When Lipton asked me to pair one of their Green Tea Superfruit teas with a dish, the first thing that came to mind was the classic combination of toast and tea for breakfast. Lipton’s Superfruit teas come in three flavors (Purple Acai and Blueberry, White Mangosteen and Peach, and Red Goji and Raspberry) but which one to pick since they’re all delicious?

Then I came across this recipe for Overnight Blueberry French Toast with Blueberry Syrup at Real Mom Kitchen. It was a brilliant way to use up all those bread loaf ends I had in the refrigerator. (My kids refuse to use the bread ends for sandwiches, so I keep them in the freezer for use in stuffing or bread pudding.)

However, Laura’s recipe was rather decadent, so how could I health it up? After all, Lipton’s Green Tea Superfruit teas are full of good stuff like flavonoids, so why mess up their healthy goodness with a not so good for you breakfast? So I made a lot of substitutions like egg whites for half of the eggs and organic light coconut milk and rice milk instead of whole milk and cream.

The casserole was delicious and reminded me of cream cheese stuffed French toast – but without the guilt. Plus, it paired really nicely with the blueberry flavor of the Lipton tea.

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Based on a recipe by Laura at Real Mom Kitchen

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 14 slices organic whole wheat bread, cut into cubes (OK to use gluten free bread)
• 1 (8-ounce) package of Weight Watchers low fat cream cheese, cut in cubes
• 12 ounces organic blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup liquid egg whites
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1 can (13.5 ounces) of organic light coconut milk
• 3/4 cup of rice milk
• blueberry agave syrup for drizzling

Directions:

1. Arrange 1/2 of the bread cubes in a greased 9 x 13 pan.
2. Sprinkle cream cheese cubes and blueberries evenly over the bread cubes.
3. Top with remaining bread cubes.
4. Mix together eggs, egg whites, coconut and rice milks, and agave nectar.
5. Pour over bread cubes and cover pan with foil. Let chill in refrigerator overnight.
6. Bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
7. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until fluffy and golden.
8. Drizzle blueberry agave over individual pieces when serving.

Get a FREE box of Lipton Green Tea Superfruit!

Want to try Lipton Green Tea Superfruit? If you’re one of the first THREE people to comment in the reply widget below, I’ll send you a FREE box!

Win more goodies from Lipton!

Now that I have shared what I would pair with Lipton Green Tea Superfruit, I want to know, how do you enjoy your tea?

Share your tea time must haves for a chance to win a year's supply of Lipton Tea, a tea kettle, a tea box, a mug/saucer set, a travel tumbler and a $50 gift card to Amazon.com! {$250 value}

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Lipton Green Tea Superfruit. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Starting your morning with Blueberry French Toast Casserole and Lipton tea {give away} is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

The morning rush to school has started. Since I’m the family bus driver, I’m up early, too, so I can have a quick breakfast, vitamins and coffee (and maybe a peek at the Denver Post) before we rush out the door.

I need to have protein in the morning, and eggs fit the bill. But there’s nothing more boring that scrambled eggs day after day. So I use cheese, vegetables, meats, and Mrs. Dash seasonings to jazz things up.

Egg tricks

No, I don’t juggle my eggs. (If I only could.) Instead, I use a few special tricks to make my morning egg dishes foolproof.

• Use a non-stick pan and cooking spray so the food easily slides on to your plate.
• Use medium-low to very low heat. Since I’m running around making sandwiches and coffee, getting the newspaper, and yelling at the kids to get a move on, I can’t be hovering over the stove at all times. When the eggs are nearly done, I turn off the burner (I have a glass top range) and let the residual heat keep things warm.
• Use a lid. This is my husband’s trick. After you have your ingredients in the pan, cover with a lid, and lower the heat. This has the effect of steaming your eggs, which makes them light and fluffy. Since the lids that came with my pans are glass, I can keep an eye on things, too.
• Use 1 whole egg and 3 tablespoons of egg whites. This helps reduce calories and fat grams
• Experiment! Have fun using different types of cheeses, vegetables, meats (sausage, bacon or even deli slices) and Mrs. Dash seasoning blends. You can also use Mrs. Dash blends in scrambled eggs, omelets, egg salad, hard boiled eggs, or any other way you enjoy eating eggs. 

Spinach and Feta Frittata

To lower fat, calories and sodium eliminate feta cheese.

Print
Recipe

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons egg whites
• Mrs. Dash Onion & Herb, season to taste
• Mrs. Dash Italian Medley, season to taste
• 2 tablespoons feta
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves, prewashed

Directions

1. Heat small saute pan over medium low heat.
2. Coat pan with cooking spray and add egg and egg whites.
3. Season with Mrs. Dash blends.
4. Sprinkle feta on top of the eggs evenly around the pan.
5. Cover egg mixture with spinach leaves.
6. Cover pan with lid. Set heat to low.
7. Cook until done. Remove lid and carefully slide eggs out on to a plate. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 5 Minutes

Total Time: 10 Minutes

Nutrition Grade A- from CalorieCount

Weight Watchers POINTS = 3

Servings: 1 frittata

• Serving size: 1 frittata
• Calories: 144
• Calories from Fat: 76
• Total Fat: 8.5g
• Saturated fat: 4.2g
• Unsaturated fat: 4.3.0g
• Sodium: 370mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 3.2g
• Sugar: 1.2g
• Fiber: 0.7g
• Protein: 11.1g
• Cholesterol: 203mg

Connect with Mrs. Dash

You can connect with Mrs. Dash on their Facebook page or the Mrs. Dash homepage.

____________________
Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mrs. Dash. I received the full set of Mrs. Dash seasoning blends and was compensated for my time.

Spinach and Feta Frittata: avoid the back to school breakfast rush with eggs and Mrs. Dash is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I don’t know about you, but mornings are crazy at my house. My son, Nathan, wakes up a full hour before anyone else does. By the time he’s finished dressing and having a healthy breakfast, he’s bored and can’t wait for his sister to come down so he can annoy her.

Lucie needs more rest and wakes up later. She also takes longer to get ready and is extremely grumpy and whiny in the morning. This makes her a perfect target for her brother’s teasing. Before long they’re fighting and my husband and I are yelling at them to stop. Can't everyone to calm down and have a nice healthy breakfast without the fighting and yelling?

Frankly, I just can’t until everyone leaves so I can have a little peace and quiet.

There’s got to be a better way – parenting tips from Dr. Michele Borba

A happy, healthy breakfast can set the tone for the day ahead according to parenting expert and author of The Big Book of Parenting Solutions, Dr. Michele Borba and nutritionist and author of Expect the Best, Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During & After Pregnancy, Elizabeth Ward, M.S., R.D. They’ve  partnered with the Florida Department of Citrus to offer simple solutions to help families start the day the right way with a healthy breakfast and a calmer morning routine.

Dr. Borba feels that a simple way to connect is by designating time in your family’s normal breakfast routine as “unplugged time” – without turning on the television, computer or video games. (That means you too, mom and dad!) Start with just 10 minutes and gradually work your way up to more unplugged mornings.

She also suggests that you talk to your kids about the day ahead as you pour a glass of 100 percent orange juice together:

• Drinking a refreshing glass of naturally, nutrient-rich 100 percent orange juice together each morning as part of a healthy breakfast is one way for you and your family to connect and help you prepare for a great day, every day.
• One 8-ounce glass of 100 percent Florida orange juice counts as almost 25 percent of your USDA-recommended daily fruit and vegetable servings, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
• Compared to many other beverages, 100 percent orange juice is a nutritional standout. In fact, orange juice is more nutrient dense, or nutrient rich, than many commonly consumed 100 percent fruit juices, such as apple, grape, pineapple and prune.*

Don’t you feel healthier drinking a glass of 100 percent OJ for breakfast? I do!

Nutrition tips from Elizabeth Ward, M.S., R.D.

• Eating a healthy breakfast can greatly impact your day and has even been associated with weight loss and weight maintenance, as well as improved nutrient intake.**
• Breakfast eaters tend to have more energy throughout the day and, because they are not as likely to be hungry, they often have an easier time managing their weight than those who skip breakfast.*** 
• Look for juices that specifically say “100% Juice” on the information panel and avoid beverages with names such as “cocktail,” “beverage,” “drink” or “whaever-ade.” Such juice concoctions often have added sugars and typically do not provide the natural variety and amount of nutrients found in 100 percent fruit juices such as 100 percent orange juice.

This Mama’s tips for a healthy breakfast

• Check out my healthy breakfast and healthy snacking recipes.
• Get the older kids (or the parent who gets ready first) to make a healthy breakfast while the others get ready. My 11-year-old son is an expert egg sandwich and egg taco maker. My daughter, who's 8, is old enough to pour juice, cereal and even use the microwave.
• Have healthy breakfast food available at all times – no fat Greek yogurt, high fiber/low sugar cereals, eggs, fruit, etc.
• Make a extra batch of healthy, high fiber pancakes on the weekend to heat up throughout the week.
• Prepare fruit smoothies, hard boiled eggs, muffins, etc. the night before.
• My kids love reheated spaghetti and soup for breakfast. Have dinner (or lunch) food at breakfast and breakfast food for dinner once in a while to mix it up.

Want more tips? Visit the Florida Orange Juice Facebook Page to download a free “Meaningful Morning Checklist” with tips for making the most of your family’s morning.

References

*Rampersaud GC. A comparison of nutrient density scores for 100% fruit juices. Journal of Food Science. 2007;72(4):S261-S266.

**U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. 7th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, December 2010.

***Murphy JM et al. The Relationship of School Breakfast to Psychosocial and Academic Functioning: Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Observations in an inner-city School Sample. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1998;152:899-907.

***Wahlstrom KL and Begalle MS. More than test scores: Results of the universal school breakfast pilot in Minnesota. Top Clin Nutr 1999;(1):17-29.

***Wesnes KA et al. Breakfast reduces declines in attention and memory over the morning in schoolchildren. Appetite 2003;41:329-331.

***Barton BA et al. The relationship of breakfast and cereal consumption to nutrient intake and body mass index: The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study. J Am Diet Assoc 2005;105:1383-1389.

________________

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the Florida Department of Citrus. I was compensated for my participation.

Creating a healthy family breakfast is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Even though it’s been cool and rainy here in Colorado, I’m reminded it’s spring every time I walk into the supermarket. Right out in front my grocer has set up a large produce table packed with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

I’m lucky that we grow our own berries in our backyard – mostly raspberries and blackberries, but some strawberries and blueberries, too. Our wild blueberry bushes don’t produce much, so I buy wild blueberries either fresh or frozen at Costco or Sam’s Club.

Health benefits of wild blueberries

Wild blueberries have been named one of nature's super fruits and have the highest antioxidant capacity per serving, compared to more than 20 other fruits. The many potential health benefits of wild blueberries include:

• Brain health: blueberries may improve motor skills and actually reverse the short-term memory loss that comes with aging.
• Cancer prevention: research shows that blueberry compounds may inhibit cancer.
• Heart health: blueberries may protect against heart disease and damage from stroke.
• Urinary tract health: like cranberries, blueberries may help prevent urinary tract infections.
• Vision health: blueberries may improve night vision and prevent tired eyes.

Learn more about the latest blueberries health studies here.

Cooking with wild blueberries

While eating wild blueberries plain in a bowl is one of life’s better treats. Having them in pancakes, salads and drinks is pretty good, too! And since frozen blueberries are just as healthy and delicious as fresh ones, you can use frozen wild blueberries right out of the package for most cooking — no thawing needed

You can find many wild blueberry recipes on the website of the Wild Blueberry Association of North America at wildblueberries.com/recipes

Here’s their healthy recipe for blueberry muffins. Make them up the night before for a quick and convenient breakfast treat. Or freeze a batch and thaw as needed.

Wild Blueberry Bran Muffins

Yields approximately 36 muffins

Ingredients:

• 3 cups bran cereal
• 2 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups non-fat plain yogurt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 cup (6 oz) egg substitute
• 3/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3 cups wild blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F conventional oven or 375°F convection.
2. In large bowl combine bran, buttermilk and yogurt; let stand 15 minutes. Reserve.
3. In separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in wheat germ; reserve.
4. In another bowl blend egg substitute, molasses, syrup, sugar and oil; stir into bran mixture and mix well. Add to flour-wheat germ mixture and mix just to moisten.
5. Fold in wild blueberries.
6. Scoop 1/4-cup batter into each greased 1/3-cup muffin tin and bake in 400°F conventional oven or 375°F convection oven 20 to 25 minutes or until firm to the touch.
7. Serve warm. Yields approximately 36 muffins.

Nutritional Information

• Calories 148
• Calories from Fat 28
• Total Fat 3.1g
• Trans Fat 0.0g
• Cholesterol 1mg
• Sodium 118mg
• Total Carbohydrates 28.2g
• Dietary Fiber 2.6g
• Sugars 13.6g
• Protein 4.2g
• Vitamin A 2%
• Vitamin C 4%
• Calcium 13%
• Iron 12%

Nutrition Grade A from CalorieCount 

Weight Watchers POINTS = 2

Picture courtesy of the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.

Healthy Wild Blueberry Bran Muffins is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Today’s guest post from Holly Clegg deals with staying in for Mother’s Day. I couldn’t agree more! I’d be happy to stay home and cook. Well, as long as I didn’t have to clean up, that is!

Mother’s Day brunch at home

I hate going to a brunch on Mother’s Day as the restaurants are always crowded and the menu is usually set. I understand your days are extremely busy, so when a special occasion rolls around, you don’t have all day to cook. A Mother’s Day brunch at your own home can be devised from a few convenient recipes that you can make ahead of time to surprise your family the next morning.

I love overnight one dish breakfast casseroles that you pop in the oven the next morning. This recipe is so easy to prepare you can make the night before and refrigerate or whip up in the morning. Using southwestern seasonings and flour or corn tortillas, you have a southwestern breakfast. For a heartier version, add some crumbled turkey breakfast sausage. Pick up some fruit and muffins and your meal is set!

See more of Holly's recipes at The Healthy Cooking Blog and HollyClegg.com.

Southwestern Breakfast Bake

from Holly Clegg trim&TERRIFIC® Gulf Coast Favorites

Go southwestern with this fantastic, crowd-pleasing easy morning meal.

Makes 10–12 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 (11-ounce) can Mexicorn, drained (Mexican flavored canned corn with diced chilies)
• 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 8 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas, quartered
• 2 cups shredded, reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese
• 4 eggs
• 6 egg whites
• 2/3 cup skim milk
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350°F. Coat 13 × 9 × 2-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In bowl, combine Mexicorn, green chil­ies, and green onions. Line bottom of pan with layer of tortillas, top with half of the corn mixture, then half of the shred­ded cheese. Repeat layers.
3. In another bowl, whisk together remain­ing ingredients. Pour over layers in pan and let sit 10 minutes.
4. Bake 30–35 minutes or until puffed.

Nutritional information

• Calories 141
• Calories from fat 34%
• Fat 5 g
• Saturated Fat 3 g
• Cholesterol 81 mg
• Sodium 373 mg
• Carbohydrate 12 g
• Dietary Fiber 2 g
• Sugars 3 g
• Protein 11 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch and 1 lean meat

Weight Watchers POINTS = 3

This Mama’s tips

• If you can find it, add chorizo sausage to the breakfast bake for a very authentic, Mexican flavor.
• Garnish with avocado slices.
• Use gluten free brown rice or corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas if there are any food sensitivities in your family.

Photo courtesy of Holly Clegg.

Have Mother’s Day at home with Holly Clegg’s Southwestern Breakfast Bake is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Due to my food sensitivities, I make a lot of rice. One of my favorite things to do with leftover rice is to make rice pudding for breakfast. My “secret” is adding an egg to make it more custard like and  to add some protein to a carb heavy dish.

I used to make this for my kids when they were little with cow’s milk and sugar. Now that I have to avoid both, I make it with Rice Dream rice milk. I find that rice milk sweetens the rice pudding enough, so I don’t add any extra sweetener.

This dish is gluten free, soy free, sugar free, and milk free.

Rice Pudding with Raisins and Cinnamon

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
• 1 cup Rice Dream Enriched Original organic rice milk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Place ingredients in saucepan over medium high heat.
2. Stir occasionally to prevent rice from burning or sticking to bottom of pan.
3. Cook until the rice pudding has thickened and has started to bubble.

Nutritional Information

• Calories 412
• Calories from Fat 20
• Total Fat 2.2g
• Saturated Fat 0.6g
• Trans Fat 0.0g
• Cholesterol 47mg
• Sodium 43mg
• Total Carbohydrates 87.9g
• Dietary Fiber 1.9g
• Sugars 5.6g
• Protein 8.4g

Nutrition Grade B+ from CalorieCount 

Weight Watchers POINTS = 8

This Mama’s tips

• If you want your rice pudding sweeter, but don’t want to add calories, add 1/2 teaspoon of Stevia Extract in the Raw to the recipe.
• Experiment with different types of dried fruit such as dried cranberries or dried cherries.
• If you don’t like rice milk, you can use cow’s milk or sweetened coconut, almond or soy milk. Vanilla “milks” would be delicious, too!
• To lower the fat and calories, use egg whites instead of an egg.

Rice Pudding with Raisins and Cinnamon is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Since I was diagnosed with food sensitivities late last year, it’s been a challenge to find prepackaged foods that I can eat. It’s just not enough for a food to be labeled gluten free. It also can’t contain corn, cane sugar, honey, baker’s yeast or potato starch. This eliminates almost all gluten free breads, cookies and cereals and drinks like soy milk.

Luckily, there’s one cereal out there that’s a great fit for me - Erewhon Gluten Free Organic Brown Rice Cereal.

Love at first bite

As a brand ambassador for Attune Foods, Erewhon’s parent company, I asked them to send out a couple of boxes so I could try it out. I’m so glad I did.

Delicious! Have you ever wanted to hug something because it made you happy? Well, that’s how I felt when I ate my first bite of Erewhon Gluten Free Organic Brown Rice Cereal. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted - exactly how I remember a certain crispy rice cereal (you know, the one that goes snap, crackle and pop) tasted when I was a kid.

Just add a half cup of your favorite type of milk and a cup of fruit or berries, and you have an delicious snack or breakfast. I tried it with Rice Dream® Enriched Original and So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk Beverage plus a little stevia. Both were excellent, though the creaminess of the So Delicious Coconut Milk was decadent, like having half and half on your cereal.

Gluten free and organic! Not only was I thrilled to find a brand I could eat since cereal’s one of my favorite comfort foods, but it’s certified as gluten free and organic.

Good for you! Erewhon Gluten Free Organic Brown Rice Cereal is low fat at .5 g of fat per one cup serving. It only has 110 calories, less than 1 g of sugar, 160 mg of sodium, and even 2 g of protein. No fiber, so add some berries or fruit.

You can cook with it! Yes you can make crispy brown rice treats for the kids using marshmallows and butter. Or you can try out these recipes:

• Apricot Marshmallow Treats
• Cripsy Peanut Butter Balls
• Nutty Rice Treats
• Peanut Butter Rice Crispie Treats
• Chocolaty Marshmallow Treats
• Crispy Rice Snacks
• Spicy Indian Snack
• Nutty Rice Treats

I’ll be checking these out, modifying a few to fit my dietary needs, and sharing them with you in the future.

Where to find Erewhon Gluten Free Organic Brown Rice Cereal

You can find Erewhon cereals, and any of the other Attune Foods brands, using their store locator. If you like the cereal and think you’ll be eating a lot of it, ask the store manager if they have case discount. (I know Whole Foods does.)

A great way to save money on gluten free and healthy food products is to buy them online. However, you may want to compare the Amazon price to buying it at your favorite box store, like Sam’s Club or Costco. For example, I found that Amazon was more expensive than Costco on a case of Rice Dream.

At the time I wrote this, Amazon carries Erewhon Gluten Free Organic Brown Rice Cereal for $19.39 for a case of six – that’s $3.23 a box if you get free shipping. However, if you’re going to be eating the cereal on a regular basis, consider signing up for Amazon’s Subscribe & Save service to save 15%. You can sign up to get a new case every one, two, three or six months and cancel the service at any time. It also comes with free shipping. If you do sign up for the service, it’s $2.75 for a box – pretty reasonable, especially for a health food brand.

______________________
Disclosure: I'm an Attune Foods Ambassador and compensated for my efforts on their behalf. My opinions about their products are my own.

Attune Foods Erewhon Gluten Free Organic Brown Rice Cereal is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Here’s another healthy recipe (and gorgeous picture) from 400 Calorie Fix: The Easy New Rule for Permanent Weight Loss! that I had to share. It’s perfect to bring to breakfast meetings or to make on the weekend. Serve it with some fresh fruit or berries.

Soy cheeses

Due to my food sensitivities I’ll be substituting soy cheese and tofu for the feta, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses in this recipe. Cheese has been one of the biggest challenges in my new way of eating since I must avoid milk products due to a whey sensitivity. Luckily, I’ve discovered vegan and soy cheeses.

My favorite soy cheeses are from Follow Your Heart’s Vegan Gourmet line of jack, mozzarella and cheddar cheese alternatives. I’m not going to lie to you and say that they taste just like cheese. At best, they’re “cheese like,” but they fulfill my urge for something cheesy. I’ve been told that Vegan Gourmet cheeses melt well, though I haven’t tried cooking with them yet and prefer to eat a few slices with apples for a snack.

I also just purchase a small shaker of Galaxy Nutritional Food’s Vegan Grated Topping. I thought it would be nice to add to a buttery spread on Tinkyada brown rice noodles or possibly on House Food’s tofu shirataki noodles.

Layered Mediterranean Breakfast Bake

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 medium zucchini, coarsely grated
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups sliced scallions
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
• 1 1/3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup slivered sun-dried tomatoes
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon McCormick Perfect Pinch Salt Free Italian seasoning
• 1 jar (12 ounces) roasted red bell peppers, drained, rinsed, and cut into strips
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the zucchini in a small bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Coat a 21/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet or a skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add the scallions and garlic. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Add the feta and cook for 1 minute, or until almost melted. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the ricotta and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
3. Heat the skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Squeeze extra moisture out of the zucchini, add the zucchini to the skillet, and
   cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and spread on the bottom of the baking dish. Top the zucchini with the ricotta mixture. Top the ricotta with the tomatoes.
5. Whisk the eggs and Italian seasoning in a small bowl. Pour on top of the tomatoes. Top with the roasted peppers. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan.
6. Bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbly.

Nutritional information

1 serving = one 4” square

• Calories: 330
• Total Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 9g
• Sodium: 930mg
• Carbohydrate: 16g
• Dietary Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 26g
• Calcium: 45%

Weight Watchers POINTS = 7

This Mama’s tips

• Another choice for a salt free Italian seasoning is Mrs. Dash’s Italian Medley.
• Since I have to avoid pepper, I would substitute Mrs. Dash’s Tomato Basil Garlic for all the spices (except salt) in this recipe. It’s the only one they make that doesn’t have pepper in it.
• If you have to avoid onions, remove the sliced scallions and substitute with celery or just increase the amount of sun-dried tomatoes and red bell peppers.

____________
Disclosure: I was provided with a review copy of the 400 Calorie Fix.

Soy cheeses and a Layered Mediterranean Breakfast Bake is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Due to my food sensitivities, I’ve been on the lookout for alternatives to milk-based yogurts. While you can buy commercially prepared soy and coconut yogurts, all the ones I’ve found are sweetened with cane sugar, which I have to avoid. The only exception is So Delicious Dairy Free Agave Sweetened Yogurt, made from soy milk.

I decided to make my own coconut yogurt based on the method I use to make homemade milk yogurt and this recipe from The GFCF Lady. Since she has to strain the coconut yogurt to make it thicker, I decide to add instant tapioca as a thickener. The result is a tapioca-coconut yogurt hybrid. It has the sourness of regular yogurt from the yogurt culture starter (and all the probiotic goodness), the taste of coconut milk, and the texture of tapioca pudding. Slightly sweetened with stevia, it’s pretty darn good.

Note: Yogourmet Freeze Dried Yogurt Starter does contain skim milk powder and sucrose. If you're looking for a completely dairy free alternative, you may want to try GI ProStart™ Yogurt Culture Starter. I haven't used it, so I can't endorse it. If you have, leave a comment below about your experiences with it.

A note on yogurt makers

Recently, I found a never used, discontinued Salton one quart yogurt maker at a thrift store for under $10. (You can find used units on eBay for $70-90.) I prefer the one quart size to the Salton Yogurt Maker with 7 Glass Jars that I also own. Pouring the yogurt mixture into the glass jars is messy and time consuming. Plus you have seven jars (and lids) to wash instead of one large container. Plus, I’ve broken a jar and cannot find a replacement.

If you are serious about making your own yogurt, invest in a two quart system like the Yogourmet Multi Electric Yogurt Maker. If you’re still experimenting, you can make yogurt in a crockpot or in a quart jar using everything from a heating pad to the sun. Making coconut yogurt is pretty foolproof as long as your starter is good and you don’t overheat your yogurt.

Homemade Coconut Tapioca Yogurt

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (13.66 fluid ounce per can) of Thai Kitchen lite coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons instant Kraft Minute Tapioca
• 1 packet of Yogourmet Freeze Dried Yogurt Starter
• 1 tablespoon Stevia Extract in the Raw

Special equipment:

• A candy or milk frothing thermometer
• Yogurt maker

Directions:

1. Pour coconut milk into a saucepan.
2. Add tapioca and stevia to the coconut milk. Mix thoroughly with a whisk or spoon.
3. Heat mixture to 170 to 180 degrees F.
4. Remove from heat and let cool down to 110 degrees F.
5. Mix in yogurt culture starter to coconut milk.
6. Pour into yogurt container(s) and place into your yogurt maker.
7. Heat for six hours or until you have the desired consistency and taste. (The longer it cooks, the more sour it will taste and the firmer it will be.)

Nutritional information

1 serving = 1/2 cup

• 103 calories
• 7.5 g fat
• 6.6 g saturated fat
• 8.3 g sodium
• 16.7 g carbohydrates
• 0 fiber

Weight Watchers POINTS = 3 (Nonfat milk yogurt has 2 POINTS)

This Mama’s tips

• This is a gluten-free recipe.
• This recipe isn't 100% casein free since the yogurt starter has skim milk in it.
• You can buy Yogourmet Freeze Dried Yogurt Starter online or at your local health food store.
• You can use any brand of coconut milk you can find. I chose Thai Kitchen because it’s available at most mainstream grocery stores. Also, you can buy it by the case on Amazon for $1.73 per can.
• If you’re concerned about BPA or want organic coconut milk, try Native Forest Organic Light Coconut Milk.
• You can also use full fat coconut milk. I tried both full fat and lite and the results were the same. Your calories and fat will be higher with full fat coconut milk, of course.
• If you want super thick yogurt, add another tablespoon of instant tapioca. If you want thinner yogurt cut it down to 1 or 2 tablespoons.
• There’s just enough stevia added to the mixture to give it a pleasant taste. You can add more stevia during the cooking process if you want it super sweet.
• Feel free to substitute sugar, honey or agave nectar for the stevia, too. All will increase your calorie and carb counts, of course.
• After the yogurt sets, you can add additional flavorings, like vanilla extract, more sweetener or fruit.

How to make coconut yogurt is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Here are a few more healthy breakfast recipes from the Dole Blogger Summit.

Breakfast Granola Parfait

Serves: 20, 1/4 cup serving (makes 5 cups)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup pecans or almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup DOLE® Raisins
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup DOLE® Berries of choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment and spray with nonstick spray.
2. In large bowl, combine oats, pecans, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Set aside.
3. In small bowl, microwave honey for 1 minute; whisk in oil until smooth.
4. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and toss to combine.
5. Spread onto prepared baking sheet and bake until golden, about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let cool. Mix in raisins.
7. In a tall, clear glass or sundae glass, layer 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup berries and repeat this process.
8. Top with 1/4 cup fresh granola.

Note: Granola may be stored in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Calories per serving: 155
Calorie equivalent: 1 carbohydrate, 1 fat

This Mama’s tips

• Use stevia instead of brown sugar to lower the calories.
• You could try using agave syrup instead of honey. Calories are the same, but agave has a lower glycemic index.

Banana-Pineapple Oatmeal Breakfast Cake

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup canned, DOLE® Crushed Pineapple in 100% Juice, undrained
• 2 medium DOLE® Bananas, diced
• 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
3. In large bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, vanilla, buttermilk and oil.
4. Mix all dry ingredients together and then fold in wet mixture. Stir until just moistened; do not over mix.
5. Gently fold in pineapple with juice and diced bananas.
6. Pour into baking dish and bake for 25 minutes, until knife comes out clean when inserted in center.
7. Cool until just warm, cut into squares.
8. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar right before serving.

Calories per serving: 230
Calorie equivalent: 1 carbohydrate, 1 1/2 fats, 1 fruit

This Mama’s tips

• Use stevia instead of sugar to lower the calories.

More healthy breakfast recipes from Dole is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!