Aaron Sachez’s Mexican Brownies

I found this recipe in a Food Network magazine for October of 2009. Every magazine they do a “battle” between two chefs on a type of recipe and this month it happened to be brownies and chefs Aaron Sanchez and Ellie Krieger were battling it out. Ellie’s was of course a healthy take on a brownie, because that is her point of view, Aaron’s point of view is inspired heavily by his heritage so he made Mexican style brownies. I wanted to take his brownies on it particular because of his quote in the magazine which was, “Brownie and healthy don’t belong in the same sentence!” So I remade his brownies to show that it is very possible and they can be very tasty. For my version of his brownies (mine have more chocolate by the way) end up only being 117.4 calories, 1.9 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber for each one – with his you won’t be nearly as lucky. Each of his brownies would cost you 224.8 calories, 11.7 grams of fat and 1.2 grams of fiber! Here’s the recipe so that you can now show everyone that brownie and healthy can go together!

Mexican Brownies

Serves 9

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup Splenda

1/2 cup Eggbeaters

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon coffee grounds

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips – mini or regular size

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 8×8 square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, set aside. In a large bowl combine yogurt, sugar, Splenda, Eggbeaters and vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add the cocoa, coffee grounds, flour, cinnamon, chili powder or cayenne pepper, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth. Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top. Pop in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out slightly fudgy. Enjoy them with your closest friends and family, and marvel at the fact that healthy things can taste REALLY REALLY GOOD!

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Turkey Avocado Breakfast Sandwich

The other day, I was looking for a new type of breakfast sandwich, something quick, easy and different when I came across this recipe in the “Cook this Not that” cookbook for the Sunrise Sandwich. It sounded great a breakfast sandwich loaded with avocado, cheese, turkey and egg in between an english muffin – really could you go wrong?? I decided to try out this new sandwich because it sounded so tasty and it looked amazing. This sandwich tasted like something from a high class deli or a nice cafe but I made it at my own house and the best part was; it didn’t come with the caloric price tag of those deli or cafe sandwiches. My sandwich comes to 305 calories, 11.7 grams of fat (most of it is the heart healthy kind) and 8.4 grams of fiber, a great way to start your day compared to a breakfast sandwich at Panera bread which can easily cost you 540 calories, 28 grams of fat and only 2 grams of fiber – this is the perfect way to start the day!

Turkey Avocado Breakfast Sandwich

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 100 calorie, multi-grain english muffin

1/4 cup Eggbeaters

2 ounces turkey breast lunchmeat

1/2 ounce light cheddar cheese (I used Cabot 50% light cheddar)

1/4 fresh avocado, sliced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Toast the English muffin halves while preparing the eggs and turkey. In a small non-stick skillet, spray with non-stick cooking spray and set over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the the Eggbeaters and cook into a patty shape, cook until the patty becomes firm. When the patty becomes firm, remove from the pan and set aside, in the same pan add the 2 ounces of turkey lunchmeat and cook until warm. Once warmed through set aside with egg. Now it is time to assemble the sandwich. Take the bottom of the english muffin and stack the egg patty on top of it, layer the cheese on top of the egg and top with turkey breast. On the underside of the top half of the english muffin, smear the slices of avocado evenly across the whole underside. Sprinkle the avocado with salt and pepper to taste, and finish the whole sandwich off by adding the top half. Enjoy with a yogurt for a complete breakfast and think of all the money and calories you saved by making your sandwich at home!

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New Style French “Fries”

I love french fries, so much so that I don’t eat them anymore. Whenever I go out and about I avoid them like the plague because my love for them is SOOO strong, french fries are also one of those foods that I personally think that you can never get full on. They are a eat because they are there, tasty and I’m bored type of food, so this is a much smarter idea for me personally. I got this idea from Devin Alexander’s book “Fast Food Fix” and decided to do my own twist on it. I love the idea of having a burger and fries, and by making it at home — it is completely possible. Each serving of these fries is only 102 calories, 1.2 grams of fat and 2.1 grams of fiber, a small fry from a Carl’s Jr would end up being 323 calories, 15.5 grams of fat and 3.2 grams of fiber.

New Style French “Fries”

Serves 2

Ingredients

9 ounces of red potatoes, cut into wedges

1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt.

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a non-stick baking pad such as a Silpat or parchment paper. Toss the potato wedges into a large re-sealable bag and  add the olive oil and salt. Mix well to coat the wedges evenly. Place them in a single layer on the baking sheet and make sure that they aren’t touching. Bake the wedges for about 10 minutes on each side or until they are lightly browned and slightly crisp on the thinest edge, flipping them in between. Enjoy with a little ketchup and a homemade burger for true perfection!

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Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I decided to make these quick drop cookies after work on Thursday for our Bible study that night, and boy were these a hit! By making some simple modifications I was able to make a lighter cookie. I found this recipe in my favorite cookbook from when I was a child, the “Best Kids Cookie Book” and they were amazing. I used whole wheat flour instead of white, light butter in place of the regular stuff, Splenda for the granulated sugar, reduced the amount of chocolate chips and used Eggbeaters for the eggs. For each of my cookies they are only 77.5 calories, 3.5 grams of fat and 1.2 grams of fiber – the regular version would come in at 122.4 calories and 7.2 grams of fat for the same size cookie! My friend Shelly, loves these cookies and will admit they are quite addicting so make them at your own risk!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Serves 20

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup light butter

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Splenda

1/4 cup Eggbeaters

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Place flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and mix until well blended. Place the light butter, brown sugar and Splenda in a large bowl and cream together. Add Eggbeaters and vanilla and beat until well incorporated. Add the flour mixture and mix well. Fold the chocolate chips in the batter. Drop dough onto baking sheets by the spoon full and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops of the cookies feel firm to the touch. Let cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer the cookies to cooling racks. Enjoy by yourself with a glass of milk or give some to a friend

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Blueberry Scones…

So this might just be my overall favorite recipe…

I love blueberry scones — they were a BIG thing for me back in the day and the last week I have had the biggest craving for one of these bad boys. I love how they have a biscuit flavor with bursts of fruit flavor and they are just slightly sweet — SOOOO good! I made my rendition of these scones off of a Martha Stewart recipe that I found online. By using a blend of white and wheat flours, Splenda for inside the scone, light butter in place of the regular stuff, Eggbeaters for regular eggs and blueberry yogurt in place of heavy cream I was able to create a substationally lower scone that was just as tasty. A regular blueberry scone from Starbucks comes in at 460 calories, 22 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber for each one — my scones are only 181.5 calories, 4.4 grams of fat and 3 grams of fiber! Try these today, especially if you love scones and I don’t think you will be disappointed!

Blueberry Scones

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white (all-purpose flour)

3 tablespoons Splenda

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold light butter

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

3 tablespoons fat-free, artificially sweetened blueberry yogurt (I used Dannon Light and Fit)

1/2 cup Eggbeaters

1 egg white, slightly beaten

4 teaspoons raw sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet by placing a non-stick baking sheet like a Silpat on top or by spraying with non-stick cooking spray, set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flours, Splenda, baking powder, and salt. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the flour until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Stir in frozen blueberries (DO NOT thaw) and half the lemon zest. Using a fork whisk together yogurt and Eggbeaters until well blended. Form a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the yogurt mixture into the well. With a fork, stir the dough lightly just until it comes together. Once all the flour is moist and the mixture is well blended, turn onto a well floured work surface. Once the dough is on the work surface, dust a rolling pin lightly with all-purpose flour and roll the dough into a 6 inch square shape about 1 1/4 inches thick.   Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough in 4 equal sized squares, cut the squares then in half on the diagonal to form 8 seperate triangles. Place the triangles on a prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, stir the raw sugar and remaining lemon zest together. Brush a light amount of egg white on the top of each scone and sprinkle the lemon sugar evenly over the top, repeat for each scone. Pop the completed scones into the oven to bake for 20-22 minutes or until top and edges are slightly golden brown. Enjoy them warm with a large coffee and good conversation with your mama

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Mini Apple Pies

For Father’s Day this year, I didn’t have much that I could give my dad, but I figured I could make him something. My dad loves apple pie, but he likes his apple pies done a certain way — not too much sugar, lots of cinnamon, and lots of lemon juice. I tried to replicate my dad’s favorite pie into something that was a little easier to manage by making mini apple pies. The shape and taste of these little beauties reminded me of the apple pies from many fast food places, such as McDonald’s only much better. The little pies from McDonald’s for example are about 250 calories, 13 grams of fat and 4 grams of fiber – mine are only 205 calories, 8.4 grams of fat, 2.4 grams of fiber and much tastier . Even though the stats for McDonald’s little apple pies aren’t too high others can be as much as 521 calories, 40.7 grams of fat and 1.7 grams of fiber. Now that you will know how to make them there is no excuse for ever going back !

Mini Apple Pies

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup Splenda

3 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Juice of  3 lemons

1 egg white, slightly beaten

Directions

Generously flour a work surface and roll defrosted puff pastry out and into a large rectangle shape about 9 x 15 size. Cut the pastry into 8 equal size squares or rectangles and refrigerate until needed. In a large saucepan bring water, sugar and Splenda to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, toss the apple chunks with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and lemon juice until well coated. When the water is boiling and the sugar and Splenda have dissolved place the apple chunks into the water and simmer until the liquid thickens about 5 – 7 minutes. Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.  When the apple mixture becomes cooler, begin assembling the mini pies. Start by taking a pre-cut piece of puff pastry and spooning about 3 tablespoons on apple mixture into the center if the puff pastry is square in shape, if the puff pastry is rectangular spoon the apple mixture in a strip close to one of the long edges. For square puff pastry – fold the section of the dough that does not have apple pie mixture on it over the part that does, forming a triangle shape. You may seal up the edges by pressing the tines of a fork lightly into the dough or by pinching lightly along the edge. Create a few short slits (about 3) in the top of the mini pies to allow air to flow in and out. Place the completed pie onto the prepared baking sheet and brush the top with the egg white and pop them into the oven. For rectangular shaped puff pastry (like what I made) – fold the other long side over the side that has the apple pie mixture and seal the edges by using the tines of a fork to gently pinch the dough together along the sides, or by lightly pinching with  fingers. Create a few short slits (about 3) in the top of the mini pies to allow air to flow in and out. Place the completed pie onto the prepared baking sheet and brush the top with the egg white and pop them into the oven. Bake the pies for 15 – 20 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately and give one to your dad or someone else special just because!

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Strawberry Shortcake…

So, I honestly am not a big strawberry shortcake fan, but I know a lot of people are and I was very pleasantly suprised with the results on this lightly sweetened strawberry shortcake. I got the idea from my best friend, Sarah on Saturday when I asked her for an idea for dessert, and she mentioned something fruity like strawberry shortcake – although I am not a huge fan it sounded really good so we picked up the stuff. The sweet biscuit recipe I got from Devin Alexander’s book, “The Most Decadent Diet Ever!”, she paired this slightly sweet biscuit with peaches to make a peach shortcake, and they sounded so easy to make. Each biscuit dough recipe creates 8 biscuits when I do it, but 6 when Devin does it – I don’t think it matters to much – but I will include the nutrition stats for each. A regular strawberry shortcake could cost you up to 569 calories, 22 grams of fat and 4 grams of fiber — which I think is WAYYYY too much, these little strawberry shortcakes (when the biscuits recipe makes 8) only ends up being 139 calories, 3.2 grams of fat and 2.3 grams of fiber! I think I know which strawberry shortcake I will be making from now on!!

Strawberry Shortcake

Serves 8

Ingredients

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoon cold light butter

2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk (1% fat)

1 large egg, beaten

24 large strawberries, sliced

1 can non-fat Redi Whip canned whipped cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly mist an 11 x 7 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut cold light butter into flour mixture until the mixture is slightly crumbly – with crumbles about the size of peas. Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork until just moistened. The dough will be very sticky. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, using as little flour as possible. Lightly dust clean hands with flour and knead the dough very gently adding as little flour as possible until the mixture comes together in a soft ball. Pat the ball into a thick rectangle. Use a floured biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to shape 8 biscuits, patting the dough into a rectangle as few times as  possible to achieve all 8 biscuits. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking dish and use a pastry brush to lightly brush the top of each biscuit with the egg mixture. Bake for 13 – 17 minutes in a pre-heated oven or until they are slightly golden on top. Cool for a few minutes before assembling them for strawberry shortcake. Cut each biscuit horizontally and top the bottom half with slices from 3 strawberries. Top the sliced strawberries with up to 2 tablespoons of Redi-Whip whipping cream and  finish them off with the top biscuit half. Serve while biscuit is just slightly warm and enjoy with good friends over a fun game of cards.

P.S. If you end up getting 6 biscuits out of the dough you can count on your strawberry shortcakes being more like 175 calories, 4.2 grams of fat and 2.6 grams of fiber – still much better than the original!

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Crispy Chicken Breakfast Sandwich…

The final winner of this weeks poll was the chicken breakfast sandwich. I was inspired by the Chick Fil A Chicken Egg and Cheese Bagel and decided to do my own rendition. I hope you enjoy these chicken sandwiches as much as me and Sarah did . I got the recipe for the breaded chicken from Devin Alexander’s book, Fast Food Fix, if you haven’t made the investment yet – buy this book, you won’t regret it!!

Crispy Chicken Breakfast Sandwich

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 4 0unce boneless, skinless chicken breast, thawed

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 egg white, beaten

1 1/2 teaspoon fat-free milk

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup Eggbeaters

Salt and pepper to taste

1 ounce low-fat cheddar cheese, I used Cabot’s 50% less fat

1 Thomas Bagel Thin Whole Wheat Bagels

Directions

In a small resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, sugar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne. Shake to mix well. Add the thawed chicken breast to the spice mixture and shake in the bag to coat the chicken breast evenly with spices. Place the bag with the chicken in the fridge for at least 10 minutes. While the chicken is in the refrigerator preheat the oven to 450 degrees and lightly mist a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. In a small shallow bowl, combine the egg white and the milk and beat with a fork until smooth. Place the panko bread crumbs on a small sheet of wax paper set next to the egg-white mixture. Remove the chicken from the fridge and place the seasoned chicken breast in the egg-milk mixture being sure to coat it completely. Allow any excess egg mixture to drip off. Dip the chicken then into the bread crumbs and coat completely on all sides. Place the breaded chicken breast on the baking sheet and lightly spray the top with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes on each side, or until the breading is crisp and the chicken is no longer pink inside. While the second round of baking is going on, prepare everything else for the breakfast sandwich. Spray a small non-stick frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the Eggbeaters to the pan and season with salt and pepper, cook into a small firm egg patty, so that it fits easily onto the sandwich. While the egg is cooking, toast the bagel in a toaster or toaster oven until lightly golden brown. Once the chicken is done with its second baking begin assembling the sandwich. Start by placing the chicken breast a top one of the bagel thin halves. On top of the chicken place the 1 ounce slice of cheese, and follow with the egg patty. Top the whole sandwich off with the final bagel thin, and consume on any given day of the week!

Nutrition Information

Each of these sandwiches will only cost 487 calories, 7.2 grams of fat and 5.5 grams of fiber — the Chick Fil A version, is not so great at 500 calories, 27 grams of fat and only 2 grams of fiber, remember to think before you chew!!

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Buttermilk Rolls…

Here is the second winning recipe. These are a favorite food of mine, they remind me of every holiday and of my grandparent’s house, because that is where we have them quite a bit. I decided to take my Grammie’s classic recipe and lighten it up and little bit and increase the fiber. Enjoy with the people you love

Buttermilk Rolls

Serves 24

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 envelope dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)

2 cups low-fat warm buttermilk

1 tablespoon light butter, melted

1/2 cup additional whole wheat flour for dusting

1 tablespoon light butter for the tops of rolls

Directions

Spray a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray, set aside. In another large bowl place flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and yeast and mix well to combine. Add the warm buttermilk and melted butter to the dry mixture. Mix well until all the dry ingredients are well combined. Place the very sticky dough into the pre-sprayed bowl, and allow the dough to rise by putting the bowl in a warm location that is free of drafts. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about an hour. Meanwhile, spray a 9×13 size pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside for future use. After the dough has doubled, gently punch down, and place onto a floured cutting board using the additional 1/2 cup of flour as sparingly as possible. Knead the dough until soft and pliable, about 5 minutes. After the dough is soft, divide the dough evenly into 24 pieces and shape the pieces into small balls. Arrange the rolls in the pre-sprayed 9×13 size pan and cover the pan with plastic wrap and a slightly damp dish cloth. Let the rolls rise once again until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After the rolls have finished rising for the second time, place them in the preheated oven to bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. When they come out of the oven, evenly distribute the last tablespoon of light butter over the top of the rolls and let it melt over them. Enjoy with your family on your next holiday!

Nutrition Info

Each roll is only 99 calories, 0.9 grams of fat and 1.5 grams of fiber – the original recipe is not so great at 137.5 calories, 3.5 grams of fat and 0.6 grams of fiber for each roll!

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And the winners are….

The peanut butter banana bites, buttermilk rolls and crispy chicken breakfast sandwich were the big winners in this weeks vote, and so here is the first one a very tasty treat that can be eaten at practically any time!

Peanut Butter Banana Bites

Serves 16

Ingredients

1/3 cup natural peanut butter

2 1/2 tablespoons Splenda brown sugar blend

2 1/2 tablespoon vanilla non-fat yogurt (I used Danon Light and Fit)

1/4 cup Eggbeaters

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 medium ripe banana, mashed

2/3 cup steel-cut oats or rolled oats (I used Coach’s Oats)

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoon ground flax seed or flax seed meal

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spray a 9×9 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine peanut butter, Splenda brown sugar, and yogurt together and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, then the banana. Stir in the oats, flour, flax seed and baking soda until completely combined. Spread into a prepared baking pan and bake in a preheated oven until set and slightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire baking rack before cutting into 16 squares. Enjoy with a large glass of milk!

Each bite is only 85.8 calories, 3.3 grams of fat and 1.5 grams of fiber – the original bars were 102 calories, 5.2 grams of fat, and 1 gram of fiber.

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