Yogurt-Cheese Snickerdoodles

I created this recipe to bring to my sister's baby shower, and it has since become a favorite! The yogurt cheese works wonders here. It lends moisture and tenderness to the crumb and adds to the distinctive tang found in these well-loved cinnamon-and-sugar cookies. Amy tried out the recipe last week and her teenage son said, "These are the best cookies I've ever had!".



Yogurt Cheese Snickerdoodles
1 C whole wheat flour
1 2/3 c all purpouse flour
2 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
5 Tbs butter
¾ C plain nonfat yogurt
1 ½ c sugar
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla

3 tbs sugar
1 Tbs Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

Make the yogurt cheese:
Spread out yogurt on top of layered paper towels on your counter. Put a few paper-towels on top as well. Let the liquid from the yogurt soak into the paper towels until the yogurt turns into a thicker, more cheese like consistency. It will resemble a soft cream cheese that you can peel away from the paper towels. Replace the wet towels with dry ones as needed until the consistancy is achieved.

Make the cookies:
Whisk together the dry ingredients (flours-salt) in a medium bowl, set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, yogurt cheese, and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and egg whites, one at a time beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually mix in the flour mixture. DO NOT OVERMIX. Chill dough in the freezer for 30 mins. Ball up the dough and coat each cookie in cinnamon-and-sugar, place on a cookie sheet, coated with cooking spray, and flatten with the palm of your hand. Bake for 10 mins or until done. Becareful not to over-cook them!




Additional Tips:
Reduced-fat cookie doughs are more delicate then their fattier counterparts, so you need to take some precautions when mixing. If you over mix, the gluten will develop and the cookies will be tough instead of tender. When it comes time to add the dry ingredients, I usually put the mixer aside, and mix it with a big wooden spoon.

Do not over bake... or your cookies will have a tough outer crust!

I like to double the recipe and freeze the dough in a large zip-lock bag. Then, when we have a craving for some of these yummy morsels-- it's a sinch! Take it out of the freezer, ball it up, coat it with cinnamon and sugar, place them on the cookie sheet, flatten and bake! Yum! (You could also freeze the dough unbaked, pre-rolled, and flattened on a cookie sheet. Then scoop them up and put them in a zip-lock bag and return them to the freezer until that craving comes again.)

My beautiful daughter enjoying a snickerdoodle.

Spinach and Orange Salad

If you haven't started making your own salad dressings.... it's time to start! It's quick, and it's easy. Try it out and you'll never go back. Watch for more of my favorite salads and dressing recipes to come.



Spinach and Orange Salad

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons minced sweet onions
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Salad:
3 cups orange sections (about 3 large oranges)
6 cups torn leafy green lettuces (your choice)
3 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup thinly sliced red onion

To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Set aside.
To prepare salad, combine orange sections, spinach and lettuce in a large bowl. Add onion. Pour vinaigrette over salad mixture; toss gently to coat.

Cheddar Chicken and Corn Chowder

I know it's the end of March, but I just had to slip one more soup in before heading into the soup-less summer. This one is a crowd pleaser. It has a rich flavor and a smooth texture, with intermittent bites of tender chicken, sweet corn and potatoes . My 8-year-old daughter even asked to take some in her thermos to school for lunch the next day. Serve this with a big Spinach and Orange Salad and some whole grain rolls.



Cheddar Chicken and Corn Chowder

2 bacon slices
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 garlic clove, minced
4 ½ cups fat-free chicken broth
1 ¾ cups diced red potato
2 ¼ cups frozen corn
½ cup flour
2 cups 2% low-fat milk
¾ cup shredded sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Cook bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Set aside. Add the chicken, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add broth and potato, and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Add corn; stir well.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Place four in a bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended; add to the soup. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in the cheddar cheese, salt and black pepper. Top with the crumbled bacon. Yield: 7 servings (serving size 1 ½ cups)

Chicken Fricassee

This is an old-fashioned recipe perfect for a comfort food craving. The whole family will enjoy it and the chicken always comes out tender. This time, I substitued chicken tenderloins, and served it with some fresh-made mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli.

Bountiful Baskets Note: This recipe will use up some of that celery we've been getting!



Chicken Fricassee (adapted from Cooking Light)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) skinned chicken breast halves or12 tenderloins.
2 teaspoons butter or stick margarine
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine (or substitute broth if desired)
2 cups (3-inch) julienne-cut carrot
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; toss well to coat. Remove chicken from bag; reserve flour mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, breast sides down; sauté 5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
Add onion, celery, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in reserved flour mixture; cook 1 minute. Add broth and wine; bring to a boil. Add carrot. Return chicken to pan, breast sides up. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Oatmeal Cookies

I love a good oatmeal cookie! MMMMMMMM..... Are they healthy? Well, adding oats to full-fat, sugar-laden cookies doesn't exactly qualify them as health food.... but they are sooooo GOOD! If you want "healthier" cookies, I'll have to post my oat bran chocolate chippers or my yogurt snickerdoodles!


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies


Simply Oatmeal Cookies


Oatmeal Cookies

1 3/4 C packed brown sugar
14 Tbs butter (1 Cup minus 2 TBS)
2 lightly beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla

3 C old fassioned oats
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in oats. In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add dry ingrediants to wet ingredients, mix until combined. Bake about 10 minutes @ 350 degrees. This recipe is delicious as written, but for variety, try adding chocolate chips or cinnamon and/or raisins.

Hominy and Bean Chili

Sometimes dinner-time can sneak up on you. Next time it does, try making this chili. All of the ingredients can be kept on-hand and it comes together REALLY quickly. Pair it with cornbread, and you can put it all together while the cornbread is in the oven! I like this chili becuase it's fast, easy and the flavor is just right. The chili powder is not too overwhelming, the tomatoes lend just enough sweetness, and the hominy are a welcomed treat. Even my non-chili-loving-husband gave it a thumbs up! Not bad for dinner on a whim.





Hominy and Bean Chili (adapted from Cooking Light)

1/2 pound extra lean hamburger (optional)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (do not use oil if adding meat)
2 large cloves of garlic, minced (or 2 tsps. bottled minced garlic)
3 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15.5-ounce) can white hominy, drained
1 (15-ounce) can red beans, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped

Toppings:
cilantro
diced tomatos
minced white onion
monterey jack cheese
low-fat sour cream

Preparation
(If using meat in the chili: First, brown the meat, adding the garlic at the last minute. Then add the rest the ingredients as stated below.)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in chili powder and next 5 ingredients (chili powder through stewed tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.

Serves 4 (1 1/4 servings)

Serve it with your favorite cornbread (or try the recipe below), and some cut up fruit or a green salad.
Buttermilk Cornbread

1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together egg and next 2 ingredients; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Pour batter into 8x8 pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until golden.

Oat Bran Muffins- An After-School Snack

I mixed up a batch of these before picking-up the kids from school, and brought them along with me. They devoured them! And asked for more! Often oat or wheat bran muffins are way too loaded with other "healthful ingredients", that they become as a dense health-bar and they lose some of their appeal. These muffins are simple and pure and.... kid-approved!



Oat Bran Muffins

1 1/2 C oat bran
1 1/2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 C low fat buttermilk
3 Tbs canola oil
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Whisk together the dry ingredients(bran through sugar) in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix just until wet. Do not over mix. If desired, add blueberries and gently fold in without overmixing.

Fill the muffin cups. Bake 12-16 minutes, until set and golden.

Makes 18 muffins.


Add blueberries to the mix and your kids will love them even more. If you have a favorite bran muffin recipe please share it!