Gluten Free Sugar 'n Spice Dip

Gluten Free Sugan 'n Spice Dip
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves 10

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar or honey

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash ground nutmeg

2 containers (6 oz each) Yoplait® Thick & Creamy vanilla yogurt

2 1/2 cups cubed honeydew melon (1/2 melon)

1 3/4 cups red raspberries (8 oz) 

 

In small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in yogurt.

 

Spoon yogurt mixture into small serving bowl. Sprinkle with additional ground cinnamon. Serve with melon and raspberries.  

 

This dip is also great at this time of year with apple, orange and banana slices. 

Winter Fruit Salad

Winter Fruit Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
• 1 lemon
• 5 large navel or blood oranges
• 2 mangoes, peeled and diced
• 2 firm bananas, peeled and diced
• 5 kiwis, peeled and diced
• 12 kumquats, very thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate)

Directions

Combine the sugar, 2 cups water, the ginger and vanilla seeds and pod in a saucepan. Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the lemon and 1 orange, add to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Refrigerate until cold.
Meanwhile, peel the remaining oranges with a paring knife, cutting along the natural curve of the fruit. Hold an orange over a large bowl and cut along both sides of each membrane to free the segments, letting them fall into the bowl. Squeeze each empty membrane to release the juices. Repeat with the remaining oranges. Add the mangoes, bananas, kiwis, kumquats and pomegranate seeds and gently toss. Pour the syrup over the fruit and chill overnight.
Before serving, remove the citrus zest, ginger and vanilla pod. Spoon the fruit and syrup into bowls.
To remove pomegranate seeds, cut the fruit into quarters, then break apart in a bowl of water. Skim off the pith that floats to the top and drain the seeds.

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake Lightened Up

This time of year there are so many parties and gatherings and all of them seem to revolve around food!  Next time you are heading to one and need to take a dessert try this lightened up version of a cheesecake.  By replacing most of the cream cheese in a traditional cheesecake with 1 percent cottage cheese and adding cocoa powder and just a touch of melted chocolate the end result is a silky rich deeply chocolaty dessert.  Your guests will be shocked when they learn that this is a healthier version because it tastes so rich and creamy!

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs, 8 whole sheets
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

Filling:

• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 24 ounces 1 percent cottage cheese
• 8 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Fresh raspberries and mint sprigs, serving suggestion

1. Position the racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven. Put a small roasting pan on the lower rack and fill about 1/3 full of water. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and wrap the outside bottom of the pan with aluminum foil to prevent any leaks.
2. Crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, water, and melted butter in a medium bowl until moistened. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes, while preparing the filling.
3. Filling: Put the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium power until soft and melted, about 1 minute, depending on the power of your oven. Stir until smooth. Puree the cottage cheese in the bowl of a food processor until smooth. Add the cream cheese, sugar, cocoa, and flour and continue to puree, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until smooth. Add the egg, egg whites, espresso, and vanilla and puree until incorporated. Add the melted chocolate and pulse until just combined. Pour over the prepared crust.
4. Put the pan on the upper rack in the oven and bake until just set and the center jiggles slightly, about 50 to 55 minutes. Turn off the oven and let stand in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake to a cooling rack and run a knife around the edge of the pan.
5. Let stand at room temperature until cooled, about 2 hours, and then refrigerate until well chilled, 8 hours or overnight. Let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving. For easier serving, slice with a clean hot knife, wiped clean after each slice. Serve each slice with a few fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint.

Calories 245; Total Fat 9g (Sat Fat 5g, Mono Fat 2g, Poly Fat 0g); Protein 12g; Carb 31 g; Fiber 2g; Cholesterol 36mg; Sodium 373mg 

Source: foodnetwork.com