Healthy Banana Bread

Everybody makes banana bread. I mean, what else is there to do with a couple of overripe bananas? Banana bread is simply a practice in frugality. Well, like soup, I am not a big fan of bananas in any form other than fairly underripe or fried plaintains (yum!). But I refuse to throw out an entire bunch of bananas simply because Caleb didn't see them sitting in plain sight.






Trying to find a healthy version, I scoured the web. I found a lot of possibilities and decided to try my version of Hungry Girl's banana bread. There are a couple of changes, but I think the bread turned out really good.

Enjoy!



Healthy Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups White Whole Wheat Bread
1 cup Splenda Baking Mix
5 Medium Bananas, mashed
1/2 cup Egg Beaters (I used the kind with Yolk)
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup Walnuts, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp Large Granulated Sugar (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a mixer. Add in the egg beaters, mashed bananas, and nuts and mix again. Put into a loaf pan that has been strayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle sugar over top. Bake on middle rack for 50-75 minutes (the directions I found all said 50 minutes but mine took about 1 hour and 15 minutes).

Makes 8 large pieces

Leek & Asparagus Soup

Let me start by saying that I am not the kind of person who considers herself an officianado on soups. In fact, I could say that I hate soups. Yes, I believe my adversion is strong enough to warrant such a word. However, in my quest to shed a couple of pounds I am willing to try something new. So, whether I want to or not, I am trying to tolerate soups. Sure, I have not embraced them with open arms, but I'm slowly starting to enjoy soups.

Now, I'm sure you are wondering why I dislike soups so much (or maybe not). I have nothing against the flavor combinations popular among soups. Cream of anything is usually quite delicious. Veggie soups and chicken soups taste nice, too. My problem lies in the shear liquid content of soups. I may be alone in this, but I do not like to drink my meals. There is little texture and complexity to soup (in my opinion, of course). Plus, I always feel unsatisfied after eating a bowl of soup. I know, I'm strange, but please forgive me this flaw.




So, in an effort to change my ways, I decided to make a soup. Since the only ones I really like are creamy, I tried to decide how to make a healthy creamy soup. The end result- if I do say so myself- is quite delicious and even filling. While not as thick as a traditional cream of leek soup, this one will leave you feeling satisfied, but not guilty. I hope you enjoy it and can use this basic concept to create a ton of other "creamy" soups.

Leek & Asparagus Soup

3 Leeks, halved and thinly sliced
1 bunch Asparagus, sliced in 1/4" slices
4 cups Chicken Broth
1 cup Reduced Fat Sour Cream
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Rosemary
1 Tbsp Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Salt (I like my soups salty so I added a little more)
2 tsp Pepper
Drizzle Olive Oil

In a pot over medium-high heat, sautee the leeks for until they are translucent and just start to caramelize. Add the asparagus and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except the sour cream. Boil the soup for 30 minutes. Lower the heat and add the sour cream. Simmer for 5 minutes, making sure not to boil the soup (the sour cream will curdle).

Makes 4 servings.

Nacho Pasta

It has been a looooong time since I posted. I know. I should be tied to a post in the middle of town and let everyone throw rotten tomatoes at my head. They should then be allowed to slowly burn my entire shoe collection and burn every cherished pan I own, all the while tickling me into a pool of crying, begging desperation... Alas, this will not happen for I live in a wonderland called New York. The worst that could happen to me is to get shot while pumping gas (hence my husband does 99% of all gas pumping- among other reasons).

So as penance, I pledge to post every day for one week. Believe it or not, I actually have been cooking, experimenting, and taking pictures when I can. See, I haven't forgotten about you. :)

Today's recipe might well be my proudest invention yet. That's not to say that I haven't been even prouder of other meals, but this one was truly on the fly and an idea completely from the brain of yours truly. I call it Nacho Pasta. Now, it sounds pretty gross and looks that way, too. But let. me. tell. you. It tastes sooo good! So where, do you ask, did I come up with this idea? For the past week or so, I have been fiending for nachos. And believe me, I've tried to satisfy my cravings almost every day! The first day, I even licked my plate. What an ignoble thing to do, but they tasted so good that if the plate had been made of paper, I probably would have eaten it, too!

Needless to say, I have yet to quench my thirst for that mix of salty, crunchy chips, slathered in cheese, sour cream, salsa, and jalapenos. When I received a phone call that my sacred laptop was ready to get picked up from the Geek Squad, I knew dinner needed to be fast. Nothing as silly as a meal would stand between my sweet, sweet laptop and me.



Who am I kidding? Nothing will stop me from eating! However, I did want to make something super quick and easy tonight. I started racking my brains for ideas. Of course, nachos are on the brain. Then I remembered that I had some leftover chicken from last night and half a box of wheat noodles and all of a sudden I had an epiphany. Why use nacho chips when I can throw everything onto some healthy whole wheat noodles. Let me tell you, it was FANTASTIC! My Nacho Pasta has all of the flavors of nacho chips with half the fat. It tastes so good you won't even miss the chips. And fast?! Under 10 minutes. Who can beat that?!

I'm totally taking leftovers for lunch tomorrow.



Nacho Pasta

1/2 lb Whole Wheat Pasta (I used Barilla Plus which l-o-v-e)
1/4 lb Chicken, precooked and shredded or diced
1 can Fat Free Refried Beans
Shredded Cheese, Mexican Blend (I buy Weight Watchers because it is cheap and low fat)
Salsa
Sour Cream
Other Nacho Fixings that You Like: Jalapenos, Olives, Diced Onions, etc.

Cook the pasta in salted water. Reheat the chicken and refried beans. Layer all of the fixings you want onto the pasta and serve. Delish!

Serves 3-4

Curried Couscous

Have you ever tasted something so delicious that it stayed on your mind for a while? Well, last year I had curried couscous for the first time. It was a bright yellow and had huge chunks of jalapeno peppers in it. It certainly wasn't the first time I have tasted curry. Nor was it the first time I had tried couscous. In fact, it wasn't even that great a dish! So why can't I get this dish out of my head? The reason is simple- it became a challenge.

Since that fateful day that was almost exactly a year ago, I have tried many different variations, trying to achieve the perfect curried couscous. Believe me, it's not nearly as obvious as it should be! For the most part, my couscous concoctions have been too heavy on the curry and nothing else.

And then it happened. Earlier today I was looking through some of my cookbooks to find a pasta salad for a friend's birthday party this weekend (in fact, it was at his party last year that I was introduced to curried couscous). While I was rather unsuccessful and ended up making my own (more to come on that later), I happened to find Ina Garten's recipe for curried couscous. Can you imagine what it feels to win the lottery? That's how I felt about finding this recipe. I wish I was joking.

But, of course, could I make it exactly the way she does? Of course not! Hers had things like sour cream (or yogurt- I don't remember), turmeric, and carrots. Not only did I not have these things in my house, but I wanted to lighten it up a bit.

And I have to say- after having 3 servings at dinner tonight, I think I can finally say that I've got my curried couscous recipe. It is spicy and savory, with a hint of sweetness. I'm not usually one to add sweet ingredients to savory dishes, but this turned out to be a must. I hope you come to enjoy it as much as I do.



Curried Couscous
adapted from Ina Garten

2 cups Water
2 cups Couscous (use whole grain whenever possible)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 cup Chicken Stock
1 tsp Butter/Margarine
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Coriander
2 Jalapeno Peppers, finely diced
1 small Onion, diced
1/3 cup Dried Cranberries
Salt & Pepper to taste

Bring the water and 1 Tbsp of oil to a boil in a saucepan. Add the couscous and stir to incorporate. Remove the couscous from the heat and cover the saucepan. Let it sit and steam for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well, making sure to fluff all of the couscous.

Makes 6-8 servings

Loaded Chili

I don't know if it's just me, but for some reason, I have always been staunchly loyal to the recipes that my mother taught me growing up. Being part Japanese, many of the meals I grew up with were probably odd to... well, just about everyone! A favorite growing up? Rice and mashed potatoes with gravy and soy sauce. Sound gross? It looks it, too, but what can I say- I love it.





However, I don't know what changed, but over the past year or so, I have slowly been moving away from the tried and true and have tried making my own flavor combinations. Chili is one example. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my mother's chili. It is super meaty and very simple. It is not hot, but rather well-spiced and deliciously savory. This delicious, meaty concoction is always served over white rice.



So, after serving this to Caleb for several years, you can imagine the insult it was to hear him say that he's had better. Can you believe it?! As I'm sure you can imagine, being the perfectly sane and normal person that I am, my skin turned green and scaly and I started growling like a huge dragon. Someone insinuating that my chili is not the best? How dare he!! Luckily, before I had a chance to char him with my fire breath, I realized this was simply a challenge. Since then, I have made many different chili's, which I will chonicle from time to time. Some things worked well: ground turkey, ground chicken, and tofu. Some things didn't work out so well (tempeh tasted funny to me in this recipe).



Tonight, I decided to make yet another version of my chili, hoping to finally wow Caleb. Since I am trying to add more vegetables to my diet, I decided to add basically every veggie I had in the house- including frozen veggies. In the end, I made something that was more brown than red (I added the water from the black beans- not a good idea if you don't like you food a brown color) and a little thinner than my mother's chili (which I still think is pretty darn good!). However, it tasted great and I was able to use up some veggies that were laying around in the fridge.



Loaded Chili

1 1/4 Ground Beef
1 large Onion, diced
1 medium Zuchini, diced
1 Carrot, diced
2 Japalenos, diced
1 small package of Frozen Veggie Mix (grean beans, corn, and carrots)
1 bottle Beer
1 large can of Diced Tomatoes (18 oz?)
1 small can Tomato Paste
2 cups Beef Broth
2 cans of Beans (I used black beans, but I prefer kidney beans)
2 small cans of Mushrooms
1 1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Cheyenne Pepper
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Rosemary
1/2 tsp Thyme Leaves
1 Tbsp Salt
1 Tbsp Pepper

In a large pot, cook the ground meat. Once the meat is browned, add the rest of the ingredient. Let the pot simmer over medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes. Add more seasonings to taste.

And if you're like me, serve it over some white rice. Delish!

This batch was huge. It will easily make 8-10 servings. I ended up freezing half of it for later.

Tuna Pasta

When I got home from work today, I was exhausted. I was so tired that I disobeyed the cardinal rule and took a nap. Next thing I know, it's 9pm and way past our dinner time. I went into the man cave to find my husband passed out on the floor, dead from starvation. Well, not really, but he was hungry. His solution? Eat chips with the homemade salsa I made yesterday (don't worry, that recipe is coming!). While perhaps healthier than potato chips and dip, this was certainly an unacceptable dinner for my husband.

However, since it was so late, I didn't want to start making the tacos that I originally planned. Why you ask? Of course, making tacos is super easy and fun. However, when you have a husband like mine who only knows how to make a single recipe, you take advantage of it as much as possible. Since his single recipe is tacos- and since he's got a cold :(- there will be no tacos tonight.

Hence this recipe that I whipped together. I read somewhere a recipe for an italian pasta dish with tuna. I can see the sumptuous picture in my mind: lots of garlic and spaghetti noodles with chunks of tuna, hunks of spinach, and dots of capers, all glistening in a pool of olive oil and butter. Yum. I suddenly feel my heart constricting. No, I am not in lot, I am having a coronary.

If you're like me, this delicious meal sounds like 5 pounds of added fat on my butt, thighs, or hips. So I decided to do what I do best and reinvent the meal. And I have to admit, I might just be a culinary genius. Not really, but it was still pretty darn delicious. Sure, there are things about the recipe which I would change for next time. These changes are reflected in the recipe.


Not the prettiest meal the next day, but just as tasty.

Pasta with Tuna, Spinach, and Capers

1 lb Spaghetti (I used a combination of whole wheat pasta and high fiber white pasta)
2 cans Tuna in Water, drained (use the solid tuna- I used white chunks and it kind of disintegrated in the sauce)
1 cup Chicken Broth
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Small Onion, diced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 cups Spinach, chopped (I used frozen, but I think it would taste much better with fresh)
1 cup other veggies (I used canned beets, but I think it would taste amazing with roasted red peppers)
1 Tbsp Capers
Juice of 1 Lemon (3-4 Tbsp)
1/2 cup grated cheese.
1 Tbp Ground Thyme
Salt & Pepper

Place the spaghetti in a pot of salted boiling water until cooked. Over medium heat, cook the onions and the garlic in the chicken broth. Add all of the other ingredients except for the tuna and cheese and cook until the veggies are all lightly cooked. Add the tuna, grated cheese, and drained spaghetti noodles and toss.

Makes 4 decent servings.

Turkey Meatloaf and Pasta Side

My day has definitely had its ups and downs. For instance, I did the ultimate impression of a sloth and I didn't get out of bed until after 1:30pm. That's right, it was the afternoon when I woke up. However, I had to write my final project for my summer class today, so my day started with total slothfulness (um, is that a word?!) and ended in a frantic dash to turn in my project on time... which, of course it wasn't. Mind you, if I'm being honest, I did play a game or two of Solitaire today.

So what does one do if you are me and you finally become hungry around 4pm? Too early for dinner and waaay too late for lunch? I have a linner. That's right- a linner. I did what I often do- throw a bunch of stuff together and hope for the best. Which, mind you, it was.

I started with half of a turkey meatloaf I made a couple of days ago. It was amazing. Surprisingly tender, flavorful, and even healthy. I added on a simple salad, mixed up a quick pasta side, and I was ready to munch away. Needless to say, I hoovered my entire plate in 3 minutes flat. I know. I was there.



Turkey Meatloaf

1 1/2lbs ground turkey
1 onion, diced
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Italian flavored)
1 Tbsp Worcester sauce
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup Ketchup, plus some more

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients except the extra ketchup. Form 4 small football-shaped meatloaves on a cookie sheet. Bake in the over uncovered for 20 minutes. Cover each meatloaf in a thin layer of ketchup (maybe 2 Tbsp per meatloaf). Put the tray back in the over for another 15 minutes.






Simple Pasta Salad

You'd never know this pasta dish was healthy. Seriously. The first picture looks like oil, right? Wrong! It's chicken broth- a healthy secret of mine. Sure, I used a smidgen of oil as well, but for the most part, if you use a non-stick pan, you don't need the added oil. This was seriously fantastic anyway.

Small handful of white/whole wheat pasta blend (maybe 1/8 lb)
1/4 cup chicken stock (I use organic)
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 small garlic clove, diced (use one of the center ones)
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan
Salt & Pepper

Put pasta into salted boiling water. It should only take 3-4 minutes to cook. Add several Tbsp of chicken stock to a pan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds or so, until the broth is gone and the shallots are translucent. Add olive oil if you need to. Pour the cooked pasta into the pan. Add the rest of the broth and Parmesan cheese. Toss and serve.