Inside-Out S'Mores Brownies

• 1/2 c. butter
• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t. vanilla
• 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 9 honey graham cracker squares
• 1 cup tiny marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line a 11x7x1.5" baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease the pan. Set pan aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat.  Remove from heat.  Stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla until combined.  Stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla until combined.  Stir in flour.

Spread half the batter in the prepared pan.  Top with graham crackers (divide as needed to evenly top the batter.)  Sprinkle marshmallows on the crackers, but do not let them touch the sides of the pan.  Carefully spread the remaining batter on the marshmallows and graham crackers, covering them completely.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until set.  Cool completely on a wire rack.  Cut into bars.  Makes 15 brownies.

VERDICT:  This was going swimmingly (cupboard ingredients, one pan, uncomplicated directions) until it came time to "carefully spread the remaining batter on the marshmallows and graham crackers, covering them completely."  Pain. in. the. neck.  I didn't seem to have nearly enough batter, and it all sank between the marshmallows, making it impossible to spread.  Grr.  I haven't even tasted these yet, and I already say toss.

Power Granola

• 2 cups regular oats
• 1/3 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped slivered almonds
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 300°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl.

Combine orange juice, honey, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in oil and vanilla.

Pour honey mixture over oat mixture, stirring to coat. Spread mixture in a thin layer onto a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300° for 10 minutes; stir well. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Spoon granola into a bowl; stir in dried cranberries. Cool completely.

Note: Store completely cooled granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. 

Serves about 9 (1/2 c.); 196 calories.

VERDICT: This is one of the easier granola recipes I've made, and it didn't require a single ingredient I didn't already have.  (The recipe gives free reign to substitute fruit, so I used leftover dried peaches.)  Sadly, the texture is off.  I baked it on the long end, and it still came out a little sticky. Yet, when I ate it with milk, it was oddly tough.  Toss.

Butterscotch Pudding

• 1 cup whole milk, divided
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon cold butter

Combine 1/4 cup whole milk and cornstarch in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine remaining 3/4 cup whole milk and 2% milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a simmer.

Add 1 cup brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and 2 egg yolks to cornstarch mixture, and stir well with a whisk. Gradually add warm milk to the sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Pour the mixture into saucepan, and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook for 1 minute or until mixture is thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter, and stir until butter melts.

Place the pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 6 minutes or until the mixture cools, and stir occasionally. Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap. Chill at least 3 hours before serving.

Serves 6 (1/2 cup); 245 calories.

VERDICT: I made this to replace pudding snack packs, which all seem to have partially hydrogenated oils in them.  This recipe is worse for you in some ways--more calories, more sugar--but at least it's made from recognizable ingredients.  It is super-rich, though--more of a dessert than a snack.  Keep, but keep looking.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 1 15.5-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 pound Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 8 6-inch flour tortillas
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced and white and green parts separated
• 2 cups frozen corn

Heat oven to 450° F. In a blender, puree the tomatoes, chili powder, half the onion, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper until smooth.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining onion and half the garlic and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the black beans, sweet potato, oregano, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until the sweet potatoes are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool. Stir in 1 cup of the Cheddar.

Spread 1 cup of the tomato mixture in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Roll up the bean mixture in the tortillas (about ½ cup each) and place the rolls seam-side down in the dish. Top with the remaining tomato sauce and 1 cup of Cheddar. Bake on the top rack of oven until the Cheddar is brown and bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the remaining garlic and the scallion whites and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the corn and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes more. Sprinkle the enchiladas with the scallion greens and serve with the corn.

Serves 4 (!); 756 calories.

VERDICT: This doesn't taste anything like most enchiladas I've had, but it's better than I expected.  It's not at all spicy, so might be good for kids.  Alternately, the site suggests sprinkling chopped pickled jalapeños on top or serving with hot sauce for more heat.  Keep.

Melon Mango Breakfast Smoothie

• 3/4 c. frozen mango chunks
• 1/2 c. frozen or fresh banana slices
• 1/2 c. cantaloupe, diced
• 1/3 c. low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/4 c. vanilla soymilk (or lowfat milk w/ tsp. vanilla)
• 1/4 cup low-fat granola for topping

Place all of the ingredients except granola in a food processor or blender and puree until thick and smooth. Spoon into a dish or glass and sprinkle granola over the top. Serves one.

Serves 1; 371 calories.

VERDICT: Delicious and pretty.  I may just start drinking smoothies for every meal.  Keep. 

Grilled Vegetables with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce

• 1 cup plain fat-free Greek-style yogurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon hot Spanish smoked paprika
• 12 large button mushrooms, halved
• 2 tomatoes, halved horizontally
• 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds) cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
• 1 head radicchio, quartered
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preheat grill to high heat using both burners. After preheating, turn the left burner to medium heat (leave right burner on high heat).

Combine first 5 ingredients and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk.

Combine oil and paprika in a small bowl. Brush oil mixture evenly over mushrooms, tomatoes, eggplant, and radicchio. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Arrange vegetables on right side of grill rack (over high heat); grill vegetables 8 minutes or until just tender, turning once. Move any vegetables to left side of grill rack (over medium heat) if they get done more quickly. Place vegetables on a platter. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired. Serve with sauce.

Serves 4; 249 calories.

VERDICT: The sauce was delicious, but the vegetables were not appealing, especially the radicchio, which was raw in the middle, brown and wilty on the sides, and bitter throughout. Toss.

Corn Bread Bites

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces)
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
• Dash of hot sauce
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Combine cheese and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.

Divide batter evenly among miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in cups 2 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

Serves 12 (3 muffins); 108 calories.

VERDICT: Nope. I think there was definitely operator error involved here. Lund's didn't have the right size of creamed corn, so I estimated 8 3/4 oz. Also, my mini-muffin tin capacity is only 24, not the 36 indicated, so I just filled them up and baked them longer. So it might not be the recipe's fault that they turned out more souffle than muffin and lackluster in flavor. But, again, I have a million recipes for tiny cornbread muffins, so I'm not going to mess with this one. Toss.

Three-Bean Chili with Vegetables

• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2/3 cup chopped carrot
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 large)
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 (16-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (16-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (6-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon finely chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in 4 cups water and next 12 ingredients (through tomato paste); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until carrot is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar and chipotle. Top with fresh cilantro, cheese, and sour cream.

Serves 16! (1.25 c. chili, 1 T. cilantro, 1 T. cheese, 1 T. sour cream)

VERDICT: This is really easy and feels chock full of health. I halved the recipe, and used the white wine vinegar I had rather than buy rice wine vinegar. It has a nice smokiness from the adobo, but it's not very chili-y, and maybe a little watery for my taste. Given the number of vegetarian chili recipes I have, there's a very high bar. Toss.

Oatmeal with Apples, Hazelnuts, and Flaxseed

• 1/4 cup hazelnuts
• 3 cups fat-free milk
• 1 1/2 cups regular oats
• 1 1/2 cups diced Granny Smith apple (about 1 medium)
• 1/3 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes, stirring once. Turn nuts out onto a towel. Roll up towel; rub off skins. Finely chop nuts, and set aside.

Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in vanilla. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thick. Sprinkle with hazelnuts, brown sugar, and almonds.

Serves 6 (2/3 c.); 258 calories.

VERDICT: This is a lot of work in the mornings, even without taking the skins off the hazelnuts, a step I skipped. It's also hard to scale down to one or even two servings. It tastes like candy, but it's also kind of a small serving. Toss.

Dried Pineapple Flowers

2 large or 4 small pineapples, peeled

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.

Using a small melon baller, remove and discard pineapple "eyes." Using a sharp knife, cut pineapple crosswise into very thin slices. Transfer slices to baking sheets. Bake until tops look dried, about 30 minutes. Flip slices; bake until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.

VERDICT: I've been wanting to make these for years. Sadly, they were a total failure. They were supposed to be airy and pale yellow and, well, flower-like. They were soggy and limp and dark. Toss.

Classic From the Vault: Broccoli Salad

• 1 1/2 lb. broccoli
• 1 c. raisins
• 1 c. sunflower seeds
• 1/2 lb. bacon
• 1 c. Miracle Whip
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 T. vinegar

Whisk together Miracle Whip, sugar and vinegar. Pour dressing over other ingredients, mix.

VERDICT: I used to eat this for breakfast, I loved it so much. I just took a half-batch to Easter lunch and it was as good as I remembered. Miracle Whip is magic. Keep, obviously.

Coconut Angel Food Cake

• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 12 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pure coconut extract
• Coconut Glaze
• 2 cups unsweetened large-flake coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with rack in the lower third of oven. Sift together flour and 3/4 cup sugar 4 times.

Beat egg whites and warm water with a mixer on low speed until foamy, about 3 minutes. Add cream of tartar, vanilla, salt, and coconut extract. Raise speed to medium, and beat until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. With machine running, add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Raise speed to high, and beat until peaks are stiff and glossy, but not dry, about 2 minutes.

Working in 3 batches, sift flour mixture over egg-white mixture, gently folding in each addition with a rubber spatula, being careful not to deflate egg whites.

Slowly pour batter into a 10-inch angel food cake pan. Gently run a knife through center of batter to release any air bubbles, and smooth using an offset spatula. Bake until cake is golden brown and springs back when touched, 40 to 45 minutes.

Invert pan onto a wire rack. Let cake cool in pan, about 1 hour. Carefully run a knife around sides of cake to loosen, and turn out onto a large plate or cake stand.

Pour coconut glaze onto cake, and spread evenly using an offset spatula to cover completely. Gently press coconut onto cake. Let stand until set, about 1 hour.

Coconut Glaze:
1 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 T. canned unsweetened coconut milk, plus more if needed

Whisk together sugar and coconut milk until smooth. Glaze should be the consistency of glue. If glaze is too thick, add more coconut milk, 1 tsp at a time. (Glaze can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

VERDICT: This cake turned out perfectly well. There was a slight mishap with the glaze: I accidentally put in too much coconut milk and no amount of extra powdered sugar would turn it into a "glue-like" consistency. Consequently, it pooled in the center and ran off the sides, while failing to adhere the fluffy coconut to the cake. Not the recipe's fault, but still disappointing. Also not my favorite angel food cake. Toss.

Maple Bacon Waffles

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

  Click to see savings

• 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

  Click to see savings

• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

  Click to see savings

• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup maple syrup

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, 3 tablespoons syrup, butter, bacon, and eggs, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist.

Preheat a waffle iron. Coat iron with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter per waffle onto hot waffle iron, spreading batter to edges. Cook 4 to 5 minutes or until steaming stops; repeat procedure with remaining batter. Serve waffles with 1/3 cup syrup.

Serves 5 (2 waffles, 1 T. syrup); 411 calories.

VERDICT: I think at least twice as much bacon is called for--then, we might have a winner. A fun birthday morning experiment, but toss.

Red Lentil Mulligatawny with Apple-Celery Salsa

Salsa:

• 2/3 cup finely chopped Granny Smith apple
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery

  Click to see savings

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Soup:

• 3 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup dried small red lentils
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups light coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To prepare salsa, combine the first 4 ingredients; cover and chill.

To prepare soup, combine broth, lentils, and onion in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until lentils are tender. Pour half of lentil mixture in a blender; let stand 5 minutes. Process until smooth. Pour pureed lentil mixture into a bowl. Pour remaining lentil mixture into blender; process until smooth. Add coconut milk, tomato paste, ginger, cumin, and turmeric; process until smooth. Return coconut milk mixture and remaining pureed lentil mixture to pan. Cover and simmer over medium heat 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1 teaspoon juice, salt, and pepper. Ladle about 1 cup soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 1/4 cup salsa.

Serves 4 (1 c. soup, 1/4 c. salsa); 280 calories.

VERDICT: This is fine, but a little runnier than I like my soup. And the celery in the salsa seemed a bit strange. Toss.

Black Beans and Rice with Apple Salsa

• 1 cup chopped peeled Granny Smith apple
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, divided
• 1 teaspoon (or more) fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 cups low-salt vegetable broth
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups cooked brown or white rice
• 4–6 lime wedges

Combine apple, 1/4 cup cilantro, 2 Tbsp. onion, and 1 tsp. lime juice in a small bowl; toss to coat. Set apple salsa aside.

Combine remaining onion, bell pepper, and oil in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until completely softened, 6–7 minutes. Add garlic and next 3 ingredients; stir constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer briskly, mashing some of the beans with the back of a spoon and stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 8–10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and more lime juice, if desired.

Divide rice and beans among plates. Top with some chicken and apple salsa. Garnish with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and lime wedges.

Serves 6; 387 calories.

VERDICT: This was supposed to have chicken and chicken broth, and I do think it needed them. This tasted very...wholesome. I was hoping the apple salsa would carry it, but it isn't quite enough. Toss.

Crisp Genmaicha Tofu with Shiitakes and Savoy Cabbage

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 tsp. genmaicha (toasted-rice green tea)

  Click to see savings

• About 4 tbsp. grapeseed or other vegetable oil, divided
• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sel gris or other coarse sea salt, divided
• 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced savoy or napa cabbage
• 1 block (about 1 lb.) medium-firm or firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons polenta
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons finely sliced green onions
  

Combine 2 tsp. genmaicha leaves and 1 1/2 cups boiling water; let steep 5 minutes, then strain into a bowl.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add mush­rooms and ginger; sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and cook until mushrooms begin to shrink. Add brewed tea; cook 5 minutes. Stir in cabbage and cook until slightly wilted but still green and most of liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Set aside, covered.

Slice tofu in half horizontally and set on paper towels. Cut an X through each half, forming 4 triangles per half, or 8 total. Blot tops with paper towels.

Pulverize polenta and peppercorns in a spice grinder. Add remaining 1 tbsp. tea and 1 tsp. salt and pulse just to combine.

Brush tofu on both sides with some oil. Liberally sprinkle oiled sides with polenta mixture and press on with your fingers.

Heat remaining 2 tbsp. oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook tofu until deeply golden brown on one side, about 8 minutes. Flip and brown other side lightly, about 3 minutes more.

Arrange 2 tofu triangles on each of 4 warmed dinner plates. Reheat mushrooms and cabbage in pan, stir in green onions, and spoon mixture around tofu.

Serves 4; 289 calories.

VERDICT: I made this because I had leftover cabbage and mushrooms. I could take or leave the cabbage and mushroom mixture, but the tofu was hands-down the best tofu I have ever made--crispy and flavorful. It does not make for good leftovers, so I'll save it for when I have tofu-loving guests. Keep.