Soup Beans and Cornbread

  Whether you call them pinto beans or soup beans, beans really are a healthy food, especially when they're made without greasy fatback or loads of salt. This recipe uses plenty of flavor from lean ham and seasonings, and leaves out the hot mess of saturated fat and sodium in some traditional recipes. Enjoy this delicious fiber and protein rich food with Regular Cornbread or Hot Mexican Cornbread.

 

Ingredients: 

1/2 pound dried pinto beans

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1-1 1/4 pound ham, chopped

1 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Rinse beans well. Soak overnight. 

Drain water. 

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Add fresh water, adjusting the amount according to how soupy you want the beans to be. 

Bring to a boil, then cook over low-medium heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serving size should be 1/2 to 1 cup. 

I like to eat my beans with ketchup, but chow chow, sauerkraut, hot sauce, or jalapeno peppers would all taste wonderful. The sauerkraut, some varieties of chow chow, ketchup, and jalapenos will add sodium, so use them sparingly. Hot sauce is actually a low sodium seasoning!

Put a Ring on it White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

  This is a delicious lower calorie version of raspberry cheesecake that you would never known was lighter. The taste and texture are delightful. I used sugar substitute, traded the cream for 2% milk, reduced the amount of butter in the crust, and swapped some of the regular cream cheese for the lower fat variety.

  I also used a glass baking pan because I'm terrible with a spring-form pan. If you're more skilled with the spring-form pan, though, feel free to use one and just increase the oven temperature to 325F. 

Ingredients: 

  Crust: 

      1 cup graham cracker crumbs

      5 Tbsp. butter

      1/4 cup store-brand Splenda for recipes

Cheesecake filling: 

      12 ounce bag frozen raspberries

      2 Tbsp. and 1/2 cup store-brand Splenda for recipes, divided

      2 tsp. cornstarch

      1/2 cup water

      1-11.5 ounce bag white chocolate chips

      1/2 cup 2% milk

      2-8 ounce blocks 1/3 less fat cream cheese

      1-8 ounce block regular cream cheese

      3 eggs

      1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions: 

-Preheat oven to 300F. 

-Melt butter and combine with graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sweetener in a 9 inch glass baking dish. Mix well and press into a crust on the bottom and sides of the pan.

-In a medium saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 Tbsp. sweetener, cornstarch, and water. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring frequently to prevent mixture from sticking to bottom of pan. 

-In a double boiler, melt white chocolate chips and 2% milk, stirring occasionally. 

-In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sweetener, eggs, and vanilla. Mix at low speed. Add melted white chocolate and gradually increase mixer speed. Mix well until smooth. 

-Pour half of the cheesecake mixture into the crust. 

-Then pour half of the raspberry mixture over that, swirling it around slightly with a utensil.

-Next, pour the remaining cheesecake mixture, then top with the rest of the raspberries, swirling them around to create a marbled effect. 

-Bake for 1 hour. 

-Chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours before serving for the best texture.