Low-Fat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I made these for the second time this morning, and we love them enough that they deserve a blog post!  Quick, easy, and perfect for the overripe bananas that I always seem to have at the end of the week! 

Low-Fat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
(adapted from Skinny Taste)

You will need:

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I always use white whole wheat flour for baking- it's a little milder than regular whole wheat)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tins with baking cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar using electric mixer.  Add in bananas, applesauce, egg whites, and vanilla, and mix well on medium.

Stir in flour mixture and chocolate chips.  Mix on low just until blended. 

Pour batter into muffin cups.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean. 

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

We had some overnight guests this week, and I wanted to make something light for breakfast because we had a heavy dinner the night before.  These were quick and easy, and paired with some fresh fruit, made for a delicious breakfast!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins (from Skinny Taste)

You will need:

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (the original recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour.  I couldn't find this and instead used white whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, combine applesauce, egg, vanilla, and melted butter.  Add to the flour mixture and stir just until well blended.  If your batter seems too dry at this point (mine did), add a few tablespoons of milk.  Fold in blueberries.

Pour batter into 12 lined muffin tins.  Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool slightly before serving. 

Rattlesnake Pasta

I've made this dish twice now and it has not disappointed!  Rattlesnake Pasta is a favorite of my mom's and mine at the restaurant J. Alexander's, so I decided to make it for Mother's Day and recently made it again.  Warning: this dish definitely has a pretty high spice level, and is not a "light" dish by any stretch of the imagination!

Rattlesnake Pasta (adapted from Tastebook)

You will need:

• 1 lb. linguine (I've used whole wheat and regular pasta- both were good!)
• 8 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 red pepper, julienned
• 1 yellow pepper, julienned
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 lb. grilled chicken (Brett has grilled fresh chicken for me both times I've made this, but the orignal recipe says you can use the pre-cooked stuff as well)
• Seasoning mix:
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. red pepper (cayenne)
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Melt 2 tbsp. butter in large saucepan over low to medium heat.  Add flour and work in with a wire whisk.  Work in remaining butter (I inadvertently skipped this step this time, and did not notice any difference in the flavor or consistency of the sauce.  So you could definitely cut down on the butter if you'd like).  Slowly add the cream using the whisk.  Add parmesan cheese and continue to whisk until melted.

Add seasoning mixture to sauce.  Like I mentioned, this recipe has a good kick to it, so you may want to start lighter on the spices and work your way up to the recommended amounts if you can handle the spice!

Combine chicken, peppers, onion, garlic, and lime juice and add to sauce.  Continue to saute until sauce is creamy and all ingredients are hot. 

Meanwhile, cook linguine to al dente and drain.  Combine pasta and sauce, toss well, and enjoy! 

Chicken Fajita Chowder

Living in the South for 6 months has officially made us wimps... the 30 degree days we've had the past few days have felt brutally cold compared to the nice 50s and 60s we've been experiencing lately.  But, I can't say I totally mind.  I am really, really, really missing snow and Missouri winters (call me crazy) and so the cold weather has just made it all that more enjoyable for me to snuggle in and cook some good, warming, winter soups. 

Tonight I tried a recipe given to me by a friend last year- one that I never got around to trying myself until tonight.  It was a winner!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Chicken Fajita Chowder
Makes 8 servings
1 1/4 cups= 7 Points Plus

You will need:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 can green enchilada sauce
• 1 small can chopped green chiles
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 3 cups water
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup 2% shredded cheese (I used cheddar because it's what I had- a mexican blend would be good too)
• 1 cup fat free sour cream

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large soup pot.  Cook chicken, peppers, and onions in oil until chicken is cooked through, stirring frequently. 

Stir in corn, enchilada sauce, chiles, rice, water, and salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat for 35-40 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese and sour cream. 

Creamy Chicken, Vegetables and Noodles

We're back on the Weight Watchers train as of today, which means I'm back on the cooking wagon.  We tried a new recipe tonight that was absolutely delicious, so I wanted to document it before  I forgot!  The Italian dressing really gives the chicken and broccoli a nice sweet flavor, and a little Velveeta goes a long way to make a creamy sauce.  I got right around 5 two-cup servings out of this; with that amount of servings, the Points Plus value came out to 9 per serving.  The serving size was hearty and the meal was very filling! 

Creamy Chicken, Vegetables and Noodles (adapted from kraftfoods.com)

You will need:

• 4 cups egg noodles, uncooked
• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup fat free Italian dressing
• 3 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 1 large red pepper, cut into strips
• 6 oz. reduced fat 2% Velveeta
• 1 tbsp. skim milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook noodles as directed on package; drain.

Meanwhile, cook chicken in dressing in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for around 7 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.  Stir in the vegetables, reduce heat to medium, and cover.  Simmer 5 minutes or until the veggies are crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, place Velveeta in a small microwave-safe bowl.  Add milk and microwave for 2-3 minutes (stirring once after 1 1/2 minutes) or until Velveeta is melted and the mixture is smooth. 

Mix noodles, chicken, and veggies together.  Pour Velveeta mixture over and stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.