White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

This is the cheesecake recipe that my mother-in-law brought to Brielle's baby blessing :) YUM!

Sauce

10 oz fresh strawberries hulled and quartered (or frozen rasberries)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons strawberry perserves (or rasberry)
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Process berries, sugar, perserves, and lemon juice for the sauce in a 
food processor until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan, bring to a boil 
over medium high heat. Combine water and cornstarch in a small bow; 
until smooth, whisk into berry mixture. Simmer to ticken slightly, 
about 1 minute cover and chill until cold

Crust

7 chocolate wafer cookies, crumbled
3 whole graham crackers crumbled
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons butter melted

process cookies salt and sugar in food processor unitl fine
add melted butter as machine is running pat crumbs on the bottom of a 
sping form pan and up the sides if you have enough

Bake 300 with rack in the center of oven


Filling
8 oz white chocolate chopped
Melt chocolate over double boiler and set aside

3 packages 8 oz cream cheese softened at room temp
3/4 c sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup cold strawberry saucce

blend cream cheese and sugar together until smooth this takes about 5 
minutes don't add sugar all at once slowly add keep beating and 
scraping the sides of the bowl periodically
add eggs one at a time until it mixes well . blend in choclolate 
vanilla and lemon juice. Pour batter inot prepared pan then drizzle 
with 1/4 cup sauce
Swirl sauce into batter to create a marbled pattern place pan on a 
baking sheet and bake until edges are set and puffed but center is 
still jiggly 60 to 80 minutes. DONT OVER BAKE IT WILL CRACK turn off 
oven crack open door with a wooden spoon cool inside oven for 1 hour 
remove from oven and cool completely. cover cake with a towel and chill 
overnight. this cheesecake is best if made a few days before the flavor 
is so much better

Potato and Broccoli Soup

If you're like me, you hate to waste all those broccoli stems, which makes up most of your bunch of broccoli. This recipe makes use of them, as well as the florets.

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 pounds broccoli, thick stems peeled and diced (about 2 cups), tops cut into small florets (about 1 quart)
1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes (about 5), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
3 cups water
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
In a large pot, melt the butter over moderately low heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, broccoli stems, potatoes, broth, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are almost tender, about 10 minutes.
In a food processor or blender, pulse the soup to a coarse puree. Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the broccoli florets and simmer until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan into the soup, and serve the soup topped with the remaining cheese.
VARIATION:
 If you'd prefer a completely smooth soup, add the broccoli florets to the pot after the potatoes have cooked for five minutes, and continue simmering until all of the vegetables are tender, about five minutes more. Puree the soup until smooth. Serves 6.

Black Bean Burgers

Black Bean Burgers

Makes 6 burgers

3/4 cup Panko (bread crumbs)

3 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. olive oil, divided

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained, rinsed, and divided

2 large eggs

1tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 red bell pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

1 shallot, minced

Place medium skillet over medium-high heat.  combine panko with 2 tsp. of the olive oil and mix with a fork to blend. Add mixture to skillet and toast panko, stirring frequently, until golden brown.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temp.

Place 2 1/2 cups of the beans in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork until mostly smooth.  In a separate bowl, combine eggs, 1 T. of the oil, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper.  Wisk to blend. Add the egg mixture to the panko then add the bell pepper, remaining 1/2 cup of beans, cilantro, and shallot to the bowl and mix into the mashed beans.  Stir until evenly combined.

Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions, about 1/2 c. each.  Lightly pack into 1-inch thick patties. (At this point the patties can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking)  Heat 1 Tbsp oil in skillet over medium heat until simmering.  Carefully lay half of the patties in the skillet and cook until well browned on both sides (about 8-10 minutes).  Repeat with the rest of the patties. 

Nutritional Info: (for the patties only!)

Calories: 186 calories per patty

Fat: 3 grams

Carbs: 31 grams

Protein: 10 grams

*Note: Serve these with Sandwich Thins (you can find them near the buns at the store) which are only 100 calories.  Also, These are really good with a little fat free sour cream and some low fat cheese and some yummy leafy greens! 

Chicken and Brown Rice Dinner in a Pumpkin

Since I didn't want to take the time to defrost hamburger and I had a rotisserie chicken in the fridge, I decided to find a dinner in a pumpkin recipe that used chicken instead of ground beef. I found this one on http://tonispilsbury.com.

1 small to medium pumpkin
2-3 stalks of celery, diced
1 container fresh sliced mushrooms (I used canned)
2 tablespoons veg. oil
1 Rotisserie Chicken
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups cooked brown rice (or 1 cup instant brown rice)

Cooking Instructions:

Pull meat from chicken. Wash off outside of the pumpkin. Cut off top of the pumpkin and save, and thoroughly clean out seeds and pulp. In a large skillet, saute celery and mushrooms in oil until tender. Add chicken and season with rosemary, thyme and a little salt & pepper. Stir in soup. Simmer for just a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked rice. Spoon mixture into clean pumpkin shell. Replace pumpkin’s top. Place filled pumpkin onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for one hour or until meat of the pumpkin is tender.

Zucchini Bread (from Claudia Teeples)

Cream together:
3 eggs
1 c. oil
2 c. sugar
3 T. vanilla
Add:
3 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
3 t. cinnamon
 Stir in:
2 c. grated zucchini
whatever extras you want (ie: nuts, etc)

Bake in 2 greased & floured breadpans at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Hey all you domestic divas....

my garden is going crazy. I need some of your favorite canning recipes. Most particularly salsa or anything you love to do with tomatoes. I also want some good pickle recipes, I have more cucumbers than I know what to do with. And, has anyone ever done pickled beets? I have never done anything by myself before so I am really dumb, any tips or tricks would be very appreciated. Love you all!!

Eclair Dessert

I got this recipe from my friend Brittany (Mower). Yum!

Eclair Dessert

    Crust: Boil 1 cube of butter and 1 cup of water. Remove from heat and stir in 1 of cup flour with a fork. Add 4 eggs one at a time, beating with electric mixer after each. Spread on a greased 12x16 sheet pan and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Flatten any bubbles. Cool.

    Filling: Mix in blender two 3-ounce packages instant vanilla pudding mix, 3 cups of milk, and 8 ounces of cream cheese. Blend well and spread on crust--chill.

    Top with 12 ounces whipped topping, chill over night. Drizzle with chocolate syrup just before serving.

cake frosting

This is a simple recipe I found a while ago that I really like and always get compliments on. :) It's the perfect consistency cake decorating. 1/2 cup shortening 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 tablespoons warm water 1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar In a large bowl, combine shortening, salt, vanilla, water and confectioners' sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. (I cannot figure why it posts like this. I've tried to change it twice and it's not working. Sorry.)

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

This is from "Eat What You Love" by Marlene Koch. Adam loves to eat at Thai restaurants and this is one of his favorite things to eat at home. The author used nonfat half-and-half and coconut extract as a substitute one day when she was out of coconut milk, but I'm sure if you'd rather, you can use 1/2 cup of light coconut milk and it wouldn't change the nutritional composition too much.

Note: If you like your chicken curry served over rice, be sure to start the rice ahead of time, as this dish cooks quickly.

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 teaspoon minced ginger (freshed or canned), or 1/2 tsp ground (I used ground)
1 medium onion, sliced or wedged
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped into medium cubes
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 cup nonfat half-and-half
1/4 tsp coconut extract
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Dash of red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon peanut butter

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger (if using ground, wait and add it with the broth) and cook for 30 seconds. Add the onion and the bell pepper and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

2. While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the half-and-half, coconut extract, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. Add the chicken broth, curry powder, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, salt, (ginger, if using powdered), and peanut butter directly into the skillet with the chicken and stir until combined.

4. Bring to a simmer and pour in the half-and-half mixture. Stir again and let simmer for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

Makes 4 servings. Nutritional Info (without rice): Calories 200, Carbs 11g (Sugars 4g, Fiber 2g), Total Fat 6g (Sat Fat 1g), Protein 25g.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

I found this recipe on myrecipes.com They turned out really, really good.

1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
2/3 cup whole wheat flour (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten


Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Combine milk, butter, and egg; add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until smooth.

Pour about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet. Cook 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.

Nutritional Information
Calories:293 (20% from fat)
Fat:6.6g (sat 3.5g,mono 1.9g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:10.9g
Carbohydrate:47.8g
Fiber:3.3g
Cholesterol:68mg
Iron:2.6mg
Sodium:691mg
Calcium:146mg

Bread demonstration videos

Here are some links to the video demonstrations for the bread I make. The recipe uses gluten along with vinegar and potato flakes (items you can put in your food storage if you don't already) instead of buying expensive dough enhancers. The bread turns out awesome and I always get wonderful complements when we've shared a loaf with others. The first video explains how dough enhancers work and how the gluten, vinegar and potato flakes work together to make bread with a wonderful texture. The second link is the actual bread demonstration. I am so glad I ran onto these and I wanted to share!

http://everydayfoodstorage.net/2009/03/09/dough-enhancersfood-storage-style/food-storage-recipes

http://everydayfoodstorage.net/2009/03/11/making-homemade-bread-the-food-storage-recipe-challenge/food-storage-recipes

Cover-and-forget-it beef and veggie stew

Cover-and-forget-it beef and vegetable stew

2 lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 med. onion, chopped
2 c. tomato sauce
1 c. water
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tbsp. quick cooking tapioca

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Coat a heavy 3-quart casserole dish with oil.   Put meat in casserole and top with the potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onion.
In a small bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, water, sugar, salt, pepper and tapioca and pour over the meat and vegetables.
Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to overhang the top of the casserole by 2 inches all around.  Press the paper onto the top of the beef and vegetable mixture and tuck it down around the sides of the contents.  cover the whole thing, using the cover of the casserole dish or aluminum foil.
Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours at 325 degrees or 4 to 5 hours at 300 degrees.

Fiesta Casserole

Fiesta Casserole

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 c. chunky tomato salsa
1 c. (14 1/2  oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
2 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
12- 6 inch flour tortillas
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream for serving
chopped avocado for serving
chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown the meat in a large skillet on med-high heat. Add onion and peppers and saute until the meat is no longer pink (about 10 min.). Drain off excess fat.  Stir in the salsa, tomatoes with juice, and corn.  Bring to a boil, and remove from heat.
Spread out 1 cup of the meat mixture in the bottom of a shallow 9 x 13 in. baking dish.  Top with 6 tortillas, over lapping them.  Spoon half the remaining mixture over the tortillas.  Top with half of the cheese. layer with the remaining tortillas and then the rest of the meat mixture.  cover with lightly greased aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes or until heated through.
Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand for 5 min. or until cheese is melted.  Serve with sour cream, chopped avocados, and cilantro.

Pasta and Chicken Alfredo "Casserole"

3 Tbs. Butter, melted, plus extra for the dish
1 Jar (about 15 oz.) Alfred sauce
8 oz. fettuccine
2 c. diced cooked chicken
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (optional. I hate onions so I left it out and it still tasted good)
2 c. frozen peas, thawed
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 c. seasoned fine dry breadcrumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Butter a deep 3-quart casserole. Cook the pasta according to package instructions (the instructions say to boil them for 12 minutes or until tender but still firm to bite.  I don't really think it matters though.) Drain. Transfer to a large bowl. Mix in Alfredo sauce, chicken, green onions, peas, and poultry seasoning.
In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
Transfer pasta mixture to the buttered baking dish.  sprinkle with crumb mixture. (at this point the casserole can be covered and refrigerated overnight if you want to make it the next day. Just add 10 min. to the baking time.) Bake, uncovered, until the pasta is hot and the topping is golden brown, about 25 minutes.  (Keep an eye on it though... it only took like 20 min. in our oven. Just don't let it go totally brown!)

Navajo Taco Meat Sauce

(from Ashlee Raisor & Amy Watkins)

1 lb. hamburger
1 medium onion
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can Italian or Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 can pinto beans

Brown hamburger with onion; drain. Add taco seasoning according to directions on the packet. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Simmer on low until fully heated. If it's too runny, add a little flour/water mixture to thicken. Serve over hot scones or frybread.

Meatball Minestrone

I got this one from FamilyFun. It was really easy, and really good. I recommend using frozen meatballs. Also, I didn't have any orzo pasta on hand, so I just broke up spaghetti noodles instead. :)

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth
14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in their juice
15-1/2-ounce can beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 cup orzo pasta
2 cups meatballs
Grated Parmesan


In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat, then sauté the onion and garlic until softened, about 2 minutes.

Add the carrots, chicken broth, diced tomatoes in their juice, beans, Italian seasoning, and pasta. Bring the soup to a boil.

Reduce the heat and add the meatballs. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are heated through and the pasta is tender. Serve topped with grated Parmesan.

Nutritional Information
Per serving (1-1/3 cups): Calories 405 ● Total Fat 14 g (22% DV) ● Saturated Fat 5 g (24% DV) ● Cholesterol 95 mg (32% DV) ● Sodium 1489 mg (62% DV) ● Total Carbohydrate 42 g (14% DV) ● Fiber 6 g (24% DV) ● Sugars 6 g ● Protein 28 g (55% DV) ● Vitamin A (74% DV) ● Vitamin C (20% DV) ● Iron (20% DV)

Bean Flour Hummus

3/4 c. garbanzo bean flour
2 1/2 c. water
2-3 large garlic cloves
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. sesame paste (tahini?)
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/8 t. tabasco sauce
1/2 5 ground cumin
1/4 c. olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Bring water to boil; whisk in bean flour. Stir and cook 1 min. Turn heat to med-low & cook 5 more min. Let cool. Add all but cumin, salt & pepper, and puree till smooth. Add the spices, then pour in oil slowly while continuing to blend. If too stiff, add more broth. Cover. Keep at room temperature at least 1 hour. If needed, add more lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste.

Cream of "Chicken" Soup

I've discovered making bean flour in my wheat grinder, and I tried this recipe. It takes 1-2 min. boiling time. You can also use it to thicken soups instead of using flour. No soaking overnight and cooking for an hour or more.

1 c. bean flour (white beans are mildest in flavor)
4 c. water or milk
1 T chicken bouillon
dash pepper
1/4 c. dried onion (I used fresh)

Mix dry ingredients. Stir 1/2 c. of liquid into dry mixture until mixed. Add remaining liquid. Heat in medium-sized pan, stirring as it heats (med. heat). As it reaches boiling point, it will thicken. Boil about 1 minute. If too thick, add more liquid.