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This delicious recipe is from Cooking Light.com and it is perfect for the holidays! Enjoy!

This pie’s strength lies in the amalgamation of many different textures and flavors. Crisp pear and tart cranberries are held in an ooey-gooey brown-sugar filling, topped with a crunchy, nutty streusel. Using a premade crust means there’s almost no work involved. Assembly takes maybe five minutes―throw it in the oven, and you’re done.

If you can’t find fresh cranberries, use thawed frozen ones. A prepared pie shell yields a stellar dessert with little effort. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

YIELD: 12 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

COURSE: Desserts, Pies/Pastries

Ingredients

Streusel:

• 3/4 cup regular oats
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash of salt
• 2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• Filling:
• 3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled Anjou pear (2 large)
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Remaining ingredient:
• 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pastry shell

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare streusel, combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

To prepare filling, combine pear, cranberries, 2/3 cup brown sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl; toss well to combine. Spoon pear mixture into pastry shell; sprinkle streusel over pear mixture. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until bubbly and streusel is browned. Cool at least 1 hour on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 240
• Calories from fat: 31%
• Fat: 8.2g
• Saturated fat: 2.4g
• Monounsaturated fat: 3.1g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.8g
• Protein: 1.6g
• Carbohydrate: 41.5g
• Fiber: 2.4g
• Cholesterol: 5mg
• Iron: 0.8mg
• Sodium: 118mg
• Calcium: 27mg

Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Living

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Pork Fajitas with Mango

If you are planning to celebrate Cinco de Mayo next week, here is a delicious healthy recipe from Cooking Light. Enjoy!

By: Marge Perry, Cooking Light, January 2007

Adding just a tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce to the pork at the end of cooking gives the dish just enough of that salty, savory “umami” flavor to balance the sweet mango. Enjoy these fajitas with lime wedges and Mexican beer.

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups pork mixture, 6 tablespoons mango, 1 tablespoon sour cream, and 2 tortillas) COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups julienne-cut red bell pepper, (about 1 medium)                                                                           
• 2 cups julienne-cut green bell pepper, (about 1 medium)
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 8 (8-inch) low-fat flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups diced mango (about 1)
• 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

Preparation

Combine juice, cumin, and pork in a medium bowl, tossing well to coat. Let stand 5 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until done. Remove from pan.

Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add peppers and onion; cook 6 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and pork; cook for 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and sugar; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Warm the tortillas according to package instructions. Serve pork mixture with tortillas, mango, and sour cream.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories:  410
• Calories from fat:  20%
• Fat:  9.1g
• Saturated fat:  2.4g
• Monounsaturated fat:  3.8g
• Polyunsaturated fat:  3.8g
• Protein: 30g
• Carbohydrate:  51.6g
• Fiber:  4.1g
• Cholesterol:  76mg
• Iron:  3.8mg
• Sodium:  579mg
• Calcium:  147mg

[Information Souce, Image Source - Photo: Randy Mayor]

Nowadays, more and more people are turning to gluten-free diets – either because their doctor has advised it or simply because of personal choice. Below is the definition of the term “gluten-free” and is taken from Wikipedia.org:

A gluten-free diet is a diet completely free of gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, malts and triticale. Gluten is also used as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent, often hidden under “dextrin”. A gluten-free diet is the only medically accepted treatment for celiac disease, the related condition deratitis herpetiformis, and wheat allergy.

Additionally, a gluten-free diet may exclude oats. Medical practitioners are divided on whether oats are an allergen to celiac disease sufferers or if they are cross-contaminated in milling facilities by other allergens.

You can read more information about gluten and interesting facts about Celiac disease, a condition directly linked to gluten being in your diet, by clicking here.

The web is a great resource for people who are on gluten-free diets. When you switch over to this special diet, you may find it challenging because of the limitations of ingredients you can use, but after some research, you will find that food can taste just as good if not better than what you have been used to – and the important thing is you will be feeling much healthier! The following gluten-free recipe is from allrecipes.com:

Grilled Mexican Steak

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cumin seeds
• 5 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups olive oil
• 2 bunches cilantro (leaves and stems)
• 1 (3 pound) skirt or flank steak

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cumin seeds
• 5 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups olive oil
• 2 bunches cilantro (leaves and stems)
• 1 (3 pound) skirt or flank steak

Nutritional Information

Servings per recipe:  6

Amount Per Serving

• Calories:  548  
• Total Fat:  45.4g
• Cholesterol:  72mg
• Sodium:  675mg
• Total Carbs:  7.4g
• Dietary Fiber:  2.1g
• Protein:  29.1g

Click here for detailed nutritional information.

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The following recipe is from the Foodnetwork’s Holidays Made Healthy: Smart Indulgences (click here for more delicious healthy holiday recipes from Foodnetwork.com!)

Yes, you can still have a slice of chocolate cheesecake this holiday season — just make Food Network Kitchens’ lightened-up version, with 1-percent cottage cheese in place of most of the cream cheese. By replacing most of the cream cheese in a traditional cheesecake with 1 percent cottage cheese and adding cocoa powder and just a touch of melted chocolate the end result is a silky rich deeply chocolaty dessert.

Ingredients

• Cooking spray

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs, 8 whole sheets
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

Filling:

• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 24 ounces 1 percent cottage cheese
• 8 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Fresh raspberries and mint sprigs, serving suggestion

1. Position the racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven. Put a small roasting pan on the lower rack and fill about 1/3 full of water. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and wrap the outside bottom of the pan with aluminum foil to prevent any leaks.

2. Crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, water, and melted butter in a medium bowl until moistened. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes, while preparing the filling.

3. Filling: Put the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium power until soft and melted, about 1 minute, depending on the power of your oven. Stir until smooth. Puree the cottage cheese in the bowl of a food processor until smooth. Add the cream cheese, sugar, cocoa, and flour and continue to puree, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until smooth. Add the egg, egg whites, espresso, and vanilla and puree until incorporated. Add the melted chocolate and pulse until just combined. Pour over the prepared crust.

4. Put the pan on the upper rack in the oven and bake until just set and the center jiggles slightly, about 50 to 55 minutes. Turn off the oven and let stand in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake to a cooling rack and run a knife around the edge of the pan.

5. Let stand at room temperature until cooled, about 2 hours, and then refrigerate until well chilled, 8 hours or overnight. Let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving. For easier serving, slice with a clean hot knife, wiped clean after each slice. Serve each slice with a few fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Calories 245; Total Fat 9g (Sat Fat 5g, Mono Fat 2g, Poly Fat 0g); Protein 12g; Carb 31 g; Fiber 2g; Cholesterol 36mg; Sodium 373mg

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Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis (Show: Giada at Home / Episode: Mother’s Day Brunch)

 Treat Mom to a sweet breakfast on her special day. Best of all, these recipes are so simple you won’t have to ask for her help.

 Baked French Toast with Blueberries

Cook time: 45 minutes / Yield: 4-6 servings / Level: Easy

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup maple syrup, plus extra for serving
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 lemon, zested
• 3 (1-inch thick) slices (8 ounces) day-old challah or sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cups (12 ounces) fresh or frozen, thawed, and drained blueberries
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions

Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and lemon zest. Add the bread cubes and mix until coated. Stir in the blueberries. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, mix together the remaining cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the egg mixture in an even layer. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden and the filling is set.

Spoon onto serving plates and drizzle with maple syrup.

[Information Source]

Citrus Cream Smoothie

Cook time: 5 minutes / Yield: 6 (8 ounce) servings / Level: Easy

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 1 1/4 cups orange juice
• 2 medium bananas, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons grated orange zest (from 1 large orange)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup ice

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes.

Pour the cooled syrup into a blender. Add the yogurt, orange juice, bananas, orange zest, vanilla extract, and ice. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

[Information Source]

Recipe from Diabetic Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 boneless beef bottom round rump roast or beef bottom round (3 to 3-1/4 pounds)
• 2 packages (24 ounces each) fresh pot roast vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots, celery)
• 2 packages (.75 to .88 ounces each) mushroom or brown gravy mix
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup beer
• Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare pot roast vegetables: cut potatoes in half (or into quarters if large), onions into 1/2-inch wedges, and carrots and celery into 2-inch pieces; set aside.
2. Combine gravy mixes, flour, salt and pepper in large bowl. Add vegetables to bowl; toss to coat well. Remove vegetables from flour mixture and place in 5 to 6-quart slow cooker. Add beef roast to bowl, turning to coat evenly with flour mixture. Remove roast and place in slow cooker in center of vegetables.
3. Whisk beer into remaining flour mixture until smooth; add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 10 to 11 hours, or on HIGH 6 to 7 hours, or until beef and vegetables are fork-tender. (No stirring is necessary during cooking.)
4. Remove roast and vegetables. Skim fat from gravy. Carve roast into thin slices. Serve with vegetables and gravy. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

Calories: 318

Protein: 39 g

Sodium: 516 mg

Cholesterol: 112 mg

Fat: 9 g

Saturated Fat: 3 g

Dietary Fiber: 3 g

Carbohydrates: 17 g

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From EatingWell:  April/May 2005, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005)

10 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Nutrition Profile: Diabetes appropriate – Low calorie – Low cholesterol – Healthy weight – High calcium – High fiber – High potassium

Ingredients

8 ounces whole-wheat lasagna noodles
1 pound lean spicy Italian turkey sausage, casings removed (*see Vegetarian Variation)
4 cups sliced mushrooms, (10 ounces)
1/4 cup water
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably chunky
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese, (2 cups)
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided (continue reading…)

From Eatingwell.com (May/June 2007)

4 servings, about 1 cup each

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile
Low cholesterol – High calcium 

Ingredients

2 ounces pancetta, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar                                                   
1/4 teaspoon salt                                                                                                             
1 pound gnocchi, (see Shopping Tip below)
4 ounces watercress, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped (6 cups packed)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
 

Preparation

1. Put a large pan of water on to boil.

2. Cook pancetta in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, sugar and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are almost completely broken down, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and salt. Remove from the heat.

3. Cook gnocchi in the boiling water until they float, 3 to 5 minutes or according to package directions. Place watercress in a colander and drain the gnocchi over the watercress, wilting it slightly. Add the gnocchi and watercress to the sauce in the pan; toss to combine. Serve immediately, with Parmesan.

Tips & Notes

Shopping Tip: We like the texture of “shelf-stable” prepared gnocchi found in the Italian section of most supermarkets, but frozen and fresh refrigerated gnocchi also work well here.

Nutrition

Per serving: 377 calories; 7 g fat (3 g sat, 1 g mono); 16 mg cholesterol; 63 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 3 g fiber; 686 mg sodium; 329 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Vitamin A (45% dv), Calcium & Iron (15% dv).

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From Eating Well Cookbook (2004)
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Canned evaporated milk—not to be confused with sweetened condensed milk—is a standard ingredient in many pumpkin pie recipes. Making the simple switch from evaporated whole milk to evaporated skim milk lowers the saturated fat in your pie, while maintaining its rich texture.

8 servings
 / Prep Time: 30 minutes / 
Total Time: 3 hours (including pastry time)

Ingredients
Essential EatingWell Pie Pastry, (recipe follows)

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 4 large egg whites, or 8 teaspoons dried egg whites, reconstituted according to package directions
• 1 15-ounce can unseasoned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Prepare Essential EatingWell Pie Pastry; refrigerate as directed.
2. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Coat a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.
3. Whisk sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs and egg whites; whisk until well blended. Add pumpkin, whisking until smooth. Whisk in milk and vanilla.
4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into an 11-inch circle. Drape the dough over the rolling pin and fit it into the prepared pie pan. Trim the pastry, fold the edges under and flute. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet. Pour the filling into the crust.
5. Bake the pie for 10 minutes. Cover the edges with strips of foil to prevent over-browning.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 325°; bake until the center barely jiggles when the pan is tapped, 55 to 60 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. (continue reading…)

This recipe (5 stars) comes from the Food Network, Healthy Eating Section. It’s a delightful snack, or desert.  Cooks in 5 minutes.

Ingredients

Nonstick spray
3 firm but ripe nectarines, halved, pitted
3 firm but ripe purple/black plums, halved, pitted
3 firm but ripe red plums, halved, pitted
6 metal skewers or thick wooden skewers soaked in water 30 minutes
3 tablespoons sugar
Substitutes: apricots and peaches (continue reading…)

Every week Self Magazine sends a recipe for the week. This one looked so good we just had to share.  It’s a Thai Beef Salad for Two!  The preparation seems pretty simple, and it simply looks to die for.  The best part is that it’s low in calories and high in protein, so it’s the perfect summer dinner.

Hollywood Thai Beef Salad, Serves 2

The meal (per serving) contains: 482, 12.5 g fat (3.1 g saturated), 68.4 g carbs, 4.6 g fiber, and 24.2 g protein.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade

1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
6 tablespoons fish sauce (found in Asian markets)
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 tablespoon mint leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 Thai (or serrano) chile
2 1/2 cloves garlic
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced

(continue reading…)