Skinny Cheesecake Stuffed Pears with a Cranberry Orange Sauce

I love pears cooked in some sort of fruity liquid. They still hold their shape (which is perfect since these are stuffed with cheesecake), yet they become so soft that you can eat them like a pudding!

Ingredients:

3 pears, cut in half and cored
1 cinnamon stick
1 c. 100% cranberry juice
1 c. 100% orange juice
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Cheesecake filling:

1 c. light cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 c. dried cranberries (Craisins)
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Place the pears in a very large saucepan. Add the cinnamon stick, juices, and scrape out the vanilla bean seeds and add both the seeds and the stems. Bring the pan to a boil and then reduce the heat. Cover the pan with a lid and let simmer for around 20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese, vanilla and almond extracts until you have a smooth creamy consistency. Stir in the cranberries and almonds.

Spoon the pears very carefully into a tupperware container in a single layer. Cover and refrigerate them until they are fully cool to the touch (at least a half an hour). While they are cooling, boil the liquid mixture until it is reduced to half the amount and is thicker in consistency. Remove the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean from the liquid mixture.

To serve, fill each cavity of the pears with the cheesecake mixture. If the cheesecake mixture is still too thick, add a few tablespoons of the reduced cooking liquid. Place the pear  on your serving plate and drizzle with the sauce.

Asian Crusted Pork with Orange Sauce

This is one of my new favorite ways to add sauce and a nice crust to a pork tenderloin. Basting and broiling multiple times traps the moisture in the pork while giving it this amazing exterior packed with flavor!

Pork Ingredients:

1 Tbs. brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. powdered ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin
1/4 c. water

Glaze:

1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 c. rice vinegar
1/2 c. water
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. ginger

Combine the seasonings in a small bowl. Place the pork in the bottom of a slow cooker and rub the seasoning mixture on the sides of the pork. Add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the slow cooker (not on the pork itself) and cook on low for 6-8 hours. While the pork is finishing cooking preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the pork from the slow cooker onto the prepared sheet. Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Brush the top and sides of the pork with the glaze and let broil for 1-2 minutes. Slide the pork out, brush with the glaze again, and let cook for one minute. Repeat until you have re-glazed about four times and formed a nice crust on the outside.

Sauce:

1 1/2 Tbs. orange juice concentrate
1 tsp. fresh ginger
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 Tbs. Hoisin

Whisk the orange juice, ginger, soy sauce and Hoisin in a small saucepan on medium high heat. When the mixture starts to boil and get hot, remove from the heat and drizzle on top of the sliced pork. I added a crunch by topping the pork with crushed peanuts and sliced green onion.

Carrot side dish:

2 large carrots, trimmed and run through a zoodle maker
1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbs. sesame seeds

Cook the carrots in the toasted sesame oil for around 3-4 minutes on medium heat until slightly tender. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Mandarin Angel Food Cake

Sweet, fruity, and low on Weight Watchers points! With only 2 ingredients, this recipe is easy to put together, and is ready in less than 45 minutes!

Ingredients:

1 box angel food cake mix
23.5 oz. jar mandarin oranges in liquid
*Light Cool Whip and extra mandarin slices for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray (Pam or coconut oil). In a large bowl, mix the cake mix and mandarin orange slices and liquid together with a spatula. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Top with light cool whip and a few orange slices.

(Makes 15 servings, or more. 1/15 of the cake is 5 Smart Points.)

Citrus Chicken Noodle Soup

3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
2 c. orange juice, pulp fress
1 c. chopped celery
1 1/2 c. chopped carrots

Combine all of the ingredients together in a slow cooker. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on low. Remove the chicken and shred into bite size pieces, putting back into the liquid as you shred. Mix everything together well and serve. You can't get any easier than that!

Orange Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) bag cranberries
2/3 c. agave nectar
1/2 c. water
1 Tbs. orange zest
1 tsp. cinnamon

Bring the above ingredients to a boil in a small pan. Reduce the heat after the mixture starts to bubble, and simmer for 5-6 minutes until the cranberries pop. As the cranberry sauce starts to cool, it will thicken. Serve warm or chill and serve cold.

( 1/2 c. per serving, 2 WW points per serving)

Orange Allspice Cookies

Ingredients:

2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 Tbs. finely grated orange peel
3/4 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium size bowl, and set aside. In an electric mixer, combine the sugar and butter and beat until a paste is formed. Add the egg, orange peel, allspice and vanilla and combine. Slowly add the flour mix until everything is combined well. Scrape out of the bowl and place onto a large piece of saran wrap, cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove from the refrigerator and form into a 10 inch log. Using a knife, cut slices that are 1/4 inch thick (don't worry if they aren't good looking). Roll each slice into a ball. Place each ball two inches apart on top of parchment paper lined baking sheets. Using a spoon dipped into water, slide the top of each ball flat using the back of the spoon. Repeat for the rest of the cookie balls. Using a cookie cutter dipped in water, I made stocking impressions on top for a Christmas theme. Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet and let cool fully on a wire rack.

Blue Moon Cake

Ingredients:

3/4 c. applesauce, natural
1 c. sugar
1 c. Blue Moon beer
2 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 Tbs. orange juice, fresh queezed
1 1/2 Tbs. orange zest
3 drops yellow food coloring
2 drops red food coloring
1 Tbs. milk, 1%

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9 inch pan with parchment paper, and spray the top of the parchment paper with non stick cooking spray. In an electric mixer, beat the applesauce and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, beating one at a time. Stir in the food coloring, orange juice, and orange zest. In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the dry mixture in three different parts alternating with the beer and milk, and ending with flour. Mix until everything is just combined, try not to over mix. Pour the mixture in the cake pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake is golden brown. Let cool fully before frosting.

Meringue Style Frosting:

2 egg whites, room temperature
1 Tbs. orange juice
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 c. water

In a saucepan, make a simple syrup by combining the sugar, water and cream of tartar, and heating on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and it just starts to bubble. In an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and orange juice with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Slowly add the hot mixture into the whites. Beat for 7-10 minutes until the frosting is thick. Spread on top of the cooled cake and garnish with orange zest.

(Makes 12 slices, 5 WW points per slice.)

Dreamsicle Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 box Duncan Hines Orange Supreme Cake Mix
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1/2 an orange
1 can Sprite Zero
3/4 c. applesauce, natural

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Using 1/4 measuring cup, pour batter into prepared muffin tins lined with paper liners. Bake for 17-20 minutes until the cupcakes are still moist, but bounce back when you push down in the center. Let cool fully on a wire rack.

For the frosting, mix:

8 oz. Cool Whip Free
Zest of 1/2 an orange
1/2 package Jell-O Sugar Free/Fat Free Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix

Spread on top of each cupcake, and garnish.

(Makes 24 cupcakes, only 3 WW points per cupcake.)

Orange Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

6 Tbs. butter, softened

12 oz. cream cheese (1 1/2 pkg)

1 Tbs. orange zest

6 c. powdered sugar

Orange food coloring (till it reaches the shade you like)

Milk chocolate cake mix, prepared as packaged and baked in two 8-inch cake pans

3 oz.  BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

4 oz. Cool whip (still frozen)

 

Beat the butter, cream cheese, orange zest, powdered sugar and food coloring in an electric mixer until smooth and lump free. Place one of the cake rounds on your serving platter. Spread about 1/2-3/4 c. of the frosting on top. Place the second cake round on top. Frost the sides at the top with the remaining orange frosting. In a small microwavable bowl, heat the chocolate and cool whip on high for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Let sit for 15 minutes to cool slightly. Pour over the top of the cake and let it run down the sides.

Orange Rolls

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. butter, melted
1 can (16.3 oz.) Pillsbury Flaky Biscuits
1/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. orange zest

frosting:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs. orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch cake pan with non stick cooking spray. Separate the biscuits into 8 pieces. Place 1 biscuit in the middle of the pan, and overlap the remaining seven in a circular pattern. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted better. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest and sprinkle evenly over the biscuits. Bake for 20 minutes. While they are baking, combine the powdered sugar, cream cheese and orange juice with a fork in a medium size bowl. When the biscuits come out and have cooled about five minutes, drizzle the frosting over the top and serve.

Pumpkin Spice "Pie" Jell-o

 Ingredients:
1 3oz. box Orange instant Jell-o
1 c. boiling water
1/2 c. Pumpkin Spice Liqueur
1/2 c. cold water
1 c. lite cool whip
1 tsp. cinnamon (plus garnish)
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbs. butter
2 graham cracker boards


 Combine the boiling water with the jell-o packet. Mix until the crystals have dissolved. Add the liqueur and the 1/2 c. cold water and whisk well. Pour into your serving dish, and refrigerate four hours to overnight. Spread the cool whip in the very center of your jell-o. Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon. Add the graham cracker boards to a Ziploc bag and using a rolling pin, crush the graham cracker into crumbs. To the bag, add the butter, cinnamon and sugar. Microwave for about 15 seconds or until the butter is melted. With your hands, squish the mixture together until well mixed. Using a spoon, spread the crumb mixture on the outside of the jell-o around the cool whip forming a ring. This recipe tastes like a jiggly pumpkin pie!

"Jacked up" Orange Pecan Puffs

Ingredients:
1 can Pillsbury refrigerated flaky Biscuits
1 c. finely shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1/4 c. orange preserves
1/4 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two mini muffin cups (this makes 32 total) with non-stick spray. Cut each biscuit into four "pie" shaped pieces. Roll each into a ball. With your fingers, flatten each ball into a disk. Place into the greased mini muffin pans so each biscuit disk makes a cup. Spoon a small amount of the preserves into each cup. Top with the shredded Pepper Jack and the chopped pecans. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is a golden brown. Cool for five minutes before removing from the pan.