Heart Healthy (No-Bake) Cheesecake

from the Mayo Clinic website.
Serves 8
Ingredients
2 tablespoons cold water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup skim milk, heated almost to boiling
Egg substitute equivalent to 1 egg, or 2 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used splenda, which reduces the calories)
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
Lemon zest (optional)

Directions
Combine water, gelatin and lemon juice in blender container. Process on low speed 1 to 2 minutes to soften gelatin. Add hot milk, processing until gelatin is dissolved. Add egg substitute, sugar, vanilla and cheese to blender container. Process on high speed until smooth. Pour into 9" pie plate or round flat dish. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. If you wish, top with grated lemon zest just before serving.

Nutritional Analysis(per serving)
Calories 80
Cholesterol 3 mg
Protein 9 g
Sodium 200 mg
Carbohydrate 10 g
Fiber trace
Total fat trace
Potassium 89 mg
Saturated fat trace
Calcium 55 mg
Monounsaturated fat trace

Mushroom Bread

I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com and we love it!!

1 Loaf Italian/French bread
½ C. softened butter
1 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
6 green onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Slice bread in half horizontally. Using fingers, pull out most of the soft bread to form a hollow shell. (Save the bread for another use; I use it to make bread crumbs)

3. Mix together butter, mushrooms, cheese, green onions and garlic. Spread the mixture on both cut sides of the bread. Place the bread, cut sides up, on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until cheese has melted; about 10-15 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Salmon and Rice

I love salmon and rice and enjoy trying out new recipes. I tried out Cuisinenie's salmon recipe. I don't use as much oil as the recipe calls for, but I have to say: "Yumminess." I didn't make the rice in her blog; I used brown and wild rice, instead.

Here's her recipe:

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry white wine, or water
2 pounds salmon fillet
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. with a rack in the center. Make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir brown sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, and white wine until the sugar has dissolved.
Cut salmon fillet into 4 equal-size pieces; arrange, skin side down, in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour glaze over the fish, and turn to coat evenly.
Bake until fish is opaque but still bright pink inside, basting every few minutes with glaze from baking dish, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

End of Walk.MP4 http://ow.ly/1dlSNE

Ricotta Muffins

I picked up this recipe from http://www.southbeachrecipes.com.
It's good for Phase 1 - we really like the flavor.

2 cups part skim ricotta cheese
4 eggs
6 to 8 packets of splenda (however sweet you prefer)
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Blend all ingredients well.

3. Spray a muffin pan with Pam and divide mixture evenly between muffin cups.

4. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (I need the full 30 minutes due to altitude)

Great for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.

If desired, stir in a little cocoa powder before baking. (I used 1 tsp of cocoa on half the batter which made 5 muffins)

Nutitional values:

Non cocoa: 85 cals; 5 g fat; 1.5 carbs; 7 protein
With cocoa: 86 cals; 5.025 fat; 1.65 carbs; 7.05 protein

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

A friend of mine gave me this recipe which I have made my own in a few ways. These are healthier than normal chocolate chip cookies and they are very tasty.

¼ C butter
¼ C Pureed white beans (add water to make it the consistency of room temperature butter(aprox. ½ tsp water))
¼ C sugar
¼ C Splenda
½ C brown sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup flour
½ cup wheat flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 C rolled oats
1 C chocolate semi sweet chips

1. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl: the flours, salt, soda, powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.

2. Puree the beans and pour into a bowl. Add butter and mix the two together. Add the sugars (white and brown) and mix. Mix in the egg and vanilla.

3. Add the flour to the liquid mixture. Mix completely.

4. Add rolled oats and mix thoroughly.

5. Add chocolate chips and combine.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes! (I bake mine for the full 12 minutes and then let them sit to complete the baking in the pan for a couple of minutes before I let them cool)

Heart Healthy Apple Muffins

I found this recipe on the Food Network. I have recieved rave reviews about how good and moist they are. I agree.

¾ C. + 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
¼ C. chopped pecans
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 C. all-purpose flour
1 C. whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ C. canola oil
2 Large eggs
1 C. natural applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ C. low-fat buttermilk
1 Golden Delicious apple (peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch pieces) – I cut them, then squeeze juice from half a lemon to keep the apples bright.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray muffin tin, or line with paper cups
2. In a small bowl, mix 2 Tbsp of brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda and salt
4. In a large bowl: whisk the remaining ¾ C. sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla.
5. Whisk in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with buttermilk. Whisk until just combined. Gently stir in the apple chunks.
6. Pour the batter into prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle with pecan mixture. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove air bubbles. Back for 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
7. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from tin and cool completely.