Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Nutella Banana Bread (low cal)


Another yummy treat that Susan made while we were over for lunch recently.  Our whole family LOVES banana bread and we often make it lots of different ways in order to find the perfect recipe  This one is really great because not only is it moist and delicious and not to mention chocolately but it's also happens to be low calorie and good for you.  You can find this recipe and other low calorie recipes at Slender Kitchen

Ingredients:

4 ripe medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup Nutella

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg whites. Add the banana, vanilla, and apple sauce and mix together. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
5. Warm the Nutella up in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until it is softer and melted.
6. Pour the banana bread batter into a bread pan. Then slowly spoon the nutella on top and swirl into the bread using a knife until all of the Nutella has been worked in.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes until cooked through. Enjoy!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Autumn Chopped Salad


We are always looking for new salad ideas and this one was so perfect for this time of the year.  Absolutely delicious!  Susan made this for lunch the other day when we were eating outside in her Sukkah.  I LOVED the combination of the sweet and salty.  Even my husband who during the entire meal said that he wouldn't eat the salad because it had fruit and nuts in it ended up finishing the salad (eating directly out of the salad bowl, mind you) it was that good.  It's a must try! This recipe was found on Pinterest and it took me awhile to find the original source but I'm so glad I did because it's from a fantastic blog Espresso and Cream.  Check it out when you get a chance.



*Susan substituted bacon bits for the bacon to keep the salad kosher

Ingredients:

 6 to 8 cups of Chopped Romaine Lettuce
2 medium pears, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans
*8 slices bacon, crisp and crumbled
4 to 6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup Poppy Seed Dressing
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, combine lettuce, pears, cranberries, pecans, bacon and feta cheese. Mix poppy seed dressing with the balsamic vinaigrette. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, Toss and serve immediately!