Reduced-Guilt Banana Bread

I debated whether to call this post Low-Fat Banana Bread or Multigrain Banana Bread, as the recipe from the Weight Watchers cookbook that inspired it labels the loaf. However, as I'm obsessive about food and always guilty about putting cake and other sweets in my mouth, I just thought I'd add the "Reduced-Guilt" modifier. Still, after you've downed two or three (or four) pieces, the guilt factor does go up, no matter that the points-plus count per Weight Watchers says only 4 points per slice (about 3/4 inch thick each of a 9-inch loaf). The only solution I've discovered is simply to give the treats away or hope that someone hungry comes to visit.

As for banana bread, it's truly a go-to staple for me, as it may be in many households where bananas are often neglected once they go from yellow to speckled brown to black. The reason for this, as I found after a quick Google search, is an enzyme called amylase that breaks down the starch in the banana and turns it sweet. Another enzyme softens the banana, while oxygen turns the peel brown. You can read more on this at the eHow website if you're so inclined. But the obvious truth that any banana lover discovers is that the fruit, when not eaten within a few days, ripens, turns black and has a soft and sweet but mushy interior. This is optimal for making banana bread but less so for slicing into your morning cornflakes.

I've made some terrific banana bread laden with butter, sugar and nuts--and calories. The one in the Weight Watchers Power Foods Cookbook uses a variety of flours, including oat bran, corn meal and whole wheat; oil in place of butter; and egg whites instead of whole eggs. The sugar content is lower than some other recipes I've tried, but not entirely absent; I've upped the sweet and crunchy factor by adding a topping of a few chopped nuts, a bit of sugar and cinnamon, and voila--Reduced-Guilt Banana Bread! (Couldn't call it "no-guilt" for obviously reasons).

Here's the recipe:

Reduced-Guilt Banana Bread

(Adapted from Weight Watchers' Power Foods Cookbook)

12 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour*

1/4 cup oat bran**

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal (fine or medium grind)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

 3 egg whites or 1/2 cup egg substitute***

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

*The original recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour.
**I used a mixture of oat, wheat and corn bran.
***I used Trader Joe's Cage-Free 100% Liquid Egg Whites.

Topping

3 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 5x9-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.

2. Whisk together the flours, bran, cornmeal, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

3. Mash ripe bananas with a fork in a small bowl and set aside.

4. With an electric mixer on medium speed--or by hand with a wooden spoon (my method)--beat the egg substitute or egg whites together with the sugar and oil until creamy. Add the mashed banana and vanilla or almond extract. Mix in the mixer or by hand until thoroughly combined.

5. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir the flour mixture into banana-egg mixture until just combined.

6. Mix together the topping of sugar, nuts and cinnamon and set aside.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, making sure it's evenly distributed. Sprinkle the nut and sugar mixture evenly on top.

8. Bake the loaf for 45 to 50 minutes, checking with a toothpick or skewer to make sure the center is done (if batter clings to the stick, it needs a few more minutes).

9. Cool in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes before running a knife along the edges, turning over the pan and gently tapping onto the rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing (unless you can't resist cutting off a piece, which I never can!).

Points & Calories

(1 3/4-inch slice)

154 calories

5 points

1 Egg + 2 Egg Whites + Veggies = Boffo Omelet

We're still on a weight-loss kick at my house, though my husband's been much more rigorous about it than I--and the results are in: He's lost 10 pounds! As I haven't had the courage to step on the scale following the shock of discovering in the doctor's office that I'd piled on a few over the holidays, I can't report on my progress. Of course, this head-in-the-sand approach is a definite no-no when it comes to taking off weight. But I have been eating healthier, which is a start anyway.

Here's a delicious, easy-to-make omelet that was inspired by one of my favorite Weight Watchers recipes for a one-egg, two-egg white omelet. The combination, on the WW plan is only two points, as the two egg whites aren't counted, though, obviously, they do have calories (about 34 in 2 large egg whites, plus about 72 calories for a large egg). The benefit for those of us with cholesterol issues is that egg whites have no cholesterol, though they also have fewer nutrients than yolks (check out the American Egg Board's Incredible Egg nutrition page), which contain generous amounts of Vitamins A, D and E, though, surprisingly, egg whites have slightly more protein. I like adding the one egg for extra flavor and color, though you could make the omelet with all egg whites (I'd use four egg whites total).

While my husband sticks faithfully to his 2-ingredient omelet--Trader Joe's ReddiEgg (or TJ's 100% Liquid Egg Whites), plus a generous sprinkling of Trader Giotto's Parmesan & Romano cheese (see my post on Living With a Picky Eater)--I like to make myself the two-point omelet, which I jazz up a bit by frying a few onions or scallions, sliced mushrooms, chopped red pepper and a sprinkling of Parmesan--fresh grated, if I have it. This last adds another point or two and a few calories, but a lot more flavor. Of course, salt, pepper and a few spices don't hurt either. The best trick is cooking the omelet in a nonstick pan. I heat the pan a few seconds and use just a spray or two of oil on the surface before adding the veggies, followed by the beaten egg. Served with a spicy splash of Sriracha or salsa, wrapped in a tortilla or served au naturel, this omelet is a boffo breakfast to jump-start your day. But watch out: It's so easy to whip together, it may become habit-forming!

Parmesan Veggie Omelet

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

2-3 tablespoons chopped veggies*

Vegetable oil spray

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese**

Salt and pepper, to taste

Italian or other seasoning of your choice, to taste

*I used 1 green onion, 1/8 of a red pepper, 2-3 chopped mushrooms, but chopped spinach, tomatoes or other choices would also work.

** Sometimes I add or substitute a tablespoon or two of no-fat or low-fat feta.

Directions

1. Put the whole egg in a small bowl. Separate 2 eggs and add whites to the egg, saving yolks for another use. Beat eggs lightly with a fork until combined but not whipped to a froth.

2. Dice green or regular onions and red pepper, if using. Thinly slice mushrooms. Chop red peppers. Heat a small skillet or omelet pan, preferably nonstick, on low to medium heat. Spray lightly with oil. Add veggies and fry for 1 to 2 minutes on medium heat until lightly golden.

3. Add egg mixture to the fried veggies, adding another spray of oil if need be. Sprinkle with cheese, salt, pepper and additional seasoning.

4. Lightly tip pan to make sure that egg reaches to the edges. When egg has set for a minute or so, use a spatula (rubber or plastic for a nonstick pan) to pull edges of the egg toward the middle slightly, tipping pan to allow the liquid egg to flow into the spaces along the edge of the omelet.

5. When the omelet is almost set, flip it over on itself and ease out onto a plate.

6. Garnish as you wish, with a sprinkle of parmesan, paprika, a dash of hot sauce or salsa. If you wish, add a slice of toast or wrap up in a tortilla--or serve with a dollop of yogurt or cottage cheese on the side.

To Lose Weight, Track What You Eat

A page from my 12-week Weight Watchers tracker. It helps
keeps me honest--except when I cheat!

I cooked and baked like crazy during the holidays. I also stopped a longtime practice of tracking my food, something that helped me lose more than 60 pounds through Weight Watchers a few years back. Like almost everyone else I know, I rationalized my recent descent into indiscriminate snacking and splurging with the usual excuses: "It's just a few pounds. I'm still much thinner than I was." "I've been through a lot. I deserve to eat this whole piece of cake--and the cookies too!" "I'm a food blogger--how can I write about something without sampling it first?"

Unfortunately, you can't fool the scale--or the doctor. I gained 10 pounds during the holidays (on top of 10 I'd already gained), and my cholesterol level skyrocketed. OK, I can rationalize that too--they weighed me and took the blood sample after breakfast. Of course it must be inaccurate. But the truth is, it's time to 'fess up and drop some of those extra lbs, inches and bad habits. Both my husband and I are working hard at the gym--he with a trainer, me trying to do it on my own. Fewer carbs, more fruits, veggies and protein. I bought another 12-week "Plan & Track" journal at Weight Watchers, though I haven't rejoined--yet. However, my last stint was three-years, so the Points-Plus system is fairly second-nature to me: 26 daily points, plus a 49 extra to play with for the week. If you exercise daily, so much the better--you can eat a little more, but if you don't eat the extra points, the weight may come off faster. As for me, I'm just trying to get my splurging under control--and perhaps lose some of that extra girth. The first step is to step on that scale and face the music. The next step is tracking, tracking, tracking!

Several studies have shown that writing down what you eat--or keeping track of it through a food app--helps people lose weight. One study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and discussed on WebMD, showed that people who kept a food diary six days a week lost twice as much weight as those who kept a diary one day a week or less. Basically, the practice of journaling makes you more aware--or "mindful"-- of what you're putting in your mouth. How easy is it to snack on those leftover hors d'oeuvres before tucking them away in the fridge and forget you actually consumed half a tray of bruschetta and goat cheese, plus a plate of mini wienies? How hard is it to wrap that lonely leftover piece of chocolate cake for later consumption rather than stuffing it in your mouth--or, better yet, to toss it into the garbage to avoid future temptation? Writing down what you eat forces you to own your excesses.

So what's the takeaway? My husband's perennial injunction: "Time for that starvation diet!" sounds a bit extreme. Instead I prefer an old-fashioned, measured approach: the written food diary. He, on the other hand, uses the free calorie-counting app, myfitnesspal. "It's great," he says. "They have a great database of food and restaurants, and it keeps you on track." He particularly likes the calculator that he uses with the exercise app, Runtastic, to figure out how many calories he's burned working out at the gym, walking or biking, so he can adjust his calorie intake for the day. His single-minded focus on losing weight is rubbing off on me--at least a little. If he's going to lose 30 pounds, I'm good for at least those extra 10! I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

Pumpkin Pecan Bread: Less Fat, More Pumpkin

To me, pumpkin bread is the ultimate in comfort food. But, even when I feel the need for comfort, I avoid making it in summer because to me pumpkins mean autumn--even if here in Southern California, temperatures are registering in the 90's. Whatever the thermometer reading, I felt justified in making pumpkin bread this week.

The recipe I chose is adapted from a reduced-fat and calorie pumpkin pecan bread I found at MyRecipes. Here's my version, with nutritional information and suggested variations at the bottom. I used homemade pumpkin puree, which is very simple to make and I think enhanced the bread's flavor and texture. You can read about how I did it elsewhere on my blog. If you're pressed for time (and who isn't?), use the canned variety. It will be great either way!

Pumpkin Bread With Toasted Pecans

(Two 9x5-inch loaves)

Ingredients

2 cups white all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour (or regular whole wheat)

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark or light brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup egg whites (from about 4 large eggs, or use egg substitute)

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

2/3 cup water (or liquid from steamed pumpkin)

15 ounces of pumpkin (2 cups fresh pulp minus 1 ounce--or one 15-ounce can)

1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray two 9x5-inch loaf pans with oil.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, soda, salt and spices. Whisk the dry ingredients until well-combined.

Place the sugars, oil, egg whites (or substitute) and buttermilk in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer (or by hand) at medium speed until well blended. Add the pumpkin and water, beating at low speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat briefly at low speed, making sure that all ingredients are incorporated but not over-mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle toasted pecans on top.

Bake in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour, checking toward the end to make sure the loaves aren't browning too quickly. If they are, place some foil loosely on top. The bread will be done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean.

 After Words

Each loaf makes about 12 generous slices. To reduce the calories even further, cut them in half! The bread keeps for 2 or 3 days at room temperature and freezes well (for about a month) when wrapped tightly in a double thickness of saran, then placed inside a deflated plastic bag. Warmed in the microwave for a few seconds, it tastes as if it just popped out of the oven!

Nutritional Info (1 3/4" slice)

Calories: 183

Fat: 6 grams

Carbs: 31 grams

Fiber: 2 grams

Protein: 5 grams

Weight Watchers points: 5

Variations & Enhancements

1. Mix toasted, chopped pecans with 2-3 additional tablespoons of brown sugar and about 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of the loaves before baking.

2. Allergic to nuts? Substitute lightly toasted rolled oats for above.

3. Fold in 1/2 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chopped dried apricots--or 1/4 cup chopped candied ginger--just before pouring the batter into the loaf pans.

4. Use chopped walnuts or mixed nuts instead of the pecans. Incorporate the nuts in the batter, then sprinkle a few more on top.

5. Add the grated zest of an orange to the wet ingredients, substituting orange juice (preferably fresh) for the water.

6. Spread the bread with cream cheese, pumpkin butter--or both--for a decadent treat.

7. Serve heated with a scoop of pumpkin or vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Bread Recipe: Wheat, Oats & Honey

"A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread--and Thou."

-- Omar Khayyam

It's officially fall in Southern California, with a slight chance of rain. But at my house, it feels like summer, because my poor oven's been working overtime. Despite efforts to eat more produce and less starch, I gave in to an irresistible impulse to make bread. I salved my conscience about my carb addiction by making loaves with whole-grain wheat and oats, using a recipe I found on the back of the Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour package. Instead of going with the popular anti-gluten camp, I've gone the other direction, indulging my inner gluten glutton. Not only does the recipe call for 4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, it increases the gluten load by adding two tablespoons of concentrated wheat gluten--a gray-white powdery ingredient--to the dough.

FYI, the word gluten comes from the Latin word for glue--and it's aptly named, since it's the elastic substance in wheat (also found in rye and barley) responsible for keeping bread "glued" together and, when kneaded, gives the bread a proper rise. Some high-protein flours like whole wheat and rye have a problem developing their gluten--meaning breads made with these flours need help rising (as do I some mornings!). That's where the vital wheat gluten comes in.

Toasted with peanut butter and mango honey

For those who are avoiding gluten for health reasons, obviously this bread is not for you. For the rest of you, here's a recipe for a loaf of whole wheat bread with just a hint of oats. I found Scottish oats, also from Bob's Red Mill, at my local Whole Foods. I think rolled oats might do just as well. I reduced the salt by a third and never missed the extra sodium. The loaves were dense but not heavy--great with soup, especially excellent toasted and topped with melted cheese, peanut butter and jelly, butter--or just about anything. I thought the bread might freeze well, but we finished it before we could find out.

Here's the recipe, adapted from Bob's Red Mill.

Honey Oatmeal Bread

(Makes two loaves)

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 cups milk
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup Scottish oatmeal
2 tablespoons Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten


Directions:

1) In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour and the yeast.

2) In a sauce pan, heat the milk, honey, oil and salt until warm (about 115 degrees F).

3) Add the liquid to the dry ingredients. If you're using a mixer, use the paddle attachment to mix at slow speed for about half a minute, making sure to scrape the batter from the sides of the bowl. Beat for 3 minutes at high speed. If mixing by hand, stir until ingredients are well combined--about 5 minutes.

4) Stir in oats, wheat gluten and flour. (The recipe suggests doing this by hand, but I used the dough attachment on the mixer to combine the ingredients briefly at low speed.) Add enough of the remaining flour to create a dough that starts to pull away from the sides of bowl.

5) Turn the dough out onto a floured board, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

6) Shape into a ball, and place in a lightly greased bowl, turning to coat the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).

7) Punch down the dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes. Shape into two loaves. Place in two greased 8 1/2"x 4 1/2" loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. If you want, brush a little water on top of the loaves and sprinkle with a few rolled oats.

8) Bake at 375 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, until the loaves are well-browned and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove the loaves from the pans and cool on wire racks. If you can stand to wait, let the loaves cool completely before slicing. However, if you're like me, you probably won't.

Tinkering*:

1) Try using white whole wheat flour for a milder taste.

2) Reduce honey and add 1 or 2 tablespoons of molasses.

3) Knead 1/4 to 1/2 cup of raisins into the dough.

4) Use half all-purpose white flour or bread flour, and leave out the vital wheat gluten--or use just 1 tablespoon.

*I haven't tried these variations, so I can't vouch for the results, but baking and cooking are all about experimentation, so why not give it a whirl?


Calories & Points (for 16 slices per loaf):

105 calories

3 Weight Watchers points per slice

Good Karmal: Not Your Grandma's Caramel

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

                                                      -- Eleanor Roosevelt
                               
 

Patty Triplett West 

Think Montana and what comes to mind? Mountains, bears, camping and perhaps a sizzling beefsteak? But caramels? Not so much. Yet a thriving caramel business is what my husband and I discovered during a recent visit to the pretty south Montana town of Bozeman, about 90 miles from Yellowstone. At the family-owned and operated Good Karmal, those cute little confections that used to turn up in your grandma's candy dish or in your Halloween goody bag have had a 21st century makeover. Instead of Kraft cubes, they now come in little cellophane-wrapped logs in flavors ranging from sea salt to caramel apple to chipotle--all wrapped up in inspirational quotes.

We stopped in to meet founder and CEO Patty Triplett West, who gave up a high-profile Hollywood PR gig to create her candy business, which also employs husband Ryan, brother Steve, a few local college students and graduates, and sometimes, during holiday rushes, fellow moms and even her two daughters, Jane and Ruby, ages 5 and 8, in a quilting-bee-style wrapping fest.

At the local caramel factory that makes the kosher dairy, gluten-free treats to Patty's specifications--mixing brown and white sugars, cream, butter, tapioca starch, vanilla and salt, plus various natural flavorings--long sheets of caramel are sliced and diced, spun in metal cylinders, wrapped and boxed, awaiting the final human touch--quotes on small colored slips of paper that enclose the candy. That process takes place in the Good Karmal offices inside a building that backs onto rolling open fields and is adjacent to the sprawling Montana State University campus.

The view from Good Karmal

I sat down with Patty to talk about the high points of caramels vs. other treats and what it takes to create the highest-quality caramel--and how someone who made her name in Hollywood PR working for the likes of actress Sarah Michelle Gellar and film and TV producer J. J. Abrams became the CEO of a caramel company.

"I've always loved caramels," she said. "So when I found out you could make them on your stove top without any fancy equipment, I had to try it, even though I'm not a great baker or chef at all. They turned out great."

In 2002, while working at Warner Bros., Patty began giving out holiday gifts of the caramels wrapped in some of her favorite quotes. "Most of the people I gave these gifts to were sort of important people--celebrities, journalists, producers--and I got a really great response right away."

Shortly after it started, the company got a big boost after Oprah Winfrey picked the candy as one of her "favorite things" on her holiday show.

Caramels, hot off the presses

But success brought new challenges. Patty quit her job and moved with her husband to Santa Cruz to work on the business full time, but they were still making every piece of caramel by hand. When they discovered a local candy manufacturer in Bozeman willing to do it for them, they decided to move again.

Why caramels?

"It's a light treat. It doesn't sit in your stomach all day like a fudge would," she said. "I really see this as a spiritual gift, a quote wrapped around the caramel to make you think. And the sugar makes you more happy about it."

Good Karmal comes in six flavors--vanilla, sea salt, chocolate sea salt, cafe caramel, caramel apple and chipotle. Two caramels have 120 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 3 Weight Watchers Plus points.

"Our most popular flavor is definitely the sea salt," she said. "It's an old-fashioned vanilla flavor with the sprinkling of a nice crunchy sea salt on the outside--and it's delicious."

I'll vouch for that, although I'm rather partial to the chipotle, which has a hint of peppery spice, giving the candy a bit of an edge. The candies are much softer than the Kraft version, and the sea salt variety really do crunch slightly when you take a bite. Patty said the company is always considering new flavors. A caramel slab for those who would like to bake with Good Karmal is one possibility. Yes, please!

As for the quotes, they're really the piece that sets the candy apart. They're less like fortune cookie messages and more positive sayings you might paste on your computer or send to a friend--bits of good karma(l), so to speak.

"I've always been a passionate collector of quotes. I feel like the right quote always finds me at a certain point in my life as a message that makes me really shift my thinking," Patty said. Mixing the love of candy and the love of quotes "made perfect sense for who I am, because I loved candy, but I was always looking for more meaning in my life and thought that other people might be too."

One of her favorite quotes is from Gandhi:

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world."

Good Karmal basket

"I love that quote because even the littlest things--letting someone in in traffic, smiling at the checkout person who's having a bad day--I think that's who I want to be--and that's the change I want to see."

Her brother Steve says his favorite quote is from Jimi Hendrix:

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."

Patty avoids overtly religious sayings that might offend someone or be preachy.

"I consider myself a kindist. I think we should all be nice to each other and nice to the Earth." The quotes reflect this philosophy--with some of the profits benefiting environmental causes.

Baskets and favors tailored for weddings, baby showers, sports events, grand openings, hospitals, charities--all of these are keeping the factory humming, Patty said. Perhaps it would be nice to go beyond her web-based model and sell her caramels in a few upscale retail outlets in Los Angeles and New York, she muses. But she doesn't want to grow so big she won't have time to pick up her daughters from school and enjoy the great life she and her husband have found in Bozeman.

"I'm all for slow, smart growth."

Sounds like a quote worth wrapping round a caramel.


Here's a video of Patty Triplett West talking about Good Karmal. It was produced by my husband, Jefferson Graham.

Making a Vegetable Soup from Late Summer Bounty

Even if you don't eat Campbell's soups, it's hard to disagree with the company's longtime slogan, "Soup is good food."  I prefer making my own to opening a can. It's really so easy, economical and delicious that I don't understand why everyone doesn't do it. Even the extra time that goes into making it is a one-time effort, as the soup can last for days--even a week if you make enough. You can easily freeze portions of it for reheating later if you decide you're tired of having the same soup for lunch daily. You can also change the flavor profile after a few days, adding leftover roast chicken, pasta or roasted vegetables.

You can make the soup as simple as you want, with three or four ingredients, or throw in almost anything and everything that happens to be in your fridge (my favorite method!). When I make soup, I often recall "Stone Soup," the childhood tale about a dish that begins when travelers throw a large stone in a pot of water over a fire and solicit a little of this and a little of that from passers-by. In no time, the concoction turns into a delicious soup that feeds an entire village.

My soups are often vegetable-rich but low in fat and sodium, because at our house we're always trying to shed a few pounds and watching our salt intake. Sometimes I use a recipe for inspiration, but often I try to reconstruct a soup I remember from childhood, with embellishments.

The recipe below is a takeoff on a perennial Weight Watchers favorite of many  members--the famous Garden Vegetable Soup (here's a link to a close rendition of the original recipe from Dr. Oz). On the organization's current Points Plus plan, the soup has zero points, because it is almost entirely composed of vegetables. My version includes many of those vegetables, then adds a few optional ingredients that up the point count** just a little, but, I believe, improve the flavor a lot. Amounts are really variable. The more vegetables you have in proportion to broth, the thicker the soup will be. The beauty of the dish is you can add or subtract vegetables, vary the spices, the broth and the additions, and create an entirely different soup. (See my note on tinkering at the end.) Partly pureeing the soup leads to a thicker texture, which I like, but it may not be to everyone's taste. The resulting soup reminded me of a bowl of minestrone that I once enjoyed at Capp's Corner in San Francisco's North Beach.

Chopped veggies

Cooked veggies

Blended veggies

Summer Vegetable Soup

(Makes about 10 to 12 cups)

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced

1 small leek or half a large one, chopped (mix of green and white)

1/2 large bell pepper (red, orange or yellow preferred)

2-3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 large stalks celery, diced

1 small zucchini, diced,

2 fresh tomatoes, chopped (or 1 cup canned, or a combination)

2-3 large leaves Swiss chard, with stems, chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh or frozen green beans

1 ear of corn, sliced from cob or 1/2 - 3/4 cup frozen corn*

1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced

8 cups low-salt chicken, vegetable or beef broth  

1 small potato, cooked and mashed*

1 bay leaf

1-2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped 

1-2 Tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp. dried)

1/2 Tbsp. fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp. dried)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed*

1 to 2 Tbsp. champagne, balsamic or other vinegar (or dill pickle juice)*

1/2 tsp. sugar or honey*

Parmesan cheese*

*Optional ingredients

Sauteing vegetables in my favorite cast-iron pan

Directions:

Chop onion, leeks, pepper, carrots, celery and zucchini. Saute over low heat in pan coated with cooking spray, stirring frequently for 5 to 10 minutes until vegetables are just starting to soften. Heat broth on another burner with bay leaf. Add braised vegetables. Return pan to fire and add chopped chard, cilantro and parsley. Stir until chard is just slightly wilted. Add to soup pot, along with the corn and mashed potato (if using). Add basil, oregano, salt and pepper.

Cover and cook another 15 to 20 minutes until vegetables are almost done. Remove lid and let cool for about 10 minutes. Puree with immersion blender, making sure to leave some chunks, or, alternately, remove half of the soup and puree in blender or food processor, pulsing so as not to completely liquefy the soup. Return to the soup pot and reheat mixture on medium heat, adding green beans and garbanzos, if using. Stir in vinegar and sugar, if using (I find that these add a depth of taste that I like, but you could leave either or both out). Taste to see if additional salt or spices are needed. Heat until green beans are just tender. Add more broth if soup is too thick. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan and chopped cilantro.



Tinkering:

• Add 1 cup chopped cooked chicken or turkey.
• Substitute 1 cup of chopped cabbage and 1 cup chopped spinach or kale for the chard.
• Add a half cup of cooked brown rice or pasta to the soup at the end (in place of garbanzos or in addition).
• Use black or pinto beans in place of garbanzos.
• Increase the flavor of the soup by adding a Parmesan rind to the broth when you add the vegetables (but don't forget to remove if you're pureeing it).
• Use tomato sauce, tomato paste or leftover meat sauce in place of chopped tomatoes.
• Saute vegetables in a tablespoon or two of olive oil to add some healthy fat and flavor.
• Add jalapenos, cayenne, a few tablespoons of mild or hot salsa, smoky paprika, cumin or other spicy additions to amp up the heat.

**Note: I can't vouch for the accuracy of my Weight Watchers point counts for this soup, as there is so much possible variation in the recipe. I would probably count 2 to 3 points per cup for the soup, with the addition of corn, garbanzos, potato and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Buon appetito!

Zucchini Muffins: 2 Versions

Back in the Dark Ages (ok, the mid-'70s), I was living in San Francisco's Richmond District, scraping by on a temp worker's salary and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. To while away date-less evenings, I often baked something sweet to share with my roommates. One of the popular items of the day was zucchini bread. The version I remember making was a dark, somewhat dense loaf with the bright green zucchini bits subdued amid the raisins and nuts.

Over the weekend, in a nostalgic mood, I decided to try making more portable versions of the loaves in the form of muffins. I first tried a recipe for Zucchini Lemon Muffins from one of my favorite cookbooks of late, "The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion." I pretty much followed the recipe, but then amped up the sweet and crunch factors with a streusel topping (brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon). The result was a bit too sweet for my taste, so I would probably nix the streusel next time, but for those with a sweet tooth, I have included it in the following recipe, along with the changes I made to the original recipe in parentheses.

Zucchini Lemon Muffins (Version #1)

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Grated peel of 1 lemon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup packed, shredded, unpeeled zucchini

Streusel:

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon peel in a large bowl. Stir in walnuts and raisins. In a smaller bowl, combine eggs, milk and oil. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and add the wet ingredients. Stir until barely combined. Gently fold in zucchini. Combine brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon for the topping, if using.

Spoon into greased 12-cup muffin tin(s). Sprinkle streusel on top, if using. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when you press them with your fingertips. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes on a rack, then  turn out of the pans to finish cooling.

Notes:

King Arthur says the recipe makes 12 muffins, but my recipe made 16.
Each had about 6 Weight Watchers points with the streusel. Subtract a point if you don't use it. Calories: Approximately 210 each with streusel, 192 without.

Zucchini-Carrot Muffins (Version #2)

Mini-muffins, fresh from the oven

After my husband, who is trying to lose a few lbs, complained about how sugary my muffins were, I decided to try coming up with a lighter, less sweet version. I halved the oil and added homemade applesauce (super easy to make with peeled, cored apples boiled until soft in a little water, then mashed with a potato masher) to replace the oil I left out. I also cut the calorie-laden nuts and raisins in the King Arthur recipe, replaced the lemon zest with orange, half the zucchini with shredded carrots, and used egg substitute and egg whites in place of regular eggs. I halved the salt as well and used a cup of Trader Joe's gluten-free flour in place of one cup of flour and switched the sweeteners a bit. The result was a tender, lighter-colored muffin with the bright taste of orange shining through. I put most of the batter in mini-muffin tins to reduce the calorie and point count even more. Microwaved for breakfast with a bit of low-sugar apricot jam, these hit the spot!

Ingredients:

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup gluten-free flour (or flour of your choice)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Grated peel of one orange
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup honey
2 egg whites
1/4 cup egg substitute (or 2 more egg whites)
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup shredded carrots

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix flours, sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon (if using) and orange peel until well incorporated in a large bowl. Add raisins and nuts. Mix remaining ingredients, except zucchini and carrot, in small bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and briefly mix together. Gently fold in the grated zucchini and carrots.

Spoon into greased regular and/or mini-muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes for the regular-sized muffins, 15-20 for the minis. As muffins are light in color, you may need to check to make sure they're browned enough. I took mine out too early and put back to bake for a few minutes more. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then finish cooling on a rack.

Notes: 

Makes about 16 regular muffins or 48-50 minis. Each mini has about 44 calories and 1 Weight Watchers Plus point, while the larger ones have about 126 calories each and 4 points.

You could easily freeze these in air-tight freezer bags and warm up in the microwave later. Most muffins fare better warm than cold, and lower-fat muffins are even less tender tasting when cold, so warming them up really makes the difference between tender and tough. Make sure not to overheat, however. Just a few seconds in the microwave is enough. A minute or so and you've got something not only scorching but terminally inedible.