Banana Bread Muffins

This recipe is from a Cooking Light cookbook I've had for ages. The recipe makes the bread in a loaf pan, but I put mine into muffin tins. I like the portability (and one-portion mentality) the muffins provide. The bread had great flavor and wasn't dry despite being "light." Enjoy.

Classic Banana Bread (Muffins!)

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Preparation
-Preheat oven to 350°.
-Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
-Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. -Cool completely on wire rack.

Cooking Light
SEPTEMBER 2003

Burger and Fries Night

I crave hamburgers. What I don't crave? The pounds eat-in or drive-through burgers can pack on. Try creating your own "Burger Night" at home instead. You'll save money and calories.

For your burger:

• Try to use the leanest ground beef or turkey possible. (I like 93/7)
• Look for reduced-calorie or whole grain buns. Sara Lee makes some great 45-calorie buns!
• Toppings! Get creative with your toppings. Try pickles, lettuce, gourmet mustards, low-calorie cheese or other veggies.

Fries:

• To make healthy fries, cut baking potatoes into sticks (I like skins on!)
• Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
• Drizzle or spray with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
• Sprinkle with pepper and some Mrs. Dash or salt.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

This is my own recipe for Beef Stroganoff. With a little experimenting, I finally found a version I love. It's hearty and provides a home-cooked, I-worked-on-this-all-evening taste without all the work! I served mine over whole wheat penne with a garden side salad. Enjoy.

Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pounds beef stew meat (pre-cubed)
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups light sour cream
2 tbsp corn starch dissolved in 3 tbsp hot water
2 tsp Italian seasoning
Pre-cooked egg noodles or whole wheat pasta (to accompany Stroganoff)

Directions
Season beef with salt and pepper, to taste. In a large pan, heat 3 tablespoons canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic to season the oil and cook until golden. Add the beef and brown on all sides, about five minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside in a bowl/plate. Add the onions to the pan. Cook until lightly-golden, stirring and adding 1/4 cup of beef broth to deglaze the pan (pick up all the delicious bits stuck on the pan!). Stir in the remaining broth and add the beef with any of its juices to the skillet and simmer for 12 minutes. Stir in the sour cream. Next, while still simmering/boiling, add the dissolved cornstarch and begin to stir. This should thicken the sauce. Stir in the Italian seasoning. Serve over noodles.

Sage Pork Chops

If you love pork chops, I urge you to try this recipe. If you don't love pork chops, I urge you to try this recipe.

Forget tough, chewy pork chops. This recipe is one we make on a regular basis and they always, always turn out moist and tender.

I've served this dish with potatoes, Brussels sprouts and steamed vegetables in the past. Any of those sides make good company.

The recipe comes from allrecipes.com.

Sage Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 center cut bone-in pork chops
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup water
• 2 cubes beef bouillon

Directions

1. Combine the salt, sage and black pepper in a small bowl and rub on both sides of the chops. Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium high heat and saute the chops for 5 minutes per side, or until well browned.
2. Meanwhile, in a separate small saucepan over high heat, combine the water and the bouillon and stir until bouillon dissolves. Add this to the chops, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer chops for 45 minutes.

Recipes and Inspiration

Looking for recipes and inspiration? Finding that you know which dish you'll be fixing based on what day it is? It can be difficult to get out of a cooking rut.

When I need recipes or simply inspiration to cook, here are a few of my favorite resources:

Websites
Allrecipes.com . Recipes are submitted by users and you can sort by highest rated dishes
FoodNetwork.com . Great recipes from great chefs
Skinnytaste.com . Healthy, easy and I love the beautiful recipe pics
Epicurious.com . If you're looking for something a bit different or more gourmet
Tastykitchen.com . Great recipes from a site started by The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond

Magazines and Print
Food Network Magazine . Glossy photos, great recipes
Cooking Light . Lightened-up versions of great meals
Taste of Home Magazine . Loads of recipes, tips and info
Cookbooks . I scour every cookbook I can get my hands on

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is yet another divine recipe from Skinny Taste. I made this for a dinner party with friends and have now made it twice (making it into my meal rotation means high marks). When I first baked this, I was worried about it being cooked all the way through. If you use a meat thermometer, you shouldn't have any worries. I cooked mine for the allotted time and until the internal temperature reached 160 degrees and it comes out perfect every time.

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Makes: 12 pieces • Serving Size: 1 piece • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 5.5 pts
Calories: 222.7 • Fat: 9.3 g • Protein: 28.4 g • Carb: 5.2 g • Fiber: 0.6 g

* 4 chicken breast halves
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tbsp water
* 3/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs (I like 4C)
* 12 slices thin lean deli ham
* 12 slices reduced fat Swiss cheese (I used Sargento)
* salt
* spray oil
* toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350°.

Slice chicken breast halves into thin cutlets. I usually get 3 thin cutlets out of one breast half. Pound them to make them thinner if you wish. This helps when you wrap the cutlets.

Cut each slice of cheese into squares and stack on top of each other. Place a slice of ham on top of the chicken, top with cheese and wrap chicken around to completely cover cheese, using toothpicks to secure. (Make sure no holes so cheese doesn't leak out) Season with a little salt.

Whisk egg and water to make an egg wash. Dip chicken into egg wash, then breadcrumbs.

Spray cookie sheet with oil and place chicken on cookie sheet. Lightly spray chicken with oil and bake about 25 minutes, until cooked.

Muffins!

If you're not much of a baker, muffins are a great (easy) way to expand your skills. When I first began cooking and baking, I experimented with a few muffin recipes. One of those being Morning Glory Muffins. These are incredible and make excellent breakfast treats.














If you're not much of a baker, muffins are a great (easy) way to expand your skills. When I first began cooking and baking, I experimented with a few muffin recipes. One of those being Morning Glory Muffins. These are incredible and make excellent breakfast treats.

Morning Glory Muffins

Ingredients
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/4 cups white sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups shredded carrots
* 1/2 cup raisins (I used Craisins)
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
* 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
* 1 apple - peeled, cored and shredded
* 3 eggs
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the carrot, raisins, nuts, coconut, and apple.
In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into the carrot/flour mixture, just until moistened. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.




























Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
For something new, I recently tried a Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe. I. Am. In. Love. These were fantastic. My husband, who is a discriminating "sweets" eater, absolutely loved them.

Ingredients
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 2 eggs
* 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
Nutritional Information open nutritional information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 197 | Total Fat: 7.7g | Cholesterol: 35mg














Both recipes come from AllRecipes.com