Blueberry-Lemon Coffee Cake

Believe it or not, it’s that time again.  Today is maintenance treatment #3.  It should be pretty routine.  I’ll get the drugs today, take it easy over the weekend, and be ready to go come Monday.  :)

As a follow up to the sugar/artificial sweetener posts this week, I thought I would share a better-for-you coffee cake recipe from Cooking Light.  The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of sugar, but if you are comfortable doing so, you could substitute Splenda baking sugar in its place.  Blueberries contain vitamin c, fiber, and antioxidants that are good for you.  You should be able to find some nice, juicy ones right about now.

Source: CookingLight.com – Becky Luigart-Stayner

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup almond paste
• 2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup fat-free milk
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• Cooking spray

Topping:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place 1/2 cup sugar, almond paste, and 2 tablespoons butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add egg and lemon juice, beating well. Add flour mixture and fat-free milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries and rind. Spoon batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.
4. To prepare topping, combine 1/4 cup sugar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, tossing with a fork until moist. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Note from Cooking Light:  Almond paste is found in the baking section of the grocery store. (Don’t substitute marzipan, which is sweeter and has a smoother texture.) If it is hard, soften it by microwaving at HIGH 10 to 15 seconds.

Happy Healthier Baking!
♥ Rachel

What’s So Super About Superfoods?

Based on the comments from yesterday, I am going to give quinoa a try.  I’ll let you know how it goes.  :)

source

If you do a Google search on superfoods, you can come up with a pretty extensive list of good-for-you foods that deliver some amazing health benefits.  I was curious, though, what it is about these foods that makes them so super?  Why are they better than some other foods that many people think are healthy choices?  Let’s take a look at four of the most common superfoods.

One of the foods that shows up near the top of almost every list I found is blueberries.  This made me very happy because I love blueberries!  I love blueberry muffins, blueberry cheesecake, blueberry streusel, blueberry cobbler, blueberry pancakes….  ;)  Why are blueberries so good for us?  Blueberries contain antioxidants and phytoflavinoids.  Phyto what?  Phytoflavinoids apparently are compounds protect your body from stress.  Well, we certainly need that, don’t we??  :)  In addition, blueberries are high in potassium and vitamin C and can reduce inflammation, which is considered by many to be the cause behind many chronic diseases.  Blueberries can lower your risk of heart disease, cancer, and can help improve your memory.  Those of us who have dealt with chemo brain need all the help we can get in that area.  Can I get an Amen?

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a list that does not include salmon.  I’m almost embarrassed to admit this.  Salmon has never, ever crossed my lips and entered my mouth.  Ever.  It’s possible I’ve tasted a salmon patty before, but never in it’s pure form.  I don’t know why.  I think there’s something about the name that I don’t like.  I also think it has something to do with the thickness of the fish because anytime I see salmon, it’s always cut pretty thick.  I don’t like thick fish.  Yes, I’m weird like that.  BUT.  I am determined to give it a try because I hear so many good things about it.  We all know that Omega-3 fatty acids are good for us and salmon contains two kinds of Omega-3s.  Salmon is good for your heart, joints, mood, and memory.  It’s important, though, to eat wild salmon.  The farm-raised kind does not come with the same benefits.

Green tea is another superfood with benefits related to preventing, or at least inhibiting, cancer.  Studies in the United Kingdom and Spain have shown that the antioxidant, EGCG, that is found in green tea can hinder the growth of cancer cells.  That same antioxidant is also proven to lower cholesterol and can possibly help to ward off diabetes, stroke, and dementia.  Barry and I tried some hot green tea a few months ago and I can say I was not a huge fan.  We also tried cold green tea (I think it was one of the Lipton varieties) and, while it was better than the hot, it was not one of my favorite beverages.  Maybe it’s an acquired taste?

If you want a powerful cancer fighting weapon, look no further than the mighty broccoli sprout.  Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable (just like cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, and cabbage) and is thought to possibly help in preventing breast cancer because it limits excess estrogen.  It is a low-calorie, fiber-rich veggie that helps to make you feel full and stay feeling full which can help you lose weight.  And maintaining a healthy weight is an important component in the fight against cancer (and many other diseases).  The whole broccoli spear is healthy, but if you want to really get more bang for your bite, eat the broccoli sprout.  These little guys have – no lie – ten times the glucoraphanin (a cancer preventing compound) than the rest of the broccoli stalk.  I’m convinced – what about you?

This is just a preview of some of the impressive benefits of just four superfoods.  If you are interested in learning more about them, here are some additional resources:

• America’s Healthiest Superfoods for Women
• Eat Healthy America: 52 Superfoods
• Diabetes Superfoods

What’s your favorite superfood?  Feel free to share a recipe if you have a great one.

♥ Rachel