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Rise and Dine! Weekly Features Highlights: Virtual Cookbook Harvesting Vegetables Sassy Salsas Bushels of Beans Easy Snacks for Busy Kids Back to School Breakfasts - Quick and Easy Beating the Breakfast Rush Hour Lunch Smiles Ask The WebChef Freebies and Fun Stuff If cold, dark winter mornings aren't enough reason to seek the comfort of a steaming bowl of oatmeal, then consider that January is National Oatmeal Month -- a worthy observance for a food that's both wholesome and extremely popular. A single cup of oatmeal provides four grams of total dietary fiber, including two grams of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Oats are also the basis for a variety of sturdy breads, biscuits and cakes, and oatmeal cookies are a delicious way to get extra fiber in your diet. You can use oats in fruit crumbles, lowfat pie crusts and brownies, just to name a few. Beyond breakfast, oats are a great addition to dishes like meat loaf, stew, or soup for adding substance and thickening. Use oats as a coating for oven-fried chicken breasts or fish. And seasoned oats make a super stuffing for vegetables as well as a good coating for pan-roasted potatoes, carrots and other vegetables. January is also National Prune Breakfast Month. As more people recognize the benefits of prunes in low fat baking, along with their ability to give many recipes moist, rich flavor, prunes may finally get the recognition they deserve. Try chopped prunes in any recipe calling for dried apricots, dates, or raisins. Or, use prunes in combination with one or more other dried fruits, or alone to enhance the flavor and nutritional quality of quick breads and muffins. Here are several delicious ways to warm up your mornings with oatmeal and prunes. Prune-Pecan Lite Bread Home-made prune puree takes only minutes to prepare (see below). You can also use ready-made prune butter or pureed baby food prunes as a handy substitute. The recipe below is from Muffin Magic And More, by Kathleen Mayes. 3/4 cup prune puree or prune butter (replaces 3/4 cup shortening) 3/4 cup prune juice 2 tsp. grated orange peel 1 cup toasted (Kretschmer¨) wheat germ 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 2/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 2 large egg whites 1/2 cup chopped pecans Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 F degrees. Coat a 9 x 5 x3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. In saucepan mix prune puree or prune butter, orange juice and peel; bring just to boiling. Remove from heat; set aside. In a 2-1/2 quart mixing bowl combine wheat germ, flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir to blend and make a well in center. Add remaining ingredients and mix completely. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake at 350 F for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn onto rack to cool completely. Makes 12 thick slices. Per Slice: 180 Cal; 4gm Fat; 32gm Carb; 00mg Chol; 199mg Sodium; 3gm Fiber. Exchanges: 2 Starch; 1/2 Fruit/ 1 Fat. Prune Puree From the California Prune Board 1-1/3 cups (8 oz) pitted prunes 6 Tbsp hot water Combine prunes and hot water in container of food processor or blender. Pulse on and off until prunes are finely chopped and smooth. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to two months. Breakfast Pudding Orange juice and cinnamon infuse the prunes with an appealing flavor and the pureed prunes give a mellow texture. From Stealth Health, by Evelyn Tribole. 1 (12 oz) package pitted prunes, about 2 cups 1-1/2 cups orange juice 2 (8 oz) containers nonfat vanilla yogurt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg Combine the prunes and orange juice in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside for 30 minutes or longer. Puree the prunes with all of the orange juice in two batches in a food processor or blender. Gently fold in the vanilla yogurt until blended. Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg. Transfer to six 6-ounce custard cups. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Makes 6 Servings. Per (3/4 cup) Serving: 163 Cal; 00gm Fat; 38gm Carb; 5gm Protein; 00mg Chol; 48mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Fruit; 1/2 Milk. Apple, Prune and Cinnamon Griddle Cakes High fiber pancakes for a cold winter morning. Try the topping on waffles, too. Adapted from The Prune Gourmet. Pancakes: 1 cup flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup unprocessed bran (not cereal) 2 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 2 cups low fat (2%) buttermilk 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 Tbsp butter, melted 1 cup (6 oz) pitted prunes, chopped Topping: 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/3 cup pitted prunes, finely chopped 1/2 tsp. cinnamon Combine flours, bran, baking soda sugar and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and stir in buttermilk, eggs, butter and prunes; mix with a fork, just enough to blend. Drop by large spoonfuls onto hot, nonstick skillet, sprayed with vegetable cooking spray. Cook over medium heat until golden brown on both sides, turning once. To Make Topping: Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan; heat to warm through. 12 (4-inch) Pancakes. Per Serving (1 Pancake with Topping): 155 Cal; 4gm Fat; 27gm Carb; 49mg Chol; 458mg Sodium; 2gm Fiber. Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Fruit; 1 Fat. Note: You can save 40mg Cholesterol by using 1/2 cup EggBeaters for whole eggs. Oatmeal Custard This recipe is a modification of a winner of the Quaker¨Silver Plate recipe contest. Egg substitute replaces whole eggs, and skim milk keeps saturated fat content low. Source: What's For Breakfast, by Donna Roy, MS,RD & Kathleen Flores, MS,RD, ©1994, Appletree Press, Inc. (1-800--322-5679). 2-3/4 cup water 1 cup uncooked rolled oats 1/2 cup egg substitute, thawed 1/4 cup sugar 1-1/3 cups skim milk 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/8 tsp. salt 1/3 cup dried prunes or fruit of your choice 1/2 tsp. cinnamon Vegetable cooking spray Boil water in covered saucepan. Stir in oats. Return to a boil, reduce heat and continue to boil. Cook uncovered for about one minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Cover and set aside. In large bowl, mix next five ingredients. Add cooked oatmeal, dried fruit and cinnamon to egg mixture and mix well. Pour into 8-inch square pan, coated with vegetable cooking spray. Place in larger pan of hot water. Bake in 350*F. oven for one hour, or until set. Serving Suggestion: Top each serving with 1/2 cup sweetened fresh fruit, such as strawberry or peach slices. Be sure to add extra exchanges to your intake. Makes 4 servings. Per Serving: 156 Calories; 2g Fat; 7g Protein; 3g Carb; 3g Fiber; 90mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol; 0g Sat. Fat. Exchanges: 1/2 Milk/ 1/2 Fruit, 1 Bread. Prune and Apple Breakfast Bread 1/2 cup uncooked prunes (1/4 dice) 1/4 cup boiling water 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. allspice 1/8 tsp. cloves 3/4 cup light brown sugar 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup light sour cream 2 Tbsp melted butter 2/3 cup raw apple , peeled & shredded Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray-coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with vegetable spray and set aside. Combine prunes and boiling water; set aside to cool Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice & cloves. Sift into mixing bowl and add light brown sugar. Combine eggs, sour cream and melted butter. Add to flour mixture. Stir until lumps disappear. Add grated apple and the cooled prune and water mixture. Stir just until blended. Turn batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until center springs back to touch and edges shrink from sides of pan. Cool slightly, abut 10 to 12 minutes, before removing from pan. Slice when thoroughly cool. Makes approximately 12 generous slices/servings. Per Serving: 185 Cal; 4g Total Fat; 35g Carb; 4g Protein; 29mg Cholesterol; 250mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Bread; 1 Fat; 1/2 Fruit. About the Author: Marilyn Helton is a Type 2 diabetic and Editor of Cinnamon Hearts~The Art of Living a Winning Diabetic Lifestyle. She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Marilyn writes for several publications, including a book review column for the international tabloid, Voice of the Diabetic. Cinnamon Hearts diabetic holiday recipes will be featured on www.christmas99.com under Special Diets, beginning November 1999. Visit the Cinnamon Hearts website at http://members.nbci.com/cinnhearts Mail this article to a friend (or yourself) You will be returned to this page after your mail has been sent. 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