Light Monkey Bread

In coming up with a new Christmas breakfast idea, I decided to try (healthy) monkey bread..in addition to my Breakfast Casserole.  I found a recipe I was interested in trying in Cooking Light.  This recipe looks somewhat long and complicated, but it's actually fairly simple and quick (minus letting the dough rise part).  I'm also warning you that it will go quickly, so make two batches (or be prepared to make it again, and again).  I made my second batch on New Year's Day and it was gone just as quickly.

Ingredients:
Bread Ingredients:
3 Cups All-Purpose flour 

• 1 Cup Whole-Wheat flour 
• 1 Tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 Package Yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 Cup Skim Milk, Warm (120° to 130°)
• 1/4 Cup Orange Juice, Warm (120° to 130°)
• 1/4 Cup Honey
• 2 Tbsp. Butter, Softened
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, Packed
• 2 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp. Skim Milk
• 2 Tbsp. Butter, Softened
• 
  • Glaze Ingredients:
  • 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. Skim Milk
  • 1 Tsp. Vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Combine flours, salt, and yeast with your Kitchenaid (or regular mixer) until combined. Slowly mix in the milk, juice, honey, and 2 tablespoons butter; mix dough at medium speed 5-7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. It gets pretty tough to mix, so feel free to stop after a few minutes and do some heavy kneading/folding of the dough by hand.
2. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size (I turn my oven on to 300 or so degrees, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set bowl on top of stove so it gets just warm enough). 

• 3. Combine white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons milk and 2 tablespoons butter.
• 4. Knead/fold dough a couple times and divide into 8 equal portions (I split it into two, then split those into two, then those all into two). Working with one portion at a time, roll into a (roughly) 8-inch rope. Cut or tear  8 equal pieces, shaping each piece into a 1-inch ball (does NOT need to be perfect, I just tear into roughly same size pieces and do a quick ball shape--not perfect at all). 
• 5. Coat each ball in milk/butter mixture, then roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place balls in a large Bundt pan coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining 7 dough ropes. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place, 1 hour or until almost doubled in size again.
• 6.  Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool 5 minutes. Place a plate upside down on top of bread; invert onto plate. 
• 7. Combine glaze ingredients (powdered sugar, milk, cream cheese, and vanilla) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over bread and enjoy!

The bread is best served warm (in my opinion), so microwave your serving for 20 or so seconds, just until warm (too long and the balls will get hard and stale).

Yum.  

Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta

Attention all crockpot owners:  make this.  I absolutely love using my slow cooker for a number of different recipes (scroll down and see my list of labels--click "crockpot" or "slow-cooker" for a number of recipes for time-starved families.  Here is just one more quick 'n easy crockpot recipe--made with hearty flavors of bacon and ranch (minus the fat, preservatives, and calories).  Dump everything together and enjoy.
This was inspired by a recipe in Cooking Light, but modified for crockpot time ease and health (I didn't use actual sat-fat-loaded bacon).


Ingredients:
4 Chicken Breasts, cut into 2" pieces (slightly thawed)
1/2 lb. Turkey Bacon, cooked and broken into bits
1 Can Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken Soup (reduced sodium)
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 1/4 Cups Skim Milk
1 tsp. Minced Garlic
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Onion Powder
2 tsp. Dill Weed
1 Cup Shredded Cheese (I used Mexi-blend, Low-Fat)
Cooked Pasta (egg noodles, elbow macaroni, spaghetti, fusili, rotini, you choose) according to package directions.

Directions:
1.  Combine all ingredients (minus pasta) in crockpot.  Stir well to combine.  Heat on Low for 2-3 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.

Spoon over cooked pasta and enjoy!

Classic Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Happy (belated) Halloween everyone!  I wanted to make a pumpkin pie as a celebration for my son's first Halloween this past week.  He was dressed up as a toothless vampire, which was totally adorable by the way.  This recipe is inspired from memory from my Mom and Grandma and from various other recipes, such as this one on All Recipes. This is a truly homemade pie though and perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, holiday dinners, and well, just because.

Ingredients:

Pie Crust
1 1/4 Cups (Organic) All-Purpose Flour (plus extra for floured surface/rolling out dough)
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1/2 Cup (1 stick, 8 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter, Cold
4-6 Tbsp. Cold Water

Pie Filling
(some of the ingredients shown on the right)

2 Cups Fresh Pumpkin Puree or 1-15 ounce Can
1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup White Sugar or Agave Nectar (as sugar substitute)
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
2 Eggs (or Egg Whites/Substitute for lower cholesterol/calories)
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves
1 tsp. Ginger
1/4 tsp. Allspice
1 1/2 Cups Evaporated Milk (Fat-Free)

(Note: you can substitute 4 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice--sold in stores--instead of all the spices separated out if you desire).

Directions:

Pie Crust
1.  Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a small bowl or food processor.
2.  Using a food processor or blender, combine flour mixture and half the butter.  Mix for just 30 seconds.  Add second half of butter and mix for another 30 seconds.
3.  Add 3-4 Tbsp. Ice water, just enough so it's not too crumbly.
4.  On floured surface (or right there in the bowl--that's what I did), put dough into small disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 min to 1 hour.

5.  Once dough is chilled, remove from refrigerator and place onto floured surface.  Roll out with floured rolling pin to roughly a 12" circle, about 1/8" thick.  Make sure dough is not sticking to surface (add more flour underneath, if it is).  You can instead put the dough between two pieces of wax/parchment paper (sprinkle flour on it as well) and roll it out that way.  Much easier and cleaner (that's what I did--see photo).
6.  Place dough on top of 9" pie dish or tin.  Remove excess dough hanging over pan, or fold under itself.  Make indentations on the crust if you desire, with your finger or fork.  Next step is for the filling, below.

Pie

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  To get your pumpkin puree, take a small-medium sized sugar pumpkin and cut in half (top and bottom).  This is by far the hardest part of the whole recipe, because these suckers are firm--if you get your pumpkin in half--way to go.  (I stick a knife in, wiggle/saw it for a bit, then pull it out and re-stick a few inches away until I was able to pull it apart).  Scrape out pulp and seeds (keep your seeds to bake Pumpkin Seeds).  Place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes (until skin is dimpling and pumpkin is soft).

2.  Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
3.  In your kitchenaid, or other blender, mix together the brown and white (or agave nectar) sugars, salt, and pumpkin spices.  Add in the eggs, one at a time.
4.  Slowly mix in the pumpkin puree and milk.  Make sure thoroughly combined, about 2-3 minutes.

5.  Pour pie filling into pie crust (a trick to prevent spills is to pull the rack of the oven out a bit and set the pie crust on it...then pour the filling in).  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
6.  Cool for 1-2 hours.

Top with whipped cream (optional) and enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Chai Tea

Pumpkin Pie Chai Tea.  I don't know if I need any further description than those words.  I haven't tried Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte, but I bet it's got nothing on my recipe below....and if it does, well it costs a lot more than making it at home.  Additionally, this recipe uses chai tea instead of coffee or espresso.  Tips for making a Pumpkin Spice Latte with coffee or espresso instead or included below.
Try it with a tasty Pumpkin Pie Chai Tart or Tartlett.

Ingredients:
Makes 1 - 12 oz Mug or 2 - 6 oz Mugs
1/2 Cup Milk (Organic, Fat-Free)
2 tsp. Stevia, or other sugar substitute
1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice (or use a blend of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and dash of ginger)
1 tsp. Pumpkin Spice Syrup, optional (I did not use to keep sugar low, but would give your drink more pumpkin flavor oomph)
1 Cup Boiling Water
1 Vanilla Chai Tea Bag (or use regular Chai Tea and add 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract or Syrup)


Directions:
1.  Put tea kettle on stove and heat 1 Cup Water.  Pour into mug and add chai tea bag.  Steep for 5 minutes.
2.  Meanwhile, as tea steeps...  In a saucepan (or in microwave, if you want to go faster), combine milk, stevia, and pumpkin pie spice until just steaming.  Remove from heat.

3.  Pour tea into milk mixture.  Whisk rapidly to froth mixture (or use an immersion blender or regular blender).  Pour into one large mug or two small mugs.
4.  Top with lite whipped cream if you prefer and/or sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice.

You could alternatively pour the mixture over ice if you want an iced drink.

If you prefer a Pumpkin Spice Latte instead of Pumpkin Pie Chai Tea, you can substitute 1 Cup Extra-Strong Coffee (or 2 shots of espresso).   And be sure to add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or syrup to the mixture before frothing/blending.


Enjoy!

Chicken & Spinach Bake

Looking for an easy, healthy dinner (and low-carb, may I add)?  Look no further.  I made this meal last night and we'll just say it was such a hit with my husband that there weren't any leftovers. :)  This recipe combines lean chicken breasts with nutrient-dense spinach and gives it flavor with Parmesan and Italian-flavored seasonings.  I used Panko crumbs, which are lighter and healthier than regular breadcrumbs.  

Ingredients:
1 12-16 oz. Bag Frozen Cut Spinach, Thawed and Drained
1 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Milk
1/4 Cup Parmesan and 1/3 Cup Parmesan, divided
1 lb. Chicken Breast Fillets, Thawed
1/2 Cup Panko Crumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Basil
Dash of Black Pepper and Sea Salt
2 Tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray a 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray.
2.  On the stovetop over medium-low heat, combine the spinach, butter, milk, and 1/4 Cup Parmesan.  Stir, about 5 minutes, or until butter is melted and mixture is well-combined.
3.  Combine the Panko crumbs, 1/3 Cup Parmesan, oregano, basil, black pepper, and sea salt in a small bowl.
4.  Spread the spinach mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.
5.  Spread extra-virgin olive oil on the chicken breast pieces.  Coat in Panko mixture and place on top of spinach mix.
6.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Blueberry-Banana Smoothie

A few months ago, I bought an immersion blender and have been loving it!  It's so great for making quick smoothies, blended drinks (ie margaritas), pasta sauces (ie my Healthy Tomato Pasta Sauce), soups, mashed potatoes, whipped cream, and ok...the list goes on and you get it by now.   A perfect breakfast or snack on a hot, summer day is a smoothie.  In this recipe, I used anti-oxidant-loaded blueberries and potassium-rich bananas for a sweet, creamy, delicious, healthy drink.

Ingredients:
1 Small Banana, Sliced
1 Cup Frozen Blueberries (Organic)
1/2-3/4 Cup Skim Organic Milk (or Soy Milk if you prefer)
1-2 tsp. (Organic) Agave Nectar, optional (as a sweetener--I used 1 tsp and it was perfect)

Directions:
1.  Put all ingredients in your immersion blender's mixing cup (or you can use a regular blender) and mix until fairly smooth and well-combined.  Serve immediately!

Feel free to mix it up by adding Stevia (another natural sweetener, this one no-calorie), honey, or some Flax Seeds (for adding brain-boosting omegas).  For a thicker smoothie, add a little bit of nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal Bars

I wanted to make some version of rice krispy treats today, just because.  This recipe includes graham cereal, chocolate chips, and peanut butter for some extra flavor and a twist on the traditional rice krispy bars.  This recipe is VERY quick and easy...and of course, tasty.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Chunky Peanut Butter
1 (10.5 oz) Bag of Mini Marshmallows
2 Tbsp. Milk

3 Cups Rice Krispies Cereal

3 Cups Graham Cereal (Golden Grahams)  

3/4 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips (divided into 1/2 Cup and 1/4 Cup)

Directions:
1.  Coat a 13x9 dish with cooking spray.
2.  In large saucepan or stockpot, heat together the peanut butter, marshmallows, and milk over medium-low heat.  Stir occasionally until smooth.  Remove from heat.
3. Pour in cereal and 1/2 cup of the mini chocolate chips.  Stir well to coat.  Press mixture into the greased dish (use a lightly buttered spatula to make it easier if you want--less sticky).
4.  Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the top.  Cool about 30 minutes.  Cut into bars and enjoy!

Pea Panzanella

I had to try this recipe out after having a wonderful Pea Panzanella at a friend's house.  Panzanella is basically an Italian dish involving stale bread and usually tomatoes, olive oil, and other herbs and ingredients.  However, the pea version doesn't have tomatoes, but certainly makes use of a number of green vegetables instead.  It's really a wonderful springtime dish and I guess the recent warm weather has me thinking spring (despite the fact it is February).

This Pea Panzanella is adapted slightly from Michael Chiarello's recipe of the Food Network.  It has a great, fresh taste and is loaded with healthy ingredients: peas, olive oil, spring greens, and fresh herbs.  I hope you like it as much as we did.  It's a great dish to serve at a party or just for something different (and vegetarian) for an everyday side dish or main entrée.

Ingredients:
Panzanella Bread:

• 1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick)
• 3 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
• 1/3 Cup Minced Onion
• 3 Tbsp. Fresh Marjoram, Chopped (or 3 tsp. dried)
• 1 Loaf Italian or French Bread (a day old is best), Cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2/3 Cup Grated Parmesan and Pecorino Romano Cheese Blend
• 5 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, Chopped (or 5 tsp. dried)
• 2 Tbsp. Fresh Green Onion, Chopped (or 3 tsp. dried)
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper

Dressing:

• 1 1/2 Cups Frozen Peas
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
• 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth (use Sodium-Free if you can)
• 1/4 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Lemon Juice

Combined Salad:

• 1 1/2 Cups Cooked Peas
• 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan and Pecorino Romano Cheese Blend
• 5 Cups Spring Lettuce Greens
• 3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Panzanella Cubes:
1.  In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter.  Once well-melted, add in the garlic and minced onion; stir for 2 minutes.  Add in the marjoram and stir well.
2.  Place bread cubes in a large bowl.  Pour butter mixture over the bread and toss or stir quickly to evenly coat the bread.  Stir in the cheese, basil, and green onions.  Add a couple pinches of salt and pepper if you desire.
3.  Place the bread mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake until the bread is lightly browned, about 7-8 minutes (outer bit of bread pieces will be crunchy and middles should still be soft).

Dressing:
1.  In a saucepan, over low heat, cook the frozen peas in the milk and butter for about 4-5 minutes.
2.  Puree the milk-pea mixture in a blender or a food processor.  Slowly add in the chicken broth, olive oil, and lemon juice.  Puree until smooth.  Cool over an ice bath or in refrigerator.

Combining the Salad:
1.  In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes and the pea puree.  Stir well to coat the cubes.  Stir in the cooked peas and cheese.
2.  Use a ring from a 10-inch spring-form pan upside down on a large plate.  Fill it with the bread mixture, pressing it down lightly into place.  Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes, then remove the ring.
3.  Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, toss the spring greens with lemon juice and olive oil.  Sprinkle the greens on top of the panzanella.  Add grated Parmesan/Pecorino Romano cheese on top.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Cream-Filled Chocolate Truffles

With Valentine’s Day approaching, homemade candies make a great treat and a great gift!  Not only are they absolutely delicious, but they make a thoughtful and attractive gift with some cute boxes and tissue paper.  Everyone we've given them to has loved them.  

In this recipe, I made four different flavored truffles.  I made: White Chocolate Orange Crème Truffles, Dark Chocolate Blueberry Truffles, Milk Chocolate Hazlenut Truffles, and Milk Chocolate Raspberry Truffles.  Note that this recipe is great, because you can choose any flavor of filling you want, along with any flavor of chocolate (white, dark, or milk chocolate).  There are a number of combinations to choose from.

You'll need to stop by a cake/candy/baking store to pick up a truffle candy mold and the chocolate pieces.  You can also find dry fondant there.  I also get the flavoring there.  Flavorings will be oil-based in specialty shops, but generally alcohol-based in grocery stores.  Either is fine for truffle filling, but if you want to flavor the chocolates (not done in this specific recipe, but great for making Andes-like candy mints, etc), then you cannot use alcohol-based flavors or you'll ruin the chocolate (they won't mix and will clump together).  I went to Cakes Plus in Laurel, Maryland, but any cake/candy/baking store will do.

If you like this recipe and want to try making more homemade candies, you can also check out my Peanut Butter Cups and Chocolate Caramels recipes. 

Ingredients:

• Dark Chocolate Pieces 
• Milk Chocolate Pieces and/or
• White Chocolate Pieces (I used all 3)
• 3 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 Tbsp. Milk
• 1/2 Lb (8 oz) Dry Fondant (could substitute powdered sugar if you need to)
• Food Flavoring of your choice (I used Blueberry, Raspberry, Chocolate Hazlenut, and Orange Crème)
• Food Coloring of your choice

Directions: 

1.  Fill a medium skillet 1/3 full with hot water and simmer on stove top.  Fill a coffee cup with chocolate pieces and stir occasionally until they are melted (in the photo I have white chocolate, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate in cups, as I was making all three types of candy at once).

2.  While chocolate is melting, prepare filling.  Melt butter in a large bowl.  Stir in dry fondant and milk.  Separate into 4 (or however many flavors you have) smaller bowls.  Add in flavoring and food coloring and stir well, adding more to get to your desired filling color. 

3.  Spoon a small amount of chocolate into a candy mold and be sure to cover the sides, so no part of the mold is without chocolate (I just use the spoon for this and it works fine, but you can also use candy brushes if you so choose).  This may take some practice, to be sure you use as little chocolate as possible, while still covering all of the candy mold.  If you use too much chocolate, your candy will be hard to bite in to and you won't have adequate room for the filling.

4.  Place the candy mold flat in your refrigerator for 3-5 minutes, or until chocolate is set.

5.  Take a bit of the cream filling (small spoonfuls) and place into each individual candy mold.  Top with more chocolate to completely cover and fill the mold.  Lightly tap the entire candy mold on the counter when done, to remove any air bubbles.

6.  Place the candy mold back in the refrigerator for 5-7 minutes, or until completely set.  Remove from refrigerator, flip candy mold upside down on counter top and tap out each pieces. Remove any excess chocolate from the pieces.

Wa-La!  You have delicious cream-filled chocolate truffles!  Enjoy!

As a reminder, you can also make some homemade Peanut Butter Cups or Chocolate Caramels for a variety of homemade chocolate candies.

Potato, Leek & Ham Soup

More soup!  I also decided to make a delicious potato, leek, and ham soup, filled with flavor from some ham and turkey bacon.  There is something comforting (and obviously, warm) about a nice, big bowl of soup.  This is a great recipe to make (and freeze if you'd like) when you have a lot of extra potatoes (which I do, since buying 5-10 lb bags is often much cheaper than buying potatoes individually) you need to use up.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. Butter
• 3-4 oz (6-7 strips) Turkey Bacon 
• 3 Leeks (green portions removed, chop the white and light green parts)
• 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
• 8 oz Cooked, Boneless Ham, diced (I love Hormel's Natural Choice, because it's nitrate-free)
• 5 Cups Chicken Broth (sodium-free)
• 2 lbs Russet Potatoes, diced (about 6-8 medium-sized potatoes)
• 1 tsp. Thyme
• 1 tsp. Marjoram
• 1 tsp. Pepper
• 1/2 Cup Milk (or cream or half-and-half for the more indulgent)
• For Topping the Soup:  Chives/Green Onions and Monterrey-Jack shredded cheese

Directions:
1.  In Dutch Oven, or large stockpot, melt the butter and add the turkey bacon.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until bacon is cooked.
2.  Stir in chopped leeks and cook another 5-6 minutes, or until leeks are soft.
3.  Pour in the wine and bring to a gentle boil.
4.  Add in the ham, chicken broth, potatoes, thyme, marjoram, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil for a few minutes.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are quite soft.
5.  Remove soup from heat and working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender (I used a blender).  If you have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup right in the pot (I don't).
6.  Stir in the milk.  Serve immediately.  Top with chives and a little Monterrey-Jack cheese.

For freezing, divide soup into two large freezer bags.  Once at room temperature, cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cold, put soup into a second freezer bag (better safe than sorry with freezer burn) and be sure to label and date the soup (I include the date I made it and the "eat by" date).  Freeze up to 3 months.
To reheat, dip the bag into hot water for 5 minutes.  Then, put soup into stockpot.  Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.