Fall Favorites: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

Week #4: GINGER PUMPKIN BREAD

Photo Credit: Elaine Magee

What's November without some pumpkin bread? This is a moist and mildly flavored pumpkin bread recipe that you can embellish with any other favorite fall ingredients like pecans or walnuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit of any kind.

The original recipe called for a stick of melted butter; I've trimmed this down to 3 tablespoons and used canola oil instead. Some lowfat buttermilk was added in place of the lost butter. Mostly whole-wheat flour was used instead of 100% white flour and the sugar was decreased by 25% and the 2 eggs were replaced by a higher omega-3 egg and an egg white.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons lowfat buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 large egg, omega-3 if available
1 large egg white
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Coat the inside of a loaf pan (8 1/2" x 4 1/2") with canola cooking spray or light margarine and dust lightly with some white flour; set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl on low speed, combine canola oil, buttermilk, sugars, pumpkin, egg and egg white and beat until completely blended, scraping bowl after about 20 seconds. In medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, ginger and salt.
3. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating on low speed only until just combined, scraping bowl toward the end.
4. Spoon batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 50 minutes). Let it cook for 10 minutes then invert pan and transfer the pumpkin bread to a wire rack to cool completely, if desired. Serve warm or cold.

Yield: Makes 10 slices

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members journal as: 1 small muffin OR 2 slices whole grain bread

Nutrition Information per slice: 169 calories, 3.5 g protein, 29 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, .5 g saturated fat, 21 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 178 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 26%

Week #1: Topless Chicken Pot Pie
Week #2: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Week #3: Spiced Apple Cake
Week #4: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

Related Topics:

• Winter Squash: Recipes and Tips
• Pumpkin Recipes Packed with Nutrition

Fall Favorites: Spiced Apple Cake

Week #3: SPICED APPLE CAKE

Photo Credit: Elaine Magee

This is a double fall favorite because it has spice cake and apples all wrapped up in the same dessert. I made all sorts of changes from the original recipe. I replace a majority of the white flour with whole-wheat flour and I cut the amount of granulated sugar in half. The 2 sticks of butter in the original recipe were replaced, in part, with 5 tablespoons canola oil and some applesauce. And instead of throwing away the rum (after soaking the dried fruit in it), I added it to the batter to replace the rest of the butter that was originally called for. Lastly, only 1 egg and some egg substitute helped blend the batter instead of the 3 eggs originally called for.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries or dried berries
1/4 cup dark or golden rum, apple cider or juice, or amaretto liqueur
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 large egg, higher omega-3 if available
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups diced, unpeeled, apples* (cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped (optional)

Preparation:

1. Position rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350-degrees. Coat the inside of a bundt pan with canola oil or canola oil cooking spray. Dust the inside with flour and shake out any excess.
2. In small, microwave-safe bowl, combine dried fruit and rum. Microwave for about 30 seconds on HIGH and set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt by beating on low for a minute. With mixer off, pour in the brown and granulated sugars, canola oil, applesauce, egg, egg substitute, vanilla, and the rum from the dried fruit mixture (reserve the dried fruit for the next step) and beat on HIGH speed, until batter is smooth (about 1 minute), scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Stir in the apples, pecans and/or (if desired), and the rum-soaked dried fruit.
4. Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula. Bake in center of oven until a fork inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean (about 1 hour).
5. Cool the cake in pan on rack for 10 minutes, then invert cake pan onto a serving plate and cool completely. The cake can be stored at room temperature wrapped tightly in foil or plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

* Sweet apples, like Red Delicious, work well in this recipe. To test the recipe though, I used a combination of Red Delicious and Granny Smith (because that's what I had in the fruit crisper) and it worked out wonderfully.

Yield: Makes 12 servings

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members journal as as 1 piece small muffin + 1 piece fruit OR 1 medium dessert + 1 piece fruit OR 2 pieces pancakes, waffles, french toast + 1 piece fruit

Nutrition Information Per serving: 281 calories, 4.5 g protein, 51 g carbohydrate, 6.5 g fat, .6 g saturated fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 229 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 21 percent.

Week #1: Topless Chicken Pot Pie
Week #2: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Week #3: Spiced Apple Cake
Week #4: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

Related Topics:

• Healthy Fruit Dessert Recipes
• Common Spices May Help Diabetes

Fall Favorites: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Week #2 SUPER SLOW COOKER POT ROAST

Photo Credit: Elaine Magee

The slow, moist simmering of a slow cooker can turn an extra lean cut of beef into a tender, flavorful entrée. So, armed with the mighty magic of a slow cooker, we can take the leanest roasts around (a lean chuck arm pot roast with no visible fat and a beef bottom round roast with no visible fat) and turn them into a tender and savory pot roast. What makes this pot roast "super" special is the high antioxidant and phytochemical-packed veggies cooked with the roast.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
4 tablespoons merlot (or other red wine), non-alcoholic beer, or water
2 medium onions, outer skin peeled and top trimmed off then each cut into 8 wedges
About 16 whole garlic cloves, peeled (about 1 bulb)
4 cups baby carrots (16 ounce bag) or 4 medium carrots, cut into three or four pieces each
1 chuck arm pot roast, beef chuck cross rib roast or beef bottom round roast, lean with no visible fat (about 2.5 pounds)
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. In measuring cup, combine flour and red wine. Add to crock of slow cooler and stir in onions, garlic cloves, and carrots.
2. Sprinkle the outside of roast with salt and pepper and set on top of carrot/onion mixture. Pour Worcestershire sauce over the top of the roast, Cover slow cooker, and cook on HIGH for 5 1/2 hours or on LOW for 9 hours.
3. Spoon the juices from the bottom of the slow cooker over the vegetables and roast then sprinkle fresh parsley over the top and continue to cook 30 minutes on HIGH or 1 hour on LOW.
4. Place roast on a serving plate and let sit 10 minutes. Place vegetables in a serving dish and pan juices in a gravy boat. Cut the roast against the grain into slices with your desired thickness and serve!

Yield: Makes 8 servings

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members journal as: Per serving: 279 calories, 35 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 77 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 148 mg sodium (365 mg sodium with added salt). Calories from fat: 26 percent.

Week #1: Topless Chicken Pot Pie
Week #2: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Week #3: Spiced Apple Cake
Week #4: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

Related Topics:

• Slow but Sure Recipes
• Greener Pastures

Fall Favorites: Topless Chicken Pot Pie

THE FALL FAVORITES RECIPE SERIES!

Is Fall your favorite season? I must admit, I really love this time of year. In my neck of the woods, the days have noticeably become shorter and the temperature cooler. Each year when this happens I automatically start cooking some of our favorite fall foods. This includes several savory dinner entrées, yummy fall breads, and basically anything with pumpkin.

So, for the next 4 weeks, I am going to do a Recipe Doctor "makeover" on 4 Fall Food Favorites, starting with two favorite savory entrées (healthful variations on Chicken Pot Pie and Slow-Cooker Pot Roast) and working our way to a a favorite fall bread and dessert!

Week #1: TOPLESS CHICKEN POT PIE

Photo Credit: Elaine Magee

Break your addiction to frozen pot pies with this recipe for Topless Chicken Pot Pie.

Your typical chicken pot pie has fat, saturated fat and calories coming at you from three directions; the top crust, the creamy filling, and the bottom crust. We are making a lower fat, higher fiber crumb topping to replace the top pie crust and we are making a lighter filling using only a couple teaspoons of olive or canola oil to sauté lots of vegetables; plus a cream sauce made with 2 tablespoons of whipped butter or less fat margarine, fat free half and half and skinless chicken breast. If you want to keep the bottom crust, choose a whole-wheat pie crust if possible. Or, if you are really feeling like trimming calories and fat grams, the pot pie can be bottomless as well.

Time Saving Note: If you want to trim some prep time, substitute 1 2/3 cups Bertolli Mushroom Alfredo (bottled) for the homemade white sauce. You can also make this dish with or without the bottom crust.

Ingredients:

1 whole-wheat pie crust, uncooked (optional)

Filling:
2 teaspoons olive oil or canola oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped or sliced celery
3/4 cup chopped carrot (baby carrots can be used)
1 teaspoon minced or chopped garlic
3 cups diced roasted or grilled skinless and boneless chicken breast

Homemade White Sauce Option:
1/2 cup light cream cheese
1 cup fat free half and half
1 tablespoon unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper

Topping:
1/3 cup Panko crumbs
1/3 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons parsley flakes
Olive oil or canola cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Set pie crust, if desired, in a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan if not already in one or divide crust into 5 equal circles if using individual pot pie dishes. If making individual pot pies, place each of the crust circles into an individual dish or ramekin about 4- to 4.5-inches wide, set aide.
2. Pour 2 teaspoons oil into a medium nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, stir in the onion, celery and carrot and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute. Scoop this mixture into a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Combine light cream cheese, half and half and flour in a small food processor (or electric mixer) pulsing until smooth. In same medium saucepan over medium-high heat, pour in the cream cheese mixture and continue to stir and gently boil until it thickens (about 2 minutes). Turn off the heat and stir in the pepper, sautéed vegetables and diced chicken. Spoon mixture into the crust lined pie plate or if making individual pot pies, divide the filling between the 5 individual dishes (about 1 1/4 cups).
4. For the topping, in medium sized bowl, combine the Panko, oats, and Parmesan cheese and parsley flakes. Spread topping over the top of the large pot pie or 5 small pot pies. Coat the top generously with canola or olive oil cooking spray. Place pot pie(s) on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for about 30 minutes (for one large pie) or 20 minutes (for individual pies) or until crust is nicely browned.

Yield: Makes 5 servings

With Bottom Crust
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic Members journal as: 2 cups "hearty stew" OR 1 portion frozen dinner regular + 1/2 cup vegetables with 1 tsp fat OR 1 serving of "lean meat with sauce" + 1 cup vegetables without added fat + 1 slice bread (1 serving of regular crackers can be substituted)

Per serving (with bottom crust): 440 calories, 36 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate, 18 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 93 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 564 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 36 percent.

Without Bottom Crust
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic Members journal as: 1 1/2 cups "hearty stews" OR 1 portion light frozen dinner + 1/2 cup vegetables with 1 tsp fat OR 1 serving of "lean meat with sauce" + 1 cup vegetables without added fat.

Per serving (without bottom crust): 320 calories, 35 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 93 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 401 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 31 percent.


Week #1: Topless Chicken Pot Pie
Week #2: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Week #3: Spiced Apple Cake
Week #4: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

Related Topics:

• Fall Foods to Be Thankful for
• Frighteningly Fattening Fall Foods Slideshow