good.

Crock Pot Turkey Chili

2 lbs 93% Lean Ground Turkey

1 large Sweet Onion

2 15 oz. cans Great Northern Beans

2 15 oz. cans Kidney Beans

2 10 oz. cans Tomato Soup

1 10 oz. can Diced Tomatos & Green Chilis

1 8 oz. can Tomato Sauce

2 tsp. Taco Seasoning

2 tsp. Ground Cumin

2 tsp. Chili Powder

Salt to taste

Directions

1. Brown ground turkey in large skillet and drain.

2. Combine turkey with all other ingredients in large crock pot.

3. Cook 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high.

4. Serve hot. Add cheese and/or sour cream if desired. These are not figured into calories.

Number of Servings: 12

Cal. 299, Fat 6, Carbs. 38, Fiber 10, Protein 25

Applesauce Muffins

These muffins are really good.  You'd think it was Christmas morning over and over again with how excited my boys get when I make these.  I make these and a fruit drink.  I throw what ever fruit we feel like in the blender, frozen or fresh.  We use berries, peaches, apples, bananas (I ALWAYS put in a couple of bananas) whatever we feel like and then put in a packet of instant breakfast and orange juice or milk.  Breakfast of champs.  It's a favorite at my house.

The muffins I got from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook.  I use pureed carrots for this one.

Applesauce Muffins

Topping
2/3 c old-fashioned oats
1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2  Tlbs margarine, melted

Batter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 c old-fashioned oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I put more in, I also put nutmeg in)
1 c nonfat or low-fat milk
1/2 c butternut squash OR carrot puree
1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c vegetable or canola oil (I use flax seed, use it as a 3 to 1 ratio. 1/4 c oil = 3/4 c flax)
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400.  Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.

To make the topping, stir together the oats, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Stir in the margarine.

To make the batter, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon/nutmeg (if you want) and the flax seed, if are using it, in a large bowl and stir.  In a second bowl, mix the applesauce with the milk, vegetable puree, sugar, oil (if using) and egg with a wooden spoon.  Add the flour mixture slowly, stirring until just moistened.  Do no overmix - the batter is supposed to be lumpy.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle with the streusel topping.  Bake until the topping is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into  the center of the muffins, 18 to 20 minutes (they cook quicker when you use the flax, about 5 minutes or so).

Green Pizza!

This one is awesome!  It has broccoli and spinach on it.  Zack, my super picky eater, loves this one.  I'm not sure what it is about it, but I'm pretty sure he would eat an entire pizza by himself if I let him.  It's been very popular among friends as well.

Green Pizza

1 pound prepared pizza dough, preferably whole-wheat
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1/4 c water
5 ounces arugula (about 6 cups) again I use spinach because I have yet to find arugula in the stores by me.
   salt and pepper
1/2 c prepared pesto
1 c shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
 (Jon and I like to put a little bit of feta on there too)

Position oven rack in the lowest position; preheat to 450.  Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about the size of the baking sheet.  Bake until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook broccoli and water in a large skillet over medium heat, covered, until the broccoli is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.  Stir in arugula (spinach) and cook, stirring, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes more.  Season with salt and pepper.

Spread pesto evenly over the crust, top with the broccoli mixture and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake until crispy and golden and the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

Making Pizza Healthy

Pizza is a favorite at our house, so I had to figure out how to make it healthy and tasty enough that my boys would actually eat it.  Thank you Runner's World.

Caramelized Onion & Fig Pizza

Pizza dough for one pizza
1 Tbls olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbls brown sugar
1 Tbls balsamic vinegar
1 C arugla leaves, packed (I use spinach)
6 dried figs, sliced
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Roll out dough to fit baking pan.  Preheat oven to 450.  Heat oil and saute onions with salt until brown.  Add sugar and balsamic vinegar.  Cook for 10 min.  Spread onion mixture over dough, leaving an edge for the crust.  Top with arugla (or spinach, I can't find arugla in my grocery stores), figs, and crumbled cheese. Place in oven for 15 minutes or until crust is golden.  Remove from oven and drizzle balsamic vinegar on top.  Slice into sixths and serve.

Calories: 190, Carbs: 24g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 9g

Super Yummy Friday Night Treat

My boys love these cookies and I made them once for my cub scouts and they loved them, they were gone.  I got the recipe from the Runners World web site.

Peanut Butter Blitzes

1/2 C each of wheat and white flour
1/2 C wheat germ
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute
2/3 C brown sugar
3/4 C peanut butter, natural style
1 tsp vanilla

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl.  In a mixer, blend eggs, sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla until well mixed.  On low speed, mix in the dry ingredients. Make one-inch balls, roll in granulated sugar, and place on a cookie sheet.  Spread each out with the flat side of a fork (press twice at right angles).  Bake 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven.  Makes 30 cookies.

Cal: 80, Protein: 3 grams, Carbs: 8 grams, Fat: 4 grams, Fiber: 1 gram