Apple Pie Shake

Based on the title alone, you'd never guess an apple pie shake could be good for you . . . and the taste of the shake doesn't give away its healthful nature either. I came across this recipe in a preview of the new, updated "You: The Owner's Manual" by Drs. Roizen and Oz. They call it a Double Apple Cinnamon Smoothie, which to me sounds like the name of a healthful (read: not very tasty) smoothie. Because it tastes great, I thought it would be better to call it an Apple Pie Shake. Then people might actually be encouraged to try it - and benefit from the "healthy" nature of the recipe.

Drs. Roizen and Oz preface this recipe with information about the benefits of cinnamon in controlling blood sugar levels. The Apple Pie Shake provides a good amount of cinnamon, in addition to being a low fat source of protein and potassium . . . but the bottom line is this: it tastes great!

Apple Pie Shake

1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate (not thawed)
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce
3/4 cup skim milk
3/4 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
1/8 tsp. apple pie spice

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Cover; blend on high for 1 minute. Pour into frosty mugs and top with ground cinnamon. 2 servings. (I halved the recipe and made it in my Magic Bullet)

Per serving: 204 calories; 3.4 g fat; 5.6 mg cholesterol; 34.9 g carb; 9.1 g protein; 2.7 g fiber; 266 mg sodium; 566 mg potassium; 4 points.

A portrait of spring pasta

Pasta with lemon cream, asparagus, peas, and prosciutto is not very photogenic. I took several pictures and couldn't get a good one. I finally had to rely on the watercolor and overlay editing features . . . so the pic above is kind of a . . . photograph/digital watercolor hybrid.

I enjoyed this pasta. Ken, aka Mr. Meat & Potatoes, did not. The original recipe did not include prosciutto, but I added it just for him so he couldn't write it off because it was meatless. Although the addition didn't make him like the pasta, it did add an element of saltiness, which I appreciated.

Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce, Asparagus, Peas, and Prosciutto
8 oz. uncooked pasta (I used linguine)
1/2 lb. asparagus, cleaned and chopped
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Optional: Dash of ground red pepper
3-4 slices prosciutto

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting fat. Add asparagus during the last minute of cooking time. Place peas in a colander. Drain pasta and asparagus over peas; set aside.
2. Place prosciutto on a baking sheet, bake at 450 degrees 8-10 minutes, or until it becomes crisp.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sautee one minute. In a small bowl, combine broth and cornstarch; stir until well blended. Add broth mixture to pan and bring to a boil. Cook one minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add pasta mixture to broth mixture; toss gently to coat. Stir in prosciutto. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Per serving (without prosciutto): 351 calories; 11.2 g fat; 11.5 g protein; 52.9 g carb; 4.9 g fiber; 35 mg chol; 7 points. I think the prosciutto would add one additional point.

Pork Chops with Apple-Sage Sauce + Biscuits

If a prize for "ugliest sauce to accompany pork chops" existed, I think the apple sage cream sauce featured in this post might win. It smelled and tasted great, but left a lot to be desired in terms of presentation. I tried to hide it with a sage leaf and also tried to distract you with the colorful salad greens. Sloppy appearance aside, the pork chops with apple sage cream sauce made a great Saturday lunch.

Pork Chops with Apple and Sage Cream Sauce

4 boneless pork loin chops, 3/4 inch thick
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
salt and pepper (preferably freshly ground)

Sauce:
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges
1/2 medium onion, sliced thin (about 1/2 cup)*
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup apple cider
3 tbsp. applejack or brandy
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp. minced fresh sage leaves
3 tbsp. light cream cheese
2 tsp. cider vinegar

1. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels, then season each side with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 10 or 12-inch skillet (use one with a lid) over medium-high heat until just smoking. Lay the chops in the skillet and cook until light brown, about 3 minutes. Turn the chops over, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to cook until the center reaches 130 degrees (with an instant read meat thermometer), 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Transfer chops to plate, cover with foil and allow them to rest until the center reaches an internal temperature of 140-150 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add apple, onion, and 1/4 tsp. salt to the oil/drippings left in the skillet, return to medium-low heat, and cook, covered, until the onion has softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in cider and brandy, scraping up the browned bits in the skillet. Stir in the broth and sage; bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes.
4. Pour any pork juices accumulated on the plate into the skillet. Whisk in cream cheese and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in vinegar; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over pork to serve. Four servings.

Per serving:
Pork chops only: 330 calories; 15 g fat; 110 mg cholesterol; 0 g carbs; 44 g protein; 0 g fiber; 8 points. Sauce only: 90 calories; 2 g fat; 5 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbs; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 2 points.
* I substituted shallots for onions
Source: The Best Light Recipe, from the editors of Cook's Illustrated

I also made "Secret Trick 1860 Baking Powder Biscuits," from Marcy Goldman's A Passion for Baking. This was my first attempt at making homemade biscuits just for the sake of making homemade biscuits. I've made shortcake biscuits several times, which are conceptually similar, but never plain biscuits. I have a long list of things I want to make from A Passion for Baking, and decided to start with this recipe. The results? They were easy to make but were more bitter than I prefer. A shot of honey on top helped, but in my opinion, a good biscuit should be able to stand alone. I suspect the baking powder is to blame, but I am afraid the biscuits would not rise enough if I reduced it. I plan to continue my quest for a great biscuit recipe, but in the meantime, here is the recipe:

Secret Trick 1860 Baking Powder Biscuits
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 tbsp. shortening
3-4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1. In a measuring cup, stir whipping cream and lemon juice together; let stand a few minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Stack two baking sheets together and line top sheet with parchment paper (I think you could use just one if you have Airbake double-walled baking sheets). Arrange oven rack to upper third position.
3. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter and shortening to make a coarse, grainy mixture. Drizzle soured cream over mixture and stir lightly with a fork to blend. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8-10 times until mixture is just rollable.
4. Pat or roll out to 1-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch disks. Place on prepared baking sheet; brush tops with milk, cream, or melted butter. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes.

Source: A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

Beef Tortilla Soup

My last poll - "Which recipe from the Healthy Beef Cookbook should I feature next?" - resulted in a three-way tie between Beef Tortilla Soup, Bistro Beef Kabobs, and Pot Roast with Maple Sweet Potatoes and Cider Gravy. Poor Thai Noodles with Beef & Broccoli - it was left all alone with only one vote.

I've never had a poll result in a tie before, so I decided I will feature all three recipes. I chose Beef Tortilla Soup as the first, because soup sounded like a good antidote for today's snow storm. As mentioned above, this recipe is from the Healthy Beef Cookbook. If you love beef, have a freezer full of beef, eat beef occasionally, or even eat beef only rarely, you should buy this cookbook. I truly think everyone should own this book, even vegetarians. Because I think it might even make vegetarians want to eat beef (and no, I am not getting paid to say this . . . I think my seven readers are already beef eaters, and half of them have received the cookbook from me as a gift). But consider yourself warned, I'll probably continue to gush about this book throughout the next three features.

Without further adieu, here is the recipe:

Beef Tortilla Soup
1 pkg. refrigerated fully cooked boneless beef pot roast
1 tsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 oz.) beef broth
1 cup frozen corn
Optional: 1 tbsp. hot sauce
Optional: 2 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
Optional: 1/4 c. shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Crunchy tortilla strips (recipe to follow)

1. Heat pot roast according to directions on package, but for half the amount of time suggested. Remove beef from package, discard gravy/juice. Shred beef with 2 forks. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan (or small stockpot) over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 3-5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add cumin, cook and stir one minute. Stir in beef, beans, tomatoes, broth, corn (and hot sauce, if using); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Meanwhile, make Crunchy Tortilla Strips: Cut corn tortillas into 1/4-inch-wide strips, place in a single layer on a baking sheet and lightly mist with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees or until crisp.

4. Ladle soup into bowls; top each serving with cheese and tortilla strips. Garnish with cilantro, if desired (or add avocado slices if you have an avocado you need to use!).

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: Calories 405; fat 11 g; cholesterol 85 mg; fiber 10.3 g. 8 points.
This soup is an excellent source of fiber, protein, vitamins B6 and B12, iron, selenium, and zinc and is a good source of niacin.

Possible substitutions:
1. Substitute 3 cups shredded, fully cooked traditional pot roast for the packaged pot roast.
2. Substitute 2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced, for the hot sauce. Cook peppers with onions and garlic.

Note: Next time, I think I'll use an additional cup of liquid - maybe more beef broth or some tomato soup or juice, or maybe a combination. Or maybe not, because it was pretty good the way it was!

Shortcut ingredients . . .









Make this soup easier to prepare than to photograph =) . . .








Note: this recipe could easily be dairy free if you omit the cheese (and it does taste good without the cheese!)

Peanut Blossom Cookies

In my last poll, you voted for the next recipe feature at Kenzie's Kitchen to be Peanut Blossom cookies. I haven't made Peanut Blossoms for ages, but I had an old Better Homes & Gardens recipe that (luckily) had nutritional information, so I was looking forward to baking them. Feeling extra ambitious, I also decided to make a lighter version of the cookies. I substituted light butter for the Crisco, Splenda sugar blend for baking for the sugar, and used Simply Jif instead of Jif (no difference in calories or fat, but fewer grams of sugar and sodium).

I spent my evening baking, calculating nutritional facts, and gathering the opinions of taste testers. In the end, the original cookies were crispier and had more flavor, especially peanut butter flavor. The light version was more moist and lighter in flavor. I thought the originals were a little better, but not a lot. But that was before I calculated the nutritional facts for the light version. After all that work, the lighter cookies (per piece) had 12 less calories and one less gram of fat. The points value did not change - 2 points per cookie for either recipe. The conclusion? Stick with the original recipe (and if you're counting points, I think you can find a more substantial treat for your two points - the angel cups in the "I can't wait to make these" post, or an individual serving of Weight Watchers ice cream, for example). Live and learn . . .

Original Peanut Blossoms
1/2 c. Crisco
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. granulated sugar
Hershey's Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat Crisco and peanut butter together on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda; beat until combined. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla. Gradually add flour, mixing in by hand.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (approx. 1/2 tbsp.). Roll each ball of dough in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until edges are set and bottoms are lightly browned. Immediately press one Hershey's Kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer to wire racks to let cool. Makes 54 (small) cookies.
Per cookie: 94 calories; 5 g fat; 0 g fiber; 2 points.




Light cookie on the left; regular cookie on the right.




Lighter Peanut Blossoms
1/2 c. light butter, softened but not melted
1/2 c. less-sugar peanut butter (I used Simply Jif)
1/4 c. Splenda sugar blend for baking
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
1 tbsp. low-fat sour cream
2 tbsp. skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. Splenda sugar blend for baking
Hershey's Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter together on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 Splenda sugar blend, the brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda; beat until combined. Beat in egg, sour cream, milk and vanilla. Gradually add flour, mixing in by hand.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (approx. 1/2 tbsp.). Roll each ball of dough in Splenda sugar blend. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet (use parchment paper or a Silpat if available). Bake 10 minutes, or until edges are set and bottoms are lightly browned. Immediately press one Hershey's Kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer to wire racks to let cool. Makes 54 cookies.
Per cookie: 81.7 calories; 4 g fat; 0 g fiber; 2 points.

Pork Fajitas with Apple-Avocado Salsa

I have to admit that when I posted my "which recipe should I feature next" poll last week, I secretly hoped the Pork Fajitas with Apple-Avocado Salsa would win. They sounded good; not wintry at all, which is what I need right now. I'm done with winter. Unfortunately mother nature is not.

I invited Amy and Amanda over a couple of nights ago for a little break from the monotony of mid-January. Amanda brought salsa and pepper jelly she made this summer. We opened a bag of chili-lime pistachios from Christmas, a bottle of wine, and started cooking. I really wasn't sure how the salsa would turn out; I couldn't find a few of the ingredients I needed, so I did without. But with good friends and a little wine, there were no worries. Good thing, too, because no worry was necessary. The fajitas turned out great - the salsa was fresh, crisp tasting, and summery. Just what we needed.

Pork Fajitas with Apple-Avocado Salsa
2 tbsp. water (1 cup water if using dried chiles, see below)
1 tsp. chili powder (original recipe called for 4 dried cascabel chiles)
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 (1-lb.) pork tenderloin
8 flour tortillas (7-inch)
2 cups Apple - Avocado Salsa (recipe follows)

1. Combine water and chili powder (or boil water and chiles; remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 min.; drain, reserving 2 tbsp. liquid).
2. Combine chili water (or chiles and reserved liquid), lime juice, salt, and garlic in food processor, blender, or Magic Bullet. Process until smooth.
3. Trim fat from pork loin; place loin in a shallow dish. Pour chili/chile mixture over loin; cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
5. Coat broiler pan with cooking spray; remove pork from dish and place on broiler pan. Brush excess marinade over pork. Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees in thickest part of loin. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. (Make salsa while pork loin cooks)
6. Warm tortillas according to directions on package. Cut pork loin diagonally across the grain. Arrange 1/8 of pork slices and 2 tbsp. Apple-Avocado(A-A) Salsa. Fold tortilla over fillings. Top with 2 tbsp. A-A salsa (or you could just put all 4 tbsp. of salsa in the fajita, which is what we did).

Servings: 4
Serving size: 2 fajitas
Adapted from Cooking Light

Apple-Avocado Salsa
1 cup diced Granny Smith apple
1/4 c. diced red bell pepper
1/4 c. diced red onion
1/2 tsp. grated lime rind
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 tsp. minced garlic from jar)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
optional: 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
optional: 1 1/2 tsp. minced jalapeno
1/2 c. diced peeled avocado

Combine all ingredients except avocado in a medium bowl. Gently stir in avocado.
(Make this salsa the same day you serve it; mine didn't keep all that well)

Per serving of 2 fajitas, each with 4 tbsp. A-A salsa:
Calories 462; fat 13.4 g; protein 32.2 g; carbs 52.5 g; cholesterol 79 mg; iron 4.4 mg; Points - 10*
* it would be easy to reduce points by reducing the amount of A-A salsa used per fajita, by leaving the avocado out of the salsa, or by eating only 1 fajita (with sides or appetizers, 1 is quite filling). If you're not counting points, add more avocado . . . yum!

We also made the angel cups from my previous post . . . they were good!

I can't wait to make these!

I don't have the ingredients on hand to make these, but I couldn't wait to share the recipe! If they taste as good as they look and as good as the recipe sounds, I'm pretty sure they'll become regulars around our house (and they're only 2 points/serving, for those of you who are counting!).

Strawberry Angel Cups
12 slices angel food cake, about 1/2 inch thick
1 cup chopped strawberries
2 tbsp. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. orange liqueur
3/4 cup frozen light whipped topping, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press cake slices into bottom and sides of 12 greased muffin cups (make cup shape with cake slices). Bake for 15 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool. Cups become crisp as they cool.

2. Combine strawberries, powdered sugar, and orange liqueur in a small bowl. Stir well.

3. Spoon whipped topping into cake cups; top with strawberry mixture. Serve immediately.

12 servings. Per serving: Calories 99; fat 0.8 g; 21 g carbs; 0 g cholesterol; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber. 2 Points.

Recipe and picture courtesy of Healthy in a Hurry by Company's Coming.

Surprise Shepherd Pie + Banana Bread

I thought Mr. Meat & Potatoes would like Shepherd Pie. He likes beef, mushrooms, green beans, and potatoes - all primary components of Shepherd Pie. Makes sense, right? After taking the time to make Cooking Light's edition of the recipe, I dished it up and he said "I don't like stuff that's all mixed up."
Ugghh . . . I knew that . . . but I guess I . . . forgot?

Here's the surprise part: he ate it and he liked it! He actually said it exceeded his expectations and would give it 5 stars. That part really surprised me - 5 stars? I would have given it 3.5 or 4. It was good, but not great. It could have used a little more seasoning/salt and might be better with shredded beef (think pot roast) instead of ground beef. I'll work on the recipe and post it [someday] when I think it's worthy of the 5-star status Ken gave it!

Since I was on a comfort food kick, I also made banana bread. I found a recipe in an old Cooking Light cookbook; this version has 3 points per slice, compared to 5 points per average slice of banana bread. It definitely satisfied my craving for sweets/fruit/bread. This recipe yields a very dense loaf of bread. If you keep leftover slices in the fridge, let them warm up to room temperature or heat in the microwave before serving.


Banana Bread (adapted from Cooking Light)
1 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. light butter, softened
3 medium bananas, very ripe and mashed
1/4 c. skim milk
1/4 c. low-fat sour cream
2 egg whites
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add banana, milk, sour cream and egg whites. Mix well.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
4. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar/banana mixture. Mix until well blended.
5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, bake at 350 for 1 hour, 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. When completely cooled, slice into 16 servings and enjoy.

Per slice: calories 147; fat 2.2 g; fiber 1.1 g. Points: 3

Beefy pasta and an awesome 1 point side

Things got a little tough at 6 p.m. My stomach was growling and I almost succumbed to a Snickers bar while I was shopping for points-friendly fare. Thankfully, both of the recipes I tried tonight - our first two points recipes - turned out to be keepers. Ken really liked both the Beef Pasta Skillet and the Asparagus with Prosciutto. Me? I LOVED the asparagus. I want to eat it every day. And as long as I can find (and afford) the prosciutto, I might just do that.

Here are the recipes, adapted from Weight Watchers 15 Minute cookbook/magazine:

Beef Pasta Skillet
6 oz. farfalle pasta (uncooked)
1 lb. ground sirloin (at least 90% lean)
2 c. tomato basil pasta sauce
1/4 tsp. black pepper (preferably freshly ground)
1/2 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella

1. Cook pasta as directed on package (unless package calls for fat - omit fat). Drain pasta (when it is time to add it to beef in step 3).
2. At the same time the pasta cooks, brown ground beef over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Drain and return beef to skillet.
3. Add sauce and pepper to skillet with beef; cook 2 minutes. Add pasta to skillet; cook 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; cook one minute or until cheese melts.

Makes 5 servings. Serving size is one cup.
Per serving: 336 calories; 9.1 g fat; 27 g protein; 33.9 g carbs; 1.1 g fiber; 56 mg cholesterol; 3.9 mg iron. 7 points.

Asparagus roasted with prosciutto
1 lb. asparagus spears
butter flavored spray (Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
1/8 tsp. salt (preferably freshly ground sea salt)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 tsp. minced garlic from a jar)
1/4 c. prosciutto, coarsely chopped
Optional: 1/2 tsp. lemon rind (great use for the Microplane in the shortcuts post)
Optional: 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Line jelly roll pan with aluminum foil.
2. Rinse asparagus; snap off tough ends and place on foil. Spray with butter spray (be generous but do not soak). Sprinkle seasonings on asparagus, toss to distribute. Sprinkle with prosciutto.
3. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until asparagus is tender-crisp.

4 servings.
Per serving: 37 calories; 1.4 g fat; 3.4 g protein; 3 g carbs; 1.3 g fiber; 6 mg cholesterol; 1.4 mg iron. 1 point.

Notes: Both of these recipes would be great for people who aren't counting points, as well as those who are. Even people who don't think they like asparagus will probably like this recipe!
For easy and affordable freshly ground salt and pepper, try the McCormick grinders, found near the spices in the grocery store.