The Everyday DASH Diet Cookbook (31 page)

Baked Apples Stuffed with Cranberries and Walnuts

This old-fashioned dessert remains a favorite and is never better than when served warm out of the oven on a cool evening. On the other hand, it is also good chilled for breakfast. Be sure to use an apple variety that holds its shape during cooking. The apple farmer at your farmer’s market may have some suggestions beyond the two listed here.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

4 baking apples, such as Braeburn or Rome

½ lemon

⅓
cup dried cranberries

⅓
cup chopped walnuts

6 tablespoons grade B maple syrup (see “Maple Syrup,”
here
)

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 teaspoons unsalted butter

1 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

One at a time, cut off the top inch of an apple to make a “lid.” Scoop out the core with a melon baller, stopping about ½ inch from the bottom of the apple. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the top half of the apple skin. Rub the exposed flesh all over with the lemon half.

In a medium bowl, mix the cranberries, walnuts, 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stuff the apples with the mixture. Top each with 1 teaspoon of butter. Replace the apple “lids.”

Transfer to a baking dish just large enough to hold the apples. Squeeze the lemon juice from the lemon half over the apples. Pour in the boiling water and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and baste with the liquid in the baking dish. Continue baking until the apples are tender when pierced with the tip of a small, sharp knife, 20 to 30 minutes more, depending on the size of the apples. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes.

Transfer each apple to a dessert bowl and drizzle each with 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Serve warm.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 297 calories, 3 g protein, 54 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 5 g fiber, 10 mg cholesterol, 6 mg sodium, 315 mg potassium. Food groups: 1½ fruits, ½ nuts.

Buttermilk
Panna Cotta
with Fresh Berries

Here is a creamy, reduced-fat version of the Italian pudding
panna cotta
made with thick and tangy buttermilk. One word of advice: The buttermilk should be warmed, not heated. Even though
panna cotta
means “cooked cream” in Italian, buttermilk will curdle if overheated. This red, white, and blue dessert is a natural for patriotic holidays such as Independence Day. You will need six 6-ounce ramekins, custard cups, or decorative molds for this recipe.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

3 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat (1%) milk

2¾ cups buttermilk

½ cup amber agave nectar or honey

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Canola oil in a pump sprayer

½ cup fresh blueberries

½ cup fresh raspberries

Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk in a small heatproof bowl and let stand until the gelatin absorbs the milk, about 5 minutes. Add enough water to a small skillet to come ½ inch up the sides and bring to a simmer over low heat. Put the bowl with the gelatin mixture in the water and stir constantly with a small heatproof spatula until the gelatin is melted and completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm the buttermilk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, just until it is warm to the touch. Do not overheat, or it could curdle. Remove from the heat. Add the gelatin mixture and whisk until combined. Whisk in the agave and vanilla. Transfer to a large liquid measuring cup or pitcher.

Oil six 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Pour equal amounts of the buttermilk mixture into the ramekins. Cover each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Run a dinner knife around the inside of each ramekin, being sure to reach to the bottom to break the air seal. Working with one
panna cotta
at a time, place a plate over the top of the ramekin. Holding the ramekin and plate together, give them a firm shake to unmold the
panna cotta
onto the plate. If it is stubborn, dip
the ramekin (right side up) in a bowl of hot water and hold for 10 seconds, dry the ramekin, invert, and try unmolding again. Sprinkle with the blueberries and raspberries and serve chilled.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 148 calories, 5 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat, 1 g fiber, 5 mg cholesterol, 127 mg sodium, 218 mg potassium. Food groups: 1 dairy, ½ fruit.

Cantaloupe and Mint Ice Pops

You will be happy to have a supply of these ice pops in your freezer for snacking. If you don’t have an ice pop mold set (easy to find online and even at supermarkets in the summer), turn the mixture into the granita variation.

MAKES 8 POPS

3 cups peeled, seeded, and cubed ripe cantaloupe

½ cup amber agave nectar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

Have ready eight ice pop molds. Puree 2½ cups of the cantaloupe cubes in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a bowl. Pulse the remaining ½ cup cantaloupe cubes in the food processor or blender (or chop by hand) until finely chopped, and add to the puree. Whisk in the agave, lemon juice, and mint.

Divide the puree among the ice pop molds and cover each mold with its lid. Freeze until the pops are solid, at least 4 hours. (The pops can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 week.)

To serve, rinse a pop mold under lukewarm water and remove the pop from the mold. Serve frozen.

Cantaloupe and Mint Granita: Place a metal baking dish or cake pan and a metal fork in the freezer until very cold, about 15 minutes. Puree all of the cantaloupe. Add the agave and lemon juice and pulse to combine well. Add the mint and pulse just to combine. Pour into the metal dish and freeze until the mixture is icy along the sides of the dish, about 1 hour. Use the cold fork to stir the icy crystals into the center. Freeze again until icy, about 1 hour more, and stir again; the mixture will become more solid. Freeze until the consistency is slushy, about 1 hour more. Freeze until serving, up to 4 hours. Just before serving, use the tines of the fork to scrape the mixture into icy slush. Serve immediately in chilled bowls.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 81 calories, 1 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 1 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 165 mg potassium. Food groups: 1 fruit.

Peach and Granola Parfaits

When your sweet tooth aches, you can’t make a quicker or more attractive dessert than this parfait. Of course, you can substitute just about any fruit that is ripe and tasty—berries are especially good, and bananas are also great. Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt, and it gives desserts a luscious richness. Even though it appears that this dish is high in carbohydrates, in reality the lactose (milk sugar) in the yogurt has been converted to lactic acid during the ripening process, so it is no longer a carb.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons amber agave nectar, honey, or grade B maple syrup (see “Maple Syrup,”
here
)

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

8 tablespoons Make It Your Way Granola (
here
)

4 ripe peaches or nectarines, pitted and cut into ½-inch dice

Stir the yogurt, agave, and vanilla in a small bowl.

For each serving, in a large parfait glass or wineglass, layer 1 tablespoon granola, 2 tablespoons yogurt, and one-eighth of the diced peaches, then repeat once more. Serve immediately.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 161 calories, 8 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat, 3 g fiber, 4 mg cholesterol, 25 mg sodium, 457 mg potassium. Food groups: 1 whole grain, ¼ dairy, 1 fruit.

Easy Pear Crisp

Choose juicy pears such as Comice or Anjou for this comforting dessert. Adding the granola at the end of baking ensures a crunchy topping.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Canola oil in a pump sprayer

5 ripe, juicy pears, such as Comice or Anjou, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces

2 tablespoons amber agave nectar or grade B maple syrup (see “Maple Syrup,”
here
)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup Make It Your Way Granola (
here
)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray an 11 × 8½-inch baking dish with the oil.

Mix the pears, agave, lemon juice, cornstarch, and nutmeg in the baking dish. Bake, stirring after 15 minutes, until the pears are tender and have given off their juices, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the granola over the pear mixture. Return to the oven and bake just to heat the granola, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature.

Spoon into dessert bowls and serve warm.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 201 calories, 4 g protein, 38 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat, 6 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 7 mg sodium, 292 mg potassium. Food groups: 1 whole grain, 1 fruit.

Roasted Pineapple with Maple Glaze

A delicious fruit dessert like this one doesn’t need ice cream or any other high-fat embellishments. Since this has only a few ingredients, be sure each one is top-notch; and use a fully ripened pineapple, deeply flavored grade B maple syrup, and unsalted butter.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 ripe pineapple

Canola oil in a pump sprayer

¼ cup grade B maple syrup (see “Maple Syrup,”
here
)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Using a large, sharp knife, cut the pineapple in quarters lengthwise. Cut each quarter lengthwise to yield 8 wedges. Reserve 4 of the wedges for another use.

Working with 1 pineapple wedge at a time, use a paring knife to cut the flesh from the rind in one piece. Cut the flesh vertically into 5 large chunks, keeping them nestled in the rind.

Arrange the pineapple wedges in a baking dish and spray lightly with oil. Roast until just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Whisk together the maple syrup and butter in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the pineapple and bake until the pineapple is glazed, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to four wide dishes, drizzle with the liquid from the baking dish, and serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 138 calories, 1 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 2 g fiber, 8 mg cholesterol, 4 mg sodium, 171 mg potassium. Food groups: 2 fruits.