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! 

Waldorf Chicken Salad

Isn't if funny how food trends change? Growing up, I can't remember a picnic without Waldorf Salad, which is a salad made with apples, walnuts, grapes and was mayonnaise based (And for those of you who have never heard of it, it was very popular back in the early 70's).  Though as an adult, I don't think I've eaten it or even seen it as an option on a menu or picnic in years. It's not the healthiest salad you can eat, but I always loved the combination of flavors in the salad. 

I decided a while back that I was going to give it a try this summer but here it is, the end of August , and I still hadn't gotten around to it! I had made a roasted chicken for dinner last Sunday and wanted to make a chicken salad for lunch out of the leftovers, but didn't want the same type I usually make. I decided to combine my favorite chicken salad with Waldorf Salad and this was a hit! It was slightly sweet, crunchy and nutty. I happened to have some apple yogurt to give it a little extra apple flavor, but you can use plain yogurt instead. 

Waldorf Chicken Salad
2 c. Cooked Chicken, diced
1 Apple, washed and cored
1-2 Stalks Celery, rinsed and chopped
1/2 c. Chopped Walnuts
Prepared Dressing

Directions:
1. Add the chicken, celery and walnuts to a bowl. 
2. Next, chop the apple into bite-sized pieces and add to the chicken. 
3. Add the prepared dressing and mix well. Keep refrigerated. Makes 4 cups. 
Dressing:
1/2 c. Hellmann's Mayonnaise
1/4 c. Yoplait Light Apple Yogurt
2 tsp. Honey
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
Juice from 1/2 Lemon

Add all ingredients to a small bowl; then whisk together until creamy. 

Enjoy!