Get Healthified!!

I don’t remember if someone told me about it, or if I stumbled across it in my endless pursuit for something healthy to cook, but delicious and easy recipes can be found at www.eatbetteramerica.com. They “healthify” everything from meat, to desserts and everything in between. The site is sponsored by General Mills, although I didn’t realize it at first. You figure it out though once you see that the ingredient lists always include Green Giant vegetables, or Gold Medal flour, or Fiber One products. There are also coupons, a blog and all kinds of other helpful weight loss information.

This is one of my favorite sources for recipes. And with a couple of holiday potlucks coming up, here are the two recipes that I think I’ll try.

"Healthified" Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes

Tempt your tastebuds with a chocolaty cheesecake that's easier on the waistline, once in a while.
Prep Time:20 min - Start to Finish:2 hr 25 min - Makes:12 servings
Cheesecakes
12 foil baking cups
12 thin chocolate wafer cookies (from 9-oz package), crushed (2/3 cup)
12 oz 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 whole egg
1 egg white
1 oz bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate, melted
Topping
1/3 cup fat-free hot fudge topping
Fresh raspberries, if desired
1. Heat oven to 325°F. Place foil baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups. With back of spoon, firmly press slightly less than 1 tablespoon cookie crumbs in bottom of each foil cup.
2. In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in cocoa. Beat in whole egg and egg white until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate. Divide cheese mixture evenly among crumb-lined foil cups.
3. Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on cooling rack 15 minutes. Remove cheesecakes from pan; cool 15 minutes longer. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until chilled.
4. To serve, carefully remove foil baking cups. Spread fudge topping on cheesecakes. Garnish with raspberries. Store cheesecakes covered in refrigerator.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 200 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 5g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 40mg; Sodium 180mg; Total Carbohydrate 25g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 18g); Protein 4g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2


"Healthified" Sausage-Stuffed Shells

This recipe's come out of its shell with substitutions beyond the Italian turkey sausage that shaves both fat and saturated fat. Shredded carrots add a good-for-you flavor boost. Now it's party perfect!

Prep Time:30 min - Start to Finish:1 hr 20 min - Makes:12 servings (2 each)

24 jumbo pasta shells (from 12-oz box)
1 lb lean Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 container (15 oz) light ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Italian cheese blend (8 oz)
1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
¾ cup finely shredded carrots (1 medium)
1 jar (25.5 oz) Muir Glen® organic Italian herb pasta sauce

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
2. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, crumble sausage. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until no longer pink; drain.
3. In medium bowl, stir ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the Italian cheese blend, the spinach and basil until well mixed. Stir in carrots and sausage.
4. Spread about 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce over bottom of baking dish. Spoon about 3 tablespoonfuls sausage mixture into each pasta shell. Arrange shells, filled sides up, on sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining pasta sauce over stuffed shells. Spray 15-inch piece of foil with cooking spray; cover shells with foil.
5. Bake 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup Italian cheese blend. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Heat oven to 375°F.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 290 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 3g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 40mg; Sodium 720mg; Total Carbohydrate 33g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 7g); Protein 19g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 70%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 25%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2

These both sound yummy! Check it out!

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