Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
1 C packed light brown sugar
2 lg egg whites
1 C pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 C canola oil
1/3 C low-fat plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" metal loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and flour.
2. In large bowl, with wire whisk, combine brown sugar and egg whites. Add pumpkin, oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract; stir to combine.
3. In medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture; stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert pumpkin bread onto wire rack; cool completely.

My notes:
Loved this so much. So moist and pumpkin-y. Might add chocolate chips next time.

Spicy Thai Noodles

My notes:  This was really good. It was kind of oily and tasted the same all the way throughout.  Next time I'll be adding some type of citrus at the end to bring some freshness.

Angel Lush Cake

Angel Lush Cake

Ingredients:
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

1 pkg. (4 serving) Jell-o vanilla flavor pudding (fat free)
1 C Cool Whip Lite
1 (15-ounce) bakery round angel food cake
1 C mixed berries

Directions:
1. Measure whipped topping and set aside to soften. Combine in medium bowl, dry pudding mix and pineapple. Gently stir in whipped topping.

2. Slice cake horizontally into 3 layers. Place bottom cake layer on serving plate; top with 1/3 of the pudding mixture. repeat layers two times.
3. Chill cake at least 1 hour. Top with berries just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.


Notes:
This is amazing! And so easy to make!! Very fresh and light, and it was perfect to end our Easter meal.

Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked cavatappi pasta

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 tsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp pine nuts
2 oz diced pancetta
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 C (1 ounce) crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add asparagus to pan during last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, and toss well.
3. Arrange pine nuts in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400° for 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl.
4. Increase oven temperature to 475°.
5. Arrange pancetta on jelly-roll pan. Bake at 475° for 6 minutes or until crisp.
6. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts, pancetta, and cheese.

Notes:
Everyone really liked this. It was a tad salty for my taste with all the kosher salt and the pancetta, but since we added a little more pancetta than the recipe called for, that might have been our fault. Very tasty overall and we'll definitely be making this again.

Pasta with fresh tomatoes, basil and chicken

Pasta with fresh tomatoes, basil and chicken
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1/2-3/4 lb)
3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
2 T fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T olive oil
6-8 oz uncooked linguini
1/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound chicken breasts to a 1/2-inch thickness. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear until well browned on both sides and cooked to an internal temperature of 170F, about 5 minutes per side.
2. In a second skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil, simmer the tomatoes, garlic, parsley, basil, sugar, salt and pepper over low heat, stirring constantly until sauce is cooked. Add lemon juice until heated. Toss cooked chicken into the sauce. Keep warm.
3. Cook linguini according to package directions. Spoon sauce over hot linguini and sprinkle with cheese. Serves 2

My notes:
We all loved this one. It was so fresh and just tasted like spring. We'll definitely be making this one again. :)

Luscious But Low-Fat Cheesecake

Luscious But Low-Fat Cheesecake

Ingredients

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar, divided
1 container (32 oz.) low-fat cottage cheese
2 packages (8 oz. each) neufchâtel cheese
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3 large egg whites
1 cup low-fat (1%) Greek yogurt

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and 1 tbsp. sugar. Press into the bottom of a 9-in. springform pan. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, drain cottage cheese in a strainer 15 minutes. Whirl cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add neufchâtel and 2 cups sugar and blend until no lumps remain. Then add flour, vanilla, lemon zest, salt, eggs, and egg whites and blend until mixture is smooth, scraping inside of bowl as needed. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake until edges are puffed slightly and center barely jiggles when pan is shaken gently, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn off oven, leave door slightly ajar, and let cheesecake sit in oven another 30 minutes.
4. Mix together yogurt and remaining 1 tbsp. sugar. Put cheesecake on a cooling rack. Carefully spread yogurt-sugar mixture over top of cheesecake and let cool completely. Chill, covered with foil, at least 4 hours. Run a thin knife around the outside of the cheesecake to loosen, remove side of pan, and slice cheesecake with a hot knife.

My notes:
My family loved this cheesecake. The greek yogurt on top makes for a tangy little surprise when you take a bite. And while it is rich, it's definitely not as rich as all those other cheesecakes out there.

Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fat-free sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted (such as Campbell's)
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray
24 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
2 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
3. Spread 1 cup soup mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortillas over the soup mixture, and top with 1 cup chicken and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

My notes:
Nice and easy to prepare and so delicious! The combo of the green chiles and cumin was actually my favorite part about this dish. We topped it with some homemade salsa and it really completed the dish.