Skinny Ninja Cheesecake, #SundaySupper

Time to lighten up! A decree to serve lighter fare at the virtual #SundaySupper table was issued. (Your invite to the Twitter chitter-chatter is below.)Before the onslaught of gobble, gobble (US Thanksgiving) goodies; before the deluge of Christmas and Chanukah desserts, this time of year warrants a sweet that offers delight but saves a few calories. Inspired by the many Japanese cheesecakes that call for tofu, I created my Skinny Ninja Cheesecake. (I'm the Ninja Baker but I also wanted to give a nod to the popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Maybe I'll master the likeness in another post.)

Lemon peel pulsed into low-fat vanilla wafers create a yummy crust
for lovely Japanese yuzu citrus infused cheesecake.

Specifically this recipe is a riff on a how-to from the Morinaga Tofu site. To lighten the tofu-based cheesecake, I substituted Greek yogurt for sour cream and reduced the condensed milk content. A dash or two of Japanese citrus juice was also added. The result? A lovely cheesecake with a lilt of citrus. I won’t lie. My Skinny Ninja Cheesecake is not as rich as a cream-laden cheesecake from a New York City deli. But it's pretty darn close!

Tofu sprinkled with a little sweetener and a dash of Japanese yuzu citrus 
whips up one luscious cheesecake.
 

Plus, my Ninja turtle toppings of low-fat cookies and mini chocolates will please the palates of sweets lovers. I’m a firm believer in a bite or two of real chocolate versus massive portions of (cancer, birth-defects, and epilepsy-linked) aspartame stuffed substitutes.  (Even though established corporations endorse aspartame as safe, other educated resources contradict their statements.) Many gifted Reiki healers refuse to work on clients who consume aspartame because the treatment will not take. (An 1800s Japanese Buddhist monk, Dr.Mikao Usui, was asked by a student about Jesus' healing powers. He set out to find the answer. Dr. Usui's findings are embedded in the natural healing art of Reiki.)

With or without a chocolate turtle,
Skinny Ninja Cheesecake skimps on calories but delivers on flavor!

Stevia, Truvia and Splenda are my go-to for zero-calorie substitutes. Speaking of substitutes, you can still enjoy the Skinny Ninja Cheesecake without the sneaky chocolate treats: Substitute fresh fruit or reduced calorie jams (sans aspartame!)  The Skinny Ninja Cheesecake is one very delightful way to avoid skimping on dessert and still enjoy your holiday feasts guilt-free.