Banana-Raisin Muffins

I stumbled across this recipe as I was frantically searching for my sister-in-law's banana bread recipe tonight so that I could use up two over-ripe bananas. I figured I might as well try something new since the inexperienced bagger at Hugo's put my fresh bananas in a plastic bag with four pounds of pears and under three pounds of baby yukon gold potatoes (trust me... I've already shared my grievance with management). That means I have over-ripe and bruised bananas coming probably by tomorrow. Disgust for the sheer lack of respect towards food aside, these lovely muffins just came out of my oven. In fact, I might even sample one before I'm done writing this post.

Banana-Raisin Muffins

2 c. Cheerios cereal, coarsely crushed

1 1/4 c. flour

1/3 c. brown sugar, lightly packed

2 1/2 t. baking powder

1 c. (2 medium) bananas, mashed

1 c. raisins

2/3 c. skim milk

3 T. canola oil

1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line or spray 12 regular size muffin cups. In a large bowl, mix crushed Cheerios, flour, brown sugar, and baking powder. Add wet ingredients and stir just until moistened. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 18-22 minutes.

Yield: 12 muffins (5P+)

PS: Yep... these are delish! Very moist, yet a little crunch from the cereal. This one's a keeper. And just because I was curious, you could substitute 3 3/4 oz. (roughly 2/3 c. ) mini chocolate chips for the raisins and it doesn't change the point value. =)

OH! This just in... I played with the recipe a bit online, and if you substitute 3 T. unsweetened applesauce for the oil it drops the points to 4P+. That even leaves room for a tablespoon of Smart Balance or light butter on your muffin. Yee haw!! =)

Fruit Salad

I served this fruit salad at a breakfast meeting this summer. I was able to make the salad ahead of time without the bananas, then all I had to do was fold them in before serving. Strawberries will bleed into the creamy yellow color of the salad, so use red-type fruits at your own risk. =)

Fruit Salad

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks in juice, rinsed and drained

1 (16 oz.) can sliced peaches in juice, drained

1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained

3 medium bananas, sliced

2 medium apples, diced

1 small box sugar free instant vanilla pudding

1 1/4 c. skim milk

3 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

3/4 c. fat free sour cream

In a large bowl, beat pudding, milk and orange juice concentrate until well blended. Mix in sour cream. Fold in fruit (except bananas). Chill. Fold in bananas just before serving.

Yield: 12 servings (3P+)

Zucchini Skillet

The gardens are in full harvest now, and if your kitchen is like mine, you've got fresh zucchini in your fridge about every three to four days. I used to think it was only good in baked goods (zucchini spice bars, zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini cake with mint frosting...). Turns out it's delicious in main dishes as well.

I can not take credit for this masterpiece. My good friend Kelly was kind enough to pass this one on to me. What made me want to try it the most was how animated her husband became when she mentioned the dish. Most men don't get easily excited about vegetables, so I knew this one was going to be good. The result? "Good" is an understatement! "Amazing" might be closer. Plus, the longer we talked about the dish the more versatile it became. The dish didn't really have a name or a specific recipe; you just use what you have on hand. The following recipe is how I made it... feel free to add or subtract as your produce drawer allows.

Zucchini Skillet

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, rough chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium zucchini, quartered and cut into chunks

2 packages whole mushrooms, quartered

1 can diced tomatoes, mostly drained

1 1/2 c. finely shredded mozzarella

In a large, deep skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove half of the grease. Add the onion and garlic to the pan until soft. Add the mushrooms and zucchini. Saute vegetables until crisp-tender (add back 1 T. of bacon grease if necessary). Stir in tomatoes and cook until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with cheese and cook to melt just before serving.

Notes: Kelly mentioned that she uses the above preparation for a side dish. You could easily make it the main dish by omitting the bacon (and using olive or canola oil for the sauteing), adding a grilled, sliced chicken breast, and serving it over cooked pasta. You can substitute the canned tomatoes for fresh diced or cherry tomatoes. You could even use parmesan instead of mozzarella. Personally, the underlying smokiness from the bacon is what makes the dish.

Yield: 8 servings (5 P+)

Italian Lentil Soup

The challenge at WW this week is to eat ONE meatless meal. I joked about it at my table and tried to forget about it as I walked through the door on the way out with an over the shoulder comment like, "I'm definitely a carnivore." Then I stumbled across this recipe in my Taste of Home: Healthy Cooking magazine. I had all of the ingredients on hand, so I figured why not? Turns out that it is a hearty meal and filling for a low points value. We've got some cooler nights coming with the onset of fall in the Northland, so this soup just might be a welcome addition to your autumn repertoire.

Italian Lentil Soup

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. olive oil

3 1/4 c. water

1 can (14 oz.) vegetable broth

1 c. dried lentils, picked over and rinsed

3 medium carrots, sliced thin

1 small green pepper, chopped

1 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. dried basil

1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

1 T. lemon juice

2 c. prepared brown rice, optional

In a dutch oven, saute onion and garlic until tender. Add water, broth, lentils, carrot, green pepper, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes longer, or until lentils are tender. To serve, place 1/3 c. rice in the bottom of bowl and ladle soup over top.

Yield: 6 (1 1/3 c.) servings (4 P+ without rice; 6 P+ with rice)

Taco Junk

It's in the crock pot as I write this. I got this recipe from my Weight Watchers leader; she even gave me a take-home sample. It's yummy, and oh, so easy.

Taco Junk

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 can corn, drained (I rinse too, to lower sodium.)

1 can Northern beans, drained and rinsed

2 envelopes dry Ranch dressing mix

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 (16 oz.) jar salsa

Brown and drain the beef. Add beef and remaining ingredients to the crock pot. Heat on low until heated through. Serve on tortillas, taco shells, with lettuce or chips... you decide!

Yield: 10 (1/2 c.) servings (3P+)

Banana Bread

This is a good thing, and not a good thing. I love banana bread. No really, I LOVE it. If it's around, I'll eat it. It is my drug; once I start, I can't stop. My saving grace all these years has been that I just can't make banana bread, so I can only have it when someone I know makes it and offers it to me. Every endeavor has failed... until now. My sister-in-law urged me to try this recipe, and I obliged grudgingly. The bad news is that it turned out, perfectly. Great. Now I'll find myself allowing the bananas to over-ripen just so that I can make another batch.

Banana Bread

1 1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. mashed bananas (3 medium)

1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk

1 t. vanilla

2 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

Arrange the oven racks so that the top of the loaf pans will be in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottoms only of two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2" loaf pans; set them aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and beat until fluffy. Mix in the bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla (gently at first) until incorporated. Mix in the flour, soda, and salt just until moist. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (If you're using a dark loaf pan, I would suggest checking it at 45-50 minutes.) Allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove and transfer to a rack until completely cool.

Yield: 2 loaves; each loaf yields 14 1/2" slices (4P+ per slice)

Oatmeal Cake

This recipe is my Grandma Shirley's. I believe a part of her lives on in my sheer enjoyment for and delight in cooking and baking. This cake brings back so many memories of her. I hope you enjoy it. =)

Cake:

1 1/2 c. boiling water

1 c. quick oats

1/2 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 1/3 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

Topping:

6 T. butter

1/2 c. white sugar

1 c. chopped pecans

1/4 c. evaporated milk

Pour boiling water over oats and butter. Let stand until butter is melted. Mix in both sugars and eggs. Mix in dry ingredients until incorporated. Pour into greased 9x13” cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Last five minutes of baking, prepare topping. Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Pour over hot cake. Broil cake and topping until it’s bubbly and crunchy (2-3 minutes; watch closely!).