TASTE
No butter needed for these oat bars
| • | Fix it, freeze it & feed it |
By Elaine Magee
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Q. I really like this recipe for peanut butter marshmallow squares except it calls for a stick of butter, a cup of peanut butter and a bag of butterscotch chips and sweetened coconut, nuts and marshmallows ... so it's probably higher in calories and fat than it needs to be. They are addicting, which I'm fine with as long as they aren't quite as rich.
A. Thanks for the warning that these bars can be addicting! I tested the light recipe first thing in the morning and they quickly became my breakfast because I couldn't stop at one. These bars were actually quite satisfying, possibly because of the nuts added, plus I stirred in a cup of oats instead of the sweetened coconut, which doubled the fiber to 2 grams per bar.
I also eliminated the stick of butter — who needs butter when you're adding a cup of peanut butter and almost a bag of butterscotch chips? I also added fewer marshmallows (the original recipe calls for 2 cups).
The original recipe contains 220 calories, 16.5 grams fat, 8 grams saturated fat, 10 milligrams cholesterol and 1 gram fiber per bar.
PEANUT BUTTER OATS BARS
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chips and peanut butter and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir mixture, then microwave about 30 seconds more (or until the chips have melted completely). Stir until the mixture is smooth.
Stir in oats, nuts and marshmallows. Pour into a foil-lined 8-by-8-inch baking dish (9-by-9-inch can also be used). Cover dish and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes or until the bars are nicely cooled and firm.
Cut into 25 pieces (cut the square baking dish into 5 columns going side to side and up and down). Store bars in refrigerator.
Makes 25 servings.
Editor's note: We inadvertently left Recipe Doctor out of the mix last week, so here's a bonus column.
Q. I adore pesto. I like to have it on my sandwiches as a spread, I use it as a bread dip, and it's my favorite sauce for pasta. I want to have a recipe for a pesto that is as healthful as possible, since I have it so often. Any ideas?
A. I, too, am a big pesto person, using it in all the ways you described.
I developed a pesto a couple of months ago incorporating as many of the Portfolio Plan's daily diet recommendations as possible.
The portfolio of four cholesterol-lowering foods has been tested in several different studies of people with hyperlipidemia (high blood lipid levels).
These foods include soy protein, almonds, plant sterol-enriched margarine (such as Benecol or Take Control) and soluble fiber (from foods such as oats, barley, psyllium and vegetables such as okra and eggplant).
This hearty pesto features some olive oil (but only about 2 teaspoons per serving), some almonds and some soy (in the form of edamame). Since I added about half the amount of olive oil, I used broth for some much-needed moisture. If you are a pesto purist and prefer pine nuts instead of almonds, feel free to use them instead. This pesto is actually high in fiber, too. Each serving brings 4.5 grams of fiber, and it is full of smart fats — 12.5 grams monounsaturated fats and 0.4 grams of omega-3s.
Regular pesto contains around 320 calories, 31 grams of fat, and only 1 gram fiber per 1/4 cup.
SOY GOOD PESTO
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Place all of the ingredients except the edamame in a food processor bowl and pulse, scraping sides of bowl after 5 seconds, until well-blended (about 10 seconds). Add the edamame (and lemon juice if desired). Process for a few seconds; scrape down sides of bowl and process a few more seconds.
Cover and store in refrigerator until needed. To avoid having the pesto oxidize and turn brown, add some lemon juice when you add the edamame or squeeze lemon juice over the top before covering and storing.
To use with a hot pasta dish, warm up as much as you need in a small nonstick saucepan or frying pan, adding more broth or low-fat milk as needed for the desired consistency (each 1/4 cup of pesto requires around 2 tablespoons of lowfat milk). Toss with cooked noodles. For a cold dish, just spoon or spread the pesto as needed.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups of pesto (6 servings of 1/4 cup each).
Elaine Magee is a registered dietitian and writer. Her latest book is "Comfort Food Makeovers." Visit her Web site at www.recipedoctor.com.
