Sauteed String Beans with Fried Onions

This is a super simple recipe but a real family favorite I cook all year long. It will be great for your Thanksgiving dinner as it does not require oven space and is all done on the stove. I am sure you’ll love just as much as my family does.

Enjoy!!!

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Estimated values per serving:

Calories = 50                                                Fat = 2

Ingredients:

1 pound (16 ounces) string beans – ends cut off

¼ cup fat free chicken broth

1 tablespoon low calorie butter spread – melted

1 teaspoon onion powder

Salt & pepper to taste

2 tablespoons packaged fried onions (store bought) – finely chopped

Directions:

1. Heat a large sauté pan on medium high, spray with cooking spray and add string beans and chicken broth.  Steam 3 – 5 minutes until string beans are tender. 
2. Add butter spread, onion powder and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, uncovered for 3 – 5 minutes longer.
3. Remove beans from heat, transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle fried onions on top.

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Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Wiskey

This is a twist on a classic pumpkin pie recipe. Someone gave me this recipe and after looking at the ingredients I decided to make it delicious and lite. It is the same recipe but half that calories and fat but I promise you can’t tell the difference. This comes out so good and once again the Graham cracker/date crust works perfectly. This is a great recipe for Thanksgiving but trust me, it will be a hit any time of the year!!

Enjoy!!

Preheat Oven 375o

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

1 cup graham crumbs

6 ounces pitted dates

15 oz canned unsweetened pumpkin

9 oz fat free evaporated milk

½  cup granulated sugar

½ up egg substitute

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice

3 oz Fireball whiskey

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a food processor, pulse together dates and graham cracker crumbs for several minutes until it holds together between your fingers.
2. Press pie crust mixture into a 8” pie pan on the bottom and up the sides.
3. Beat the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, egg substitute, salt and pie spice.  Pour the mixture into a 9-inch pie shell.
4. Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the filling is set.
5. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Serve chilled with whipped cream (if desired).

Thanksgiving Fruit & Nut Stuffing

This is a recipe I have been making for over 20 years. It never fails and is always a crowd favorite. It is called Thanksgiving stuffing but trust me, it is great anytime of the year and it works with pork, chicken or steak. Stuffing…it is not just for turkey anymore!!

Enjoy!!!

Serves 14

Preheat oven 375^o

Estimated Calories per serving: 208

Fat Grams: 2

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons low calorie/low fat butter spread

1 onion, chopped

2 apples, peeled, cored & chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

3.5 ounces roasted chestnuts, chopped

½ cup dried cranberries, chopped

2 ¼ – 2 ¾ cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 – 16-ounce bag herb seasoned stuffing

Directions:

1. Coat large saucepan with cooking spray and melt 1 Tablespoon butter spread on medium high heat.
2. Add chopped onion, cover and sauté for 3 – 5 minutes until onion is soft but not browned.
3. Add apples and celery and sauté for another 3 – 5 minutes until apples and celery are softened.
4. Add chestnuts, cranberries and broth.  Stir in poultry seasoning, onion powder and nutmeg.
5. Turn off heat and add stuffing and mix until all the stuffing is moistened.  If the stuffing is a bit dry, add a little more broth a time until all of the bread is moistened.
6. Spoon stuffing into a large baking dish and bake, covered, for 45 minutes.
7. Uncover stuffing, spread 1 Tablespoon butter spread on top and bake, uncovered for another 5 minutes.
8. Serve hot with your meal.

Healthy desserts…

Most desserts get a bad reputation because they are made of a lot of butter, sugar and other stuff that is usually a “no no” when we are trying to watch what we eat.  But let’s face it, if you’re like me where dessert is the favorite course of a meal, it’s hard to just say no every day.  Here is something that I made today that at least includes fruit and oatmeal and is “Delicious & Light”.

Happy Baking!!

Dark Cherry Bars

Serves 12

Preheat oven 350o

Filling Ingredients:

1 – 16 ounce bag of frozen dark pitted cherries – defrosted

¼ cup Chambord (raspberry liquor)

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ cup sugar

Topping and Crust:

1 cup flour

1 cup oatmeal

2/3 cup brown sugar

½ cup low calorie butter spread

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon baking soda

Filling Directions:

1. Place pitted cherries into a food processor and puree until chunky.
2. In a saucepot, stir in Chambord with cornstarch.  Add cherries and sugar and cook until thick and bubbly (about 10 minutes).  Mixture should be about as thick as a fruit preserve.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Prepare crust and topping: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon and baking soda and stir until combined.
4. Add melted butter spread and stir until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Spray a 9 X 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Press half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of the baking pan, Spoon the filling on top then add the remaining oatmeal mixture on top.
6. Bake for about 35 minutes.
7. Allow to cool then cut into 12 squares and serve.

Butternut Squash, Acorn Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Serves: 6

Preheat Oven 400^o

Estimated Calories per serving: 230

Fat grams: 2 grams

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash

2 sweet potatoes

1 acorn squash

1 onion, chopped

5 cups chicken stock

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon cardamom

¼ – ½ teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

1. Spray a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil with cooking spray.  Cut butternut, acorn squash and potatoes in half and place on baking sheet cut side down on baking sheet.
2. Roast until they are soft (potatoes may have to come out earlier).  Set aside and let cool.
3. Heat a 5 – 6 quart pot on medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Sauté onion until soft.  Add chicken stock and bring to boil.
4. Scoop out the insides of the butternut, acorn squash and potatoes and add to the pot.
5. Season with cayenne, cardamom and nutmeg and allow to simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes.
6. Using a handheld immersion blender (or standard blender in batches), puree the soup.
7. Serve hot with sour cream, if desired.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

Here is a great low fat version of a traditional favorite.  If you like the marshmallow topping instead; go for it, it will actually lower the fat by 2 grams per serving too!

Enjoy…

Preheat oven 425^o

Serves 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Estimated values per serving:

Calories = 230                      Fat = 5 grams                        Points: 5

 

Topping Ingredients:

2 cups gingersnap cookies – crushed

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 tablespoons butter spread

Casserole  Ingredients:

3 pounds sweet potatoes

¾ cup fat free half and half

½ cup apple cider

2 tablespoons butter spread

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple jelly

¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 cup egg substitute

¼ teaspoon salt

Topping Directions:

1. Put cookies, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and butter spread in a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand.  Remove and chill until ready to use.

Potato Directions:

1. Spray a roasting pan with cooking spray.  Cut potatoes in half and place cut side down in roasting pan.  Roast for 45 minutes until potatoes are soft.  Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
2. Lower oven heat to 400^o.
3. Scoop out flesh from potatoes into a large mixing bowl.  Add half and half, apple cider, butter spread, brown sugar, apple jelly, pumpkin pie spice, egg substitute and salt and beat on high speed in mixer until smooth.
4. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and spoon potato mixture into pan.  Spread gingersnap crumb mixture on top.
5. Bake for 45 minutes.

Corn Bread Cake

Corn Bread Cake

This is one of those recipes that I had at a party and absolutely loved it so I asked for the recipe. It had a lot of butter and oil which made it really delicious but really fattening. So I took the recipe and made it delicious and light. It came out awesome and you woudl never know I changed up the recipe. You are really going to enjoy this so give it a try!

Preheat oven 350^o

Serves: 10

Estimated Calories per serving: 157

Fat grams: 3 grams

Ingredients:

½ cup cornmeal

1 ½ cups flour

¾ cup sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 package sugar free vanilla flavored instant pudding mix

1/3 cup butter spread, melted

2 Tablespoons honey

½ cup egg substitute

1 ¼ cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Spray 8X8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pudding mix.
3. Pour in the butter spread, honey, egg substitute and buttermilk and stir until moist.
4. Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes or until the top of the cornbread starts to brown and show cracks.

Apple Glazed Brussel Sprouts

Serves 6

Preheat oven 425^o

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Estimated values per serving:

Calories = 75                        Fat = .5 grams

Ingredients:

2 pounds Brussel sprouts – cleaned of outer leaves and cut in half

2 tablespoons apple jelly

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:

1. Spray baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.  Cut off the bottoms of brussel sprouts and then cut in half.  Place on baking sheet, spray with cooking spray and season with salt.
2. Roast Brussels sprouts in the oven and set aside.
3. Remove Brussels sprouts from the oven and add to ham.
4. In a small bowl, combine apple jelly and maple syrup and microwave for about 30 seconds until apple jelly has melted.  Add to brussel sprouts and toss.

Apple Pie in a Cup or Mason Jar

Apple Pie in a Cup/Mason Jar

Serves 8

Preheat oven to 375^o

Estimated Calories per serving: 400

Grams of fat: 6

Filling Ingredients:

5 large apples, cored, peeled & cubed

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ cup sugar

1 cup apple cider

2 Tablespoons corn starch

1 Tablespoon low calorie/fat butter spread

Crust Ingredients:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

6 ounces pitted dates

Streusel topping ingredients:

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup melted low calorie/fat butter spread

8 clear plastic cups OR 8 6-ounce mason jars

Directions:

1. Make filling: In a large bowl, combine apples, cinnamon, all spice, cloves and sugar and mix with spoon until well combined.
2. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and melt 1 Tablespoon butter spread.  Add apples.
3. Combine apple cider and corn star and mix.  Add to skillet and cook until bubbly (about 5 minutes).  Lower heat and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes until apples are soft.
4. Once apples are cooked, allow to cool on stovetop until warm.
5. While apples are simmering, combine graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon and dates to a food processor.  Pulse, on and off, for several minutes until the mixture can be pressed and stays together.
6. In a bowl, mic together flour, brown sugar and melted butter spread.  Using a fork, mix well until incorporated well.

For Apple Pie in a Cup:

• Spread flour mixture onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Set aside and allow to cool.
• Spoon graham cracker/date crust in the bottom of each cup and press down on mixture until compacted
• Spoon cooled apple pie filling on top then sprinkle streusel topping on top of the filling.
• Serve warm

For Mason jar apple pie:

• Spoon graham cracker/date crust in the bottom of each mason jar and press down on mixture until compacted
• Spoon cooled apple pie filling on top then sprinkle streusel topping on top of the filling.
• Top each mason jar with streusel topping and bake in the oven for 15 minutes until apples are bubbly and streusel topping is slightly browned.

Noodle and Ham Cast Iron Skillet Casserole

Noodle and Ham Cast Iron Skillet Casserole

Serves 4

Preheat oven 375^o

Estimated Calories/serving: 332

Fat Grams: 7 grams

Ingredients:

1 pound smoked ham, diced

1 onion, chopped

1 can condensed cheese soup

2/3 cup skim milk

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Pepper to taste

6 ounces partially cooked noodles (cook for 5 minutes) or al dente

Directions:

1. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat and coat with cooking spray.  Add chopped onion and cook 3 -4 minutes until onion is soft.
2. Add diced ham and cook for an additional 3 – 5 minutes until ham and onions are slightly browned. Turn off heat and set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix cheese soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce and pepper.  Stir in cooked noodles
4. Gently fold noodle mixture into to ham and onions.
5. Bake 20 minutes until browned.