Healthy Cookies

For a christmas tea, I was looking for something that is not necessarily low-cal, but at least very healthy, and very tasty, of course. These cookies are flour-less, egg-less, butter-less and almost sugar-less, thus, vegan and low-glycemic, but they taste like out of this world.

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, racks in the top third.

In a food processor, ground the almonds to a fine, sand-like consistency. In a little sauce pan, melt the coconut oil to a liquid consistency (don't really heat, just melt). Add to the food processor. Also, peel the bananas, break into pieces and add to the food processor. Add vanilla, shredded coconut, cinnamon, and salt. First pulse, then mix the ingredients to a mousse-like consistency.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, and baking powder. Add the wet ingredients from the food processor and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, that's ok. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 1 tablespoon in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment (or silicon mat) lined baking sheet. Bake for 14 - 16 minutes. I baked them until I could see some light brown coloring on the oats.

makes about 60 cookies a 50 kcal.

Peach Oatmeal Cookies

1 NS maple sugar oatmeal
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 c Fiber One bran (pulsed in food processor)
1 ts brown splenda
2 dried peach halves, diced
2 TB egg beaters
1 ts Parkay spreadable butter
1 TB (real) maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix all dry ingredients in small bowl, then add in wet ingredients and combine well. Scoop cookies on to sprayed baking sheet; it made six reasonably sized cookies for me. Bake cookies until lightly browned and slightly crispy (ca 12 min).

1 breakfast entree + 1 fruit



Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

1 NS maple sugar oatmeal
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 c Fiber One bran (pulsed in food processor)
1 ts brown splenda
1 TB dried cranberries
2 TB egg beaters
1 ts Parkay spreadable butter

Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix all dry ingredients in small bowl, then add in wet ingredients and combine well. Scoop cookies on to sprayed baking sheet; it made six reasonably sized cookies for me. Bake cookies until lightly browned and slightly crispy (ca 12 min).

1 breakfast entree + 1 fruit

Semi-Homemade Swedish Rye Bread

I picked up a package of the swedish rye bread mix at IKEA. Wholegrain rye bread is one of my favorite breads, and here was a chance to make it at home. It's simple, just add warm water, shake vigorously, let rise and bake for 60 min. Instead of one big loaf, I made 3 small ones, which make perfect little slices. The taste is wonderful!



The rye bread mix can also be purchased online at Marina market (similar price to IKEA).

Cherry Danish with Vanilla Pudding

I tried something new for a cream cheese danish. I used a little container of the Jell-o sf/ff vanilla pudding instead of cream cheese, and sf cherry pie filling. It's quick to make and it tastes great! Hope, you enjoy it!

1/3 cup pancake mix
some stevia
1/3 cup almond milk
1/4 ts baking powder

1/2 cp sf fat-free vanilla pudding Jello cup
1 Tbs. egg substitute
2 TB sugar-free cherry pie filling

Mix pancake mix with 1/3 cup almond milk. Add stevia, and 1/4 ts baking powder. Spray a small baking dish with butter spray. Pour or mixture into baking dish.

Mix pudding with 1 TB pancake mix, and 1 TB egg substitute ain a small bowl until really smooth. Distribute pudding mixture onto top of pancake mixture in the middle of the bowl. Add cherries op top. Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until pancake mixture is set.

Blueberry German Cheese Cake

This is a cheese cake based on typical German cheese cakes, which are made with Quark (instead of ricotta or cream cheese). Greek yogurt is a good replacement for quark. The cheese cake has a 'fluffier' texture than American cheese cakes and is lighter, both in taste and calories.

special needs: small 4-1/2-inch springform  (also available at Target)

Cake base layer:
1/4 cup Krusteaz pancake mix
1/4 cp ff milk
1 Tbsp egg beaters
¼ ts vanilla
¼ ts baking powder

Cheese filling:
4 TB Greek yogurt
1/2 ts vanilla
1 TB eggbeaters
dash of stevia
1/2 TB Krusteaz pancake mix
zest of 1/2 lemon (microplaned)

Blueberry filling:
1/2 cp fresh wild blueberries
1 ts sugar

Make the batter and the fillings in 3 separate bowls.

For base cake batter, just mix all the ingredients. Fill batter in a small, sprayed springform pan, and bake at 400F for 5 min.

For the cheese filling layer, mix quark and other ingredients until it is a really smooth, creamy texture.

For the blueberries, heat the rum and sugar in a small stainless steel pot on the stove, and mix until sugar is dissolved (1-2 min). Heat slowly. Add the blueberries, and heat mixture on medium-high for 1-2 min, turn off heat (if electric), and let simmer on still hot plate.

Now, spoon blueberry mix over the solid surface of the cake base, still in the springform pan. Carefully spoon cheese filling on top of blueberries. Bake for another 20-25 min at 400F. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

Blueberry Cake with Maple Syrup

1/2 cp wild fresh blueberries
1 Quaker Oats maple brown sugar oatmeal
1 TB egg beaters
1/2 ts baking powder
1 ts brown sugar
4 TB sugar free applesauce
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

Mix all ingredients, pour into a butter-PAM sprayed springform pan, and bake at 425 degrees for 20 min. Let cool, and serve with fresh blueberries.

Walnut Kalamata Foccaccia

2 TB whole-grain Instabake mix
1 TB wheat bran (made from Fiber one wheat bran)
1/4 ts baking powder
1 TB chopped, toasted walnuts
4-5 kalamata olives, sliced
2 TB ff milk

Mix all ingredients, and pour into a spray small metal baking pan, and bake at 400F for 20min.

Taste test: Yummy!!! --- Pict with goat cheese from the farmer's market.

Mini Foccaccia

2 TB whole-grain Instabake mix
1 TB wheat bran (made from Fiber one wheat bran)
1/4 ts baking powder
1 ts herbs de provence
1/2 ts garlic power (not garlic salt!)
2 TB ff buttermilk

Mix all ingredients, and pour into a spray small metal baking pan. Spray top with olive oil spray, and add a dash more herbs de provence. Bake at 400F for 20-25min.


Multiseed Bun



This is a different version of the mini foccaccia. This one used the Trader Joe's whole-grain baking and pancake mix. It is a bit higher in fat content, so I use less of the baking mix and add any whey. It came out really crunchy and a bit sweet.

1.5 TB Trader Joe's whole grain baking mix
1 TB wheat bran (made from ground Fiber One bran cereal)
1/2 TB any whey
1/4 ts baking powder
1.5 TB ff milk
1/4 ts of white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and cumin seeds.


Mix all ingredients beside seeds in a small bowl. PAM-spray a small metal baking pan, fill with dough, and sprinkle with the seeds. Bake at 400F for 20 min.

Panettone French Toast with Strawberries

1/2 of mini panettone (italian brioche with raisins, etc)
2 TB eggbeaters
1/2 capful of vanilla extract
1/4 capful of almond extract
dash of cinnamon
2 TB ff coolwhip
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 TB sugarfree Torani Raspberry syrup
1/2 ts brown splenda

Slice strawberry, and marinade in a bowl with raspberry syrup and brown splenda while preparing the french toast. Slice the panettone into 2-3 slices. Combine eggbeaters, vanilla, almond extract and cinnamon, and let panettone soak up the egg beaters. In a non-stick skillet. heat a few sprays of ICNBINB spray, and keep on medium heat. Brown panettone slices from both sides, and serve with whipped cream and strawberries!

1 breakfast entree + fruit.

Strawberry Shortcake

Cake layer:
1/4 cp Krusteaz pancake mix
1/4 cp butter milk
1 TB egg beaters
1/4 ts vanilla extract
1/4 ts baking powder
1 TB brown splenda

Topping:
4 TB ff Coolwhip (45kcal)
1 cup whole fresh strawberries, halved (45 kcal)

1 TB Torani sf raspberry syrup
1 TB fresh-pressed lemon juice
1 ts sf strawberry preserve

Tools:
small bundt cake form
pastry bag with decorative top
straw

Mix the cake ingredients, and fill in a prepared small bundt cake form (here, the idea is to create a ring for the short cake; a entire round surface might need too much whipped cream and strawberries). Bake the cake batter at 400F for 15 min. Remove from pan and cool.

Once cooled, turn the cake with the decorative side down and the flat side up. Mix raspberry syrup, lemon juice and strawberry preserve. Poke small holes in the flat side of the cake with the straw, and drizzle syrup mix into the tiny holes. Fill the whipped cream in the pastry bag, and decoratively arrange on the short cake. Place strawberries on top. Enjoy!

Short cake is breakfast entree + fruit. 211kcal. You just need a protein.

Poppy Seed Bun and Cheesy Ham Bun

Poppy Seed Bun

2 1/2 tbsp Insta Bake whole grain baking mix
1 tsbp Wheat bran
dash of baking powder
1 tsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp ff milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a single serve mini metal pan with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients together and pour into dish. Sprinkel with more poppy seeds. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done. Let cool for a few minutes, and serve!

86 calories

Cheesy Ham Bun

2 1/2 tbsp Insta Bake whole grain baking mix
1 tsbp Wheat bran
dash of baking powder
1 tsp bacon bits
1 tsp soy-based veggie cheddar shredded cheese
2 tbsp ff milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a single serve mini metal pan with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients besides the cheese together and pour into dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done. Let cool for a few minutes, and serve!

100 calories

Scones

Oatmeal Chocolate Scones
1/3 cup oat flour (ground rolled oats)
1 tbsp Valrhona cocoa
dash of stevia
⅛ tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp baking soda
3 tsp ff buttermilk
1/4 ts almond extract
1 tsp mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees. Combine dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add wet ingredients and combine. Put in a prepared mini scone pan.. Bake @400 for15 minutes. All 3 of the scones are your breakfast entree. Add a protein and a fruit! Enjoy!

These scones have a denser, moist consistency, more like a regular scone.



Chocolate Chip Scones
1 tbsp oat flour (ground rolled oats)
1 1/2 tbsp wholewheat baking mix (e.g. Insta Bake)
1 tbsp Valrhona cocoa
dash of stevia
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ff margarine
⅛ tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp baking soda
3 tbsp ff buttermilk
1 ts caramel sf Archer Farms syrup
1 tbsp mini chocolate chips

Bake like above. This scone has a very light texture, almost like a brownie.



Apple Cinnamon Scones
1/4 cp Fiber One Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix
2 TB eggbeaters
2 TB ff milk
1 ts ff butter spread (e.g. Parkay)
1/4 ts cinnamon extract
1/4 ts vanilla extract
1/2 TB brown sugar

Mix all ingredients, fill into scone pan, and bake for 15 min at 400F. Makes 4 mini scones. 215 kcal and 15g of protein. Just add a fruit for your complete breakfast.



Vanilla Pecan Scone
1/2 tbsp whole grain baking mix
1 tsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ff margerine ( e.g. parkay)
1 tbsp ff sour cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp chopped, toasted pecans
1 ts orange zest

120 cals, 




Rosemary Cheddar Ham Scones
2 1/2 tbsp whole grain baking mix
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ff margerine ( e.g. parkay)
2 tbsp buttermilk
1 ts chopped dry or fresh rosemary
1 ts bacon bits
1TB ff cheddar
1/8 ts garlic powder
dash of salt

Upside Cherry Cheese Cake

Cake base layer:
1/4 cup Krusteaz pancake mix
1/4 cp butter milk
1 Tbsp egg beaters
¼ ts vanilla
¼ ts baking soda

Cheese cake filling
4 TB lf quark (or 0% fat Fage greek yogurt)
1/2 ts vanilla
1 TB eggbeaters
1 TB splenda
1/2 TB Krusteaz pancake mix

Cherry filling:
1/3 cp cherry pie filling, canned, splenda
1/2 ts vanilla
1 TB Torani SF Raspberry syrup

Make the batter and the fillings in separate bowls. For the cheese cake filling, mix quark and other ingredients until it is a really smooth, creamy texture. Mix the cherry pie filling with the vanilla and the raspberry syrup.

Fill batter in a small, sprayed spring form, and bake at 400F for 5 min. Take out of oven, pour cherry mix over solid surface of the cake base, and pour cheese filling on top of cherries. Bake for another 20-25 min at 400F. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

This a entire breakfast or 2 desserts. (250kcal for breakfast)

Upside Apple Cake with Walnuts and Maple Syrup

1 apple (peeled and sliced thin)
⅛ tsp nutmeg
2 Tbsp Heart Smart Bisquick
1 Tbsp quinoa flour or 1 Tbsp Any whey
dash of stevia
2 Tbsp FF milk
¼ Tbsp Promise FF butter spread
¼ cup + 1 Tbsp egg beaters
1/2 ts real maple syrup
1/4 ts vanilla extract
1 Tbsp candied, chopped walnuts


Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray tart form (use one with no removable bottom, LOL). Place apple slices in a star pattern on bottom of tart pan. Stir together Bisquick, soy flour, and Splenda brown sugar. Add milk, butter spread, egg beaters and maple syrup to dry mix and beat until smooth. Pour over apples. Distributed candied walnuts on top, and bake 20 min in preheated toaster oven, or until golden and ”set".

One of my favorites!

1 breakfast entree + 1 fruit + 1 dinner fat (walnuts)

French Apple Pie

1 apple, peeled and sliced (fresh, frozen or canned)
⅛ tsp nutmeg
2 Tbsp Heart Smart Bisquick
1 Tbsp any whey
1 Tbsp Splenda
1 Tbsp brown splenda
2 Tbsp FF milk
¼ Tbsp Parkey FF butter spread
¼ cup egg beaters

Streusel Topping:
2 Tbsp Heart Smart Bisquick
1 Tbsp Splenda
⅛ ts vanilla extract
½ Tbsp Parkay FF butter spread

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray small spring from. Arrange apple slices on bottom of spring form. Stir together Bisquick, any whey, Splenda and nutmeg. Add milk, butter spread, and egg beaters to dry mix and beat until smooth. Pour over apples. Mix together streusel topping with a fork until crumbly. Top pie with streusel and bake 25 min, or until golden and ”set".

(based on Amy Smith's French Apple Cake)

Entire recipe counts as a breakfast entree, protein, and fruit at approx 240 kcal, 2 g fat, and 16 g protein.

Strawberry Quark Danish

Danish:
1/3 cup Krusteaz pancake mix
⅓ cp milk or butter milk
1 TS egg beaters
¼ ts vanilla
¼ ts baking soda

Filling:
2 TB quark or lf ricotta
1 ts agave nectar
1 ts Torani Raspberry SF syrup
½ ts pancake mix
1/2 cp fresh strawberries, sliced
some almonds

Make the batter and filling in separate bowls. For the filling, mix quark, agave nectar and raspberry syrup and pancake mix. Fill batter in a small, prepared spring form, and fill the filling in the middle. Place strawberries on top and sprinkle with almonds. Place in preheated toaster oven (400F) and bake for 10-15 min.

this is based on a recipe by Christina Gray.