Image and Recipe Copyright © 2003-2008 Jennifer Iserloh

This fruity pops are sweet since they combine two antioxidant rich foods, blueberries and spinach. Watch Better TV clip featuring this recipe!

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
3 tablespoons blueberry jam

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds or freeze in an air-tight container 3-4 hours or until firm.

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Make It A Meal

Serve with Buttermilk Chicken Fingers or Sauteed Spinach.

Wine Pairings

Gewürztraminer

Recipe and Image Copyright © 2008 Jennifer Iserloh

Rice pudding is a world famous dessert and almost every culture has their version. I add coconut milk to mine for creaminess, but the core flavor of this pudding is vanilla. Even people who aren’t coconut fans still dig in.

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 cups non-fat, skim milk
1 15-ounce can light coconut milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup short grain white rice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

In a large saucepan bring the milk, coconut milk, and cinnamon to a near boil. Stir in the rice and cover. Reduce the heat and simmer, 45 minutes to an hour, stirring often until the rice is tender and most of liquid is absorbed. Stir in the sugar and vanilla and serve warm or cool completely before refrigerating in an air-tight container for up to one week.

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Make It A Meal

• Jalapeno flank steak
• Chicken Enchiladas
• Refried Beans with Turkey Bacon

Wine Pairings

Gewürztraminer, Prosecco

Image and Recipe Copyright © 2008 Jennifer Iserloh

I’m always on the hunt to find ways to use leftovers. This is the prefect way to treat your family to a frozen dessert and pump up the servings of whole grains at the same time.

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients

1 cup cooked short grain brown rice
1 cup reduced fat plain yogurt
1 cup non-fat, skim milk
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons golden flax meal
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until the rice begins to break apart. Pour into an air-tight, freezable container. Freeze for 3-4 hours or until firm.

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Make It A Meal

Serve with Buttermilk Chicken Fingers or Sauteed Spinach.

Wine Pairings

Gewürztraminer

Image and Recipe Copyright © 2008 Jennifer Iserloh

If you can make pancakes, you can definitely make crepes! I know that they might seem fancy, but they are incredibly versatile and can be served with both savory and sweet fillings and store extremely well. I recommend using a flat, lightweight griddle that fits over top of gas burners. I like to make two at a time and cool them on a wire rack before wrapping them in plastic wrap and storing in the fridge.

Makes 15, 6-inch crepes

Crepe Batter

1 ½ cup water
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup low-fat, 1% buttermilk
2 egg
whites
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Refrigerate 1 hour or up to 8 hours covered.

Heat a griddle or a crepe pan over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray. Transfer about ¼ cup of the batter onto the griddle or pan and spread it out with a small spatula or spoon. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the crepe begins to brown around the edges, and starts to dry out on the top. Flip and cook an additional 2 minutes until the crepe is no longer wet in the center but still moist.

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Make It A Meal

Serve with corn chowder
or Salmon Nicoise Salad.

Wine Pairings

Gewürztraminer

Related Posts

• Make a double batch of crepes and host a salsa party where your guests can pick their favorite filling.
• Salsa is a great way to save on groceries! Don’t waste that piece of onion or handful of fresh herbs in your fridge, make salsa. Learn other ways to save cash in the kitchen.
• Is it too hot to cook? Read about other ways to prepare meals without turning on the oven.

Image and Recipe Copyright © 2008 Jennifer Iserloh

Avocado in a milkshake might sound unusual, but in Vietnam it’s a traditional treat that you can order in local restaurants. Enjoy a creamy, rich shake while getting a serving of vegetables to boot!

Serves 2

Ingredients

½ ripe Hass avocado
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons coca powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cup skim milk

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend on high until smooth and serve over ice.

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Make It A Meal

Serve with Turkey Burgers or Sweet Potato Fries.

Image and Recipe Copyright © 2008 Jennifer Iserloh

This was an old stand-by in our family home on icy Pittsburgh winter nights when cold weather kept us indoors. This dessert has the same flavors as apple pie without the guilt of a fattening crust!

Makes 6 baked apples

Ingredients

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 Gala or Macintosh apples, cored
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
2 tablespoons orange liquor (optional)

Directions

Preheat a large crock-pot on high heat and preset it for 3 hours. In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, walnuts, margarine, and cinnamon. Fill the apples with the filling and place them in the crock-pot. Pour in the apple juice or cider and the liquor, if using. Cover and cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours on high heat until the apples are soft and begin to collapse.

Make It a Meal

Serve with Roast Pork with Lavender and Sage or Grilled Cheese with Turkey and Arugula.

Image and Recipe Copyright © 2008 Jennifer Iserloh

Grapefruit and buttermilk are both high in nutrition, but create a tender texture in baked goods. When I bake these for friends’ birthdays, no one guesses that they are made with grapefruit. Regardless, they disappear fast! Watch Better TV clip featuring this recipe!

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup reduced fat margarine, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar

1 egg white
1/2 cup 1% buttermilk or plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup 100% pink grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon pink grapefruit zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Ingredients for Icing

1 8-ounce package of non-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese
½ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground clove
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
 In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
 In a large bowl, beat margarine and sugar with an electric mixer.

Beat in egg. Combine lemon extract, juice, zest, and buttermilk in a small bowl. Add half the buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed. Add half the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Repeat with remaining buttermilk and flour mixture. Divide batter evenly into the prepared cups.
 Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cupcakes spring back when the tops are pressed or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. 
Remove the cupcakes from the muffin pan an cool completely on a wire rack.


In a medium bowl, beat ingredients for icing until smooth. Once the cupcakes are cool, use a small spatula or butter knife to ice them. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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Make It A Meal

Serve with Healthy Buttermilk Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuits or Citrus Almond Chicken.

Related Posts

• Find out why grapefruit is good for you.
• Did you know that grapefruit can also help to prevent you from catching a cold?

Image and Recipe Copyright © 2008 Jennifer Iserloh

I call these cookies “Irish” because their green hue makes them perfect for St. Patty’s Day. Instead of using food coloring, I mix in anti-oxidant green tea powder that helps make these low-sugar cookies even healthier!

Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

½ cup granulated sugar
7 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine
1/3 cup agave syrup
1/2 teaspoon green tea powder
1 large egg
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
Nonstick cooking spray

Glaze

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon green tea powder
2 tablespoons water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat two cookie sheets with non-stick spray. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and margarine. Mix in agave syrup, green tea powder, and egg until smooth.

In a separate bowl or zipper lock bag, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the sugar mixture alternating with the yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour.

Drop tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly golden around the edges.

As the cookies bake, combine the green tea powder and water in a small bowl. Mix in powdered sugar and set aside. Allow the cookies to cool completely before icing with the green tea glaze.

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Make It A Snack

Serve with Spiced Hot Cocoa

Image and Recipe Copyright © 2003-2008 Jennifer Iserloh

This Bellini is rich in vitamin C with the addition of grapefruit juice.
Nutmeg adds spicy sweetness to this peach based drink. Find out more about the health benefits of grapefruit.

Makes 2 bellinis

Ingredients

1/2 cup grapefruit juice
1/2 cup frozen peaches, thawed
2 tablespoons agave syrup or honey
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
4 ounces champagne, prosecco or sparkling wine
2 thinly sliced grapefruit segments, for garnish

Directions

In a blender or food processor, combine the grapefruit juice, peaches, agave syrup or honey, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Pulse until well blended.

Pour 2 ounces of champagne into each glass. Add 2 1/2 ounces of the grapefruit mixture. Top the glass with the grapefruit segment.

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Make It A Brunch

Serve with Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins or Zucchini Cake.

Image and Recipe Copyright © 2003-2008 Jennifer Iserloh

These are a fast and simple treat, adapted from a recipe my granny used to make. Fun and fast, it’s the ideal recipe to make for an impromptu party or an easy, rewarding project to do with kids.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 14-ounce box low-fat graham crackers
4 tablespoons reduced fat margarine
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup bittersweet morsels

Directions

Coat two large baking trays with sides with non-stick spray or line with aluminum foil. Lay the grahams on the trays in a single layer. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine brown sugar and margarine, bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cook 2-3 minutes until mixture thickens. Drizzle sugar mixture over both trays of grahams. Press the nuts on top of the grahams. Bake 5-7 minutes until the sugar mixture becomes fragrant and begins to harden.

Place the morsels in a small zipper bag. Fill a large bowl with warm water (around 120° F) and submerge the bag, 2-3 minutes to melt the morsels. When the morsels are melted, remove the bag from the water and clip the end of the bag with a scissor. Drizzle chocolate over the grahams. Cool the cookies on the trays before removing. Cut or break into triangles. Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to one week.

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Make It A Snack

Serve with Hot Spiced Cocoa.