And bonus – these are all done in one big mixing bowl.  Easy clean up – gotta love that.

Apple Walnut Scones

1 c whole wheat flour

1 c white flour

1 c oats

1/4 c brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 oz (4 Tb)  reduced fat cream cheese (neufchatel) – cold

2 Tb reduced fat butter – cold

1/4 c walnut oil

1 apple, diced small (about 1 c)

1/2 c diced walnuts

3/4 c fat free yogurt (I use Stoneyfield Vanilla)

1 tsp vanilla extract

turbinado sugar for sprinkling (about a heaping tablespoon)

1. Preheat oven to 400°.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Use the parchment paper – it means no clean up!
2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Toss with a whisk.
3. Cut the butter and cream cheese into small pieces and add to the flour mixture.  Combine with a pastry blender.
4. Add the walnuts, apple and walnut oil and toss to coat.
5. Blend vanilla extract and yogurt and and use a fork to add to the flour mixture.  Mix until the dough forms clumps.  It will still be somewhat dry and will not hold together.
6. Flour a kneading surface and turn dough out onto it.  Using floured hands, knead dough as little as possible to combine.  I knead 4 times.  Really – you don’t want to work the dough much or the scones will get tough.
7. Shape dough into an oblong square.  Cut in half, and then cut each half in half again and then into thirds for a total of 12 pieces.
8. Take each piece and form it into a round shape approximately 3″ wide.  Place on parchment.
9. Sprinkle the scones with the turbinado sugar.

Bake until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before eating.

Remaining scones can be stored in an airtight zipper bag in the refrigerator for a week.  When ready to eat, either sit it out to come to room temperature or reheat in a 400° oven for approximately 10 minutes.

The recipe is versatile – try pears instead of apples or pecans instead of walnuts.  I bet dried cranberries would be good too.

Healthy, hearty and filling – just the way I like my breakfast.

I’ll catch you on the purl side.

I have a few pics for you, but more importantly – several recipes that have made it into the regular rotation (and a few lessons they’ve taught me).

My latest obsession is flatbread pizza.  They’re quick, can be made with a variety of ingredients, and reduce the amount of unhealthy carbs you get from so many pizza doughs.

Fig and Goat Cheese Flatbread

This is so simple I’d hardly call it a recipe.

1 Low Fat Flatout Light Flatbread

4 Figs

1 oz Goat Cheese

Arugula

Honey and Balsamic for drizzling

Cut the figs into quarters and sprinkle on the flatbread.  Follow with the goat cheese.

Grill on a 350° grill over indirect heat for approx 10 minutes.  When the edges start to brown, turn on the burner under the flatbread but keep it low.  This is to crisp the center of the flatbread.  You need to watch it – the flatbread will go from pale to burnt really quickly.

Take it off the grill and immediately top with some arugula – you want the lettuce to wilt a bit with the heat.

Whisk together some honey and balsamic to make a quick glaze – I use 3 parts honey to 1 part balsamic.  You can cook down the balsamic to a glaze and skip the honey part, but this is much quicker and almost as good.

Cut into pieces – I cut the flat bread into 3 equal parts and then diagonally cut each part in half for 6 pieces.

You may notice some pancetta in the pic above.  I first tried to make these with pancetta but realized that I didn’t taste the pancetta and it was great without it.  So I’m not using the pancetta any more.

A few other recipes I’ve tried and loved

Chicken Pot Pie Soup – I learned how easy a hearty, chicken-based soup can be.  I cubed raw chicken and cooked it for about an hour in the soup.  I did have to skim some foam off the top but otherwise it was simple.  And the result was hearty and satisfying.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits – I made these with the soup and they were incredible!  The first biscuits I’ve had in almost a year.  The recipe makes 14 biscuits so I froze the leftovers.  They reheat great in the toaster oven so now I can have biscuits whenever I want!  I almost subbed the butter but I’m glad I didn’t.  The butter-parsley drizzle really makes a difference.

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins – These muffins are good for you and taste great – honest.  They don’t just give you a recipe – they explain why it works.  The important ingredient in these muffins is the whole wheat pastry flour.  It has less protein than standard whole wheat flour – making a more tender muffin – but still packs the whole grain punch.  They’re also high in potassium.  Did you know that potassium and managing sodium go hand-in-hand?

I did make 2 mods:

• Sprinkled the walnuts on top of the muffins instead of mixing them into the batter.  I appreciated the walnuts a lot more when they were on top.
• Instead of 18 muffins, I adjusted to make only 12.  I need a hearty breakfast and the original size just wasn’t enough.

What these recipes taught me

I can have cheese in moderation, and full-flavor cheese – goat, gorgonzola, sharp cheddar – can really pack a punch without as big of a fat or calorie hit.

Baked goods don’t have to be high in sugars and simple carbs in order to taste good.

Up Next – Adding to My Ethnic Cooking Repertoire

I used to love going out for Indian and Thai food, but haven’t had much since I started the healthy eating last year.  I miss Chicken Makhani and Thai Basil Curry.  So I’m giving it a whirl at home.

These are new cooking techniques for me so I’m still learning.  I also had to invest in a bunch of new spices for the Indian Tikkas I’m making today.

Fingers crossed they come out good because I really miss some of my favorite foods.  I’ll report back next time on what I learned, what recipes I used and how it all came out.

I’ll catch you on the purl side.

I’ve been treating myself to a Panera smoothie every Friday during the summers for a few years now.  I like that they’re made with yogurt, but the added sugars?  Not so much.

Then I got Ellie Krieger’s So Easy last weekend to kickstart my weekday dinners.  I was in a rut.  While thumbing through it I saw several smoothie recipes.

Reading through them I realized how easy it is to make a smoothie at home.  Even before work!  Now I’m hooked.

Here’s a recipe for one of my favorites.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe

adapted from Ellie Krieger’s So Easy

1/4 cup of wheat germ

7 almonds

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup fat free french vanilla or plain yogurt (I get the 32 oz tubs from Stonyfield)

1/2 frozen banana

5-6 frozen strawberries

1 cup ice (for me, this is 13 ice cubes)

The order here is important – it took me a few tries before I got a smooth drink.

1. Put the wheat germ and almonds in a blender.  Blend on high until the almonds are minced into drinkable pieces.
2. Add the yogurt and milk.  I don’t use a measuring cup.  First I spoon in the yogurt, then I pour in the milk until it hits 8 ounces.  This is morning time and I’m going for quick prep and minimal clean up.  Blend on high to combine.
3. Add the banana and strawberries.  Blend on high until the fruit is well-chopped.  I sometimes need to stir with a spoon mid-way through to move the frozen bits.
4. Finally, add the ice cubes and blend on high once more.  Again, I’ll sometimes need to stir it up with a spoon to dislodge any frozen bits.

Pour into your favorite drink container.  Since I drink this in the car during my commute, I needed to find an insulating cup that didn’t drip from condensation.  My Aladdin Double-Walled to-go Tumbler, 20-Ounce does the trick!  And it comes in my favorite color – pink (and a few others too).  It does get a bit of condensation on it when I use it in humid weather on the patio, but stays completely dry during my commute.  My smoothie stays frozen, my tummy gets full and my outfit stays drip-free.

A great start to my day.

Low saturated fat doesn’t usually go hand-in-hand with rich, gooey cheese, so I set out to make a recipe that would satisfy my cheese craving as well as my low saturated fat requirement.

I started out with SkinnyTaste’s low fat baked ziti recipe, but kicked up the low fat a few notches.  I also made it a bit easier to make by using a good quality jarred sauce.  I added some garlic because we love the garlic around here.  Add whatever herbs and spices are your favorite.  I may try ground meat and fennel for a sausage flavor next time.

Low Fat Baked Ziti (or Rigatoni)

12 oz mini rigatoni, cooked al dente

2 cups of fat free mozzarella, divided

1 cup fat free ricotta

1 jar of marinara – I used Wegmans Grandma’s Pomodoro Sauce

6 cloves garlic, rough chopped

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 Tb olive oil

1 Tb dried basil

Spray oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 °.
2. In medium sauce pan, lightly saute garlic until softened and fragrant.
3. Add jar of sauce, ricotta, parmesan and 1 cup of mozzarella.
4. Add to pasta, stir to coat.
5. Spray 9″ x 13″ baking dish.  Pour pasta into baking dish.
6. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of mozzarella on top.
7. Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly browned.
8. Let sit for 5 minutes, cut into 8 squares.

Makes 8 servings, 1.1 g saturated fat.

It satisfied my cheese craving, the ricotta was nice and creamy and one portion was quite filling. Just one thing I want to solve for next time – the mozzarella topping was a bit hard.  I think next time I’ll toss the mozzarella with a small amount of watered down marinara.  I’m hopeful that the added moisture will keep the cheese more gooey.

But as is, it’s pretty darn good and I have lots of leftovers.  I can see trying this recipe as the base for eggplant rolatini or a nice chicken parmigiana.  Yum.

We started out with a bang for our first America’s Test Kitchen Recipe.

On Sundays, we’ll often eat breakfast and then one heavier meal – and that’s it.  Last Sunday we made Seven Layer Dip and planned to follow it with chicken tacos.  But the dip was SO GOOD that we ate it all and made that our Sunday meal.

I won’t lie to you – this dip was more labor intensive than a lot of dips.  But so worth the effort.  You’re basically making 4 dips and layering them together.  As I made each layer I was reminded about how important it is to concentrate on each step in a recipe – taste and season as you go.

This recipe does that for you with the black bean, chili powder and garlic layer, the avocado and lime layer, the sour cream and chipotle layer and the tomato, jalapeno and scallion layer.  Each layer complemented the others.  The dip is complex, filling and full of flavor.  It’s the dip all future seven layer dips will be judged against.  And I can see making a layer by itself – for a taco topping, a side with enchiladas or a chili condiment.

It’s that good.  Read this recipe, add it to next week’s grocery list and make it.  You will not be disappointed.

Seven Layer Dip

6 Servings

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Light & Healthy 2011

1 pound firm plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped

3 scallions, 1 minced and 2 with green parts sliced thin (white parts discarded)

4 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (2 or 3 limes)

1.5 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and minced

2/3 of a 15-ounce can black beans, drained slightly

1 garlic clove, smashed

3/8 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 cup fat free sour cream

1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed

1 Tb minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce*

* Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce come in 7 oz cans.  The leftovers freeze well – just drop it into a ziploc bag.  And bonus – the frozen peppers are easier to chop when frozen.  Just cut off the amount you need and pop the rest back in the freezer.

1.  Place tomatoes in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and let drain until tomatoes begin to soften, about 30 minutes.  Discard liquid.  Stir in the minced scallions, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, cilantro and jalapenos.  Season with salt to taste and set aside.
2. Pulse 2 teaspoons of lime juice, beans, garlic and chili powder together in a food processor until mixture resembles a chunky paste.  If too thick, add lime juice by the teaspoon until it reaches the desired consistency.  Season with salt to taste and set aside.
3. Combine 1.5 Tablespoons of lime juice, avocado and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mash until it’s your preferred consistency for guacamole.
4. Assemble – spread bean mixture, then avocado, then sour cream and top with tomatoes.  We couldn’t fit all the tomatoes so we reserved the rest to serve as a pico de gallo over tacos.

We served them with Plocky’s Three Grain Tortilla Chips – 129 calories, 4g fat, 0g saturated fat, 2g protein, 1g fiber.  They were flavorful but not overpowering.  We’ll definitely be serving these chips again – with this dip, a salsa or a guacamole.

Fat content in entire recipe – 29g fat, 4g saturated fat

Bonus Knitting Content – Laura Aylor is giving away one free pattern of your choice in celebration of her birthday!  Offer good through Monday January 14th so don’t wait.    I’m still deciding on the pattern I want but I’m considering the Devonshire Cream Cowl and the Enamored Shawl.

I impulse bought the book Hot Sauce at the grocery store.  I have a soft spot for recipe books because I enjoy them so much more than websites or eBooks.  I love spending a lazy Sunday morning paging though a good recipe book, dreaming up what I want to make that afternoon.

I’m so glad I took a chance with this book.  The author talks about pepper varieties, explains differences among hot sauces from different countries and also includes over 30 recipes to use the sauces in the book.  Plus she suggests commercial hot sauce substitutions.  Great if you’re not in the mood to whip up a big batch of a sauce you’re just curious about.

The author wrote that the Chipotle sauce was one of her faves from the book so I had to try that out.  Yum!

The recipe uses three types of peppers (chipotle, ancho and New Mexico – all dried) as well as orange juice, unsweetened cocoa powder, roasted garlic, and some spices.  She even has you roast the dried peppers (I’ve never roasted dried peppers before).

Given it was 96° that day I decided to make the sauce outside.

First, I roasted the peppers.

Then, I wrapped up the garlic to roast at 500° (very glad I didn’t do this indoors!).

Look at how pretty they came out.

Then, I pureed the sauce and reduced it for 20 minutes.

It took about an hour and a half to make, including the 20 minutes of reducing time at the end.  I got a full 2 cups of sauce out of it – not bad!  I chose not to puree it down to a fine liquid but instead left some of the dried pepper pieces in there.  I think it gives a more rustic and homey look to the sauce.

I’d say the sauce is mild in spice – maybe a a 2 or 3 out of 10.  The author says you can adjust the heat by adding some more cayenne.  I didn’t want to waiver from the quantities for the first time, but I think I will add more next time.  And there will be a next time.

I’ve used it as a dipping sauce with grilled sausage, as a topping to smoked brisket (above) and plan several more meals including mixed into chopped grilled chicken with quinoa, garlic and onion as well as sauteed ground pork tacos.  This sauce is really versatile and I can see it easily becoming a fridge staple.

Here’s the full recipe:

• 4 dried chipotle chiles
• 2 dried New Mexico red chiles
• 2 ancho chiles
• 4 cloves garlic (unpeeled)
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 cup orange juice
• 6 Tb cider vinegar
• 2 Tb honey
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more as needed (I didn’t add any more)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, plus more as needed (I plan to double this next time)
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

1. Preheat oven (or in my case, grill) to 250°.
2. Slit and stem the peppers.  Roast for 3 minutes, or until fragrant.
3. Take peppers out and place them in a bath of hot water for 20 minutes to soften.
4. At the same time, increase heat to 500°.  Roast the garlic cloves for 20 minutes.
5. Take garlic out and remove skins.
6. Drain peppers and place all ingredients in a blender to puree.  I didn’t puree it finely so I still have some pepper pieces left in the sauce.
7. Bring sauce to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes, or until sauce has reduced to the consistency you want.

Let me know if you make.  I love to hear all the variations you come up with.

Oh!  I forgot to mention yesterday that I added a signup on the left nav to get new blog posts via email.  Get new posts however you prefer – via RSS, via email, or just by stopping by to say hi.

And finally, here’s this week’s link love:

• Andi’s newest shawl (love the yellow) plus some truly awesome self striping yarn from a new-to-me Etsy seller – Lady Bug Fiber Company.
• Recycling glass bottles with enamel paint.  These remind me of old fashioned milk glass but with a more modern twist.
• And have you seen Martina Behm’s latest design (below) – Leftie?  Swoon.  It uses a solid sock yarn plus lots of leftovers.  Clever!