The kitchen diary of Melissa Caress
This recipe is courtesy the Cusick Family.
Cover 4 chicken breasts with water, onion, celery & carrots. Bring to a full boil, turn down & boil for 6 minutes. Remove, let cool & shred.
In a large pan with 1 Tbsp of olive oil, saute 2 onions until transparent. Add 3 garlic cloves, 3 (4 oz) cans of diced green chilis. Add 2 tsp. Cumin, 6 Tbsp. Lime juice, 4 cans of great northern white beans and 2-3 pkg of frozen white corn. Add chicken. Add chicken broth.
This recipe is courtesy Robyn Nelson, she was there when I ate 1/4 of her pan and had to go home and make my own.
2 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. butter
Cream Together.
Add:
3 Eggs
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
2 3/4 c. Flour
2 Tbsp. Water
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Choc Chips – as many as desired.
Bake: @ 350 for 30 minutes in a greased 9×13 pan
So, it’s actually called: Lemon Cheese Cake with Blueberry Compote. But, it should be noted that the best cheesecakes are baked.
Filling:
4 pkgs. cream cheese – softened
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2 Tlbs. grated lemon zest
3/4 c. heavy whipping cream
6 eggs
Crust:
2 pkgs. graham crackers ground up fine
1 1/2 sticks of real butter- melted
Topping:
fresh blueberries
1/2 c. sugar
2 Tlbs. water
2 Tlbs. fresh lemon juice
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350. Grind the graham crackers to a very fine consistency in a blender or food processor. Melt butter and mix together to make a crust. Press in a 10 inch spring form pan on bottom and sides of pan. Set aside.
Beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add cream, mix well. Add vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each egg. Pour filling into crust and place in a water bath and bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes. Make sure the water is half way up the sides of the spring form pan. The recipe says to bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, but both of mine were done in 1 hours and 5 minutes. You can experiment. It may be my oven. When you take the cheesecake out of the over, place it immediately in the fridge uncovered. Let cool for at least 4 hours before serving.
Wash the blueberries and place in pan with heavy bottom. Add all other ingredients and cook until the berries start to produce juice and begin to boil. Take a potato masher and mash 1/2 of the berries and cook until the sauce starts to thicken. Remove from heat, cool completely and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature or serve over cheese cake or serve it cold.
Banana-mascarpone filling:
2 small bananas
1 (16-ounce) tub mascarpone (see Note)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 loaf chocolate pan bread or stale chocolate quick bread (see Note)
10 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable oil for frying
Banana creme brulee sauce:
1 quart heavy cream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 small banana
6 to 8 small bananas, sliced
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings
For filling: Break bananas into pieces and place in blender; puree until smooth. Transfer puree to a bowl and add mascarpone and brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.
Cut loaf of chocolate bread in half horizontally.
Spread mascarpone filling on bottom half; replace top half, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until filling is stiff, at least 4 or up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Slice loaf vertically; set aside. Whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Brush a large skillet with vegetable oil and turn heat to medium. Place a slice of bread into egg mixture and soak for up to a minute. Fry, turning once, until both sides are golden brown. Reserve toast on a baking sheet in warm oven while repeating dipping and frying procedure with remaining slices.
For sauce: combine cream, butter and brown sugar in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat. Process banana in a blender or food processor until smooth; whisk gradually into cream mixture until smooth and thickened. (The sauce recipe may be halved.)
To serve: divide hot creme brulee sauce among plates, and place a slice of french toast on each plate. Garnish with sliced bananas and chocolate shavings.
Note: Use the bittersweet chocolate boule available at Red Hen Bakery, 1623 N. Milwaukee, (773) 342-6823, or make a loaf of a favorite chocolate quick bread recipe. For a non-chocolate version, use a firm white sandwich boule.
*Cream cheese may be substituted for mascarpone.
**(Adapted from Room 12)
MAKES 12 TO 16 SERVINGS
Nutrition facts per serving (with 1/4 cup sauce): 741 calories, 49 g fat, 27 g saturated fat, 296 mg cholesterol, 66 g carbohydrates, 13 g protein, 380 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Mix together butter, sugar and buttermilk in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes. Stir in vanilla and baking soda. Hint: baking soda will cause to boil over, use a bigger pan. Let boil for about 15-30 seconds, while stirring continually. Serve immediately, syrup will be frothy. Store in refrigerator, but it is not as good the second time.
3 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup whipping cream
5 cinnamon sticks
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 large egg yolks
Combine milk, 1 cup sugar, cream, cinnamon sticks, and salt in heavy large saucepan. Bring almost to simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Return custard to saucepan and stir constantly over low heat until custard thickens, about 4 minutes (do not boil). Transfer custard to large bowl set over another large bowl of ice water; let cool 30 minutes, stirring often. Cover and chill custard overnight.
Strain custard. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer ice cream to container; cover and freeze.
Cake
4 eight-ounce red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 + 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 + 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
METHOD:
For cake: Pierce sweet potatoes with fork. Microwave on high until very tender, about 8 minutes per side. Cool, peel and mash sweet potatoes.
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Spray 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick spray, then generously butter pan. Sift flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Measure enough mashed sweet potatoes to equal 2 cups. Transfer to large bowl. Add sugar and oil to sweet potatoes; using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add eggs 2 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture; beat just until blended. Beat in vanilla. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Using small knife, cut around sides of pan and center tube to loosen cake. Turn out onto rack; cool completely.
For icing: Sift powdered sugar into medium bowl. Stir brown sugar, whipping cream and butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Boil 3 minutes, occasionally stirring and swirling pan. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour brown sugar mixture over powdered sugar. Whisk icing until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Cool icing until lukewarm and icing falls in heavy ribbon from spoon, whisking often, about 15 minutes. Spoon icing thickly over top of cake, allowing icing to drip down sides of cake. Let stand until icing is firm, at least 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.)
INGREDIENTS:
1lb (500g), peeled, seeded. & cut into small cubes
Salt & freshly ground pepper
7 TBSP Unsalted Butter
1TBSP Olive Oil
8 large leaves Fresh Sage
1/3 c. Pine Nuts – lightly toasted & coarsely chopped
1/2 c. Heavy (double) cream
1lb. Wide egg noodles or pappardelle
METHOD:
1- Roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Arrange the squash cubes on the sheet in a single layer & season lightly with salt & pepper. Roast until golden brown & tender, 15-25 minutes. Set aside.
2- Make the sauce. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. In a large frying pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the sage & sauté until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the pine nuts & cream, stir to combine, and remove from the heat. Remove the sage and discard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3-Cook the pasta. Add 2 TBSP salt & the pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, reserving about 1/2 c. of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce. Add thee roasted squash and stir to combine. Add as much of the cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce & serve.
Serves 4
My mom made this for dinner on Monday & it was fantastic! I rarely use a marinate when I prepare steak, but this was nice, not overpowering.
1 -Soy Sauce (dilute with water – use 1/4 cup if you’re going to marinate all day)
2 -Ground black pepper /Chili powder
(aim for 2 parts pepper 1 part chili powder)
3 -Garlic salt & garlic powder
4 -Rub in with olive oil
4 (6-ounce) red snapper or tilapia fillets
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped pitted green olives
1/4 cup bottled salsa
1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
4 lime wedges (optional)
Prepare grill or broiler.Coat both sides of fish with cooking spray. Sprinkle fish with cumin, salt, and pepper. Place fish on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook for 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Combine cilantro and remaining ingredients except lime. Serve fish with the salsa mixture and lime wedges, if desired.
4 servings (serving size: 1 fish fillet, 1/2 cup salsa, and 1 lime wedge)
CALORIES 202(14% from fat); FAT 3.2g (sat 0.5g,mono 1g,poly 1.2g); IRON 1.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 42mg; CALCIUM 94mg; CARBOHYDRATE 14.6g; SODIUM 571mg; PROTEIN 28.2g; FIBER 5.2g