Healthified Blueberry-Orange Muffins - butternut squash

Healthified Blueberry-Orange Muffins

70% less total fat • 300% more dietary fiber than the original recipe—see the comparison. Butternut squash takes the place of some of the cooking oil in these hearty muffins. You can substitute canned pumpkin for the squash, if desired.

Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:40 min
makes:12 muffins

Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
2/3 cup Gold Medal® whole wheat flour
2/3 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup mashed cooked butternut squash*
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons cooking oil
3/4 cup fresh blueberries or 3/4 cup Cascadian Farm® frozen organic blueberries (do not thaw)
1 to 2 tablespoons rolled oats

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper bake cups. If using paper bake cups, coat insides of paper cups with cooking spray; set pan aside. In a large bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, squash, milk, orange peel, orange juice, and oil. Add the egg mixture all at once to the four mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in blueberries.
3. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each almost full. Sprinkle with oats. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm.
4. *Tip: You may substitute frozen squash in place of fresh butternut squash. Prepare 1 package (10 oz) of Cascadian Farm® frozen winter squash according to package directions. Use 1 cup squash for recipe. Save remaining squash for another use.

Nutritional Information

1 muffin: Calories 140 (Calories from Fat 30); Total Fat 3 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium 200mg; Total Carbohydrate 24g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 6g); Protein 4g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 40%; Vitamin C 10%; Calcium 4%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Squash Cheesecake Bars

Somewhere I read you can replace pumpkin with squash any time...
And they I find Butternut Squash cheese cake - now there is an idea, I must try!

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/squash_cheesecake_bars.html

From EatingWell: September/October 2007
Pureed winter squash gives most of the body to these leaner cheesecake bars.

18 bars | Active Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 4 hours (including cooling & chilling time)

Ingredients•9 low-fat graham crackers, (4 1/2 ounces)
•1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, (not quick-cooking or steel-cut)
•2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided
•1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
•2 tablespoons unsalted butter
•3 tablespoons nonfat milk
•8 ounces nonfat cream cheese, at room temperature
•8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchâtel), at room temperature
•1/2 cup squash puree
•2 large eggs
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation
1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray
2.Process graham crackers, oats, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup flour and butter in a food processor until finely ground. Add milk; pulse until completely moistened.
3.Transfer the graham cracker mixture to the prepared pan and evenly pat into the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
4.Meanwhile, reduce oven temperature to 325°. Beat both cream cheeses and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy, scraping down the sides occasionally. Beat in squash puree until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Finally, beat in vanilla, cinnamon, salt and the remaining 3 tablespoons flour. Scrape the filling into the pan, spreading evenly over the crust.
5.Bake until set and the edges are light brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars.
Nutrition
Per bar : 146 Calories; 6 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 1 g Mono; 37 mg Cholesterol; 18 g Carbohydrates; 5 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 209 mg Sodium; 79 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat

Tips & Notes
•Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
•To make your own squash puree, halve and seed one medium acorn or butternut squash. Place, cut-side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven until soft, about 50 minutes. Cool, then scrape out the flesh with a fork. Or simply use frozen (thawed) or canned squash puree. Find frozen squash puree near other vegetables in the freezer section and canned squash near the canned pumpkin.

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup
Servings = 4 | Serving size =about 1 1/2 cups
Cooking Time = 60 Minutes
This recipe can be multiplied by 2, 3, 4.
This recipe makes great leftovers.

Serve with a 2 ounce whole wheat or gluten-free roll and 1 ounce semi-soft goat cheese.

AND

Serve with Waldorf Salad or Roasted Eggplant Salad or Jicama Salad or Cucumbers & Dill in Sour Cream or Cole Slaw or Caesar Salad or Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad or Cucumbers in Yogurt with Mint or Zucchini Salad

Ingrediance:
2 cups water
2 lbs butternut squash
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup water

Place the water in a large sauce pan fitted with a steamer basket over high heat. Put the cubed squash in the steamer basket. Steam until tender (20 - 30 minutes).

Let the squash cool and then add it to the remaining steaming water in the bottom of the sauce pan. Using a stick blender or a blender puree the squash and water until smooth.

Place the pan over low heat and add the salt, pepper, thyme leaves and ground nutmeg.

Reheat the soup gently. Stir in the remaining water to the desired consistency. It may take as much as 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

Butternut squash recipe

Healthy Butternut Squash Muffins
Ingredients
•1/2 pound of butternut squash (seeded, cubed and washed)
•1 and 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
•2 teaspoons of baking powder
•1/4 teaspoon of salt
•2 teaspoons of cinnamon or pumpkin spice
•1/2 cup of Brown Sugar Splenda (or your choice of sugar substitute)
•3/4 cup of skim milk
•1 whole egg
•1 tablespoon of melted butter

Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2.Grease a 12 cup muffin tin.
3.In a separate medium-sized pot, boil the butternut squash on medium-high for approximately 20 - 25 minutes. Once the squash is tender, remove from the heat and drain.
4.Puree the squash in a food processor (or mash until creamy in consistency).
5.In a large separate bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. This includes the whole wheat flour, the baking powder, the salt, the cinnamon and the Brown Sugar Splenda.
6.In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg, milk and melted butter.
7.Add the creamed squash to the mixed egg, milk and butter. Mix well.
8.Fold the squash mixture into the dry ingredient bowl. Keep folding until the flour mixture is moist.
9.Spoon the prepared batter into the muffin tins, filling each cup about halfway.
10.Place the muffins into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick put in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
11.Remove muffins from the muffin tin and cool on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information (per serving = 1 muffin)
Calories: 121
Fat: 1.9g
Carbohydrates: 24g
Dietary Fiber: 1g
Protein: 1.9g