High-Protein Cheesecake (super easy to make!)

I got this recipe from an exciting new book I'm reading called, "The New Rules of Lifting for Women." I wasn't a huge fan of this recipe, but Justin absolutely loved it. We might try adding chocolate chips, or using chocolate protein powder, or maybe adding some reduced fat cream cheese next time!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

2 medium eggs

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup vanilla whey-protein powder

1/4 cup granulated splenda or stevia

Grated rind and juice of 1 fresh lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put all ingredients in a blender and process until very smooth. Spray 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Place pan on top rack of oven and place a flat pan of water on the bottom rack. Bake 30 to 40 minutes. Chill well before serving.

Nutrition Facts:

190 calories; 20 grams protein; 7 grams carbs (1 gram fiber); 9 grams fat (5 grams saturated)

Chili-Lime Fish Fry with Tex-Mex Peperonata

Another recipe from Rachael Ray's cookbook! This was one of my first experiences cooking fish, and this was delicious!

Serves 4

Peperonata Ingredients:

2 tablespoons EVOO

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

2 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup beer or chicken stock (we used miller lite)

A handful of fresh cilantro leaves

To prepare the peperonata, heat the EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, jalapeno and bell peppers, and salt and pepper. Saute until the peppers are crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cook for 2 minutes, then add the beer or stock and stir for a minute or two more. Top with the cilantro and set aside.

Chili-lime Fish Fry Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets

Salt and pepper

1 cup all-purpose whole wheat flour

2 eggs

1 cup bread crumbs

2 limes

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/4 cup vegetable, canola or safflower oil

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Arrange three shallow dishes; place the flour in one, beat the eggs in the second, and scatter the bread crumbs in the third. Season the bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon grated lime zest, the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and thyme. Coat the fish in the flour, eggs and seasoned bread crumbs.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. If the pan is not large enough to fry 4 fillets, heat the oven to 275 degrees and place a cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. As you fry the fish, transfer it to the rack in the hot oven to keep warm. Cook the fish for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until deeply golden and crispy. Season with a little extra salt and top the fish with lots of lime juice and then the peperonata.

Super Scampi

This is a delicious dish that I got from a Rachael Ray cookbook that Justin gave me for Christmas. This is easy, healthy and quick...and the flavors are fabulous!

We had enough for two meals...enjoy!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons EVOO

6 anchovies (we didn't use these)

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup dry white wine

2 stems of fresh oregano leaves, stripped and finely chopped

A generous handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces (we used smart balance sticks)

1 quart chicken stock

1 pound whole wheat linguine

2.5 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 cup fresh basil leaves, about 20, torn

Salt and pepper

Crusty bread, torn into pieces (delicious for soaking up the excess sauce at the end of the meal)

Directions:

Heat the EVOO over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the anchovies, garlic, and pepper flakes to the pan and cook until the anchovies melt into the oil, a couple of minutes. Add the wine, oregano, and parsley to the pan and reduce the wine for 1 minute, then melt the butter into the sauce. Add the stock and 2 cups water to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir the pasta and shrimp into the pan and reduce the heat. Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the pasta is al dente and the shrimp are firm. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve directly from the hot pan with fresh crusty bread.