Classic Cheesecake with an Oreo Crust

So my good friend, Phyllis, has perfected this recipe and it's out of this world!  The cheesecake is creamy and classic NY style.  The Oreo crust I've added gives it a pop of chocolate that makes the final product irresistible.  

The recipe is easy- just note that you need room temperature eggs and cream cheese.  Also, leave plenty of time, because after it bakes for 1 hr 15 min, it needs to sit in oven for at least 2 hours- if not overnight.  Making it a day in advance is best.  

Ingredients:

26 Oreo's (regular or double stuff)                          ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

4, 8oz packages cream cheese (room temp)           1 ¾ cups sugar                     

1 pint heavy cream                                                     1/4 tsp almond extract

6 large eggs (room temp)                                          2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. In a cuisinart, pulse Oreo's until fine they become crumbs.  Add melted butter and mix until well-combined.

2. Press crumbs into bottom and up the sides of 8 or 9" springform pan.  Place pan in large roasting pan, close to oven (believe me, this will make life much easier later).

3. Mix together cream cheese and sugar in stand mixer (or with hand mixer in large bowl but it's worth getting out the stand if you have one) until smooth.  

4. Add eggs, one at a time, until batter is smooth.  

5. Add heavy cream, vanilla and almond extract, mixing well.  

6. Here's the tricky part (no pics of this step for that reason): At the same time you're pouring batter into springform pan, add water to roasting pan.  There should be about 1-2 inches up the side of spring pan.

7. Carefully, bring roasting pan to center rack of oven (here's why it's handy to have pan close to oven).

8. Bake @ 350 for 1 hour 15 min. DON’T OPEN OVEN!!!

9. LEAVE CAKE IN OVEN AT LEAST 2 HOURS TO COOL SLOWLY- or keep in oven overnight. Cool completely before putting in refrigerator.

10. Run knife around side of pan before removing.

Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake

This morning, during another snowy day, I found a recipe I had ripped out of Better Homes and Gardens for a "Cheesy Butternut Squash Cavatappi Bake".  I had some, but not all of the ingredients; I liked some, but not all of the instructions.  Here's my take on this cool weather one dish meal.  

Ingredients:
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 pound farfalle (or your preference of short pasta)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 white onion, sliced
5 medium mushrooms, sliced
salt/pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk (I used half whole, half water because that's what I had in the fridge)
6 oz fontina cheese, shredded
5-8 slices bacon,cooked and chopped


Directions:
1. Spray sheet tray with PAM and roast squash for 20-25 min at 350 until soft.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions; set aside.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium pot and add sliced onions. Cover and cook on low until soft and translucent- about 15 minutes.
4. Add sliced mushrooms and salt/pepper; stir. Add butternut squash.
5. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over mushrooms/onions/squash and stir gently.  Cook 3 min on medium.
6. Add 1 cup milk and cook until mixture thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
7. Add cooked pasta and stir gently to combine.

8. Spray 8x8 deep pyrex or 9x13 baking dish with PAM and add half of pasta mixture.  Top with 1/2 cheese.
9. Add rest of pasta and rest of cheese.  Top with bacon.
10. Bake for 20 minutes covered at 350.  If desired, top with breadcrumbs and uncover for last 5 minutes.  A low broil will get it nice and crispy!

Creamy Blueberry Pie

With recent supermarket sales and my daughter's love for blueberries, my fridge was overflowing with blueberries.  When I was invited to a luncheon at a friend's house, I thought this would be the perfect treat to bake after seeing a friend's post of the finished product on FB.  Today we went blueberry picking, and I'm tempted to make the recipe again with the sweet berries we collected!

 This recipe is my adaption of a recipe from allrecipes.com. After reading reviews on the website and talking with a friend who made the pie, I cut back on the sugar (by almost 2/3 cup).  I also used some of my favorite flavor combinations with the addition of lemon zest and cinnamon.  I used my grandmother's cast-iron pan which is about 11 inch across which made for a more spread out pie than in the picture on the website.  Definitely my new favorite blueberry pie recipe- and very easy!

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 9 inch pie crust (I used Pillsbury)

For the custard:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/8 tea salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)
1 tea grated lemon zest

For the streusel:
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1 tea cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the blueberries in the pastry shell and set aside. 

2. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, salt and 1 tea cinnamon. Add eggs, sour cream and lemon zest, stirring until blended. Pour the sour cream custard over the blueberries.

3. In another bowl, combine 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 cup flour. Cut in the butter with pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the sour cream mixture and berries in the pie shell.




4. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until lightly browned. I waited until the pie crust sticking out around the side got golden brown.  Cool on wire rack. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream- or BOTH!

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Shrimp Tacos with Honey Lime Mayo and Mango Salsa

These are great for an easy and fun summer meal.  Start to finish you can take under 30 minutes to create a spicy and lively dish.  Oh and yes, I'm back to blogging with a challenge from my co-teacher to get back into this form of writing this summer.  Hope you enjoy my latest culinary creations!

Shrimp Tacos

pinch cayenne/red pepper powder
1/4 tea salt
1/4 tea granulated garlic
2 tea smoked paprika
2 tablespoons lime juice
zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped finely

16-20 jumbo shrimp (I got mine at Whole Foods for a good price- and they are HUGE!) shelled, cleaned, deveined, rinsed

• Mix top group of ingredients in a small bowl.
• Add shrimp to large ziploc bag and top with spice mixture.
• Shake and smush until all shrimp are well coated
• Marinate for 15 min-1 hour (more than that the lime juice will start to cook the shrimp)
• Skewer shrimp using railroad method (not a real name, but one I just made up because I don't know how else to describe it.  I could also say, "see picture").
• Grill on high for 4 or so minutes per side, turning when slightly browned and deliciously charred.

• Serve with corn tortillas and toppings such as sliced avocado, grilled red peppers/onions, tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro.  I also recommend serving with honey lime mayo and/or mango salsa (see recipes below).

Honey Lime Mayo

1/4 cup lowfat mayo

sprinkle cayenne

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tea honey

1 tea paprika

• Stir well and serve with Shrimp Tacos

Mango Salsa

2 ripe mangoes, chopped

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 tea paprika

sprinkle cayenne

sprinkle salt

• Stir well and serve with Shrimp Tacos, chips or any other "Fiesta Food"!