Semi-healthy Banana Bread

I tried to make a banana bread with a little less fat and sugar, and a little more fiber. Banana bread should form a crack down the center as it bakes--a sign the baking soda is doing its job.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt, rounded
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/3 cup no sugar added applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flours, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, applesauce and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Healthier Buffalo Chicken Salad

A healthier version of the buffalo chicken salads you find in pubs and chain restaurants.

Ingredients:
Boneless chicken thighs
3 T. Hot sauce
2 T. Butter
Romaine lettuce
Baby spinach
Blue cheese vinaigrette
String beans
Baby carrots, sliced in half lengthwise
Hard boiled egg, chopped
Chickpeas

Instructions:
1.  Parboil the string beans and carrots in salted water.  Shock in ice bath and drain when cool.  Cut into bite size pieces.  Wash and dry bite sized pieces of lettuces.
2.  Prepare blue cheese vinaigrette according to recipe.
3.  Preheat grill to med-high.  Lightly salt and pepper chicken.  Cook chicken thighs, a 3-5 minutes per side depending on size.
4.  While chicken is cooking, melt butter.  Whisk in the hot sauce to the melted butter.  When the chicken is cooked, cut into bite sized pieces and toss in sauce.
5.  Right before ready to serve, toss lettuces in blue cheese vinaigrette.  Mound on plates then assemble salad by topping with rest of ingredients to taste.