Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins

Those raspberry cheesecake suckers hooked me! Cream cheese in muffin batter is a MUST TRY for everyone!! These guys were very similar but I changed up the flavours a little. I also remembered baking soda so they weren't as stubby as the first round of raspberry ones.

To be honest, I'm not even a huge fan of lemon or blueberry but I think that is changing because these were out-of-this-world good!!!

INGREDIENTS

5 oz low fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoon butter, softened
3 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
1 ½ cups sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup low-fat buttermilk (keep reading for a substitute)
4 tablespopon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 cups blueberries

NOTE - My heart always sinks when I find a recipe that calls for buttermilk. Since it is only available in a larger container (and I don't bake THAT often) it means it always goes to waste. A quick and easy substitute is one cup of milk (whatever you have on hand) and one tablespoon of vinegar. Combine the two and let it sit for at least 5 minutes while the milk "sours", then use whatever you need from that for your recipe.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter and applesauce and beat with an electric mixer until blended. Add sugar and beat until combined. Add vanilla, eggs and egg whites and beat until blended.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour (lightly spoon into measuring cups and then level with a knife), baking soda, baking powder and salt and stir together. In the bowl containing the wet ingredients, use the mixer on a low speed while pouring in the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Add the lemon juice, zest and buttermilk and beat until blended. Add the blueberries and fold in gently.

4. Spoon the batter evenly into the liners. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Here's a rather unflattering shot of the inside of one of these bad boys...look at all that blueberry goodness!!!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serving Size - 1 muffin
WW Points - 3
Calories - 137
Carbs - 23g
Fat - 4g
Protein - 3g
Fibre - 1g

Parmesan Zucchini Crisps

I made these for a family BBQ a few weeks ago and they were gobbled up immediately. I put out some Tzatziki in case people wanted to dip them in something but most seemed to prefer them on their own. A simple marinara sauce might be a good dip option as well.
INGREDIENTS

1 oz Parmesan, freshly grated
1/4 cup bread crumbs panko
black pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
2 egg whites
2 ½ cups zucchini rounds, sliced about 1/4” thick (this was about 2 small zucchini)

DIRECTIONS

1.    Preheat oven to 425. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and place a wire baking rack on top (I used two metal cooling racks).Lightly mist the racks with cooking spray.
2.    Combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs, pepper and garlic powder in a shallow dish and mix together.
3.    In a small bowl, beat the two egg whites. Dip each zucchini round in the egg whites to coat both sides and then press each side of the round into the bread crumb/Parmesan mixture. Place the coated round on the wire rack on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining zucchini rounds.
4.    Bake for 30-35 minutes until the Parmesan and bread crumb coating is browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 4

WW Points - 2

Calories - 71

Carbs - 7g

Fat - 2g

Protein - 6g

Fibre - 1g

Spaghetti Squash

I don't like squash. People always get very excited about butternut squash tortellini, or a puree of sorts. Yuck.

However, I've been intrigued for some time about the spaghetti squash. Could this be? Does it actually have the consistency of pasta? Does it taste like squash? So many questions....I finally decided to answer them myself. 

I figured that a squash that lends itself to being smothered in any type of sauce, is probably a great place to start introducing squash to our diet. 

I decided to grill some chicken breast, sauté some onions and chopped tomatoes and then toss it all with some pesto. It was great. The squash completely shared its flavour space with all the other ingredients and the texture was not off-putting at all (meaning it didn't resemble squash). I wouldn't go so far to say that you could completely pass it off as a pasta but it definitely does the trick without changing too much. 

I actually made this a few months ago. I'm not sure why I didn't post it but I just found the picture on the camera while I was transferring the recent posts. I thought it deserved some blog space. 

Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings with Grilled Portobellos and Mashed "Fauxtatoes"

So these wings were awesome (and the first I've ever cooked) but the grilled portobellos were the star of the meal! I marinated them in some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, basil and dried hot peppers. They were FANTASTIC. I will be making these again soon, perhaps to put on a thin burger bun and dress up like a burger. YUM!

Here they are marinating away.

The mashed "fauxtatoes" was steamed cauliflower mashed with some onion dip. A total cheat I know, but it was super easy and actually quite yummy. Plus the dip was taking up room in the fridge so it had to go.

This fridge is turning into a great excuse to cook with things I might otherwise not consider...although once I've cleared it of the stuff that survived the move I suppose it just won't house such ingredients any longer.

The wings were good. I obviously need some more practice at crisping up the skin in the oven. I know it can be done, but I didn't quite get there this time around. The sauce was great though, it was the same marinade and sauce that I used in the Light Boneless Wings Post. This is a great sauce to use when you don't know what else to do with any cut of chicken. 

Are You Even Ready For This?

Pizza...good times right? Wrong, if you're trying to completely avoid all carbs and starches like I've been recently. 

This is how I (we by proxy) have been eating for the last little while. High protein, no carbs and starches. It hasn't been an enjoyable experience, lets be honest. I have realized that if it was up to me and health/weight was not an issue I could live off of carbs and carbs alone for the rest of my life. Yes, I would miss chicken and for sure some french fries every now and then....but to never see a plate a pasta or a yummy pizza again is just too much to even consider. 

So....I did some browsing on the internet....another thing I couldn't live without these days. 

Ta Daaaa!!! I give you a completely carb free pizza! How is this possible, you ask? Well, it seems that a little egg and a lot of cheese can hold anything together. Throw some tomato sauce, veggies and a bit more cheese on it and you've got yourself a pretty satisfying pizza.

Here's the base recipe:

• 1 cup steamed grated cauliflower (I used the food processor)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup melty cheese (I used mozzarella)
• Seasonings of your choice - I used oregano, garlic and some parsley

I doubled this recipe to end up with a medium size crust (maybe 18 inches?). I combined everything in a bowl and then pressed it into a metal pizza pan (see pic). I lined the pan with parchment paper, but I don't think that was necessary. I also can't remember if I sprinkled the herbs on or whether I combined them in the bowl....either would work just fine. 

I baked it in a 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes until it was golden brown (see pic).

Next time around I might consider brushing the baked "crust" with some garlicky oil before putting the toppings on. You could do this and broil it again to end up with a yummy garlicky flatbread type thing. 

I topped it with tomato sauce and whatever toppings I felt like, then broiled it just until the cheese melted. 

It was brilliant.

I'm still in shock that it actually worked. 

Now, some notes for next time. This recipe includes A LOT of cheese. So, either reduce your cheese on top of the pizza or prepare to only enjoy a slice or two because of how filling it is. 

I would also LOVE to be able to take credit for this recipe because I know this is the first that my family and friends are hearing about it, but in fact, GOOGLE is the one to credit for this. All it took was a quick google search to come across several variations of this recipe. Nonetheless, I am still so pleased that it actually turned out and that I found it in the first place. 

Please please try this out and let me know what you think about it. I'm dying to know how it goes for you and if you adapt the recipe at all. 

Turkey Stuffed Portobellos

So this was a new one for us. I seasoned some ground turkey breast with poultry seasoning and salt and pepper. Mixed it well and formed it into 4 balls. I brushed the mushrooms with olive oil and a bit of worcestershire sauce. Placed a ball of turkey in each mushroom cap (gills scraped off) and patted it down to form a patty. Topped it with some caramelized mushrooms and sautéed tomatoes and a little mozzarella cheese.

So hearty and yummy and actually quite simple and easy to make. They tasted even better as leftovers once all the flavours had more time to get to know each other.

Risotto Cakes and Pan Roasted Vegetables

 This one is for you Em.

I received several cookbooks for my birthday at the beginning of April. My cousin gave me one of her favourites from Ina Garten. We have both loved her, her shows and recipes for years. This Back to Basics cookbook has been very well tested by my cousin, and thousands of others. However, she has brilliantly noted, with her fantastic humour, all of the recipes that she has tried and how they have worked out for her.

We don't get to see or talk to each other often and she's probably the closest I'll ever get to a sister, so this is a very cherished gift.

Anyway, after all those nice words I'm almost embarassed to say that the note beside these risotto cakes is:

Please make these and invite me over

Em, please allow me to explain. Only Ina would probably have the confidence to try a recipe for the first time with company over but I certainly dont.

I will absolutely make this again (and invite people over). These were an absolute success...even though they were not even remotely diet friendly. Contrary to my love of fried food I've never been very good at pan frying things at home (go figure)...these were totally the exception to that.

I even froze the left overs and can't wait to take them for lunches in the next little while.

The Pan Roasted Vegetables were from the same cookbook. They were great too. I've been so into celery lately. Its just so good and when its slightly cooked its just a great subtle flavour, and Clutterbuck loves brussel sprouts so it was definitely a win-win recipe.

Now, the next challenge is to decide on another cookbook. I received a Chapters gift card for my birthday and it was given under the specific direction to buy a cookbook. Any suggestions????

Portabello Parmesan

Wow! Definitely a total success. I have so many food magazines and cookbooks lying around it's about time to purge a bunch of them (magazines not cookbooks), bur before I do that I've decided to make atleast one recipe out of them and see how it goes....even if there isn't anything I'm interested in, I still have to pick something.


This came from March 2011 edition of Food Network Magazine. I have it electronically on my iPad. This particular recipe was a reader's submitted recipe. The challenge was to submit recipes with mushrooms and this one won...which isn't surprising.

The picture makes it look like I went really heavy on the cheese, I actually used less than the recipe called for, but it still turned out quite cheesy. As far as the recipe goes its a pretty standard Parmasan recipe but I did use panko crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs. I LOVE Panko!!!!

I will totally be making this again. I've never been into the whole eggplant Parmesan thing, I don't care or eggplant at all. However, this was the perfect vegetarian version. The portabellos are just so good at soaking up all flavours around them. Yummy!!!

Appetizers

I've been really into appetizers recently. I mean, who isn't in to appetizers? Perhaps I should say, I've been into MAKING appetizers recently. We had some family over for dinner a few nights ago and it was the perfect occasion for finger foods. The main was stuffed meatloaf (from a previous post) with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Veggies.

However the precursor to all that was a Low Fat Spinach and Artichoke Dip and some Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts. YUM!!!!! I was very pleased with how it all turned out. It was waaaay too much food but that's OK. Always better to have too much food than not enough.

I also made an Angel Food Cake for dessert. It was great, especially since it was my first attempt and our oven can be so tempermental. I'm not posting a pic of it though because I poured some strawberry juice on each slice which gave it a great flavour but made it look like a scene from CSI...so I'll just leave it to your imaginations to visualize

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnut



Spinach and Artichoke Dip...Low Fat...yeah you read that right!

Taco Salad

So I just realized that tomorrow (March 7th) will be the one year anniversary of this blog. How fitting since the first entry was Tacos and this entry is a Taco Salad.

Its no secret that I am not a fan of a salad as a meal but this managed to slip under my radar. I was thinking back to how much I enjoyed the leftovers of last years tacos, in a salad form.

I sauteed some ground beef with onions, green peppers, tomatoes and taco seasoning. I added a little bit of ketchup in to moisten everything up a bit. Than i layered lettuce, shredded cheese, corn, salsa and the hot beef mixture. It was very filling and really good.

Asian Glazed...Things

I had some frozen chicken breasts in the freezer and a package of frozen grilled veggies (M&M Meats...they're REALLY GOOD!!). I decided to play around with a sauce for the chicken. The end result ended up being really yummy and went even better on the vegetables than the chicken. I didn't really measure but here's an approximation of the proportions I used

• equal parts balsamic vinegar, soy sauce
• lots of garlic, some ginger (minced)
• a few tsps sugar
• Sriracha hot sauce (I think I used a few tbsp)
• Water and cornstarch depending on the consistency you want

YUM!!! The hot sauce really added a great kick. I will make this again, maybe even just with some veggies and rice!

Arancini Casserole

I saw this on my favourite recipe site and decided to make it the very next day. I've only recently discovered Arancini, and I must admit that I have a hard time passing it up whenever I see it on a menu somewhere. For those who aren't familiar with them they are an Italian Risotto Ball that is rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. There is absolutely nothing low fat or healthy about them but they are so worth every bite.

This casserole was a labour of love and took a few hours to make. You could cut down the prep time by using left over risotto and pre-made or leftover tomato sauce. I chose to make it all from scratch. I think I also could have cut down on some of the rice and increased the cheese in the rice mixture...but that would have negated the "healthed up" version.

It was a layered casserole with breadcrumbs, rice mixed with cheese and a bit of tomato sauce, a mixture of ground chicken, mushrooms, peas, carrots, tomatoes, tomato sauce, on top of that went some more cheese, the rest of the rice mixture, tomato sauce, cheese and breadcrumbs.

We enjoyed this with a simple side salad. It even made so much that I have a whole extra casserole in my freezer just waiting for a weeknight dinner.

Light Boneless Wings and Zucchini Fries

I was craving wings and fries but not only are both high fat and low flavour but neither can be properly duplicated at home without the use of a full on deep fryer (which I don't have...and not matter how much I might want one I will never get one). So instead I made a zucchini fry by breading them in some whole wheat breadcrumbs and baking. I made a quick spicy marinara sauce to dip them in.

The chicken I marinated in some franks red hot, a bunch of oregano, garlic powder, chili powder and paprika. I baked it in the oven along side the zucchini fries and when it was done I tossed it in some more franks red hot. It was just boneless, skinless breasts so it cooked in no time at all. Served it with brussel sprouts (Clutterbuck's favourite veggie).

Spinach Balls

Before I even made these I had requests for this recipe. Thankfully, they turned out as I imagined. This batch made about 24 golf ball size balls. I think I might make them a bit smaller next time. I made these and froze most of them in batches of 4. I plan to take them for lunch this week, but they will make fantastic appetizers or finger foods the next time I need either. I just need to figure out a dipping sauce that will go nicely with them. Here's the recipe, it definitely goes under successes in my books!

• 2 packages of frozen spinach, thawed and drained but still moist
• 1 large egg
• 2 egg whites
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 package of chicken stuffing mix (I used low sodium)
• 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup of olive oil (I used a combo of olive oil and roasted garlic oil)
• Salt and Pepper

I added all of the ingredients to one bowl and mixed them together.


I formed them into balls by hand and baked them in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. I then packaged them up in individual batches and froze them.

I'm not sure how I will reheat them but I'm thinking I might just thaw them overnight and then toast them for a few minutes in an oven or a toaster oven.

I've been really struggling recently with cooking. On the one hand I'm feeling bored with all the usual recipes that are in regular rotation, but on the other hand nothing new has jumped out at me and I haven't felt very adventurous. I try to cook a big batch of something on Saturday night to do double duty as lunches and dinners for the following week. These totally fit the bill and they are a great departure from the usual batch of soup, pasta or slow cooked meat casserole.

Pasta Fagioli

This was TO DIE FOR!!!! I'm not quite sure why I haven't made it before. I think its largely because I still forget that I actually like beans (which is the fagioli part for those who don't know). Yet another ingredient I would have turned my nose up at until recently.

It was love at first bite for Clutterbuck....the boy loves beans...perhaps a little too much. I used two cans of beans in this recipe. One I pureed to thicken the broth (why didn't I think of that sooner??) and the other I added whole. The rest of the ingredients were:

• Onions and garlic, finely chopped (actually pre-chopped...what a lifesaver!)
• Celery and carrot, finely chopped
• 2 cans of white kidney beans
• 1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
• Chicken stock (or veggie if you want a completely veggie friendly meal)
• A cup or so of water
• A parmesan cheese rind....we eat enough of this that I have them on hand anytime I make a stock
• Bay leaf
• Tbsp fresh chopped basil
• Tbsp oregano
• Some parsley if you want....I rarely use parsley...it has little to no taste and does nothing other than make a garnish....in my opinion
  
• Short pasta. I used Canneroni but you could use anything
  

I pretty much just followed the regular soup process after that. I sweated the veggies in a soup pot, added the liquids, pureed beans, spices, parmesan rind, let it all simmer for a few hours. A while before it was time to eat I added the pasta and the second can of white kidney beans, let them cook in the stock and served it hot with some grated cheese on top.

This will definitely make it into regular rotation at the Smart-Clutterbuck household.

Veggie-Friendly Dinner

Creamless Cream of Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Cauliflower Fritters



This was a completely unintentional veggie meal. I haven't made this soup in a few years and I finally had a bunch of broccoli to use up. I saw the fritters recipe a while ago and have wanted to make them. I happened to have a head of broccoli and a head of cauliflower in the fridge...it was fate. They were a perfect match.

The broccoli soup is so easy. Just simmer the stems of the broccoli in some stalk (I used Chicken) with some onions, garlic and a few grated potatoes. Once everything has softened add any desired seasonings (I use nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper) and puree with an immersion blender. When its time to eat just heat it up and add some sharp cheddar cheese and the reserved broccoli florets. The potatoes give it a really creamy texture without the added fat of milk or cream.

The cauliflower fritters were awesome but ALOT heavier than we were expecting. I served up 3 each but we could only eat 2. I had a bunch of batter left over and made a few more for lunch.

All in all this was a totally successful meal, which is good because we have lots leftover.

Pasta with Wild Mushrooms and Baby Spinach

This was FANTASTIC! I will definitely be making this again and SOON.

I bought some dried porcini mushrooms and re-hydrated them in some chicken stock. While they were soaking I sauteed some finely chopped onions, garlic, fresh button mushrooms and cherry tomatoes in some garlic oil. I chopped up the now re-hydrated porcinis and threw them into the mix.

Once it was all heated through I added the porcini/chicken liquid and a little cornstarch to the pan and let it simmer until thickened.

I served it over some fresh fettuccine and baby spinach. The fresh pasta soaked up the sauce beautifully and the heat of it all wilted the spinach just enough.

This dish reminds me so much of something I have ordered (more than once) in a restaurant, but for the life of me, I can't think of where.

I will for sure be making this again.

I figured it out!

I went with the stir fry. If you can get over all the chopping (which wine helps with) its such an easy dish.
I opted for a veggie version. I'll happily leave meat out of dishes whenever possible. Not because I don't like meat, but just because it automatically simplifies the cooking.
The only thing that can be good or bad about dishes like stir frys is that the end result is always different. This one happened to be really yummy. I used a little chili garlic sauce, lots of garlic and ginger and a little teryaki sauce. It was perfectly spicy and not too saucy.
Clutterbuck, who had previously decided he would have only salad for dinner (weirdo), even opted to have a full serving.

Pasta with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Very Yummy and incredibly simple. I sauteed some mushrooms and cooked asparagus in some garlic oil and chilies. Tossed in some cooked pasta, a bit of the asparagus water, lots of parmesan cheese and an egg yolk. Voila a creamy but not CREAMy sauce.
Can't wait to try this again with whatever other veggies I have on hand.

Chana Masala and Roses

I made Indian last night. Chana Masala with onions and peppers, some steamed veg. and of course Naan (why else would anyone eat Indian?)

It was great and very easy.

However, the best part was being surprised with some beautiful flowers from Clutterbuck. He's a keeper!