Banana Bread Makeover

Around my house there is always a poor pathetic banana that doesn't get eaten when it should. Those bruised and neglected bananas get peeled and put into the banana bag in the freezer. Once the banana bag has grown to contain 3 discarded bananas I get excited for bread, but not just any bread, my mom's super moist and flavorful banana bread. Her recipe is so good that I've given loaves out for Christmas many years in a row.  Now that I write this I realize how sad it was that it took 6 bananas (6!?) for me to realize I could revamp her recipe into something I could enjoy without guilt.

Now I just need to name it...

Butter Free Bread
Nearly Fat Free Banana Bread
Best Most Healthiest Banana Bread
Better Than Mom's Banana Bread
Banana Bread so good you could cry
I dream of Banana Bread


I've got nothing...how about we stick with
Banana Bread
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin
4 egg whites
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c white flour
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 tsp baking soda
3 overly ripe, then frozen, then thawed bananas
1 extra ripe mashed banana
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp butter extract
Preheat oven to 350. Using an electric mixer, blend the sugar and pumpkin together. Then add in the flours, salt, and baking soda. Don't over mix. Next add in the remaining ingredients and beat until just combined. Prepare your loaf pans or muffin tins by spraying with olive oil and dusting with flour. Pour mixture into loaf pans or muffin tins and bake until a toothpick comes back clean. Depending on what you are making (loaf, mini loaves or muffins) this can take anywhere from 20-50 minutes.

So here is the comparison:

When I first calculated all of this I was pretty disappointed. The calorie count wasn't that greatly reduced, and the amount of sugar actually went up! How could I tell other people about this amazing recipe and honestly endorse it?!?! Well I'll tell you how:
1) Do you see what happened to the fat content? One serving lost 5 grams of fat, 3 of which were saturated.
2) Heeeelllloooo added nutrients!
3) The makeover dropped 32.1 grams of cholesterol.
4) 4 WW+ points before. Now only  3 WW+ points.
And lastly 5) Because it is really really really good!

Try it, you won't be disappointed, and if you are I will totally take the stuff you don't want. Actually, could you make it and just send me one or 2 samples please?

Shared at: Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays

Healthier Green Bean Casserole with Homemade Fried Onions

Green Bean Casserole is hands down my favorite thanksgiving food. Thanksgiving dinner could contain all sorts of weird things, but as long as the casserole was there I would be happy. Because of this I knew I could tackle a makeover for Skinnygiving with fellow blogger Bree from Three and a Half Stones to Go.

Up first...an alternative to french fried onions. While not as crispy as the store bought brand, these onions are loaded with flavor and missing all the fat. 
Baked -not- Fried Onions
2 Medium Onions, sliced thinly
2 cups fat free milk
4 tbs whole wheat flour
Olive oil spray
Salt
Slice onions into tiny little pieces. Soak them in milk for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 450. Spray a pan with olive oil.  Drain milk from onions. Add flour to bowl and use forks to toss them until they are covered. (trust me on the forks thing, otherwise your hands will be covered). Add more flour if they look soggy. Soggy = bad.
Add to pan making sure they aren't crowded. Bake for until the onions are crispy. Sprinkle with salt to season. You can make these ahead of time and store them in an airtight container until you are ready for them.


Mushroom Gravy
1 tbs olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 tbs cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup fat free milk
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
In a skillet, saute sliced mushrooms in olive oil until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and add broth to the mushroomy pan. Bring to a boil, while scraping bottom of pan to include all that delicious mushroomyness in the gravy. Whisk together cornstarch and water until all clumps are dissolved. Slowly add this mixture to the pan, be sure to whisk constantly while it thickens to form a smooth sauce. Add milk, cooked mushrooms and seasonings. Return to a boil and allow the mixture to thicken.

To serve, top the freshly steamed beans with the mushroom gravy. Sprinkle with fried onions. While this is not the same as the casserole I grew up with, it does satisfy the craving. Plus, at the end of the meal I feel much better about a plate full of this than the alternative.

Spinach & Walnut Chicken Roulades with Pan Gravy

Roulade... that sounds fancy doesn't it. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I have never tried to roll anything inside meat before. It sounded delicious and it looked beautiful, but it seemed too intimidating.
I am now educated.
Had I known how easy this really was I would have been rolling meaty things long ago. It starts with violently beating an innocent piece of meat, and turns into something delicious... how can that be bad?! I know it sounds wrong, but I think this process will be my new mental coping mechanism for dealing with difficult people. Just imagine turning that mean spirited neighbor into a beautiful roulade. I feel better already!

This month I joined up with my friend and fellow blogger from Three and a Half Stones To Go to prove that holiday fare doesn't need to be filled with fat. Skinnygiving was a huge success!!


We limited our event to 4 dishes to prevent obnoxious amounts of leftovers. She created an amazing Brown Rice Stuffing with chicken sausage and apples and wow...it was so good. She also made a Crustless Fat Free Pumpkin Pie which I remade for a group tonight and they DEVOURED it. The bowl was literally scraped clean.

I tackled the green bean casserole and a dish to rival any turkey.
Spinach & Walnut Chicken Roulades with Pan Gravy
4 chicken breasts
1 package spinach
1 tbs garlic
1 tsp oil
Crumbled blue cheese
Walnuts
Toothpicks
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Place chicken in plastic wrap and use a rolling pin or saute pan to pound the chicken nice and flat. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a saute pan add the oil and garlic, add spinach in handfuls and allow to wilt.
Then you start the fun assembly.
Divide your spinach into 4 segments. Each flattened breast gets one quarter of the spinach, some blue cheese and walnuts. This next part seemed intimidating before, but it's so simple. All you need to do is start rolling one end and secure with a toothpick.

Add the rolls to a heated pan (that you sprayed with olive oil) and allow them to get nice and golden on all sides. Cover and let cook an additional 5-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Remove from pan and add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and be sure to scrape the pan so your gravy will include all the delicious flavor left from the chicken.
In a cup whisk the cornstarch with cold water. Slowly add this mixture into the boiling stock. Whisk constantly until thick. Serve chicken topped with gravy.

The other dish I tackled that evening was a skinny green bean casserole. It was delicious and I promise to share it soon. For now I'll be dreaming of excuses to make these dishes again.

Have you made a roulade before?

Curried Butternut Bisque

I love this recipe because it is uses a lot of free exchanges. You can read more about it in my original post about butternut squash. In the meantime you must try this cold weather escape.

It's weird to look back and see how much I trouble I had with butternut squash, and compare it to how much I crave it now.

Curried Butternut Bisque
1 cup leftover roasted butternut squash
1 cup water
1 tsp chicken boullion powder
2 tbs shredded unsweetened coconut flake
3 tsp chopped ginger from the jar
1/2 tbs curry
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp olive oil
Combine leftover squash and water in a blender. I used the Magic Bullet and it was indeed magical. Blend until it resembles baby food and there are no visible chunks. Heat the ginger and coconut in olive oil in a small sauce pan for a few minutes. Pour in the squash blend. Add boullion, curry, cumin and stir until heated through.

Serve with 1 tbs fat free sour cream (free exchange) and enjoy.

What other ways do you enjoy butternut squash?