Everyone loves cheesecake, but most of them are so high in fat and calories that we feel guilty eating this dessert very frequently. Unlike most low-calorie cheesecakes, the one presented here is truly delicious, rich tasting with a smooth, creamy texture.
It is also quick and easy to make and can be made a day ahead of your party. The top tends to crack a bit while baking and cooling, so I usually top it with fresh fruit just before serving.
During the time of the year when fresh fruit selection is more limited, I often use either bananas or frozen berries.
One of my favorite berry toppings is a raspberry glaze. The only ingredients you need to make it are a bag of thawed frozen raspberries, 1/4 cup sugar and a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Put them all in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the pureed mixture through a strainer to remove the seeds, and pour the strained topping over the chilled cheesecake. To add a bit more depth to the flavor of the berry glaze, you can also add a tablespoon of an orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau, to the mixture.
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LOW-CALORIE CHEESECAKE
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Chilling time: 3 hours or overnight
Yield: 8 servings
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 packages (8 ounces each) non-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup non-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sliced fruit, optional
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9-inch pie plate with non-stick vegetable oil cooking spray. Add crumbs and shake plate to coat entire surface; gently pat with hands to help crumbs to stick. Set aside.
2. Beat cream cheese, sugar and flour in bowl of electric mixer on medium speed until thoroughly mixed and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in of egg whites, sour cream and vanilla. Pour mixture into crust. Bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven; cool on wire rack. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Serve with fruit if desired.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ……….. 165 Fat ………. 1.5 g Saturated fat .. 0.6 g
% calories from fat .. 9 Cholesterol … 6 mg Sodium …….. 385 mg
Carbohydrates ….. 25 g Protein ……. 11 g Fiber ………. 0.2 g
Q. Here is a wonderful recipe for pesto lasagna given to me by a friend. I hope you can revise it to the point that we can include it in a health-conscious menu. Thank you.
Elizabeth Speagle, Princeton, N.J.
LIGURIAN LASAGNA
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Pasta, see note:
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sauce:
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup half-and-half, warmed
1/2 teaspoon each, or to taste: salt, freshly ground pepper
Pesto:
1 clove garlic
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts
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1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1 cup half-and-half
1. For pasta, place all ingredients in food processor fitted with plastic blade or in medium bowl to mix by hand. Process or stir until mixture forms a ball. Add cold water, a tablespoon at a time, if dough is too dry. Turn dough out into lightly floured surface; knead until pliable, about 5 minutes. Cover dough; let rest 30 minutes. Roll dough out by hand or with pasta machine until thin, about 1/16-inch. Cut into lasagna-size strips; place on floured surface to dry.
2. For sauce, melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, 2 minutes, without browning. Add flour; stir until well mixed. Slowly add hot milk, stirring constantly. Add nutmeg; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add half-and-half. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. For pesto, puree garlic, basil and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in blender or food processor fitted with metal blade. Add remaining oil slowly with motor running. Add pine nuts and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Puree until mixture is smooth paste.
4. Spoon light layer of sauce on bottom of 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Top with layer of lasagna noodles. Dot with about 1/3 of the pesto and more sauce; sprinkle with about 1/3 of the garlic salt. Dot with about 1/3 of the butter; sprinkle with about 1/3 of the remaining Parmesan. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used up. Pour 1 cup half-and-half over all. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake until cooked through, about 45-60 minutes. Remove cover last 10 minutes of cooking to brown top.
Note: You can use one box (1 pound) lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions, drained.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 725 Fat ………… 60 g Saturated fat .. 28 g
% calories from fat .. 74 Cholesterol .. 165 mg Sodium ….. 1,107 mg
Carbohydrates …… 33 g Protein …….. 15 g Fiber ……… 1.4 g
A. Your dish is a refreshing change from lasagna with marinara sauce. Its fat content, though, is enough to make one afraid of making it. I omitted most of the butter and olive oil, using non-fat instead of whole milk, and substituting light cream cheese for the half-and-half. Toasting the pine nuts brought out their flavor. When attempting to reduce the fat in the lasagna noodles, I ended up with a heavy texture. I used store-bought noodles instead, and that simplified the process as well.
FRIENDLY LIGURIAN LASAGNA
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion, minced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups non-fat (skim) milk, heated
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package (8 ounces) light cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon each, or to taste: salt, freshly ground pepper
Pesto:
2 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted, see note
8 ounces lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions, drained
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. For sauce, melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Whisk in flour until well combined. Slowly whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the milk. Add nutmeg; whisk until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 of the cream cheese; stir until melted. Stir in salt and pepper.
2. For pesto, puree garlic, basil and oil in blender or food processor fitted with metal blade. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, water and pine nuts; puree to a paste. Spoon thin layer of sauce on bottom of 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Top with layer of lasagna noodles, dot with 1/3 of the pesto and more sauce. Sprinkle with about 1/3 of the remaining Parmesan. Repeat layers until all noodles, pesto, sauce and Parmesan are used.
3. Combine remaining milk and cream cheese in small saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese melts. Pour over ingredients in baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil; bake until heated through, 40-50 minutes, removing foil last 10 minutes to brown top.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 270 Fat ……….. 12 g Saturated fat .. 6 g
% calories from fat .. 39 Cholesterol .. 25 mg Sodium …… 490 mg
Carbohydrates …… 28 g Protein ……. 13 g Fiber …….. 1.4 g
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