Well, there it goes, another Christmas, another year. Do you wish you could go back and do it again? Not me. I’m ready to have a New Year — 2015! I would like to lose weight, be a better person, be more patient, be more understanding, and slow down to enjoy my family. But I will settle for maintaining my weight. There. Now that I’ve said it ‘out loud,’ I will definitely have to try.
Here we have a couple of recipes lower in fat than the traditional ones. This cheesecake is low-fat and yummy. Is it as good as the real thing? You tell me.
Cheesecake
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. reduced-calorie stick margarine, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (8-oz.) package 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
1 (8-oz.) container fat-free cream cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
3 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1 (20-oz.) can light cherry pie filling
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
Combine crumbs, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and margarine. Firmly press crumb mixture into bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan.
Combine 2/3 cup sugar, flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through eggs) in a large bowl; beat at high speed with a mixer until smooth. Add milk and sour cream to cheese mixture; beat until smooth. Beat egg whites (at room temperature) at high speed with a mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form, using clean, dry beaters. Gently fold egg white mixture into cheese mixture. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake at 300 degrees for 55 minutes or until almost set. Remove from oven, and cool completely on a wire rack; cover and chill 8 hours. Top with pie filling, if desired.
This veggie pizza was introduced to me at a potluck and quickly became a favorite of ours for appetizers or a light lunch on weekends.
Veggie Pizza
2 (8-oz.) packages refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 cup chopped fresh broccoli
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup shredded carrots
Without separating the dough, roll out both packs of crescent rolls onto a baking sheet, forming them into a single, flat surface. Bake according to the directions on the package. Allow the finished rolls to cool. In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, basil, garlic powder and onion powder. Spread the mixture evenly over the surface of the rolls. Spread the vegetables on top of the cream cheese mixture. Cut into squares and serve.
I wish all of you a very Happy New Year. I have had a wonderful time sharing my favorite recipes and getting yours and hope to continue for some time to come. Happiness to your home from mine.
I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you and any suggestions or recipes you like. I can be reached at susieqcooking@ainop.com or c/o Pioneer Times, P.O. Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730.
See you next week! Susie Q
