Orange Chocolate Cake from SKINNY DISH!
What a great reason to force yourself into some chocolate heaven today! Try this easy Orange Chocolate Cake with added vanilla frosting–it’s low in fat and calories, cholesterol-free, and has just a few ingredients. Need an extra chocolate kick? Throw in a half cup of chocolate chips. Happy chocolating!
For more dietitian-approved desserts, check my recipe page here. I’m already gearing up for National Brownie Day, December 8th.
Crazy Carrot Sugar Cookies
It was my turn to host my daughter’s playgroup this week, and the kids expect themselves some cookies. Good cookies. So in addition to the zucchini bread (recipe in my Skinny Dish book), hummus plate with Baked Lentil Chips, cherry tomatoes, and carrot discs, strawberry cucumber water (a pitcher of filtered water with strawberry and cucumber slices), sparkling berry lemonade, and white wine on the snack table, I invented a new sugar cookie with help from my friend Betty Crocker.
I had some sugar cookie mix in the pantry which called for 1 stick of softened butter (1/2 cup) and 1 egg. Instead, I added 1 Tbsp softened Earth Balance margarine, 3 Tbsp flaxseed meal gelled with 1/2 cup warm filtered water, 1 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 tsp pure almond extract, and sprinkles. Sure they’re still sugar cookies, but they’ve also got vision-enhancing and cancer-kicking beta-carotene, omega-3 fat- and fiber-rich flaxseed meal, and they’re much lower in fat than Betty intended them to be. And with the almond zing (without the almond allergen) and sprinkles, there’s no need for frosting.
Crazy Carrot Sugar Cookies
Makes 28 good-sized cookies
3 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal (such as Bob’s Red Mill) mixed with 1/2 cup warm filtered water for 5 minutes until a gel forms
1 pkg (17.5-oz) Sugar Cookie Mix (such as Betty Crocker’s)
1 Tbsp softened or melted Earth Balance margarine
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 tsp pure almond extract (I repeat, this does not contain almonds for the allergenics)
sprinkles (optional, black sprinkles or poppy seeds for Crazy Halloween Cookies)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together (except sprinkles) in a bowl and drop by spoonful onto a cookie sheet. Top with sprinkles, if using. Bake for 12-14 minutes until very lightly browned. Cool and chow!
Nutrition info per cookie: 79 calories, 2 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 58 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 1 g protein, 10% vitamin A, 2% iron.
Were they good? Were the kids fooled? Lemme just say that the plate of 28 was just crumbs after the 2-hour playgroup, and my 3 yr-old son started crying because he only got one. One 6-yr-old boy said “What are these orange things in here?” I was honest, and he responded with “Well, I can see the carrots, but I can’t taste them. They’re actually good!”
For more crazy dessert ideas try the black bean brownies and kale cake–all hits with the youngin’s.
Photo by: DeusXFlorida
Yes, Dr. Oz was in the news today for unjustifiably instilling unnecessary panic about arsenic in apple juice. But this is not about that.
There was also news today from the Journal of the American Heart Association that risk of stroke incidence was 52% lower for people with a high intake of white flesh fruits and veggies (apples, pears, bananas, cauliflower, chicory, and cucumbers) compared to people with a low intake. The study was done comparing fruits and veggies broken down into color groups, and apples and pears made up 55% of the white flesh group. For every 25 gram per day increase in white fruits and vegetables (equivalent to about 1/5 of an apple), there was a 9 percent lower risk of stroke.
So think no more that just because apples and pears aren’t deep green and vibrant orange, they don’t have it (disease prevention) goin’ on. That little old saying may not be far from the truth afterall: An apple or pear a day keeps the stroke doc away. Enjoy one sliced on your hot cereal in the morning, or blended in your green smoothie. Cheers!
The batter: Uh oh.
My recent obsession with kale may be getting out of hand. My kids and I were making a peace-loving chocolate cake today when I had the wild idea to blend 3 huge leaves of kale with the wet ingredients in my Vitamix (the #1 kitchen appliance). They wouldn’t notice, right? And the cocoa would hide the green color. Perhaps I wasn’t mental, I was brilliant!! Hmm, let’s see…
Not too shabby!
ChoKALEt Cake
Makes 9 servings
Prep time 10 minutes, Hands-off cooking time 35 minutes
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/3 cup vegetable oil, or melted Earth Balance margarine
2 tsp vanilla
½ cup filtered water
3 large kale leaves, stems removed
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
1 Tbsp powdered sugar, or ¼ cup thin vanilla frosting to top
1 Preheat oven to 350° F.
2 Sift dry ingredients together (minus the powdered sugar).
3 Place wet ingredients (minus the apple cider vinegar) and kale in Vitamix or other powerful blender. Blend until smooth and bright green.
4 Stir wet ingredients, apple cider vinegar, and dry ingredients together until well-mixed. Stir in chocolate chips, if using.
5 Pour batter into lightly oiled 9 x 9-inch baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake sit 10 minutes before sprinkling with powdered sugar (use a sifter for a delicate, and evenly topped cake), or drizzling with vanilla frosting.
Nutrition info per large piece (w/o icing): 234 calories, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 409 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 17 g sugar, 4 g protein, 119% vitamin A, 61% vitamin C, 4.5% calcium, 9% iron
While everyone (except me) was too afraid to try the green batter, the cake was DE.LISH.OUS. And incredibly filling. No one could finish a full piece. It still had a slightly green hue (therefore I just dimmed the lights during dessert). And while my family eats kale like wild tigers and I’m not necessarily in favor of hiding veggies in desserts, in this case we were making chocolate cake already, so why not beef up it’s nutrient power?
Where’s the craziest place you’ve hidden a veggie? (Besides under your college roommate’s bed before Winter break…)
Photo by: loririce
Thank heavens we made a chocolate glaze for our donuts this weekend! A new meta-analysis in the British Medical Journal concluded that after analyzing the chocolate eating habits of over 100,000 peeps, the highest consumers (exact quantity too hard to measure) had a 37% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, 31% lower risk of diabetes, and a 29% lower risk of stroke. Being that most chocolaty foods are also rich in artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol, it’s important to choose dark chocolate, and small quantities each day. Such As: a few squares of Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Truffle bar, or any of the low-fat, low-cholesterol chocolate delights posted here.
The reason for chocolate’s ability to guard and protect the heart is it’s high concentration of polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. However, beans and veggies are also rich sources of these almighty stewards. So, sounds like a diet rich in veggies topped off with some dark chocolate each day is a perfect plan!
More details in today’s USA Today.
I scored a fantastic job one college summer in the research & development department of Rich Products Corporation, based in my home ‘hood of Buffalo, NY. In my list of duties, I was required to taste-test donuts EVERY DAY. And some days, I also taste-tested non-dairy coffee creamers and low-fat cookies. A total dream job for a college kid. Get paid to test donuts and junk? Yes please!
Well, after 2 months of heaven, a wider and squishier tush, and a newly greased nose, I finally maxed out on donuts. I didn’t think it was possible either, but I haven’t had a donut since last millennium!
Now, years later, I decided to take on a donut project: Healthy homemade donuts that look and taste like they should, but leave your tush looking like it used to. Eat donuts, but stay hot and sexy!
Inspired by and based on these mini-donuts, here’s the result:
Photo by: Bitchin' Dietitian
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used original flavor almond milk)
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp flaxseed meal, soaked in 3 Tbsp warm water for 5 minutes (egg substitute)
1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine
Preheat oven to 350º F.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk to mix thoroughly.
Combine wet ingredients in a small sauce pan over low heat and mix until margarine is just melted. Don’t let the mixture get too hot (you should be able to stick your finger in it without getting burned). If you burn your finger, it’s too hot for the dough.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine. Dough should be gooey and airy.
Scoop spoonfuls into a nonstick mini-cupcake pan (or mini-donut pan if you have it), filling cups almost completely full.
Bake for 12 minutes without letting tops get brown.
Invert hot pan upside down over a cookie sheet or cutting board and pop-ems should fall out. Allow to cool completely before glazing.
Fresh out of the oven, Pre-glaze
Sugar Glaze with Sprinkles
1 Tbsp non-dairy milk (I used original almond milk)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp almond extract (optional)
1/4 cup sprinkles, poured into a bowl
In a small bowl, whisk, powdered sugar, and almond extract (if using) with a fork to remove all lumps. Drop donuts into the glaze and then dip half the donut into sprinkles. Place on parchment paper until glaze dries (chill in fridge for faster solidification).
Chocolate Glaze
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1/4 of a standard bag of chocolate chips)
3 Tbsp non-dairy milk
Heat in small saucepan over low heat–stirring constantly–until chips are melted. Dip and roll donuts in chocolate glaze and place on parchment paper to dry. Sprinkle with sprinkles if desired.
Nutrition info per donut pop-em (without glaze): 59 calories, 2 g fat,0 mg cholesterol, 9 g carbohydrates, 5 g sugar, 0.5 g fiber, 1 g protein.
And the taste? INCREDIBLE! Not a complaint in the house!
No, no, no, Grateful Dead fans. These brownies–which are apparently a newly rebirthed rage in Weight Watchers and among several circles of friends, dietitians, and moms–use black beans instead of flour. Yup, you heard right: gluten-free, flour-less black bean brownies. For dessert! And since we only live once, I’ve taken a fantastic version from the Meal Makeover Moms and replaced the 3 eggs with a hefty dose of flaxmeal and warm water. Don’t be scared… I’ve ADDED 3 crushed candy canes to the batter. And if that still doesn’t negate the fact that there are beans in your dessert, you’ll just have to hold your breath and jump in. These gooey squares of goodness are INCREDIBLE! (As my 5-year-old proclaimed, “These are better than Tings!,” which speaks mountains.)
Gooey Louie Bean Brownies
Makes 9 large squares
3 Tbsp flaxmeal soaked in 1/4 cup warm filtered water for 5 min until a gel forms
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and well-rinsed
3 Tbsp melted Earth Balance margarine, or other non-hydrogenated margarine
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup almond meal (optional, but decreases the goo factor while still keeping the brownies gluten-free)
1 tsp apple cider or rice vinegar
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 crushed candy canes or 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flaxmeal and water and set aside.
In a food processor or blender, process black beans, melted margarine, and vanilla until smooth.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and almond meal (if using).
Stir in the black bean mixture, flaxmeal/water, and vinegar. Add chocolate chips and crushed candy canes or peppermint extract (if using).
Bake in a lightly oiled 9 X 9-inch baking dish for 40-45 minutes until edges start to pull away from the sides of the baking dish.
Nutrition Info Per Square: 225 calories, 7.5 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 291 mg sodium, 37.5 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 21.5 g sugar, 4 g protein, 3% calcium, 22% iron
Don’t you wish you made 2 batches?
Other top-secret ways to weave beans into your day? We want to know!
Hello Healthies! Posts have been sporadic lately because I’ve been busily writing my top-secret Trader Joe’s “skinny” cookbook. It’s going to be amazing… the answers to all your nutrition and meal-planning needs! In order to get it to Amazon by the 2011 holiday season, I’m writing, testing, eating, and photographing 1-2 new recipes each day (while also galavanting around with the 3 kids, working part-time, and looking together all the while). Manuscript due date: May 1st.
Until, a minor hiccup…
I was “skinnifying” an old Better Homes & Gardens recipe for Pumpkin Drop Cookies, following each old-school step to a T, including “creaming” the margarine & brown sugar together. But when I went to get the stuck margarine out of the immersion blender… well… we’ll leave it there.
So, the following day, I revisited the recipe–this time omitting the margarine-creaming step, which I realized is far too dangerous for healthy people. And guess what? Turns out that step is totally unnecessary! And without it, you can even make it one-handed! Here’s the less risky result (and a sneak peek at the book):
Squash Drop Cookies
Makes 30 cookies
Prep Time: 12 minutes (barring any side trips to the ER)
Hands-Off Cooking Time: 10 minutes
My neighbor, Sara Duke, modified the old Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook version of Pumpkin Drop Cookies by replacing the raisins with chocolate chips to guarantee getting more veggies into her kids. This version is an even skinnier one using whole wheat flour, flaxmeal instead of eggs, less sugar, and squash instead of canned pumpkin, which can be hard to find in winter, spring, or summer. Squash, Drop, and Inhale!
1 Tbsp flaxmeal such as Bob’s Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal, soaked in 3 Tbsp warm filtered water for 10 minutes
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread or similar margarine, softened to room temp
¾ cup packed brown sugar or ½ cup granulated sugar plus ¼ cup agave nectar
1 ½ cups cooked and mashed squash*, or canned pumpkin (about 1 15-oz can)
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or raisins)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Soak flaxmeal in warm water for 10 minutes until it forms a gel.
Meanwhile, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, soda and nutmeg in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Combine margarine, brown sugar or granulated sugar plus agave, squash, vanilla, and flaxmeal water mixture in a separate, large mixing bowl.
Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, and stir until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop from a tablespoon 1 inch apart onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Best when eaten warm–not hot–fresh from oven.
Store extras in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information Per Cookie: 113 calories, 4.5 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 64 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber, 12 g sugar, 1.5 g protein, 6% vitamin A, 2% vitamin C, 2% calcium, 2.5% iron
*Tip: Use a frozen 12-oz pkg of cooked squash–thawed–to save time & energy.
Kitchen mishap stories? They were worth it, right?!
Isn’t it great when all of sudden something you loved but kept for special occasions is actually found to be good for you? Take dark chocolate for example. Up until a short time ago, chocolate of any kind was considered the kiss of death. But now, you SHOULD eat dark chocolate… Life can begin again! It’s got antioxidants and MUFA’s. ANTIoxidant? PRO-me!! MUFAs? Loofah me up!
So what about some of the joys from the 80’s? Growing up in a house where dessert was a peanut butter spoon, and sugar cereals had to be mixed in a 1 to 4 ratio with bran flakes, I long for the day when we find out the Kool-Aid kids down the street had it going on. I may be waiting a long time. Being an optimist, however, there must be something good about FUN DIP!? How about this: You’ve got diabetes, you’re on insulin, and you’re crashing… FUN DIP to the rescue!!!?
While sugary treats comprised solely of sugar and Red 40 may never get the green light, it’s comforting to know that there are a few strategies for satisfying your sweet tooth, preserving your health, and steering clear of the dentist’s office. (Yes, you can try the “everything in moderation” route, but when you’re indeed trying EVERYTHING in moderation–including street drugs–you may need to re-evaluate.) So, until further notice, get cozy with dried fruit, dark chocolate, and these scrumptious kitchen concoctions.
Need a dessert recipe healthified, or a more nutritious alternative to satisfy that Swedish fish addiction? Leave a comment, and I’ll work my magic.
For too many people, getting healthy means eliminating desserts. However, if you’re unwilling to commit to that restrictive life until the end of time, there IS a way to maintain health, sanity, and good looks WITH dessert. You just have to know how to do it.
First of all, a bit about sweet cravings and how to curb them. Consuming sugar temporarily elevates the levels of certain neurotransmitters (“feel-good” chemicals) in our bodies. Two of the major neurotransmitters released by eating sugar are dopamine, which releases chemicals including endorphins that give us a feeling of pleasure, and serotonin, which produces a feeling of well-being. We also tend to eat sugary treats for a quick rush of energy to get us through the day.
Now for the recipes… some taken from The Cancer Project:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp distilled white or apple cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the dry ingredients and then add the wet ingredients until well blended. Pour into greased 9×9 cake pan or 2/3 full into each of 16 cupcake tins. Bake cake for 35 minutes or 15-20 minutes for cupcakes until toothpick comes out clean. Once cool, sift powdered sugar over top or frost with chocolate glaze (recipe below).
Per serving (w/o glaze):
136 calories
4.9 g fat
1.1 g saturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
22.4 g carbohydrates
12.6 g sugar
1 g fiber
1.6 g protein
154 mg sodium
Chocolate Glaze
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp margarine
2 tbsp soy milk
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
In a small saucepan, bring sugar, margarine, milk, and cocoa to a boil. Stir frequently; then reduce heat to a simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. It’ll look gloppy, but it’s just the bubbles! Remove from heat and stir for another 5 minutes.
Add vanilla, stir, and immediately pour onto cake. Glaze dries really quickly, so spread it immediately and add any sprinkles now. Let this cool for an hour, if you can wait that long!
Chocolate Mousse or Chocolate Mousse Pie
Makes 12 servings
This is a healthier version of the high-fat, high-calorie French delicacy. Cornell researchers have found that cocoa has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine and up to three times those found in green tea.
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups non-dairy milk, such as soymilk or rice milk
2 packages (12.3 ounces each) low-fat silken tofu
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ready-made graham cracker pie crust (optional)
10 strawberries, sliced
10 mint sprigs for garnish (optional)
Place chocolate chips and non-dairy milk in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Let sit for 2 minutes.
Place tofu, vanilla, and chocolate chip/non-dairy milk mixture in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Transfer into a graham cracker pie crust, if using, or small individual serving dishes and chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator or 30 minutes in the freezer. Serve topped with strawberries and garnished with mint, if using.
Variation: Add a chopped banana to the blender or food processor when you process the tofu and chocolate together.
Per serving (without pie crust):
208 calories
10 g fat
6.1 g saturated fat
43.5% calories from fat
0 mg cholesterol
6.3 g protein
22.3 g carbohydrate
15.3 g sugar
1.5 g fiber
58 mg sodium
Gingered Melon
Makes 6 servings
This recipe is a refreshing twist on cantaloupe and uses ginger which can aid in digestion.
1 large cantaloupe
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger
Cut melon in half and seed, then cut each half into chunks. Sprinkle ground and crystallized ginger over the melon chunks and stir. Chill and serve.
Per serving:
54 calories
0.3 g fat
0.1 g saturated fat
4.6% calories from fat
0 mg cholesterol
1.2 g protein
13.1 g carbohydrate
12.4 g sugar
1.3 g fiber
22 mg sodium
13 mg calcium
0.3 mg iron
49.9 mg vitamin C
2741 mcg beta-carotene
0.1 mg vitamin E
Ambrosia
Makes about 4 cups (4 servings)
This colorful fruit salad may be made up to a day in advance if you add the banana just before serving. Fruit-sweetened desserts not only satisfy a sweet tooth, but they’re full of healthy antioxidant-rich foods. In this case, you’re better off opting FOR dessert!
Place oranges, pineapple, banana, coconut, and cranberries in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, mix orange juice concentrate, almond extract, and water. Pour over fruit and toss to mix.
Per serving:
188 calories
2.4 g fat
1.9 g saturated fat
11.5% calories from fat
0 mg cholesterol
1.8 g protein
43.3 g carbohydrate
35.3 g sugar
3.9 g fiber
17 mg sodium
49 mg calcium
0.7 mg iron
61.5 mg vitamin C
88 mcg beta-carotene
Schoolyard Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 1 dozen
The best darn cookies this side of the playground!
Although perfect during summer when peaches and strawberries are in season, this is actually delicious anytime of year using frozen fruit.
2 cups sliced fresh peaches (peeled, if desired)
2 cups hulled fresh strawberries
1/2 cup white grape juice concentrate or apple juice concentrate
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until fruit just becomes soft. Serve warm or cold by itself, or over fruit sorbet or vanilla non-dairy ice cream.
Per serving:
121 calories
0.5 g fat
0.1 g saturated fat
4% calories from fat
0 mg cholesterol
1.5 g protein
29.6 g carbohydrate
26.3 g sugar
2.8 g fiber
3 mg sodium
21 mg calcium
0.6 mg iron
77.9 mg vitamin C
149 mcg beta-carotene
Delish & Healthy-ish With Jen Reilly, RD 