Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Pops

   

    Happy May 21st! This month's recipe redux theme is DIY kitchen essentials. With the warmer weather upon us I decided to make one of my summer kitchen essentials...popsicles.  When the summer months come I am always looking for a cold treat.  Unlike my husband who can eat ice cream every night, I prefer something a bit healthier on occasion.  So I created my Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Pops to indulge in without the guilt.  And get this, there are only two ingredients in this recipe and I bet you have both in your refrigerator right now. All you need is Greek yogurt and fruit. I used vanilla Greek yogurt and blueberries, but whatever flavor combination you like, go for it!

    This recipe ended up requiring a lot of improvisation and creativity. For one, I lost my Popsicle molds and, two I didn't have Popsicle sticks. But turns out a muffin tin is a great Popsicle mold.  Sure, the shape is different but I actually had an easier time getting them out than I did using the molds. Also, the colorful straws I had added the perfect pop of color and held up the Popsicles just fine.

    These popsicles make a great dessert, but are equally as healthy for a cold breakfast on a hot summer morning or as a cool afternoon snack. And if one isn't enough, go for a second. I promise you won't be judged. :)

Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Pops
Servings: 3

Ingredients

• 1 cup vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (can substitute with other fruits)

Directions

1. Mix blueberries into yogurt and evenly spoon mixture into 6 muffin cup tins.

2. Place a 3-inch cut straw or Popsicle stick into each.

3. Place muffin tin in freezer for at least 3 hours. Remove and let sit on the counter for 5 minutes to make it easier to remove pops from muffin tin.

4. Enjoy or place in air tight container in thefreezer and enjoy throughout the summer!

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Baked Coconut Chicken with Cauliflower Fried Rice

After many weekends of escaping to the mountains to ski and enjoy all this lovely snow we have in New England, I finally had a weekend free to spend in the kitchen creating a healthy version of a classic take out food.

My Baked Coconut Chicken with Cauliflower Fried Rice is inspired by my husbands love for Chinese Food. Although delicious, fried rice can be salty and high in calories and fat. For a healthy version, I cut down on the calories and bumped up the nutrients just by switching the rice for cauliflower and used lower sodium soy sauce and less oil to reduce the salt and fat. These simple changes cut down the calories from carbohydrates and fat by over half! A typical 1 cup serving of fried rice is about 230 calories while my version is only 100 calories a serving (not including the chicken).

Cauliflower is definitely a popular food these days because of its nutrient content and versatility in the kitchen. Cauliflower is packed with fiber and antioxidants and is low in calories and carbohydrates, working great as a substitute for rice, potatoes and even pizza crust! After making cauliflower rice I am addicted and so is my hubby!

As a pairing for the cauliflower rice I added baked coconut chicken. I used corn flakes instead of breadcrumbs to give the chicken the crunch and crispy texture of fried chicken without all the added fat. The coconut adds to the texture as well as give this dish a tropical feel and taste.  Considering how juicy and moist the chicken came out, I think it will be making a frequent appearance in my house!

   





This recipe is great because you can use just about any vegetables you have left over in the fridge or freezer. The only time consuming part is preparing the cauliflower and chicken, so if you are able to do some of the prep the night before you will save yourself some valuable time putting it all together.

Baked Coconut Chicken with Cauliflower Fried Rice

Servings: 4 

Ingredients

Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts 
• 1/2 cup crushed corn flakes
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg

Cauliflower Rice

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil 
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup snap peas
• ½ cup bean spouts
• 1 cup frozen mix vegetables
• 3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 eggs
• scallions, for garnish 

Sauce

• 1/3 cup light coconut milk 
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce 
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional for a bit of heat)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. For chicken: Mix corn flakes, shredded coconut, and salt. Set aside in a bowl. Add egg to another bowl and whisk. Filet chicken (cut in half lengthwise). Cut chicken into small chunks, and thin slightly with meat tenderizer (optional). Dip each piece of chicken into egg then cornflake mixture. Place coated chicken on a cookie sheet then bake in oven for 15-20 minutes.
3. For Cauliflower Rice: While chicken is cooking prepare cauliflower rice. First remove stems from cauliflower, then in batches process florets in food processor. In a large skillet or wok, over medium heat add coconut oil and sesame then add onion, garlic and cauliflower and cook for 5-8 minutes. Then add in snap peas, bean sprouts and frozen mix vegetables and cook for another 5-8 minutes. Add in soy sauce and mix to combine. Make a well in the middle of your rice and add the eggs. Scramble eggs until cooked, then stir eggs into rice.
4. For Sauce: Mix ingredients in a small bowl then add into another saute pan to heat. Add in cooked chicken and coat with sauce.  

5. Serve chicken over cauliflower rice and top with scallions as a garnish.



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Strawberry Banana Mini Muffins

            This strawberry banana mini muffin recipe was inspired by my mission to clean out our fridge and pantry before moving this past month. One of my biggest pet peeves is throwing away food, so I tend to make a lot of meals and recipes using left over odds and ends. For this recipe not only was I able to use up the remaining frozen bananas and strawberries but I was able to finish up our remaining flour and yogurt.  The yogurt was a fun healthy twist to help cut down on the fat, bump up the protein and help keep the muffins moist. These muffins were of course delicious and nutritious, so needless to say, there were none left by the time we moved out! Enjoy :)


Strawberry Banana Mini Muffins

Makes: 24 mini muffins

Servings: 12 (2 muffins)
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

·         1 cup whole-wheat flour

·         1 cup all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         ½ teaspoon cinnamon

·         4 large ripe bananas (~ 2 cups mashed)

·         ½ cup packed light brown sugar

·         ¼ cup vegetable oil

·         1 large egg

·         ½ cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt

·         2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·         1 ¼ cup chopped strawberries

Directions

1.       Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.       Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease with oil spray.

3.       In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

4.       Peel the bananas and mash with a fork. Place the mashed bananas in a large bowel. Add the brown sugar, oil, egg, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.

5.       Slowly stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries.

6.       Fill muffin liners ¾ full. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

7.       Transfer muffins to wire rack to cool. Store, covered, at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Information (per 2 muffins): 190 Calories, 5 grams Fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 67 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 4 grams protein

Carrot Pineapple Coconut Muffins

This recipe was inspired by my love for carrot cake! I wanted to make this treat healthy and satisfying enough that it could be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert. For a fun seasonal twist,  I added pineapple and coconut to the muffin mix . To cut down on the calories, I used applesauce in place of some of the fat and cut back on the added sugar.

Baking this weekend also gave me the chance to play around with the new fancy camera I got for my birthday!  I think the pictures came out pretty well for my first try :)


Carrot Pineapple Coconut Muffins

Ingredients

•    1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
•  1 teaspoons baking powder
•  ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• ¼ cup milk, fat-free (can substitute with coconut or almond milk)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups carrot, grated (about 4 medium carrots)
•  ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
•  1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into ¼-inch dice or “tidbit” size -or- use canned pineapple tidbits, drained -or- 1 cup frozen pineapple tidbits

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or place cupcake wrappers in a standard-size, 12-cup muffin pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together applesauce, milk, brown sugar, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract.

4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk just until all ingredients are incorporated. Gently stir in the carrots, coconut, and pineapple.

5. Divide the mixture between the muffin cups. Cups should be filled to the top.

6. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until muffin tops spring back when poked and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

7. Allow to cool for 5 – 10 minutes before removing from the muffin tin. Serve plain for breakfast or with pineapple cream cheese glaze for dessert (recipe below).

8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 – 3 days, or freeze.

Nutrition Information (per muffin): 192 calories, 30 grams carb, 6 grams fat, 3 grams protein


To make these muffins into a sweet treat, top with my pineapple cream cheese glaze!

Pineapple Cream Cheese Glaze
(makes enough to frost 12 muffins)

Ingredients
-1/2 cup,1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened)
-1/2 cup powdered sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-3 tablespoons pineapple juice

Instructions: Whisk together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Then whisk in vanilla and pineapple juice.

 Nutrition Information (per frosted muffin): 229 calories, 35 grams carb, 7 grams fat, 4 grams protein