Tried & Tasted : Low-fat Strawberry Snack Cake

It's summer and that means lots of berries to eat.I love Sttrawberries. Bought 5 lbs of fresh juicy strawberries in the farmer's market and was wondering what to make with them. As you know, shelf life of berries is very short and it's better to use them up as soon as you buy them.


I came across this event Tried and Tasted started by Zuzana. The concept is to appreciate fellow food bloggers' work by recreating their recipes and writing about them. For this month, we have to try out recipes from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen . I was floored by the healthy recipes I found in this site hosted by Susan. I found this great recipe for Strawberry Snack Cake and loved it because it's low fat.

I just made slight changes in the ingredients. I used Whole wheat pastry flour instead of cake flour and used brown sugar instead of regular sugar. I didn't have soy yogurt and used canola oil instead.

Here's the recipe:

Servings: 9 servings (from 8x8 inch square pan)

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tbs canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vanilla soymilk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pound strawberries, stemmed and sliced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Method:

1.Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2.Add Oil, vanilla, water, soymilk, and lemon juice.
3.Mix until just blended--do not overmix.
4.Pour into oiled 8x8-inch pan and bake at 350 F until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
5.Remove and allow to cool completely.
6.Combine the strawberries, cornstarch, sugar, and water in a saucepan.

7.Cook over medium-high heat until sauce boils and thickens. Spread over top of cake. May be served warm or chilled.

Quinoa Pulao

Being a vegeterian, Quinoa is my favorite source of protein other than milk/cheese/lentils and beans. Here's an excerpt from Whfoods about Quinoa's health benefits:

A recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa was once called "the gold of the Incas," who recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair.

You can read more here: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142

I like making Quinoa pulao since it's quick and has all the health benefits. Helps me avoid going to fast food restaurants when we need a quick dinner. It can made as a main meal for lunch too.

Here's the recipe:

Servings: 4 cups

Ingredients:

Quinoa - 2 cups
Mixed vegetables ( peas,carrot,green beans) - 2 cups (you can use frozen or fresh)
Water - 2 cups
Ginger - 1 tbs
Thai green chilli - 3
Cumin powder - 1 tsp (optional)
Turmeric - 1 tsp (optional)
Asofetida - 1/4 tsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
Clarified butter(ghee) or Canola oil - 1 tbs

Method:

1. Wash quinoa thoroughly and drain.
2. Heat a medium sized(5 quart) pan and heat the ghee or oil in it.
3. Add minced ginger/green chilli and asofetida and saute for a few minutes.
4. Add the quioa and roast it for a few minutes.
5.Add diced vegetables, salt turmeric and cumin powder and saute.
6.Add water and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and cook for about 15 minutes.
7. Serve hot with tomato chutney.

Sending this recipe to WYF Quick meal event hosted by EC of Simple Indian Food.

Eggless Oat Flour Muffins

Eating healthy food is a goal I always try to work towards. After having 2 kids, it has become even more important to have healthy eating habits and set good exaple for the kids. As I explore healthy recipes I want to post them here in this blog so it will be a Healthy living journal I can pass on to my kids. Here's my first try.





I bought Oat Flour from Whole foods thinking I'll make porridge with it. But I wanted to try a more tastier option and looked for Oat Flour muffin recipes. I found several and combined them to come up with my own version. I made this Oat flour muffin as an evening snack for my daughter. She loved it and I was happy to let her go for a second one since I know it's low fat and healthy.


Here's the recipe:

Servings : 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups Oat Flour
2 ts Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/2 cup Raisins
2 tbs sweetened coconut flakes
5 tbs Honey
1 cup Milk
2 tbs Canola oil
Egg Substitute for 2 eggs


Method:




1. Pre-heat oven to 425 F. Line the muffin tins with paper cups.

2.Mix the Flour, baking powder,cinnamon,walnuts and raisins in a mixing bowl.

3. In a seperate bowl, mix together the honey,milk,oil and egg substitue.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir lightly. Don't overmix.

5. Fill the muffin tins to half and sprinkle the coconut flakes on top.

6. Bake for about 16 mins or when a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean.

7. Take the muffins Cool in a wire rack.