Hands up, lemon lovers!

So, I’m a big time Lemon Lover (Lemon Monkey Bread, Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts, Lemon Chicken — you name it). But it hasn’t always been this way.

And no, I’m not going to tell you the story of how I used to hate lemon every single time I make a lemon dessert. Maybe I’ll save that story for my lemon dessert next week

Now, before you go and skip ahead to the recipe and get all mad about it, let me just tell you one thing: this recipe uses lemon JELLO.

And if that’s something you’re vehemently opposed to, that’s okay. You are probably not going to want to make this recipe. (But stay tuned for my next lemon dessert coming next week which is the real deal and totally, unbelievably delicious!)

I cook and bake the way my mom and my grandma cooked and baking when I was growing up. Most of the time, I cook and bake completely from scratch, from whole foods and real ingredients. And although my cupboards are full of cake mixes and emergency boxes of KD, I don’t use them very often at all. That being said, occasionally I do, when I’m in a hurry and sometimes when I’m not.

Because I don’t feel that the occasional box of Jello in a dessert is going to kill me or drastically change my quality of life. I take good care of my body, and I enjoy the foods I want to enjoy in moderation (and sometimes in reckless abandon).

That being said, if you maybe just don’t like the lemon Jello flavor, you could easily substitute any flavor you like! Raspberry or strawberry would be awesome with some fresh berries on top!

This recipe swaps out the traditional cream cheese for low fat cottage cheese, and though I am a stubborn Cottage Cheese Hater, I will actually use cottage cheese in recipes when it’s pureed and completely smooth (like these Light Chocolate Cheesecakes!). It makes for a creamy cheesecake high in protein and still gives you the tangy cream cheese flavor.

And unlike my Almost No Bake Mint Chocolate or Turtle Cheesecakes, this one is completely no bake, which means the crust isn’t baked to begin with! You can really go either way on any of the “no bake” cheesecakes though. Baking the crust for 10 minutes will help it stay together — so if you want to remove the cheesecake completely from the Springform pan, baking the crust for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven is probably not a bad idea. But if you’d rather not turn on the oven? Don’t! The cheesecake as shown here was not baked at all.

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Light No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

A light, luscious, no bake Lemon Cheesecake with a secret ingredient that makes it even healthier! Perfect for Easter or Spring!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 140cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 package lemon Jello powder 4 serving size
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3 cups low fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• Whipped cream or whipped topping
• Fresh berries and lemon zest for garnish

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon Jello powder and boiling water until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In another medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and canola oil. Press firmly into the bottom of a 8 or 9″ Springform pan (a pie plate would work just as well!).
• Add cottage cheese and sugar to a blender and puree until completely smooth. Add the Jello mixture and puree until combined. Pour into prepared crust and refrigerate until completely set (at least 4 hours).
• Run a knife around the inside edge of the Springform pan to loosen the cheesecake. Remove the sides of the pan and garnish with whipped cream, fresh berries and lemon zest.

Nutrition

Calories: 140cal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 326mg | Potassium: 60mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The post Light No Bake Lemon Cheesecake appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

I used to be a leftover hater.

Then again, I also used to be a childless, married woman working a .75 high school teaching position.

It’s funny how being a mother changes everything.

Though even when I was at home on maternity leave, I’d still complain to my husband when we had so many leftovers that I had no reason to cook supper. Such is my absolute obsession with food.

When that glorious year was up, my tune changed. As a working mother, I started cooking huge meals just so I could go a couple nights a week without that responsibility on top of all the others, and have a little more time to spend with my growing girl.

It’s nice, though, when you can find a new way of using up the same old leftovers. There are certain things that are so easy to make a big batch of, but get so boring so quickly — mind you, at this point in my life, I’ll take a little boredom over one more thing on my plate during the week.

My mom never made lasagna with cottage cheese. My family does not do cottage cheese. To be honest, when I was in high school, we were served lasagna with cottage cheese at our Christmas banquet one year and I thought it was popcorn. I think it was even a couple years after that that I realized what it really was.

Don’t be alarmed if, like me, you hate the texture of cottage cheese. I puree mine, and it adds a little extra cheesiness. Feel free to leave it whole though, if you’re into that kind of thing.

I had my husband make a big batch of this chili in the slow cooker one night this week, and then made this lasagna for the next night’s supper while I had a bit more free time.

This lasagna is cheesy, meaty, barbeque goodness. It’s so easy to make ahead and  could easily be stuck in the freezer for a few months to eat on day down the road when you’re short on time. I stock my freezer up with lasagna any time I have a few extra days off of work. It’s one thing we could eat every day of the week and not get sick of.

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BBQ Chili Cheese Lasagna

Hearty lasagna made new again with BBQ Chili and Cheddar Cheese — put those leftovers to good use!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Calories 282cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

For the chili:

• 3 lbs grounds beef
• 1 onion
• 2 cans red kidney beans
• 1 can black beans
• 2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 pinches crushed red pepper flake
• salt to taste

For the lasagna

• 12 lasagna noodles
• 1 cup 1% cottage cheese
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

Instructions

• For the chiliBrown your ground beef with your onions in a pan.
• Add the beef, onions and all your seasonings to the slow cooker and let it cook on low for at least 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4. *NOTE: If you follow the recipe measurements, you will have about double the amount you need for the lasagna. I do this because I like to get two separate meals out of one. Feel free to halve the recipe, or stick the rest in the freezer for a busy day.
• For the lasagna:Cook your noodles in boiling, salted water until just al dente (they will continue to cook in the oven). Cool them down in cold water so they’re easy to handle.
• Puree your cottage cheese with the ½ tsp minced garlic.
• Assembly:Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lay down a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 pan to keep the noodles from sticking. Lay down 3 noodles. Top with a thin layer of cottage cheese and a layer of chili. Sprinkle with a bit of cheese. Repeat 4 times. Top with remaining cheese.
• Cover with tin foil sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Remove tin foil and broil 1-2 minutes until golden brown.

Notes

This lasagna can be frozen for up to 6 months before serving — cover tightly with foil and stick in the freezer before baking. Thaw overnight or add an extra 30 minutes to the bake time to bake from frozen.

Nutrition

Calories: 282cal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 580mg | Potassium: 621mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 490IU | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3.5mg

The post BBQ Chili Cheese Lasagna appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

So I haven’t strayed too far from my goal to eat a little healthier this month, and I’ve been on the hunt for some lighter recipes that sacrifice no flavor.

You should know, though, that I’m not a salad person. I will probably never post a salad recipe, because I would never taste test it for you. I also rarely even have lettuce in my house.

I’m not saying that being anti-salad is a good thing — I’m just setting things straight so you understand where this thing is going.

I want healthier, lower calorie options of the foods I want to eat to begin with. And since I’m the kind of person who has to hide vegetables in her own meals, I’m probably not going to give you a plate full for dinner (though I have plenty of delicious comfort food meals Under 500 calories).

Again, not saying there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just not my style.

Chocolate? That’s more my style.

And cheesecake? Yes please.

I’m kind of a cheesecake fanatic. Which you probably don’t know because I so rarely share a cheesecake recipe.

I’m not gonna lie, I totally got this recipe from Martha Stewart. Cause Martha knows what she’s doing.

I changed a few things: I left out the crust (because who really cares about the crust?), I left out the espresso (but you could easily add it back in), and I changed the cooking method and temperature a bit. We were totally blown away by the results.

I had made a cheesecake from cottage cheese a few times before, but it’s been so long I have no idea which recipes I had tried or how it was done. But it was something I knew I wanted to try this month, so that I could have something totally decadent that was still pretty healthy.

Now, you should know that I don’t like cottage cheese. Like, at all. Unless it’s pureed. I use pureed cottage cheese in cheesecakes or other desserts and pastas — I find it’s mostly a texture thing. If you find you’re not sure about this recipe because of the cottage cheese, I promise you would never know the difference.

The cheesecakes are the perfect size for a sweet treat after dinner. You can top them any way you like — the light whipped topping is included in the nutritional information but the rest is up to you. To keep them on the lighter side, fresh fruit is always a great option and pairs so well with chocolate. You can go a little more extravagant and top with caramel or chocolate sauce, crushed candies or cookies or sprinkles or chocolate shavings. The options are really endless!

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Light Chocolate Cheesecakes

Light Chocolate Cheesecakes: decadent, fudgy cheesecake with less than 150 calories! Perfect for Valentine’s Day or any day! Because, chocolate. www.thereciperebel.com

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes minutes

Total Time 27 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 121cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 2 cups nonfat cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups light whipped topping
• Optional garnishes: fresh berries or other

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• To a blender or food processor, add the cottage cheese and puree until completely smooth (it MUST be 100% smooth — be sure to scrape down the sides and puree again until every kernel has been processed).
• Add the eggs, powdered sugar, cocoa, flour and vanilla and process until completely smooth.
• Pour into 12 muffin cups: I used individual silicone muffin cups and they worked marvelously. They are flexible so the cheesecakes pop out so easily. You could also use a regular muffin pan, well-greased, or try paper liners.
• Bake at 325 for 22 minutes, until center is just set. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating for at least 3-4 hours. Carefully remove from muffin cups.
• Garnish as desired.

Notes

*Nutrition information will vary depending on brands and products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 121cal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 111mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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