SKINNY-MINI CHERRY-TOPPED CHEESECAKES

Prep time: Less than 20 minutes

Butter-flavored cooking spray
10 reduced-fat vanilla wafers
12 ounces fat-free cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fat-free, artificially sweetened vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites
10 tablespoons cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line 10 cups of a standard muffin tin with cupcake liners. Lightly mist them with spray. Place one vanilla wafer, flat side down, in the center of each cup. They will be slightly smaller than the diameter of the cup.

Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and sugar in a medium mixing bowl until well combined. Add yogurt, vanilla and flour and mix on low until just combined (do not overmix).

Use an electric mixer fitted with a whisk to beat the egg whites in a small mixing bowl on high speed until soft peaks form. Use a spatula to gently fold egg mixture in two additions into the cream cheese mixture until just combined. Divide mixture among muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until set. They will puff up and the tops will crack, but this is OK.

Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.

Top each cake with 1 tablespoon cherry pie filling. Serve immediately, or refrigerate. Makes 10 cheesecakes.

Nutrition per 1 cheesecake cup: 99 calories, 6 grams protein, 17 grams carbs, 1 gram fat, trace saturated fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 215 mg sodium. — "The Most Decadent Diet Ever," (Broadway Books, $19.95)

ZUCCHINI BOATS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

4 small zucchini
Olive oil spray
2 pinches of salt
2 pinches black pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
3 1/4 ounces (scant 1/2 cup) crumbled goat cheese
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons rehydrated chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Run the tip of a tablespoon down the center of each half, scraping out a shallow layer of the seeds. Lay the zucchini side by side, skin side down, on a small nonstick baking sheet and lightly mist each shell with spray.