Spice-Berry Balsamic Sauce

Photo: Jan Smith

The warm spices complement the flavor punch from the black pepper and balsamic vinegar in this all-purpose sauce. Use all of one type of berry or a frozen-berry mixture. Serve warm over low-fat frozen yogurt, pancakes, or French toast.

Yield

2 cups (serving size: 2 tablespoons)

Ingredients

·     1/2  cup  cranberry juice cocktail

·     1/3  cup  packed brown sugar

·     1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar

·     1/8  teaspoon  ground cardamom

·     1/8  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

·     1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

·     1  (12-ounce) package frozen berries (blueberries, strawberries, and

          raspberries)

·     1  (3-inch) cinnamon stick

·     2  tablespoons  cornstarch
2  tablespoons  water

Preparation

Combine first 8 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water, stirring with a whisk; add to fruit mixture. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Discard cinnamon stick.

Nutritional Information

Calories:  33 (1% from fat)
Fat:  0.0g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)
Protein:  0.1g
Carbohydrate:  8.5g
Fiber:  0.5g
Cholesterol:  0.0mg
Iron:  0.3mg
Sodium:  3mg
Calcium:  9mg
 

Dark Chocolate Poblano S' Mores

Ingredients

2 medium-size poblano chili peppers, roasted and skinned*
8 graham cracker sheets
2 ripe (but not over ripe) bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise 1/2 inch thick
1 (3.5-ounce) dark chocolate bar (or chocolate of choice), separated into squares or broken into pieces
8 marshmallows, sliced in half horizontally

Method

Remove seeds and stems from chilies. Cut each pepper in half lengthwise and set aside on a paper towel to dry.

Place 4 graham crackers on a work surface. Place a half chili on each. Divide banana slices over chilies. Divide chocolate squares over bananas. Divide marshmallow rounds over the chocolate. Top with another graham cracker.

Place on a plate and microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes until chocolate and marshmallows melt. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 294 calories, 30 percent calories from fat, 10 grams total fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 2 milligrams cholesterol, 51 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams total fiber, 32 grams total sugars, 47 grams net carbs, 3 grams protein, 97 milligrams sodium.

*To roast and skin poblano peppers: Preheat oven broiler on high. Place poblano peppers on a baking pan and place in oven 2 inches from broiler element 10 minutes until the skin of the peppers blackens. Turn the peppers and broil another 10 minutes until the other side is blackened. Remove from oven and place on a plate. Invert another plate over the pepper. Let cool. When cool, peel off skin and rinse under cold water to remove all burnt pieces.

Steve Petusevsky, Whole Foods Cookbook, Cooking Light, MARCH 2006