Healthier Summer Recipe Series in 1 Week!

Now it's time for a few healthy and exciting Summer recipes.  When I think of summer I think light and delicious, watermelon and mango, Sangria and Margaritas or fruit salsa and bruschetta.

Have a favorite recipe you'd like to share?  Let me know!  
Post a comment with your info or send me an email at mari_backtonature@yahoo.com

Looking for a gift for the cook, baker or someone special in your family?  My "go-to" cookbook is almost complete!  I'll share the details as soon as they are available.

Pre-Sale orders should be available in a few weeks, 

possibly June 22nd! 

A portion of all book sales will be 
donated to a local non-profit. 

Official announcement Coming Soon!

Candied Orange or Lemon (peel)

These are two recipes that I don't tweak.  One recipe is short, the other a bit more time consuming but the fruit is interchangeable.  I use the oranges in cakes, cupcakes and even just by themselves.  SO Yummy!  To store candied citrus peels, store in an airtight container and freeze.  The syrup can be used in other delicious recipes or teas.

Candied Lemon Peel

Ingredients

3 lemons

2 cups water

2 cups white sugar, or as needed

Directions

Cut lemons into slices, and remove the fruit pulp. Scrape off as much of the white inner layer as you can, this part is bitter. A spoon or butter knife will work well.

Bring water to a boil in a small pan, and add lemon peels. Boil for about 5 minutes, until tender. Remove peels from water, and stir in sugar. Return to a boil, add peels, and boil until transparent. Drain, and allow to dry before storing. Liquid may be reserved and used as lemon simple syrup. 

Candied Orange

from food.com

Ingredients

6 thick-skinned Valencia or navel oranges

4 1/2 cups sugar, plus extra for rolling

1 1/2 cups water

Directions

Cut tops and bottoms off of the orange and score the orange into quarters, cutting down only into the peel and not into the fruit. Peel the skin and pith of the orange in large pieces, use the orange for another recipe. Cut the peel into strips about 1/4-inch wide. Put the orange peel in a large saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat. Then pour off the water. Repeat 1 or 2 more times depending up how assertive you want the orange peels to be. (Test kitchen liked the texture of a 3 time blanch best, it also mellowed the bitterness. But it is a matter of preference.) Remove the orange peels from the pan.

Whisk the sugar with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 9 minutes (If you took the sugar's temperature with a candy thermometer it would be at the soft thread stage, 230 to 234 degrees F.) Add the peels and simmer gently, reducing heat to retain a simmer. Cook until the peels get translucent, about 45 minutes. Resist the urge to stir the peels or you may introduce sugar crystals into the syrup. If necessary, swirl the pan to move the peels around. Drain the peels, (save the syrup for ice tea.) Roll the peels in sugar and dry on a rack, for 4 to 5 hours. Return to the sugar to store.

Cook's Note: One way to use orange peels is to stuff a dried date with a piece of orange peel and almond, then dip the entire thing into dark chocolate.

Delicious Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Dessert!  This is not the first post in the healthier dessert options but it's one of my favorites.  Enjoy!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

by Emily Bites

Ingredients:
5 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup low-fat buttermilk
2 cups raspberries

Directions:
1.    Preheat the oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.
2.    In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter and applesauce and beat with a mixer until blended. Add sugar and beat until combined. Add vanilla, eggs and egg whites and beat until blended.
3.    In a separate bowl, combine the flour (lightly spoon into measuring cups and then level with a knife), baking soda, baking powder and salt and stir together. In the bowl containing the wet ingredients, use the mixer on a low speed while pouring in the flour mixture and the buttermilk. Beat until blended. Add raspberries and fold in gently.
4.    Spoon the batter evenly into the liners. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Yields 24 servings.

My Favorite Banana Bread

I've been using this recipe for as long as I can remember.  I've tweaked it so that it's healthier but either ways it's delicious!

Simple Banana Bread

Ingredients:

½ cup apple sauce  (original recipe: 1/2 cup margarine, softened)

½ cup organic raw or brown sugar  (original recipe: 1 cup white sugar)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed banana

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x5 inch pan

Cream apple sauce (margarine) and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, then bananas. Add flour, cinnamon and soda, stirring just until combined.

Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 1 hour (or till toothpick comes out clean). Remove from pan and let cool, store in refrigerator or freeze.

Orange Sweet Rolls

Delicious Citrus!

Orange Sweet Rolls

from Mel’s Kitchen Café

*Makes 12-14 rolls/twists

INGREDIENTS:
Dough:
¾ cup buttermilk, warm (I pour the buttermilk in a glass liquid measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute on 50% power)
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs
4 ¼ cups (21 ¼ ounces) flour
¼ cup (1 ¾ ounces) sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
1 ¼ teaspoons salt

Orange Filling:
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
Grated orange rind/zest from two large oranges (reserving 1/2 teaspoon grated rind for the glaze below)

Orange Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice from about 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind/zest reserved from the filling above

DIRECTIONS:
For the dough, whisk the warmed buttermilk and butter together in a large liquid measuring cup. Combine 4 cups of flour, sugar, yeast and salt together in a standing mixer fitted with dough hook (or you can use a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or electric handheld mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and eggs and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. Increase the mixer to medium speed and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (knead for 15-18 minutes by hand). 

If after 5 minutes of kneading, the dough is still overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but has a slight tacky feel when pressed between your fingertips.

Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover the top tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, around 2 to 2 ½ hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

For the filling, combine all the filling ingredients (reserving 1/2 teaspoon orange zest for the glaze) in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter (I use my trusty roul’pat for this step) and press it into about a 16 by 12-inch rectangle (if you have doubled the recipe, split the dough in half and roll out one half at a time). Gently brush the filling mixture over the rectangle, using an offset spatula or rubber spatula.

Lift the longest edge closest to you and begin rolling the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seam closed and roll the log so it is seam side down. Using a serrated knife, slice the log into 12 evenly sized rolls, more or less. You can slice them thinner or thicker as you like.

For a traditional cinnamon-roll-look, arrange the rolls cut side down on a lined or lightly greased baking pan. If you want to try the twist method (see the pictures below), one at a time grab each sliced roll and holding on to either end simultaneously pull and twist the roll into a figure eight and place it on the prepared pan.

Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden on top and cooked through. While the rolls are baking, mix together the glaze ingredients. Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls.

Amazing Cinnamon Rolls

Breakfast?  Dessert?  Delicious anytime!

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1/4 cup white sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, room temperature

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the sugar, salt, egg and 1 cup flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

Lightly grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Smear the dough with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Roll up the dough along the long edge until it forms a roll. Slice the roll into 16 equal size pieces and place them in the pan with the cut side up.

Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake rolls until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

A Healthier Pineapple Angel Cake

I don't normally use "healthy" and "cake" in the same sentence.  This recipe is deliciously healthy and low-fat.  I use gluten-free Angel Food Cake mix.

Healthier Pineapple Angel Cake

Ingredients

1 Box Angel Food Cake Mix
1 can crushed pineapple 20 oz

           

Directions

Empty angel food cake mix into a large bowl. Add the pineapple and stir until moistened (make sure to scrape sides and bottom) Empty into 9x13 cake pan and bake in preheated 375 oven for 30-35 minutes. Top should be dark golden brown. Cool.

Frosting?  If this recipe just isn't enough, there are several ways to "spice things up."

Pineapple Coconut Frosting

12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchâtel), at room temperature

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon coconut extract, or rum

1 cup finely diced fresh pineapple

2 tablespoons toasted coconut

Beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and extract (or rum)  in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

Spread the frosting over the top and sides. Decorate the top with the remaining 1 cup pineapple and toasted coconut.

I used crushed pineapple, pineapple juice and brown sugar for this cake

Pineapple Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons pineapple juice

In a mixing bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and the pineapple juice together until smooth.

Once the cake has cooled, ladle the glaze over the cake, and top with flaked coconut. Let glaze set before serving.

Bisquick Peach Cobbler

This is another great dessert my mom used to make and it's great for potluck dinners.

Bisquick Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

1 cup Original Bisquick baking mix
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 can (29 ounce size) sliced peaches, drained

(Home canned or fresh peaches work great)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Stir together Bisquick, milk and nutmeg in ungreased square baking dish, 8x8x2 inches. Stir in butter until blended. Stir together sugar and peaches; spoon over batter. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until golden.

I prefer to add cinnamon to both the batter and peach mixture.

**For a lighter recipe substitute apple sauce for butter**