Chocolate Banana Almond Muffins

Chocolate Banana Almond Muffins
4 points each (see note below on how to reduce points)

We had several bananas getting really dark that were just begging to be baked into something. So my little sous chef and I decided to make banana muffins for breakfast this morning. I used the banana variation of the basic muffin recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. And of course I "hollified" it as well.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white flour
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup flax seed meal (can be omitted)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 2 mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds (or other type of nut)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 and spray muffin pan
• In mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, flax seed meal, powder and salt
• Add egg, bananas, milk, almonds and chocolate chips. Mix until just combined.
• Divide batter into muffin pan
• Bake in 400 degree oven for 18 - 20 minutes
• Muffins are done when toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

Notes: The original recipe calls for 1/3 cup of sugar, which I actually intended to add, but I forgot about it. The muffins were plenty sweet with the banana and the chocolate chips though. They could have used a tiny bit more sugar; perhaps 2 tablespoons. Also, the original recipe calls for 1/4 cup cooking oil, which I (intentionally) omitted.

To reduce points:

• Omit almonds, 3 points each muffin
• Omit chocolate chips, 2.5 points each muffin
• Omit both almonds and chocolate chips, 2 points each (1.75 points, really)
• Reduce almonds by half, 3.5 points each
• Reduce chocolate chips by half, 3 points each
• Reduce both almonds and chocolate chips by half, 3 points each (2.75 points, really)

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

2 points per 1 cup serving

My newest obsession is Qdoba's Vegetarian Mexican Gumbo and this Tortilla Soup is part of my recreation of it. This recipe is just for the soup, and at the end, I will tell you how I put it together w/ other ingredients to make my own Mexican Gumbo. This soup recipe is based on one I found at allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbl olive oil
• 1 lb. package of frozen Grilled Pepper Blend (I found these at Target - Archer Farms brand)
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 Tbl ground cumin
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 small can chopped green chile peppers (Use more or less to taste. I actually like things very spicy, but I only added about 3/4 can so it wouldn't be too spicy for my 3 year old. I would have liked at least 2 cans for my own taste.)
• 4 tsp Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base (or 4 vegetarian bouillon cubes or 4 cups of vegetarian broth).
• 4 cups water (if using broth, eliminate water!)
• 11 oz can of whole kernel corn (I used Green Giant Mexicorn)

Directions

• Heat olive oil in large pot
• Add onion, garlic and frozen pepper blend and saute until vegetables are tender
• Add crushed tomatoes, cumin, chile peppers, bouillon and water and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and simmer about 20 minutes.
• Add corn and simmer another 5 minutes.

To make Mexican Gumbo, add 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, 1/2 cup cooked black beans to a bowl, then add 1 cup of Tortilla Soup. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, lime juice, avocado or guacamole, tortilla chips and/or whatever else you can imagine!! Obviously, all of these things add to the points value; but it makes for a very filling main dish!!

Oat Dinner Muffins

Oat Dinner Muffins

Guessing at 2-3 points each

I came up with this recipe so that I'd have a quick, whole grain bread to eat with beans, soups, etc. Cornbread is really tasty, but since the corn is degerminated in the milling process, it is not a whole grain.

I majorly modified a basic muffin recipe from my trusty ol' Better Homes And Gardens Cook Book and came up with these sweet, delicious, whole grain dinner muffins. I completely eliminated cooking oil from the recipe to make it lower in fat and you can't even tell.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white flour


• 3/4 cup rolled oats


• 1/4 cup flax seed meal


• 1/4 cup sugar (though, I think I will use a bit less next time)


• 2 tsp baking powder


• 1/4 tsp salt


• 1 beaten egg


• 3/4 cup milk

Directions:

• Spray muffin pan or line with paper baking cups.


• Preheat oven to 400.


• In medium bowl, combine flour, oats, flax seed meal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture.


• In another bowl, combine egg and milk.


• Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until just moistened (batter should be lumpy).


• Spoon batter into muffin pan. I used a 1/4 measuring cup and it only made 8 muffins vs. the 12 the original recipe stated it would yield.


• Sprinkle dry rolled oats on the top of muffin batter.


• Bake in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers come out clean.