Spicy Asian Salad Cups

salad

Today, I will share a simple, heart healthy salad recipe that I came across at American Heart Association website. I adopted it a little and hope you enjoy it. Happy reading.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp. Chinese chili sauce
  • 25 oz. canned, salt-free white meat chicken packed in water, drained
  • 8 oz. canned water chestnuts, drained, chopped
  • 4 chopped green onions
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted, unoiled, chopped nuts (cashews, almonds or walnuts)
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 2 tsp. lime juice OR
  • juice from 1 fresh lime
  • 12 lettuce leaves (iceberg, green leaf, bib, etc.)
  • 1 Hass avocado, peeled and cut into 12 slices

Directions:

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, and chili sauce.
  2. Stir in chicken, chestnuts, onions, nuts, pepper, and lime juice.
  3. Spoon equally into lettuce leaves (cups) and top with a slice of avocado.
  4. Serve.

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Santa Hat Cheesecake Bites

santahat

Today being Christmas Eve I wanted to share this special treat with you that I hope you will enjoy. The recipe yields 25 bite size treats.

Ingredients for Chocolate Crumb Crusts:

  • 1  Stick Butter (I used I believe It’s Not Butter for healthy substitution)
  • 1-1/2 cup (about 45 wafers, crushed) reduced fat vanilla wafer crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons Splenda
  • 6 tablespoons Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa

Cheesecake Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter (I used I believe It’s Not Butter for healthy substitution)
  • 2 (8 oz) pkg fat free cream cheese, softened
  • 1/8 cup + 1 Tbsp Splenda
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cups white chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup fat free half & half, divided

Topping Ingredients:

  • 25 fairly small, fresh strawberries (or more if cutting more squares)
  • 1 (16 oz) pkg fat free cool whip

Instructions for Crust:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with two large sheets of tinfoil (one going horizontally and one over the top of the other vertically. Make sure your sheets are long enough that you’ll have an overhang of foil over the edges of the pan. Also, be sure to mold it well to the pan).
  2. Brush foil with 1/2 Tbsp melted butter.
  3. In a mixing bowl, using a fork blend together crushed wafers and  melted butter until mixture is well combined and evenly moistened.
  4. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish (the bottom of a flat measuring cup or glass works well for pressing crust), set aside.

Instructions for Cheese Cake:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on medium-low speed, blend together cream cheese and splenda until mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds.
  2. Add in eggs and vanilla extract and mix until well blended. In a separate microwave safe bowl, heat white chocolate chips with 1/3 cup half & half on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. Pour melted white chocolate mixture into cream cheese mixture and blend on low speed until combined. Tap bowl against counter top about 30 times to release some of the air bubbles then pour mixture over prepared crust in baking dish.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes then turn oven off and without opening oven door allow cheesecake to rest in warm oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 3 hours or refrigerate for 6 hours.
  4. Once cheesecake is fully chilled and set, remove from freezer or refrigerator and lift cheesecake out of pan using the foil overhang. Cut cheesecake into squares (I’d recommend cutting them just a bit larger the the width of your strawberries. Also it’s nice to keep some clean paper towels close by to clean your knife while cutting squares).

Instructions for Topping:

  1. To assemble: cut a flat top off of each strawberry and lay flat side down over top of cheesecake. Fill a pastry bag (or Ziploc bag and cut a small tip of corner) with fat free whipped cream and pipe around strawberry then finish with a small amount over the top of the “hat”. Serve immediately (for do ahead- you can make cheesecake the day before then assemble within an hour of serving the following day). Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.
  2. I processed the wafer in a food processor but if you don’t have one you can place them in a large Ziploc bag, seal bag and finely crush with a rolling pin .
  3. Recipe Source: cheesecake bites – I adopted the recipe from Cooking Classy, Santa hat inspired by – daisy’s world who adapted it from Erica’s Sweet Tooth.

Hope you have a wonderful and peaceful holiday with your loved ones. Please check out  and like my Facebook Page. Beside link to my blogs, I also share links from Vogue, Style, Elle, Health Magazine, Women’s Health, American Heart Association and much more. Happy Reading.

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Fat Free Hot Chocolate Mix

The holiday is not complete without enjoying warm hot chocolate with our loved ones in the cold holiday seasons. However, the hot chocolates can be full of calories and sugar. That’s today I am bringing a fat-free, sugar-free (diary free optional). Hope you enjoy the holidays and keep yourself warm with this healthy version of hot chocolate. Happy reading.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Splenda
  • 1/2 cup Unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 (1 oz) package fat-free sugar-free instant Vanilla pudding mix
  • 3 cups nonfat dry milk powder

Instructions:

  1. Mix all ingredients together.
  2. Store in airtight container.
  3. To make a cup of hot chocolate use 1/4 cup of mix and 1 cup cold water and heat up after mixing due to the instant pudding.
  4. Enjoy with homemade low calorie marshmallow.

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Cream Cheese Mints

With just six days left in Christmas, I want share this mouth watering easy to make treat that will be easy to make and is healthy. I came across this recipe on Christy Jordan’s  Southern Plate.

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces softened fat free cream cheese
  • 3 tablespoons I Cannot Believe It’s Not Butter softened
  • 7-8 cups cane sugar (start with 7, reserve 1 cup for dipping later; I use organic cane sugar but you can also use confectioner’s sugar)
  • 4-6 drops peppermint oil

Instructions:

  1. Place softened cream cheese, butter, and peppermint oil in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.
  2. Add 7 cups of sugar and beat again until dough like in consistency. It will seem stiff and dry at first but after a minute or two it will come together. If it is too dry to form balls after you are done mixing (this is rare), add in a tablespoon of fat free milk and mix again.
  3. Form into small one inch balls and place on waxed paper.
  4. Roll each ball into sugar and flatten slightly with your fingertip, a fork, the back of a spoon, or a tiny seasonal stamp (something like this).
  5. Allow mints to dry for a few hours before storing. If they will be eaten in a day or two, I leave them out at room temp in an airtight container. For longer storage, place in the refrigerator.

This is a great treat to make with your family. After all, togetherness is a great holiday treat. Happy reading.

 

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