Walnut Pumpkin Pie Cake

I wasn't really going to bake anything today....was going to have a nice, easy Thanksgiving with just about everything pre-made and all I'd have to do is warm it up. Well, 'life' got in the way and I really needed some Kitchen Therapy! Dug through some recipes waiting in a folder and came up with this. I guess I will be glad I needed some KT because this is really delicious! I wish I had made this earlier and shared so YOU could have made it for your Thanksgiving!

WALNUT PUMPKIN PIE CAKE

Makes 16 Servings at 7 PointsPlus® a Piece

OR

Makes 20 Servings at 5 PointsPlus® a Piece

1 can (15.5 oz) pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)

1 can (12 oz.) fat-free evaporated milk
¾ cup fat-free egg substitute
1 ½ cups Splenda granulated
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp salt
1 box (16 oz.) Pillsbury Moist Supreme Sugar Free Classic Yellow Cake Mix
1 cup (2 sticks) light butter, melted
1 cup chopped walnuts

 

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg substitute, pumpkin pie spice and salt until well blended.  Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pan. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin and drizzle with the melted butter.

 

 

 

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts. Tightly cover with aluminum foil and bake an additional 25 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack complete.

MY SPIN: This originally called for pecans, but I didn't have any and like walnuts better anyway! This can be served 'as is' or with a dollop of fat-free whipped topping.

Now for the 'legal mumbo-jumbo' to keep me out of court!!   *** The PointsPlus® value for this recipe was calculated by me (Jan Gomes) and is not an endorsement or approval of this recipe by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus™ registered trademark. ***

 

Later!

Loving life!

Jan

Pumpkin Raisin Bread

Thanksgiving is just a few days away and I thought this would be a nice little bread to make to go along with your Thanksgiving breakfast.....if you're eating breakfast. Or it could be all you have for breakfast if you're "saving" your appetite for the feast!  For the folks (whom I miss dearly) that used to come to my WW meetings....remember.....it's a HoliDAY.....not a HoliWEEKEND!!!!  And remember to stuff the turkey, not yourself!  :-)

PUMPKIN RAISIN BREAD

Makes 2 Loaves = 20 Slices

1 Slice = 3 PointsPlus®

3 cups Splenda granulated
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup fat-free egg substitute
16 ounces (1 15-oz can + 2 TBSP) pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
2/3 cup water
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 2 9x5 loaf pans; set side.

Don't forget to spray your pans on the door of your dishwasher to save cleaning up the overspray.

In a large mixing bowl, stir or mix together the Splenda and applesauce. Mix in the egg substitute and pumpkin.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

Alternately add the dry ingredients and water to the applesauce/egg substitute mixture until well combined.

Using a spatula, fold in the raisins.

Divide the batter between the 2 loaf pans. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let cool for 10 minutes in the pans and then on a wire rack to cool completely.

MY SPIN: I love cinnamon......I used a heaping tsp of cinnamon.

Yum!!!

Now for the 'legal mumbo-jumbo' to keep me out of court!!   *** The PointsPlus® value for this recipe was calculated by me (Jan Gomes) and is not an endorsement or approval of this recipe by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus™ registered trademark. ***

Later!

Loving life!
Jan

Banana Raisin Bread

I feel like every time I buy bananas I end up with some that are way too ripe to just peel and eat.  It's getting harder and harder to find new and interesting recipes to tweak using bananas.......but this one is amazing! I would never have dreamed of combining bananas and raisins.  This comes out incredibly tasty and moist, especially after I added a few 'shakes' of cinnamon.

BANANA RAISIN BREAD

Makes 10 Servings

1 Serving = 3 PointsPlus®

3 ripe bananas

¼ cup raisins (Golden or California)
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup honey
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp vanilla
zest of one medium orange

Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly spray a loaf pan; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce and honey.

In another medium mixing bowl, add the bananas, salt, orange zest, ginger and vanilla. Mash the bananas with a fork while mixing it with the other ingredients in the bowl.

Add the banana mixture to the applesauce and honey; add the baking soda that has been mixed in 1/8 cup of hot water and combine well.

Add the flour and mix well. Add the raisins.

Using a spatula, 'scrape' the batter into the loaf pan.

 

 

Bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool complete.

MY SPIN: Yes, I sprinkled some cinnamon into the batter just because I love cinnamon and thought it would taste good. And I was right! Since there are no preservatives, this will keep at room temperature for @2 days. To store longer, put it in an air-tight container in the fridge. You can then 'nuke' it for a few seconds to get the 'chill' off.

Now for the 'legal mumbo-jumbo' to keep me out of court!!   *** The PointsPlus® value for this recipe was calculated by me (Jan Gomes) and is not an endorsement or approval of this recipe by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus™ registered trademark. ***

Later!

Loving life!
Jan

Bottomless Chicken Pot Pie

When I was a kid.....ok a younger kid.....we ate those pot pies that came in the little tins and I HATED them!!! I told myself that when I got older and had my own place, I would *never* eat another pot pie. I just wasn't crazy about all that crust. This one, however, is different.....there is no bottom crust. I promise you......it's delicious!!!

BOTTOMLESS CHICKEN POT PIE

Makes @6 Servings

I did NOT do the P+ for this

1 ½ pounds of chicken tenders or boneless/skinless breasts cut into strips
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried sage
¼ tsp dried oregano
Salt & freshly ground pepper
3 TBSP olive oil
1 cup frozen chopped onions (or pearl onions if you can find them)
1 cup frozen diced peas and carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth*
1 cup heavy cream
1 store bought refrigerated pie crust
¼ cup fat-free egg substitute

You will need a 10-inch cast iron skillet for this.

Preheat oven to 400°.

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the chicken with the paprika, sage, oregano, salt & pepper and mix until the chicken is coated.

Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil begins to 'swirl', add the chicken and saute until cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate, allow to rest for a few minutes and then chop into ½-inch cubes.

In the same skillet, add the onions, peas & carrots and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cook & stir until the onions are tender (@3 – 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook about another minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until it dissolves.

 

Add the chicken broth and allow to simmer, stirring, until thickened. Once it has thickened, stir in the heavy cream. Add the chicken back to the skillet.

Unfold/unroll the pie crust and place over the top of the filling, and try to tuck the edges inside the pan. Brush the crust with the egg substitute. Using a sharp knife, gently cut 3 'vents' in the top of the crust.

Probably one of the most unappetizing pictures I'll ever post!!! The filling was oozing thru the vent holes in the crust!
 

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

**This called for 2 cups of chicken broth, but in our opinion, that made it too 'watery'.

Later!

Loving Life!
Jan

Fiesta Cabbage

I had a head of cabbage. I don't know why I bought it.....I guess it looked good! So I had to decide what to do with it and didn't feel like making stuffed cabbage. I found this recipe and pretty much followed it with the exception of using less kielbasa and light butter (you can see in the picture).  It was delicious!

FIESTA CABBAGE

Makes 6 Servings

1 Serving = 7 PointsPlus®**

1 pound kielbasa, cut into 1/4” diagonal slices
2 TBSP butter
4 ounces red onion, diced (@ a medium onion)
1 green pepper, diced
2 pounds cabbage, chopped (@ a medium sized head)
1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

In a very large nonstick skillet, brown the kielbasa. Remove from the pan, leaving the drippings in the pan. 

Add 2 TBSP butter. Saute' the onion and green pepper in the pan over a medium-high heat for @3 minutes.

Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes or until the cabbage is tender. Uncover the pan for the last 5 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.

MY SPIN: I used 14 ounces of beef kielbasa and light butter but didn't figure up the P+ value for my changes. Abe and I both agreed that adding some garlic would be really good as well as a side of garlic sticks.  **The P+ value that you actually eat will depend upon how much of each ingredient you eat.......and I don't know of anyone, not even me when I was die-hard WW, who will take apart a completed meal to measure/weigh each ingredient!

Now for the 'legal mumbo-jumbo' to keep me out of court!!   *** The PointsPlus® value for this recipe was calculated by me (Jan Gomes) and is not an endorsement or approval of this recipe by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus™ registered trademark. ***

 

Later!

Loving life!

Jan