Patti Labelle's Lite Cuisine Read online

  Per Serving: 160 calories, 3 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 25 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 1 starch, 1½ fats, or 1 carbohydrate choice

  Layered Banana Pudding

  Fat-free milk and sugar-free vanilla wafers turn this classic dessert into one everyone in the family can enjoy.

  Makes 12 servings

  Two 1-ounce boxes fat-free, sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

  1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

  One 8-ounce tub frozen light whipped topping, such as Cool Whip, thawed

  3 cups fat-free milk

  Two 5.5-ounce boxes sugar-free Nilla Wafers

  4 ripe bananas, sliced

  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1 teaspoon sugar substitute, such as DiabetiSweet or Splenda

  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat together the pudding mix, sour cream, whipped topping, and milk until creamy, about 2 minutes.

  Arrange a layer of Nilla Wafers on the bottom of a 13 × 9-inch rectangular pan, using a little less than half of the cookies. Set aside 12 cookies for decorating the top.

  Layer half of the banana slices on top of the wafers in the pan. Pour half of the pudding over the bananas.

  In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar substitute. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar over the pudding. Repeat the layers, using the remaining cookies, sliced bananas, pudding, and cinnamon-sugar.

  Decorate the top with the 12 reserved cookies. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 1 day, before serving.

  Patti’s Pointers: Be sure to use the sugar-free version of round Nilla Wafers in this recipe. They look so cute—like little buttons—decorating the top of this crowd-pleasing dessert.

  Per Serving: 270 calories, 4 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 390 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 2 starches, 2 fruits, 3 fats, or 2½ carbohydrate choices

  Spectacular Spice Cake

  Makes 16 servings

  2 cups cake flour

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  1 teaspoon cinnamon

  ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  ½ teaspoon ground ginger

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  ½ cup margarine, softened

  1 cup sugar substitute such as DiabetiSweet or Splenda (see Patti’s Pointers

  page 178)

  ⅔ cup brown sugar substitute, such as Brown Sugar Twin

  ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar

  3 eggs, separated

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 cup 1 percent low-fat buttermilk

  1 cup raisins

  1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-cup or 10-cup tube pan with fat-free cooking spray.

  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.

  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the margarine until light, about 1 minute. Beat in the sugar substitute, brown sugar substitute, and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

  Beat in the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk and beating for 30 seconds after each addition.

  In a clean medium bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Fold into the batter. Fold in the raisins and walnuts.

  Scrape into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a rack and cool completely.

  Option: This ring cake looks fabulous with a glaze (low-sugar of course!). In a medium bowl, melt 1½ tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine in the microwave oven, about 30 seconds on medium. Whisk in 1½ tablespoons fat-free half-and-half and ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract. Then whisk in ¾ cup sugar substitute and ⅓ cup powdered sugar. Drizzle evenly over the cooled cake.

  Patti’s Pointers: I like to toast nuts before using them. It coaxes out every bit of their flavor. While the oven is preheating, spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant and toasty, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn!

  Per Serving: 210 calories, 5 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 170 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 1½ starches, 2 fats, or 1½ carbohydrate choices

  Strawberry Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Crust

  The name says it all, right?

  Makes 10 servings

  3 tablespoons margarine, melted

  15 sugar-free crème-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

  2 pints (4 cups) no-sugar-added strawberry ice cream

  1½ cups fresh strawberries, top removed

  Place the margarine in a medium bowl. Microwave on medium heat until melted, 30 to 45 seconds. Stir in the crushed cookies until well blended.

  Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan.

  Place the ice cream in a large bowl and let soften for 15 minutes.

  Meanwhile, cut ½ cup of the strawberries into quarters and add to the bowl. Stir together the strawberries and ice cream.

  Spoon the ice cream mixture evenly into the pie crust. Cover tightly with foil and freeze for at least 6 hours, or up to 3 days.

  Before serving, slice the remaining 1 cup strawberries and arrange decoratively over the pie. Re-cover with the foil and let soften in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.

  Patti’s Pointers: My favorite brand of no-sugar-added strawberry ice cream is Edy’s Grand. If you can’t find it in your supermarket, experiment with different brands until you find your favorite.

  Per Serving: 180 calories, 4 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 180 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fruit, or 2 carbohydrate choices

  Preparing a big green salad for dinner so I can have strawberry ice cream pie for dessert.

  Smooth-as-Silk Lemon-Lime Pie

  For a drop-dead presentation, arrange a few thin, halved slices of lemon and lime in the center of the pie before serving.

  Makes 10 servings

  One 9-inch frozen pie shell or baked Perfect Piecrust (page 192)

  One 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

  One 14-ounce can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

  One 8-ounce container fat-free, sugar-free light lemon-flavor yogurt

  ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

  ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lime juice

  1½ cups frozen light whipped topping, such as Cool Whip, thawed

  Prepare the baked pastry crust according to package or recipe instructions. Let cool.

  In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the condensed milk, beating until smooth, about 30 seconds. Beat in the yogurt, lemon juice, and lime juice.

  Fold in the whipped topping. Scrape into the prepared piecrust (filling will be mounded quite high).

  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.

  Per serving: 320 calories, 10 g protein, 44 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 260 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 3 starches, 2 fats, or 3 carbohydrate choices

  Peach Upside-down Cake

  I like to use an 8-inch cast-iron skillet when I make this cake. It reminds me of the way Chubby used to make hers. If your skillet doesn’t have ovenproof (metal) handles, you can still use it. Just wrap the handle in several layers of heavy-duty foil to protect it in the oven.

  Makes 10 servings

  2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

  2 tablespoons brown sugar substitute, such as Brown Sugar Twin

  ¾ cup sugar substitute, s
uch as DiabetiSweet or Splenda, divided (see Patti’s

  Pointers page 178)

  2 tablespoons plus ⅓ cup margarine

  2 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced (about 2 cups)

  ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

  1½ cups cake flour

  ½ teaspoon baking powder

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  3 tablespoons sugar

  1 egg

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 teaspoon butter-flavor extract

  ½ cup fat-free half-and-half

  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, brown sugar substitute, and ¼ cup of the sugar substitute.

  In an 8-inch or 10-inch ovenproof skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the margarine. Sprinkle evenly with the sugar mixture.

  Arrange the peach slices in the pan in overlapping concentric circles starting from the center. Sprinkle with the nutmeg.

  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

  In a large bowl, beat the remainingcup margarine until light, about 30 seconds. Beat in the sugar and remaining ½ cup sugar substitute until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.

  Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and butter-flavor extract.

  Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the half-and-half, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Spoon the batter over the peaches.

  Bake until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate and replace any topping that may have fallen off.

  Option: If you can’t find fresh peaches, you can use two 15-ounce cans sliced light freestone peaches in extra light syrup, drained.

  Patti’s Pointers: To peel fresh peaches, bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Drop in the peaches to shock them for 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to shock them again. After all that shocking, the peels will slip right off! If a peach has a tough skin, use a paring knife to peel it away.

  Per Serving: 110 calories, 2 g protein, 21 g carbohydrate, 2.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 120 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 1½ starches, ½ fat, or 1½ carbohydrate choices

  Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Chip Cookies

  Makes about 2 dozen cookies

  Serving size is 1 cookie

  1¾ cups all-purpose flour

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  ½ cup margarine, softened

  ¾ cup sugar substitute, such as DiabetiSweet or Splenda (see Patti’s Pointers

  page 178)

  ¼ cup sugar-free brown sugar substitute, such as Brown Sugar Twin

  ½ cup brown sugar

  1 egg

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

  In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the margarine until light, about 1 minute. Beat in the sugar substitute, brown sugar substitute, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat until fluffy.

  Stir in the flour mixture.

  Stir in the chocolate chips.

  Drop the dough by well-rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, flattening the mounds slightly so they will spread.

  Bake until lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool completely.

  Patti’s Pointers: Be careful not to overbake these cookies. A little underdone and moist inside tastes better than a little overdone and dry inside.

  Per Serving: 120 calories, 2 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 135 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat, or 1 carbohydrate choice

  Killer Chocolate Cake with Guilt-free Glaze

  Makes 10 servings

  CAKE

  ⅓ cup margarine

  ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  ½ cup water

  ¾ cup sugar substitute, such as DiabetiSweet or Splenda (see Patti’s Pointers

  page 178)

  ¼ cup packed light brown sugar

  1 egg

  ⅓ cup 1 percent low-fat buttermilk

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 teaspoon butter-flavor extract

  1 teaspoon chocolate-flavor extract (optional)

  1 cup cake flour

  ½ teaspoon baking soda

  GLAZE

  1 tablespoon reduced-calorie margarine

  1 tablespoon fat-free half-and-half

  ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

  ½ cup sugar substitute, such as DiabetiSweet or Splenda

  ¼ cup powdered sugar

  To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch cake pan with fat-free cooking spray.

  In a medium saucepan over high heat, whisk together the margarine, cocoa powder, and water. Bring to a boil, stirring often.

  Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar substitute, brown sugar, egg, buttermilk, vanilla extract, butter-flavor extract, chocolate-flavor extract (if using), flour, and baking soda. Whisk vigorously for 2 minutes.

  Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a rack and cool completely. When cool, transfer to a serving plate.

  To make the glaze: Place the margarine in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on medium heat until melted, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the half-and-half, vanilla extract, unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar substitute, and powdered sugar. Spread evenly over the top and sides of the cooled cake.

  Per Serving: 130 calories, 2 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 160 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat, or 1 carbohydrate choice

  Chocolate Pecan Pie

  Makes 10 servings

  ¼ cup margarine

  ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  1 pint (2 cups) fat-free half-and-half

  1 tablespoon brown sugar substitute, such as Brown Sugar Twin

  1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

  2 eggs, beaten

  2 egg whites

  ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 teaspoon chocolate-flavor extract

  ⅓ cup chopped toasted pecans

  One 9-inch frozen pie shell or Perfect Piecrust (page 192)

  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  Melt the margarine in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Gradually whisk in the half-and-half, brown sugar substitute, brown sugar, eggs, and egg whites. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, chocolate-flavor extract, and pecans.

  Place the piecrust on a baking sheet. Pour in the chocolate filling and bake until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

  Patti’s Pointers: To toast the pecans, spread them on a baking sheet and bake while the oven is preheating until fragrant and toasty, about 5 minutes.

  Per Serving: 250 calories, 7 g protein, 21 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 230 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 1½ starches, 3 fats, or 1½ carbohydrate choices

  Child, That’s Good Chocolate Tapioca

  Thanks to quick-cooking tapioca, you can make this dessert in minutes. But tell everybody it took you all day.

  Makes 10 servings

  3 cups fat-free half-and-half

  3 tablespoons sugar substitute, such as DiabetiSweet or Splenda

  ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  ¼ cup quick-cooking tapioca

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon margarine, melted
/>   1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 teaspoon butter-flavor extract

  Pour the half-and-half into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the sugar substitute, cocoa powder, tapioca, and salt. Cook and stir until soft, about 2 minutes.

  Whisk in the margarine, vanilla extract, and butter-flavor extract.

  Pour the mixture into a large serving bowl. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 2 days.

  Per Serving: 90 calories, 5 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 0.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 150 mg sodium