Almond Cherry-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

I know y’all thought I was forgetting what tomorrow is. But, no I didn’t forget. It’s just been one of those weeks—calamity, calamity, calamity. So, here’s the skinny: my poor old girl—my darling computer DIED. No resuscitation, nothing retrieved from the hard drive. Heck, it couldn’t even detect the hard drive. She’s moved on to that computer scrap heap in the sky. Thank goodness for external hard drive back up!!! (I’ll post my rant about the woes of learning a new computer operating system with my limited vision and the irony of "ease of access" a little later.)

But, this week of unexpected distress is why my “Happy Valentine’s Day” to you is almost belated. And, yes—you folk who have been getting the Peacock Products eNewsletter for over a year will recognize this recipe from last year’s February issue. I recycled it because it’s so very satisfying and because I hadn’t the time to come up with something new, what with the computastrophe and all. So, do forgive, pretty please. I think you will once you taste this delectable dessert.

Almond Cherry-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Well, now, it wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without a little sweet “something-something” for your sweetie.

The original recipe (cited at the end)  didn’t call for either the cherries or the chocolate—but, I thought the cherry pie filling added a nice bright flavor. And, who doesn’t want a chocolatey “kiss” for Valentine’s Day?!! (Don’t be tempted to pump up the fudge volume—3 tablespoons total is lip-smackingly perfect!)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Baking Time: 55 minutes to an hour (including preliminary crust baking time)
Chilling Time: 2 hours or overnight

Crust Ingredients
—canola or butter-flavored nonstick pan spray
1/4 cup Splenda® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs—that's 7 and 1/2 sheets (30 crackers) processed in food processor
1/3 cup light butter (I like Brummel & Brown®)
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds, finely ground

Filling Ingredients
12 ounces Neufchatel reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup Splenda® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
2 large eggs
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 tablespoons Smucker’s® Sugarfree Hot Fudge Topping
1 20-ounce can Comstock® No Sugar Added Cherry Pie Filling or Topping
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Numbers you need to know!  Almond Cherry-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars: This recipe yields 20 servings, 1 (2” x 1.6”) bar per serving. Nutrition values per serving: Calories: 125.4. Fat-Total: 7.5 g. Fat-Saturated: 3.2 g. Cholesterol: 34.3 mg. Protein: 3.5 g. Carbohydrates: 10.5 g. Dietary fiber: 4.0 g. Sodium: 144.5 mg.

Preparation
1) Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
2) Spray one 8 x 8-inch square glass oven-safe dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
3) Mix crust ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Press into prepared pan bottom. Bake 10-12 minutes or until firm.
4) For filling, mix cream cheese and Splenda together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl, and mixing well after each addition. Add sour cream and extracts; mix well. Pour over prepared crust.
5) Bake in preheated oven 40-47 minutes, or until firm. Allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
6) A few minutes before serving time, remove cheesecake from fridge and spread sugarfree fudge topping in a thin layer on top. Pour no-sugar-added cherry pie filling over fudge, spreading evenly. Sprinkle toasted sliced almonds evenly over all. Cut into 20 servings and enjoy a sinfully sensational dessert that your honey won’t believe is diabetic-friendly!

Credits:
Almond Cherry-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars recipe adapted from “Almond Cheesecake Bars” in Splenda® Simple & Sensational Recipes. (Copyright©2008. Published by Publications International, Ltd., Lincolnwood, IL 60712. All rights reserved. Permission to use granted to Peacock Products by publisher.)

Brummel and Brown is a registered trademark of Unilever Corporation.
Comstock is a registered trademark of Pinnacle Foods Group LLC.
Smucker's is a registered trademark of The J.M. Smucker Company.
SPLENDA is a registered trademark of McNeil Nutritionals, LLC.

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Southwestern Chicken Barley Bean Soup and Cheesy Sour-Creamy Tortillas

from my home to yours—Anita Peacock

—see nutrition analysis at end

BRRR!  It’s been c-c-c-cold  lately and I do mean COLD—even here in South Georgia!  We’re delicate peaches—we don’t know how to handle this kind of cold weather.  It chafes our delicate skin!  The weather the last couple of weeks made me want to snuggle up with my Hugh-Baby and chow down on some warm, nurturing homemade soup.

This started out as a “whatever I had on hand” soup that morphed into a Southwestern chicken stew with the addition of two of my favorite flavors (cumin and cilantro), some lime juice and green chilies.  Oh, and in case you didn’t notice, there are a few other seasonings that I think kick up the flavor nicely, although I’m not sure how Southwestern they are.  Everything I do is “inspired” rather than “authentic”.  I just throw in what I think tastes good, what makes it a healthful dish and then  I try to remember what I’ve done the next time I make it.  So, please don’t judge me too harshly.

Now, about my fondness for cumin and cilantro:  This was a late-blooming love affair.  I didn’t know either of these parsley-ish fellers (at least by name) until about ten years ago.  Of course, I’d had both in dishes at Mexican and Mediterranean restaurants.  But, I didn’t know what they were—I just knew I liked ‘em.  It was love at first savor—or knowledge—or whatever you will.  It was GOOD!

So, I hope you enjoy this multicultural melding of flavors.  And, feel free to add your own twist on the recipe.  Email me or post your changes on my business page wall.  I love to spice things up and am always open to new suggestions!

Southwestern Chicken Barley Bean Soup

Soup Prep Time:  10 minutes

Soup Start to Finish:  1 hour, 30 minutes

SOUP INGREDIENTS:

Ingredient Abbreviation Key:  FF = Fat-Free, LS = Low-Sodium, NSA = No Salt Added, OG = Organic

1-tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1-cup chopped sweet onion

2-tablespoons chopped garlic

2-teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste

1/4-teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or ground cayenne), to taste (optional)

1/4-teaspoon dried oregano

1-teaspoon paprika

1/4-teaspoon ground cloves (or coriander), to taste (optional)

1-teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or to taste

6 1/2-cups Pacific Natural Foods FF LS OG Chicken Broth (or homemade)

1/4-cup lime juice

1/2-teaspoon sea salt (OMIT if you are unable to substitute low-sodium ingredients)

1/2-cup pearl barley

1/2-cup frozen corn kernels

1-cup chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste

2-15-ounce cans Eden Foods FF NSA OG Garbanzo Beans (or 4 cups home-prepared)

2-14.5-ounce cans Eden Foods FF NSA OG Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies (or 4 cups home-prepared)

SOUP PREPARATION:

1)       Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.  (I have a big red 8-quart non-stick stock pot that I love!)

2)       Add diced raw chicken breast (if you don’t have any leftover cooked chicken) and cook 3-5 minutes until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Transfer browned chicken to a separate bowl and set aside.  (Note:  if you are using leftover cooked chicken for this soup, skip this step.  And you won’t add the cooked chicken until later.)

3)       Reduce burner to medium heat.  Add the chopped onion, garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, ground cloves and black pepper to the pot.  Saute 4-5 minutes, stirring often (so herbs and spices won’t scorch), until onions are lightly browned.

4)       Add broth, lime juice, sea salt, barley, corn and cilantro to the stock pot.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat.  Simmer 50 minutes.

5)       Stir in cooked chicken, chickpeas and tomatoes.  Cover and continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes

This is an excellent soup to warm up a chilly (or downright frigid) evening.   And, this recipe yields 3+ quarts, or 12 servings, approximately 1 cup each.  It reheats very well; so, freeze leftovers or refrigerate up to 4 days and have an easy reheat for a busy work night meal.   (I cook like my mama did—at least as it relates to quantity.  So, my intentions may be to make a small pot of something; but, it winds up being a VAT!  The freezer is your friend.)  Serve with Cheesy Sour-Creamy Tortillas (recipe follows).

Cheesy Sour-Creamy Tortillas

These are nummy-nummy!  Only prepare enough tortillas for your current meal—1 tortilla per person.  The prepared tortillas DO NOT reheat well.  They’re so easy to do and you just can’t beat that freshly-toasted crunch!   Increasing the number of tortillas will not affect the baking time.

Tortilla Prep Time:  1 minute

Tortilla Start to Finish:  15minutes  (bake during last step of soup preparation)

TORTILLA INGREDIENTS (per serving/tortilla):

1-(6-inch) corn (or flour) tortilla per person

2-tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack Cheese per person/tortilla

1-tablespoon light sour cream per person/tortilla

TORTILLA PREPARATION:

1)       Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spread tortillas out on a baking/cookie sheet.  Sprinkle cheese evely on each tortilla.  Bake 8-10 minutes, depending on how crisp you like your tortillas.  The longer the baking time, the crisper the tortilla.  (I like ‘em CRISP!)

2)       Allow to cool 2-3 minutes.  Spread 1 tablespoon light sour cream on each tortilla right before serving.  Don’t do that too early or you’ll have soggy tortillas!  Serve with soup above (or any soup for that matter)!  DELISH -OUS!

Nutrition Analysis—numbers you need to know:

Southwestern Chicken Barley Bean Soup recipe yields 3+ quarts=12 (approximately 1-cup) servings.  Per serving info is as follows:   Calories, 248.  Total Fat, 3 g.  Saturated Fat, trace.  Cholesterol, 44 mg.  Carbohydrate, 27 g.  Fiber, 7 g.  Protein, 26 g.  Sodium, 175 mg.

Cheesy Sour-Creamy Tortillas recipe yield is flexible.  1 tortilla per serving.  Per serving info is as follows:   Calories, 155.  Total Fat, 4 g.  Saturated Fat, 1g.  Cholesterol, 11 mg.  Carbohydrate, 17 g.  Fiber, 2 g.  Protein, 10 g.  Sodium, 155 mg.

ALL TOTALS:

Calories:  403

Total Fat:  7 g

Saturated Fat:  1 g 

Cholesterol:  55 mg

Carbohydrate:  44 g

Fiber:  9 g

Protein:  36 g

Sodium:   330 mg

SPECIAL WARNING:  This meal has the potential for sodium overload.  The broth, beans, tomatoes, chilies, cheese—the sodium can add up in a hurry.  The specific ingredient brands I’ve listed are either VERY low in sodium or have no salt added at all.  Be careful substituting brands that aren’t so stingy with the salt shaker. 

If you don’t have much of a low-sodium choice locally, branch out.  I joined a wonderful food co-op that opened up my low- or no-sodium product selection a whole heckuva lot. (Check out http://www.unfi.com--u/ United Natural Foods Inc.  They may have a chapter in your area.  I have no relationship with this company other than being a satisfied customer.)

Of course, you can always make your own (broth, cooked beans, cooked tomatoes and chilies) and man (or wo-man) the salt shaker yourself!   But, that takes the “quick and easy prep” down a peg or two.

Enough with the talkin’, LET’S EAT!!

Easy Spiced Cider

It just wouldn’t be the holidays without mulled cider. And this is so very yummy and so very easy.

Inviting scents of orange, apple, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg hang in the air. The warm and welcoming fragrance envelops you and soothes your soul. Who doesn’t need that? And it tastes as good as it smells.

Prep Time: 2.5 seconds flat
Start to Finish: 20 minutes

Ingredients
1 gallon apple cider
1 1.5-ounce tub/envelope Crystal Light Sunrise Orange (or Citrus Blend)
4 cinnamon sticks (break into pieces if you are using an infusion ball)
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Easy Spiced Cider: This recipe yields 16 servings, 1 cup per serving. Nutrition values per serving: Calories: 126.8. Fat-Total: 0.0 g. Fat-Saturated: 0.0 g. Cholesterol: 0.0 mg. Protein: 0.0 g. Carbohydrates: 29.1 g. Dietary fiber: 0.3 g. Sodium: 24.8 mg.

*Special note, use a wire mesh infusion ball (tea leaves ball) for the cinnamon pieces and whole cloves. Find one cheap in the cooking accessories section of most WalMarty, Targety stores. It takes the strain out of straining the cider. Otherwise you’ll have to pour the hot cider through a fine mesh strainer before serving. (To appease those who don’t like drinks with “things” floating on top.) And who needs that hassle?

Preparation
1) Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot or crock pot. (If using an infusion ball, put the broken cinnamon sticks and whole cloves inside and submerge it in the cider.) Add the ground nutmeg directly to the cider mixture.
2) Stir to combine and heat over low to medium heat for 20 minutes. DO NOT BOIL!
3) Strain (or remove infusion ball) and serve warm. (I keep a batch made up this time of year. Just refrigerate leftover cider and drink it cold—delicious!—or zap it in the microwave.)

—Happy Holidays-from my home to yours! Anita Peacock
http://www.mydiabeticbag.com/