Livin' Lean Topic Tuesday: Believe It! This Stuff Really Tastes Like Butter!

 Market Tour and Cooking With "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter"

Butter is the star in many of the wonderful dishes we "slim down" here in the Cookin' Lean Kitchen. We know that although butter tastes great, it is not good for us. It is high in saturated fat and cholesterol; two things behind health problems, including heart disease and obesity. Instead of throwing out all of the dishes we love that contain butter, we need to get creative and resourceful; finding healthier alternatives and substitutions for butter. One of my favorites happens to be "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter". I comes in several forms and varieties; which makes it simple to find the perfect ICBINB substitute for any recipe! With 70% less saturated fat than butter, it is the clear choice when looking to create that same buttery taste.


To share with you how simple and delicious cooking with "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" is, I decided to invite a few of my readers and friends to share a farm market tour and cooking experience. We visited two local farm markets and were able to gather up almost all of the fresh produce needed to make the following five recipes. It is amazing how easy it is to make fresh produce even better with "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" sprays and spreads... and the heat of the grill. Check out these recipes, pictures and videos to see  for yourself.

RECIPES:

Buttery Grilled Corn

Grilled Green Beans

Grilled Southwest Sweet Potatoes

Rosemary-Orange Grilled Chicken and Veggies 

**Bonus Recipe by Me...

Baked Apples

Ingredients:

4 apples

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter"

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

.Scoop out the core from top of the apple, leaving a well, yet not cutting all the way through. Stuff each apple with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon ICBINB. Place in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon.


Bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until sugar begins to caramelize and apples are tender. This may very depending on the size of the apples.

A Look Into Our Day




And to Sum It All Up...

What do farmers markets and "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" have in common? Better for  you flavor! The best produce you can find is at your local farm market. And the best way to prepare these foods for that desired buttery taste is to use "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter". Both are about Reaching Right for better food choices. We shopped, we cooked and we enjoyed all the recipes selected from the ICBINB website. I would recommend taking a stop by the site and learning more about the exciting nutritional information. And don't forget to cruise around the recipe tab. YUM!

This "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" market event was eye opening. There are so many different ways to prepare farm-fresh produce and to enhance the natural flavors by using "ICBINB" spreads and sprays. The hands-on experiences in using and tasting both the Spread and Spray have really inspired us to Reach Right. Maybe trying some of these recipes will inspire you too!

**For more information on nutrition, products and recipes, please visit http://www.icantbelieveitsnotbutter.com/.

Disclosure: I was given a gift card for groceries and a Flip camera to document my day by I Can't Believe it's Not Butter! I was not compensated monetarily for this post. The opinions expressed are my own.

Cooking Light with Bobby Flay: Grilled Banana and Nutella Panini

I have one important question to ask, "Who has a sweet tooth?" Well if you answered "ME!", well then I have the sandwich for "You"! This simple, sweet sandwich recipe is taken from Bobby Flay's Grilled Banana and Nutella Panini. This thing is unreal! So yummy! I'm talkin' "makes your eyes roll back in your head" good. Yes, that good. Go ahead and give it a try. You probably already have what you need in the kitchen at this very moment. You are just minutes away from pure chocolaty-banana bliss. Here's the what and how...


GRILLED BANANA AND NUTELLA PANINI
Makes 2 Servings

INGREDIENTS:


1 ripe banana, sliced



4 slices whole-wheat bread or white wheat


2 tablespoons chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)


20 sprays "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" Spray 


1/2 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)


DIRECTIONS:


Heat grill pan over medium-high heat. Spread 1/2 tablepoon of Nutella on one side of each bread slice. Slice banana into thin pieces and place evenly on two pieces of bread, on top of the Nutella. Take the remaining slices and place them Nutella side down over the bananas; making a sandwich.


Spray each grilling side with up to 5 sprays of "ICBINB". Place on the grill pan. Grill until golden brown. Flip and continue grilling until the second side is also golden brown.


 Remove from the grill pan, cut and sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar. Eat immediately...as if you could resist!

 RESULTS:


I loved it! Rudy thought it was weird, but I think he is a little weird (Love you, Rudy!).
Nutella is a really good spread, which actually has less fat per serving than its relative, peanut butter. Two tablespoons is equal to one serving; enough Nutella to make two sandwiches! What I am saying here is that a little goes a long way.


I want to thank Bobby Flay for inspiring me to try Nutella. After the first bite, I said to my Nutella jar, "Where have you been my whole life?!?!" I have made a new friend.


As you can see, this recipe is simple and nutritious; taking little time to throw together. Craving something sweet in the morning? Throw one of these together and forget about that Boston Creme!


ENJOY!

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving of 1 sandwich w/powdered sugar): 242 calories; 6.2g fat;  44.97g carbohydrate; 6.15g protein;  9.05g fiber

"Spread a Little Joy" Giveaway Winners!

Congratulations to the THREE winners of Kraft's "Spread a Little Joy" Giveaway Prize:

SAVANNAH SMILES


JENN


SUBURBAN PREP


Thank you to all that entered. I am hoping to have more fun giveaways to come, so stay tuned!


WINNERS: If you haven't already, please email your mailing address to cookinlean@gmail.com as soon as possible. Without it, KRAFT will not be able to send you your fabulous prize!


Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!