Did you have a chance to try the Quinoa with Pomegranate Arils and Goat Cheese vegetarian recipe from POM Wonderful? I did on Christmas Eve as a side dish, and it was wonderful.

Well, here’s another healthy recipe from the folks at POM Wonderful – Pomegranate Relish to use as a holiday party appetizer topping. The recipe is by celebrity chef Suzanne Goin who owns Lucques, A.O.C. and Tavern Restaurants in Los Angeles. I had the honor of meeting her at Frigidaire’s Talking Turkey event earlier this year. Chef Goin was super nice to us bloggers and totally down to earth.

What I like about Chef Goin’s cooking is that it’s filled with wonderful flavors and is easy to replicate at home. She’s a mom and understands that most moms want to make something that tastes delicious and looks elegant, but we don’t have the luxury of spending hours in the kitchen making it.

You can find more of Chef Goin’s Thanksgiving recipes on Frigidaire’s Talking Turkey website.

Easy party pomegranate appetizers

Above you can see that Chef Goin’s Pomegranate Relish is served on a slice of French bread with a thin wedge of melted cheese. Yum! However, If you want to health it up a bit – and are gluten free – smear low fat cream cheese on a rice cracker and then add a dollop of the relish. If calories aren’t an issue, try spreadable goat cheese instead.

Pomegranate Relish

Recipe by Chef Suzanne Goin courtesy of POM Wonderful

Print
Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup arils from 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses*
• 3 tablespoons finely diced shallots
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sliced flat-leaf parsley
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Score 1 fresh pomegranate and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)
2. Place the shallots, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and let sit 5 minutes.
3. Whisk in the pomegranate molasses* and then the olive oil. Stir in the fresh pomegranate arils and the parsley. Taste for balance and seasoning.
4. * To make pomegranate molasses, combine 3 cups of POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice, 1/4 cup sugar and juice from one lemon and bring to a simmer. Reduce until a very thick syrup forms that can thickly coat the back of a spoon, then cool to room temperature.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Total Time: 20 Minutes

Nutrition Grade from CalorieCount

Weight Watchers POINTS =

Servings: 2 to 4 servings

• Serving size: 44 g
• Calories: 30
• Calories from Fat: 0g
• Total Fat: 0g
• Saturated fat: 0g
• Unsaturated fat: 0g
• Sodium: 95mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 7g
• Sugar: 2g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 1g
• Cholesterol: omg

$1 off POM Wonderful coupon

To make your pomegranate cooking even easier and less time consuming, use POM Wonderful Fresh Arils instead of trying to remove the arils from the fruit – less messier for sure!

There’s also a $1 off coupon available on the POM website. Just click on it, fill out your email and zip code, and print it out.

Picture courtesy of POM Wonderful.

Don't forget that you can save any of the recipes you see here at This Mama Cooks! On a Diet to an online recipe box by clicking the Save Recipe button below.
 

Holiday appetizers: Pomegranate Relish is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Merry Christmas! Here’s a little healthy Christmas food for thought. While it’s UK based, I’m sure the advice can apply to wherever your enjoying your Christmas holidays this year.

via

 

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Merry Christmas! is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

This year, we’re going to a friends’ home for Christmas dinner – and all they’ve asked me to bring is mashed potatoes. Boring! Since I have the holiday meal cooking bug, I’ve decided to make a big meal for late Christmas Even afternoon. (Why afternoon? We’re off to see other friends that evening. Busy are we!)

As I’ve mentioned previously, my kids aren’t big turkey eaters, so I’ve decided to make a pork dish especially after seeing this Christmas dish for pork loin by Rocco DiSpirito a couple of weeks ago in the Denver Post. I was very intrigued the Rocco uses stevia as a sweetener as I don’t see many celebrity chefs using it.

Also the cooking technique he uses is pretty crazy – cooking the pork submerged in water in a large pot it in the oven. I’ve never done that before! It’s even more challenging since I’m cooking up a six pound pork loin as Costco didn’t have three pound roasts. Needless to say, I better start this dish right at noon on Christmas Eve.

I’ll be combining this with Quinoa with Pomegranate Arils and Goat Cheese, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Medjool Dates, and maybe some gluten free Cranberry Crunch Bark for us – and Santa!

So what are you cooking up on Christmas Eve?

Christmas Pork

From Rocco DiSpirito’s Now Eat This! cookbooks

Print
Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 pound fresh pork loin, trimmed of all visible fat
• 8 whole cloves
• 1/2 gallon cold water
• 1/2 cup kosher salt, plus extra
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 2 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
• Ground black pepper
• 1 cup pomegranate juice, divided
• 2 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot
• Packets stevia sweetener powder, to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/2 cup coarse-ground or stone-ground mustard
• 1/4 cup prepared horseradish

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the pork on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, make shallow diagonal crisscross cuts over the top and bottom of the roast at 1-inch intervals. Use a metal skewer or meat fork to poke about 60 holes over the surface of the roast, making sure to push the skewer all the way to the center of the roast.
3. Insert the cloves into the intersections of the cuts on the top of the pork. Set aside.
4. In a large oven-safe pot, combine the water, 1/2 cup of salt and 4 sprigs of the thyme. Stir to dissolve the salt. Gently submerge the pork in the water and cover with the lid or foil. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour, or until the pork registers 145 degrees at the center.
5. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over medium-high, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil. Add the turnips and toss to coat evenly with oil. Season with salt and pepper, then place in the oven and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the turnips are tender and nicely browned, stirring once or twice.
6. Pick the leaves off of the remaining 2 sprigs of thyme and add to the turnips. Toss to coat, then set aside.
7. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of the pomegranate juice and the arrowroot until the arrowroot is dissolved. Pour the remaining pomegranate juice into a small saucepan. Add 1 packet of stevia and the cinnamon and heat to simmering. Whisk in the arrowroot mixture. Continue to cook and stir for about 30 seconds, or until the sauce is thickened. Taste and add stevia as needed for desired sweetness. Set aside.
8. Remove the ham from the cooking liquid and pat dry with paper towels. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is smoking, add the pork roast and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned on both sides, turning once. Remove the pork from the pan.
9. Add half of the pomegranate glaze to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the pork back to the pan with the glaze and turn to coat the meat completely. Remove the pork from the pan and place on a cutting board. Add the turnips, half of the pomegranate seeds and the tarragon to the glaze in the sauté pan. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the turnips are heated through and coated with the glaze. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Whisk the mustard and horseradish into the remaining half of the pomegranate glaze and pour into a small serving dish.
11. Remove the cloves from the pork, then thinly slice the pork. Place the pork slices on a large platter. Add the turnips to the platter around the pork and sprinkle with the remaining pomegranate seeds. Serve with the mustard and horseradish sauce

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Nutrition Grade NA from CalorieCount

Weight Watchers POINTS = 7

Servings: Serves 8

• Serving size: 1/8 of roast
• Calories: 313
• Calories from Fat: 75
• Total Fat: 8g
• Saturated fat: 2g
• Unsaturated fat: 6g
• Sodium: 1421mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 11g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 39g
• Cholesterol: 107mg

Don't forget that you can save any of the recipes you see here at This Mama Cooks! On a Diet to an online recipe box by clicking the Save Recipe button below.

Christmas Eve dinner: Christmas Pork is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

If you’re wondering what you’ll be serving up for Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Boxing Day this year, these two gorgeous ecookbooks for the holidays can help.

Vegan Christmas

The first holiday ecookbook is by Nicola Griffiths of The Livity. Her ebook Vegan Christmas should appeal to anyone who is vegan as well as those who are gluten free or dairy, sugar and wheat free. It also comes with sample Christmas menus, which can be especially helpful if you’re cooking for someone who’s vegan – and you’re not.

Download a PDF of three sample recipes to view Nicola’s wonderful recipes and photography. I'm especially lusting over her recipe for Chocolate Truffles made with agave nectar! Her cookbook also features recipes for Olive Oil and Thyme Oatcakes, Roasted Beetroot Chutney, and Cashew Cheese. I especially love her "Amazing Gravy from Scratch" with porcini and portobello mushrooms - completely vegan and gluten free!

Vegan Christmas sells for £4.99 GBP or about $7.75 USD. You can order it via PayPal.

The Good Food Life Cook Book

Full Circle is a farm-to-table organic delivery service. This holiday season, they’ve produced a gorgeous FREE ecookbook, The Good Food Life Cook Book, with gorgeous food photography and wonderful recipes like Apple Stuffed Pork Loin, Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries & Hazelnuts, and Cranberry Quince Tart. Holiday drinks and wine pairings are included as are gluten free and vegan options. Download it here.

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Disclosure: Nicola sent me a copy of her ecookbook, Vegan Christmas, to facilitate this review.

Healthy holiday ecookbooks #vegan #glutenfree is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

One of the staples in our liquor cabinet is Angostura Aromatic Bitters thanks to my dad’s influence. He enjoyed the occasional Rob Roy and got my husband hooked on them. (My dad’s recipe for a Rob Roy was scotch, dry vermouth and Angostura bitters – not sweet vermouth and no cherry!)

My mom also used Angostura bitters for the occasional tummy ache. I’d often see her sipping bitters from a crystal liquor glass. In fact, Angostura bitters was invented by Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, a German doctor of medicine, for stomach disorders, sea sickness and to improve appetite. (It’s made in Trinidad from a secret blend of Caribbean herbs and spices.) It wasn’t until later than people started using it in cocktails and appetizer, sauce, entree and dessert recipes.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy Angostura is in a mocktail my dad invented for my sister and I to enjoy during family celebrations. This is perfect for kids or any adults who aren’t imbibing during the holiday celebrations.

Orange Blossom Mocktail

Makes two mocktails

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Orange Tangerine Tropicana Pure Premium Juice (regular orange juice is fine)
• 1/2 cup sparking apple juice like La Village, an organic apple juice from France, or R.W. Knudsen Sparking Crisp Apple Cider
• 1/2 cup natural ginger ale like Oogave Agave Ginger Ale made in Denver
• 10 drops Angostura Bitters

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients in a small pitcher and stir.
2. Serve over ice or straight up.
3. Enjoy!

Featured at:

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Disclosure: Angostura provided compensation for this post. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Holiday drinks: Angostura Orange Blossom Mocktail is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Adding pomegranates to your holiday recipes is a delicious way to  to stay healthy during the holiday season since pomegranates are high in antioxidants. Pomegranate juice, like the kind made by POM Wonderful, is also wonderful alternative to high calorie/no nutritional value cocktails. Just add a little seltzer and maybe a squeeze of lime or some mint leaves and you have a lovely mock tail that’s yummy and good for you!

Cooking with pomegranates

I’ve been a fan of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice for years and have used it to create:

• Pomegranate-Cranberry Sauce
• Stephanie Izard’s Pomegranate Pancake Syrup
• Basil Pomegranate Lemonade
• Pomegranate Smoothies

Even so, I’ve never cooked with pomegranate arils, the little “beads” that are inside pomegranate fruit. However, thanks to POM and celebrity chef Zoe Nathan, I’m inspired!

Zoe Nathan is the head baker and pastry chef at Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen in Santa Monica, California. She and her husband/business partner, Josh Loeb, also run Huckleberry Café and Bakery. She created this quinoa and arils dish, which would be a perfect entree for any vegetarians at your holiday dinner table. (If there are vegans present – or guest avoiding milk products – substitute a vegan soy, rice or almond milk cheese for the goat cheese.) It’s also gluten free and would make a lovely side holiday dish with its green and red colors. (Just remember to halve the portion!)

Quinoa with Pomegranate Arils and Goat Cheese

Recipe by Chef Zoe Nathan courtesy of POM Wonderful

Print
Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup arils from 1–2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground pepper
• kosher salt to taste
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Score 1–2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranates under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)
2. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion; sauté until lightly browned.
3. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with water. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
5. Remove quinoa from saucepan and spread out over sheet tray and let it cool (it stops the cooking process).
6. Mix in the mint, pomegranate arils and goat cheese.
7. Season with salt, pepper and some olive oil to taste. Serve.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Total Time: 45 Minutes

Nutrition Grade NA from CalorieCount

Weight Watchers POINTS = 8

Servings: Makes 4 to 6 servings

• Calories: 400
• Calories from Fat: 140
• Total Fat: 16g
• Saturated fat: 8g
• Unsaturated fat: 8g
• Sodium: 1330mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 53g
• Sugar: 23g
• Fiber: 7g
• Protein: 14g
• Cholesterol: 30mg

$1 off POM Wonderful coupon

To make your pomegranate cooking even easier and less time consuming, use POM Wonderful Fresh Arils instead of trying to remove the arils from the fruit – less messier for sure!

There’s also a $1 off coupon available on the POM website. Just click on it, fill out your email and zip code, and print it out.

Picture courtesy of POM Wonderful.

Healthy holiday recipes: Quinoa with Pomegranate Arils and Goat Cheese #glutenfree is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

The problem with making roast beef is figuring out what to do with the leftovers, since reheating overcooks and dries out the meat. Sure, you could thinly slice the roast beef for sandwiches. But my favorite way of eating leftover roast beef (or venison) is cold and in a salad.

You can either thinly slice the roast beef into strips or cut it into cubes. To make your salad, add the cold roast beef to your favorite type of lettuce (I used romaine) and pile on other goodies like pine nuts, feta cheese crumbles, tomatoes, olives or whatever strikes your fancy.

Homemade salad dressings with NAKANO® rice vinegars

Then there was the matter of all that leftover Chipotle Mayo sauce. What was I going to do with it? I got the idea to add NAKANO Roasted Garlic Seasoned Rice Vinegar to the sauce to make a fabulous homemade salad dressing. It’s very spicy, so you may want to dial down the heat by adding more mayonnaise or no fat Greek yogurt.

Chipotle Rice Vinegar Salad Dressing

Adapted from Nadia G.’s Chipotle Mayo recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup prepared mayonnaise
• 6 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cup of NAKANO Roasted Garlic Seasoned Rice Vinegar

Directions:

1. In a food processor, blend together the mayonnaise, chipotle peppers, sea salt and black pepper to taste.
2. Add NAKANO rice vinegar and blend until combined.
3. Pour into a salad dressing bottle and shake before pouring on your salad.

Splash it on with NAKANO vinegars

NAKANO Natural and Seasoned Rice Vinegars are a healthy alternative to fattening condiments in your holiday cooking. Instead of butter and sour cream on your baked potato, try a splash of NAKANO Red Pepper Seasoned Rice Vinegar. Splash some NAKANO® Basil & Oregano Seasoned Rice Vinegar on noodles. NAKANO Balsamic Blend Seasoned Rice Vinegar would be wonderful on salads or roasted vegetables, too!

What other healthy ways can you use NAKANO vinegars in your holiday cooking?

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Disclosure: Mizkan, the parent company of NAKANO, provided compensation for this post. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Christmas leftovers: Roast Beef Salad with Chipotle Rice Vinegar Salad Dressing is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I first came across Nadia G. of Bitchin Kitchen at a BlogWorld Expo 2010 food blogging session. I admired how she transitioned her online brand to primetime television. So, when I got home, I checked out her show on the Cooking Channel. I thought her cooking was rather elementary, but my son and husband said she was a babe and my eight-year-old daughter thinks Nadia’s sidekick, Hans, was also a hottie. Bitchin Kitchen is a show the whole family can enjoy watching together. Well, sorta.

Cookin’ for Trouble cookbook

When I received Nadia’s latest cookbook, Cookin’ for Trouble, I wasn’t expecting much. Her show’s rather campy and I thought the cookbook would be high on humor and not much on quality. I was pleasantly surprised to find that each Bitchin Kitchen recipe is accompanied by a gorgeous, full color photograph by Ryan Szulc and food styled by Noah Witenoff.

In addition, there are recipes for beginners as well as seasoned cooks. In addition, while her target audience is young and planning weddings and bachelor parties, families with kids will enjoy her dishes, too. I especially like her spin on classics such as pizza and lemon meringue to something more sophisticated and trendy.

Speaking of trendy, she also has recipes for sliders (tuna) and cupcakes (tiramisu). She even has some vegan and gluten free dishes. There are also healthy dishes like gazpacho, low sugar jam, and creamy cream-less soups. And for the ladies a few pictures of Hans with his shirt off – yay says Lucie! Nadia knows what her audience wants!

If you’re a fan of the show or just like great  food pictures and cool recipes, check out Cookin’ for Trouble. It would make a great holiday gift for the foodie on your gift giving list.

Nadia G’s Christmas roast beef

Nadia’s roast beef dish is called Midnight Prime Roast Beef in her Feast of the Seven Dishes show airing this month. (See the video below.) However, in Cookin’ for Trouble, it’s called Rockin’ Roast Beef with a boneless beef rump roast. The recipes are slightly different, but either way, it’s a classic Christmas dinner roast beef dish.

My first attempt at this dish was with a rather small – and lean - beef tip roast. It was given to me by my mother-in-law and had been sitting in the freezer for awhile begging to be cooked. I kept my fingers crossed that it would work. I followed Nadia’s directions, but cut down the amount of time and kept an eye on the meat thermometer. Even so, it was slightly overcooked while the potatoes were undercooked and needed to be microwaved before serving. Shoot!

When I make this again – and I will – I’ll use a real prime rib beef roast with a nice layer of juicy fat since the beef tip roast was delicious, but not as tender and juicy as I hoped. Also, I recommend doubling (at least) the amount of mushrooms as they smelled heavenly and tasted just as good. I used small red and purple potatoes, but fingerling potatoes would work very well, too. I also had trouble finding pearl onions, so I used regular onions cut into quarters.

You can serve this with the pan juices thinned with some beef broth for au jus. In Cookin’ for Trouble, Nadia gave recipes for a teriyaki sauce and a chipotle mayo as dipping sauces. I tried the spicy chipotle mayo sauce, which was a wonderful change from the more traditional prepared horseradish. The recipe is below, too.

Nadia G’s Rockin' Roast Beef

Recipe courtesy of Nadia G. and the Cooking Channel

Total time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 2 hours

Yield: 8 to 12 servings

Ingredients:

• One 3 1/2-pound beef prime rib roast
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups pearl onions
• 20 whole mushrooms
• 10 small potatoes

Directions:

1. In a roasting pan, place the beef fat side up and rub it with the ground mustard, black pepper, and sea salt.
2. Let it stand at room temperature for 2 hours. (This is really important to do so you get that pink color in the middle of your roast.)
3. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F and brown for roast for about 15 minutes. Then lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. 
4. When the roast begins to drip its juices – about 30 to 60 minutes – add the potatoes, onions and mushrooms to the roasting pan.
5. Continue to cook until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the beef registers 135 degrees F.
6. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for about 15 minutes.
7. Slice the beef thinly, and serve on a large platter with the roasted onions, mushrooms and potatoes.

Chipotle Mayo

Recipe courtesy of Nadia G

Ingredients:

• 1 cup prepared mayonnaise
• 6 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a food processor, blend together the mayonnaise, chipotle peppers, sea salt and black pepper to taste.
2. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

This is my entry for the Zanussi Cookers make every meal a masterpiece competition.

Featured at:

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Disclosure: I received a review copy of Cookin’ for Trouble to facilitate this review. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Christmas dishes: Nadia G.’s Rockin’ Roast Beef is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Today’s guest post from Holly Clegg focuses on healthy holiday baking. Since fresh cranberries freeze up to a year, you can bake up her Banana Cranberry Bread all year round. This is a terrific recipe for using up any overripe bananas you may have, too!

Check out more of Holly’s trim& TERRIFIC® recipes at hollyclegg.com and The Healthy Cooking Blog.

Homemade healthy holiday treats

Looking for a healthy gift that keeps on giving? Quick breads are one of my favorite homemade gifts as they are easy to make, budget-friendly, and something you make yourself. What could be better during the holidays than my festive favorite, Banana Cranberry Bread?

Quick breads are so easy to prepare as there is no yeast and there is no need for a mixer. I wrap the individual loaves in plastic wrap, and then store in a zip top bag to freeze until I’m ready to distribute them to my neighbors and friends. Tie several mini loafs with a ribbon and your gift is done!

Banana Cranberry Bread

From Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets To Sizzle At Any Age

Print
Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas, peeled
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup dried cranberries or fresh cranberries, chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind

Directions

1. Preheat oven 350°F. Coat 9x5x 3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, beat bananas until puréed. Add sugar, brown sugar, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla, and continue beating until creamy.
3. In separate, small bowl combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir flour mixture alternately with buttermilk into banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour, mixing only until combined.
4. In separate, small bowl combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir flour mixture alternately with buttermilk into banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour, mixing only until combined.

Prep Time: 15 - 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 40 - 45 Minutes

Total Time: 55 - 1 Hour 5 Minutes

Nutrition Grade NA from CalorieCount

Weight Watchers POINTS = 3

Servings: 16 slices

• Serving size: 1 slice
• Calories: 144
• Calories from Fat: 37
• Total Fat: 4g
• Saturated fat: 1g
• Unsaturated fat: 3g
• Sodium: 50mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 25g
• Sugar: NA
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 2g
• Cholesterol: 27mg

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 0.5 fruit, 0.5 fat

This Mama's tips

Here are some tips to further “health up” Holly’s recipe:

• Instead of 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup light brown sugar, use 1/4 cup powdered stevia and 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar.
• For the 1 cup of all-purpose flour, substitute 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. This may dry out the recipe a bit, so add a tablespoon or two more of the buttermilk.
• To make this recipe gluten free, substitute your favorite all-purpose gluten free flour mix for the regular flour.
• Try substituting 2 egg whites for one of the eggs to lower the fat content.

Photo courtesy of Holly Clegg.

Healthy holiday treats: Holly Clegg’s Banana Cranberry Bread is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Having had a Jewish father, I grew up eating wonderful cookies and cupcakes at the Jewish-style bakery my parents frequented by my dad’s office in Red Bank, New Jersey. If you lived in the area in the 1970s, it was the bakery by Red Bank Catholic High School and down Main Street from Norman’s Deli, if I remember correctly. I don’t think it’s there anymore.

I never realized that black and white, lace, and rainbow cookies were typical of Jewish treats until I read Inside the Jewish Bakery: Recipes and Memories from the Golden Age of Jewish Baking by Stanley Ginsberg and Norman Berg. It’s a wonderful cookbook and would make a great Hanukkah or holiday gift.

I always thought of these treats as “back East cookies” that you could only find in New York City and Northern New Jersey. I never came across them in other parts of the country and only see them when I go back to New Jersey for someone’s bat or bar mitzvah.

My favorite Jewish cookies are the rainbow ones. I was hoping to experiment and come up with a gluten free version. (You can see a non-GF version of rainbow cookies here on the publisher’s website.) However, since they contain almond paste and almond extract – and I have a child who’s allergic to nuts – I didn’t think it was too smart to cook up a batch. Plus, I’d have to eat them all myself, which is a recipe for disaster especially with all the holiday treats out there this time of year.

Instead, I chose to make gluten free coconut macaroons. When my mother-in-law went gluten free over 11 years ago, there were very few premade gluten free products around. One exception was coconut macaroons that I’d find in the ethnic section of the supermarket during Passover. Here’s my healthed up, alternative sweetener version of Inside the Jewish Bakery’s recipe.

Featured at Jane Deere Blog Fusion Fridays.

Coconut Macaroons

Based on the recipe from Inside the Jewish Bakery by Stanley Ginsberg and Norman Berg © 2011 Camino Books. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Print
Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons powdered stevia
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups finely shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons agave nectar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (grapeseed, canola or coconut oil works well)
• 3 to 4 large egg whites, beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. If you’re using “natural” unsweetened coconut from the health food store, you may need to chop up the coconut into smaller pieces. You can do this in a food processor or a blender. Chop until the coconut is confetti-sized.
3. Blend all ingredients except egg whites on the low speed of electric mixer.
4. Increase speed to medium. Then add egg whites in a thin stream, mixing until smooth. Use only enough egg to get dough to the consistency of putty.
5. Using a small cookie scoop, spoon mixture on to cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. (I use the silicone making mats made by Wilton.)
6. Bake for 15 minutes until the tops of the cookies turn light brown. Do not over bake.
7. Allow to cool on parchment or silicon mat. (If the cookies stick to the parchment, turn paper over and wet it lightly so the macaroons will come off easily.)
8. Carefully remove cookies with a cookie spatula and store in an airtight container.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Total Time: 35 Minutes

Nutrition Grade C- from CalorieCount

Weight Watchers POINTS = 1

Servings: Makes 36 cookies

• Serving size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 34
• Calories from Fat: 25
• Total Fat: 2.8g
• Saturated fat: 1.7g
• Unsaturated fat: 1.1g
• Sodium: 37mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 2.2g
• Sugar: 1.7g
• Fiber: 0.5g
• Protein: 0.5g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

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Disclosure: I received a review copy of Inside the Jewish Bakery: Recipes and Memories from the Golden Age of Jewish Baking to facilitate this review. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Holiday cookies: Gluten Free Coconut Macaroons #glutenfree is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!