Monday, January 30, 2012

Low Fat Pigs in a Blanket


When my mom and I lived in a farm town full of cornfields and silos, she would set aside her hardhat for a day and make "pigs in a blanket". This meant, defrosting a can of high-sodium, store bought crescent rolls. Paired together with high fat hot dogs, this was not a healthy meal. With the above modifications, you can enjoy comfort food with low fat and low salt.
Photo Credit: Flickr 4 Jazz Pigs in a Blanket


Low Fat Pigs in a Blanket
1/4 cup reduced fat Mexican Four Cheese Mix
1 pack low fat turkey franks
4 cups all purpose flour
2 medium eggs

1 cup powdered reduced fat milk
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups warm water
2 TB yeast

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 TB Herbs de Provence (optional)
butter-flavored low-fat spray

Note: You can lighten the recipe further by reducing the shortening and using a portion of canola oil. You can also reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup and use 2 egg whites and 1 yolk. You can add fiber to the dough by using whole wheat flour and add seeds instead of herbs to the bread.


Step 1:  Mix dry ingredients such as the sugar, flour, salt, powdered milk, herbs and yeast in a large bowl.
Step 2: Add 2 cups of tap water that is warm to the touch. Add eggs to the mixture. Stir and cover with a clean  damp towel.
Step 3. Let the dough rise for an hour. Depress the air and allow to rise for 30 minutes more.
Step 4: Separate the dough into 4 loaves. Use spray butter to lubricate the inside of 4 freezer-safe zip top bags. Use a buttered spatula and slide the loaves into the bags. Freeze until you are ready to use the dough.

Step 5: Defrost a loaf of dough so that it is easy to handle once again. Take a 2 TB pinch and wrap around a turkey frank. Repeat for all the franks. Lay the wrapped franks on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Preheat the oven for 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 6: Spray the wrapped franks with the butter spray and sprinkle with a tsp of cheese on each roll. Bake for 22 minutes until each roll is cooked through.


Bon Apetit!

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