How to Re-do Your Recipes to Make Them Healthier - Friday's Edition

In this article, I will show you how you can change a few recipes to a healthier version. Here I have recipes for - Banana pancakes and Oatmeal cookies and also a Caramel apple dipping sauce.

Banana Pancakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour----- whole wheat or rice flour

1Tablespoon sugar----- organic sugar or agave nectar

½ teaspoon of baking soda-------aluminum free baking soda

1/8 teaspoon of salt-------- sea salt

1 egg-------caged free egg or egg substitute

¾ cup milk------- soy or rice milk

1 Tablespoon butter----- I use butter, but some prefer butter substitutes

2/3 cup ripe banana-----organic ripe banana

Vegetable oil------ canola or safflower oil (for frying pancakes)

Combined dry ingredients in a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, except the banana, Stir until smooth. Then add banana and stir again.

Heat griddle or pan with oil, spoon in ¼ cup batter for each pancake. Turn pancake when edges look cooked. Serve with favorite topping. Makes: 4 pancakes.

Suzanne's Specialties has Maple Rice Nectar syrup that is very good for about $3.99 a 16 0z. jar. That makes a great topping.

Oatmeal Cookies:

1 ½ cups flour-------- whole wheat or rice flour

½ teaspoon baking soda----aluminum free baking soda

½ teaspoon salt-----sea salt

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon-------- same

1 cup sugar------- organic sugar or agate nectar

1 egg--------- caged free or egg substitute

½ cup shortening---- ¼ cup canola oil and ¼ cup butter

¼ cup milk----- soy, rice or almond milk

1 ¾ cups oatmeal---- steel cut oatmeal

½ cup raisins

½ cup of dark chocolate morsels

Mix flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Arrange teaspoonfuls of cookies dough on to an ungreased cookie sheet, about an inch and a half apart. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies should be slightly brown.

Caramel Apple Dipping Sauce:

½ cup caramel syrup ---- sugar free caramel syrup

1 Tablespoon milk ----- soy, rice or almond milk

½ teaspoon of vanilla ---- alcohol free vanilla

¾ cup Cool Whip ----- fat free or sugar free Cool Whip

Take the first three ingredients and whisk together. Gently fold mixture into Cool Whip. You can add a touch of cinnamon or a handful of walnuts. Cover and chill for at least one hour. Slice up your favorite apple dip and enjoy.

In next weeks Friday edition I will show you how to take some of your meal time recipes and make a healthier version of them.