AWESOME HEART-HEALTHY OATMEAL COOKIES

We took the shortening out of a favorite old recipe and replaced it with white beans. Even the skeptics approve!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup mashed white beans
3 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup egg substitute or 1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat mashed white beans, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg substitute or egg, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Combine remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix together. Add to bean and sugar mixture; mix well. Drop onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Yield: about 36 cookies.

Nuts, coconut, raisins, and/or chocolate chips or other mix-ins may be added with dry ingredients for variety.

BULGUR CHICKPEA SALAD

Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cup water
1 cup coarse bulgur
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp minced onion
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped scallions (or green onions)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

Dressing:
2 Tbsp oil (Canola, Vegetable, or Olive)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
Black pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. Bring water to boil in medium saucepan. Stir in bulger, parsley, minced onion, and soy sauce. Cover and reduce heat; simmer 15-20 minutes (until all water is absorbed and bulgur is not too crunch). Do not overcook.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool; fluff with fork.

3. Combine dressing ingredients; stir well. Pour over bulgur mixture and mix well.

4. Stir in scallions, raisins, carrots, and chickpeas. Cover and chill for several hours. Store in refrigerator.

Source: University of Vermont Extension, Adapted from Making It Fit: Piecing Together Your Food Needs.

FRESH SALSA

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients:

6 chopped tomatoes

3/4 chopped onion

3 finely chopped, seeded if desired, jalapeno chiles

3/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 juiced limes

1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix 2/3 of the ingredients.

2. Mix the remainder of the ingredients in a food processor or blender briefly. Add blended mixture to the bowl.

3. Serve or store salsa in refrigerator for up to three days in a covered plastic or glass container.

Adapted from:

Healthy Latino Recipes Made with Love, California Department of Health Services

CARRIBBEAN SUNSET FRUIT SALAD

Prep time: 20 mins
Serves: 7
Cupes of Fruits and Vegetables per Serving: 1
Ingredients:
1 sm Jicama
2 cups Watermelon, cut into pieces
1 Mango
1 sm Papaya
1 Lime
2 Kiwis
1 tsp Lime or Orange juice
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Chili powder

1. Wash, peel, and cut jicama into thin slices.
2. Wash, peel, and cut the rest of the fruit into slices of medium sized pieces.
3. On a large plate, arrange the fruit. Sprinkle with lime or orange juice.
4. In a small bowl, mix the salt and chili powder. Sprinkle over the fruit and serve.

Recipe Source: Modified from Fruit Salad with Jicama by Oregon State University Extension Service
Photo: Laurie Cromie

Nutritional Information per Serving:

Calories: 80; Carboyhydrates: 20g; Total fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Saturated Fat: 0g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; % of Calories from Fat: 0%; Sodium: 90 mg; Protein: 1g

ASPARAGUS SOUP

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Sm Leek, cleaned and sliced

1 Sm Onion, chopped

3 Med russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 lbs fresh asparagus, cut into 1" pieces

6 cups low sodium, low-fat chicken stock

1 Tbsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning Blend

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

10 teaspoons low-fat sour cream (to garnish each serving)

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil, saute leek and onion for 3 minutes.

Add potatoes and asparagus, reserve 10 tips for garnish Saute for 5 minutes.

Add stock and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree cooled soup in blender or food processor until smooth.

Return soup to saucepan and stir in lemon pepper seasoning blend and lemon juice.

Blanch reserved asparagus tip.

Ladle soup into bowls, lay asparagus tip on top, garnish with sour cream.

Source: Recipe courtesy of Mrs. Dash.

OATMEAL DINNER ROLLS

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

2 cups water

1 cup quick cooking oats

3 T. butter or margarine*

2 env. Active dry yeast

½ cup warm water

1 T. sugar

4 cups all purpose flour (I use at least half whole wheat)

1 ½ t. salt

1/3 cup packed brown sugar (honey can be used)

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; stir in oats and butter. Boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat; let cool to 110 degrees (about 15 to 20 mins is what I do). Stir together yeast, ½ cup warm water, and 1 T. sugar in a 2-cup measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes. Beat oat mixture, yeast mixture, flour, salt, and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead till smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes(I do this in with a kneader hook in my Kitchen Aid). Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place (85 degrees) free from drafts, 1 hour or until double in bulk. Punch down dough and divide in half; shape each portion into 8 balls. Place evenly into 2 lightly greased round cake pans. Cover and let rise in warm place free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 16 rolls.

* I have substituted applesauce ( and even applesauce with cinnamon) for the butter. Just add the applesauce in with all in the ingredients and not with the water.

This makes good cinnamon roll dough too!

Source: Adapted by Lisa Rice, USU Extension Office - Provo from Southern Living magazine.

WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES

3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 T, sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 T. vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, oil, egg and egg white, stirring with a whisk, add to flour mixture, stirring until just moist. Heat a nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle. Turn pancakes over when tops are covered with bubbles and edges looked cooked. Yield 6 servings

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

MARIE'S GRANOLA

6 cups regular oats or "old-fashioned"

1 (12 oz.) box or Total cereal

3 cups each: Rice Krispies, Puffed Wheat, Puffed Rice

1 cup sliced almonds

In a very large bowl, mix cereals and almonds together.

Syrup:

1/2 cup honey

3/4 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup water

1 T. vanilla

2 t. salt

Mix syrup ingredients in medium bowl and heat in microwave 3 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture over cereal. Stir to moisten the cereal.

Spray 2 large cookie sheets (with edges) with vegetable spray. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 225. Remove trays from oven; stir mixture and return to oven. Bake another 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and stir. Leave on cookie sheets until cool, stirring occasionally. Make sure granola is dry and cool before storing.

Eat as a snack or pour milk over for cereal. Very good!

*Marie told me that she triples the amount of cereal, mixes it and then bags it and uses her food saver machine to seal multiple bags. When she is ready to use it, she will then make the syrup and then add to it.

Source: Marie Anderson, USU Extension Office - Provo.

CHILI ROASTED CHICKPEAS

Chili-Roasted Chickpeas

2 (16-oz.) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 17- x 12-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crispy and dry, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes.

Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups

*Chili-Roasted Black Eyed Peas: Substitute 2 (15.8-oz.) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained, for chickpeas. Proceed with recipe as directed.

ROASTED HERBED ARTICHOKES WITH LEEKS

Ingredients:

6 medium to large artichokes
1/3 cup lemon juice or white wine vinegar, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium leeks, trimmed, cleaned and sliced
½ cup each chopped fresh basil, mint and Italian parsley
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Rinse artichokes. Trim off and discard ends of stems and top third of petals. Cut stems off at base; set aside. Stand artichokes stem side down in large saucepot. Add water to fill pot almost halfway. Add reserved stems, 3 tablespoons of the vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Simmer, covered, until a petal pulls out easily, 30 to 35 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Chop cooked stems; set aside. Preheat oven to 425°F. In large skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add leeks and cook until tender, 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in chopped stems, herbs, salt and pepper. Using spoon, remove and discard fuzzy center of artichokes. Sprinkle remaining vinegar into center of artichokes. Divide leek-herb mixture among artichoke cups. Stand in 9x9-inch pan or baking dish. Brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake 10 minutes.

To eat, pull off outer petals and dip bases into herb mixture in center of artichokes, then cut the heart into bite-sized pieces.

Credit: Recipe courtesy of Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH)

ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

Asparagus

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Rinse asparagus with cold water. Hold asparagus with both hands and bend to break woody ends off of asparagus. Discard ends. Place tops in a bowl and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Mix asparagus gently and coat with oil. Spread asparagus out on a cookie sheet lined with foil and sprinkle with salt. Place in oven at 450F for about 15 minutes