Quinoa Pudding

image: whole living

I'm a big fan of quinoa, but I'd never tried it in a dessert. This was the week for that! I found that I liked the recipe a lot; I liked that my kids liked it and that it was pretty healthy for them. It made way too much for our little family though and we didn't eat all the leftovers, so if you aren't truly serving 8, I'd recommend halving it. :)

Quinoa Pudding
Serves 8

3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
4 cups skim milk (I used almond milk with good success)
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

Directions
1.In a large saucepan, bring quinoa and 3 cups milk to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, unti tender, 12 to 14 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, honey, eggs, cardamom, and remaining cup of milk. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stirring constantly, slowly pour egg mixture into quinoa; add raisins and apricots.
3.Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour pudding into a 2-quart dish and let cool slightly. Cover surface directly with plastic and refrigerate until cook, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Here's my version. I used dried apricots and dried cranberries.

Recipe from Whole Living Magazine

Also, if you are still looking for more recipes, I found this Quinoa Pudding recipe that looks divine--it'll be my next one to try. :)

Morning Glorious Muffins

These are some of my favorite muffins!

They are loaded with carrots, shredded apples, raisins or dates and whole wheat flour. Sometimes I even add Chia seeds. :) Try them! You won't be disappointed.

Here's the recipe.

Glazed Apple Cake

This recipe is sooooo good. Dangerously good. The kind of good that is just the perfect amount of hearty and sweet that I have a really hard time staying with just one serving. Bake up some fall flavor today!

With the glaze, this recipe is an excellent cake. For a delicious snack or breakfast bread, leave off the glaze.

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. softened unsalted butter or butter substitute

6 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 c. molasses

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4c. applesauce

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. whole-wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

dash of ground allspice

2 apples, peeled and diced (reserve cores and skin)

1/2 c. granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325; grease and flour a 5x9-in loaf pan.

2. Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy--about 4 minutes. Add the molasses; beat. Add eggs, beating after each one. The mix in the vanilla and applesauce.

3. Next add all the dry ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients to combine, then beat into the wet ingredients.

4. Stir in the diced apples and pour into loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 60 to 70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

5. For the glaze, combine the sugar, 1/2 c. water and then apple cores and skins. Bring to a simmer and cook until syrupy, about 10 minutes.

6. Remove the cake from the pan and drizzle the glaze over the top and sides of the cooled "cake."  

Enjoy!!

Note: This recipe was adapted from a recipe in Whole Living magazine.

Dairy-free dessert: Blueberry Crisp

Not all together super-healthy, but I'm on a dairy-free diet since my breastfeeding baby is allergic. I've been looking for good desserts (dairy-free desserts are hard to come by!!)

This one was delicious though!

Ingredients:
4 c. blueberries
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. oats
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. mayo
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (I shoot for 1/3 tsp. just for consistency sake.) :)

1. Wash the blueberries and place them in the bottom of a 9x9-in casserole dish.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients, add the mayo and mix to make coarse crumbs. (The mayo replaces butter that would be found in a regular recipe).
3. Top the berries w/ the oat mixture; bake at 350 for ~35 minues until the top is golden brown.

Note: Thanks Miranda!

Citrus Cottage Cheese Rolls

These light and delicious rolls are a great alternative to cinnamon rolls for a warm dessert or winter breakfast. My husband was skeptical about the cottage cheese, but he really enjoyed them and when asked if I should make them again replied, "definitely." They have a light citrus flavor to them that goes wonderfully with the dried cranberries and fluffy texture. Enjoy!

Rolls
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 c. warm milk
2 tsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. honey
1 egg
Zest from one lemon
3/4 tsp. salt
3 c. flour (I used 1 c. whole wheat, but they were so light and fluffy that I think next time I will try using 2 c. whole wheat)

Filling
1/2 c. cottage cheese
1/2 c. honey
pinch of salt
Zest from one lemon
1/2 c. dried cranberries


1. I used a bread maker, so I just added all the ingredients for the rolls and set the timer for the dough to be finished raising when we woke up in the morning. If you don't have a bread maker, just make bread dough as usual: proof yeast, mix together ingredients, knead for 10 minutes, let raise until doubled.
2. Divide dough into 12 pieces and shape into a round roll. (NOTE: next time I make these I want to try making 24 so that there is a higher filling:roll ratio. You might wish to try the same.)
3. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet about one inch apart. Let the rolls rise for 10 minutes
4. Meanwhile, mix the ingredients for the filling. Then press a dent into each roll using 3 fingers. Fill the dent with filling and let raise again for about 45 minutes.
5. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Note: The original recipe came from Old World Breads by Charel Scheele, a great gift to me from my sister-in-law Becka. :) Thanks Becka.

Pumpkin Dessert Waffles with Cranberry Honey

I made this because I thought it'd be a fun Halloween treat, and they were delicious. The pumpkin and cranberry flavors went wonderfully together. I think, though, that in the future I'll save it for a December treat--it had more of a Christmas flavor to me. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 3/4 c. flour--I used a little over half as whole-wheat
1/3 c. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. plain yogurt
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. water
1 c. pureed pumpkin
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 egg whites

Cranberry Honey:
3/4 c. honey
1/4 c. cranberry or berry juice
1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries

1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, spices, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; stir to mix well and set aside.
2. Combine the yogurt, milk, pumpkin, egg, oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth. Add this mixture and the water into teh flour midxture; stir until moist and set aside.
3. Beat egg whites in a glass bowl with an eletric mixer on high until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the batter.
4. Coat a waffle iron with oil (particularly important to prevent sticking with these low-fat waffles) and cook the waffles.
5. To make the cranberry honey: combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook until the cranberries pop. For extra flair, serve with a dallop of whipped topping and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Makes a great breakfast too.

Note: I modified this recipe from Parents.com.

Honey Banana Whole Wheat Bread

Soooo good! I make this with my breadmaker and it's a very sticky dough so if you tried to knead it by hand, I think the results would be rather disasterous. Consequently, I'll just list the ingredients here--put them in, press go and enjoy. :) The bread is nice and sweet just like a quick banana bread, but less sugar (by far) and less fat (by far) and nice and fluffy.

For a 1 1/2 pound loaf:
1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. honey
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c. bread flour
1 small banana, sliced
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast.

Honeydew Meringues

This is a fun way to dress up a fruit salad. Enjoy!
Serves 4

1 6-oz carton of fruit flavored yogurt
4 c. cantaloupe chunks
4 c. berries (any combo of blackberries, raspberries, strawberries or blueberries)
2 honeydew melons
4 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 c. sugar

1. Combine the yogurt, cantaloupe and berries. Cut honedydew melons in half, scoop out the pulp and fill with berry mixture.
2. Beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually beat in sugar, a little at a time. Beat until all sugar is dissolved and meringue is stiff and glossy.
3. Spread the meringue on top of the filling and rim of the melon.
4. Bake at 425 for 5 to 6 minutes or until meringue is golden.

Note: modified from Darigold's 75th Anniversary Celebrations cookbook.

LUSCIOUS GRAPEFRUIT MERINGUE

This was a fun new dessert we tried this week that my husband and I both really enjoyed--it has been added to our list of keeper recipes! It was pretty messy to eat so I would recommend either loosening the segments with a knife after cutting them in half or sectioning the grapefruit to remove all skin/pith (cut off the top and bottom of the grapefruit, lay it flat on a cutting board, cut off the peel with a knife, then use a knife to remove the sections of fruit, leaving behind all the skin around each section).

INGREDIENTS:
• 3 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional--if you like salt on your grapefruit, I'd include it, otherwise it is fine to leave out)
• 1/4 cup confectionary sugar
• 2 large pink grapefruits, halved, sections pre-cut for easier eating.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the
egg whites with the vanilla cream of tartar and the salt until foamy. Gradually add
the confectionary sugar and continue beating until the mixture is shiny and forms stiff
peaks. Cover the surface of the each grapefruit half completely with generous gobs of
meringue and bake for 15 or 20 minutes until lightly browned. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 Servings

Note: I got this recipe from the Eye Care America website (http://www.eyecareamerica.org/eyecare/upload/Grapefruit-Meringue.pdf)

Warm Stone Fruit Salad

This may be my last post. I've had fun trying new healthy desserts and sharing the recipes, but frankly now that I have so many new healthy dessert recipes, we tend to redo some of our old favorites rather than experiment! I'm sure I'll continue to try new recipes, and I may or may not post them in the months and years to come, but just to let everyone know, this blog may have just recieved it's last post! I hope you enjoy it. It was a fun recipe to try; I'd never cooked with star anise before.

1/4 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, OR substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 star anise
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 sprig fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
4 ripe peaches, halved, pitted, each cut in 6 wedges
4 ripe apricots, halved, pitted, each cut into 4 wedges
1 cup part-skim ricotta

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, combine the vanilla, star anise, sugar, thyme, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook until syrupy, about 6 minutes.
2. Add fruit, reduce heat to medium, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fruit is tender but not mushy, and the liquid is syrupy again. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent sticking, but don't stir, as this will break up the fruit. Remove and discard spices.
3. Spoon into bowls; top with ricotta.

Note: I got this recipe from Body + Soul magazine.
Note: I used plums rather than apricots.

Granola-Ginger Baked Apples

Delicious and very fun for fall.

4 large apples (pref. Golden Delicious, Jonagold, or Macintosh)

3 (1.5-oz.) oat-and-honey granola bars, finely crushed (or equivalent amount of granola)

1/2 c. roasted salted almonds, chopped

1/4 c. finely chopped crystallized ginger

1 Tbsp. butter, softened

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 3/4 c. apple cider or orange juice

1/3 c. cherry preserves

1 7-oz, container low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 375. Cut apples in half, cutting through stem and bottom ends. Scoop out core and pulp, leaving a 3/4-inch shell. Cut about 1/4-inch from opposite side of apple, forming a flat base.

2. Stir together crushed granola bars and next 4 ingredients. Spoon mixture into apple shells, pressing gently to pack. Arrange apples in a 13- x 9-inch pan. Pour cider around apples in pan.

3. Bake at 375 fro 25 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender, basting twice with pan juices.

4. Place apples on serving plate. Add preserves to pan juices, and cook, over medium-high heat, stirring constantly 5 to 6 minutes or until thickened. Serve apples with warm sauce and Greek yogurt.

Also good with pears, although make sure and don't overcook because it isn't as good if they are too mushy (trust me, I know).

Note: Original recipe from Southern Living magazine.

Coconut Cheese Brulee

It's been awhile since I posted anything, one because I've been busy, but two because this recipe has been a bit of a challenge to make healthy. I had to experiment a lot, and it isn't as healthy as I'd prefer, but it is significantly healthier, and better-tasting, than the original. The original recipe had a TON of butter and sugar in it, making it not only unhealthy but also greasy and too sweet. I was able to tinker with the recipe and get it to a point that the flavor is fantastic but it is better for you. We've really enjoyed eating this while relaxing to a good movie (we recently finished watching Doctor Zhivago).

Coconut Cheese Brulee

1 lb. Monterey Jack or Swiss Cheese
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 to 2/3 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. skim milk

Directions:
1. Cut cheese into one-inch chunks. Arrange in an ovenprof serving dish or into several ramekins. Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes to soften the cheese (do not melt the cheese).
2. Combine the brown sugar, coconut, nuts, butter and milk and mix well. Spread over the cheese.
3. Broil about 3 mintues or until teh topping is bubbly and slightly browned
4. Serve with assorted crackers and fruit such as apples, pears and grapes.

This truly is delicious. Cheese is high-fat, but it is also high-calcium, so while this dessert is rather high-calorie, it is full of nutrition. Enjoy!

Barbecued Pineapple

We made this the other day for dessert at a family barbecue, and it was fantastic.

1 pineapple

2 Tbsp dark muscovado sugar (or brown sugar)

1 tsp ground ginger

3 Tbsp butter, melted (or low-fat spread)

Directions:

1. Cut pineapple in one of the following ways:1) cut off the skin and then slice the whole pineapple into thick round slices, 2) cut off the skin and then cut in half length wise--to serve cut off chunks (will be in semi-circles), or 3) cut off the skin and cut the pineapple into sticks and grill them on skewers.

2. Mix together the sugar, ginger, and melted butter. Brush it over the pineapple. Cook the wedges on a hot barbecue for 3-5 minutes, brushing with the remaining glaze.

3. There are a lot of variations to grilled pineapple. It is also good with cinnamon or a coconut/coconut milk/sugar glaze.

Hot Peach Sponge

· 3 c. (14 oz.) canned peach slices in natural juice
· 4 Tbsp. butter
· ¼ c. brown sugar
· 1 egg, beaten
· ¼ c. whole-wheat flour
· ¼ c. all-purpose flour
· 1 tsp. baking powder
· ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
· ¼ c. skim milk
· ½ tsp. vanilla extract
· 2 tsp. powdered sugar
· Optional: low-fat ready-to-serve custard

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain peaches and place in an 8x8 square dish, or divide into 4 ramekins.
2. Put all the remaining ingredients, except the powdered sugar, into a mixing bowl. Beat for 3-4 minutes, until well combined.
3. Spoon the sponge mix over the peaches and level the top evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until springy to the touch.
4. Lightly dust the top with powdered sugar before serving hot with the custard.
5. As an optional topping, you can blend 1 tsp. arrowroot with 1 Tbsp. peach juice in a small saucepan. Stir in the remaining peach juice from the can and simmer for 1 minute.

Dutch Appel Bollen

While this delicious dutch dessert isn't necessarily healthy, it is much healthier than any American pastry I can think of.

Dough:
1 c. warm milk
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg, at room tempeature, lightly beaten
3/4 tsp. salt
3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp. yeast

Filling:
6 tart baking apples
cinnamon
brown sugar
little bit of butter
Optional additions: dried cranberries, raisins, granola, chopped dates, nutmeg, etc.

Directions:

1. To make the dough, either use a bread machine on "dough" setting, or dissolve the yeast in the milk and then add the remaining ingredients and work them into a dough. It is a rather sticky dough, but don't be tempted to add too much flour. Let rise until doubled in bulk.
2. Peel and remove the core of the apple, leaving about 1/2 inch of core at the bottom. Fill the middle of the apple (where the core used to be) with layers of brown sugar, cinnamon, and dabs of butter (plus any of the additional add-ins).
3. When the dough is ready, divide into six pieces and roll each into a circle about a 1/4 inch-thick. Place each apple onto the middle of a circle, and wrap the dough up and around the apple.
4. Place apples onto a baking sheet; bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, or until the dough is cooked.

Baked Peaches for Two

· 4 peach halves (fresh or canned)
Crumble Topping:
· 2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
· 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
· ½ tsp. orange zest
· 1/8 tsp. allspice

Alternatively, granola can be used for an equally delicious but healthier topping.

1. Place peaches with cut side up in a 1-qt baking dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine walnuts, brown sugar, orange zest and allspice. Sprinkle crumb topping or granola over peaches.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

This recipe is from a friend of mine, Jessica Hansen.

Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Mousse

· 8 slices of pineapple, fresh or canned
· 1 ounce Neufchatel cheese
· 3 drops of vanilla extract
· 1/4 cup light whipped topping
· 1 tablespoon sweetened coconut flakes
· Toasted coconut for garnish

1. Whip cheese and vanilla until creamy. Slowly add whipped topping until peaks form. Fold in coconut.
2. Brush pineapple rings lightly with olive oil. Place rings on medium hot grill and grill about 2 minutes per side or until browned.
3. Place pineapple rings on a serving plate and top each ring with a dollop of mousse. Garnish with toasted coconut.

Cherries with Ricotta and Toasted Almonds

· ¾ c. frozen pitted cherries
· 2 Tbsp. part-skim ricotta
· 1 Tbsp. toasted slivered almonds
· Cinnamon

1. Heat cherries in the microwave. Top the cherries with ricotta, almonds and a sprinkle of cinnamon.