Low Fat Greek Yogurt and Apple Sauce Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I love this recipe for low-fat banana chocolate chip muffins for so many reasons:

1) I saw it on Pinterest and for once, it didn't suck!
2) It is low-fat but actually tastes delicious
3) It uses both apple sauce and low fat Greek yogurt in place of butters and oils
4) It is moist (I hate that word, too;) and springy

What You'll Need:

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp soy butter (or regular butter if you don't have this handy)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Ideal white sugar substitute (or white sugar substitute, like Splenda)
• 1 cup chocolate chips (you can cut back according to your taste)

What You'll Do (for about 24 muffins):

• Pre-heat your oven to 190C (370F)
• Line your muffin tins with muffin cups (cuter the better!)
• In a small bowl, mash your three bananas
• In your mix master, or using your hand blender and a larger bowl, mix together your apple sauce, dollop of soy butter, low-fat Greek yogurt, brown sugar, Ideal (or other white sugar alternative, like Splenda) and vanilla
• Blend well - for about 2 minutes or until very smooth
• In a separate bowl, add in your whole wheat flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda
• Mix thoroughly
• Separate your eggs, keeping the egg whites and adding them into your banana mixture
• Pour your banana mixture into your wet mixture and blend until mixed
• Add your wet mixture into your dry mixture, stirring until combined but not smooth, leaving some lumps for good measure!
• Fold in your chocolate chips
• Fill each muffin cup just over 1/2 way full 
• Bake for around 15 minutes or until the tops are lightly brown and when you stick a toothpick in, it comes out clean
• Place on a wire cooling rack and enjoy!

 If you are more of a loaf over muffin fan, this recipe can easily be turned into two lovely banana chocolate chip loaves. Just bake for around 35-40 minutes instead.

The STEWART SCORE:
Appearance: 1.5 - nothing to write home about
Taste: 2 - for a low-fat baked good, this is the stuff!
Ease: 2

French-Inspired Apple Tart with Rhubarb Compote

I love making desserts and having recently found puff-pastry here in Holland, I was quite excited to make a lovely French-inspired apple tart, using a rhubarb compote base.

This is a simple recipe that yields delicious results (especially when served hot with icecream).

What You'll Need:

• Base of a large spring form pan or very shallow pie pan
• One roll of puff pastry, from the fridge, not freezer
• 2 Tbsp rhubarb compote (you can also use apple sauce). You can buy this pre-made and it is often found in the jams and jelly aisles. The brand I used was 'Bonne Mama' from France
• 4 apples (I used some sweet, red apples, but you can also opt for a more tart variety like a Granny Smith)
• 2 Tbsp of caster sugar
• 1 Tbsp butter

What You'll Do:

• Roll out your puff pastry over top of your greased base of your spring form pan
• Trim the pastry so it just overlaps the base
• Crimp the pastry so there is a slight edge
• Chill in the fridge to re-set
• After about ten minutes, spoon the rhubarb compote onto the pastry, ensuring it is evenly spread
• Chill in the fridge until your apples are ready for placement

• Slice the apples to a very thin width (you can choose to peel your apples, I chose to keep the peels on to maintain some of their natural vitamins...making dessert a health food;)

• Pre-heat your oven to 190C (375F)
• Now, place your apples onto the compote-covered pastry base. This is tricky. You want them to fan out, starting from the inside and working your way inside - using the smaller pieces on the inside
• Once you are happy with the apple placement, sprinkle your sugar on the apples, then dot the pastry with your cubed butter slices

• Place in the oven and bake until lightly brown - around 25 minutes
• Serve hot with vanilla icecream. A delicious and light dessert!

The STEWART SCORE:
Appearance: 2
Taste: 2 (you can also mix this up by adding cinnamon, or apple cinnamon sauce instead of rhubarb compote)
Ease: 2

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato

I don't love cooking meat in the summer unless I BBQ. Living in Amsterdam makes it tough to BBQ, so we have been going 'meat-free' for much of this month.

I loved this fun, tasty and fresh Tex-Mex inspired stuffed sweet potato recipe that is meat-free, sugar-free and gluten-free.

What You'll Need (serves four):

• 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes. I know these can come large in North America, so if they are monstrous, just use two (1/2 per person)
• 1 baking tray lined in tinfoil
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1 white onion
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Green onion
• 1 cup black beans
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 tomatoes
• Cilantro
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1/2 package of your favourite, gluten-free taco seasoning
• Shredded cheese (I used a spicy hard cheese that I grated very thinly using a Parmesan grater - this way it looks like you have more cheese when you actually eat less!)

What You'll Do:

• Pre-heat your oven to 210C (375F)
• Poke your sweet potatoes so steam can be released when cooking
• Bake for 45 minutes or until really tender (You can also microwave your potatoes for around 10 minutes, ensuring you puncture them before cooking to release steam. I prefer baking as they come out with a much nicer texture)
• While the potatoes are baking, prep your veggies!
• Dice your red pepper and 1/2 your onion and saute using your olive oil until lightly browned
• Mix your taco seasoning into your fat-free Greek yogurt and set aside in the fridge
• Dice your avocado and set aside 
• Dice your green onion and set aside
• Shred your cheese and set aside (keep cool so your cheese doesn't stick together)
• Dice your tomato, other half of your onion, cilantro and add together with some salt and pepper to make a salsa fresca (dry salsa)
• Rinse your black beans and set aside
• Once your potatoes are nice and soft, cut them in half (watch your hands as they are hot!) and load on the toppings!

 
This is a fairly quick, super tasty alternative to tacos or baked potatoes. I hope you like them as much as we do!

The STEWART SCORE:
Appearance: 2 (so colourful!)
Taste: 2
Ease: 1.5 (if you microwave your taters, this would also be a 2)

Avocado Chickpea Salad

Summer is finally here and nothing beats a fresh, healthy salad using all the lovely summer-ready ingredients!

This avocado chickpea salad is quick, easy and very filling.

What You'll Need (serves 4):

• 1/2 large avocado
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (or you could use black beans)
• 1 cup cooked corn
• 1/4 white (or red) onion
• 1 lime
• 1 Tbsp drizzle of your nicest extra virgin olive oil
• fresh cilantro
• Sprinkle of salt
• Twist of fresh black pepper
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes

What You'll Do:

• Dice your avocado and set aside - as you won't add this in until you are ready to serve your salad
• Dice your cherry tomatoes in half
• Rinse and drain your chickpeas and canned corn
• In a separate bowl, squeeze your lime juice and drizzle in your olive oil
• Twist in your pepper and salt
• Twist in your chili flakes
• Dice up your cilantro leaves into small pieces and add into your bowl of liquids
• Mix and pour onto your bowl of chickpeas, tomato and corn
• When you are ready to serve, top with your chopped avocado
• That's it!

This will pair nicely with BBQ'd chicken, my lemony dill baked salmon or my healthy Dukan polenta oatbran chicken nuggets. It will also store in your fridge for a day or two.

The STEWART SCORE:
Appearance: 2
Taste: 2
Ease: 2