Green Bean Casserole

1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 c. water
1 can (10 oz.) stewed tomatoes
1 1/4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. No Salt Salt (optional)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cloves (optional)
1 bay leaf
4 c. cooked green beans, or canned (drained)
1 c. whole wheat bread crumbs

Sauté onion, celery, and green pepper in water until tender, 5 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and place in a 2-quart casserole.

Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaf.

*this recipe is from the Mormon Diet Cookbook.  When I made this for dinner today for the first time,  I was using what I happened to have.  I used canned green chili's instead of the green pepper.  I did not add ground cloves or the bay leaf.  It also seemed to be to watery, so if it seems to watery before you bake it, I would drain it first.

Kraft Fat Free Shredded Cheese

My husband really likes this fat free cheese.  A few years ago when we first tried it I liked it but was not sold.  We have recently started buying it again and I am liking it much more this time. 

It is really good on chili, taco soup, baked potatoes, and other things that you put shredded cheese on right before serving, however for things like pizza, that you would bake after putting the cheese on, it doesn’t melt well, and is more stiff.

But like all the other things I have blogged about, my husband likes it either way, so you have to try it yourself.

Taco Soup (Vegetarian)

1/4 c. water
1 small onion, chopped
3 cans stewed tomatoes (or 3 cans tomato sauce for thicker soup)
3 cans (4 oz) chopped green chili’s
1 tsp. No Salt Salt (optional)
1 tsp. pepper 
6 c. mixed beans, cooked
2 cups frozen corn
1 pkg. (6 TBS.) taco seasoning
1 1/2 c. water

In a large soup kettle saute onion in water until tender.

Add all ingredients, bring to boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

About 6-8 servings

*this recipe is from The Mormon Diet Cookbook with a few modifications.  It is probably mine and Tyler’s favorite meal. We eat it with Baked Tortilla chips and Fat Free Kraft Shredded Cheese.

Fat-Free Bean Butter Substitute

Someone told me once that you could used mashed beans as a butter substitute.  So far I think this is the best and cheapest butter substitute I have tried. 

I always use white beans (Great Northern) because of the color—dark beans may change your expected color outcome.

All you do is cook the beans until they are soft.  Boiling them on medium heat for about an hour does the trick.  Just be sure to check them often to make sure they do not burn.

I use a hand mixer to mash them and add water till they reach the consistency of a spreadable butter. 

Beans will get moldy after a couple weeks, so don’t cook to many at a time.

Smart Squeeze

I have heard that real butter is better for you than margarine because it is all natural.  I am not sure if this is “more healthy” that either of the two.  But it is a Fat-Free substitute.  It is not meant for baking.  I have had luck in a couple recipes, but mostly not. I like it on baked potatoes and I use it in Macaroni and Cheese.  Really, it’s one of those things that you have to try for yourself and decide what you like.

No-Salt Salt

This is a sodium-free salt substitute that we use in all of our baking.

I personally do not like it on popcorn or watermelon, or other things that just need that salty flavor.  My husband likes it though, so it is a personal choice.

Reese’s Chewy Chocolate Cookies

2 cups wheat flour
3/4 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon No-Salt Salt
1 cup fat-free-bean butter substitute
1/4 cup Smart Squeeze
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 package Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside.

2. Beat fat-free-bean butter substitute, Smart Squeeze and sugar in large bowl with mixer. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet sprayed with Fat Free PAM.

3. Bake 8 to 9 minutes. (Do not over bake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling.) Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4-1/2 dozen cookies.

PAN RECIPE:

Spread batter in greased 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350°F 20 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into bars. About 4 dozen bars.

*this recipe is originally from the back of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Chip’s bag

Changes we made to make these cookies more healthy:

• used wheat flour
• used No-Salt Salt
• used a fat-free butter substitute (you can use 1 1/4 cup fat-free-bean butter substitute and no Smart Squeeze, I think the flavor is a little better using some Smart Squeeze, since it has a butter flavor. If you use all Smart Sqeeze and no fat-free-bean butter substitute than the cookies still taste cook, but are sticky.
• reduced the amount of sugar by 1/2 cup
• used 4 egg whites instead of 2 eggs (you can use an egg substitute, they turn out more cake-like.)
• cut the amount of Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips in half. (this is a personal preference. Growing up we always used less chocolate chips than the recipe called for and it always seemed like plenty.)

I am usually not a fan of “healthy” cookies, because when you want a cookie, you want a cookie, but I really like these cookies. They are healthier and they satisfy that craving.