Zucchini Donuts

Yep.... you read that right. Zucchini.....donuts...

If you've got a garden at home, then you know what it's like to have a million zucchini around this time of year and not know what to do with them all. I'm always got an eye out for new recipes using the green veggie. And that's how I came across these gems.

I found them via a Google search. I saw some other recipes for donuts on Pinterest and thought "Hmmm.... I wonder if anyone's ever been crazy enough to make a zucchini donut". Ashley at Simply Designing was just that crazy!

Both Little Ladies liked them a lot, as did I! Farmer Bob will be home in a while, so I'll get his verdict then.

I've got a Sunbeam Donut Maker and I really love it. I got it on clearance at Target a while back. I've made donuts in it twice, and needed no extra fat (butter, spray, etc) to get the donuts out. They really just come right out, nice and easy. If you don't have a donut maker, you could probably make these in a donut pan in the oven. You'll just need to follow the instructions that come with the pan, and play with your time until you find what works for you.

Ingredients

• 3/4 c whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c white flour
• 1/4 c flaxseed (ground)
• 1/3 c brown sugar (packed)
• 1 t orange zest
• 3/4 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 1/3 c zucchini and/or yellow squash, grated (this is approximately 1 1/2 average sized zucchinis)
• 1/2 c plain, vanilla or greek yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 2 T honey

Ingredients for Glaze:

• 1/2 T milk
• 4 T powdered sugar

Directions

1. Mix all dry ingredients together
2. Puree the zucchini
3. In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients including the zucchini and mix until fully incorporated
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine until moist
5. Place a large ziploc bag into a tall glass, fill with batter, cut off tip and fill the preheated Donut Maker donut crevices with batter
6. Bake 3-5 minutes or until golden browned and fully cooked
7. Let fully cook on a rack
8. Mix glaze and dip tops of cooled donuts into glaze if desired

Cheesy Baked Tomatoes

Saw this on Facebook, and finally got around to making them. They're really quite tasty and pretty healthy as well. I changed the recipe up a little to fit what we had at home.

4 tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 oz Asiago cheese, shredded
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450° F.
Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet.
Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl, and top tomatoes with mixture.
Mist lightly with non-fat cooking spray and bake until the tomatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Basic Beer Bread

My friend Jan gave me this recipe. She said it's really easy to make,and very tasty!

3 cups flour, sifted (or spoon it into the measuring cup)

3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using self-rising flour)

1 teaspoon flour (omit if using self-rising flour)

1/4 cup sugar

1 (12) bottle of beer

1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 is fine)

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix together dry ingredients and beer.

Pour into greased loaf pan. For crispy crust, pour the melted butter over the top. For softer crust, pour the butter into the batter.

Bake 1 hour; remove from pan and let cool for at least 15 minutes.

Taco Bake

Taco Bake

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning
* water as called for on back of seasoning packet
3 large flour tortillas (8-inch size)
1/2 cup Salsa Con Queso
1 1/2-2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions:
Brown and crumble ground beef. Drain excess grease.
Add in taco seasoning and water (following directions on back of seasoning packet).
Once the taco meat is ready, turn off heat and add in 1/2 cup salsa con queso.
Give it a good stir until thoroughly combined.
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Spray an 8-inch round baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Layer the bottom of the pan with a flour tortilla.
Now add about 1/3 of the ground beef taco filling on the the first layer.
Then add 1/3 of the shredded cheese.
Continue until you are done with all the layers: another tortilla, more taco mixture, more cheese.
Bake at 350F degrees for about 15-20 minutes.
Until cheese is melted and edges are slightly golden brown.
Allow to cool for a couple of minutes.
Then slice and serve.
Top with sour cream and diced tomatoes.

Crisp Cucumber Salsa

2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4-1/2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 c reduced-fat sour cream
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
Tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin and seasoned salt. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Recipe from My Fridge Food.

Bacon and Swiss Quiche

Found these recently and tried it out. It was great! I really love quiche, so this was a nice version that was a bit healthier.

I didn't ahve any phyllo that would have thawed in time, so I used a pre-made pie crust instead. It was a bit more calories, but not too bad. The original recipe can be seen on WeightWatchers.com.

Ingredients
2 sheet(s) phyllo dough, cut into three strips each  
3 large eggs
1/4 cup regular egg substitute
1 cup(s) fat free half and half
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup(s) (shredded) low-fat hard cheese, Swiss, grated
4 oz cooked crisp turkey bacon, diced 


Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.

Lay phyllo dough in pie plate, one piece at a time, coating each layer with cooking spray — dough should cover bottom and sides of dish. Fold in any overhanging corners.

Whisk together eggs, egg substitute, milk, flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Sprinkle cheese and bacon over phyllo dough. Pour in egg mixture and place quiche on a baking sheet. Bake until firm, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool at least 5 minutes before cutting into 8 wedges.

Hard Boiled Eggs

Sounds simple enough right? A friend gave me this method and it's worked like a charm for me every single time!

I have a foolproof one! I've had great results every time, with no yucky green rings around the yolks.

Place eggs in medium saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pan from heat (don't just turn off the heat - actually take them off the burner!), cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with 1 quart water and 1 tray of ice cubes (or equivalent). Transfer eggs to ice water bath with slotted spoon; let sit 5 minutes. Peel and use as desired. 

15 Minute Chicken Fajitas

This is a Pampered Chef recipe I've been hearing about for quite a while, but I never got around to making it. Until last night that is... when I had a PC party at the house and the consultant made them. They're AMAZING!!! 

You make them in the microwave and the chicken stays so juicy because of the Deep Covered Baker!

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 Tbsp. Pampered Chef Southwestern Rub or taco seasoning

2 medium onions

3 bell peppers (any colors of your choosing)

1 package fajita-size flour tortillas

Optional toppings

Shredded cheese

sour cream

salsa

guacamole

Directions

Slice up onions and peppers; place in bottom of Deep Covered Baker or other microwavable dish with a cover. Sprinkle with Rub/taco seasoning and place on top of veggies. Cover and microwave for 10-15 minutes. 

When the chicken is cooked through, shred with 2 forks or cut in to bite-sized pieces. Build on tortillas with toppings of choice

Banana Oatmeal Cookies - Plus Mix-Ins of Your Choice!

Another Pinterest find! Original recipe can be found at The Burlap Bag, but it's pretty much the same as what I have here.

Ingredients
2 large, ripe bananas
1 cup quick oats

Examples of add-ins (or nothing at all!)
- chocolate chips
- walnuts
- cinnamon
- raisins
- dried cranberries

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350. Mash bananas until they're mostly smooth. Mix in oatmeal and whatever fix-ins you'd like. 
Grease a cookies sheet or use a silicone baking mat (you have to do one of these, or else the cookies will stick like crazy!). Drop sough on to cookie sheets and flatten with fork. 
Bake 15-18 min. Let sit for a minute or 2, and then transfer to a cooling rack.

I used 3 bananas, 1 1/2 cups oatmeal, 1/2 cup chocolate chips and some cinnamon. They were really good! I had 18 cookies, and 2 cookies were worth 1 Weight Watchers PlusPoints.
I think next time I'm going to add a tablespoon or 2 of peanut butter... mmmmmm

Hungry Girl's Triple-Chocolate Softies

Hungry Girl's Triple-Chocolate Softies

Big soft cookies are awesome. Guilt-free, cocoa-infused ones with TWO types of chocolate chips are exceptionally awesome! Preheat the oven, grab a baking sheet, and prepare yourself for the BEST SOFTIES EVER!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
2 tbsp. sugar,
2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread(like Brummel & Brown), room temperature
2 tbsp. no-sugar-added applesauce
2 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
2 packets hot cocoa mix with 20 - 25 calories each (like Swiss Miss Diet or Nestlé Fat Free)
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
2 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp. white chocolate chips, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk brown sugar, Splenda, butter, applesauce, egg substitute, and vanilla extract.

Add flour, cocoa mix, baking powder, and salt, and stir until smooth. Fold in oats, chocolate chips, and chopped white chocolate chips.

Spoon batter onto the sheet in 6 evenly spaced mounds. Use the back of a spoon to spread and flatten into 3-inch circles.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a softie comes out mostly clean, about 10 minutes. Eat up!

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 softie (1/6th of recipe)
Calories: 164
Fat: 5g
Sodium: 164mg
Carbs: 27.5g
Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 17g
Protein: 3g

PointsPlus® value 4*

Healthier Banana Bread

While I LOVE my Mom's banana bread, it's not exactly healthy. And since I'm trying to drop some poundage, I need to find a healthier, but still tasty, version of one of my favorite foods!

Mom came across this one and it's pretty yummy! One eighth of the recipe is 6 PointsPlus for Weight Watchers.

Very dense and moist, this bread is fragrant and scrumptious. For an even lighter treat, you can cut the sugar in half or use some Splenda sugar substitute.

Weight Watchers Healthy Banana Bread recipe

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose white flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

2 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

4-5 very ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup sugar free spiced unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray, set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients, whisking to combine. Add the chocolate chips and nuts if using.

4. Beat the eggs with the sugar together at medium-high speed until creamy.

5. Beat in the applesauce and bananas.

6. Fold in the dry ingredients.

7. Pour into the prepared pan and place it in the oven. Once the oven door is closed, reduce the heat so it’s between 325-350 degrees F.

8. Bake for about 35-40 minutes (the cake is done as soon as a tester comes out clean).

9. Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes.

10. Invert on the rack, remove the pan, cool and store in an airtight container.

Nutritional information for 1/16 of the recipe (not including chips or nuts):

Calories: 121

Calories from fat: 8

Total fat: 0.9g

Cholesterol: 26mg

Total carbs: 26.6g

Dietary fiber: 1.9g

Protein: 2.9g

Pampered Chef Recipes To Try

APPETIZERS
Bacon-Cheddar Bites
Barbecue Bacon Squares



SIDE DISHES
Autumn Sweet Potatoes
Blue Ribbon BBQ Sauce - Asian
French Dressing
Deep Covered Baker No-Kneed Bread
Marinated Mushrooms
Pecan Crumble Sweet Potato Casserole
Step-Ahead Sweet Potato Bake
Tangy Barbecue Beans
The Works Baked Potato Salad

Slow Cooker Chicken Pineapple Teriyaki

Ingredients

Chicken Breast, no skin, 2.5 breasts

Pineapple, fresh, 2 cup, diced 
Pineapple Juice, .5 cup 
Soy sauce , low sodium, .5 cup
Pepper, black, 1 tbsp 
Brown Sugar, .3 cup, unpacked 

Directions

Combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, black pepper, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir until combined. 

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker, cover with pineapples and top with sauce.

Cook on low 6-8 hours. My chicken was frozen so I cooked for 8 hours. 

To thicken sauce, remove lid from slow cooker in the last hour of cooking. this will allow steam out and the sauce will thicken and condense slightly. If you prefer a thicker sauce, transfer sauce to pan and boil with flour or cornstarch until reduced to desired thickness.

Serve with stir fried veggies like bell pepper and sugar snap peas or over rice.

Number of Servings: 5

Peanut Butter Fudge

This fudge is famous around these parts. It's made for the annual fair that's held in town every fall. It never lasts long on the bake table!

1 jar peanut butter

2 lbs confectioners sugar

3.5 sticks of margarine (or butter)

Melt peanut butter and margarine in double boiler. Pour sugar into large mixing bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over sugar. Mix until blended. Put in a 13x9 pan. Freeze for as long as needed. Thaw and then cut into pieces.

Makes 4 lbs of fudge.