Healthy Cooking Class

This month we learned about making healthy choices with the foods we prepare and eat. Merilee Cameron taught the class and referenced the Word of Wisdom found in the Doctrine & Covenants. One way to eat healthier is to buy fruits and vegetables that are fresh which have more vitamins in them. Supporting your local Farmer's market is one way to get local fresh fruits and vegetables. There are two that are close to us.

You can go here to see the website for the Beaverton Farmer's market

SATURDAYS
5/9/09 - 10/31/09
8am - 1:30pm

WEDNESDAYS
6/17/09 - 8/26/09
3pm - 6pm

HARVEST MARKET
11/21/09
8am - 1:30pm

And here is the website for the Hillsboro Farmer's Market

Saturdays, May - October
8:00am to 1:30pm
Downtown Hillsboro

Sunday, May - October
10:00am to 2:00pm
Orenco Station

Here are some recipes for all of you to try

CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD
www.RecipeGirl.com

10 ounces pitted dried prunes
¾ cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
2 large eggs
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp baking soda
½ cup banana chips, chopped coarsely
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. In a small saucepan, bring prunes and 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until prunes are very soft, about 20 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 5×9-inch loaf pan and line bottom with a piece of parchment paper, cut to fit.

3. In a food processor, whirl prunes and bananas until very smooth. Add eggs and whirl to combine.

4. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir in banana mixture until evenly moistened. Stir in banana chips and chocolate chips. Scrape the thick batter into pan and spread level.

5. Bake bread until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out a little chocolatey but not gooey, 40 to 50 minutes. Loosen bread from pan with a knife and invert onto a rack. Remove parchment. Turn bread right-side-up and let cool at least 1 hour before slicing.

Servings: 16
Yield: 16 slices

Cooking Tips
*Shortcut: Sub 10 oz. (1 1/4 cups) unsweetened prune baby food for the pitted prunes, and omit water and cooking in step 1.

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 162
Calories From Fat (28%) 45
Total Fat 5.58g
Saturated Fat 3.35g
Cholesterol 26.44mg
Sodium 190.53mg
Potassium 267.71mg
Carbohydrates 29.79g
Dietary Fiber 4.39g
Sugar 9.43g
Net Carbohydrates 25.40g
Protein 3.38g

WW Points: 4.5

Angel Food Cake

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 1 cup cake flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place flour and salt in a sieve set over a bowl; sift into bowl, and set aside. With a mixer, beat egg whites on mediumhigh until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Continue to beat, gradually adding sugar; beat until stiff peaks form (see below), about 2 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to combine.

Gently transfer eggwhite mixture to a large, wide bowl. In four batches, using the sieve again, sift flour mixture over egg-white mixture. While turning the bowl, use a rubber spatula to fold in the mixture by cutting down the center and coming up the sides.

Gently spoon batter into an ungreased angel-food cake pan with a removable bottom; smooth top. Cut a knife or small spatula through batter to release air bubbles. Bake until cake is golden and springs back when lightly pressed, 35 to 40 minutes. Invert pan; let cool in pan, 1 hour. Run a knife around the inside of the pan and around the tube to release cake, and unmold. Use knife to release cake from bottom of pan, and remove.

Citrus Beet Salad
6 clementines, skin removed and sliced thin
4 0z Mache mix of lettuces (couple big handfuls)
crumbled goat cheese or feta
3 Trader Joes baby beets (comes in box or you can steam your own)
Any herb vinagrette dressing

Layer everything except dressing in bowl or plate and then serve with dressing.

We also talked about healthy snacks. A lot of us wondered what to feed those hungry kids of ours after school. Here are a few suggestions that we came up with.

Apples with peanut butter or honey
Rice cakes with almond butter or peanut butter
Yogurt Frozen yogurt
Try new fruits
Popcorn
Homemade trail mix (dried cranberries with dark chocolate chips and walnuts)
Healthy granola bars
Pita chips with hummus or other dips
Vegetables with Hummus
Edamame
Vegetables and dip
Fruit leather (watch sugar content)
Whole grain pretzels
Flatout (bread you can buy in the bread aisle) with vegetables and salsa
Tortilla chips with salsa
Nuts