Blueberry Sweet Muffins

Taking advantage of summer blueberries, I finally got around to making these blueberry sweet muffins, a recipe I had been eyeing out of Southern Living Comfort Food: A Delicious Trip Down Memory Lane.

But before I get to the muffins, somebody pinch me!! 63 degrees in Dallas, TEXAS in the middle of August???? I couldn’t believe it! So, instead of sleeping in late on this Saturday morning, I figured I better take advantage of the nice weather and go for a run.

Morning runs are the best despite getting up at the crack of dawn. 🙂 However, once I’m up, I’m good to go for the rest of the day!

texas sunrise — Enjoying the cool weather and sunrise. Gorgeous view except for the power lines!

The great thing about these muffins is that they are a cinch to whip up. After running, I didn’t have much patience for waiting around for breakfast, and was able to get these on the table in under 30 minutes from start to finish!

The recipe is almost effortless, plus I can almost guarantee you’ll have all the ingredients in your pantry.

Start by whisking the egg, milk and oil together in a small bowl.

blue — Combine the flour, soda, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl.

I actually substituted white whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour. I think using 100% all-purpose would taste better, but they say white whole wheat is better for you, thus I wanted to try it out.

So what’s the difference between whole wheat flour and white whole-wheat flour? It’s the type of wheat used. White whole wheat flour is made with white wheat, which lacks bran color. It is milder in flavor and lighter in color. Nutritionally it is the same. Think of white whole wheat flour as a sort of albino version. To learn more, click HERE.

To finish making the muffins, you’ll pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones, and stir until just combined. Then you’ll fold in your blueberries. That’s it! Then just scoop the batter into lined muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

Let the muffins cool slightly in the pan, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

I like mine hot so that I can drizzle them with some Colorado honey. Enjoy!!

blueberry muffins

For those living in Dallas, did you enjoy the cooler weather this morning? What is your favorite breakfast muffin?

Blueberry Sweet Muffins

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 10

Recipe adapted from Southern Living Comfort Food: a delicious trip down memory lane

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
1/ 2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk (I used skim)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp. sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
Stir together milk, oil, and egg; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.
Spoon into greased or paper-lined standard muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Sprinkle batter with 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until muffins are golden. (I baked mine at 375 degrees F in a convection oven for 20 minutes). Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

Whole Wheat Waffles

Getting to sleep in as late as you want is one of the best things about the weekends! Today I slept in until about 10: 30 am, which was much later than I thought, and woke up to a wonderfully sweet aroma of my my mom cooking in the kitchen.

I had no clue what she was making, but the smell was so sweet and inviting, first thing that came to my mind was “why is she making cookies at 10:30 in the morning”?

Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find that she had just finished cooking up a batch of whole wheat waffles. (Funny story…my sister Brittany made these exact same waffles for her and Colby for breakfast this morning all the way up in Michigan! Great minds think alike!!!)

waffle ingredients — All the ingredients you will need…

The recipe for these waffles is adapted from 100 Days of Real Food, in which Lisa, the blogger, cuts out processed foods and replace it with REAL food. Processed food is terribly bad for you, so the less of it you can eat, the better.

The ingredient list is simple for this healthy waffle recipe, and makes for a quick and easy breakfast. The original recipe calls for 1 3/4 cups of milk, but my mom didn’t have enough, so she used half buttermilk and half skim milk. We love the addition of buttermilk, as it gives the waffles a richer taste.

Once you gather your ingredients, simply whisk them together in a large bowl and ladle the batter into a hot waffle iron.

waffle batter — Mix together the eggs, milk, honey, oil, honey, cinnamon and baking soda. Add in flour, baking powder and salt.

I like using a Belgian waffle iron (it has deeper and wider pockets) better than a traditional waffle iron. For some reason, Belgian waffles just taste better….kind of like how ice cream tastes better in a pretty bowl, or yogurt tastes better eaten with a plastic spoon instead of a metal spoon.

Anyways, within 10 minutes you’ve got a hot, fresh, healthy and NON-PROCESSED breakfast ready to enjoy.

whole wheat waffles — Top with a pat of butter, fresh fruit and maple syrup.

Top these with a pat of butter, maple syrup and fresh berries for a hearty meal.

I must say, these are the BEST waffles I’ve ever eaten! They taste better than any hotel breakfast or diner that I’ve ever been to.

waffles

Whole Wheat Waffles

Serves: 8 (4-inch square) waffles

Adapted from: 100 Days of Real Food

Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk (or you can use all skim milk)
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour (King Arthur)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
100% pure maple syrup, for serving
Fresh cut strawberries and blueberries, for serving

Instructions

Preheat your waffle iron.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milks, oil, honey, cinnamon and baking soda until well combined.
Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk together until the large lumps disappear.
When the waffle iron is hot, dab it with a little butter and then ladle a scant 1/2 cup of batter (depending on the size of your waffle iron) onto the center of the iron. Follow the instructions that came with your waffle maker to know how long it should be cooked (ours takes about 3-4 minutes each).
Keep waffles warm until you finish cooking all of them. Top with pure maple syrup and fresh fruit.

Baked Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal

Anyone love blueberries at much as I do? If so, here’s a new baked oatmeal recipe that you must try!

My sister first made it for my mom when they visited each other about a month ago in Michigan. My sister is a major health nut and left out the brown sugar. I don’t recommend that, but supposedly it was still good according to my mom.

When my mom returned home to Texas, she decided to try the baked blueberry coconut oatmeal again… this time with brown sugar, and guess what? She was hooked!

For the past month, my mom has been making a batch of this oatmeal every week for her breakfast. She’s sent me picture after picture via email showing me how good it was!

So, being good daughter that I am, I finally made the oatmeal for myself to try. Guess what? I LOVE it just as much as she does!

Talk about easy. Simply combine the oats, coconut, brown sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.

Then whisk together the milk, egg, coconut oil and vanilla.

Next, sprinkle two-thirds of the blueberries on the bottom of the pan.

Pour your oat mixture evenly over blueberries.

Then pour the milk mixture over oats. Gently shake the baking dish to make sure milk covers oat mixture.

Sprinkle remaining blueberries on top. (For a quicker prep time, you can mix your wet and dry ingredients plus your blueberries all together in a large bowl. Then pour the contents of the bowl into the prepared baking dish.)

Finally, place the baking dish in 350 degree F oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes and then dig in!

It’s healthy and pretty! If you’ve never tried the coconut and blueberry combination, put it on your things to-do-list because the flavors are outstanding!

Spoon into individual bowls and eat by itself, add a splash or milk or cream, or if you’re like me, add a touch of vanilla yogurt!

Looking for other blueberry recipes? Here’s a few of my favorites:

Banana Blueberry Bread

Blueberry Muffins with Doughnut Topping

Cornmeal Blueberry Cookies

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal (sans the coconut)

Peach and Blueberry Crumbles

Baked Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 6

Recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups skim milk
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pint fresh blueberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8-inch square baking dish and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, brown sugar ,baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, coconut oil and vanilla. The coconut oil might get a little lumpy/congealed, but that’s okay. It will melt when baking.
Arrange two-thirds of the blueberries on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour the oat mixture evenly over the berries. Pour the milk mixture over the oats. Gently shake the baking dish to make sure the milk covers the oats evenly. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries on top of the oats.
Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is golden and oatmeal is set. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve warm.

Notes

*Note: Alternatively, when preparing this dish, you can combine the dry mixture with the wet mixture along with the blueberries. Then take that entire mixture and pour it into the prepared baking dish all at once.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

No, I’m not vegan. However, I LOVE cookie dough and found a healthier way to indulge in the oh so sweet cookie dough cravings I get.

This recipe, adapted from Averie at Averie Cooks, is vegan, packed with protein, healthy fats and hearty whole grains.

These cookie dough balls kind of remind me of my favorite healthy energy bar: Lärabars. The taste is very similar due in part to the nutty cashews.

The chocolate chips add a touch of sweetness and could be substituted with white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, raisins, craisins, or a mix… totally up to you!

Enjoy one or two or even four for a quick pick-me-up snack!

Simply blend the oats and cashews together in a blender.

Add the vanilla and maple syrup. Blend again.

Fold in chocolate chips. If your dough gets too sticky (like mine), place the dough in the refrigerater for at least 30 minutes. That should to the trick…your dough will firm up and will be much easier to shape into balls.

Roll into small, 1-inch balls and dig in!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Serves: 1 dozen

Blend cashews and oats together in blender. Add the honey, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Blend again. Ad chocolate chips by hand. Transfer dough to a plate or clean working surface. If your dough is too sticky, gummy or runny, refrigerate for a half an hour, then you should be good. Roll into 1-inch balls. Yield: a dozen cookie dough balls

Ingredients

2/3 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup oats
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Blend cashews and oats together in blender.
Add the honey, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Blend again.
Ad chocolate chips by hand.
Transfer dough to a plate or clean working surface. If your dough is too sticky, gummy or runny, refrigerate for a half an hour, then you should be good.
Roll into 1-inch balls.

Notes

Adapted from Averie Cooks

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

Before I get to this spaghetti squash, its time to announce the winner of the Truvia Baking Blend giveaway!

And the winner is… #7, which is Amanda T. Congratulations Amanda; your baking blend should be on its way shortly.

Okay, now that the winner has been announced, time for a how-to on spaghetti squash! If you’ve never heard, there is a vegetable called a spaghetti squash that is a great alternative to spaghetti (pasta), so I’ve heard.

So after hearing all these rave reviews, I thought I’d give it a try and serve it alongside my favorite marinara sauce for low-carb spaghetti dinner.

For those that don’t know, spaghetti squash is an oblong seed-bearing variety of winter squash (according to Wikipedia). When raw, the flesh is solid and similar to other raw squash, but when cooked, the flesh falls away from the fruit in ribbons or strands, like spaghetti!

Overall, I thought it was very good. I’m pretty sure had Matt eaten it, it would have requested real spaghetti (pasta) instead, but if you’re wanting to eat super healthy, save on calories and carbs, you ought to try this. Good luck!

Cut squash in half.

Scrape out seeds and pulp.

Place in baking sheet, cut side down. Add water.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

My squash was so big that I needed two pans!

After 45 minutes, remove foil, turn squash over, recover with foil and bake for another 25 minutes.

Let cool, then gently stands of squash away from the peel.

Serve with your favorite marinara pasta sauce (I like Newman’s Own Marinara).

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 Spaghetti Squash

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and pulp. Place squash cut side down, in a baking dish. Add enough water to come 1/2-inch up the sides of the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 45 minutes, until the squash is easily pierced with a pairing knife. Turn squash over and cover with foil again and continue to cook for another 25 minutes.
Remove from over, uncover and allow to cool slightly. Using a fork, gently pull the strands of the squash away from the peel and place squash strands into a mixing bowl.

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars and a GIVEAWAY

Has anyone ever tried Truvia natural sweetener or baking blend before? Well, now is your chance! (SPOILER ALERT: Scroll down to the bottom of this post for details on the GIVEAWAY!!)

If you haven’t heard, Truvia sweetener is a zero calorie sweetener made from the stevia plant. Their newest product, Truvia Baking Blend is a mix of Truvia sweetener and sugar, and is specifically used in baking and has 75% less calories per serving than sugar.

Since many of my readers are from Dallas, Truvia reached out to me so that I could help them spread the word about their “Turning the Town Truvia” campaign that is coming to Dallas, TX this week!

From now until May, you can nominate your favorite food establishment via Truvia’s Facebook Page for a chance to win $5,000! Because of your nomination, Truvia sweetener may end up on the tables of your favorite cafes and restaurants.

Plus, beginning THIS WEEK, Society Bakery (on March 26 and April 23) and Tu-Lu’s Gluten Free Bakery (on March 27 and April 26) will be offering customers special reduced-calorie, reduced-sugar versions of their favorite desserts. As Dallasites, you’ll be able to buy guilt-reduced Chocolate Crostatas from Society Bakery or a gluten-free Lemon Pies from Tu-Lu’s, both of which are made from Truvia Baking Blend.

With that said, if you live too far from Dallas to check out these two bakeries or you just don’t have time, I’ve included the recipe for lightened-up raspberry oatmeal bars using Truvia Baking Blend.

For these bars, you’ll want to have a bag of Truvia Baking Blend on hand… that is if you want a healthier bar with only 4 grams of sugar. 🙂

Measure out 4 cups of freshly washed raspberries.

Put the berries in a blender with Truvia, corn starch and lemon juice. Blend until its uniform. (I wanted the berries all nice and pureed. You could probably mix the berries by hand, which would yield a thicker filling with chunks of raspberries.

Meanwhile, mix the oats, flour butter, cinnamon, Truvia, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl to form your crust and topping. Place 2/3 of the crust in the bottom of a greased baking pan. Pour raspberry filling on top.

Sprinkle remaining oatmeal mixture on top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 325 degree oven.

Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into bars and enjoy for breakfast, dessert or as a spring-time snack. Did I mention these bars have 35% fewer calories and 80% less sugar than the full-sugar version? Not a bad way to enjoy your dessert!

Ready for the GIVEAWAY??? Keep reading… its at the very bottom of this post… after the recipe part. 🙂

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars with Truvia Baking Blend

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 24

Ingredients

CRUST/TOPPING
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup Truvia Baking Blend
FILLING
4 cups raspberries
1/3 cup Truvia Baking Blend
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup corn starch

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Place oats, flour, cinnamon, butter, salt, vanilla and Truvia Baking Blend in mixing bowl, mix at low speed for 1 minute.
Scrape sides of bowl, mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Portion 2/3 of oat mixture into greased 13″x9″ baking pan; set aside remaining 1/3 of mixture for topping.
Press oat mixture into bottom of pan to form crust.
For filling: Blend raspberries, Truvia Baking Blend, lemon juice, and corn starch until uniform. Spread over pressed oat mixture.
For topping, add remaining oatmeal mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 150 Fat: 6g Saturated fat: 3.5g Trans fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 22g Sugar: 4g Sodium: 40mg Fiber: 2g Protein: 3g Cholesterol: 15mg

Notes

Note: 1 cup sugar = 1/2 cup Truvia Baking Blend

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

For a chance to win a bag of Truvia Baking Blend, please leave a comment below telling me what recipe (banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, pudding, etc.) you would make with Truvia.

Want to increase your chances of winning? You can comment up to 4 separate times! GOOD LUCK!! The winner will be announced Monday, April 1, 2013.

LIKE Dallas Duo Bakes on Facebook, and leave a separate comment saying that you did.
FOLLOW Dallas Duo Bakes on Twitter, and leave a separate comment saying that you did.
FOLLOW Dallas Duo Bakes on Pinterest, and leave a separate comment saying that you did.

*This post and giveaway is sponsored by Truvia. All opinions are my own.

Citrus Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Summer’s not the only season for fresh produce-packed salads. There’s plenty of cold weather produce to enjoy in the winter. From tangy cranberries and citrus fruits to robust greens and hardy root vegetables, you’ll be surprised by how many foods truly are “in season” right now.

Cooking Light has a great seasonal produce guide that you can check out here:

If you love fruit, there’s not much you can complain about in this citrus salad.

Sliced pears, sectioned oranges and grapefruit, and plump seedless grapes make up all the wonderful fruits in this salad. Add a handful of walnuts or pecans for crunch, and a sweet, citrus orange vinaigrette, and you’ve got yourself the perfect salad.

I actually made this for Christmas dinner this year. Everyone loved it. Plus, it pairs well with just about any main course from juicy steaks to grilled chicken to pork chops and even ham.

Enjoy!

Citrus Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Recipe Type: Side

Cuisine: American

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tsp. orange zest
3 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts or pecans
1 (5 oz.) bag mixed baby greens, thoroughly washed
2 navel oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 large grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
1 pear, peeled and sectioned
1 cup seedless red grapes

Instructions

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE: Whisk together first 6 ingredients (white wine, orange zest, orange juice, sugar, salt and pepper) in a small bowl; add oil in a slow steady stream, whisking until blended.
FOR THE SALAD: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake nuts in a single layer in a shallow pan 6-8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant.
Place greens in a large bowl. Add orange sections, grapefruit sections, sliced pear, and grapes. Drizzle with 1/4 cup Orange Vinaigrette, tossing gently to coat. Sprinkle toasted nuts over salad, and serve immediately with remaining vinaigrette.

Notes

Source: “Farmers Market Cookbook: A Fresh Look at Local Flavor” by Southern Living

Oatmeal Muffins

Wholesome. Chewy. Delicious. If you like oatmeal, you should love these muffins!

They really do taste like a bowl of oatmeal in muffin form. Filled with dried apricots, craisins and/or dates will add a nice bit of sweetness, but if you’re like Matt you might just want to eat them plain – sans the dried fruit.

Fun story: The first time I made these for Matt, he didn’t like them.

He took one bite and made a funny face and said “What’s in these?” I told him the ingredients and said they were “healthy” muffins, not the fat-filled, overly sugary cakey muffins you would normally expect.

He took another bite and LOVE them. I figured he would. Matt loves just about anything with oats in them!

I don’t want you to get discouraged… these muffins are really really good. However, you know that feeling you get when you bite into something expecting one thing and it’s actually something else? It throws you off!

Case in point… I love Perrier. One time I picked up a glass of water, thinking it was plain ole tap water. After taking a sip I discovered it was Perrier. I wasn’t expecting the fizziness from the sparkling water and it took me for surprise, in a bad way. The same thing happened with Matt and these muffins.

Enjoy your Saturday. Whip up a batch of these oatmeal muffins and let me know what you think!

Oatmeal Muffins
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup uncooked regular oats
1/2 cup chopped dates (I used chopped dried apricots and dried cranberries)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Oats, optional

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease or line a muffin pan with paper-lined muffin cups.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in the center of the mixture.
3. Stir together milk, butter, and egg; add to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened.
4. Spoon batter into muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Sprinkle with oats, if desired.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from pans immediately.

Yield: 8 muffins
Recipe from: Southern Living Comfort Food: A Delicious Trip Down Memory Lane

Banana Oatmeal Bites

Bananas. Walnuts. Oats. Yep, that’s right; only three ingredients!

I love snack food. Probably my biggest weakness is snacking, almost to the point of ruining my dinner. You don’t have to feel bad about snacking on these banana oatmeal bites, though… they are super healthy.

Whipping up a batch of these healthy snack bites is quick and easy too. One bowl, one spoon, and one baking sheet is all you need.

Potassium from the bananas, healthy whole grains from the oats, protein and healthy fat from the nuts. What else could you ask for in a healthy snack bite!

Roll them into balls and place on a cookie sheet. The only hard part is waiting 10-15 minutes for them to bake. I’m getting hungry already!

Combination between a cookie, snack bite and banana bread. Soft, chewy, perfection! Thanks to Gina @ Skinnytaste for this recipe. I am seriously going to make these again.

Did I mention drizzling these with a touch of honey? Sooo good. Enjoy!

Banana Oatmeal Bites

INGREDIENTS
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup uncooked quick oats
1/4 cup crushed walnuts or pecans

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (I used a convection oven and thus set the temperature to 325 degrees F). Spray a non-stick cookie sheet with cooking spray or use a Silpat.
2. Combine the mashed bananas and oats in a bowl. Fold in the walnuts and place a tablespoons of each on the cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 12-15 minutes. (I baked the cookies for 10 minutes in the convection oven).

Yield: 12-16 cookies
Source: Gina at Skinnytaste

Macaroni Salad Bacon, Peas, and Cream Dijon Dressing

This is officially my first pasta salad blog post and boy is it a good one! My husband and I could not keep out of it, and the best part? It’s healthy!

I love it when I find great tasting, low-fat/low-fat calorie recipes, and this macaroni salad with peas, dijon mustard and bacon from Cooking Light did not disappoint. With only 208 calories and 7 grams of fat, that’s not too shabby for a pasta salad in my opinion.

I will say though, that after a reading a few comments about this recipe, I was a little hesitant to make it. Someone complained about the dressing being too sour from the vinegar and overpowering dijon mustard. I would definitely have to DISAGREE! I thought the slightly tangy dressing contrasted well with the smoky bacon, sweet bell pepper, and red onion. This pasta salad was excellent in my opinion, and I will definitely be making it again soon as a side dish for summer BBQs and backyard grilling parties.

Enjoy!

Combine first 9 ingredients and combine in food processor until smooth.

Combine chopped red onion, green onion, bell pepper, green peas, and lemon rind.

Toss with cooked pasta.

Meanwhile, cook bacon.

Add half of the dressing and chill. When ready to serve, add the remaining dressing and top with crumbled bacon.

Macaroni Salad with Bacon, Peas, and Creamy Dijon Dressing

Serves: 8

Ingredients

DRESSING
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. fat-free sour cream
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
SALAD
8 oz. uncooked large elbow macaroni
2/3 cup fresh green peas
2/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
2/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
3 lower-sodium bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Instructions

To prepare dressing, combine first 9 ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Cover and chill.
To prepare salad, cook pasta according to package directions. Add peas during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain. Combine pasta mixture, bell pepper, and next 4 ingredients (through rind) in a large bowl.
Toss pasta mixture with half of dressing. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Toss salad with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon; serve immediately.

Serving size: 1 cup Calories: 208 Fat: 7g Saturated fat: 3.2g Carbohydrates: 29.1g Sodium: 454mg Fiber: 2.3g Protein: 8.6g Cholesterol: 16mg

Notes

Source: Cooking Light