Cheer Up With Cherry Cheesecake

Celebrate spring with something decadent, rich, and healthy. Impossible? Not when you make this Cherry Ricotta Cheesecake from Ellie Krieger. It's creamy and loaded with calcium, protein, selenium, phosphorus, riboflavin, and Vitamin A.

Cherry Ricotta Cheesecake

cooking spray
16-ounce part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
4 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh sweet cherries
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon warm water

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Process ricotta in a food processor until smooth. Add sour cream, eggs, sugar, flour, cream cheese, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt. Blend well.
3. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake until set. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool. Cover and chill for 3 hours.
4. Boil cherries, lemon juice, and honey in a sauce pan. Dissolve gelatin in warm water then stir in cherry mixture. Chill until thickened.
5. Top cheesecake with cherry mixture and serve.

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An Anti-Aging Breakfast Smoothie

Tired from a long night of work or play? Revive yourself with a serving of this anti-aging smoothie from Martha Stewart. Loaded in antioxidants, calcium, and vitamins, this smoothie is perfect for breakfast or even as an afternoon energy boost.

Anti-Aging Breakfast Smoothie

1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup chilled green tea, unsweetened
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
Turbinado sugar or other natural sweetener to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process or blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add more yogurt.

Tip 1: If you are lactose-intolerant, you can substitute cultured soy for yogurt. Similarly, if you don't like yogurt, low-fat milk is a great alternative.

Tip 2: When serving this smoothie as part of a brunch spread, blend yogurt, tea, sweetener, and flaxseed together first. Divide into two equal parts. Blend blueberries with half of the yogurt mixture and pour into a glass. Do the same with strawberries and pour into the same glass. Stir for a fancy color effect.

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Tuna Burgers

If you enjoy burgers, there's no reason to stop eating it just because you want to stay healthy. The key idea is to choose a healthier burger. Lean beef and turkey work well, but for variety, hold the bacon. Tuna burgers can be just as satisfying and they are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins as well.

Try Tyler Florence's tuna burgers the next time you have a craving.

Tuna Burgers

For the Sauce:

1 small carrot, roughly chopped
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
Pinch of sugar
salt and ground pepper

For the Burgers:

1 pound sushi-grade tuna ground
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
salt and ground pepper
1 cup spicy sprouts, for garnish
4 whole-grain hamburger buns
1/2 avocado, sliced

1. Blend sauce ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.
2. Lightly combine burger ingredients and form into four patties. Grill until cooked to desired doneness.
3. Place burgers on buns, garnish with avocado and sprouts, and sauce.

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