"Deceptively Delicious" Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of these ingredients just doesn't belong, I'll admit that.  I was skeptical when I saw these at a friend's house, I'll also admit...but I've never been one to pass up trying a different type of chocolate chip cookie... They're all different in their own way, and deserve to be tasted at least once.  These taste amazing and you'd never know there are chickpeas/garbanzo beans in them!  I promise!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c butter or Brummel & Brown yogurt spread (or recipe calls for"trans-fat free soft tub margarine spread")
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 of a 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 c semisweet chocolate chips (or peanut butter chips for a variation)
• 2 c all purpose flour
• 1/2 c old fashioned oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar and softened butter or spread until smooth.  Stir in egg whites then vanilla, then chickpeas, then chocolate chips.  Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.  Mix until a thick dough forms.  I usually end up using my hands to combine everything.  (This method is different from any other recipe I've made, and I didn't know how it would work, but it actually works fine, but like I said, using your hands on the last step really helps.  It saves dirtying another bowl!)

Drop by tablespoon size onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart, then use a fork or your hands to flatten them down some.

Bake 11 to 13 minutes, don't overbake!  Transfer to cooling rack.

I've recently made these with peanut butter chips and a few of my family members like them better than the chocolate chip!  Personally, I'll always pick chocolate....

Oh and these are really good kept refrigerated....

Nutritional Facts:  (for one cookie - recipe made 44 cookies)  86 cal, 3 g fat, 6 g sugar, 60 g sodium, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

*recipe adapted from Deceptively Delicious cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld

Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup light domino sugar & stevia blend for baking
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

For topping:

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 brown sugar, not packed
• 2 TBS light domino sugar & stevia blend for baking
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, line a muffin tray with liners.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a larger bowl, combine the applesauce, sugar/ stevia blend, eggs, and orange zest.

Add the milk and make sure all ingredients are combined well.

Take a small bowl and pour your chocolate chips in it along with a few big spoonfuls of your dry mixture, stir around to coat the chocolate chips in flour mixture.  This prevents them from sinking to the bottom when you add them to the batter.  

Now slowly pour your dry mix into your wet mix, stir to combine.  Add your chocolate chip mixture and stir until all the flour is mixed in.

Divide your batter evenly into muffin liners and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for topping and use a fork or your hands to mix everything and break up the butter into small pieces.

Scatter topping evenly over the muffin batter.

  Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Makes 15 large muffins.
Nutritional Facts: (per muffin)  183 cals, 7 g fat, 26 g sodium, 15 g sugar, 4 g protein.

Recipe adapted from Laura in the Kitchen

Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake

My husband just said while eating this dinner... "This tastes like something I would order in an Italian restaurant!".  Well that's enough to tell me it should go into our regular rotation!

Ingredients:

• 1 TBS olive oil

• 3 cubes cloves garlic, 2 cubes basil (dorrot frozen herbs from Trader Joe's)                                    - or fresh garlic and basil

• 4 frozen skinless boneless chicken tenderloins

• 1 jar (14.5 oz or so) of your favorite marinara sauce

• 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat rotini pasta or similar

• 9 oz bag of fresh spinach

• 2 oz. of low fat cream cheese (Sometimes labeled Neufchatel. I used a cream cheese with Greek yogurt in it.)

• 3/4 cup shredded 2% milk mozzarella cheese (divided into 1/2 c and 1/4 c)

Heat oven to 375.  Cook pasta as directed on package, and add the spinach to the boiling pasta for the last minute of cooking.  

While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet on med-high heat, add in your chicken, garlic and basil cubes (or cloves and leaves) and cook for a few minutes on both sides of chicken.  Stir in marinara sauce, diced tomatoes and oregano and bring to a boil.  Simmer on low heat for 5 min or until chicken is done.  

Stir in cream cheese.  Cut chicken into smaller pieces so it'll distribute throughout casserole.  

Drain pasta mixture when done and return to pan.  Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 c mozzarella.  

Spoon into 11x7 or similar baking dish then top with remaining 1/4 c of cheese. Bake for 15 minutes covered, then 5 more minutes uncovered.

Cranberry Bread

I was in the mood for some sort of bread to have in the morning before we leave on a trip.... and I'm burnt out on banana or pumpkin bread, so I tried this cranberry bread and it's quite good.... sweet but with the tartness of the cranberries.  I decided to make it in a 9x9 pan instead of a loaf pan to see how it would turn out and I really like it this way, it seems like you get more!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 1/2 cup domino light sugar & stevia blend

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

• 1/4 cup butter, cold, cut into small cubes

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 tsp grated orange peel

• 3/4 cup orange juice

• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

In a large bowl combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg.  

Cut in butter cubes with a pastry blender or a fork until mixture is crumbly and butter is mostly broken up.  

Add beaten egg, orange peel, and orange juice, stir until mixture is evenly moist. 

 Fold in cranberries.  Spoon into a greased 9x9 square pan (or a loaf pan).  

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes (or double that in the loaf pan) or until a butter knife inserted comes out clean.  Cool and slice.

Nutritional Facts (based on 16 servings): 130 cal, 3.4 g fat, 3.3 g fiber, 2.6 g protein.