Magical Mango Snack Cake

by The Meal Makeover Moms on January 8th, 2010

If you like the recipe we recently posted for Sweet Spiced Persimmon Bars but don’t have ripe persimmons on hand (or you’ve never cooked with persimmons and don’t plan on taking the plunge any time soon) … consider this made-over version featuring a gorgeous, ripe mango instead. Our kids all tried this sweet and satisfying treat, and it was a resounding success with each and every one of them. Even Liz’s 14-year old son, Josh, who just got braces (ouch) managed to down quite a few.

The other motivation for creating this snack cake came from a blog post on Gourmet Mom on the Go asking readers to submit recipes for the National Mango Board’s Mom & Mangos recipe contest. Mangos are an excellent source of vitamins A and C and a good source of fiber, and their fabulous tropical flavor can’t be beat.

Magical Mango Snack Cake

Makes 24 Servings

  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 very ripe large mango, peeled, pit removed, and pureed in a food processor (to yield about 1 cup)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
  • Confectioners’ sugar, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, and canola oil until well combined. Add the mango and whisk to combine.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, walnuts, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.

4. Stir the flour mixture and the chocolate chips into the mango mixture until just  combined

5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool, slice, and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar as desired.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 160 calories, 9g fat (1g saturated, 0.9g omega-3), 85mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 2g protein

Print Recipe

This snack cake is perfect for a mid-morning pick-me-up, a lunchbox treat, or for something special when you’re entertaining. In other words, it’s a crowd pleaser!

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5 Comments | Filed Under Desserts, Fruits, Snacks 

Podcast 87: Persimmon Cookie “Rescue”

by The Meal Makeover Moms on December 30th, 2009

In season October through February, bright orange persimmons are often found adorning holiday tables … but have you ever tried them before?  Much to our embarrassment, neither of us had feasted on persimmons until Catarina, a Facebook fan from San Ramone, CA sent us a box filled with Hachiya (hi-CHEE-ah) persimmons picked straight from her father-in-law’s backyard persimmon tree.

The back story behind these gorgeous orange orbs is as follows (it gets a little complicated, so follow closely):

> Catarina posted a note on our Facebook fan page asking if we could give her mother-in-law’s persimmon cookies a healthy makeover. Made with a cup of Crisco, she hoped The Meal Makeover Moms could lighten things up with a healthier oil.
> Catarina is married to Robert, and they have a 6-year old son named Enzo. Robert’s grandparents, Salvadore and Rose, had a persimmon tree in their backyard, which Robert enjoyed as a child.
> Robert’s dad now lives in the house, and the tree continues to bear its beautiful fruit each autumn.

The original cookie recipe (which Catarina sometimes turns into “bars”) called for 2 cups of all-purpose flour, a cup of Crisco, and a cup each of sugar, persimmon pulp, raisins, and chopped walnuts. “I love it because it’s a family recipe that’s been passed down. While I’d like to put a cookie in Enzo’s lunchbox, I’d feel a lot better if the oil was more heart friendly,” Catarina told us.

So for our Recipe Rescue we …

> Replaced the cup of trans-fat laden shortening with half a cup of canola oil.
> Cut the sugar from 1 cup to 3/4 cup (we tested the recipe with brown sugar and granulated, and either works fine).
> Replaced some of the flour with whole wheat.
> Tested the recipe in a 9×13-inch baking pan as a “bar.” Catarina used the batter for cookies (how’s that for versatility!?).

Here’s what Catarina thought of the new cookie recipe: “I LOVE the new recipe! I could immediately taste the difference without the Crisco. It is a clean, crisp taste. Robert said that he wants to be ‘bad’ when he eats a cookie, and that is why he eats cookies. But he was pleasantly surprised with the taste. I bet I could increase the sugar back to 1 cup for special occasions.”


Sweet Spiced Persimmon Bars

Makes 24 Servings

This batter can be turned into a bar or a cookie.  You can either use brown sugar or granulated sugar. If you use brown, your bars/cookies will be a little darker in color and moister in texture.

  • 2 very ripe Hachiya persimmons (to yield 1 cup puree)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar or granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • 1 cup golden raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Use a knife to remove the green top of the persimmons as well as any grainy middle or seeds. Place the persimmons – skin and all — in a blender or a food processor and blend to a smooth pulp. Measure off 1 cup of puree and reserve (and freeze) any remainder.

3. In a bowl, combine the persimmon pulp, egg, and baking soda.  Whisk together and set aside (the mixture will gel slightly).

4.  In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and canola oil until well combined. Add the persimmon mixture and whisk to combine.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the persimmon mixture and stir until combined. Stir in the nuts and raisins.

6. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 bar):  160 calories, 8g fat (0.5g saturated, 0.9 omega-3), 80mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 2g protein

Print Recipe

Catarina’s Sweet Spiced Persimmon Cookies

The batter yields 30 cookies. They are lower in saturated fat and calories than the original recipe because we nixed the shortening, and they don’t contain any trans fats (the original recipe had 2.5 grams trans fat per cookie while our new-and-improved cookie and bar have none)!

To make the cookies, Catarina used a scoop, which looked like a small ice cream scoop (around 2 tablespoons). She baked her cookies for 18 minutes, though depending on your oven and the type of cookie sheet you use, the cookies could be done as soon as 12 minutes.

We had a great time giving this recipe a healthy makeover. It’s perfect for a snack or dessert, and thanks to the persimmons (a good source of vitamin C and beta carotene), whole wheat flour, canola oil, raisins, and omega-3 rich walnuts, it’s an easy way to boost the nutrition of your family’s diet.

For lots more information on persimmons be sure to listen to this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast. And to see all the photos from our persimmon cookie “Rescue,” visit our Meal Makeover Moms’ Flickr page.

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8 Comments | Filed Under Desserts, Fruits, Podcast, RecipeRescue, Snacks 

Blueberry Peanut Smoothie … and Banilla, Melon & Grape Juice Slurpy

by The Meal Makeover Moms on October 30th, 2009

As promised on this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast, here are two new smoothie recipes for you and your kids to enjoy.

blueberry-peanut-smoothie

The first recipe for Blueberry Peanut Smoothie is something we recently tried at the annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) in Denver. Inside the busy and bustling conferfence Expo hall, the National Peanut Board handed out little samples of this smoothie. To be quite honest, initially, we thought the blueberry and PB combo was weird, but we gave it a try and we’re glad that we did. This smoothie rocks! Please let us know if you get a chance to try it … we’d love to hear your feedback on this one.

Blueberry Peanut Smoothie
Makes 3 (1 cup) Servings

  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 3 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup 1% lowfat milk
  • 2 cups fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt
  • 1/2 cup ice

1. Place blueberries, peanut butter, and milk into a blender. Cover and blend at high speed for 30 seconds.

2. Add frozen yogurt and ice and blend until smooth. Pour into individial glasses and serve with a straw.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 290 calories, 9g fat (2g saturated), 46g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 10g protein, 20% calcium

melon-smoothie-ingredients

Our second smoothie was inspired by Casey Lewis, the dietitian with Welch’s.

 

We had an opportunity to meet with Casey at the ADA convention, and during our conversation, learned that white grape juice has twice the antioxidant power of apple juice (this really surprised us). Of course we knew that red grapes (and purple grape juice and red wine!) were good for us, so we were delighted to learn about the healthful benefits of white grape juice too.  We decided right then and there to create a simple smoothie using white grape juice … so here goes.

melon-smoothie

Banilla, Melon & Grape Juice Slurpy
Makes 3 (1 cup) Servings

  • 1 ½ cups cubed cantaloupe
  • 1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1/2 cup white grape juice
  • 4 ice cubes

1. Place the melon, yogurt, banana, grape juice, and ice cubes in a blender and blend well until smooth.

2. Pour into individual glasses and serve with a straw.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 160 calories, 1.5g fat (0.5g saturated), 70mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 5g protein, 60% vitamin A, 80% vitamin C, 15% calcium

Stay tuned for next week’s podcast when we dish about the fantastic food scene in Denver.

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3 Comments | Filed Under Fruits, Snacks 

Podcast 75: Autumn Apples

by The Meal Makeover Moms on October 6th, 2009

Wow. We can hardly believe we recorded our 75th Cooking with the Moms podcast show this week!  Time sure flies when you have a lot to talk about and a lot of recipes to share. This week was no exception.

Autumn is a gorgeous time of year here in New England as the leaves turn to a rainbow of amazing colors. It’s a feast for the eyes … and if you’re lucky like we are, it’s also a time to feast on local apples. There are plenty to choose from at farmer’s markets, roadside stands, and U-pick orchards.  To celebrate fall’s amazing bounty of apples, we created two recipes for the show. The first is a baked apple stuffed with a mixture of dried fruit and walnuts and our second is a simple side dish Janice whipped up the other night, using apples from her CSA.

Baked Apples with Walnut & Dried Fruit Filling
Makes 4 Servings

Growing up, Liz’s mom made baked apples every fall. The aroma was intoxicating and to this day, the smell of apples baking in the oven brings back fond memories of those crisp autumn days. Apples are rich in fiber – yes, an apple a day may keep the doctor away – and are perfect for snacks or even dessert.  The inspiration for the creation of this nut and fruit-filled baked apple came from Eating Well magazine.

  • 4 medium apples
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 cup dried fruit (we used golden raisins and dried cranberries)
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • Pinch ground cinnamon
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 cup apple juice or apple cider

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Core the apples almost all the way through to the bottom with a sharp knife or apple corer. You should have about a 1-inch-wide hole after the apples have been cored. Use a small spoon to remove any remaining seeds.  Place in a small baking/casserole dish.

3. Place the walnuts and dried fruit in a mini food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt and pulse a few more times to combine.

4. Gently press the filling into each apple cavity. Pour the apple juice into the baking dish.  Cover the apples with aluminum foil or cover with a fitted lid and bake 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake, uncovered, an additional 10 to 20 minutes until done (golden delicious will need more time than McIntosh). Baste every 10 minutes.

5. When the apples are soft and tender (test by piercing with a wooden skewer), remove from oven. Serve warm, at room temp, or cold.  Top with some of the pan juices and either whipped cream or lowfat frozen vanilla ice cream or yogurt.

Tip: Check out Eating Well for their tips on making the perfect baked apple.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 290 calories, 10g fat (1g saturated), 70mg sodium, 52g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, 3g protein, 15% vitamin C

Sautéed Cinnamon Apples
Makes 8 Servings

When Janice had her two sisters and brother over to celebrate Leah’s 10th birthday, she served pork chops and a ham steak  from her Vermont-based meat CSA, The Houde Family Farm.   For a sweet and savory side dish, she made these simple sauteed cinnamon apples.

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 4 medium apples, cored and chopped into ½-inch pieces – I used macs and gala (peeled or unpeeled)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 pinch nutmeg

1. Heat the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is very tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Add the apples, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg and stir well to coat.  Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving:  65 calories, 1.5g fat (1g saturated), 70mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate, 2.5g fiber, 0.5g protein

What’s your favorite fall apple recipe? Do tell!!

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3 Comments | Filed Under Desserts, Fruits, Sides, Snacks 
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