Tiramisu

Ingredients:

16 oz. fat free sour cream

16 oz. low fat cream cheese

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup skim milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup brewed coffee

8 oz. ladyfingers (about 28 cookies)

2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sour cream together until smooth. While mixing, add sugar and milk, and blend until smooth. Layer the ladyfingers in bottom of a 10 1/2- by 12-1/2-inch or similar size pan. Brush half of coffee onto ladyfingers. Layer half of the cream cheese mixture onto ladyfingers. Repeat with ladyfingers, coffee, and the rest of the cream cheese mixture. Dust cocoa powder on top and refrigerate four to 16 hours. Serve with fresh berries and mint.

Makes 16 servings. Per serving: 170 calories, 6 g. fat, 24 g. carbohydrate, 6 g. protein.

–From Dukehealth.org

Skillet Apple-Cranberry Granola Crisp

Ingredients:

1 cup lowfat granola

2 Tbsp. apple juice

1 tsp. cornstarch

2 medium green apples, cored, peeled and diced into small pieces 1/8 inch wide

1/8 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup vanilla lowfat yogurt, frozen or unfrozen (optional)

Directions: 

In large nonstick skillet over low heat, toast granola for 2-3 minutes. In small bowl, combine apple juice and cornstarch. In medium bowl, combine cornstarch mixture with apples, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Wipe skillet clean, add oil and heat over medium heat. Add apple mixture, spreading evenly over bottom of pan, and cook, stirring constantly, until browned but not mushy, four minutes.  Add cranberries and heat through. Stir in granola. Reduce heat to low. Flatten mixture with wooden spoon, cover with lid and cook another one to two minutes. Serve topped with spoonful of yogurt, if desired.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 266 calories, 5 g total fat (<1 g saturated fat), 58 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 4 g dietary fiber, 58 mg sodium.

–From the American Institute for Cancer Research

Mixed Berry Cobbler

    Ingredients:

2 packages (16 oz. each) frozen unsweetened mixed berries, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
Generous pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. softened butter
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 cup fat-free or low-fat milk
Cinnamon and brown sugar to sprinkle over top

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the thawed fruit with the sugar. Mix in the cornstarch and salt, stirring well. Bake the fruit mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 square baking dish for 45 minutes, stirring once halfway through. While the berries are baking, prepare the biscuit topping. Mix together the white and wheat flours, the brown sugar, the baking powder and the salt. Add the butter and canola oil, and mix until the ingredients are the consistency of cornmeal. Stir in the milk until just combined, forming a soft biscuit dough. Set the dough aside. When the fruit is done baking, remove it from the oven. Turn the oven up to 425 degrees. Carefully drop the biscuit dough in small mounds over the fruit. Lightly sprinkle the top with cinnamon and brown sugar. Return the cobbler immediately to the oven and bake 10-12 minutes or until the biscuits are lightly browned and the fruit is bubbly. Makes 9 servings.Per serving: 181 calories, 4 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 33 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 4 g dietary fiber, 116 mg sodium.

— From the American Institute for Cancer Research 

Baked Apples with Maple Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

4 large, firm, tart apples, such as Fuji, Pink Lady, or Gala

1-2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup instant rolled oats

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Maple Yogurt Sauce:

3/4 cup low-fat yogurt

1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions:

Core the apples and remove the top inch of the skin. Make a shallow cut just breaking through skin around the center of each apple to prevent skin from bursting. Place the apples upright in baking dish or pie plate. In small bowl, combine brown sugar, raisins, rolled oats, walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Mix until combined. Spoon into the center of each apple. Add water to cover bottom of dish. Bake, uncovered, in 375 degrees in oven for 25 to 30 minutes for less firm apples, and up to 50 minutes for firm varieties, or until apples are tender when pierced with a toothpick. Maple yogurt sauce: In bowl, combine yogurt and maple syrup. Pour over baked apples.

Microwave method: Apples baked in the microwave have tougher skins than oven-baked ones. Prepare as directed in recipe. Pierce skin in several places with a toothpick to prevent skin from bursting. Cover with waxed paper; microwave at high power for 6 to 9 minutes or until apples are almost tender. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with maple yogurt sauce.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 262 calories and 1 gram fat.

—From the The American Institute for Cancer Research

Pumpkin-Hazelnut Tea Cake

Ingredients

3 tablespoons canola oil

3/4 cup homemade or canned pumpkin puree

1/2 cup honey

3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup whole-wheat (whole-meal) flour

1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour

2 tablespoons flaxseed

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts (filberts)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat together the canola oil, pumpkin puree, honey, brown sugar and eggs until well blended.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flours, flaxseed, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and, using the electric mixer on medium speed, beat until well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the hazelnuts evenly over the top and press down gently to lodge the nuts into the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the loaf out of the pan onto the rack and let cool completely. Cut into 12 slices to serve.

Serving size: 1 slice; calories—176; protein—4 g; carbohydrate—28 g; total fat—6 g; saturated fat—1 g; monounsaturated fat—3 g; cholesterol—35 mg; sodium—80 mg; fiber—3 g; potassium—134 mg; calcium—27 mg.

—From the Mayo Clinic