Honey Bunches of Oat Squares a Healthier No Bake Snack or Dessert

Honey Bunches of Oat Squares

I confess. I like rice krispie bars - yes, the ones with butter and marshmallows. When I think of no-bake desserts or snacks, that is the first thing that pops into my head. The theme this month for Recipe Redux is no cook desserts.

So, I think everyone has a recipe for rice krispie bars. So, I decided to come up with a recipe that makes these bars a little healthier. But, I also wanted to keep it easy.

With only 3 ingredients this recipe goes together in a snap. The recipe makes 9 bars. Each bar is 199 calories, provides a good source of several vitamins, and costs about 34 cents each. Instead of the Post brand of Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds, I bought the "knock-off" product made by Malto Meal at Walmart where you can buy a large, 32-ounce bag for under $5.00.

Here is the full recipe.

Honey Bunches of Oat Squares

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup almond butter
3 cups lightly sweetened corn & whole wheat flake cereal with granola & sliced almonds (Post Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds)

Directions:
Spray 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Combine honey and almond butter in large pot over medium-low heat until melted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cereal. Mixture will be sticky. Press into prepared dish. May want to use waxed paper under hands to press down hard to spread mixture evenly in dish. Let cool. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Cut into 9 squares.

Makes 9 servings.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 199 calories, 9 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 4 g protein, and 92 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of folate and a good source of riboflavin, niacin and vitamin E.

Cost per Serving: $0.34 Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices.


Be sure to check out these other no bake favorites.

Corn Chowder with Wild Rice and Grapes

Disclaimer: By posting this recipe, I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the California Table Grape commission and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Grapes. Red, green, black. I love them all.

Grapes from California are in season May through January. They are in season long past the summer season for peaches, apricots, and nectarines.

Grapes of all colors - red, black, and green- are a natural source of beneficial antioxidants and other polyphenols. A serving of grapes (3/4 cup or about 25 grapes) is just 90 calories, has no fat, cholesterol and virtually no sodium and provide potassium and are a good source of vitamin K. Exciting research has been and is being done to examine the beneficial properties of the antioxidants and other chemicals found in grapes. Grapes appear to support a healthy heart, blood pressure, colon, eyes, brain, prostate, and bladder. Click here to download and read more about grapes and health.

Keep grapes refrigerated. Store them unwashed and avoid storing them next to onions or leeks or anything with a strong odor. Like most berries, grapes tend to absorb odors. Rinse them just before eating them or using them in a recipe.

I am pleased to share that with this posting I am entering the "Fall in Love with Grapes” recipe contest. When deciding what to create for this contest, I looked at the various recipe categories and realized that I have never used grapes in a soup before. This sounded to me like an interesting challenge. Make a soup recipe using fresh grapes. Just a few days ago one of my girlfriends told me about a soup she made using fresh corn and wild rice. This inspired me to create a similar recipe, adding red grapes to the dish. Of course, green or black grapes could be used in place of the red grapes I used in this recipe.

This is a fairly hearty soup, but only has 250 calories for a large bowl. Although I used fresh corn on the cob, you can easily use frozen corn, allowing you to make this dish anytime this fall or winter. For the wild rice in this soup, I found a package of precooked wild rice manufactured by Fall River Wild Rice for only $3.39 for a 10.5 oz package (2 cups cooked), making this a relatively fast dish to assemble and serve.

Here’s a picture of the wild rice package:

Wild Rice Used in Corn Chowder Recipe

Here’s the full recipe:

Corn Chowder with Wild Rice and Grapes

Ingredients:
6 slices lower sodium turkey bacon
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tsp fresh or dried rosemary, minced
4 cups fresh or frozen corn, thawed if frozen
5 cups lower sodium chicken broth
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup seedless red or green grapes, halved

Directions:
Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, turning as needed. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Add oil to Dutch oven. Add onion and sweet potato and cook over medium-low heat, covered and stirring occasionally, until onion and sweet potato soften, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and cook for 1 minute. Add corn, chicken broth, and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Carefully transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Add pureed mixture back to Dutch oven. Stir in wild rice and grapes and heat just until warm throughout. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish each bowl with 1 strip of crumbled turkey bacon.

Makes 6 servings (about 1-2/3 cups each or 10 cups total)

Nutrition Information per Serving: 250 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 4g dietary fiber, 9 g protein, and 415 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides a good source of protein, fiber, B-6 folate, and vitamin C.

Cost per Serving: $1.78
Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices except grapes were on sale for $0.99 per pound and corn was on sale, 5 ears for $1.99.

Click here to download and print a copy of this Corn Chowder with Wild Rice and Grapes recipe.
Be sure to check out these other California Grape contest entries.

Breaking Bad

There is a cool article on the food and colors associated with Breaking Bad. Check this out at http://wp.me/p3Mwkj-qY

Refrigerator Zucchini Pickles

Refrigerator Zucchini Pickles

Raising the Bar on food in a jar is the Recipe Redux theme for August.

I have an abundance of zucchini. I only planted one zucchini plant in my own vegetable garden, but also get zucchini in my weekly CSA package. So when I learned about the theme of this month’s Recipe Redux, I decided to make zucchini pickles.

I did some web surfing and came across a recipe from McCormick for refrigerator bread and butter pickles. I started with this recipe for my inspiration because it seemed easier than “traditional” pickle recipes. You simply put thinly sliced cucumbers (zucchini in my case) in a canning jar, heat a mixture of white vinegar, sugar and spices and pour it over the cuke slices. Then you put the jar in the refrigerator and shake it once a day for 3 to 5 days. No real canning involved. However, this means the jar must be kept refrigerated, but it is good for up to 2 months.

Here are photos of the preparation

Preparation of Refrigerator Zucchini Pickles

 

I was very pleased with the way the zucchini pickles came out. A new way to enjoy zucchini!

 

Here is the complete recipe:

                   Refrigerator Zucchini Pickles

Ingredients:

2 pounds zucchini, trimmed

2/3 cup agave syrup or honey

3 cups distilled white vinegar

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp mixed pickling spice

2 tsp mustard seed

2 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp dried dill weed

 

Directions:

 Using mandolin or knife, carefully slice zucchini into 1/16^th-inch slices. Divide sliced zucchini equally between two clean quart size canning jars. Mix remaining ingredients in medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour vinegar mixture over zucchini in jars, leaving at least 1/4-inch headspace. Let cool. Screw on metal lids and shake to distribute contents. Refrigerate pickles. Shake jars once a day for 3 to 5 days to redistribute seasonings. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

 

Makes 2 quarts (16 servings).

 Nutrition Information per Serving (1/16^th of recipe):

66 calories,0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 1 g protein, and 274 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides a good source of vitamin C.

Cost per Serving: $0.39

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices.

 

Click here to download and print a copy of this recipe.

 

Be sure to check out these other canned favorites from fellow Recipe Reduxers.

 

Nothing Says Summer Like Popsicles - Avocado Raspberry Popsicles

 



Avocado Raspberry Popsicles

Disclaimer: I received free samples of California Avocado mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by California Avocado and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

 

I grew up in Southern California where Hass avocados are widely available. My brother used to rent a house that had several avocado trees  on the property and he’d let me pick as many as I could carry in a large grocery paper bag. What great memories I have from those days.

There are many reasons to love avocados. I love their taste and creamy texture. They’re also loaded with “good” monounsaturated fats, the predominant type of fat found in Mediterranean-style diets. A one-ounce serving, or 1/5 of a medium avocado provides 3 grams of monounsaturated fat and 0.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat. Contrary to some beliefs, one serving of avocado is only 50 calories, provides 2 grams of fiber, and has no sodium or cholesterol.

California avocados are in peak season from March through September, making them perfect for summer gatherings.

Because avocados provide “healthy” fats, they are a good substitute for unhealthy saturated fats. So, for instance, try spreading avocado on your toast or bagel in the morning instead of butter, or use mashed avocado instead of mayonnaise on your sandwich bread, or dip raw veggies into guacamole instead of a sour cream-based dip. Although I haven’t yet tried this, I’ve read that avocado can be substituted for butter or oil in baked good recipes, such as cookies, cakes or muffins. “Though the result may vary slightly by recipe, you can use a one-to-one substitution of avocado for butter, however when substituting avocado for oil it may be necessary to add another liquid to balance the recipe and "thin out" thicker batters or mixes.”[1]

To me, nothing says summer better than popsicles. Here is a recipe for cool and creamy Avocado Popsicles.  I don’t have any fancy popsicle molds, so I simply use 5-ounce Dixie cups with a wooden stick. Foil over the top of the cup helps to hold the sticks upright while freezing. This recipe takes about 10 minutes to prepare. I love the combination  of raspberries and avocados in a green salad, so I used those two flavors in this popsicle recipe. It’s so easy, but looks impressive. One popsicle is only 129 calories and provides a good source of protein, fiber, and vitamin C.

Step one is to blend together one ripe peeled and seeded California Avocado in a blender with honey and an individual container of coconut vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt and pour into cups (or a popsicle mold.  Cover with foil, insert wooden stick and freeze for 2 hours.

 



 

Step One

Step two is to blend together fresh or frozen raspberries with an individual container of raspberry nonfat Greek yogurt and then spoon this mixture over the top of the frozen avocado mixture. Top with foil and freeze for 2 hours.

 

Step Two
 

Here is the complete recipe.

Avocado Raspberry Popsicles

Prep Time: about 10 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes

 

Ingredients:

1 ripe Fresh California Avocado, seeded and peeled

1 tablespoon honey

1 5.3-ounce container toasted coconut vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt

1 5.3-ounce container raspberry or strawberry nonfat Greek yogurt

1 cup fresh or frozen red raspberries

4 5-ounce paper cups

4 flat wooden sticks

 

Instructions:

Step One:

 

Combine avocado, coconut vanilla yogurt, and honey in blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Divide mixture evenly among paper cups. Tap cups gently on counter to make avocado mixture even within cups and to eliminate any air pockets. Cover cups with foil and insert stick into center of each cup. Freeze for 2 hours or until completely frozen.

Step Two:

 

When first layer is frozen, remove foil from pops. Combine strawberry yogurt and raspberries in blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Spoon mixture into each cup over the frozen avocado layer. Again cover cups with foil with sticks poking through center. Freeze until completely frozen, about 2 hours.

 

To eat, peel off paper cups. Enjoy.

 

Serves: 4

 

Nutrition Information per serving:

 

129 calories, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 3 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 28 mg sodium, 302 mg potassium, 14 g total carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 9 g total sugars, 9 g protein, 1.2% DV vitamin A, 18.5% DV vitamin C, 8.7% DV calcium, 2.5% DV iron, 0 % DV vitamin D, 9.2% DV folate, and 0.04 g omega 3 fatty acids.

Click here to download and print a copy of this recipe.

Check out these other avocado summer delights.

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[1] From: http://www.avocadocentral.com/

EZ Bean Brownies A Favorite for Travel

EZ Bean Brownies Great for Snacking

The theme for Recipe Redux this month is “Have Snacks. Will Travel.” Thanks to Karmen Meyer @Nutrition Adventures for this month’s inspiration!

 

 

For me, my definition of a good travel snack is a snack you can eat with one hand, not need tons of napkins to eat it, and is best if it has dark chocolate in it.

 

 

One of my favorite snacks is brownies but I don’t just prepare a packaged mix as directed. I substitute a can of rinsed black beans for the oil. By substituting canned beans for the oil normally called for on the package, this recipe saves 20 calories and 4.3 g of fat per brownie and adds additional fiber and protein. And it costs only $0.18 per serving.

 

 

Here’s the EZ Bean Brownie recipe:

 

E-Z Bean Brownies

Ingredients:

 

 

1 15 oz. can cooked beans, drained and rinsed well (I use black beans or dark red kidney beans)

 

2 large eggs

 

¼ cup water

 

1 19-1/2 oz. package chocolate fudge brownie mix

 

1/4 cup bittersweet 60% cocoa chocolate chips

 

 

 

 

 

Directions:

 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 X 9-inch baking pan with foil; then spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Place the drained beans in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth and creamy.  In a large bowl combine the pureed beans, eggs, water, and brownie mix; stir just until smooth, about 50 strokes.  Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Top cooked brownies with chocolate chips as soon as remove from oven. Spread in even layer with spatula. Let cool completely. Lift out of pan and cut into squares.

 

 

 

Makes 20 Servings

 

 

 

Nutrition Information per Serving (1/20 of recipe):

 

150 calories, 3.8 g total fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.6 g dietary fiber, 3.0 g protein, and 134 mg sodium.

 

 

 

Cost per Serving (1/20 recipe): $0.18

 

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices except for the brownie mix (on sale for $1.50 a box).

 

Plate of EZ Bean Brownies

Click here to download and print a copy of this recipe.

 

Be sure to check out these other healthier snack recipes from fellow dietitians.

Stuffed Mushrooms with Hemp Seeds

Stuffed Mushrooms with Hemp Seeds

The theme for Recipe Redux for June is Sowing Seasonal Seeds. Thanks to Sanaa @Fit & Fancy for this theme inspiration. Seeds for this month’s feature can be sesame seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, or any kind of seed. Our task is to develop and share a recipe using seeds reflecting the season in our part of the world.

 

I live just a few miles from Kennett Square, known as the mushroom capital of the country. This includes many varieties of exotic mushrooms, as well as the more traditional white button mushroom. For this month’s challenge, I decided to create a stuffed mushroom appetizer and to use hemp seeds as part of the filling. Hemp seeds add a nutty texture to foods.

 

I am fairly new to using hemp seeds. Other than adding them to my oatmeal some mornings, I haven’t used them much in cooking. I recently bought a large bag of hemp seeds from my local Costco. Hemp Hearts (brand name) are raw, shelled hemp seeds from Canada.

Package of Hemp Hearts from Canada

According to the Nutrition Facts panel on the package, one serving is 3 tablespoons and provides the following:

170 calories

13 g fat

1.5 g saturated fat

10 g polyunsaturated fat

1.5 g monounsaturated fat

3 g carbohydrate

3 g fiber

10 g protein

110% manganese

45% magnesium

25% thiamin

20% iron

20% zinc

 

So, you can see than hemp seeds can help boost your intake of several important fatty acids and good fats, protein, and several minerals.

 

Try using hemp hearts in a variety of foods:

·         Blend in smoothies

·         Add to hot or cold cereals

·         Sprinkle on salads, yogurt, soups and ice cream

·         Add to baked goods

·         Use them in a trail mix

·         Use as you would sesame seeds

Fun Fact: Hemp is an extremely versatile plant used for: Nutrition, construction material, clothes, paper, jewelry and alternative fuel.

 For 100 hemp recipes, visit: http://www.manitobaharvest.com/recipes.html

 

Here’s my recipe:

 
 

Stuffed Mushrooms With Hemp Seeds

  

Ingredients:

1 10-oz package baby portobello mushrooms (about 12 small mushrooms)

1 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 cup reduced fat feta cheese, crumbled

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 Tbsp raw shelled hemp seeds (such as Hemp Hearts)

1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Carefully remove stems from mushrooms. Place mushroom caps in single layer in baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Finely chop the mushroom stems. Melt butter in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add chopped mushroom stems, onions, and garlic and cook for 4 minutes, or until onions are soft. Add feta cheese and vinegar, stirring until well blended. Remove from heat. Stir in hemp seeds, thyme and basil. Carefully spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 12 stuffed mushrooms.

Note: White button mushrooms can also be used in place of portobello mushrooms, if desired.

Nutrition Information (1/12^th of recipe):

38 calories, 2.6 g total fat, 1.0 g saturated fat, 3.5 mg cholesterol, 0.8 g dietary fiber, 2.2 g protein, and  46.3 mg sodium.

Cost per Mushroom Serving: $0.42 each (or about $5.08 for whole recipe)

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices except mushrooms were on sale for $3.49 per package.

 Here are some photos of the preparation of the stuffed mushrooms.

 

Top: Remove stems w/ strawberry huller; Middle: hemp mixture; Bottom: mushrooms in pan before baking.

 

Click here to download and print a copy of this recipe.