Cool Cooking Substitutes That Are Healthy For You

Today I was watching Dr. Oz and he was sharing some substitutes for items like Mayo & sugar.  Anytime I can find something that is good for us and tasty, I'm all for it.  So, I found this recipe and plan to try it on the teenagers and hubby soon.


Things shared on the show were banana puree substituting 1/2 the sugar in recipes.  Silkening Tofu in place of cream and a few others, check them out by clicking HERE to visit Dr. Oz's website today.


If you try, please post your feedback and share your results.


Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

1/3 cup peanut butter

2 tbsp 2% milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp agave nectar

1 large egg

2 1/2 cups quick-cooking or rolled oats

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

Dash ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Make banana puree by mashing the bananas with a fork until smooth. Whisk in the peanut butter, milk, vanilla, agave, and egg. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.  

Drop dough onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed or lined with parchment paper. Bake 13-16 minutes or until pale golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes.  

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Anytime I can use my crockpot to cook I will.  Having Fibromyalgia and not many days that are pain free, I'm now on a hunt for more crockpot/slow cooker meals to avoid eating unhealthy fast food.

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 garlic clove -- chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey

Use a 4 quart slow cooker.

Put the chicken into your cooker. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients, then pour evenly over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Serve over rice

Serves 4

Fettuccine with Spicy Chicken, Sausage, Kale & Tomatoes

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb spicy italian chicken sausage, casings discarded and sausage crumbled
1 bunch kale, tough stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
1 tomato, roughly chopped
1/3 lb whole wheat fettuccine
1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Asiago plus additional for serving

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add sausage and brown for 5-7 minutes, breaking up lumps with a spoon.

Meanwhile, blanch the kale in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 5 minutes, uncovered. 


Remove the kale with a large sieve and drain. Return the cooking water to a boil, then add fettuccine and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta in a colander.

While the pasta is cooking, add the kale and tomatoes to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes. Add the broth, stirring and scraping up any brown bits in the skillet. Add the pasta and 1/4 cup of the pasta water, tossing until combined well. Stir in the cheese to incorporate, and thin with additional pasta water if desired.

2 Servings