APRICOT-ALMOND BARS WITH CHOCOLATE

Yield: 24 bars
Source: "The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook"
Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/87.shtml

INGREDIENTS

- 1 cup dried apricots, divided
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate (6 ounces)
or semisweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat a 7-by-11-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Combine 1/2 cup dried apricots and water in a small
saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover
and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside
to cool. Coarsely chop the remaining 1/2 cup apricots.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

Puree the cooked apricots and any remaining cooking liquid in
a food processor. Add egg, egg white, oil, honey and vanilla;
process until smooth. Add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup chocolate
and the chopped apricots; pulse just until combined. Scrape the
batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake the bars until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in
the center comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Melt the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate in a double boiler over
barely simmering water or in the microwave on Medium for 30 to 60
seconds. Spoon the chocolate into a ziplock bag, cut off the tip
of one corner and drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled
bars. Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting into the bars.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (per bar (1/24 of recipe):
Calories: 96, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 9 mg,
Carbohydrate: 12 g, Protein: 2 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sodium: 51 mg
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Other Carbohydrate, 1/2 Fat

Apricot Crescent Coffeecake

1 (4 serving size) pkg sugar free vanilla cook and serve pudding mix
1 cup water
18 dried apricot halves (1 cup)
1/4 cup raisins
1 (8 serving) pkg crescent refrigerated rolls

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In medium saucepan combine pudding
mix, water, apricots and raisins.  Cook over medium heat, stirring
constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Cool
15-20 minutes.  Place rolls on large cookie sheet.  Pat into a 14x9
rectangle, being sure to seal perforations.  Evenly spread apricot
filling over rolls.  Roll up like a jelly roll starting with long
side.  Seal edge well.  Place sealed edge down.  Curve into a large
crescent shape.  Gentlt make several slashes in top.  Bake 15-20
minutes.  Quickly spray top with butter flavored cooking spray.

Serves 8.
Each serving equals:
HE: 1 Br, 2/3 Fr, 10 OC
142 calories, 6 gr Fa, 2 gr Pr, 20 gr Ca, 301 mg So
Diabetic: 1/2 St, 1 Fr, 1 Fa

JoAnna's Notes:  My Bohemian heritage comes out when I yearn for the
types of food my mother and grandmother would bake.  This coffeecake
is an example.  It is so simple, yet tastes like you spent hours
slaving over an oven.  Try it on your family one of these weekends
and see if it doesn't become a family favorite.

Chicken Breasts with Apricot Sauce

Chicken Breasts with Apricot Sauce

1 pound boneless, skinless. chicken breasts
trimmed of all visible fat
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground red pepper
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup apricot all-fruit spread
3 tablespoons lime juice
Pinch of ground allspice and ground ginger


Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.
Lightly sprinkle with the cinnamon and pepper and set aside.

Coat a large non-stick skillet with a vegetable spray.
Add the oil and warm over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until lightly
browned on all sides.

Push the chicken to the side of
the of the skillet. Add the broth, fruit spread, lime juice,
allspice and ginger and mix well. Push the chicken back to
the center of the skillet; cover and cook.

Stir occasionally over medium heat about 15 minutes or
until the chicken is no longer pink. Serves 4.

EX: 3 1/2 meats, 1/4 fruit.

Apricot Glazed Asparagus

Apricot Glazed Asparagus
The apricot gives the Asian inspired sauce a nice sweetness.

1 lb of asparagus, trimmed
2 TBSP apricot preserves (Can use sugar free)
1 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
pinch kosher salt

Mix preserves, soy sauce, garlic & salt together. Pour over asparagus and toss to coat.

Bake at 400F for 10 minutes on a foil-lined cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

White Chocolate and Apricot Oatmeal Cookies

White Chocolate and Apricot Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal cookies are one of my favorite treats! Wait until you try this incredible, light variation on the traditional recipe, incorporating the sweetness of white chocolate and tartness of apricots.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups oatmeal
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped dried apricots

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In mixing bowl, beat margarine, sugar, brown sugar, until fluffy, Add eggs, beat well.
3. In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda. Gradually add flour to margarine-sugar mixture, mix just until combined. Stir in oatmeal, white chocolate chips, apricots.
4. Drop dough by teaspoons onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned on bottom. Transfer to sheet of waxed paper to cool to room temperature before serving.

Makes 48 cookies

Food Facts

Calories 84
Protein (g) 1
Carbohydrate (g) 13
Fat (g) 3
Calories from Fat (%) 36
Saturated Fat (g) 1
Dietary Fiber (g) 1
Cholesterol (mg) 5
Sodium (mg) 54

Diabetic Exchange: 1 other carbohydrate, 0.5 fat

SOURCE: Holly Clegg

Apricot Orange Bread

INGREDIENTS
1 (6 oz.) package of dried apricots,
cut into small pieces
2 cups water
2 tablespoons margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel
3-1/2 cups sifted whole grain flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly oil two 9x5-inch loaf pans.
2. Cook apricots in water in a covered medium-size saucepan for 10-
15 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Drain; reserve 3/4 cup
liquid. Set apricots aside to cool.
3. Cream together margarine and sugar. By hand, beat in egg and
orange peel.
4. Sift together flour, dry milk, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add
to creamed mixture alternately with reserved apricot liquid and
orange juice.
5. Stir apricot pieces and pecans into batter.
6. Pour batter into prepared pans.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until bread springs back when lightly
touched in center.
8. Cool 5 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and completely cool on
wire rack before slicing.

NUTRITION INFO (per ½ slice)
Calories: 100
Fat: 4.4 g
Carbohydrates: 14.2 g
Protein: 1.9 g

Coconut Apricot Bars

Coconut Apricot Bars

1 cup quick oats
1 and 1/2 cups reduced-fat biscuit baking mix
3/4 cup SPLENDA granular
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup reduced-calorie margarine
1 cup+2 tbsps. apricot spreadable fruit

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with butter flavored cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine oats, baking mix, Splenda and 2 tablespoons coconut. Add margarine. Mix well using a pastry blender or 2 forks until mixture becomes crumbly. Pat 2/3 of mixture into prepared cake pan. In a small bowl, stir spreadable fruit until softened. Carefully spread spreadable fruit over crust. Evenly sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over fruit. Sprinkle remaining two tablespoons coconut over top. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until filling is set. Place pan on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Cut into 24 bars.

serves 12 (2 bars each)

Each serving equals:

HE 1 Bread. 1 Fruit. 1 Fat. 11 optional Calories
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
190 Calories. 6 gram Fat. 2 gram Protein. 32 gram Carbohydrate. 269 mg Sodium. 20 mg Calcium. 1 gram Fiber
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DIABETIC EXCHANGES: 1 Starch. 1 Fruit. 1 fat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WW'S Points 4

Apricot Wheat Germ Muffins

Source: Eating Well

Makes 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients

¾ cup dried apricots, chopped
½ cup orange juice, divided
1 cup whole-wheat flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ, divided
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk (see Tip)
¼ cup canola oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apricot-Wheat Germ Muffins Ingredients Cont.

Apricot-Wheat Germ Muffins Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. Combine apricots and 1/4 cup orange juice in a small bowl. Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on High for 1 minute. (Alternatively, bring to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat.) Set aside to plump.

3. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

4. Whisk eggs and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk, oil, orange zest, vanilla and remaining 1/4 cup orange juice. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Add the plumped apricots and juice and mix just until blended. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon wheat germ.

5. Bake the muffins until lightly browned and the tops spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Apricot-Wheat Germ Muffins Instructions Cont.

Apricot-Wheat Germ Muffins Tips

Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: the ratio is 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

Apricot-Wheat Germ Muffins Tips Cont.

Apricot-Wheat Germ Muffins Nutrition Information

Per muffin: 220 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 36 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrate; 7 g protein; 3 g fiber; 185 mg sodium; 284 mg potassium.
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 1/2 fat

Banana Apricot Bread

1 3/4 cups sifted flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1/3 cup shortening
1 - 1 1/4 cups ripe banana (mashed)
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots (optional)
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp lemon rind (grated)
1/2 tsp salt
1 - 2 beaten eggs

The secret to this recipe is to have all ingredients at room temperature before mixing.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• First sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
• In a separate bowl, blend until creamy the shortening, sugar and lemon. Beat in the eggs and mashed banana until well mixed. Add the above sifted dry ingredients one-third at a time, beating the batter smooth each time. Fold in the nuts and apricots (if used).
• Pour the batter into a well greased loaf pan.
• Bake one hour or until tooth pick comes out clean.
• Cool completely before slicing.

This recipe is from The Joy of Cooking cookbook.