Cranberry Streusel Coffee Cake

Pureed canned pears keep this healthful coffee cake moist.


Ingredients


Streusel

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup all-purpose flour, or cake flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

1 tablespoon canola oil

Cake

1 16-ounce can pears packed in light syrup, drained

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups unsifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt, or nonfat sour cream

1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries, (3 cups)
 
Preparation


1.To make streusel: Stir together brown sugar, 2/3 cup flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Sprinkle in apple juice concentrate and oil and blend with a fork or your fingers until crumbly.

2.To make cake: Puree pears in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a wide saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly, until reduced to 1/2 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely.

3.Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

4.Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until the butter turns a light nutty brown, about 1 minute. Whisk into the pear puree. Add sugar, egg, egg white, oil and vanilla, whisking until smooth.

5.Sift together 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the pear mixture alternately with yogurt (or sour cream).

6.Spread half of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with cranberries, then the remaining batter. Sprinkle the streusel over the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Per serving: 302 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 21 mg cholesterol; 62 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 274 mg sodium; 84 mg potassium.



4 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1/2 fat

Minestrone with Endive & Pepperoni

Considering that this minestrone soup incorporates mostly frozen vegetables, it is remarkably savory and aromatic. Look for frozen soup or stew vegetables with potatoes, carrots, celery and onion in the mix to give the soup the best flavor. Although pepperoni isn’t traditionally part of minestrone soup, you’ll find it’s a great shortcut to add spicy, complex flavor.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I used fresh vegetables instead of frozen--I just can bring myself to eat frozen veggies this early in the fall--edamame instead of lima beans, and fresh herbs and this was seriously one of the best soups I've ever made!


Ingredients


1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh or frozen (thawed) bell peppers, any color

5 cups reduced-sodium beef broth

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2/3 cup whole-wheat elbow noodles or other small pasta

1 pound frozen mixed soup (or stew) vegetables (including potatoes, carrots, celery, onion), thawed, chopped

1 cup frozen baby lima beans, thawed

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion

1/2 cup diced pepperoni

3 cups lightly packed coarsely chopped curly endive or chard, tough stems removed

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish


Preparation


1.Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add broth, oregano and thyme; bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions.

2.Add mixed soup (or stew) vegetables and lima beans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; boil until the vegetables are almost tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pepperoni and endive (or chard); return to a boil. Adjust the heat and simmer until the endive (or chard) is just tender, about 5 minutes. Season with pepper and garnish with Parmesan, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving: 213 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 14 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 5 g fiber; 721 mg sodium; 352 mg potassium.



Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Vitamin A (30% dv).



1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 lean meat, 1/2 fat

Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing

Cornbread stuffing, a Southern favorite, is a nice change from more traditional white-bread stuffing. This delectable recipe uses Italian turkey sausage, rather than pork, and omits all the butter and cream to cut the fat by two-thirds. The stuffing is lower in sodium as well and so easy to make that it's sure to become a favorite side year-round.

Ingredients


1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, (about 4 links), casings removed

2 cups finely chopped onion

1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 pounds prepared cornbread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 12 cups)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 1/2-3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Preparation


1.Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2.Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add onion and celery; cover, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add cornbread, parsley and sage.

3.Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour 1 cup over the stuffing mixture and toss gently (the cornbread will break into smaller pieces). Add as much of the remaining broth as needed, 1/2 cup at a time, until the stuffing feels moist but not wet. Spoon the stuffing into the prepared pan and cover with foil.

4.Bake the stuffing until thoroughly heated, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bake at 350°F until hot, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 242 calories; 8 g fat (3 g sat, 0 g mono); 29 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 10 g protein; 2 g fiber; 692 mg sodium; 79 mg potassium.



2 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 medium-fat meat

Vanilla-Chai Icebox Shortbread Cookies

Servings: 3-4 dozen




Ingredients:2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large egg yolks

1 medium vanilla bean



Icing:

1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

More vanilla bean seed scraping, if desired

1 tablespoon water



Cooking Directions:In a large bowl, sift or whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, allspice and cardamom. Set aside.

Combine butter, sugar, honey and salt in a bowl. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until smooth.

Using a small knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half. Scrape the seeds from both sides of the pod with the tip of the knife and add them to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat to combine.

Add in flour-spice mixture, 1 cup at a time, blending until fully incorporated.

Divide the dough in half and transfer each half to a sheet of wax paper. Using the wax paper, shape into a 12-inch log, rectangle or square. Chill logs at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350ºF with an oven rack in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

With a sharp knife, cut logs into 1/8-inch-thick slices and arrange 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned around edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.



In a small bowl, whisk together icing ingredients until smooth and transfer to a sealable plastic bag. Cut an 1/8-inch opening in one corner of bag. Arrange cookies as close together as possible on sheets of wax paper and drizzle icing decoratively across the tops.