Recipe: Cheescake Split

Finally, a dessert that’s low carb and almost 100 percent sugar-free.

In this cheesecake recipe, we used ricotta cheese. Ricotta is a curd that has been cooked twice.

Even if you’re not on a diet, the nutrition in ricotta benefits everyone. It’s high-calcium, high-protein, low-carb, low-fat and low-sodium.

Ingredients:

- 2 envelopes plain gelatin
- 6 tablespoons no-calorie sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs separated
- 1 ½ cups skim milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon rind grated
- 3 cups creamed cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons sweetener
- 4 graham crackers (divide each in half for 8 portions)
- 1 pomegranate, seeds removed
- 4 small to medium bananas (cut in half and sliced lengthwise)

Directions:

1. Separate eggs. Beat egg yolks and milk, then set aside.

2. In a double-boiler, mix gelatin, 6 tablespoons sweetener and salt then add milk and egg mixture.

3. Place mixture over boiling water and cook while stirring constantly for about 8 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and stir in lemon rind then chill for an hour.

5. While mixture is chilling, using an electric mixer, beat cottage cheese on high speed for about 5 minutes. Then pour into a large bowl.

6. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla then fold in chilled gelatin mixture.

7. Beat egg whites until somewhat stiff then gradually add 6 tablespoons sweetener and beat until completely stiff and dry.

8. Fold into gelatin and chill until firm.

9. To serve, crush graham cracker crumbs into bottom of each individual bowl.

10. Add sliced bananas.

11. Add two scoops of cheesecake mixture and top with pomegranate seeds.

Serves 8

Elizabeth Carrion, a Dominican, co-founded Mi Cocina, a New Jersey-based catering service that also offers cooking classes, with her sister, Ana Martinez.