Luscious Reduced-Fat Ricotta Cheesecake

Posted on January 21, 2010

cheesecake

The holidays are finally over…phew…which means it’s time to switch back to low-fat desserts (if you’re eating any desserts at all). I made this low-fat cheesecake the other day for a dinner party and my guests were shocked for two reasons: first, that it was low-fat, and second, that it came from a pregnancy cookbook.

One guest said, “No way! Are all the other recipes in your book this good?” Yup. Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Mothers-to-Be is my cooking bible. I use it all the time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ve got my Twenty-Minute Tomato Sauce simmering on the stove as I type.

Reduced-Fat Ricotta Cheesecake

Makes one 9-inch cheesecake; serves 8
One store-bought graham cracker crust “with 2 extra servings,” or homemade crust (recipe follows)
One 8-ounce package fat-free or reduced-fat cream cheese
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
½ cup nonfat plain yogurt or reduced fat or nonfat dairy sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Place the graham cracker crust on a baking sheet lined with foil.
  2. Place the cream cheese and ricotta cheese in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugar and continue to beat for 30 seconds. Add the egg, yogurt, and vanilla extract and beat until well blended.
  3. Pour the filling into the graham cracker crust. Bake for 45 minutes or until the center of the cheesecake is almost firm (it will firm up as it cools). Remove the cheesecake from the oven, and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Serve with fresh berries or a berry sauce.

Approximate Nutritional Information: Serving size: One-eighth of the cheesecake with a store-bought crust: Calories: 211 cals; Protein: 10 g; Carbohydrates: 27 g; Fat: 7 g; Fiber: 0 g; Sodium: 299 mg; Diabetic Exchange: Bread/Starch 2, Fat 1

Homemade Graham Cracker Crust

1 cup finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons melted butter

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
  2. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until well blended and the crumbs are moist. Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch pie plate and press it evenly oven the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Bake for 9 minutes, or until the crust is slightly firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool before filling.

Approximate Nutritional Information: Serving size: One-eighth of the pie crust: Calories: 126 cals; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 11 g; Fat: 9 g; Fiber: .6 g; Sodium: 65 mg; Diabetic Exchange: Bread/Starch 1

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How to Toast Nuts

Posted on August 3, 2009

Spinach and Mandarin Orange Salad

Whether you are making a pecan pie, garnishing a frosted cake with sliced almonds, or throwing pine nuts into a salad, toasting the nuts before you use them unleashes their fantastic flavors. Toasting is easy, and it can be done a number of ways: 1) In a skillet over medium heat, with or without butter or oil; 2) in a preheated 350˚ F oven for about 8 minutes; or 3) under the broiler (watch carefully to avoid burning). You can make a big batch and store them in an airtight container to last the whole week. Pine nuts may develop whitish spots, but this does not affect their taste or freshness.

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Reduce Blender Clean Up

Posted on August 1, 2009

Cleaning the hard to reach angles of a blender’s lid can be a royal pain. So, here’s a trick: Place a piece of plastic wrap between the top of the blender container and the lid. When the contents splash up, they will hit the plastic wrap and the lid will stay clean. For small jobs, just a piece of plastic, without the lid will do.

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Spice Up Your Nuts!

Posted on July 30, 2009

Many studies from around the world have shown that people who eat nuts regularly cut their risk of heart disease by as much as half compared to those who rarely or never eat nuts. Recently, several studies have found that 1 to 3 ounces (2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup) a day of walnuts or almonds, in particular, can lower blood cholesterol, as well as levels of other substances in the blood (including apoliprotein) that have been linked to heart disease. Toss nuts in salads, add them to grains, or sprinkle them on a bowl of soup. Read more about nuts in Eating for Lower Cholesterol: A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love. Here’s a recipe to spice up your nuts!

Spicy Cashews
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Dash of ground cinnamon
Pinch of sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime (optional)
2 cups (about ½ pound) cups unsalted, cashews

1. Preheat oven to 300º F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the nuts and mix. Add the nuts and mix until they are well coated.
3. Line a baking sheet with foil. Evenly spread out the nuts and bake for 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
4. Remove the nuts from the oven, cool completely, and store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

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No More Garlic Hands

Posted on July 30, 2009

garlic-handsSometimes tough smells, including garlic, onions, and fish, are difficult to remove from your hands. Lemon or lime is always a good cure, but if that doesn’t work, try rubbing your hands for a minute with a couple of tablespoons of cheap mouthwash, then rinse.

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