Using refrigerated pizza dough makes these breadsticks SO easy to make. The dried tomato, Romano cheese and rosemary nestled inside each stick gives them an amazing, addictive flavor. They make a great appetizer or accompaniment to any holiday table or family feast.

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves (chopped), or 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons water

1 (13.8) package refrigerated pizza dough

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Drain the 1/4 cup of sundried tomatoes, reserving 2 teaspoons of the liquid. Finely chop the tomatoes and place them in a bowl along with the reserved liquid, the cheese,rosemary, pepper and water; set aside.

Unroll the pizza dough and (working on a lightly floured surface) roll the dough into a rectangle about 10 inches by 8 inches in size. Spread the tomato mixture over half of the dough, and fold the other over to cover. Cut into 1/2 inch wide strips.

Place the strips of dough 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

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Makes 20 large breadsticks. Per breadstick: 82 calories, 2 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 14 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 0 g added sugar, 198 mg sodium, less than 1 mg cholesterol.

The classic combination of chocolate and orange make this cake the perfect, decadent dessert for your holiday table.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup fat free plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons grated orange peel (zest)

Chocolate Icing:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons orange juice

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

(extra orange juice as needed)

Orange Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon orange juice

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

(extra orange juice as needed)

Spray a Bundt cake pan with non-stick spray and lightly dust the inside with unsweetened cocoa powder; set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add the yogurt, vanilla, balsamic vinegar, water, and orange juice. Beat by hand or with a mixer on low speed just until well-combined (about 1-2 minutes with a mixer, a little longer by hand). Stir in the grated orange peel, and then carefully pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert it onto a serving platter and cool completely.

When the cake is cool, make the icings. For each icing, mix the ingredients in separate small bowls. One half teaspoon at a time, stir in enough extra orange juice to make a drizzling consistency. Drizzle the chocolate icing over the cake, wait a few minutes for it to set, and then drizzle the orange icing.

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Makes 16 servings. With icing, as shown: 198 calories, 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 44 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 6 g added sugar, 4 g protein, 274 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol.

Cake without icing: 164 calories, 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 37 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 4.5 g added sugar, 4 g protein, 274 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol.

I am a huge fan of breakfast and brunch foods.  Whenever I have family or friends over for brunch, no matter how small the group, I always go overboard!  I just want to be sure that there is a “little something” to please everyone – eggs, hash brown potatoes, fresh fruit, bacon and sausage, pancakes, french toast, waffles, and (of course) assorted savory and sweet muffins of all sizes.  But this week, even with such a large and impressive brunch spread, this savory mini muffin is easily going to stand out as the star of the meal.  Rich cheddar cheese and sweetly tart cranberries complement each other perfectly in these little muffins – bringing sharp, sweet, tart, delicious flavors together in a every single bite.  A platter of these little gems can’t help but look tempting on your holiday brunch table!!  So regardless of what your holiday brunch menu currently consists of, you will definitely want to make room to squeeze these muffins onto the table – I promise that neither you nor your guests will be disappointed!

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

generous pinch of cayenne, or to taste

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 egg

1 cup skim milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray (or line with paper liners).
In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, and add the scallions, thyme, oregano and sage. Cook for about 2 minutes (until the herbs are fragrant, but not browning). Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt and cayenne and stir to mix, then stir in the cranberries and shredded cheese.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg lightly and then slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk the cooked scallions and herbs, (including all of the oil that they were cooked in) into the milk and egg.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing until just combined. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins and bake for 15 to 18 minutes (or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.) Let the muffins cool in the pan for at least 5-10 minutes before removing them from the tins to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Makes 30-36 mini muffins. Per serving (3 mini muffins): 148 calories, 6 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 15 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 2.5 g added sugar, 4 g protein, 240 mg sodium, 20 mg cholesterol

I am a huge fan of breakfast and brunch foods.  Whenever I have family or friends over for brunch, no matter how small the group, I always go overboard!  I just want to be sure that there is a “little something” to please everyone – eggs, hash brown potatoes, fresh fruit, bacon and sausage, pancakes, french toast, waffles, and (of course) assorted savory and sweet muffins of all sizes.  But this week, even with such a large and impressive brunch spread, this savory mini muffin is easily going to stand out as the star of the meal.  Rich cheddar cheese and sweetly tart cranberries complement each other perfectly in these little muffins – bringing sharp, sweet, tart, delicious flavors together in a every single bite.  A platter of these little gems can’t help but look tempting on your holiday brunch table!!  So regardless of what your holiday brunch menu currently consists of, you will definitely want to make room to squeeze these muffins onto the table – I promise that neither you nor your guests will be disappointed!

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

generous pinch of cayenne, or to taste

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 egg

1 cup skim milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray (or line with paper liners).
In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, and add the scallions, thyme, oregano and sage. Cook for about 2 minutes (until the herbs are fragrant, but not browning). Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt and cayenne and stir to mix, then stir in the cranberries and shredded cheese.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg lightly and then slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk the cooked scallions and herbs, (including all of the oil that they were cooked in) into the milk and egg.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing until just combined. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins and bake for 15 to 18 minutes (or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.) Let the muffins cool in the pan for at least 5-10 minutes before removing them from the tins to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Makes 30-36 mini muffins. Per serving (3 mini muffins): 148 calories, 6 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 15 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 2.5 g added sugar, 4 g protein, 240 mg sodium, 20 mg cholesterol

I had never even heard of Indian pudding before, much less tasted it, when I received an email requesting that I come up with a more “figure-friendly” version. Since the request came with the original recipe, I made a small batch, so that I could determine what the new recipe was supposed to taste like. And oh my goodness – is this stuff GOOD!!! I was hooked after my very first taste!! This sweet and spicy dessert has a creamy texture and a warm comforting flavor that is truly amazing.

So after a few weeks of effort – I think that I finally got it just right. As a matter of fact, after the new recipe was done, people couldn’t pick which dish was the original and which dish was the “healthy” one (SUCCESS!!)

This recipe makes 4 servings – but I found them to be rather large, so you may actually wind up with 6. Also, at 240 calories calories a serving, you may not think of this as the most healthy recipe – but when you take into account that the original version had almost 720 calories a serving – it’s quite a drastic reduction.

3 cups skim milk

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup molasses

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon dried, ground ginger)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (I forgot to add the butter the second time that I made this dish, and it still came out perfect – It adds a touch of “creaminess”, but feel free to omit it if you choose)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, and lightly spray a glass or ceramic baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cornmeal and salt and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, then whisk in the molasses, ginger, butter and raisins and stir until everything is combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for about 2 hours, until pudding develops a thin crust. Can be served warm or cold, but it is especially delicious served warm topped with a little low fat vanilla ice cream.

Makes 4 (generous) servings. Per serving: 238 calories, 3.5 g total fat, less than 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 42 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 6 g added sugar (naturally occurring in the molasses), 7.5 g protein, 290 mg sodium, 15 mg cholesterol

This is an absolutely delicious, moist, perfect pumpkin bread for a holiday brunch, an afternoon “get-together”, or even a weekday morning.  The pumpkin flavor is not too overwhelming, and combined with the spices, it simply wonderful!!  If you really want to make a good impression on someone (or just want an extra special treat) spread this perfect bread warm with a little spiced cream cheese frosting (recipe follows).  I promise, this bread will not disappoint! It is easy to make, very moist and flavorful, has a fantastic flavor, and keeps for a week wrapped on the counter – even the most skeptical “pumpkin-flavored” critics will be asking for a second slice!

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup unsweetened, all natural apple sauce

1/2 cup water

2 eggs

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×5 inch (standard) loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine the sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, apple sauce, water and eggs in a medium mixing bowl and stir to blend well. In a larger bowl, combine the whole wheat pastry flour, all purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and cloves; stir to sift all of the dry ingredients together. Add the wet mixture to the dry, and stir well. If using nuts and/or raisins, fold them in to the batter at this point.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and place it on the center rack of the oven. Bake for about 60 – 65 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean). Allow the bread to cool for at least 30 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 239 calories, less than 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 48 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 7 g added sugar, 4 g protein, 217 mg sodium, 2 mg cholesterol

Cream Cheese Spread

1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese (softened at room temperature)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash ground cloves

Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and cloves in small bowl and beat well until smooth (I have found that if my cream cheese is soft, I don’t even have to drag out the mixer for this – a sturdy wooden spoon works just fine). Cover the spread with plastic wrap, or transfer to a lidded container, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Makes 12 servings. Per serving (about 1 heaping tablespoon): 21 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 2.5 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 1 g added sugar, 2 g protein, 19 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol

This chocolate pudding pie is a fantastic lower calorie holiday treat to serve at your next family get together.  Maybe there are people in your family that aren’t partial to the traditional Thanksgiving “pumpkin, apple, pecan, and/or sweet potato” pies.  With this chocolate pie, both kids and adults alike, will be asking that you make this delicious treat for years to come.   Enjoy!

14 graham cracker squares (7 full sheets)

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

1/3 cup boiling water

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder (preferably unsweetened, Dutch process cocoa powder)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 cups skim milk

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. In a food processor, process the graham crackers until finely ground. Add the butter and water and process until the crumbs clump together. Press the crumb mixture into bottom of pie plate and about 1-inch up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes, then let cool.

In the meantime, make the pudding. Put the gelatin in a small bowl, add the boiling water and stir until fully dissolved. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan mix the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add half of the milk, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the rest of the milk. Turn the heat on to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Stir in the vanilla and reserved gelatin. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and let set for 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Before serving, garnish the pie with fat free whipped topping, if desired.

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Makes 8 (generous) servings.  Per Serving: 256 calories, 8 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 36 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 7 g protein, 241 mg sodium, 2 mg cholesterol.

When it comes to pumpkin pie, people either love it or they hate it. For those of you that hate it, I deeply apologize – I will make it up to you with some great holiday baked goods over the next few weeks. For those of you that love it – this lower-calorie version will knock-your-socks-off! I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do!!

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2 tablespoons margarine (at room temperature)

4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin (not pumpkin-pie filling)

2 egg whites

1 cup fat-free evaporated (skim) milk (usually found in the baking aisle)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Light nondairy whipped topping (optional)
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Combine the flours, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in medium bowl. Cut in the butter and margarine with a pastry blender or the tines of a fork until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Mix in the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together and forms a soft dough. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness. Ease the dough onto a 9-inch pie plate, trim the overhanging dough with a sharp knife, and turn the edges under slightly to “flute”, if desired.

Combine the pumpkin, remaining 1/3 cup sugar, egg whites, milk, syrup, cinnamon, ginger and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in large bowl; mix well. Pour into the unbaked pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center is set. Transfer the pie to a wire cooling rack; let stand at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled with whipped topping, if desired.

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Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 217 calories, 3 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 38 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 4 g added sugar, 6 g protein, 217 mg sodium, 3 mg cholesterol.

There is no need to make a trip to the bakery on a weekend morning to get a sweet and scrumptious breakfast pastry. You can make your own flaky, warm, and simply scrumptious turnovers at home in no time. Plus – this version is much, much healthier, and lighter then any bakery fare – but it still has all of that warm, fragrant bakery goodness!

1 (8 ounce) package fat free (or reduced fat cream cheese), at room temperature

1 cup low-fat (or fat free) cottage cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 can (about 16.5 ounces) dark sweet pitted cherries, rinsed and drained

8 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Combine the cream cheese, cottage cheese, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended, then gently fold in the cherries.

Spray 1 phyllo dough sheet at a time with cooking spray; fold the sheet lengthwise in half to form a rectangle. Sprinkle the rectangle with 2 tablespoons of the bread bread crumbs, and drop 1/3-cupful of the cherry-cheese mixture onto the upper left corner of the sheet. Fold the right corner over the mixture to form a large triangle. Continue folding the turnover (like you would a flag) ending as a “layered triangle”. Repeat above steps with the remaining phyllo sheets and filling ingredients.

Place the turnovers on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle tops of the turnovers lightly with cinnamon. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (or until turnovers are lightly crisp and golden brown).

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Makes 8 turnovers. Per turnover: 158 Calories, 3 g total fat, less than 1.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat,24 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 4 g added sugar, 8 g protein, 214 mg sodium, 11 mg cholesterol

I have a big bag of sunflower seeds that is quickly approaching the expiration date on the package, so I needed to find a way to use them up before they go bad. I considered making the normal “seeded fare” (muffins, breads, a nice salad with some seeds sprinkled on top), but I was really in the mood for something with a rich and chewy texture this morning – so I whipped up these cookies! And boy, were they good – they were exactly what I was craving: rich, flavorful, chewy and moist. Plus they are an easy and healthy breakfast or snack that will keep you satisfied until lunchtime. You can feel free to add any additional “mix-ins” that suit your mood – the sunflower seeds will accommodate a variety of different flavors very nicely.

3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats (quick cooking, not instant)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (be sure to use “pure” maple, not pancake syrup)

1/4 tahini (sesame paste), or any nut butter (peanut, almond, or cashew butter)

1/4 cup raw (unroasted,unsalted) sunflower seeds

1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries or raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Place the maple syrup and tahini in a small bowl and mix together very well, then stir in the oats, seeds and dried fruit; mix well until everything is combined.

Drop the dough on to the sheet using 12 rounded spoonfuls, and then flatten each cookie slightly with the back of a spoon. bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before carefully loosening them and transfering to a cooling rack. May be eaten warm or at room temperature (but cool completely before storing in an airtight container).

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Makes 12 cookies. Per serving (2 cookies): 97 calories, 3 g fat, less than 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 10 g carbohydrates, 4.5 g fiber, 8 g sugar (naturally occurring from the syrup and dried fruit), 4 g protein, 18 g sodium (provided your nut butter of choice is sodium free), 0 g cholesterol