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A Sweet Taste of Nostalgia
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Cinnamon Hearts Peachy Breakfast Muffins Grilled Fruit With Strawberry Dip
Eating Well Kitchen Tips
For Redesigning Your Favoriate Baked Goods 1. Substitute fruit purées
for fat:
Recipes can easily be converted into lower-fat versions when a fruit purée, such as prune
purée or apple or pear butter is used to replace much, but not all of the oil or butter. You’ll have to experiment with your recipes,
but we’ve found that 75% purée and 25% oil or butter to be a pretty reliable ratio. 2. Flour: Low fat baked goods will be more tender
if you switch from all-purpose flour to cake flour. Milled from soft wheat, cake flour
contains less gluten than all-purpose flour, which comes from hard wheat. Gluten turns
baked goods tough and elastic, which is OK in yeast breads, but not in quick breads or
cakes. To boost the fiber content in quick breads or muffins, replace about half of the
wheat flour (all-purpose or cake flour) with whole-wheat pastry flour. 3. Flavor: Modifying recipes is a two-step process. After you have substituted low fat ingredients for high fat ones, you need to pay attention to flavor. Without the fat to carry the flavor, low fat baked goods tend to be bland. Generally, we double the quantity of vanilla in a recipe (always use pure vanilla extract). You can safely increase spices by as much as 50%. Experiment cautiously until you find the right taste for your recipe. 4. Cocoa: Using unsweetened cocoa powder, rather
than chocolate for flavoring chocolate desserts, cuts the fat dramatically. One ounce of
semisweet chocolate contains 8 grams of fat, while 3 Tablespoons of cocoa powder has only
1.5 grams of fat. Dutch-process cocoa produces a richer flavor in low fat baked goods,
resulting in a mellower chocolate flavor with a darker color. 5. Sour cream substitutes: In recipes for cakes,
muffins and quick breads, replace sour cream with plain or vanilla nonfat yogurt, or
nonfat sour cream. This will save you 24 grams of fat per cup! Reduced-fat sour cream is
also an option, but you will save less fat. 6. Nuts: Many varieties contribute a distinctive
flavor and appealing crunchy texture to baked goods. Although nuts are high in fat,
containing about 15 grams per ounce, the type of fat is mostly unsaturated. Rather than eliminating nuts from your recipes,
use smaller quantities, cut them into a smaller dice to allow them to distribute more
evenly throughout the recipe, and toast them to intensify the flavor.
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When I think of comfort food, I don’t think of chicken soup
or macaroni and cheese or even mashed potatoes and gravy. I think of sweets with a capital
“S.” I remember the wonderful aromas from my mother’s tiny kitchen, wending their way through a small home in Casa Grande, Arizona -- An aromatic promise of the delectable desserts that were sure to follow each evening meal. My mother was a wonderful cook, much of her culinary expertise gleaned from many years of waiting tables in various family dinner houses. I remember Saturday mornings, when Petry’s Bakery truck would come down our street. Mama, and her neighbor Alice, would gorge themselves on sweet delights over steaming mugs of coffee, which barely left their lips long enough to indulge in the latest neighborhood gossip. Growing up with such an orientation to sweet anticipation did not make life easy for a pudgy teen. Now that I’ve marched straight into my “golden years,” I’m much more aware of the value of good nutrition for better health. I also know that balance in all things offers the greatest satisfaction in life. One of the wonderful things about being human is that we have the opportunity to make choices, and if we want an occasional sweet treat, then we should be able to feel OK about choosing to have one. Too often we set impossibly high expectations for ourselves and when we don't measure up, we feel guilty. Guilt is unproductive and a waste of time. With the help of a certified nutritionist or registered dietitian to develop an individual meal plan to accommodate your diabetes and medical history, you can have your treats without feeling guilty. Balance is the way nature intended for things to be, and once we learn to accept ourselves and our illnesses as they are, it will become easier to keep everything in balance.
From Mother’s Day to Memorial Day, we’ll be celebrating
many occasions where food will be an important part of each event. With the help of some
simple guidelines from the Eating Well Test
Kitchen (see sidebar), I learned long ago how to modify my mother’s
delicious baked goods that I so loved in my childhood. I've included those guidelines
below so you, too, can become adept at turning your own favorite recipes into sweet tastes
of nostalgia. Happy Mother's Day, Mama!!
Ed Note: My mother left
us much too soon, passing away in October 1974. She loved to cook and there wasn't
anything she wouldn't attempt to create. She left a wonderful legacy of culinary
expertise, especially her desserts, and this is my special tribute to her ©April 2005 by Marilyn
Helton Bread Pudding: 4 cups (about 6 slices)
French bread, cut in 1-inch cubes, divided In a small bowl, combine the applesauce, raisins, caramel flavoring and nutmeg. Blend well and spoon evenly over the bread cubes. Top with remaining 2 cups of bread cubes.
Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk in the sugar, vanilla, and
cinnamon; gradually whisk in the milk and pour over the bread cubes; let stand for 10
minutes while you prepare the topping. Topping: 1/4 cup all-purpose flour Per Serving: 181 Cal; 4 g Total Fat (1 g Sat Fat); 31 g
Carb; 51 mg Cholesterol; 163 mg Sodium; 5 g Protein; 1 g Dietary Fiber. Dietary Exchanges:
1 Starch; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat. CHEWY
PINEAPPLE PECAN SQUARES
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with
nonstick vegetable cooking spray.
Stir flours, sugar & margarine together until mixture is
finely crumbled. Stir in nuts. Press 2 cups of flour mixture onto bottom of prepared 13- x
9-inch pan.
Stir cinnamon, baking soda & salt into remaining flour
mixture. Beat in egg, vanilla, light sour cream and vanilla yogurt until blended. Stir in
pineapple. Pour batter evenly over pressed flour mixture in pan. Bake in preheated oven
for 40 minutes, or until batter pulls away from sides of pan. Cool slightly before
cutting. Makes 24 Squares. Per Square: 164 Cal; 4 g Total Fat; 31
g Carb; 6 mg Cholesterol; 133 mg Sodium; 2 g Protein. Dietary Exchanges: 1 Bread/Starch; 1
Fat. CINNAMON
HEARTS PEACHY BREAKFAST MUFFINS 1 cup all-purpose flour *Available
from Penzeys Spices @ www.penzeys.com **Available from Kitchen Krafts @ www.kitchenkrafts.com Preheat oven to 375°F. Use a nonstick muffin tin, or line 12 muffin cups with paper baking cups, or grease bottoms only of regular muffin tin.
In a large bowl, combine first six ingredients, mixing well.
In a medium bowl, combine all remaining ingredients, mixing well.
Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Divide batter
evenly among the muffin cups.
Bake for 14-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center
comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan & serve warm. Makes 12 muffins. Per muffin: 180 Cal; 5 g Total Fat; 29
g Carb; 19 mg Cholesterol; 220 mg Sodium. Dietary Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fruit; 1 Fat. MAMA'S LEMON
PUDDING CAKE 3 large eggs, separated Preheat oven to 350°F. Set a spray-coated soufflé dish or other straight-sided baking dish in a larger baking pan that is at least 2-inches deep; set aside.
In a deep bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on high
speed until foamy. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup of the sugar; continue to beat until whites
hold short, distinct peaks. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine butter, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, lemon
peel and egg yolks. Beat on high speed until mixture is thick and lemon-colored. Stir in
buttermilk, lemon juice and flour. Add about 1/4 of the egg whites to batter; stir to mix well. Gently, but thoroughly, fold in remaining whites. Pour batter into prepared soufflé dish. Set dish in baking pan on middle rack of oven. Pour boiling water into baking pan up to the level of the batter. Bake about 1 hour, until the top of the pudding is a rich brown and center feels firm when lightly pressed, Serve pudding hot or cool, spooning portions up from bottom of dish to get the lemon sauce that has formed beneath the pudding. Yield: 6 Servings. Per Serving: 187 Cal; 5 g Total Fat (1
g Sat Fat); 32 g Carb; 108 mg Cholesterol; 100 mg Sodium; 5 g Protein. Dietary Exchanges:
2 Starch (Other Carb); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Fat. COFFEE TOFFEE BROWNIES 1/2 cup margarine Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13- x 9- x 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small saucepan (or in a microwave oven for 1 minute in a
suitable container), melt the margarine and brown sugar over low heat. Combine the instant
coffee with the hot water to dissolve, and combine with the brown sugar mixture in a
mixing bowl. Stir and cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla; mix into
the brown sugar mixture. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir into the brown
sugar mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 30 to 35
minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not
overcook! Cool in the pan and cut into squares. Makes 48 Brownies. Per Brownie: 84 Cal; 3 g Total Fat (1 g
Sat Fat); 14 g Carb; 9 mg Cholesterol; 87 mg Sodium; 1 g Protein; 00 g Dietary Fiber.
Dietary Exchanges: 1 Other Carb (Starch); 1 Fat. BREAKFAST BANANA SPLIT 1 medium ripe banana, peeled and cut in
half Place 1 banana half in each of 2 shallow soup bowls or banana split dishes. Top each banana with 1/4 cup of cottage cheese. Arrange the orange sections over and around the cottage cheese. Purée the raspberries in a food processor or blender until smooth. Drizzle over the fruit and cottage cheese. Serve at once. Makes 2 Servings. Tip: To keep breakfast preparation to a
minimum, section the orange and purée the raspberries the night before, and store in the
refrigerator until ready to use. Per Serving: 140 Cal; <1 g Total
Fat; 27 g Carb; 5 mg Cholesterol; 186 mg Sodium; 9 g Protein; 4 g Dietary Fiber. Joslin
Exchanges: 1 Very Lean Protein; 2 Fruit (2 Carbs). RAISIN-CINNAMON ROLLS 1 (16 ounce) loaf frozen bread dough,
thawed Roll dough into a 14- x 8-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Brush surface with two tablespoons melted margarine. Combine sugar, cinnamon, raisins, almonds and lemon rind. Sprinkle over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Starting with the long side, roll up jellyroll fashion. Pinch seam to seal, but do not seal the ends.
Cut the roll into 12 slices. Place in a lightly greased 9-inch
square pan. Brush with the remaining margarine. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let rise in a warm
place (85 degrees) free from drafts, for 50 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at
350°F degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle the icing over warm rolls. Yield 12 Rolls. Per Roll: 109 Cal; 5 g Total Fat; 17 g
Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 69 mg Sodium; 1 g Protein. Dietary Exchanges: 1 Other Carb; 1
Fat. BOWL OF BERRIES 1 pound strawberries, stems removed and
sliced
In a serving bowl, toss together the strawberries and
blueberries. In another small bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, orange juice,
and lemon juice, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the fruit and gently toss
to combine. Makes 8 Servings. Per Serving: 83 Cal; 00 g Total Fat; 21
g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 4 mg Sodium; 1 g Protein; 3 g Dietary Fiber. Dietary Exchanges:
1/2 Other Carb; 1 Fruit. ORANGE CARAMEL FLAN
1/2 cup sugar, divided
Preheat oven to 300°F.
In a heavy, small saucepan, mix 1/4 cup sugar with the water.
Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Increase the
heat, and boil without stirring until the sugar turns deep golden brown, swirling the pan
occasionally. Immediately pour the caramel into six 6-ounce custard cups. Carefully tilt
the cups slightly, covering as much of the bottom (but not the sides) as possible. Set the
cups aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, orange juice concentrate, and
remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Gradually whisk in both the milks and the extracts. Divide the
custard among the prepared cups.
Place the cups in a large baking pan. Add enough hot water to the
pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake in preheated oven until the custards
are set, about 80 minutes.
Remove the cups from the water. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to serve, run a small, sharp knife around the custard sides to loosen. Invert a
custard onto each dessert plate, or eat from the cup. Makes 6 Servings. Per Serving: 182 Cal; 3 g Total Fat (1
g Sat Fat); 30 g Carb; 109 mg Cholesterol; 116 mg Sodium; 9 g Protein. Dietary Exchanges:
1 Starch (Other Carb); 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Skim Milk. BERRY TRIFLE 1/2 cup sugar In a medium saucepan,
stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Gradually add the milk, stirring until smooth.
Stir in the beaten egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the
mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat, boil gently for 2 minutes, and remove from the
heat. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the vanilla, and refrigerate until chilled.
Cut the pound cake into 1-inch slices. Arrange half of the slices
on bottom of a trifle bowl or a deep glass bowl. Spread the raspberry jam over the slices
and drizzle with the orange liqueur. Layer with half the berries, half the chilled
custard, and half the whipped topping. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients,
beginning with the pound cake and ending with the whipped topping. Top with the toasted
almonds. Makes 16 Servings. Note: Nutritional analysis is
calculated using homemade custard. Per Serving: 181 Cal; 2 g Total Fat; 36
g Carb; 27 mg Cholesterol; 98 mg Sodium; 3 g Protein; 2 g Dietary Fiber. Dietary
Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit; 2 Starch. FRUIT SALSA
QUESADILLAS
1 cup chopped peeled peaches
Preheat oven to 475°F. Prepare Salsa: Place peaches, berries, cilantro (if using), honey and green onions in a medium bowl and mix well.
Prepare Tortillas: In
the center of each tortilla, place 2 tablespoons shredded cheese and about 1/4 cup salsa.
Fold over and place a toothpick at the end to hold the tortilla together. Repeat with
remaining tortillas.
Place filled tortillas on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for
about 4 to 7 minutes, or until lightly browned and the cheese is melted. Serve
immediately. Makes 12 Servings. Per Serving: 178 Cal; 5 g Total Fat (2
g Sat Fat); 26 g Carb; 10 mg Cholesterol; 234 mg Sodium; 7 g Protein; 3 g Dietary Fiber.
Dietary Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Fruit; 1 Lean Meat; 1 Fat. GRILLED
FRUIT WITH STRAWBERRY DIP 8 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese Prepare Dip: In a
blender, purée cheese, strawberries, yogurt and ginger together until smooth. Refrigerate
for 2 hours before grilling fruit.
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