Pineapple with Coconut Curls

All it takes is one pineapple and one coconut to make a healthy and impressive dessert. The fresh pineapple with coconut curls looks more impressive if it is served on the same day that the pineapple is sliced (this photo was taken on the 2nd day).

• Bake the coconut at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

• Cut the pineapple in half, lengthwise. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Leaves should remain intact.
• Cut the core from the center of each wedge.
• Cut the pineapple from the skin, lengthwise, then crosswise. Leave the pieces on the wedge.
• Arrange the pineapple wedges on a serving platter.
  
  
• Crack open the coconut. Remove and reserve the coconut milk.
• Using a sharp vegetable peeler, make ribbons of coconut.
• Arrange the coconut ribbons on top of the pineapple wedges.
• Sprinkle each wedge with a tablespoon of the coconut milk.

Each pineapple used makes 4 servings.

Taken from The Martha Stewart Cookbook

Yogurt for Yogurt-Haters

I confess. I am a yogurt hater. I have tried them all. But this is delicious! I made this for breakfast. That's right. I am made dessert for breakfast and it wasn't the first time either. This recipe disguises the fact that I am eating yogurt. I cut the recipe in half and it makes enough for 2 days of good eats. I hope that the next time I make it, I can cut back on the sugar and not be offended by the yogurt flavor, or maybe, I will enjoy the sugary goodness of my breakfast. Super simple. Also, I liked the yogurt mixed with the brown sugar only.

Please note: I enjoyed this after lunch. It was a yummy dessert. But I still think it could be doable for a sweet breakfast.

Strawberry Fool

A fool is an old-fashioned English dessert made by folding puréed fruit into whipped cream. This lighter version uses yogurt.

3 cups sliced strawberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 (8-ounce) cartons vanilla low-fat yogurt

• Combine strawberries and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours.


• Combine brown sugar and yogurt in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Cover and chill 2 hours.


• Gently fold the strawberry mixture into the yogurt mixture until swirled.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 219(7% from fat); FAT 1.8g (sat 0.9g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 6.3g; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 222mg; SODIUM 81mg; FIBER 2.6g; IRON 0.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.4g

Recipe can be found in 2000's Best of Cooking Light or at Cookinglight.com.

Buttermilk Apple Coffee Cake

This truly is a beautiful coffee cake. The cake moist and sweet, but not overly so. When making the glaze, I had to use extra buttermilk to make the glaze a thinner consistency. Additionally, I substituted almond extract for the vanilla to give the cake more of an almond flavor.

Buttermilk-Apple Coffee Cake

Cake:
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apple
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Glaze:
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon low-fat buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare the cake, combine the first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes or until syrupy, stirring frequently; cool.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended; add egg and extracts, beating well. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition.

Spoon the batter into an 8-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Arrange apple mixture over cake. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon buttermilk, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 185(24% from fat); FAT 5g (sat 2.3g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 3.4g; CHOLESTEROL 35mg; CALCIUM 36mg; SODIUM 162mg; FIBER 1g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.8g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2001

Fruit Shish-Ka-Bobs

I put together these fruit shish-ka-bobs for a staff meeting. The middle skewers are balls of watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew. The outer skewers are fresh strawberries and pineapple. I used a flower cookie cutter to cut out the pineapple pieces.