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Jul 17, 2014

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

These are the only chocolate chip cookies I make because they use less butter, less sugar, have more fiber and heart-healthy fats, and they are delicious! Most recipes call for a 1/2 cup of butter but mine… 3 tablespoons! Most recipes use all-purpose flour but mine… include whole wheat pastry flour. And guess what else? Olive oil! You don’t have to give up chocolate chip cookies when you can make them this much healthier. I’m using extra light olive oil in most of my baking these days. These cookies have lots of toasted nuts for extra protein and the darkest chocolate chips I can find.

At any given time there are cookies in my kitchen (and the freezer) and it’s what we mostly have for dessert. I love sweets but I also want to eat as healthy as I can so I am constantly looking for ways to make desserts healthier and this dark chocolate chip cookie is the perfect example. You don’t even have to mention that these are healthier, just serve them and watch everyone ask for more. To try my healthier less butter, whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Filed Under: Sweets
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Jul 12, 2014

Chicken & Peppers

Chicken & Peppers Recipe

Any time I can cook dinner all in one pan – in 30 minutes – it’s a good day. And it leaves me more time to make dessert! This is one of my go-to healthy meals because it’s quick and uses just a few ingredients. Nutritionally, it’s a superstar with all these colored peppers.  Brightly colored vegetables each have their own set of antioxidants. For instance, a red pepper has more vitamin C than an orange. Yellow and orange peppers support lung and eye health while green ones fight asthma. But all peppers help protect against many degenerative diseases so I try to include all the colors in my cooking.

This recipe was in my cookbook but I’ve simplified it (like I’m doing most of the recipes there) because my goal is to motivate more people to cook at home, so if I can make a recipe easier, faster, and healthier, my work is done. I wish I liked brown rice better but it’s still a struggle for me so I use Uncle Ben’s converted rice here. But you can use brown rice if you like and just cook it an additional 25 minutes.

Does anybody think this would also work with shrimp?  Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Main Dishes
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Jul 11, 2014

Easiest Granola Ever

Here’s my new granola video. I’m calling it “Easiest Granola Ever” because you don’t even need a bowl. I used to heat the liquids in a pot, mix everything up in a bowl, transfer it to a greased baking sheet, and bake. But now with my new method you don’t even need a bowl… and you don’t need to grease the baking sheet.

Everyone who tries my granola says, “Wow! What’s in this?” It’s not the ingredients so much but my method that makes all the difference. I make homemade granola so often I’ve come up with the easiest way ever to make it.  My simple recipe only has six ingredients but it’s more about how I bake them. I actually learned how to make better granola by accident.

One day I had stepped outside and didn’t hear my timer. When I remembered that I had granola in the oven, I ran right in hoping it didn’t burn. The mixture was really dark but I decided not to throw it away and kept it. To my surprise, it was the best granola I had ever made. That made me realize that the more you toast the nuts and oats and coconut, the more flavors they develop, not to mention the fabulous crunch!

Be bold and don’t be afraid to really brown your granola. And if you’ve never made your own homemade granola you’re about to see how incredibly easy it is to make. It really is the easiest granola ever. Click here for the new recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Jul 1, 2014

Fabulous Fruit Pizza

Fruit Pizza Recipe

What can I say? This is the most amazing, dramatic, show-stopping dessert ever! And if you think it looks good, wait until you taste it! Having a barbeque? Going to  potluck?  They’ll remember you forever if you bring this to the table. Fruit pizza is basically a giant sugar cookie (of course, my version is a little healthier than most because I use less butter). You bake and cool the cookie and while it’s cooling, you get all the fruit and glaze ready. Then you build your creation.

It’s perfect for summer parties but I make fruit pizza all year round. In the summer I use peaches, raspberries, blueberries, nectarines, strawberries, and cherries when they’re more affordable (this one has Queen Ann cherries and yellow grapes on the border). In the winter I use bananas, kiwi, papaya, grapes, mango, and whatever else I can find that’s soft and colorful. If you use bananas, make sure to coat them with lemon juice as soon as they’re sliced to prevent them from turning brown.

Creating the design is so much fun and I’ve never decorated two the same way. Always start with the border first as you create your own masterpiece. And trust me – it tastes just as good as it looks. To make your own fruit pizza, click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Sweets
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Jun 27, 2014

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie From Scratch

Here is my summer gift to all the bakers. My lemon meringue pie will spoil you forever because there is nothing that compares to homemade lemon meringue pie. And when it’s healthier and easier than all the other pies, it’s a true gem. This lemon meringue pie is healthier because the crust is made with extra light olive oil, no butter or shortening, and it’s easier because you can make the whole thing, from scratch, in an hour. That includes the easiest crust ever, from scratch, and a foolproof luscious lemon curd that will never fail you.

I make all my pies with an oil crust to avoid saturated fat and they are so much easier (and healthier) than the butter or shortening kind. Oil crusts can be patted into a pie pan or rolled between wax paper and simply placed into the pan. The beauty is that if there’s a crack or opening in the crust, you can just grab some dough from somewhere else and patch it. I love that. I make mine with extra light olive oil but you can use canola or any vegetable oil of your choice.

As for the lemons, it helps to have a juicer but you do have to make fresh lemon juice. And don’t even talk to me about bottled juice! So now you have a healthier, easier way to make one of the great American classic summer desserts, lemon meringue pie. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Baking Without Butter, Sweets
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Jun 25, 2014

Quick & Easy Flatbread

“I want homemade bread and I want it now!” If that’s what your inside voice is saying, and if you have 30 minutes, then my flatbread recipe is for you. It takes only thirty minutes, start-to-finish to make delicious, fragrant, yeasty, fluffy flatbreads. I have never seen a faster recipe for flatbread than mine. Everybody wants to knead and rise, knead and rise, but I say, “Why?” Mine looks and tastes amazing so why waste time?

My quick and easy flatbread really is quick and easy. Even a novice cook can make this bread and my video will take you through the simple steps. Flatbread has a long history in many cultures. You may know it as naan, pita, roti, chapati, lavash, or focaccia, but I call it awesome. That’s because there is so much you can do with it. Use it to wrap any sandwich, make a homemade gyro, or use it for a quick pizza (fabulous on the grill!) Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Videos 2 Comments
Jun 22, 2014

Why Do Cookies Spread Too Much?

Linda asks… Hi Jenny….love your cooking videos…when I see that a new one is available, it is like Christmas around here.       My question is this:     I love making chocolate chip cookies but sometimes the dough spreads so thinly in the oven at 375o   and tends to burn on the outer rim and be a little raw in the middle.   I have tried lowering the temp to 365 but it still happens.    I am wondering what the reason(s) might be for this?

My Response… It’s a common problem and there are a few things I can suggest…

1) Oven is not hot enough. Before placing cookies in the oven, make sure it has reached 375 degrees. You may not be waiting long enough for it to reach 375. An oven thermometer is very handy for this. I usually preheat my oven for 30 minutes.

2) Baking pan is too greasy. It makes sense that things will slide around on a greasy surface so try not greasing your pan and using parchment paper. The added bonus is there is no cleanup.

3) Baking pan is warm. There are two reasons this could happen. One is if you keep the baking pan on the stove while the oven preheats and the pan gets warm. The other is that you don’t let the pan cool completely when making a second batch.

Some other solutions are to shape the cookies and chill them in the fridge for 15 minutes or so. Then put them straight into the oven. If your pan fits, you can shape the cookies on the pan and put the whole thing in the fridge to chill, then put the cold pan in the oven. Also, don’t over-beat your dough. And avoid any substitutions like using whipped butter, etc. If this information doesn’t solve your problem, please send me the EXACT recipe as you make it and I will try to help.

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Filed Under: Baking Problems?, Questions? - Forum
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Jun 18, 2014

Simple Egg Salad

Simple Egg Salad Recipe

I could live on egg salad! And that’s easy because it takes me five minutes to make my low fat, easy egg salad. I prefer it simple with just yellow mustard and light mayo but I know a lot of people like to add extras like pickle relish, onion, celery, olives, etc. So go ahead. Use my simple, healthy recipe as a starter and then make it your own. But for me, plain old egg salad on some whole grain bread with lots of lettuce and tomato – it’s the perfect breakfast, and a perfect lunch.

For a while people were avoiding eggs because they contain cholesterol but all the latest research indicates that they may contain cholesterol but they do not raise serum cholesterol. This is good news because eggs have so many nutrients including complete protein; lutein for your eyes; and choline (in the yolk) for your brain and to reduce inflammation. They also contain sulphur to give you beautiful hair & skin, and strong nails. Here’s a link to some of the latest research on eggs: http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/latest-research-health-benefits-eggs

Now that eggs are back, you can enjoy this easy and healthy egg salad. But even my delicious egg salad is no fun if it takes ten minutes to peel a boiled egg. So to make things even easier, I can show you how to make perfect, easy-to-peel hard boiled eggs.

For the video on how to boil eggs, click here.

For my blog post with even more info on boiling eggs, click here.

For the latest research on eggs, click here.

And for my Simple Egg Salad Recipe click here.

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Easy Recipes For Beginners, Soups/Salads/Side Dishes
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Jun 17, 2014

Hard Boiled Eggs made Easy to Peel

Anyone can make perfect hard boiled eggs that are easy to peel with no green ring. My method is easy and it’s foolproof. There is always a bowl of hard boiled eggs in my fridge, always available for snacking or if I’m in the mood for egg salad. If company’s coming, I can make some quick deviled eggs and everybody LOVES my deviled eggs.

Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet, containing a little bit of almost every nutrient we need and a hard boiled egg has only 78 calories. Here are a few other things to do with hard boiled eggs:

Pickle them

Chop them onto a green salad

Use them in potato salad

Cobb salad

Did I mention egg salad? I love egg salad!

Watch my short video and see how easy it is to make this super healthy snack. Click here for a printable rundown. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Videos 4 Comments
Jun 13, 2014

How To Make Croutons

How To Make Homemade CroutonsWho knew croutons were so easy to make? Once you try homemade croutons made with fresh ciabatta bread you will be spoiled forever. You could use a different kind of bread but… why? Okay, maybe sourdough, or maybe a loaf of French bread but make sure it’s fresh. They say to use day old bread but I respectfully disagree. Fresh bread will make fresh croutons. The big surprise is how incredibly easy it is to make them at home. Five minutes prep, twenty minutes in the oven, and you have big chunks of toasty, crunchy croutons for your salad, or soup, or (your choice here).

I like croutons to taste like bread so my recipe is super simple – just olive oil, salt & pepper. But you can always add spices and herbs of your choice, like fresh garlic, fresh parsley, dried oregano or basil, onion powder, garlic powder, or parmesan. If you’re a bread person like I am, and a crunchy food person too, you will love this easy recipe. I especially like croutons or breadsticks with my salads and in my kitchen, homemade is the only way to go. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Breads/Muffins, Easy Recipes For Beginners, Snacks/Misc
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