Category Archives: Recipes

‘Better-For-You’ Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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Looking for a quick banana bread recipe that is not too fat-laden yet moist and tasty enough to go ape over? Several years ago, I gave a makeover to my favorite banana bread recipe by replacing some of the fat with applesauce and a fat-free sour cream substitution. The success of the swap was as clear as the crumbs left in the pan – it was a winner with my family for a breakfast treat and afterschool snack. Plus, I’ve even been known to sneak a piece on occasion– hey, it might be a cheat on the Paleo, Zone and other low-carb diets, but you have to live a little people! Recipe written by yours truly, Jennifer Fisher, and originally published in Country Woman February/March 2010, p34.  Enjoy!

 

‘Better-For-You’ Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1-1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
  • 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs; mix well. Beat in the bananas, sour cream, applesauce and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture just until moistened. Fold in chips. Transfer to two 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each).

Nutritional Facts: 1 slice equals 155 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 16 mg cholesterol, 148 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.

Baked Spicy Sweet Potato Chips

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In honor of National Potato Chip Day (March 14th), I have a salty celebration for the taste buds that won’t leave you with greasy fingers, a guilty conscience and, heaven forbid, clogged arteries. Thanks to the impressive nutritional powers of the sweet potato, this snappy snack food brings your body more fiber, vitamins and antioxidants and fewer carbohydrates than the lowly ole regular potato. This easy-peasy recipe for Baked Spicy Sweet Potato Chips is a real winner, there’s nothing better than homemade chips – except healthy homemade chips!

Baked Spicy Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • Olive oil flavored baking spray
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 500º F. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
  • Wash and dry sweet potato. Leaving peel intact, slice sweet potato crosswise as thinly as possible (use a sharp knife, mandolin or food processor).
  • Arrange slices on prepared baking sheets, taking care not to overlap slices.  Spray lightly with baking spray. Sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper.
  • Bake in 500 °F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Chips will be done when crisp with lightly browned edges and orange centers. Length of baking will vary depending on how thinly potato was sliced. With the oven up this high, keep a close eye on the process.
  • Remove chips from oven and let cool.  If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.

Tired of Egg Whites and Chicken? Time to Meet Meat!

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Attention carnivores!  The April 2012 edition of Runner’s World has hit the stands, tackling the meaty issue of whether or not eating beef and other red meats is beneficial for the athlete.  Go ahead and indulge in moderation, the scientific verdict shows that lean red meats in moderation helps to rebuild and strengthen muscles by replenishing vital protein and amino acids lost during training. Additionally, iron is plentiful in beef, making a steak dinner a fine way to refuel for endurance athletes who require approximately 30-percent more of this nutrient than the general population.  Plus, a modest 3.5-ounce serving of lean beef provides 34-percent of the daily requirement for Zinc, a mineral that encourages a resilient immune system.

For many of us, this renewed belief in beef is nothing new.  I’ve been blabbing about beef and how it’s helping my running performance now for a couple years.  Thanks to the Texas Beef Council, I gave up my boring grilled chicken breast existence to enjoy the bounty of delicious lean beef – did you know there are actually a whopping 29 cuts of lean beef?  And, when I say ‘lean,’ I mean each 3-ounce serving contributes  ‘less than  200 calories, less than 10 grams of total fat, less than 4.5 grams of saturated fat and less than 90 milligrams of cholesterol,’ according to the nutritionists at TxBeef.org.

Check out this delicious tenderloin I roasted up for dinner the other night. It’s basically a ‘no recipe’ recipe. Simply season the outside of the beef (about 1 pound) with salt and pepper and chunk on a wire rack in a big roasting pan. Cook in the oven at 375 F degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour (or until meat thermometer measures at least 135 F degrees).  Let rest for 5 minutes, slice and enjoy!

Tropical Fusion Salad with Spicy Tortilla Ribbons Recipe

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photo by Taste of HomeInspired by southwestern and tropical cuisine, this salad is substantial enough for a meal thanks to the filling black beans and avocado. Overflowing with fresh flavors and a rainbow of colors — orange, yellow, green — that are ready to do your body good!  I created this beautiful salad several years ago and Taste of Home thought it was such a stunner, they put it smack on the front of the magazine. It’s the first time I’ve ever been a cover girl!

Tropical Fusion Salad with Spicy Tortilla Ribbons Recipe

  • 2 cups cubed peeled papaya
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 2 serrano peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons ground ancho chili pepper, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1/4-inch strips

In a large bowl, combine the papaya, beans, avocado, corn, raisins, peppers, cilantro, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper, sugar and salt.

Place tortilla strips on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining chili pepper. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until crisp. Serve with salad. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutritional Facts

1-1/4 cups salad with about 10 tortilla ribbons equals 321 calories, 8 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 380 mg sodium, 58 g carbohydrate, 11 g fiber, 9 g protein.

Originally published in Taste of Home April/May 2010, p53.