Monthly Archives: May 2016

Blueberry Muffins

Forget about dense and cake-y, we wanted a delicate muffin that is all about the fruit. Reduced-fat milk lightens the crumb but still provides enough support for a whopping two cups of sweet blueberries. Our muffins are literally bursting with berries. This is the perfect recipe for berry season (June and July), when blueberries often go on sale for half price. Alternatively, an equal amount of frozen berries may be used, but thaw, rinse, and dry them before using.

Blueberry Muffins
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Makes: 12 Muffins or Breakfast portions
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅔ cup 2% milk
  • ¼ cup butter, melted
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F, and spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray (or line with paper liners).
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
  4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing just until a batter has formed.
  5. Gently fold the blueberries into the muffin batter, and spoon evenly into the prepared muffin cups.
  6. Bake for 23–25 minutes, or until golden brown and springy to the touch. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion Blueberry Muffins

HELPFUL TIP: When mixing the batter, there is no need to overdo it. Muffin batters should be a little lumpy. Overmixing will make the final muffins slightly denser.
Serving size: ½ muffin Calories: 100

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Pesto Chicken Skewers with Pesto Sauce

We transform boneless chicken breasts and a variety of vegetables into a scrumptious and colorful appetizer. Our quick, flavor-packed Pesto Sauce (see page 251) is a winning solution to jazzing up these Pesto Chicken Skewers. Serve them as a festive party appetizer or have 2 or 3 skewers as an entrée, served over rice or alongside Crispy Baked Baby Potatoes (see page 170).

Pesto Chicken Skewers with Pesto Sauce
 
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Recipe type: Entertaining
Makes: 10 Appetizer portions
Ingredients
  • Bamboo skewers
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 yellow squash
  • 1 large zucchini
  • 16 ounces small white (button) mushrooms
  • 1 batch Pesto Sauce, divided (see page 251)
Directions
  1. Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 1 hour before preparing (to prevent charring).
  2. Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat.
  3. Chop the chicken breasts, yellow squash, and zucchini into uniform 1-inch cubes.
  4. Thread a cube of chicken onto a soaked skewer, then a cube of yellow squash, a whole mushroom, and finally a cube of zucchini. Repeat to thread another set of the ingredients on the same skewer. Finally, add a third cube of chicken to top the skewer off. Repeat until you’ve made 10 skewers and you are out of cubed ingredients.
  5. Brush the skewers with ½ of the Pesto Sauce.
  6. Place the pesto skewers on the grill, and cook for 5 minutes. Flip, and cook for an additional 3 minutes on the opposite site, just until the vegetables are tender and slicing into a cube of chicken reveals no pink.
  7. Using a clean brush, brush the remaining ½ of the Pesto Sauce over the cooked skewers before serving.
Perfect Portion Pesto Chicken Skewers

HELPFUL TIP: These can also be cooked under a broiler set to high by placing the oven rack in the second-highest position. Broil for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Serving size: 1 skewer Calories: 100

Pesto Sauce

Pesto is known for being extremely high in fat and calories thanks to the generous amount of oil it contains. We replicate the same balance of bright basil, toasty pine nuts, sharp garlic, and salty Parmesan with only ⅓ of the olive oil. Now, you can enjoy a full serving of pesto pasta without the guilt!

Pesto Chicken Skewers with Pesto Sauce
 
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Recipe type: Dressings, Sauces & jams
Makes: 6 Sauce portions
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
  1. Place the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat to toast, shaking the pan to keep them moving, until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer the toasted pine nuts to a food processor.
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese, to the food processor, and pulse in short bursts for 2 minutes to finely grate the pine nuts and combine everything into a sauce.
  3. Add the Parmesan cheese to the food processor, and pulse for 15 more seconds, just to combine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to use.
Perfect Portion Pesto Sauce

HELPFUL TIP: Pine nuts can usually be found in a small packet in the baking section of your grocery store. Walnuts or blanched almonds can be used in place of the pine nuts (you should still toast them in step 1); however, the pine nuts really give pesto its classic flavor.
Serving size: 3 tblsp Calories: 100

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Fantastic Fruit Parfaits

Mona’s Family Favorites: Easy is often the most delicious! This is my go-to dessert whenever I throw a party for family or friends. The simple combination of fresh berries, cinnamon-scented
Greek yogurt, and chocolate makes an elegant, guilt-free finish to any meal. You always have to add a little chocolate, right? While this combination of fruit is our favorite, the variations are nearly endless. Serve in martini glasses for a festive presentation.

Fantastic Fruit Parfaits
 
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Recipe type: Desserts
Makes: 2 Parfaits
Ingredients
  • ½ cup sliced strawberries
  • ½ cup vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt
  • Ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup blueberries
  • 2 teaspoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
  1. Set out 2 (5-ounce) parfait glasses.
  2. Divide the sliced strawberries evenly between the 2 glasses.
  3. Place a large dollop of the yogurt into each of the 2 glasses, and sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon.
  4. Top the yogurt in each glass with an equal amount of the blueberries.
  5. Top the blueberries in each glass with another large dollop of yogurt, and sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon. Top each parfait with 1 teaspoon of miniature chocolate chips before serving.
Perfect Portion Fantastic Fruit Parfait

HELPFUL TIP: Any flavor of nonfat Greek yogurt can be used in place of the vanilla, with berry flavors being obviously good choices. Topping each parfait with 2 rounded tablespoons of Homemade Granola (see page 272) in place of the chocolate chips will make for great 150-calorie breakfast parfaits.
Serving size: 1 parfait Calories: 100

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Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges

Fried sweet potato wedges have become a popular alternative to their starchy counterpart, but we turn to the grill for a new twist. A little oil and the high heat of the grill produces the same crisp, golden exterior and creamy interior without the deep-frying! And a final dusting of mildly sweet seasoned salt knocks these wedges out of the park.

Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges
 
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Recipe type: Sides
Makes: 4 Side dish portions
Ingredients
  • 4 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon seasoning salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
Directions
  1. Slice sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, and then slice each half into 5 long wedges.
  2. Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat.
  3. Toss the potato wedges in olive oil before placing on the grill horizontally (to prevent them from falling through the grate). Grill for 8–10 minutes, turning halfway through. Wedges are done when they easily bend with pressure from your grilling tongs.
  4. In a small mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, seasoning salt, cinnamon, and smoked paprika, if desired. Sprinkle evenly over the grilled wedges before serving.
Perfect Portion Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges

HELPFUL TIP: Smoked paprika adds a great flavor to the sweet potato wedges that is reminiscent of barbecue potato chips. If you do not have any on hand, or are not a fan of that smoky flavor, you can simply omit it.
Serving size: 5 wedges Calories: 100

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Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp Scampi has become one of America’s most popular seafood restaurant dishes, though most people have no idea just how quick and easy it is to prepare at home. We sauté an entire julienned zucchini with the shrimp to turn this into a stand-alone dish you don’t even need to serve over pasta.

Shrimp Scampi
 
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Recipe type: Everyday Meals
Makes: 6 Lunch and 4 Dinner portions
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 ½ tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 ½ pounds extra large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 large zucchini, thinly julienned
  • ⅓ cup dry white wine (see tip)
  • Juice of 1 fresh lemon
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper
Directions
  1. Heat oil, butter, and garlic in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, and bring up to a sizzle.
  2. Add the shrimp and julienned zucchini to the pan, and sauté for 1 minute, tossing to cook evenly.
  3. Add the white wine and lemon juice, bring to a simmer, and continue sautéing for 3 minutes, or until shrimp are pink on the outside and opaque on the inside.
  4. Remove from heat, toss with chopped fresh parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Perfect Portion Shrimp Scampi

HELPFUL TIP: Though white wine is traditional in a scampi sauce, you can substitute ¼ cup water and a tiny pinch of sugar, if desired.
Serving size: 3 Shrimp with sauce Calories: 100

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