Oh so pretty, but not quite sure...

...on the taste. I have had a bag of flax seeds in my freezer for several months. I had thought about this recipe for several months. I definitely prefer muffins, but a quick bread loaf will do in a pinch. I would normally make a loaf into muffins, but this recipe uses a topping. I don't do well with toppings.

I should have gone with my first instinct and mixed all the pecans into the batter instead of going by the recipe and putting about 1/2 on top. They browned a lot, and a lot fell off.

Aside from the topping falling off, I can honestly say that this loaf was the prettiest quick bread I've ever made. It crowned beautifully and evenly above the top of the pan. It sliced smoothly.

The loaf itself held together nicely in the next couple days. Didn't dry out. Wasn't too wet. But...I'm still not sure on the flavor. It's on the edge of unlikeable.

If I did repeat the recipe, I would do a full 1/2 cup of pecans, and mix them into the loaf. And probably make it as muffins.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Zucchini-Pecan Flaxseed Bread

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 14 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flax seeds -- ground to measure 1/2 cup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup stonyfield Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans -- toasted
3 tablespoons chopped pecans -- toasted

Preheat oven to 350º.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine dry ingredients (flours through nutmeg) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

Spread zucchini onto several layers of papertowels; cover with additional towels. Press down firmly to remove excess liquid.

Combine liquid ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in zucchini.

Add zucchini mixture and 1/4 cup pecans to the flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Pour batter into a 9X5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle the top with 3 tbs of chopped pecans. Bake at 350º for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; place on wire rack.

Source:
"CL 05/05"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 225 Calories; 8g Fat (29.4% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 30mg Cholesterol; 266mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Yeah, it's a muffin...juuuuuuust barely

I am a muffin lover. I will never make my way through all the muffin recipes I've collected. Doesn't stop me from trying, of course.

Tonight's muffin was sweet enough to be my dessert. Happily it also has enough healthy ingredients to make me not feel as guilty when I savor it.

This muffin tastes exactly like a peanut butter oatmeal cookie. It also hides the flavor of the grain-sweetened chips that just don't taste good on their own. I'm not buying them again, for sure. I'll go for the healthy stuff for everything else, but the chocolate stays real.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 15 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 ounces chocolate chips
1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12-cup muffin pan.

In large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips. Make a well in center of bowl.

In another bowl, beat together yogurt, brown sugar, peanut butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Pour into well in bowl of dry ingredients and stir just until moistened and blended. Do not overmix.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling cups three-quarters full. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until done.

Source:
"CLBB Vicanddi - http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=68666&highlight=tollhouse"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 236 Calories; 9g Fat (34.7% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 29mg Cholesterol; 341mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Sweet - but with a bite

I know some people have strong opinions on what 'real' cornbread is. Sweet or not sweet - I don't care. As long as it's cornbread, it makes me happy. And I feel lucky that cornbread seems to lend itself easily to low-fat cooking - I have so many options to try.

Last night's recipe was cornbread that was sweet, but also had a sharp kick to it. I served it with leftover cream of tomato soup, and the two flavors complemented each other beautifully.

The only issue I had with this recipe was probably cooks' error. I'm still trying to get adjusted to the way my oven heats, and how high to set it, since according to my oven thermometer the settings are off. Last night the top browned, but it was still slightly gooshy inside. Didn't kill me though, so it's all good.

Good all around recipe - a probable repeat.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Honey Jalapeno Cornbread

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 9 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter -- melted
2 jalapeno peppers -- seeded and minced
1 large egg -- lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 425°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, honey, butter, peppers, and egg in a bowl; add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Source:
"CL 07/99"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 199 Calories; 4g Fat (15.7% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 31mg Cholesterol; 452mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Simple, delicious...

Cream of Tomato Soup. I've never tried to make it. I never felt the need to. It's not a food I normally make. But it's fall - soup time!

A great ingredient can really contribute a lot to a recipe. So although I do love the fact that the recipe is so easy to put together and has a wonderful texture, I am sure that most of the praise for the actual flavor of the recipe can go to the tomatoes. Go Muir Glen - you'll never go back.

I had had a chaotic work day on the day that I made this. It's truly a testament to the simplicity of the recipe that I was able to make a success of it, even though I was flustered.

I definitely think it is a repeat. The ingredients are things that I will always have on hand. It is so quick and rich tasting but is truly light that I can feel decadent even though I am eating healthily.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Cream of Tomato Soup Variation 1

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons unbleached flour
28 ounces canned tomatoes -- pureed
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup 1% low-fat milk

Melt the butter or heat the oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add onion, bay leaves, and other seasonings, and saute over medium heat until the onion is soft (10 minutes or so). Have a whisk ready for the next step.

Sprinkle in the flour as you stir constantly with a whisk. Continue stirring and cooking for about 5 minutes more.

Stir in tomatoes and honey. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently from the bottom.

Turn the heat down to a simmer, and slowly drizzle in the milk. Fish out bay leaves.

Source:
"The Enchanted Broccoli Forest"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 136 Calories; 4g Fat (27.8% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 594mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Back - with a healthy twist

Ah - procrastination - it is what I do very well. I would say best, but I like to believe I do other things better. Denial - it's a good thing.

Anyway, short but sweet - below are two recipes I made this past weekend. I'm still trying to perfect my bread baking, and this was not a huge step forward. The bread's strength is that it is very nicely flavored. Its weakness is that it didn't rise as high as it could have because of my impatience. So really it's my weakness, and not the bread's.

The tofu salad is - okay. Nothing to turn cartwheels over. It's likeable to me for the walnuts and grapes. The texture is fine. The flavor is nothing overwhelming. It may be that I need to get a better or stronger curry powder to make it pop, but at this point, I'm not sure if I necessarily want to try it again.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Bran and Oat Sandwich Bread

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 9 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup oat bran
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast -- instant
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter -- softened
1 cup 1% low-fat milk

Place flours and oat bran in food processor fitted with steel blade. Add salt and yeast and process for 5 seconds. With the machine running, add the syrup, softened butter, and most of the milk through the feed tube. Process about 30 seconds, then remove the cover. The dough should be in a well-defined, barely sticky, easy-to-handle ball. If it is too dry, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time and process for 5 or 10 seconds after each additiion. If it is too wet, which is unlikely, add a tablespoon or two of flour and process briefly. Knead for a minute or so by hand.

Grease a large bowl. Shape the dough in a rough ball, place it into the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise for at least 2 hours, until nearly doubled in bulk. Deflate the ball and shape it once again into a ball; let rise on a lightly floured surface for about 15 minutes, covered.

Using only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface, flatten into a rectangle, then shape it into a loaf. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Place the dough in the pan, flattening the top of it with the back of your hand. Cover and let rest for 1 hour, or until the top of the dough is nearly level with the top of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350. Brush the top of the loaf with lightly with water, then place in the oven. Bake about 45 minutes, or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it (it will fall easily from the pan) or the internal temperature reads about 200. Remove loaf from pan and cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Source:
"How to Cook Everything"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 194 Calories; 3g Fat (15.0% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 38g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 490mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


* Exported from MasterCook *

Curried Tofu Salad

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons mango chutney
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper -- to taste
14 ounces extra-firm tofu -- drained, rinsed, and finely crumbled
2 stalks celery -- diced
1 cup red grapes -- halved
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, chutney, curry powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in tofu, celery, grapes, scallions, and walnuts.

Source:
"EW Oct/Nov 2005"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 149 Calories; 9g Fat (47.9% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 139mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0