Low-fat Chocolate Cherry Brownies

Holy sweet gooey mess Batman! These were..... interesting. At first I thought I liked them but as time went on I realized I really was not enjoying the texture of these bad boys. Jeff took one bite and refused to eat anymore.

Low Fat Chocolate Cherry Brownies
Serves 18

1 package low-fat fudge brownie mix
1/2C plain whole milk yogurt
1 egg lightly beaten
1C cherry preserves

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13X9in pan.
Mix together all but the preserves and pour into prepared baking dish.
Using a spoon, drop cherry jam onto brownie batter. Using a dull knife to cut jam through batter.  Bake for 25 minutes or according to package directions.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a plate to cool completely.

My notes
Alright so I didn't use full fat yogurt and I only had strawberry preserves so there's that.
However, IF I were to make these again I would not put a whole cup of preserves in there. Maybe just 1/2C. I didn't see the point of buying one container of full fat yogurt just for brownies. Plus what is the point of buying low-fat brownie mix and then using full fat yogurt? I used fat free greek yogurt. My main complaint is that the preserves really messed with the texture of these brownies. Maybe I didn't 'cut' the jam in enough... idk. But I think I will stick to my regular brownies... the ones that Jeff makes. Ha!

Creamy Avocado Pasta

We are leaving for Disney World this week, so we will be eating mostly left overs as I don't want to fill the fridge full of food and then leave. But I'll be back middle of next week.

I really really thought this recipe sounded good. I had an avocado, tomatoes, and pasta, I was excited. Bust. I really hate to say this but we didn't like it. I'm going so far as to say not Nichole approved. This is a first.

Creamy Avocado Pasta Sauce
makes 4 servings
recipe adapted from Oh She Glows

prep time: 10 minutes
cook time:1 hour 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS
10 - 12 small Campari tomatoes, quartered
3 - 4 tbsp olive oil
4 servings of fettuccine noodles
2 ripe avocados, seed and skin removed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup pine nuts
grated fresh Parmesan cheese
salt and cracked black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 300 ºF.

2. Wash and quarter the tomatoes. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten. Bake for 1 hour in the oven.

3. Ten minutes before tomatoes are finished, fill a large pot with water and a sprinkle of salt. Bring to a rapid boil. Add the dry fettuccine to the water and cook until al dente.

4. While the pasta is boiling, add 2 tbsp olive oil, avocado, garlic, salt and lemon juice to a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are smooth and creamy.

5. Strain the pasta, and combine with the sauce in a large bowl, until all the pasta has been covered.

6. Add the roasted tomatoes, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Add some salt and black pepper to taste.

note: add some grilled prawns or chicken for protein. 

My Notes

I don't really have any, this was like guacamole on pasta... which in theory sounds good. But the more Jeff and I ate the more we disliked it. Bummer.