Cheesecake

This was my first attempt at making cheesecake. At first I was going to do it in the crock pot, but I didn't have enough time so converted it to the oven. It is loosely based on this recipe: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/07/crockpot-cheesecake-recipe.html

This fits in a standard 8 inch spring form pan. It is a short cake though, about 1 inch tall.

Crust:

10 graham crackers crushed to crumbs (I used a food processor, but a rolling pin and a ziplock bag would work too)

4 T butter, melted

Filling:

16 oz cream cheese (I used neufchatel as it's 1/3 the calories and tastes the same)

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 T flour

Heat oven to 350 F.

Mix crumbs and butter until mixture is wet and butter is evenly distributed. It will still be sort of dry looking, but darker. Press into the bottom of spring form pan. Mix ingredients of filling slowly. I had to let the mixer work on it for several minutes so that it had a smooth consistency like frosting. You need a hand mixer or kitchen aid mixer. I used a hand mixer and put it on the highest setting. Pour filling into spring form pan.

Put a cookie sheet on the lower rack in the oven and fill it with several cup of water. The cheesecake is supposed to be in a water bath, but since I used a spring form pan I didn't want to risk water leaking into the cheesecake. Thus, I opted for a steam bath. On the middle rack I put the spring form pan. I baked it for 40 minutes, but that was too long. I should have checked it at 20 minutes, and then every 5 minutes from then on. It should be done when the sides are set but center is still soft. The cheesecake did not crack, but I'm not sure if that is due to the shortness of the cheesecake or the steam.

DH loved it! I, however, could only handle it in small amounts. It is sooooo rich. It would be great with a fruit topping.

Garlic Fries

http://www.purplefoodie.com/2009/04/garlicky-baked-fries.html

This is a great recipe for garlic fries. They are so delicious and are baked, not fried, so the fat content is lower. I made it once before, and DH loved it! This time, I wasn't able to distribute the coating quite as regularly as I wanted so it was only a 4 this time. But it has so much potential. It is VERY garlicky. If you have big cloves, use only half what it calls for.

An 8 oz potato is no doubt an extremely large one. I have a small scale (SUPER useful!) and so I weighed out some of my small potatoes to get it to about 24 oz. I think it was 5. They just barely fit on a large cookie sheet (12x17).

Note: To get the coating evenly distributed and not stuck in clumps on the side of the bowl, transfer the hot potatoes to a clean dry bowl before adding the coating. That way, there are fewer sticky surfaces for the coating to adhere to.

Beef Stroganoff

This recipe is loosely based on this recipe: http://www.recipezaar.com/Beef-Stroganoff-3317

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
2-3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoons butter (optional--depending on how lean the beef is)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free all purpose flour
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can beef broth
1/2 to 1 cup sour cream (great both ways!)


Directions
Heat large skillet. Add meat and brown. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic to skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes until onion is tender. Blend in flour. Add ketchup and broth. Simmer until thickened.

Add sour cream after heat is turned off. Serve over hot noodles or rice

Chicken Masala

This chicken was really delicious. I used leg/thigh quarters. One quarter per person is plenty, but I used 3 so there would be extra. I made mashed potatoes and broccoli to go with the meal. I put the chicken in a zip-lock bag with the marinade in the morning so it would be ready to go straight into the oven at night.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Easy-Chicken-Masala-357252

Shepherd's Pie

This recipe is based on http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Shepherds-Pie-VI/Detail.aspx, but follows the alterations made by "Erin0220" in the comments.

DH and I both really like this. It is a good meal to take to a neighbor too, since it's a one dish meal.

• 4 large potatoes, peeled (or not peeled) and cut into fourths (i.e. one potato becomes 4 large chunks)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• milk
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or less, or completely omit)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 carrots, chopped (or 3 carrots plus some green beans)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef (works well with 1/2 lb too, even without lamb)
• 1/2 pound ground lamb (optional, but awesome)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ketchup (or 2?)
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 packet brown gravy mix
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, 1/4 cup shredded cheese, and some milk. The amount of milk depends on the consistency you want. I like it creamy so it can be spread easily. As it cools, you'll need to add more milk to maintain the creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
2. Steam carrots and green beans, or saute until cooked. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)
3. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear. Add ground beef/lamb and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, water, and gravy mix. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Next, spread a layer of carrots/green beans. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Mushroom and Leek Soup

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mushroom-and-Leek-Soup-with-Parsley-Dumplings-357310

I halved this recipe, first of all. I followed the directions closely, but when it came time to begin making the dumplings I decided not to since it was already dinner time and I didn't want to eat late.

After trying the soup, I realized that the dumplings are really important. The soup had a nice flavor, but it needed something else in it to make it satisfying. The dumplings would have fulfilled that role. Or perhaps barley or rice would work well too. But as is, the soup on its own is way too light.

Neither of us are excited about leftovers...perhaps I will freeze it or turn it into risotto or something.

Eggplant Caponata

https://web.archive.org/web/20120209221400/http://norecipes.com:80/blog/2009/02/07/eggplant-caponata

I adore this recipe. It is simple with few ingredients, but so full of flavor. It is not meant to eaten plain--you eat it on top of sliced sourdough bread (or regular french bread is fine). Don't wait too long to use your eggplant--it should be pale green and not brown inside. Whenever I leave an eggplant in the fridge for a week it has usually turned light brown and splotchy (inside) by then. I'm not sure if brown eggplant = nasty eggplant, but it probably isn't as good as it could be. The leftovers are awesome.

Note: I tried this with green bell pepper instead of red and it was definitely inferior.

Also, the last time I made this I didn't let the eggplant sit very long and it turned out very bitter. I'm not sure if that was a fluke or not. It was imported mexican eggplant.

Best Beef Stew

http://mswolfson.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/best-beef-stew/

This recipe is from Cooks Illustrated Jan/Feb 2010 issue. I found it online at the above address also.

This beef stew is fantastic. Amazing. I adore it. It's the best beef stew I've made. I used 2 lbs stew beef meat (instead of cutting up a 4 lb chuck-eye roast as the recipe says). Also, I did not put in the peas and forgot to get pearl onions. Additional vegetables besides the carrots would have made this recipe even better. I used 1 tsp anchovy paste instead of the fillets. Also, I only had about 1 cup of red wine left, so added an extra 1/2 cup of broth to try and compensate. And I used russet potatoes instead of yukon gold. Otherwise, I did exactly what it said. You need to start this recipe a solid 3 hrs in advance, better to start 3.5 hrs ahead. It cooks in the oven most of that time. I used a 5 quart cast iron oval pot, with enamel coating. They sell them at Ikea or you could get a super expensive Le Creuset one. I love this pot.

I love this recipe. We ate it with a french baguette.

Notes: I usually add an extra quart of beef broth to this recipe because it gets so dry during cooking. Also I replace peas with cut up green beans that I put in with the pearl onions.

Calories: 404 per serving / serves 8 (not sure the serving volume). That's calculated using 2.5 lbs stew beef.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spaghetti-and-Meatballs-AllAmatriciana-356791

This recipe was a disappointment for me. I halved the whole thing, except I forgot to halve the onions in the sauce. Also, I had to finish in a hurry so the onions weren't as soft as they should have been. I left the bacon out of the sauce also.

I couldn't find panko breadcrumbs so used regular. The meatballs were sort of falling apart, but were good. THe sauce, however, was not that great. At all. and the overwhelming presence of sometimes crunchy onion made me dislike this dish. Of course, if I'd cooked it to perfection it might have tasted better, but I think there are better meatball and sauce recipes out there.

Chocolate Waffles

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocolate-waffle-recipe/index.html

Since January 27th is the annual eat chocolate cake for breakfast holiday, DH and I ate chocolate waffles for our observance of this day. The recipe was good, but I used regular milk instead of buttermilk (because that's all I had, unfortunately) and chopped up bittersweet guittard pieces (unevenly chopped, I might add) instead of choc chips.

The lack of buttermilk was lamentable, because it could have been so much better. As it was, the batter was way too runny and the choc chunks weren't well distributed due to the uneven sizes.

Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Curd and Mascarpone

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Layer-Cake-with-Lemon-Curd-and-Mascarpone-107898

I made this cake for a friend's birthday. It was definitely time consuming, and very rich. But it was very delicious. I only made 2/3 the recipe for the frosting because I did not decorate the top. That was the right amount to cover the cake. But the cake is too overpowering with so much lemon. I used the juice from 7 lemons to make the whole recipe, and about a dozen eggs. Whew!

Next time I make this, I think I'll just use a basic two layer vanilla cake recipe and pair it with the frosting. I'll skip the lemon curd and syrup in the layers. The frosting needs about 2/3 cup lemon curd in order to make a 2/3 frosting recipe.

Also--the recipe for lemon curd was really good. It tasted very similar to storebought lemon curd that I have purchased. I think it would be better with less sugar and lemon juice though. The consistency was perfect. The recipe makes 2 cups.

Aloo Gobi

http://www.recipezaar.com/Aloo-Gobi-84324

Of course since I watched Bend it like Beckham a few years ago I had to try and make Aloo Gobi eventually.

This is a great recipe. We both like it, I've made it a few times before. Bring on the spices!

Note on leftovers: You don't want to have many leftovers when making this recipe. The last time I made it I had tons, and the peppers (an overly spicy jalepeno) I put in got stronger and stronger and the consistency of the dish became less appetizing. Neither DH or I were excited about leftovers. Next time I would cut the recipe in half at least. (when making for two people).

Lamb Kofte

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lamb-Kofte-with-Yogurt-Sauce-and-Muhammara-356770

This is basically lamb meatballs with yogurt sauce and flatbread. It was fantastic! I made the yogurt sauce a few hours in advance and let it sit in the fridge. Then I did the rest later--it took a little over an hour. It would have been an hour or less if one of my burners hadn't been on the fritz.

I used whole wheat pita bread and we ate all everything rolled up inside. The Muhammara sauce didn't work out quite right because I didn't even try to find pomegranate molasses, and instead tried to use pomegranate seeds instead. That didn't turn out quite right though. Also, I roasted my own red pepper instead of using some from a jar. But overall, it was fantastic--with or without the pomegranate seeds!

Fennel Gnocchi

For my wedding, someone gave me a recipe book by Rachael Ray called "2,4,6,8 great meals for couples or crowds."

I made a bunch of recipes from it the first couple months of marriage, and one of them we liked SO much that it became a regular meal that I make frequently.

The original recipe is for 6 people, but it makes way too much so I modified it. This makes enough for 3 big servings, or 4 servings with a side dish.

6 oz sausage (NOT ground. I use Saags Polish sausage because the flavor is fantastic. Whatever kind of sausage you use, make sure it isn't maple flavor. The original recipe calls for chicken sausage.)

1 onion, chopped

1 fennel bulb, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 T tomato paste (I often have leftover paste from a can that I put in a ziplock bag and keep in the freezer. Or you can buy it in tubes.)

1/3-1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 pound gnocchi (Italian potato dumplings. Found in the pasta aisle)

1 oz cream cheese (except I hardly ever have cream cheese, so it is usually left out)

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese. (the real stuff tastes so much better than what Kraft makes in the tall green can)

Put a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Then put in sliced sausages, onion, garlic, and fennel. Then heat on medium until onions and fennel are soft. Add the tomato paste and stir it in. Then add the wine and let it simmer for a couple minutes or so.

Meanwhile, boil some water. Add gnocchi and cook based on directions. Then strain. Ideally, the gnocchi will finish cooking just before it's time to add them to the skillet.

Add chicken stock to the skillet and heat until boiling. Add cream cheese. Simmer for a few minutes so sauce can cook down and become creamy.

Then add cooked gnocchi to the skillet and stir. Add cheese and parsley.

The end. This takes about 40 minutes once you get it down.

(P.S. To make the original recipe: double everything except the fennel, garlic, and paste.)

Fennel and Potato Hash

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fennel-and-Potato-Hash-356731

This was a great combination--fennel and potatoes. I only used one fennel bulb. We ate it with fried eggs. We both liked it quite a bit.