No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake.

Desserts, Recipes 8 Responses »
Aug 112010

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Over the weekend my husband cooked for me. This is a once in a year (if not 5 years) occurrence, like other rarities such as cleaning the bathroom. I had to take pictures to document this special occasion.

He adapted this recipe from epicurious.com and made a few minor adjustments. In fact, it’s even easier than epicurious’s recipe. Another plus is there’s no baking required, so no standing in a hot kitchen sweating over your dessert.

And after you blend the blueberry filling it will look like you just murdered 500 Smurfs with your mixer. That’s always an appetizing sight.

No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1 pre-made store bought graham cracker pie crust

Filling:

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
  • 12 ounces Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries

Topping:

  • Whip Cream

 

Directions:

1) Pour 1/4 cup water into small saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir over very low heat just until gelatin dissolves. Set aside.

 

2) In a large bowl, blend cream cheese, cream, sugar, and lemon juice using a hand-held mixer. Add berries; puree until smooth (some blueberry bits will remain). Add warm gelatin mixture and blend well. Pour filling into crust. Cover; chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)

3) Spread whip cream thickly over top of cheesecake before serving.

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Calzones.

Breads, Italian, Recipes 11 Responses »
Aug 092010

 

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Making calzones couldn’t be easier. The fillings can be versatile, just like making pizza. I stuffed mine with pepperoni, basil and mozzarella, and served it with some spicy marinara sauce. You can also make it with sausage and peppers, cauliflower and cheese, sausage and cauliflower, spinach and ricotta, etc. Or stuff it with your favorite pizza toppings. After adding the filling onto the dough, seal the edges tightly, crimp them with a fork, brush egg yolk on the top (to get that crispy brown surface) and make a few slits with a knife (so they don’t explode in the oven).

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Two rules I follow when I make calzones: 1) if I use 1/2 pound dough per calzone, I try to use around 1/2 pound of toppings inside (or less). I don’t have exact measurements for the fillings in my recipe. 2) I don’t add sauce or fresh tomatoes inside the calzone. Sauce/tomatoes always end up leaking out and creating a mess.

They work great as a lunch to take to work too. I mean, wouldn’t you rather take this than a cold sandwich?

 

Calzones (makes 2)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. pizza dough
  • pepperoni slices
  • mozzarella
  • fresh basil leaves
  • 1 egg yolk

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Dust the pizza dough with some flour to prevent it from sticking to your hands. On a baking sheet, divide the pound of dough in half and stretch into circles. Place fillings on each half of the dough, and fold over to seal the edges. Crimp the edges with a fork. Brush the tops of calzones with egg yolk, and using a knife, make 4 slits onto the tops of the calzones.

3) Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until browned. Let cool for 5 minutes and cut into slices. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Dust the pizza dough with some flour to prevent it from sticking to your hands. On a baking sheet, divide the pound of dough in half and stretch into circles.

Don’t worry if your circles of dough aren’t perfect looking, as you can see, mine aren’t. As long as you’re not puncturing holes or anything you’ll be fine.

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Place fillings on each half of the dough, and fold over to seal the edges. I first added a handful of pepperoni to each –

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followed by a handful of basil and handful of mozzarella.

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Crimp the edges with a fork.

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Brush the tops of calzones with egg yolk, and using a knife, make 4 slits onto the tops of the calzones. The cheese will bubble out of the slits, but not that much. Slitting the dough helps release the steam getting built up inside the calzone.

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Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until browned. Let cool for 5 minutes and cut into slices.

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Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

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Shells Stuffed with Homemade Turkey Sausage

Italian, Main Entrees, Pasta, Recipes 6 Responses »
Aug 052010

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Yea I know, this picture looks far from neatly composed or elegant. But I was hungry and this was all I got before I ate it. So deal with it.

I stuffed these shells with the turkey sausage I made in the last recipe, with a mixture of spinach and mozzarella cheese. It came out well and I would make this again. It was far easier than making, say, lasagna but looks as though the same amount of effort was put into it.

Stuffed Shells

(makes approx. 20 shells)

Ingredients:

  • 20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked until al dente
  • 1 jar pasta sauce
  • 1 10 oz.  box chopped frozen spinach, cooked and drained
  • 6 oz. cubed mozzarella
  • parmesan cheese, grated
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Cook sausage in pan on medium high heat, breaking up into little pieces with a spatula. Cook until browned. Remove from heat, and mix 1/3 cup of sauce into meat mixture. Add drained spinach and mozzarella cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste (I didn’t, because the sausage had enough flavor to begin with).

3) Cover the bottom of a casserole dish (approx. 13 x 9 inches) with a thin layer of sauce. Stuff the shells with meat mixture and place on dish. Top with remaining sauce and parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, uncovering 10 minutes before it’s done. Serve.

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook sausage in pan on medium high heat, breaking up into little pieces with a spatula. Cook until browned. Remove from heat, and mix 1/3 cup of sauce into meat mixture. Add drained spinach and mozzarella cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste (I didn’t, because the sausage had enough flavor to begin with).

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Cover the bottom of a casserole dish (approx. 13 x 9 inches) with a thin layer of sauce. Stuff the shells with meat mixture and place on dish.

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Top with remaining sauce and parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, uncovering 10 minutes before it’s done.

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Serve.

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Homemade Turkey Sausage.

Meats, Recipes No Responses »
Aug 042010

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I wanted to prepare some sausage for another recipe I was making. I used a pound of ground turkey for this mixture; however you can blend half ground pork and half ground turkey if you wish. Don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of spices I used to blend into the meat, the flavors slowly absorb into the meat in 24 hours and tastes just as it should. Then you can form the sausage into patties, or ground up in a recipe (lasagna, pasta, stuffed shells etc.) or if you’re really ambitious, you can make your own sausage links and cook them in a smoker (something I am not motivated in trying anytime soon).

If you’re impatient (like I am most of the time) and don’t have 24 hours to wait until this marinates, you can still cook it immediately. It will taste great nonetheless.

Homemade Spicy Turkey Sausage

(adapted from Emeril Lagasse @ foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground turkey meat
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 3 tsp. chili powder
  • 2 Tbsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. cayenne
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. onion powder

 

Directions:

1) In a large bowl, combine all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before using.

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Chinese Pineapple Chicken

Chinese, Main Entrees, Meats, Recipes 20 Responses »
Jul 292010

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I call this dish Pineapple chicken. It’s similar to lemon chicken, or sweet and sour chicken sans red food coloring. Once you make it you’ll be surprised how easy it is to mimic Chinese take-out food. Except I think it tastes fresher and a bit healthier than take-out. Serve it with a side of steamed white rice and some veggies. Be sure to marinate the chicken beforehand like I mention in the recipe; it makes the chicken tastier and more tender.

 

Pineapple Chicken

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients for Chicken:

2 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 egg
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp cornstarch
corn or canola oil for frying

Ingredients for Sauce:

1 cup pineapple chunks
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch + 1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. soy sauce

Directions:

1) In a bowl, cut 2 chicken breasts into chunks. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper and egg. Cover and let marinate in fridge for at least 2 hours.

2) Add flour and cornstarch to chicken to create a thick batter. Heat oil in large frying pan on medium high heat. Add chicken and fry until chicken is browned, turning if necessary. Remove chicken from oil onto plate lined with paper towels.

3) In a medium saucepan, combine pineapples and pineapple juice. Bring to a boil then add brown sugar and soy sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes.

4) In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water into a paste. Pour into sauce and stir until thick enough to coat a spoon. Pour chicken pieces into saucepan and mix until thoroughly coated. Serve with steamed white rice.

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In a bowl, cut 2 chicken breasts into chunks.

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Add soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper and egg and mix thoroughly. Cover and let marinate in fridge for at least 2 hours.

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Add flour and cornstarch to chicken to create a thick batter.

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Heat oil in large frying pan on medium high heat. Add chicken and fry until chicken is browned, turning if necessary.

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Remove chicken from oil onto plate lined with paper towels.

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In a medium saucepan, combine pineapples and pineapple juice.

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Bring to a boil then add brown sugar and soy sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes.

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In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water into a paste. Pour into sauce -

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and stir until thick enough to coat a spoon.

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Pour chicken pieces into saucepan and mix until thoroughly coated.

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Serve with steamed white rice. Enjoy!

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