The Healthy Foodie

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Check out my healthful Rum Raisin Ice Cream in the January/February 2010 Whole Living Journal!

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Lemon Cups

 

Serves 4

 

¼ cup soft tofu

2 lemons, rinsed

½ cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk

4 ounces fat free frozen whipped topping, thawed

fresh mint sprigs, fresh fruit or edible flowers for garnish, if desired

 

Cut lemons in half and express juice, pouring it into a measuring cup.  Add more lemon juice if need to equal 2/3 cup.  Gently scoop out the pulp and discard.  Arrange lemon cups on a plate.

 

Whip tofu, lemon juice, and condensed milk in a food processor until light and fluffy.  In a medium bowl, gently blend the lemon juice mixture with the thawed whipped topping.  Spoon into the lemon cups and chill.  Garnish if desired.

   

I love sneaking tofu into desserts!  It’s a great way of adding protein to blunt the glycemic index.

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Applesauce Spice Cake

 

Serves 12

 

Cake:

1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced

½ cup walnuts, chopped

½ cup raisins

10 ounces spread with plant stanols added

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup natural sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon salt

8 ounces egg substitute

3 cups whole grain pastry flour

1 ½ cups chunky applesauce

 

Frosting:

8 ounces fat-free cream cheese

4 ounces spread with plant stanols added

2 ounces soft tofu, drained and pressed between paper towels to express excess liquids

¾ cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ package fat free, sugar free vanilla instant pudding mix

½ cup fat free milk

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat 2 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray.   Line bottoms with wax paper.  Coat waxed paper with cooking spray.  Layer apples in single layer in one of the prepared pans.  Sprinkle nuts and raisins in the other prepared pan. 

 

Beat spread, sugar, baking soda, spices and salt until well blended.  Whip for 3 minutes, or until fluffy.

 

Return mixer to low speed and add egg substitute.  Beat in flour, alternating with applesauce, in small amounts each time and beginning and ending with flour, until all ingredients are added.

 

Divide batter between pans, gently spreading to distribute batter evenly.  Gently tap bottom of pans to let bubbles of air escape. 

 

Bake for 40 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Gently separate edges of cakes from pans with a knife.  Invert cakes onto racks.  Remove wax paper and cool completely.

 

Icing:

Process first five ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth and fluffy.  In a medium bowl, combine instant pudding mix and milk.  Quickly add processed ingredients and beat with a fork until smooth.

 

To assemble: 

Place apple layer on platter, apple-side up.  Frost with ¾ cup icing.  Top with other layer, raisin-walnut side down. Frost with remaining icing.  Garnish with edible flowers, or chopped walnuts. 

  

Using pastry flour takes some of the heaviness from this dessert.   Make certain you spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it with a knife to prevent adding too much flour.   I love sneaking tofu into desserts, making them even healthier!

 

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Rose Flavored Ice Cream

Serves 8

2 pints fat free half and half

2 tablespoons spread with plant stanols added
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons rose water (available at Mediterranean markets)

Mix 1 pint of fat free half and half and spread in a blender and process until spread is thoroughly mixed. Combine spread mixture, remaining fat free half and half, lime juice, sugar and rose water in the bowl of an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Serve with fresh rosemary sprigs or mint leaves for garnishment. 

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Peanut Butter Pie

 

Serves 8

 

For the crust:

½ cup rolled oats

½ cup whole grain pastry flour

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup spread with plant stanols added

¼ teaspoon baking powder

-or- purchase a pre-made low fat graham cracker crust

 

For the filling:

1 4-serving package fat free sugar free vanilla instant pudding

1 ½ cups soy milk or low fat milk

4 ounces soft tofu, drained

½ cup peanut butter

1 8-ounce package fat-free sugar-free frozen whipped topping, thawed

3 tablespoons chopped dry roasted peanuts, for garnish

 

For the crust (if making your own):

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

 

Pulse oats, flour, brown sugar, spread and baking powder in a food processor until coarsely ground.  Press into a pie pan.

 

Bake crust for 12 – 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Cool completely.

 

For the filling:

 

Whip tofu in a food processor until fluffy (about 1 minute).  Add peanut butter and process until smooth.

 

Stir together milk and pudding mix in a medium bowl.  Stir in peanut butter mixture and whipped topping.  Pour into prepared pie shell.  Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. 

 

Garnish with peanuts.

  

Apple Harvest Cake

 

Serves 16

 

Vegetable oil spray

1 cup all purpose white flour

1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup plant stanol spread (e.g. Smart Balance, Take Control or Benecol spread)

½. cup maple syrup

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

½ cup egg beaters

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup fat free milk

1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice

3 medium apples, cored and diced (leave peels on)

 

Caramel Icing (see below)

 

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray round fluted cake pan with a small amount of vegetable oil spray.

 

In a large bowl mix flours, spices, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

 

In a medium bowl mix brown sugar, Benecol, maple syrup, applesauce, eggbeaters and vanilla.  Beat until fluffy.  In a small cup, mix milk and citrus juice.  Alternately, add flour mixture and sour milk mixture to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Add apples and pour into cake pan.

 

Bake at 350 for 1 – 1 ¼ hours, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on rack for 10 minutes, then invert cake onto platter.  Cool completely, then ice.

  

Caramel Icing

 

2 ounces Benecol or other plant stanol spread

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup fat free milk

2 - 3 cups confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Melt benecol in microwave (20 – 30 seconds) in a medium, microwave safe bowl.  Add brown sugar and milk, mixing until smooth.  Microwave for 1 ½ minutes.  Mixture will be bubbly. Add vanilla and confectioners sugar.  Beat with a mixer until smooth.  Add little more or less confectioners sugar can be added as needed for a spreadable consistency.

Black Walnut Cake

 

Serves 12

 

1 ½ cup chopped black walnuts

1 cup spread with plant stanols added

1 ½ cup natural sugar

¾ cup egg substitute

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups whole grain pastry flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

dash of salt

¾ cup fat free buttermilk

cream cheese icing (see recipe)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 2 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.  Dust pans with flour.

 

Place walnuts in a food processor and pulse 8 – 10 times until coarsely ground.

 

Beat spread and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.   Add egg substitute and vanilla and beat until well blended.

 

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Stir in nuts.

 

Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans.  Bake for 50 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool completely on a wire rack. 

 

Frost with Cream Cheese Icing and garnish, if desired, with walnuts or fresh edible flowers.

Cream Cheese Frosting

 

1 8-ounce package fat-free cream cheese

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 – 3 cups powdered sugar

 

Mix all ingredients until smooth.  Add more orange juice or more powdered sugar as needed, for a spreadable consistency.

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Orange Chiffon Cake

 

Serves 12

 

1 16-ounce package angel food cake mix

1 ¼ cup orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Combine cake mix and orange juice, just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Spoon batter into a bundt cake pan.

 

Bake for 38 – 48 minutes, or until golden brown and center springs back when touched.

 

Cool completely.  Remove from pan.  Frost with Whipped Orange Frosting (see below).  Garnish with fresh raspberries, mint sprigs or orange slices as desired.

  

Whipped Orange Frosting

 

4 egg whites

1 cup sugar

¼ cup orange juice

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

 

Beat egg whites at high speed until they form stiff peaks. 

 

Meanwhile, combine sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan.   Cook over medium-high heat until boiling briskly, stirring occasionally.  Slowly pour syrup into egg whites, beating at medium speed.  Fold in orange zest.

Walnut Crunch Cookies

 

Makes 5 dozen

 

1 ½ cups whole grain pastry flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon brown sugar

¼ cup soft tofu

1 cup spread with plant stanols added

½ cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup chopped walnuts

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

 

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

 

Combine tofu, spread, syrup and vanilla in a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Spoon tofu mixture into dry ingredients and stir until blended.  Add chips and nuts.

 

Drop tablespoonfuls onto lined sheets and bake 10 minutes, or until bottoms are browned.   Cool on a wire rack.

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