Chocolate

Chocolate Crepes, Filled with Sweet Ricotta

Chocolate Crepes, Filled with Sweet Ricotta
Serves 8

1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon Splenda (or you can use any other non-calorie sweetener, or table sugar)
8 ounces (250g) low fat ricotta cheese (approximately 1 cup)
2 tablespoons Splenda  (or you can use any other non-calorie sweetener, or table sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1 tsp melted butter

  1. Combine flour, cacao and sugar in a small bowl.
  2. Mix together ricotta, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.
  3. Combine milk, water, egg and melted butter in a blend. Pulse to mix. 
  4. Add flour mixture, and process until smooth. The batter will be like thin pancake batter.
  5. Preheat a non-stick 6″ skillet over medium high heat.
  6. When hot, spray lightly with cooking spray, and pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter in the middle of the skillet. Immediately pick the skillet up and tilt/turn it until the batter coats the surface. 
  7. Return to heat. When the edges start to curl (approximately 1 minute) carefully flip. 
  8. Cook another 30 seconds. Remove and lay on wax paper that you previously lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Do not skip that step. They WILL stick to wax paper as they cool.
  9. Repeat with remaining batter.
  10. When all are cooked, spread about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture over the surface and roll. Set aside and repeat until finished.
  11. Cut into 1 inch long pieces and serve. 
Nutritional data:
Calories:       96
Fat:             3.6g
Sat fat:        1.8g
Chol:         43mg
Sodium:     45mg
Carbs:         9.6g
Fiber:             1g
Protein:       5.1g

Okay. A question for you! Would you consider this a dessert or a breakfast? Why? Please leave a comment below!

Chocolate-Pumpkin Torte

Chocolate-Pumpkin Torte
Serves 8

This makes a dense brownie-like cake, very moist and richly chocolate. I topped this picture with melted Nutella, but I also have topped it with melted peanut butter, caramel sauce, or bittersweet chocolate. A raspberry or strawberry sauce would also be really good on top.

There is very little pumpkin flavor. I think I noticed it only because I knew that it was in the batter.

I used Splenda to greatly reduce the calories. If you prefer to use sugar, then you will just have more calories to calculate, but the recipe will otherwise be the same technique.

1 cup flour
4 eggs (separate three and reserve all)
1.5 cups Splenda, divided (or the same amount of sugar)
1 cup mashed pumpkin (canned is okay, make sure it is 100% pumpkin)
1/2 cup cocoa
8 teaspoons Nutella (optional topping, but I added those calories to the nutritional data below.)

(Special equipment needed:  springform pan and cooling rack.  See my comment at the end about alternate equipment.)

  1. Preheat oven to 375
  2. Combine flour, cocoa and 1 cup of Splenda in a large bowl.
  3. Stir in pumpkin until evenly mixed.
  4. With an electric mixer, add one whole egg and all yolks.
  5. Clean the beaters completely.
  6. In a separate bowl, place egg whites. Mix with electric mixer, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form.
  7. Add remaining 1/2 cup Splenda, beating until the egg whites are shiny and begin to hold firm peaks.
  8. Spray springform pan with cooking spray.
  9. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the pumpkin-cocoa mixture. Gently fold until thoroughly mixed. Add remaining egg whites, folding together gently until well incorporated.
  10. Pour batter into springform pan
  11. Bake 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  12. Remove collar and cool completely on a cooling rack.
  13. When cool, cut into eight pieces.
  14. Melt the Nutella, and drizzle about 1 teaspoon on each piece. Dress with a bit of whipped topping (if desired.)

Nutritional data:
Calories:        140
Fat:                 6g
Sat fat:          2.4g
Chol:           105mg
Sodium:         36mg
Carbs:         19.4g
Fiber:           4.3g
Protein:        6.9g

If you do not have a springform pan (and if you don’t know what it is, then you don’t have one) here is an alternate method. Take a 9″ pie tin and line it with aluminum foil. You will probably need the extra wide foil. Press the foil down so that it conforms to the shape of the tin and then spray it with cooking spray. When you are done baking, you just pick up the foil by the edges and then set it on the cooling rack.

Also, if you prefer to not use canned pumpkin, you can use an equal amount of cooked squash or cooked sweet potato.

Peanut Butter Cup “Sundae”

Peanut Butter Cup “Sundae”
Serves 1

8 ounces (by weight) Fage 0% plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, divided
1 packet Splenda (or other non-calorie sweetener. Use 2 teaspoon table sugar instead of one packet sweetener if you prefer.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 scoop whey powder (2 tablespoons)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder (plus a bit more for garnish)

1/2 cup whipped topping (or more)

Place yogurt into a medium bowl.
Place 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Warm for 10-15 seconds, or until liquid and pourable. Set aside.
Add vanilla, Splenda, instant coffee and cocoa to yogurt. Stir well to mix completely.
Add protein powder. Stir well to mix completely.
Taste. If not sweet enough, add another packet of sweetener.
Add remaining peanut butter. Stir into the yogurt, but you do not want it to be smooth. (Little pockets of peanut butter is the goal.)

Spoon into a serving bowl. Drizzle the melted peanut butter over the yogurt. Top with whipped topping, sprinkle coffee powder.

Enjoy!

Nutritional data (including the whipped topping):
Calories:        450
Fat:                19.4g
Sat fat:             5.9g
Chol:                20mg
Sodium:         266mg
Carbs:           28.8g
Fiber:              5.4g
Protein:        44.5g

I realize that most people will not be able to fit this into their budget. It is a large snack/dessert. But I created this because I needed to find soft foods to eat after having oral surgery. And since the surgery involved drilling into my jaw bone, grafting new bone material, and hoping that my bone integrates with the graft bone, I need a high protein, high fat diet.

And it still needed to be soft. It is two days since the surgery, and my jaw is still very tender. (I accidentally chewed a cherry tomato on the spot–a simple cherry tomato!–and it really hurt and started it bleeding again.)

So, if you are in a position where you need the calories and you need protein and fat, give this a try. It was really good!

Individual Chocolate Souffles

Individual Chocolate Souffles

Make 2 servings

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
3 tablespoons low-fat chocolate milk
1 large egg white

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Fill an 8×8 pan half-full of water (water bath), and set in the oven to preheat.
2.  In a small saucepan, place the cocoa, flour and 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Add the chocolate milk, and set over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth (about 2 minutes.) Remove from heat and let cool about 5 minutes.
3.  When you remove the chocolate sauce from the heat, whisk the egg white until soft peak form. Slowly add the remaining tablespoon of sugar and continue beating until soft peaks are present again.
4.  Fold in cooled chocolate sauce, a little at a time, until the egg whites and chocolate are completely incorporated together.
5.  Spray baking ramekins with cooking spray. Pour batter into each.  Place in water bath and bake until the tops look slightly dry (14-16 minutes.) Do not open the oven until you are ready to take them out.  A sudden burst of cold air can make them deflate.
6.  Remove from oven and top with whipped cream and instant coffee granules (or espresso powder.)

Other possible toppings are powdered sugar, cinnamon or shaved dark or white chocolate, or a raspberry or strawberry sauce. 

Other options are adding the instant coffee or cinnamon to the chocolate syrup, or making this a Mexican chocolate souffle by adding a touch of cayenne pepper to the sauce.

Nutritional data:
Calories:      123
Fat:               0.8g
Sat fat:          0.3g
Chol:            1.9mg
Sodium:        43mg
Carbs:           26g
Fiber:           0.8g
Protein:        3.4g

Today’s Simple and Easy Dinner

Simple and Easy Beef Stroganoff
Makes 6 servings
1 package Hormel beef tips and gravy (17 ounces)
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
6 ounces Greek yogurt (fat free is what I used)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups uncooked whole wheat wide noodles
Prepare the pasta as directed on the label. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet, saute the onion for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and mushrooms. Continue to cook over medium-high until everything is soft.
While preparing the onion-mushrooms, heat the beef tips in the microwave according to label directions (about 4 minutes). Remove from the microwave, and with two forks pull the meat into smaller chunks. When the mushrooms are ready, add the meat and gravy. Stir well. 
Turn the heat off, and stir in the Greek yogurt.
One serving is 1 cup pasta and 3/4 cup stroganoff.
This entire meal took 15 minutes to prepare, from filling the pot for the pasta to serving it. Having one of those Hormel dishes in the fridge is a life-saver on busy days.
Nutritional data:
Calories:            367
Fat:                    9.3 g
Sat. fat:              2.4 g
Cholesterol:       34.4 mg
Sodium:             426 mg
Carbs:                51.3 g
Fiber:                 6.8 g
Protein:              23.8 g
Mint Chocolate Cake
One 18.75 ounce package Devil’s Food Cake mix
One 12 ounce can diet cola
20 Andes candies, chopped
1 Tbsp. milk
One 8-ounce container fat free Whipped Topping
Preheat oven to 350.
Place cake mix and cola in a large bowl and mix with beater at low speed until moist. Increase speed to medium for 2 minutes until smooth. Stir in half of the Andes candies. 
Pour into one 9×13 or two 8×8 pans, sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool cakes. 
Melt the remaining Andes candies with the tablespoon of milk in the microwave. Stir until smooth.  Fold into the whipped topping, and spread evenly over the cakes when cool.
Makes 24 servings. Note: You could also make this into 24 cupcakes.
Nutritional data:
Calories:          128
Fat:                  3.1 g
Sat Fat:            1.5 g
Chol:                0
Sodium:           195 mg
Carb:                23.6 g
Fiber:               0.6 g
Protein:            1.2 g