How often is something good for you that tastes as good as chocolate? Dark chocolate is full of flavinoids, a compound from the cocoa plant that keeps cholesterol from plugging arteries.  And chocolate isn’t the only thing that will make you smile…dried cherries pack natural sweetness and are rich in heart-healthy antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Balance out these flavors with the taste, texture and nutrition of oats and you’ve got another really good cookie!

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Cookies

1¾ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
8 oz. (1 stick) butter
8 oz. (1 stick) margarine
½ cup sugar
1¼ cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups oats, regular
¾ cup dark chocolate chips
¾ cup dried cherries (or dried cranberries)

Mix flour, soda and salt together and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugars, butter and margarine until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beat well, then mix in milk and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture until well combined. Sir in oats, chocolate chips and cherries, then drop the dough by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 7 to 9 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 4 ½ dozen.

You might make these to tempt the grown ups who drop in on Halloween…but beware! These haunted cookies might just disappear without a trace!

Last week I came home from the store only to discover that I had bought a gallon of whole milk instead of nonfat. I knew my son wouldn’t drink it, so I figured I would just use it in cooking or baking…

So I made Dutch Baby for breakfast the next morning. It was delicious, but it hardly made a dent in our surplus. What else could I make with whole milk?

Homemade orange sherbet! Since it is made with milk, it has only a fraction of the fat and calories of ice cream.  My blender has an ice cream maker attachment that I almost never use, so it was time to dust it off. In less time than a trip to the grocery store, I made this yummy treat…

Homemade Orange Sherbet

3 cups whole milk
¾ cup orange juice concentrate (half of a 12 oz. can)
1 cup water
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon pure orange extract, optional

Combine the ingredients in the ice cream canister and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Freeze according to the directions for your ice cream maker. Makes 1 quart.

And for those of you without home ice cream makers, the Play and Freeze ball looks like fun! Or make an orange smoothie instead… ¾ cup whole milk, 1 cup crushed ice, 2 heaping tablespoons orange juice concentrate (undiluted), 1 teaspoon sugar. Mix in blender. 

My homemade orange sherbet is an easy, low fat dessert that is as fun to make as it is to eat….well, maybe a bit more fun to eat!  I made an extra batch to bring to the office…it was a hit! Thanks, Plato.

This is an unbelievable, over-the-top chocolate cake that packs 2 full cups of shredded zucchini to keep the cake more moist with less fat.

This cake is so good I like to skip the frosting and serve with just a dusting of powdered sugar or a scoop of ice cream frozen yogurt!

Choco-chini Cake

2 ¼ cups flour
½ cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup sugar
½ cup canola oil and ½ cup applesauce
2 large eggs and 1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup low fat buttermilk
2 cups shredded zucchini*, dried well
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a Bundt pan (or a 9 x 13 inch pan) with Pam for Baking. Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat sugar, oil and applesauce together in a large bowl until well mixed. Add the eggs and egg white individually, beating well after each is added. Add vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients by alternating with the buttermilk until all is well blended. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 325 degrees for approximately 55 minutes, or 40 minutes convection. (Tester should be moist; do not overbake.) Serves 16.

*The prep of the zucchini is important. Slice a medium zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out all the seeds. Then shred the zucchini and dry very well on paper towels. (If the zucchini is wet, the batter will be watery and the cake will come out dry. Trust me on this!)

What will the kids say, you ask? Don’t tell…and once they taste this luscious cake they won’t care that they are eating zucchini! But if they are really, really picky, then peel the zucchini before shredding or they will be quizzing you about the little green specks!

Read more by Dr. Pat…or email comments, questions and requests…

This recipe is one of our favorite warm weather salads. There’s no cabbage in this slaw, and the apples and raisins give it just the right amount of sweetness. This slaw is so crisp and good you will be serving it all summer.

Dr. Pat’s Zucchini, Apple and Raisin Slaw

3 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1 apple, unpeeled and diced (about ½ inch pieces)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup raisins
3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise

Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds out with a spoon (even small seeds will make the slaw watery). Shred the zucchini coarsely in the food processor; dry well with paper towels. Add the apples, vinegar and mayonnaise to combine, then add the raisins and mix well. Chill before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

This is good nutrition that tastes good. Enjoy!

Look for more zucchini recipes this summer in Healthy Lifestyle.

The key ingredient here is flavored chicken sausage. Look for Aidell’s in stores or Sausages by Amylu  in stores and on line. They both have amazing combinations that pack a lot of flavor, like sun-dried tomato and basil or apple and gouda.

Sauté veggies in two pans and add simple ingredients to one pan and more spicy additions to the other. Serve both pasta dishes side by side and the younger set may surprise you with their preferences!

Pasta Duets: Savory Chicken and Pasta (Hot and Not)

Heat the water for the pasta. Saute a chopped onion in olive oil until translucent, then add a cup of chopped leftover veggies, like green beans or asparagus.

Split the veggies between two pans and in one, heat slices of precooked chicken sausage (try Aidell’s Habanero and Green Chili, or Amylu’s Andouille if you like heat ), add 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 cup of chicken broth, a splash of white wine, and a teaspoon of crushed dried herbs (Italian blend or sweet basil). In the other pan of veggies, add slices of mild chicken sausage or shredded cooked chicken, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 1 cup of chicken broth and a sprinkling of dried thyme.

Simmer both sauces while the pasta cooks. Cook bite-sized pieces of additional fresh vegetables (like broccoli) by just tossing them in to boil with the pasta during the last 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the pasta (along with the veggies you added to the cooking water).

Now remove the two sauces from the heat, and mix half of the pasta and veggies into each. Sprinkle with fresh minced parsley and plenty of grated cheese.

The sausages freeze well right in the package, so you can have a home cooked entrée in the time it takes to cook pasta.  Have fun sampling the different varieties to create an entirely new dish every week (or skip the meat and double the veggies for a classic vegetarian pasta). Have even more fun finishing up the extra sausage links on another night by making this recipe for Chicken Sausages with Onions, Peppers and Potatoes.

Coming soon…“kid pastas” that adults love.

Check out other recipes by Dr. Pat in Healthy Lifestyle…

Remember Danielle’s advice?…plan specific routines to make weekly menu planning easier. My problem comes on the nights when there is NO menu planned…that’s when “pasta night” really comes in handy!

Heat the water for pasta, scan the refrigerator and pantry for ingredients, then put everything together while the pasta cooks. Only take-out could be easier! I have some tasty sauces you can prepare in minutes, and this week the key ingredient comes from a jar…

Tapenades! I love these Mediterranean-style spreads in any mix of flavors. I always have a few jars on hand for appetizers to serve with crackers or crusty bread. They all can work for a quick pasta dish, but one of my favorites is Gertie’s Finest Artichoke Salsa, a flavorful mix of chopped artichoke hearts and chunky tomato. There is just enough zing to be a little bit spicy; it’s really good! Seems I’m not the only one hooked either. Mix Gertie’s with a cup of chopped tomato or tomato sauce and simmer while the pasta cooks. Add the cooked pasta and some of the reserved pasta water if needed. Top with plenty of freshly grated cheese.

Fix a salad, fill the water glasses…because this dish will be ready as soon as the pasta is al dente… That’s no time at all!

Check out Posh Gourmet.com for their wide variety of tapenades, but if you don’t want to buy a case of Gertie’s Finest Artichoke Salsa, look for it at your local Costco.

Photo from Amazon.com.

More by Dr. Pat…