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Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Pound cake got its name from the original formulation: a pound each of sugar, flour, butter and eggs. Just the thought of it is enough to raise your cholesterol. Our version calls for half whole-wheat flour, less sugar, a modest amount of butter and loses quite a few egg yolks. To keep it rich we moisten the cake with reduced-fat cream cheese and buttermilk. It is every bit as delicious as the original, with only a third of the calories and fat.


Ingredients


1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)

1/3 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

6 large egg whites

2 cups sugar, divided

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchâtel)
 
Preparation


1.Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray and dust with flour.

2.Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk whole eggs, buttermilk, oil, corn syrup and vanilla in another medium bowl until well blended.

3.Beat egg whites in a large clean bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and foamy. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar until stiff glossy peaks form.

4.Beat butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until creamy. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Alternately add the flour and buttermilk mixtures, beating until just smooth. Fold in about one-third of the egg whites with a rubber spatula until just smooth and no white streaks remain. Fold in the remaining egg whites. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.

5.Bake the cake until a skewer inserted into it comes out clean and the top springs back when touched, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto the rack; let cool for at least 1 hour more before slicing.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Equipment: 12-cup Bundt pan

Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour, lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural-foods section of large super markets and natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.

Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

Nutrition

Per serving: 261 calories; 12 g fat (5 g sat, 3 g mono); 52 mg cholesterol; 35 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 1 g fiber; 167 mg sodium; 73 mg potassium.



2 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 2 other carbohydrate, 2 fat

Chilaquiles Casserole

Our version of this enchilada-style chilaquiles casserole is packed with nutritious beans and vegetables. Canned prepared enchilada sauce has great flavor and keeps the prep time quick. It can vary in heat level so find one that suits your taste. If you want to eliminate the heat altogether, try a green enchilada sauce (which is often milder than red) or substitute two 8-ounce cans of plain tomato sauce.


Ingredients


1 tablespoon canola oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium zucchini, grated

1 19-ounce can black beans, rinsed

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups corn, frozen (thawed) or fresh

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 corn tortillas, quartered

1 19-ounce can mild red or green enchilada sauce

1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
 
Preparation


1.Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are heated through, about 3 minutes.

3.Scatter half the tortilla pieces in the pan. Top with half the vegetable mixture, half the enchilada sauce and half the cheese. Repeat with one more layer of tortillas, vegetables, sauce and cheese. Cover with foil.

4.Bake the casserole for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes more.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3 and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Nutrition

Per serving: 243 calories; 10 g fat (5 g sat, 4 g mono); 23 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 5 g fiber; 338 mg sodium; 267 mg potassium.



Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (23% daily value), Fiber (22% dv).



1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1 fat

Ravioli & Vegetable Soup

Fresh or frozen ravioli cook in minutes and turn this light vegetable soup into a main course. Look for whole-wheat or whole-grain ravioli in the refrigerated or frozen section of the supermarket. Tortellini can be used instead of ravioli as well.


Ingredients


1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion mix, thawed and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed crushed red pepper, or to taste (optional)

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted

1 15-ounce can vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups hot water

1 teaspoon dried basil or marjoram

1 6- to 9-ounce package fresh or frozen cheese (or meat) ravioli, preferably whole-wheat

2 cups diced zucchini, (about 2 medium)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation


1.Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pepper-onion mix, garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth, water and basil (or marjoram); bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add ravioli and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions. Add zucchini; return to a boil. Cook until the zucchini is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Season with pepper.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Thin with broth before reheating, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving: 264 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 28 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrates; 11 g protein; 8 g fiber; 763 mg sodium; 762 mg potassium.



Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (60% daily value), Vitamin A (40% dv), Iron (21% dv), Calcium (16% dv).



2 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 fat

Sweet Cheese Strudel

Phyllo dough, low in calories and fat, is a crisp counterpoint to the creamy cheese filling in this luscious strudel.


Ingredients


Sweet Cheese Strudel

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup raisins

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 tablespoon butter, melted

8 sheets phyllo dough, (14x18 inches), thawed if frozen

2 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
 
Preparation


1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

2.Combine sugar, cornstarch, egg white, vanilla and lemon zest in a small bowl; stir gently until well combined. Gently fold in ricotta with a rubber spatula until just combined. Gently fold in raisins. Set aside.

3.Combine oil and butter in a small bowl. Unroll phyllo sheets onto a clean, dry surface; cover with wax paper and then a slightly damp tea towel to prevent the dough from drying out.

4.Lay one sheet of phyllo on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of oil mixture and spread it around with a pastry brush. (Not all the dough will be covered.) Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon breadcrumbs. Repeat with 6 more sheets of phyllo, aligning each sheet over the previous ones. Lay the final phyllo sheet on top; do not sprinkle with oil, but sprinkle with remaining breadcrumbs; reserve remaining oil/butter mixture.

5.Gently spoon the cheese filling in a long, 12-by-2-inch mound along one long edge of the phyllo layers, leaving a 3-inch border between the mound and the short edges of the phyllo. Fold up the long edge and loosely roll up the strudel. (Do not roll too tightly; the filling will expand during baking.) Set the strudel, seam-side down, on the baking sheet. Fold and tuck the open ends securely, but not tightly, beneath the roll.

6.Brush strudel with remaining oil mixture. Make four short (1-inch) diagonal slashes along the top of strudel with a sharp paring knife, to allow steam to escape. Bake until the phyllo is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Carefully transfer strudel to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

7.Just before serving, dust strudel with confectioners’ sugar and slice with a serrated knife. Pool a spoonful of Raspberry Coulis on each dessert plate and top with a slice of strudel.

Tips & Notes

To ensure the smoothest texture for your strudel filling, check the labels on the part-skim ricotta in your supermarket and choose one that does not contain gums or stabilizers.Part-skim ricotta has about half the fat of whole-milk ricotta. Ingredients

Raspberry Coulis:




2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

About 1/2 cup sugar

About 1 tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring raspberries and 1/2 cup sugar to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture starts to thicken, about 15 minutes.



2. Press mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, using a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard seeds and skins. Stir in 1 tbsp. lemon juice. Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice if you like. Serve coulis warm or at room temperature.



Note: Nutritional analysis is per 2-tbsp. serving




Nutrition

Per serving: 244 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 11 mg cholesterol; 42 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 2 g fiber; 183 mg sodium; 154 mg potassium.



3 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 fruit, 2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat