Apricot-Wheat Germ Muffins

Nutty toasted wheat germ and tangy dried apricots give these muffins a homey, satisfying flavor. Plumping dried fruit before adding it to the batter keeps the muffins moist.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I love these muffins! They were exactly what I needed to curb my sweet tooth. The muffins only needed 15 mins of baking time. The recipe called for orange zest but I didn't have an orange on hand so I used a 1/2 tsp of orange extract to...

1 dozen muffins

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 cup orange juice, divided
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ,divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk, (see Tip)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
  2. Combine apricots and 1/4 cup orange juice in a small bowl. Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on High for 1 minute. (Alternatively, bring to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat.) Set aside to plump.
  3. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
  4. Whisk eggs and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk, oil, orange zest, vanilla and remaining 1/4 cup orange juice. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Add the plumped apricots and juice and mix just until blended. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon wheat germ.
  5. Bake the muffins until lightly browned and the tops spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

  TIPS & NOTES

  • Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: the ratio is 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

  NUTRITION

  Per muffin: 220 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 36 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 3 g fiber; 185 mg sodium; 284 mg potassium.
  2 Carbohydrate Serving
  Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 1/2 fat

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Grilled Orange Chicken Fingers

The simple, sweet orange glaze for the chicken can be whipped up fast; marinating time is just 15 minutes and the marinade caramelizes deliciously on the grill. Serve this with carrot sticks and baked potato wedges, tossed with herbs and olive oil 

READER'S COMMENT:

"I don't know if I would focus on the "Orange" in the title. This is more of a honey mustard grilled chicken. Still tasty, but the orange flavor barely shines through. I did use 1 1/2 tablespoons of orange juice concentrate straight out of...

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

1. Cut chicken crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide strips. Whisk mustard, orange juice concentrate, honey, sesame oil and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the chicken and toss to combine. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare grill or preheat the broiler. Oil the grill rack (see Tip) or coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. Remove the chicken strips from the marinade, discarding remaining marinade. Grill or broil the chicken until no longer pink in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Season with salt and serve.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 173 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 63 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 23 g protein; 0 g fiber; 341 mg sodium; 249 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (28% daily value), Vitamin C (15% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 3 very lean meat

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Spring Chicken & Blue Cheese Salad

This main-dish chicken salad has bright flavors of tarragon in a creamy blue cheese dressing with just a touch of sweetness from honey.

4 servings

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 55 minute

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup nonfat Greek-style yogurt, (see Shopping Tip)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 tablespoon dried
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 head butterhead lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 head radicchio, cored and very thinly sliced
• 1 cup baby arugula, or mixed baby greens
• Creamy Blue Cheese-Tarragon Dressing, (recipe follows)
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted (see Tip) and chopped

THIS RECIPE CALLS FOR:

• Creamy Blue Cheese-Tarragon Dressing

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine yogurt, garlic, oil and tarragon in a large bowl. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the bowl; turn to coat. Place the chicken in a baking dish and cover completely with the yogurt mixture.
3. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a clean cutting board. Thinly slice the chicken when cool enough to handle.
4. Gently toss lettuce, radicchio and arugula (or mixed greens) in a large bowl. Divide the greens among 4 plates, top with equal portions of the chicken, spoon 2 tablespoons Creamy Blue Cheese-Tarragon Dressing over each salad and sprinkle with walnuts.

TIPS & NOTES

• Shopping tip: Thick and creamy Greek-style yogurt is made by removing the whey from cultured milk. Because the whey has been removed, you can cook with Greek-style yogurt without the normal separation that occurs when cooking with regular yogurt. Both can be used in this recipe, but we recommend using Greek yogurt if it's available at your supermarket.
• Tip: Spread whole walnuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 418 calories; 29 g fat (6 g sat, 14 g mono); 74 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 30 g protein; 2 g fiber; 494 mg sodium; 441 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (40% daily value), Selenium (33% dv), Folate (17% dv), Calcium (15% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 non-fat milk, 3 lean meat, 4 fat

vegan lemon cream cheesecake

I may not be a declared vegan, but I have always been a fan of vegan recipes. There are so many that are fresh, delicious and not only good for you, but good for the earth too. And then there are others that are just as naughty as non-vegan junk food recipes, in caloric intake and decadence. This cheesecake is one of those recipes that may not exactly be the most visually appealing or healthy, but it sure boosts your morale if you’re living without.
keep reading for the recipe.

vegan lemon cream cheesecake
adapted from this recipe
15 newman’s own ginger o’s
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
16 oz. tofutti cream cheese (2 tubs)
1/3 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice (1 lemon)
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2 1/2 tablespoons enerG egg replacer
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons water
teaspoon vanilla
extra lemon zest, for garnish
Line the bottom and sides of a round springform pan with parchment paper.
Crush the ginger o’s or pulse in food processor until a fine crumb. Add maple syrup and press into bottom of the pan.
Mix the remaining ingredients together in blender, food processor, or mixer with whisk attachment until combined (do not over-mix). Pour over ginger o crust, and bake in preheated 375 oven for about 25 minutes until set.
note: i did not do this, which is why it looks a little skiwampus. But no matter how you bake it, the taste rocks.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then chill in refrigerator until completely set.
Serve with lemon zest on top, fresh strawberries on the side.

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