Category Archives: Recipes

Mascarpone Fruit Dip

May be used as a cake filling, as a center for Zuccotto, or a  fruit dip!

250 g Mascarpone
1/4 c sugar
3/4 c pineapple juice (may use any juice of your choice)
1/2 berries or diced fruit of choice (optional)
1/8 cup coconut flake or crushed nuts. (optional)

In a mixing bowl combine with a fork or wooden spoon mascarpone, sugar and juice. Fold in berries and nuts. Serve alone or with favorite cake or dessert.

Calorie Reduction, Keeping it Tastey

Yes, recipes can be altered in order to reduce calories without sacrificing taste.

Incorporate these cooking tricks  to enhance meals and desserts.  Use equal amounts of oil for melted shortening, margarine or butter. HEALTHY OILS: Olive Oil, Canola Oil

Shortening, butter, or oil in baking
Use applesauce, prune puree or low fat yogurt to replace butter, shortening or oil in the exact amount. May need to reduce baking time by 25% to avoid a dry cake.

Butter is still the best when it comes to making pie crusts. Reduce the serving size that you put on your plate and top off with fresh cut fruit!

Whole milk, half and half or evaporated milk
Replace with skim milk, 1% milk, evaporated skim milk, fat-free half and half , or plain soymilk with calcium.

Butter, shortening, margarine, or oil to prevent sticking. Fat to sauté or stir-fry.
When sauteing foods, use cooking spray, water, broth or nonstick pans. Use ¼ c. Canola Oil at medium temp to fry foods.

Full-fat cream cheese
Substitute with low-fat or nonfat cream cheese, Neufchatel or low-fat cottage cheese puree until smooth. Use low-fat yogurt to replace higher fat dairies in recipes. In some cases fruit flavored low-fat yogurt is also a good substitute.

Full-fat sour cream
Full-fat cottage cheese
Full-fat Ricotta cheese
Use nonfat or reduced fat sour cream or fat-free plain yogurt. (Yogurt is not heat stable.) Use 2% or fat-free cottage cheese. Use part-skim ricotta.

Cream
Whipping cream
Try utilizing evaporated skim milk
Use non fat whipped topping or cream (This is only non fat if one serving size is used.)

Eggs
Use egg whites (usually 2 egg whites for every egg) or ¼ cup egg substitute.
Whole fat cheese
Use reduced fat cheese, but add it at the end of the baking time or use part skim mozzarella.

Frying in fat
Try other effective cooking methods such as: bake, boil, broil, grill, poach, roast, stir-fry, or microwave.

Regular mayonnaise or salad dressing
Low fat, reduced or non fat mayonnaise or salad dressing. Top off salads: Whisk lemon juice, oil, oregano and pepper together.

Canned fish
Buy water-packed canned products.

Fat cuts of meat w skin on
Leaner cuts of meat or ground meat, remove skin before cooking.

By: Kimberly Crocker

Crustless Eggplant Pizza’s

Crustless Pizza

Crustless Mini Eggplant Pizza’s

Number of Servings: 4-6

INGREDIENTS
1 eggplant
1 tsp salt
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup pizza sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 425 degrees F.

Grill Eggplant Slices

Prepare eggplant-peeled and sliced along width of eggplant for circular slices (3 inch diameter), each slice about 1/4 inch thick.
Sprinkle salt on both sides of each eggplant, place them into a colander and set aside for 2 hours, allowing the eggplants water to come out and reduce the bitterness of the vegetable (set colander onto a large bowl to collect water from eggplant).
Pat dry each eggplant slice with paper towels to remove moisture.
Brush both sides of the eggplant with the oil and season with pepper.
Grill Eggplant. OR arrange slices onto a baking sheet  and bake until browned and almost tender, about 3 minutes each side, turning once.

Layer each eggplant with tomato sauce and topped off w cheese

Place individual eggplant slices onto  a baking sheet from oven and spread 1 tablespoon of pasta sauce on each eggplant slice. Top with the shredded cheese. Bake until the cheese melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Cucumber Guacamole Dip

Cucumbers and Lime give this guacamole a refreshing flavor.

INGREDIENTS
2 ripe avocados, peeled and chopped
1/2 medium cucumber, (peeled) chopped              
1/3 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp pepper flakes
1 squeeze lime (about 1-2 Tbsp juice) may use lemon
Salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp)

DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients to blender or food processor and process to desired consistency. Add salt (about 1/2 tsp) to taste. Serve chilled. Enjoy with your favorite chips or tortillas.

Top off with chopped1 freshly diced  tomato and 1 tablespoon torn cilantro leaves.

Number of Servings: 8

Cindy’s Basic Cheesecake

Basic Cheesecake is heavenly and fresh! Serve within the first 24 hours to optimize the enjoyment of this dessert.  Serves 12 portions.

Crust
2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (avail. @ Vivimarket)
½ tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
½ cup butter, melted

3  250 g  packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour (“0”)
1 tsp vanilla extract (avail. @ Vivimarket or make your own)
½ tsp finely shredded lemon peel (optional)
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
¼ cup milk

  • Items needed: parchment paper, 1 shallow baking pan, small sauce pan, 1 round baking pan, 1 large mixing bowl, 1 small mixing bowl, fork, Mixer, zester or knife, measuring cups and measuring spoons, rubber spatula or spoon
DIRECTIONS for Cheesecake
  • Preheat oven to 325 F or 150 C.
  • Prepare a shallow baking pan with water 2/12 cups of water and set it aside. It will be used at the end of the recipe for the Bain-Marie.
  • Begin to melt 1/2 cup butter in a sauce pan over low heat, about 3 minutes.
  • Line an 8×3 round cake pan with cooking parchment (measured and cut at 12×7) that has been dampened and crumpled.
  • For crust, use a small mixing bowl and combine with a fork crackers, melted butter and cinnamon. Empty ingredients into round baking pan on top of dampened parchment and with your fingers, press crumb mixture into prepared pan lined with parchment paper, taking care to press up the sides about 2 inches. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla and lemon zest (yellow skin do not cut white pith it is bitter) cut into strips.  Beat with an electric mixer till fluffy.
  • Add eggs and yolk all at once, beating on low-speed just till combined.
  • Stir in milk.
  • Pour mixture into crust-lined pan.
  • Place prepared cheesecake in round baking pan onto a shallow baking pan in oven and fill outside pan about half full with boiling water (Bain-marie).
  • Place in oven and bake at 325 F or 150 C for 55 to 65 minutes.  Cheesecake is done when the center seems nearly set, but jiggles slightly when shaken.
  •  Remove cake pan from water and let cool at least an hour before removing from pan with paper (just lift it out).
  •  Place on plate and refrigerate for at least four hours before serving.

Variations:

Oreo Cheesecake: Substitute Oreos for graham crackers and reduce butter to 5 Tbsp.  Crush an additional ½ cup of Oreos and mix into cream cheese mixture just before pouring it into the crust-lined pan.

Liqueur Cheesecake: Substitute White Crème de Menthe, Crème de Cacao, Coffee Liqueur, or Amaretto for the 1/4 cup milk.

Recipe from CIndy Evans