Banana Pumpkin Bread with Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread

As fall slowly approaches, cooking with pumpkin becomes a favorite hobby of mine. Pumpkin is a low-calorie vegetable but is rich in anti-oxidants, Vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E.  Pumpkin has zero saturated fat and cholesterol and the seeds are loaded with heart healthy mono unsaturated fatty acids and fiber. 

This morning I had two bananas that were going to spoil and a can of pumpkin in my cupboard and I thought, why not make a hearty banana pumpkin bread! I thought about putting in a layer of cream cheese filling, but I think I will try that another time. I follow a blogger, Skinny Taste, and I saw her Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread and decided to use my extra pumpkin to make this cream cheese. I kept nibbling on the cream cheese spread - it will go excellent with a bagel or toast for breakfast. This is definitely a keeper.

One recommendation I will make to this recipe is to add nuts or raisins into the batter. I enjoy chopped walnuts in my bread as this adds more heart healthy fat, protein, and fiber. In this recipe I topped my bread with 1 oz. chopped pecans, but next time I will add more in the batter. Now slice yourself up a piece of bread, top with the cream cheese spread and relax with a cup of tea, coffee, or milk. This bread is an excellent choice if you are looking for something sweet.

Banana Pumpkin Bread
8 slices

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin filling
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 9x5 bread pan with cooking spray. 
2. Mix flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl mash the bananas and add the pumpkin pie filling, eggs, butter and sugar. Mix thoroughly until homogeneous.
3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients. *If you want to add in raisins, dates, chopped nuts - add now!
4.  Pour into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. After 25 minutes top the bread with foil to prevent the top from burning.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread
Adapted from Skinny Taste
10 servings (3 tbsp)

8 oz. fat free cream cheese
1/2 cup canned pumpkin pie filling
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Soften cream cheese and mix all ingredients together. Chill in fridge and serve!

Nutritional Information:
1 slice Banana Pumpkin Bread 
Calories: 204
Protein: 4 g
Carbohydrate: 40 g
Fat: 4.5 g
Fiber: 4 g

3 tbsp Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread
Calories: 65
Protein: 5 g
Carbohydrate: 11 g
Fat: 0.3 g
Fiber: 1.6 g

Pizza Pasta Bake

Although I love to bake, I do not have time to make an extravagant meal every day. While in college I juggled two jobs and a full course load leaving little time for cooking. Eating well is very important to me and in order to continue to eat well, I learned to make ONE large, healthy meal that would feed me for the week.  I will forewarn you - if you do not like leftovers this meal plan is not for you. But if you enjoy leftovers and do not mind re-heating food, then this plan will save you tons of time!

As I have transitioned into my internship it is more important than ever to continue to eat well and this Pizza Pasta Bake is a simple, creative, tasty meal that will feed you over a week! I actually made this meal before my boyfriend came into town, and he ate half of the Pizza Pasta Bake in one day! Yikes! I guess it's good....

I initially found this recipe from The Country Cook, but I decided to lighten it up and slightly alter the recipe. Feel free to check out the original recipe using the link above. 

Pizza Pasta Bake
Servings: 20 (1.5 cup servings)
Preparation time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
2 tsp garlic
1 large (29 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
6 oz. tomato paste
4 oz. canned mushrooms
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Red Pepper (use more if you like spicy!)
1 pound fusili or penne pasta
Turkey Pepperoni
1 1/2 cups part skim mozzarella cheese, divided use
7 oz. Turkey Pepperoni

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta and set aside.
2. In a large pot, saute onion and garlic 3-5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper, and mushrooms. Turn to medium/low heat and simmer 5-10 minutes.
3. Slice pepperoni in half, leaving 30 for the top of the bake, set those aside. 
4. Mix cooked pasta, sauce, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and Turkey Pepperoni. Stir well. Spray a large non stick baking pan. Pour in pasta mixture. 
5. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and top with pepperoni slices. Cover with aluminum foil (I spray mine with Pam so the cheese does not stick)
6. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes or until cheese begins to brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve!

Option: I saute spinach and add this into my serving of pasta. This adds extra B-vitamins, iron and minerals!

Nutritional Information:
1 serving (1.5 cups)
Calories: 140
Fat (g): 4
Protein (g): 10
Carbohydrate (g): 18
Fiber (g): 4
Sodium (mg): 500

Low Calorie PCP Granola

Hi everyone! I apologize for my lengthy delay from posting, but this summer has been extremely busy. But not to worry! I will be posting once or twice each week from here on out.

This last Monday I began my Dietetic Internship. It is going to be an intense ride, but eating well and maintaining my health will be essential to getting through this internship and helping my patients as much as possible. It is important for me to practice what I preach and my blog is my outlet to show just this.

Although I already have a homemade granola recipe, I decided I wanted to try something new. This recipe has ZERO added sugar. The sole sources of sugar come from the chopped prunes, dried cherries, and dried pomegranate. I love to add granola to my yogurt and eat it as cereal, but yogurt and milk already contain enough sugar themselves. Sure enough - this granola is still DELICIOUS!!!! This recipe is low in saturated fat, sodium, has zero cholesterol and the almonds are an excellent source of good fat. Feel free to be creative with this recipe and add additional ingredients such as dried coconut, raisins, golden raisins, chopped walnuts!

Servings: 32 (heaping 1/4 cup)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

4 1/2 cups Old-Fashioned Oatmeal, uncooked (not instant)
1/3 cup almonds, chopped
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
1/2 cup sugar free maple syrup
1 tbsp vegetable oil
5 oz. Dried Pomegranate 
5 oz. Dried Cherry Raisins
10 prunes, cut into raisin sized pieces
(optional – you can substitute any of these for raisins, golden raisins, dried coconut, walnuts, etc.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Stir together oatmeal, almonds, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk syrup and vegetable oil; pour over oatmeal mixture and stir to coat thoroughly.
3. Spray a 12x15-inch baking pan with Pam and place the mixture in an even layer on the pan. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes during baking time.
4. While the granola is baking, chop prunes into small, "raisin-sized" pieces. Lightly coat the chopped prunes with flour to prevent them from sticking together. 
5. Cool mixture in the pan for 5 minutes before adding dried cherries, pomegranate, and chopped prunes then place on parchment paper to continue cooling. Store granola in an airtight container. 

To serve: Pour 1 cup milk over a heaping ½ cup of granola (top with fresh berries, if desired) OR mix 1 cup low-fat yogurt with 1/4 cup granola (top with fresh berries or sliced bananas, if desired)

Using a measuring tool helps maintain portion-control. I always use a measuring scoop when I eat granola.

I store these in my freezer!

Nutritional Information:
1 serving (heaping 1/4 cup)
Calories: 90 
Fat (g): 1.7
Carbohydrate (g): 17.6
Protein (g): 2.1
Fiber (g): 1.6 
Sodium (mg): 20 mg

Bruchetta

It is summer time! And summer calls for fresh bruchetta! Ever since my dad began growing tomatoes in his garden four years ago, our family makes fresh bruchetta. Let me warn you - it is much better than what you get in a restaurant.

Whenever my friends have dinner parties they all say, "Sarah brings bruchetta!" So here is an insider's look into my famous recipe:

Tip: This recipe is an excellent appetizer and use crusty French or Italian bread.

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 clove garlic - for rubbing on bread
4 large tomatoes, diced
10 basil leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp Olive Oil
3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar (or more to taste - I like a lot of balsamic)
Parmesan Cheese
Salt to taste

1. Chop tomatoes, basil and garlic and put into a bowl. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar - mix and let it marinate.
2. Thinly slice bread and rub with garlic clove. Lightly broil both sides.
3. Top with tomato mixture, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and put back into the oven for another 30-60 seconds until cheese begins to melt.
4. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Cream Cheese Carrot Cake Muffins

Who doesn't like dessert for breakfast!?! These muffins are sweet enough to entice you to take a second, while not overly powerful like an extravagant dessert. Be generous when adding the cream cheese filling as this adds the extra boost of flavor. Feel free to add chopped walnuts or sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top before baking.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour - do NOT substitute whole-wheat flour...I tried this and it failed!

1/2 cup Splenda

1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups grated carrot (use food processor or cheese grater)

Filling:

8 oz. fat free cream cheese

1/4 cup Splenda

1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 12 muffin pan or line with muffin cups.

2. To make the filling, mix the sugar with softened cream cheese. Set aside.

3. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. Add eggs, water, and oil and mix. Fold in the grated carrot, stirring to combine.

4. Using a large spoon, cover the bottom of the muffin cup (about 1/4 inch). Then dollop a HEAPING tablespoon of filling (be generous!). Last, cover with enough batter to fill the muffin cup. Optional: lightly dust muffins with a mixture of cinnamon and granulated sugar before baking.

5. Bake muffins for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the edges begin turning brown. The tops of the muffins will feel firm to the touch.

6. Remove muffins and transfer them to a cooling rack. Wait 10 minutes before serving as the center will be quite hot.

Note: this recipe makes 15 cupcakes.

Nutrient Analysis:

Yield: 15 muffins

Serving: 1 muffin

Calories: 150

Protein: 5 g

Fat: 5.8 g

Carbohydrate: 19 g

No Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are quick, easy, gluten free and a great source of whole grains! The oatmeal provides soluble fiber and good carbohydrates which help keep your blood glucose in check while the peanut butter adds protein. However we cannot forget about the sugar and butter....well this is why these cookies are for dessert! I substituted all the sugar for Splenda, but do not substitute applesauce for the butter - I tried this with half of the recipe and it fatally bombed! However, feel free to be creative and make changes: add craisins, mini-chocolate chips or white chocolate chips, even try adding additional sources of fiber such as All-Bran buds.

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar (1 cup sugar, 1 cup Splenda)
1/4 cup cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

1. Combine sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil for one full minute stirring continuously. Remove from heat.
2. In a separate bowl, combine oatmeal, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir in the sugar mixture and mix. Let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Drop by spoonful onto wax paper. Let cool for at least 30 minutes and then refrigerate. This is excellent with a glass of milk!

Nutrient Analysis: 36 cookies

Calories: 118

Protein: 4 g

Fat: 5 g

Carbohydrates: 15 g

Fiber: 2 g

Pizza Dip

This recipe is a keeper! My roommate and I almost ate the entire thing in one sitting! oops....the secret is out. This is an excellent appetizer for one of those "everyone bring a dish to pass" parties. Be creative with extra toppings such as adding baby pepperoni, red pepper flakes, or chopped mushrooms which will additional flavor. Serve with chunks of Italian or french bread, fresh vegetable dippers, or chips.

Ingredients:

1 8oz package fat free cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 cup low fat Mozzarella cheese, shredded
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 8oz. can pizza sauce
2 tbsp green pepper, chopped (optional)
2 tbsp green onions, chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine cream cheese and Italian seasoning, spread onto an 8" pie pan or small baking dish.
3. In a small bowl, combine mozzarella and Parmesan. Sprinkle half the mixture on top of the cream cheese. Spread the pizza sauce over the cheese mixture, then cover with the remaining cheese mixture. Top with the bell pepper and green onions.
4. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top cheese begins turning brown. Let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving. This recipe re-heats well.

Nutrition Information: Serves 8 (approximately 1/2 cup each)

Calories: 130

Protein: 12 g

Fat: 6 g

Carbohydrate: 6 g

Calcium: 315 mg

Sodium: 435 mg