Cheesecake

I was always very nervous about making cheesecake but after searching  a ton of recipes and seeing that they were all slightly different, I realized it's more forgiving than I thought. I gave it a go and inhaled the thing within a few days, it was so good! I used a combo of two recipes with a tiny adjustment of my own.

Ingredients:

CRUST
2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
1 stick of butter melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

FILLING
3 packages of cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 pint of sour cream
Zest of 1 lemon
Dash of vanilla extract

Heat oven to 325. Grease a springform pan.

Combine the ingredients for the crust in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or spatula, press the crust mixture into the springform pan and about an inch up the sides. Refrigerate while you prep the filling.

Whip the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer for a couple minutes until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time while mixing. Slowly add the sugar and whip with the electric mixer until smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla and mix until just blended, don't over mix.

Pour the filling over the crust. Place the springform pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold it up the sides. Place it in a larger baking pan and fill it with boiling water until the water level reaches halfway up the cheesecake pan. Bake for 45 minutes. The cake might still be a little jiggly but it'll set while it cools. Cool for 30 minutes at room temp then transfer to the fridge for a few hours.

I like to serve this with strawberry or Raspberry sauce which is made by boiling the fruit without any water, adding sugar to taste, then blending.

Raspberry crumb bars

This was so much easier than I thought it would be, which is always a major plus. It's got fruit and oats so it's suitable for a quick breakfast but also makes for a lovely snack or dessert.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1 stick of butter
3/4 cup raspberry preserves/jam

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking pan and line the pan with greased foil for easy removal.

The jam can be homemade by cooking down raspberries and sugar until desired consistency is met, however I have no issue using a good store bought jar of jam.

In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, baking soda, salt, and optional Cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well. Cut in the butter and mix until chunky and coarse. Heat the raspberry jam for 30 seconds in the microwave for easy spreading. Press 2 cups of crumb mix into bottom of pan. Spread jam evenly on top. Sprinkle remaining crumb mix on top and lightly press down. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool completely, then pull out of the pan using foil and then cut into bars.

Salsa Verde chicken casserole

This is basically a Mexican lasagna. It's filling with the chicken and corn tortillas but the salsa gives it a fresh taste. This is best served with fresh guacamole, sour cream and some extra salsa on the side.

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast
5 tomatillos, husk peeled and rinsed
1 jalapeño or Serrano pepper
3 gloves of garlic
1/4 onion
A few sprigs of cilantro
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Corn tortillas
Shredded Monterey jack or pepper jack cheese
1 cup white rice
Adobo or all purpose seasoning
Oregano
Paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place the tomatillos and jalapeños on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Drizzle some oil over the garlic cloves, wrap them in a small piece of aluminum foil and place that on the baking sheet too. Roast the veggies under the broiler in your oven until they get all splotchy and black. Turn them and roast the other side. This should only take a few minutes per side. Remove and let cool.

Rinse the rice, then cook as you usually would, but add a tbsp of oil, salt,  pepper, Adobo seasonings and oregano.

Drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some salt, pepper, paprika and Adobo seasoning over the chicken breast, place it on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400 until cooked through. This should take about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Put the roasted veggies in a food processor along with the onion, cilantro, lime juice, and some salt and blend, adjusting for salt as you go. Shred the cooked chicken breast by hand then put it in a bowl and add more Adobo, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper and mix.

Heat the corn tortillas in the oven, or over the stove for a few seconds just until warm. Rip them in half or quarters, dip them into the salsa Verde and arrange in a single layer on a baking dish (I used a 9x9). Add a layer of the shredded chicken, then rice, then Drizzle on some salsa Verde, then a layer of cheese. Repeat the layers of salsa coated tortilla, chicken, rice, salsa, and then cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted. Let sit for 5 minutes then serve.

Roasted red pepper pasta

Confession: I've never been a big fan of peppers.

But recently I discovered the deliciousness that is roasted red peppers. Then I learned about the health benefits of red peppers so I decided, red peppers are my new kale! Lol

This recipe is my version of the pioneer woman's roasted red pepper pasta--just a few tweaks. But I loved it!

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast cut into cubes (optional. Can be omitted or substituted for shrimp or whatever)
Butter
16 Oz jar of roasted red peppers
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh basil and parsley (or the dried stuff)
Parmesan cheese (however much your heart desires)

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large saucepan, add the onions and garlic and sauté until tender. While that's sautéing, give the roasted red peppers a rough chop. Throw the peppers in the pot and sauté for a minute or two. Dump everything into the blender or food processor and blend until no large chunks remain.

Melt another 2 tbsp Butter in the same pot. Add the pureed pepper mix to the pot along with the broth, salt and pepper, tomato paste, and cream, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the parmesan and herbs. If using chicken or shrimp, cook that separately and mix it in at the end. Mix in desired pasta and serve with an extra sprinkling of parm.

Broccoli cheddar quinoa cutlets

I saw broccoli cheddar fritters on the magical world of pinterest one day and just had to try them but of course never got around to it until about two years later lol I kind of made this recipe up after getting some ideas from similar recipes. It's pretty versatile so you can switch up the veggies with potatoes, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower etc and can omit the quinoa or substitute it for brown rice if you want. Overall, it's a quick, easy, yummy and healthy snack or appetizer.

Ingredients:

1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 onion, chopped (or 1/2 tsp onion powder)
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Steam or boil the broccoli until tender. When cooked, give it a rough chop.

In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients until well combined. Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Form patties with oiled hands to prevent sticking and fry the patties until brown, about 2 minutes on each side.

I've tried baking them and they turn out almost as good, with slightly less crunch.