Reduced Fat Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

A few weeks ago, I received a lovely email from Chobani Greek Yogurt stating that they loved my recipe for Cucumber Yogurt Lime Dip. They also said that they wanted to send me some yogurt as a thank you and if I happen to come up with another great recipe, all the better. Well, I think I did just that!

To me, Fall means pumpkin, so what better way to incorporate some of Chobani's famous Vanilla Greek Yogurt into these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. I don't like to keep a lot of sweets laying around the house, so when I do have a craving, I try to "lighten" the recipe up a bit so I don't feel so guilty eating them. This dessert was decadent, yet light at the same time and my family and I really enjoyed them.

Reduced Fat Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Cook Time: 1 hour       Refrigerator Time: 6 hours       Servings: 16

Ingredients
For the Crust

• 9 Graham Cracker Squares
• 1/4 c. Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 5 tbsp. Butter, melted
• 1 tsp. Butter

For the Filling and Cheesecake Bars

• 1 lb. Fat Free Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 c. Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 c. Pureed Pumpkin
• 1/2 c. Chobani Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

Directions
For the Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add the crackers, sugar and pumpkin pie spice to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is crumbly; then add in the butter and pulse until the crumbs form together.
3. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8"x8" pan with the teaspoon of butter; then firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan, coming up 1/2"-3/4" up the sides.
4. Bake for 5-8 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool.

For the Filling and Cheesecake Bars

1. Cream together all of the ingredients using a stand mixer until creamy.
2. Pour the batter into the crust and spread out evenly.
3. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the sides start to puff up and turn slightly brown. The center should be somewhat firm to the touch.
4. Allow to cool and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before cutting into 16 squares.

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories 141, Carbs 18.4g, Fat 5.1g, Protein 5.9g, Fiber .5g, Sugar 12.9g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Cucumber Yogurt Lime Dip

I mentioned when we were in Florida recently that we met up with my friend Jenn from My Daily Jenn-ism and her family for dinner one evening; who happened to be in Disney the same night we were there before heading out on their cruise. There were eight of us (4 adults, 3 kids and a teenager...because I  can't really call her a "kid" any longer when she towers over me!). Anyway, after several attempts to find a place to dine, we had no luck (or 2 hour wait times).

We were in the Downtown Disney area so we just started walking towards Pleasure Island and figured we'd just try places along the way, until we came upon this restaurant/pub called Paradiso 57, Taste of the Americas. None of us had ever dined there before, but after looking at the menu decided there was something for everyone AND they could seat the 8 of us immediately...bonus!

Jenn with her good friend Jose

We ordered some appetizers and drinks to start with (look at the size of their margaritas!) including their Chorizo and Beef Skewers (Spicy Chorizo Skewers, Marinated Beef Skewers, Chimichurri Pita Bread, Marinated Mushrooms with Citrus Yogurt Sauce). The Citrus Yogurt Sauce was delicious and really cut the heat from the spicy chorizo so I asked our waitress what was in it and she told me cucumbers, yogurt and lime. After we got home, I decided to experiment with this recipe for myself and it came out great. You can use this as a dip with tortilla chips or pita bread or use it as an accompaniment for grilled meat, chicken or fish.


Cucumber Yogurt Lime Dip
Prep Time: 10 minutes     Yield: 12 tablespoons       Servings: 1 tablespoon

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. Cucumber, peeled and small dice
• 1 c. Plain Nonfat Yogurt (I used Chobani)
• 1/2 Lime, zest and juice
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until creamy. Cover and refrigerate. Can be kept up to 3 days. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 13, Carbs 1.2g, Fat 0g, Protein 2.1g, Fiber .1g, Sugar .9g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

My Big Fat Greek Sweet Potato

I have a confession to make. I didn't make up the name for this recipe. Alexandra Ricardi did when I posted the picture on Facebook last week asking for suggestions. I don't know Alexandra other than the fact that she is a loyal CEK reader and also follows my Facebook page. And little does she know until she reads this post, I'm going to give her a signed copy of Carrie's Experimental Kitchen Cookbook for helping me out! :)

I guess it's true what they say how your taste buds change because I only started to like sweet potatoes within the last 5 years. Now I prefer them to eating regular potatoes, though the little one doesn't like them any way I've tried to prepare them so when purchasing them, I generally only buy 1-2 at a time. It was one of those nights when I didn't have a lot of time to prepare dinner (which happens about 98% of the time!) so I made these quick twice baked stuffed sweet potatoes to go with our meal using some of ingredients I had left from making other recipes. I also microwaved the potato instead of baking it to save some time and the entire dish was ready in under 30 minutes. If you wish to bake your potato, place it in a 350 degree oven for approximately 45-60 minutes depending on the size. 

I thought these sweet potatoes were delicious; however, hubby is not a huge fan of Feta cheese so to him they were just ok. They were so creamy when mashed that I didn't even need to use any butter; which also helped to cut down on the calories and fat. I served these with grilled chicken tenders and a tossed salad. 

My Big Fat Greek Sweet Potato
1 Large Sweet Potato
1/4 c. Feta Cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp. Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt (I used Chobani)
2 tsp. Fresh Parsley
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Scrub the potato skin under warm water; then pierce the skin in several places with a fork or tip of a sharp knife to allow steam to escape. Place the potato on a microwave safe dish lined with a napkin or paper towel and microwave on high 8-10 minutes or until the inside is soft when a knife is inserted into the middle. 
2. Remove the potato, cut in half lengthwise; then scoop out the flesh and place in a bowl. Place the skins in an oven safe dish. 
3. Add 2 tbsp. of the cheese, yogurt, parsley, salt and pepper to the potatoes and mash well. I used the back of the fork and whipped until it was creamy. 
4. Place the potato mixture back into the shells, sprinkle with the remaining Feta cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese has started to melt. Serves 2. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 215, Carbs 38.4g, Fat 3.8g, Protein 8.1g, Fiber 6.3g, Sugar 12.2g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy! 

Low Fat Ranch Dressing (Copycat)

After those Hooter's Chicken Wings, I needed to have a snack that was a little healthier. And when I saw this recipe for Better-for-You Ranch Dressing from The Fountain Avenue Kitchen a few weeks ago, I printed it right away and couldn't WAIT to try it. I mean really, who doesn't like veggies dipped in Ranch dressing? Ann has such a wonderful site this recipe did not disappoint...delicious! 

There are so many different vegetables you can use in your crudite like peppers, broccoli, jicama, cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, asparagus, cucumbers, baby radishes, carrots, cauliflower, and mushrooms to name a few. Ann didn't specify which brands she used in her recipe so for nutritional data purposes, I used Hellmann's mayonnaise and canola oil in mine. 

Low Fat Ranch Dressing (Copycat)

The Fountain Avenue Kitchen

1/3 c. Low Fat Buttermilk

3 tbsp. Chobani 2% Plain Yogurt

3 tbsp. Hellmann's Mayonnaise

1 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

2 tbsp. Canola Oil

1/2 tsp. Kosher Sal

Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

3 tbsp. Chives, minced

Directions:

1. Whisk all ingredients together and keep refrigerated until ready to use. Makes 1cup; serves 8. 

*Nutritional Information per 1oz Serving: Calories 62, Carbs 1.2g, Fat 5.9g, Protein 1.1g, Fiber 0g

Enjoy!