Monthly Archives: January 2016

Buttermilk Pancakes

Bob’s Farm to Table: On our farm in Iowa, we cultured our own buttermilk only one day a month, and I knew my favorite buttermilk pancakes would be on the table that morning. We’ve all had our share of heavy pancakes that sink like a brick. We found that this combination of tangy buttermilk and whole egg yielded a perfectly light and fluffy flapjack that didn’t send us back to bed. These 100 calorie golden gems are a winning start to any day.

Buttermilk Pancakes
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Makes: 7 pancakes
Ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • Nonstick cooking spray
Directions
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg, and then add to the dry ingredients, whisking until a smooth batter is formed.
  3. Spray a large griddle or skillet with nonstick cooking spray, and place over medium heat.
  4. Working in batches of as many pancakes as you can fit, pour ¼ cup of the batter onto the griddle for each 6-inch pancake.
  5. Cook until bubbles form on the top of each pancake before flipping and cooking for 45 seconds on the opposite side, or until golden brown. Repeat this process until all the batter has been used.
Perfect Portion Buttermilk Pancakes

HELPFUL TIP: As a topping, there are about 100 calories in 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup. Imitation maple syrup has a similar calorie count, but those calories come with a lot of corn syrup and artificial ingredients.
Serving size: One 6-inch pancake Calories: 100

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Lillian’s Grilled Cheese

Anson’s American Treasures: Ahh…a warm, crispy grilled cheese sandwich reminds me of my childhood best friend Jeff Schredder who lived two doors away. His mom Lillian made the best grilled cheese ever. She took care in making them, from spreading the butter to getting the perfect flame on the stove. Gooey and buttery every time. Bob and Mona want to share their love of grilled cheese with you, too. By combining Cheddar and ultra-creamy American, they produced the perfect balance of flavor and texture ever. This recipe is filled with love and comfort.

Lillian's Grilled Cheese
 
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Recipe type: Soups, Salads & Sandwiches
Makes: 1 Lunch portion
Ingredients
  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • 2 slices light white bread
  • 3 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 slice American cheese
Directions
  1. Heat 2 teaspoons of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, just until
  2. melted.
  3. Place the 2 slices of white bread in the skillet to butter both slices at the same time. Remove 1 slice and set aside.
  4. Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese over the bread in the skillet, and then top with the American cheese.
  5. Place the reserved slice of buttered bread, buttered side up, over the top of the cheeses to make a complete sandwich.
  6. Let cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on the outside with melted cheese on the inside.
Perfect Portion Lillians Grilled Cheese

HELPFUL TIP: Light bread is sold in loaves in the normal bread aisle. It usually contains only 40–45 calories per slice and far more fiber than ordinary white bread.
Serving size: ⅓ sandwhich Calories: 100

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Classic Tomato Soup

A steamy bowl of tomato soup is about as comforting as comfort food can get! We use a little flour for thickening, yielding a soup that’s so rich and creamy you’d swear there is cream in it. Serve with crusty bread, or go for that most classic combination and serve alongside our gooey Lillian’s Grilled Cheese for dipping.

Classic Tomato Soup
 
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Recipe type: Soups, Salads & Sandwiches
Makes: 4 Lunch portions
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions
  1. Heat the butter and oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat, until butter has melted.
  2. Add the onions and garlic to the pot, and cook until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the flour, and stir until the onions are evenly coated.
  4. Add all the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Remove from heat, and use an immersion (hand) blender to purée the soup, until smooth. You can also do this in a traditional blender or food processor, but it may take 2–3 batches. Serve garnished with additional chopped basil, if desired.
Perfect Portion Classic Tomato Soup

HELPFUL TIP: It is safest to let the soup cool for at least 15 minutes before blending. After blending, return to the pot and warm before serving.
Serving size: ¾ cup Calories: 100

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Key Lime Pie Tarts

Anson’s American Treasures: When I was directing the Steven Spielberg television series Seaquest in Orlando, a few of us decided to take a day trip down to Key West. We spent most of our day trying to hunt down the “best” slice of Key lime pie. This fun memory has made this dessert one of my favorites! By making them into mini pies, my team and I have been able to deliver this tangy treat for only 100 calories.

4.0 from 1 reviews
Key Lime Pie Tarts
 
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Recipe type: Desserts
Makes: 18 Mini Tarts
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 large egg white, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • ¼ cup fat-free evaporated milk
  • 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
  • ½ cup Key lime juice
  • 3 large egg whites, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray standard-size muffin pans (enough to make 18 tarts) with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, 1 egg white, butter, and sugar, folding together to create a crumbly crust.
  3. Press 1 rounded tablespoon of the crust into the bottom of each of the 18 muffin cups. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool completely.
  4. Whisk the cornstarch into ¼ cup of evaporated milk, and place in a small sauce pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 2 minutes. Let cool completely.
  5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, lime juice, 3 egg whites, lime zest, and the cooled cornstarch mixture to create the filling.
  6. Pour 2 tablespoons of the filling over each of the baked crusts.
  7. Bake for 10–12 minutes, just until the edges of the tarts come away from the pan and bubbles begin to form at the top.
  8. Let cool on a rack for 1 hour. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 additional hour before serving.
Perfect Portion Key Lime Pie Tarts

HELPFUL TIP: Key lime juice can be purchased in a bottle and is usually found in the baking aisle. Regular lime juice can be substituted in a pinch.
Serving size: 1 tart Calories: 100

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Lemon Bars

Our Lemon Bars are not only 100 calories each, they also outshine other recipes because of their lemon zing. We top the rich, buttery crust with a very generous amount of custard made from both lemon juice and zest. The perfect marriage of sweetness and citrus tang, we’re smitten.

Lemon Bars
 
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Recipe type: Desserts
Makes: 20 Lemon Bars
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
    Filling:
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a mixing bowl, use your hands to combine the ⅔ cup of flour, butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, and water to create a thick dough. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
  3. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown, and then let cool for 5 minutes.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all the filling ingredients until well combined.
  5. Pour the filling over the crust, and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and springy to the touch.
  6. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing into 4 rows by 5 rows to create 20 bars.
Perfect Portion Lemon Bars

HELPFUL TIP: Lemon bars are traditionally served garnished with powdered confectioners’ sugar sprinkled over the top (as it helps hide any bubbles in the custard). A light sprinkling adds a negligible 1 or 2 calories per serving.
Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 100

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

When it comes to portion control, few recipes are as a famously tempting as Chocolate Chip Cookies. We’ve slightly adjusted the classic ingredients to give you the the buttery, caramelized, chocolate-flecked cookies you love at only 100 calories a pop.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
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Recipe type: Desserts
Makes: 36 Cookies or 18 Dessert portions
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg white
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and spray 3 cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl or electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in the egg, egg white, and vanilla extract until well combined.
  4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, folding until all is combined into a dough. Fold the chocolate chips into the dough.
  5. Drop tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, at least 2 ½ inches apart, and press lightly to flatten. You should have enough dough to make 3 dozen cookies.
  6. Bake each sheet of cookies for 13 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion Chocolate Chip Cookie

HELPFUL TIP: For the most even cooking, it is best to bake these in three batches rather than filling your oven racks all at once, as that limits the flow of hot air.
Serving size: 1 cookie Calories: 100

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Carrot Cake Bars

Bob’s Farm to Table: Carrot cake is my perfect comfort food dessert. This delicious dessert bar is ultra moist with a rich presence of comforting, warm spices. Applesauce works as a perfect substitute for a portion of the oil by adding moisture and no grease. Top with a coating of cream cheese frosting.

Carrot Cake Bars
 
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Recipe type: Desserts
Makes: 36 Carrot Cake Bars
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup applesauce
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and spray an 11 x 15-inch half-sheet cake or jellyroll pan with nonstick cooking spray. For easier release, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, carrots, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
  4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until well combined.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool completely.
  6. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by putting all the frosting ingredients in an electric mixer and beating until smooth and creamy.
  7. For 100 calorie bars, cut the cake into 6 rows by 6 rows to make 36 bars.
  8. Spread a thin layer of frosting on each bar before serving (this looks better if done after cutting the cake).
Frosting:

8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon juice

Perfect Portion Carrot Cake Bars

HELPFUL TIP: For the best presentation, use a pastry bag to pipe a large dot of the frosting in the center of each bar, rather than spreading a thin layer.
Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 100

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Skinny Strawberry Milkshake

While this recipe blends into a milkshake that is just as smooth and creamy as you would expect, it has one big secret to keeping the calorie count low. It doesn’t actually contain any ice cream! While that may have you turning the page, we promise that blending frozen strawberries into vanilla-scented milk creates the exact texture and flavor you love in a milkshake.

Skinny Strawberry Milkshake
 
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Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 2 small milkshakes
Ingredients
  • 1 cup frozen whole strawberries
  • ⅔ cup 2% milk
  • 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
  1. Place all the ingredients in a blender, and pulse 8–10 times to break down the frozen strawberries.
  2. Blend for 1 minute, until milkshake is completely smooth. Serve immediately.
Perfect Portion Skinny Strawberry Milkshake

HELPFUL TIP: Top these with 2 tablespoons of canned whipped cream for an additional 15–20 calories, depending on the brand. We prefer Land-OLakes brand “whipped heavy cream” that does not contain corn syrup.
Serving size: ¾ cup Calories: 100

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“Hot Cocoa” Pretzels

Anson’s American Treasures: You’ll be amazed by how much these pretzels taste like a steamy mug of hot cocoa, marshmallows and all! After a quick coating of egg white and vanilla, we toss the pretzels with cocoa and sugar and bake until crisp. It actually tastes like marshmallows! The pretzel, chocolate, and meringue flavors combine as the perfect balance between salty and sweet. This snack is sure to bring back great childhood memories and will definitely satisfy any chocolate craving!

5.0 from 1 reviews
"Hot Cocoa" Pretzels
 
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Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 10 Snack portions
Ingredients
  • 100 mini pretzels (about 4 packed cups)
  • 1 large egg white, beaten
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 275°F, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, toss the pretzels in the egg white and vanilla extract until all are evenly coated.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and cocoa.
  4. Add ⅔ of the cocoa and sugar mixture to the pretzels, and toss until well coated.
  5. Spread the coated pretzels in a single layer on the paper-lined sheet pan, and sprinkle the remaining ⅓ of the cocoa and sugar mixture over the top.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping pretzels halfway through. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion Hot Cocoa Pretzels

HELPFUL TIP: You can use either salted or unsalted mini pretzels in this recipe, but salted pretzels add a nice contrast to the sweet cocoa coating.
Serving size: 10 pretzels Calories: 100

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Avocado Toast

My daughter’s own recipe! Just add mashed avocado and spices to tomato to top your favorite healthy light toast, The healthy fat from the avocado enhances the absorption of lycopene, the good anti-oxidants in the tomatoes. A snack to stay fuller longer, too! One slice of avocado toast is 100 calories… the perfect portion!

Avocado Toast
 
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Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 5 Snack portions
Ingredients
  • 1 medium Haas avocado, pitted
  • ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper
  • Per Slice:
  • 1 slice light wheat bread
  • 2 slices fresh tomato
  • Garlic powder
  • 2 basil leaves
Directions
  1. Scoop avocado out of the peel and place in a small mixing bowl. Use a heavy fork to mash the avocado until it is spreadable, but still chunky.
  2. Add the lemon juice to the avocado, and season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Toast the wheat bread to your liking.
  4. Spread 1∕5 of the mashed avocado onto the toasted wheat bread. Cover, and refrigerate any unused avocado for up to 3 days.
  5. Top the avocado toast with 2 slices of fresh tomato, and lightly season the tomato with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place fresh basil leaves over the tomato before serving.
Perfect Portion Avocado Toast

HELPFUL TIP: This recipe makes enough mashed avocado to prepare 5 slices of avocado toast. If you are preparing all 5 slices at once, you will need about 2 small tomatoes to make the 10 slices of tomato needed.
Serving size: 1 slice Calories: 100

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