Lemon Cheesecake Bars

A perfect little bite for Easter.  Delicious.   Plus, the recipe was super easy.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:
1&1/2 cups coconut macaroon cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon zest from lemon
1 tablespoon juice from lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

Directions:
Mix cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of an 8" square baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, juice, and vanilla with mixer until well blended.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each just until blended.  Pour over crust.  Bake at 350º for 20 to 25 minutes until center is almost set.  Cool completely.  Refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken

Just a simple and quick weekday dinner.   I was browsing my cookbooks for a recipe and this one caught my eye because I already had all the ingredients on hand.  Perfect.  It was tasty.  No complaints.  I used regular chicken breasts instead of cutlets and increased the cooking time accordingly.

Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken  (2013 Cookbook Challenge)
from Cooking Light: The New Way to Cook Light
227 calories/serving

Ingredients:
4 (4-oz) chicken cutlets
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a shallow dish, whisk together the buttermilk and mustard.  In another shallow dish, combine all the dry ingredients.   Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat.  Dredge chicken in panko mixture and place on a large baking sheet fitted with a wire rack.  Coat chicken with cooking spray.  Bake at 425º for 13 minutes or until chicken is done (internal temperature reaches 165ºF).  For a larger chicken breast, bake 25-30 minutes.

Roast Rack of Lamb with Whiskey Sauce, Asparagus, and Potatoes

It's time for another St. Patrick's Day meal.  I thought about making the traditional corned beef and cabbage, but decided on an elegant rack of lamb instead.  It was much pricier than I had imagined, but it's fun to splurge on new and exciting ingredients once in awhile.  Luckily, I cooked it to perfection and it was delicious.  The sauce was unnecessary because the lamb was tasty enough on its own.  The asparagus recipe was fine and the sauce was good.

Roast Rack of Lamb with Whiskey Sauce  - (2013 Cookbook Challenge)
from Cooking for Two (America's Test Kitchen Cookbook)

Ingredients:
1 rack of lamb (~8 ribs), frenched and well trimmed of fat.
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon oil

Whiskey Sauce:
1 shallot, minced (~3 tablespoons)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon flour
5 tablespoons Scotch whiskey (or another type)
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and preheat to 425º.

Pat lamb dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Carefully lay the lamb in the skillet, meat side down, and cook until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium, and, using tongs, hold the rack upright to brown the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes longer.  Transfer the lamb to the hot baking sheet in the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes until the center reaches 125º on an instant-read thermometer (for medium-rare).  Transfer lamb to a carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour off all but 1 teaspoon of the fat remaining in the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering.  Add the shallot and rosemary and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant.  Stir in the flour until incorporated.

Off the heat, slowly stir in 1/4 cup whiskey, scraping up any browned bits, and let sit until bubbling subsides, about 1 minutes.  Carefully return skillet to medium heat and simmer until whiskey has almost completely evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in the broth and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and reduced to 1/3 cup, 3 to 5 minutes.

Off the heat, discard the rosemary sprig and whisk in the remaining tablespoon whiskey, parsley, butter, lemon juice, and any accumulated lamb juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cut the lamb racks into individual chops by slicing between the ribs, and serve with the sauce.

*****

Boiled Asparagus with Béarnaise Sauce - (2013 Cookbook Challenge)

from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Ingredients:
Asparagus, peeled;  ~10 spears per person)
1/2 tablespoon salt per quart of water

Béarnaise  Sauce:
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
pinch salt
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

Directions: (in my own words because Julia Child's explanation is lengthy)
Rapidly boil a few quarts of salted water.  Add peeled asparagus and bring back to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes.  When asparagus is tender and has a little bend to it, drain water and remove asparagus to a paper towel to dry.

While asparagus is cooking, make sauce.  Boil the wine, shallots, and seasonings over medium heat until the liquid has reduced to a couple tablespoons.  Let cool a little.  Combine in a blender or food processor with egg yolks until thick.  Heat butter in saucepan until hot and foaming.   Give the processor a quick pulse to re-blend egg mixture and then very gradually, add the melted butter in a slow steady stream while mixing until sauce thickens.  If desired, add more parsley or tarragon.  Serve immediately.

*****

O'Anne's Parsley Potatoes

Ingredients:

~12 new or purple potatoes
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Directions:
Bring an inch or two of salted water to a rapid boil.  Add potatoes and bring back to boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes.  Drain water.  Add butter, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste, and mix to coat potatoes.

Shrimp Salad

I decided to make a fast meatless Friday lunch with whatever I happened to have in the freezer/fridge.   I found this recipe in a Cooking Light cookbook and made enough just for myself and omitted the ingredients I didn't have on hand (bacon, avocado, tomato).  It was delicious, but I bet it would have been even better with the extra ingredients.  I liked the dressing for the lettuce. 

Shrimp Cobb Salad  (2013 Cookbook Challenge)
from Cooking Light: The New Way to Cook Light cookbook
Serves 4;  332 calories/serving

Ingredients:
4 bacon slices
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
paprika
freshly ground black pepper
salt
1&1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1&1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 (10-oz) package romaine lettuce
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 carrots)
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 ripe peeled avocado, cut into 8 wedges

Directions:
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan; cut into bite-sized pieces.  Wipe pan clean with paper towels.  Sprinkle shrimp with paprika and ground black pepper.  Coat pan with cooking spray and add shrimp.  Cook 2 minutes per side or until done.  Sprinkle with a little salt to taste.

Whisk together the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, oil, and mustard in a large bowl.  Add lettuce and toss to coat.  Arrange lettuce on each of 4 plates.  Top with about 6 shrimp, 1/2 cup tomatoes, 1/4 cup carrot, 1/4 cup corn, 2 avocado wedges, and bacon pieces.

Oreo Peanut Butter Bars

We had an Oreo Cookie Party to celebrate the 101st birthday of Oreo and everyone signed up to bring various Oreo desserts.  I wanted something different from Dirt Cake and also something that didn't have to be refrigerated, so I found this recipe online.     I made a double batch and my coworkers had gobbled it up with 24 hours, so it must have been good. 

Oreo-Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Bars (aka 'Monster Cookies')
Recipe by Picky Palate

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups Oreos, broken into small chunks

Directions:

Place butter and sugars into a large bowl, cream until well combined. Add peanut butter, mixing to combine. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well.  Add flour, baking soda and salt, mixing until dough forms. Add chips and Oreo cookies, stirring until just combined. Transfer dough to an 8x8" baking dish coated with cooking spray, pressing dough evenly into pan.  Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and let cool for 45 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve with milk and enjoy!

Pork Roast

This recipe wasn't necessarily bad, but it wasn't as good as I was hoping for.  It was supposedly a "light" recipe.  The apple juice really saturated the potatoes, making them sweeter than we liked.   I would have been better off with chicken stock.   Also, the recipe lacked seasoning.  I added salt and pepper to our leftovers which helped it out.

I can't find the recipe I used online, but it was like this:

Chop up some potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions.  Throw them in the slow cooker.  Pour 1/2 cup apple juice concentrate over everything along with salt, pepper, and cinnamon.

Rub salt, pepper, and ground cinnamon all over the pork butt.  In a large skillet with a little olive oil, get a quick sear on all sides.  Place it on top of the veggies in the slow cooker.  Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.

Anne's Steak Burrito

I happened to try Taco Bell's Cantina Burrito awhile back and thought it would be fun to somewhat replicate it at home.   It was just okay.  I needed some sort of sauce on the inside.  But my version was at least healthy.

I salt and peppered the steak and marinated it in lime juice, olive oil, cumin, and cilantro.  Cooked it in a skillet on the stovetop.   I placed the steak on a spinach tortilla along with diced tomatoes, diced avocado, diced shallot, diced jalapeno pepper, cilantro, corn and black beans.  I rolled it up, sprinkled a little cheese on top, and baked it in the oven for 20 minutes or so.   I topped it with more of the tomato-avocado salsa.

Spinach Lasagna

  I decided to make a meatless lasagna for the first Lenten Friday, and I found this recipe for Spinach Lasagna in the The New Best Recipe cookbook by Cook's Illustrated.    I tried to be as true to the recipe as possible to get the best results that the book promised.   It was somewhat time-consuming to get through all the instructions, but definitely worth the effort.  This was one of the best recipes I've made so far, in my opinion.   The only changes I made was that I used regular fresh spinach instead of curly leaf spinach, simply because I couldn't find the latter in the store.  And I used a block of Wisconsin-made fontina cheese instead of Italian fontina.    It was rich and creamy and a suburb dish that I would definitely make again.  Also, not to brag, but my photo looks WAY more appetizing than the photo by Cook's Illustrated, don't you think?!  See their photo

Spinach Lasagna  (2013 Cookbook Challenge)
from The New Best Recipe cookbook
Serves 6 to 8

Spinach:
2 bags (10 oz each) curly spinach, stemmed
1 tablespoon salt

Béchamel:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup minced shallots (~4 large shallots)
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3&1/2 cups whole milk
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

Lasagna Layers:
8 ounces whole-milk cottage cheese
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (1 box)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 oz block)
2 cups shredded Italian fontina cheese (8 oz block)

Directions:
Blanch & Shock the Spinach:
Bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large stockpot over high heat.  Add the salt and spinach, stirring until the spinach is just wilted, only 5 seconds.  Using a mesh strainer, transfer the spinach to a large bowl filled with ice water and let stand until completely cool, about a minute.  Drain spinach and transfer to a clean kitchen towel.  Wrap the towel tightly around the spinach and wring until dry.  Chop the spinach and set aside.

For the Béchamel:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming; add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 90 seconds; do not brown.  Gradually whisk in the milk.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.  Whisk in the bay leaves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.  Whisk in the Parmesan cheese and discard the bay leaves.  Transfer sauce to a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface; set aside.

For the Layers:
Blend the cottage cheese, egg, and salt in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Place no-boil noodles in a 13x9 broiler-safe baking dish and cover with hot tap water;  let soak 5 minutes.  Remove noodles from water and place in a single layer on paper towels.  Drain and wipe dish dry.

Coat baking dish with butter.  Spread 1/2 cup of the béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish.  Position 3 noodles on top of the sauce.  Stir the spinach into the remaining béchamel in the bowl.  Spread 1 cup of the spinach-béchamel mixture evenly over the noodles, sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan, and top with 3 more noodles.  Spread 1 cup spinach mixture over noodles, sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of the shredded fontina, and top with 3 more noodles.  Spread 1 cup spinach mixture over the noodles, followed by the cottage cheese mixture.  Finish with the remaining 3 noodles, remaining 1 cup spinach mixture, and remaining 1 cup fontina.

Preheat the oven to 425º with the oven rack adjusted to the middle position.   Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.  Remove the foil, adjust rack to upper position, and broil lasagna for 4-6 minutes until cheese is spotty brown.  Cool 10 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.  Enjoy!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

For "Fat Tuesday," I decided to make some Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Plus, Valentine's Day is coming up, and Jeremy loves cookies.   Easy and delicious. No complaints.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies (2013 Cookbook Challenge)
from Dairyland Seed 100 Years and Still Cooking
Makes 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (3.5oz) package instant vanilla pudding
2 eggs
2&1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 (12oz) package chocolate chips

Directions:
Combine butter, sugars, vanilla, and pudding mix.  Beat until smooth and creamy.  Beat in eggs.  Combine flour and baking soda and gradually add to the butter mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by heaping teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375º for about 8 minutes.

Homemade Pizza and Game Day Goodies

Sausage and Pepper Pizza  (2013 Cookbook Challenge)
from The New Best Recipe Cookbook


Pizza:
1 recipe Pizza Dough (see below)
1 recipe Tomato Sauce (see below)
3/4 pound bulk Italian Sausage, broken into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup water
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
cornmeal, for dusting the pizza peel

Quick Tomato Sauce: (makes enough for 2 large pizzas)
1 (28-oz) can basil & oregano diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
salt and pepper

Place tomatoes in food processor and pulse until mostly smooth. Heat the oil and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat until garlic is sizzling.  Stir in tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, ~15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Pizza Dough:  (makes enough for 3 medium or 2 large pizzas)
1/2 cup warm water (~110º)
1 envelope instant yeast
1&1/4 cups water, room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups bread flour, plus extra (can use regular flour)
1&1/2 teaspoons salt

Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup.  Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it stand until dissolved and swells, about 5 minutes.  Add the room-temperature water and oil and stir to combine.     Combine flour and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer (alternatively, you could use a food processor or knead by hand).  Slowly add liquid ingredients and mix at a slow speed until a cohesive mass forms.  Replace the paddle with the dough hook.  Knead at low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Form the dough into a ball, place it in a deep bowl coated with cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit in a non-drafty room for about 2 hours until the dough has doubled in size.

Meanwhile, make tomato sauce (see recipe above).  Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven.  Heat the oven to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.  Prepare toppings.  Put the sausage and water in a large skillet.  Cook over medium-high heat until the water evaporates and the sausage cooks through and browns, about 10 minutes.  Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Add oil and saute the peppers and onions until softened slightly, about 4 minutes.  Set aside.

After the dough has doubled, deflate it by pressing down on it with your fist.  Divide the dough and form each into a ball.  (Any remaining dough not used can be put in an airtight container and you may freeze for several weeks.)   Let dough relax for 10 minutes.  Flatten the dough into a disc, and starting at the center and working outward, press the dough until it is about 1/2 inch thick.  Holding the center in place, stretch the dough outward, repeating until the diameter is 12-14inches.  Use your palms to flatten the edges.  Carefully lift the dough and transfer to a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal.  Brush with a little olive oil and add sauce, sausage, and vegetables.  Slide the dough from the peel onto the heated pizza stone in the oven and bake until the crust edge starts to brown, 6 to 12 minutes.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake until the cheese melts, just 2 or 3 minutes.  Remove pizza from the oven, cut into wedges, and serve immediately.

******

Vegetable Dip  (2013 Cookbook Challenge)

from Dairyland Seed 100 Years and Still Cooking

Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons parsley flakes
3 tablespoons onion, minced
4 teaspoons dill weed
3 teaspoons Lawrey's seasoned salt

Mix together. Chill.

******

Chocolate Football Strawberries

Directions:   
Melt Wilson Milk Chocolate Candy Melts in a glass bowl in the microwave (or use a double boiler on the stove).  Dip strawberries in the melted chocolate.  Let cool and set.  Melt white chocolate and scoop into a frosting bag.  Pipe lines onto chocolate to resemble a football.