Month: August 2015

Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

~ lindy

If you’re like me, you love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and to me this is a healthy cookie.  I really want a cookie to taste good after all it is a cookie!

Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

*
Wet Ingredients:

*
*4 tablespoons Butter, melted slightly (Extra light olive oil could be used, if you use pure canned pumpkin instead of pumpkin purée

*2 cups Pumpkin Purée, if you us 100 percent pure canned pumpkin the baked cookies will be more solid

*3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

*1 cup Agave or 1 cup Brown Sugar, packed**see note below

*
Dry ingredients:

*
*1   1/4 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (You can use all Whole Wheat Pastry Flour and omit the all-purpose flour)

*1 cup All-purpose Flour

*1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

*2 teaspoons Cornstarch

*2 teaspoons ground Cinnamon

*1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

*
*6 tablespoons miniature Chocolate Chips, Dark or Semi-Sweet, stir in after mixing, extra chocolate chips can be  used after baking for a nicer pumpkin chocolate chip looking cookie.

*

In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment on medium speed add the wet ingredients and mix until combined.

*
In a medium mixing bowl add the dry ingredients and whisk together and slowly add to the wet ingredients mixing on medium speed, just until combined.

*
Scoop cookie dough on to lined or Sil Pat covered 1/2 baking sheet and bake at 325*F. for 10-13 minutes or until done. Don’t over bake.  The cookies pictured are 1/2 cup agave and 1/2 cup granulated sugar.

*
Note: If using Agave in this recipe the cookies will spread more than the brown sugar option which will be more “poofy”, personally I like the flavor of the brown sugar the best.   The cookies pictured are 1/2 cup agave and 1/2 cup granulated sugar.  Also for a “fluffier”  cookie add 1 egg

*
Makes about 3  1/2 dozen cookies depending on scoop size.

Recipe adapted from Amy’s Healthy Baking


  


  

Enjoy!
Lindy

Grilled Vegetables

~ lindy


Tarragon Mustard Vinaigrette

(Use Vinaigrette for Grilling Asparagus Crostini, Potatoes and Green Beans)

*1/4 cup Extra Light Olive Oil

*1/8-1/4 cup Canola Oil

*2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

*Zest-Juice of 1 Lemon

*1 tablespoon Fresh Tarragon, stripped and Chopped

*1 tablespoon Honey

*Freshly ground black Peppercorns, to taste

*Sea Salt, to taste

Add to a small blender or food chopper and blend just until combined.

Place a 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette and baste the grilled potatoes, asparagus and green beans at the end of grilling.

Add the rest of the vinaigrette to the potatoes and toss. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Also see our Marinated Grilled Chicken and Grilling Recipes

Boil potatoes in a stock pot of boiling water until firmly tender, cool and cut into chunks.

  

Season the potatoes with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Toss together and grill cut potatoes on a grilling pan until crisp edges and fork tender.

Baste grilled potatoes and place in a baking dish, then add more vinaigrette while potatoes are hot.  Cover with foil until ready to serve, keeping them warm.  

Crostini with Grilled Asparagus

*1-2  baguette Artisan or French Bread, sliced, drizzled with olive oil and toasted in the oven.

*Extra Light Olive Oil, for brushing on baguette slices

*Grilled Or Roasted Asparagus

*Parmesan Cheese, shaved in strips

*Feta or Goat Cheese

Layer the toasted baguettes with Parmesan cheese, grilled asparagus  and feta or goat cheese.  Warm slightly if desired and enjoy!
        

Grilled Asparagus

Wash and trim the ends of the asparagus and place on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil and black pepper.  Salt to taste after grilling.

Place asparagus on heated grill on a low heat.  Grill until asparagus has grill marks and softens.  Baste with vinaigrette just before removing from the grill.  Cut grilled asparagus into about 2   1/2 in pieces and add the tops of the toasted and sliced crostini.

Grilled Green Beans

I used thawed green beans from my garden that I had blanched, froze in the freezer.  I removed  and thawed them and seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper.  You could use fresh or frozen store-bought green beans.

Grill green beans on a grilling pan until they get grill marks turning them over a couple of times.  Baste with vinaigrette And remove from grill and enjoy!


  



Enjoy!

Lindy