Can the lighter side be just as good?

Cheesecake ranks up there as one of our favorite desserts. Although it is usually packed with quite a few calories, there are a few ways to lighten them up - we used a new technique with this one.

Caramel Swirl-and-Apple Cheesecake is not something you can just throw together and expect to be ready quickly. Because of the way it is made it is essential to start a couple days ahead of time. To cut down on the calories, the new technique was to use Yogurt Cheese instead of all cream cheese. When you are picking out the yogurt, it is best to find one that does not have added starches, thickeners or geltain. For this recipe, I ended up using Dannon.

Several layers of cheesecloth are set into a colander and the yogurt is placed on top to let the excess whey drain away. This thickens and firms up the yogurt. It is best to let this sit for at least 8-12 hours. Once this is done, you can proceed on as you would any other cheesecake. Make sure all the ingredients you use are at room temperature. This will help ensure a very smooth mixture. For cheesecakes, I stopped using springform pans awhile ago. I always use a regular round pan with high sides and the bottom lined with parchment since I do my cheesecakes in a water bath to avoid cracks. Even though I would wrap the springforms with foil, half the time water ended up leaking in anyway, so this method prevents that. You may think it would be tough to unmold, but it is quite easy - you only need to warm the bottom of the pan just a little and they have always popped right out for me.

This cheesecake is firm, so creamy and the caramelized apples on the bottom bring so much flavor. The apples are sauteed in orange juice and brown sugar until tender. When the liquid has evaporated, the apples are spread over a crisp cinnamon graham cracker crust. The cheesecake batter is then poured in, and caramel sauce is drizzled over and then swirled to marble the top. You want to bake this until the edges are set, but when you touch the baking pan the center should still have some jiggle to it. This cheesecake is best after letting sit in the refrigerator overnight, allowing the flavors to marry. To answer my question, yes - the lighter side can be just as good, if not better!

After the first time we tried this grain, I could not wait to use it again. After looking around I finally decided on a recipe, so we had Quinoa Tabbouleh for dinner tonight. This recipe came together quickly, but needed to sit for a bit so the flavors could mingle. Lemon juice and parsley add such a fresh taste while cucumbers bring a coolness. Juicy golden raisins add an interesting contrast of texture against the curly quinoa. After eating this, I can't wait to find the next recipe to use this grain. I can see eating this quite a bit during the summer!

Recipes
Caramel Swirl-and-Apple Cheesecake
Quinoa Tabbouleh