As I was leafing through First magazine (February 4 2013) in the line at the grocery store, I saw some “healthy” recipes for cookies, brownies and bars using….butternut squash, sliced beets, yellow squash and…sauerkraut! Seriously. Well of course I had to buy the magazine and then come home and make them. Sauerkraut and chocolate? Sounded like nothing I’d ever tried or tasted so I just had to find out how they tasted. If you don’t tell anyone BEFORE they sample these, I think everyone will like them. If you tell them ahead of time, they will be looking for the hidden vegetable taste. We liked all four (the cinnamon bars and carrot squares were our favorites). Now just because these have hidden nutrients from the vegetables, doesn’t mean you can eat the whole pan and still be healthy! The calorie count is still fairly high…the health benefits come from the added nutrition and you use less oils and butters.
All my cake mixes were bought on sale for 99 cents each. I bought my nuts in the shell and shelled them myself for further savings and my chocolate chips were store brand I got on sale for $1.99 each.
Recipes and nutrition facts are from First Magazine (January 4, 2013)
NUTTY CARROT-CAKE SQUARES
*Health Bonus…Beat fatigue with butternut squash. This veggie is rich in vitamin A, which plays a key role in the synthesis of ATP-the body’s main source of energy.
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 16 for approx $4.20 (26 cents each)
Ingredients:
- 1 box spice cake mix
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup shredded butternut squash
- 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, divided
- 2 cups low-fat whipped topping
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9″ x 13″ baking pan. Using mixer on medium, beat cake mix, applesauce, egg and 1 cup water 2 minutes or until combined. Stir in carrots, squash and 1 cup walnuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes or until done. Let cool completely. Spread whipped topping over cake. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup walnuts.
Per Serving: Calories 212, Protein 4g, Carbs 30g, Fiber 1g, Sugar 14g, Chol. 12mg, Sodium 225mg, Total Fat 10g, Sat. 2g, Trans. 0g
DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE TREASURES –
*Health Bonus…Build stamina with beets. This superfood boosts exercise endurance by 16 percent, thanks to compounds that increase blood flow to muscles.
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 3 dozen for approx $4.29 (12 cents each)
Ingredients:
- 1 can 15 oz sliced beets, drained and juice reserved
- 1 box devil’s food cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- 1 bag (11.5 oz) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In blender, puree beets with 2 tablespoons reserved beet juice 1 minute or until smooth. In bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and beet puree until blended. Drop spoonfuls of batter (about 1 tablespoon each) 2″ apart onto greased baking sheets. Sprinkle tops with remaining chocolate chips. Bake 10 minutes or until done. Let cool completely on baking sheet.
Per Cookie: Calories 98, Protein 1g, Carbs. 17g, Fiber 1g, Sugar 11g, Chol. 10mg, Sodium 119mg, Total Fat 4g, Sat. 2g, Trans 0g
CHOCOLATY CINNAMON STREUSEL BARS –
Health Bonus…Protect the heart with yellow squash. The B vitamins in this veggie help lower levels of heart-harming homocysteine by 45 percent.
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 16 for approx $4.17 (26 cents each)
Ingredients:
- 1 package (16 oz) pound-cake mix
- 1 cup grated yellow squash
- 1/2 cup cold butter, diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup flour
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9″ x 13″ baking pan with foil; coat with cooking spray. In food processor, process cake mix, squash, butter and cinnamon 30 seconds or until thick batter forms. Spread 1/2 batter in prepared pan; sprinkle with chocolate chips. Stir flour into remaining batter; crumble over chocolate chips. Bake 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Per Serving: Calories 265, Protein: 2g, Carb. 36g, Fiber 1g ,Sugar 23g, Chole. 15mg, Sod. 150mg, Total Fat 14g, Sat. 8g, Trans. 1g
GINGER-PECAN COCONUT BROWNIES –
Health Bonus…Ward off sick days with sauerkraut. Friendly bacteria in fermented cabbage have been shown to reduce the risk of catching a cold by 12 percent.
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 16 for approx $4.56 (29 cents each)
Ingredients:
- 1 18 oz package brownie mix
- 1 can (8 oz) sauerkraut, rinsed, drained and finely chopped*
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger
- 1 cup chocolate frosting, melted
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownies as package directs, omitting oil and adding sauerkraut. Stir in pecans, coconut and candied ginger. Spoon batter into greased 9″ x 13″ baking pan. Bake 20 minutes or until done. Let cool completely. Spread frosting over brownies. Garnish with sliced candied ginger, if desired.
*I used half of a 16 ounce can of sauerkraut…and used the other half on chili cheese dogs (not so healthy!)
Per Serving: Calories 255, Protein 2g, Carb 43g, Fiber 2g, Sugar 32g, Chol 12mg, Sodium 212mg, Total Fat 10g, Sat 4g, Trans 1g
