Low Fat Alfredo Vitamix Sauce

Vitamix p. 138

Notes: The vitamix is awesome when it's super hot and I don't want to heat up my kitchen cooking. This is great for a quick, low fuss meal. For some reason, I love it with peas.

Ingredients:
1/2 lg uncooked fetttuccine
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 T all-purpose flour
2 T fat-free cream cheese
1/2 C grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (had mozarella on hand)
1 1/2 T butter
optional to add when done
cooked meat
broccoli, peas,

Directions:
1. Cook fettuccine in boiling water for 10 min. or until al dente. Drain.

2. Place rest of ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.

3. Select Variable 1.

4. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to Hgih.

5. Blend for 5-6 min. Pour over cooked fettucine and toss until coated.

Tortilla Veggie Soup (Vitamix)

Notes: This was good, I kind of fiddled around with everything depending on what I had on hand. Had a veggie twist to your average tortilla soup, maybe because I added double the carrot, celery, onion, pepper, and 1/2 a zucchini (instead of squash). I didn't have cabbage or mushroom on hand. I may have added a little more seasoning. And a little more broth. Also the beans and corn were great in it as well. But I warmed them up in the microwave and then just added them when dishing it up. And had chips on the table.

Vitamix Recipe Book p. 64

Ingredients (yields 5 C):
soup base
3 C (720ml) broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable)
1 Roma tomato, halved
1 carrot, halved 
1 stalk celery, halved
1 thin slice of onion, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 thin slice of yellow squash
1 thin slice of red bell pepper
1 thin slice of cabbage
1 mushroom
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp taco seasoning
dash of cumin
optional
1/2 C cooked chicken, cubed
1/2 fresh jalapeno
1/4 C pitted olives
1/4 C corn
2 oz tortilla chips
kidney beans

Directions:

1. Place all soup base ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listeda nd secure lid.

2. Select Variable 1.

3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High

4. Blend for 5-6 min. or until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid.

5. If adding optional ingredients, reduce speed to Variable 2. Remove lid plug.

6. Drop in chicken, jalapenos, olives, corn and chips through the lid plug opening. Blend for an additional 10 seconds.

Zucchini Brownies

Used to love how moist these stayed as a kid. And how chocolate they were. Wonder how it would be if you tried to blend up the zucchini before adding it? These could easily be made a day ahead. Frosting makes them pretty rich.

from Ball p. 399

Ingredients:
 brownies
2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 1/2 C white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 C shredded zucchini (blended?)
1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional
frosting
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 C margarine/butter
1/4 C milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. In a large bowl mix flour, 1/2 c. cocoa, baking soda, and salt; in a separate bowl mix sugar, oil,
    and 2 tsp vanilla until well blended. Then combine both wet and dry mixtures together.

3. Fold in the zucchini and nuts (optional). Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

4. Bake for 25-30 min. in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched.
     Allow to cool before frosting.

5. Frosting: melt together the 6 T cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the powdered sugar, milk, and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Stir in cocoa mixture.

6. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.