Healthy Cooking 2/7: Sweet things for Valentines

Joined
Oct 12, 2000
Hi there!

It's the week before Valentine's...are you worried about over indulging on chocolates? Does that cheesecake look too good to resist? Could you kill for a slice of rich, chocolate anything?

I know I could.:D

I have a few tips and recipes to help you keep on your course to healthy living and still enjoy a sweet on that sweetest of days!

First, a few tips.

  • Making cupcakes, brownies or cakes from a box mix? Use applesauce instead of oil. The texture is actually moister and denser and you can eliminate over 1/3 of the fat grams in the dish.
  • Did you know you can reduce the sugar by 1/4 to 1/3 in a recipe and you won't notice a difference in the sweetness? It's true.
  • Use good quality chocolate in your baking. Also, a good cocoa can give a strong chocolate flavor in recipes while reducing fat and calories.

Now onto the recipes.

For those of us with kids around, trying making smores using just marshmallows and chocolate graham crackers. They taste great, they are low in calories (and points) and it's fun sitting around the fireplace, toasting marshmallows with the ones you love. Why it's almost romantic...well, as romantic as you can get with kids in the room!:)

Is fruit your pasion? Try this recipe:

DRUNKEN ORANGES
4-6 servings

Tip: prepare the oranges at least a half-day in advance so they have time to
marinate

4 navel oranges, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch slices
1/4 cup finely chopped date
1/4 cup dark rum
2 tbsp. of toasted pine nuts

1. Arrange the orange slices on a serving dish, sprinkle them with dates and
rum. Cover the dish and chill the oranges for at least 4 hours, preferably
overnight.

2. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.


Is someone you know a cheesecake lover? Try this low-cal recipe from the Jane Brody Good Food Cookbook. It's really tasty!

LEMON CHEESECAKE
10-12 servings

This cheesecake is low in fat and calories but tastes great

CRUST
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp. melted butter

FILLING
1 lb. (2 cups) low-fat cottage cheese
2 egg whites
2 whole eggs
1/2 evaporated skim milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp. lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
Lemon slices for garnish

1. In a small bowl, combine the crumbs and butter and press the mixture
into the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan.
2. Place the pan in the freezer while you prepare the filling
3. Preheat the oven to 300
4. In a blender or food processor, combine the cottage sheese, egg whites,
whole eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, lemon rind, and lemon juice. Process the
ingredients until they are smooth. Add the flour, and process the mixtuer a
few seconds longer to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Pour the filling
into the prepared chilled crust.
5. Bake the cake for 1 hour or until the filling has set. Cool the cake in
the pan on a rack. Loosen the edges of the cake with a thin knife before
removing the sides of the pan from the cake. Do not remove the bottom of the
pan from the cake.
6. Place on a serving platter and garnish with lemon slices.

And finally, for the chocolate lovers in all of us, a great little bundt cake with power chocolate flavor from Cooking Light.

CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE
10 servings
Uses a 6-cup bundt pan which is smaller than standard size

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter, soft
2 large egg whites
1 large whole egg
1/2 cup 1% low fat milk
2 tsp. instant espresso granules
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Cooking spray
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350.
2. Spoon flour into measuring cup and level with a knife
3. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well with
a whisk.
4. Add butter, egg whites, whole egg and beat with a mixer on low speed for
1 minute. Add milk, espresso granules and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute.
5. Pour batter into the 6-cup Bundt pan coated with cooking spray.
6. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near
center comes out clean.
7. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, than remove from pan and cool completely on
a wire rack.


How about you? Do you have some great dessert recipes or tips you'd like to share? I'd love to hear them!

Jeanne
 
Great ideas Jeanne!

I found this on the WW site. It sounds yummy...something a little decadent for Valentines!

Chocolate Cranberry Tart
12 oz cranberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup uncooked old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp table salt

Instructions



Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar and water. Cook over medium-high heat until cranberries have popped, 10 minutes. Cool.


Coat a 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Combine oats, flour, butter, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and pat them onto bottom of baking pan.


Combine chocolate, milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and salt and smooth over crust. Bake until chocolate has slightly set and crust is golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Top with cooled cranberry mixture. Cool completely on rack.


POINTS

Serves | 12
POINTS per serving | 4
 

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