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Cranberry-Walnut Quick Bread

The perennial bakery favorite gets a healthy makeover.

Ingredients

• Quick-Bread Dry Mix, (recipe follows)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tips)
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
• 2 cups chopped cranberries, (see Tips), fresh or frozen, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts, (see Tips), plus more for topping if desired

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F for muffins, mini loaves and mini Bundts or 375°F for a large loaf. Coat pan(s) (see "Pan Options") with cooking spray.
2. Prepare Quick-Bread Dry Mix.
3. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, brown sugar, butter, oil and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Add orange zest, cranberries and walnuts. Stir just to combine; do not overmix. Transfer batter to the prepared pan(s). Top with additional walnuts, if desired.
5. Bake until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes for muffins or mini Bundts, 35 minutes for mini loaves, 1 hour 10 minutes for a large loaf. Let cool in the pan(s) for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Let muffins and mini Bundts cool for 5 minutes more, mini loaves for 30 minutes, large loaves for 40 minutes.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Store, individually wrapped, at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

• Tips: No buttermilk? Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice into 1 cup milk.
• To make quick work of chopping cranberries, place whole berries in a food processor and pulse a few times until the berries are coarsely chopped.
• To toast walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts, spread nuts onto a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes. To toast sliced almonds, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Pan Options:
• Each of these recipes will make:
• 1 large loaf (9-by-5-inch pan)
• 3 mini loaves (6-by-3-inch pan, 2-cup capacity)
• 6 mini Bundt cakes (6-cup mini Bundt pan, scant 1-cup capacity per cake)
• 12 muffins (standard 12-cup, 2 1/2-inch muffin pan)

Nutrition

Per serving: 218 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 41 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 3 g fiber; 182 mg sodium; 84 mg potassium.
2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 other carb, 1.5 fat

Marmalade Chicken

Orange marmalade and freshly grated orange zest make a deliciously tangy sauce for quick-cooking chicken tenders. Serve with brown rice.

Ingredients

• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 pound chicken tenders, (see Note)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 large shallots, minced
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

Preparation

1. Whisk broth, vinegar, marmalade, mustard and cornstarch in a medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 4 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and shallots to the pan and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, about 30 seconds. Whisk the broth mixture and add it to the pan. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer; cook until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Add the chicken; return to a simmer. Cook, turning once, until the chicken is heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in orange zest.

Tips & Notes

• Note: Chicken tenders are the virtually fat-free strips of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of chicken breasts. They can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded “chicken fingers.”

Nutrition

Per serving: 213 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 68 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 27 g protein; 0 g fiber; 246 mg sodium; 55 mg potassium.
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 3 1/2 very lean meat

Apple, Onion & Cranberry Stuffing

Apples and fresh cranberries add a unique twist to this variation on the classic stuffing. Use fresh sage or rubbed sage in this recipe; the ground version is too bitter.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubed whole-wheat bread, (6 slices)
• 4 cups cubed white sandwich bread, (6 slices)
• Giblets from 1 turkey, (see Tip), liver discarded
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried, rubbed
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries, (see Tip)
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread whole-wheat and white bread on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place giblets and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Finely chop the giblets and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add apples, cook for 3 minutes longer. Add the giblet-cooking liquid, sage and thyme. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the apples are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the toasted bread, giblets and cranberries. Drizzle broth over the bread mixture and toss until evenly moistened. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Transfer stuffing to a lightly oiled casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake until heated through, 35 to 45 minutes. If you would like a crisp top, uncover for the last 15 minutes of baking.

Tips & Notes

• Tips: If you don't have turkey giblets, omit Step 2 and substitute 3/4 cup chicken broth for the giblet-cooking liquid in Step 3; omit adding chopped giblets.
• To make quick work of chopping cranberries, place whole berries in a food processor and pulse a few times until the berries are coarsely chopped.

Nutrition

Per serving: 241 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 31 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 5 g fiber; 408 mg sodium; 170 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (80% daily value), Folate (19% dv)
2.5 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fruit