Mini Cheesecakes w/ Fresh Raspberries

I made this for Father's Day (courtesy of a little inspiration from Mel) - they were delicious, and so cute.  Next time I have to bring something sweet to a party or shower, this is it!  So easy to throw together, just requires a little chilling before serving.

Yields 24 mini cheesecakes (requires 2 standard muffin tins and 24 paper liners)
1 package shortbread cookies, 2"diameter (I used Keebler Sandies) - 24 cookies total
2 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
4 large eggs
fresh raspberries, optional
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. Press one shortbread cookie in the bottom of each of the liners.
With hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the condensed milk and vanilla, beating and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes more.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners. Bake until set, about 20 minutes (the centers may seem a bit jiggly but the outer edges should feel firm to the touch). Transfer the muffin pan to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. The muffin liners will shrink away from the sides of the tin as they cool. Refrigerate the muffin pan (with the liners still in the pan) until the cheesecakes are cool and set, about 1 hour.
Remove the cheesecakes from the muffin tin. . Garnish the top of each cheesecake with a fresh raspberry or two, if desired. Serve.
(modified from Cook’s Country April/May 2010 and My Kitchen Cafe)

Hummus

We almost always have hummus of some kind in our fridge.  It's a quick, easy and healthy snack and very easy to make.  If you've got a food processor, tahini paste, and a can of chick peas (garbanzo beans) - you can easily make your own hummus (I know, I've said it before...and before...and before).  It's perfect for a dip or a spread on your favorite sandwich or french bread.

We love this with pita chips and carrots sticks.

2 cloves garlic
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drain and reserve liquid
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
3 TBS. olive oil
2 tablespoons light sour cream

Directions:
Mince garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Add remaining ingredients. Process until smooth, adding additional olive oil as needed to reach desired consistency.  Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

Sweet Gingered Dijon Salmon

Hello, easy and delicious salmon recipe....Where have you been all my life?  Oh, that's right, I just invented you, and now I am going to be famous.  Mmmmmmmm.  This salmon is delicious, and can be made in under 20 minutes!  Serve with Carrot Quinoa Pilaf (recipe coming soon) and steamed vegetables.

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. soy sauce

1/4 c. Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. finely minced ginger

4 (6 ounce) boneless salmon fillets

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1.Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source; prepare the rack of a broiler pan with cooking spray.

2.Season the salmon with salt and pepper and arrange onto the prepared broiler pan. Whisk together the brown sugar and Dijon mustard in a small bowl; spoon mixture evenly onto top of salmon fillets.

3.Cook under the preheated broiler until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.

Tish's No Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake

Let me be honest here.  A friend of mine recently made this for a monthly recipe group I attend, and when she brought it in, I (snobbishly) thought to myself - eeeeww! That looks nasty!  Then I read the ingredients and was even more appalled.  I should have known that my friend, who is actually an amazing cook, would not bring something to a recipe exchange that was gross.   It's no secret - I like gourmet food.  I like to make it (sometimes), I like to eat it (all the time), and this recipe does NOT darn well fit into that category.  Look at the ingredients, for crying out loud!  Boxed pudding mix? Cool Whip? Store bought everything?! You betcha.  This little ditty can be whipped up in under 10 minutes (not counting the time you need to refrigerate it), and tastes reeeeealllllllly good.  I don't care what people say, this is a keeper.  And, it gets better the next day.   So, this is my formal apology, Tish, I will never judge your food again - until after I taste it :).

(makes 1 9x13 pan which will serve at least 12 people)

2 pkgs. instant vanilla pudding (sm. size)
3 1/4 c. milk
1 large tub whipped topping, thawed
1 box graham crackers (3 packages)
1 can store bought chocolate frosting (not creamy supreme)

Pour pudding mix in mixing bowl and beat in the milk with hand mixer.  With wooden spoon, fold in whipped topping. 

In 9x13 pan, place graham crackers in bottom to cover the entire bottom of the pan.  Pour half of the pudding mixture on top and spread evenly, being careful not to displace bottom layer of crackers.  Top with more crackers to cover completely.  Pour remaining pudding mix on top. Cover with final package of crackers.

At 50% power, place frosting in microwave (remove lid and foil) and cook for 1 minute 30 seconds.  Take out and stir.  It should be smooth and pourable.  If it is not, microwave at 15 second intervals until you reach desired consistency.  Pour over the final layer of crackers.  Refrigerate several hours for best results.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I love hummus.  I also love making it at home because it is sooooo much cheaper than buying it at the store.  It's got a bold flavor, and can be eaten as snack (my favorite is with wheat crackers or carrot sticks), but is also filling enough to satisfy you for a meal on it's own.  The roasted red pepper darkens the orange color and adds a smoky depth to to it's flavor and aroma.  Dig in! 

2 cloves garlic
1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, 1 TBS. of liquid reserved
1 large roasted red pepper (can use canned variety or fresh is always best!)
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini paste
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil + more for garnish

In a blender, chop the garlic. Pour garbanzo beans and red pepper into blender, reserving about a tablespoon for garnish. Place lemon juice, tahini, chopped garlic and salt in blender. Blend until creamy and well mixed.

Transfer the mixture to a medium serving bowl. Sprinkle with pepper and pour olive oil over the top. Serve with carrot sticks and wheat crackers, or on pita chips.

Savory Dinner Rolls in Under an Hour

No kidding, if you are in a pinch and work quickly, you can get these yeasty babies on the table in under an hour - and you don't even need a stand mixer, just an old wooden spoon!  These are perfect for a quick dinner roll, although they are best eaten fresh out of the oven and not as a leftover.

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup very warm water
1/4 cup dry potato flakes
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp. dried onion flakes
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add potato flakes, sugar, salt, egg, vegetable oil, garlic powder and onion flakes, and 1 cup of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour. Continue stirring until smooth, scraping batter from sides of bowl.

Cover and let dough rise in warm place until doubled, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.

Punch down dough. Spoon dough into 12 greased muffin cups, filling each half full. Let rise until batter reaches tops of cups, or about 20 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree F for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.  You can save leftovers in the freezer and pop them in the microwave for a warm one!

PBX Cookies (Peanut Butter Criss Cross)

Have you started dreaming up cookie ideas for your holiday cookie exchange yet?  No?  Why not, don't the rest of you plan your life around cookie exchanges?  Well, here's ones I'm adding to MY list.  And there's a story behind it...

So, this awesome young lady that I know offered to babysit for an ENTIRE Friday night for me in exchange for my making a plate of her favorite cookies.  Are you kidding me?  Deal.  The only problem?  She wanted peanut butter.  I don't do peanut butter.  I don't not like it, but I, by no means, really enjoy peanut butter, so I was a little flustered.  Nonetheless, I pushed through my mental block, did some research on the best peanut butter cookies - and here's what I came up with!  

They were beautiful, soft and chewy with a little crunch from the sugar sprinkled on top.  And -ME- of all peanut-butter loathing people rather enjoyed them with a tall glass of ice cold milk.  Yum. 

3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1 cup (1 stick) butter flavored shortening
1 cup sugar, (+2 TBS. for sprinkling on top of dough)
1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Combine peanut butter, shortening, sugars, milk and vanilla in large bowl.

Beat with hand mixer at medium speed until well blended.

Add egg. Beat just until blended.

Combine flour, baking powder and soda.

Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

Drop on greased baking sheet with a melon scooper.

Flatten slightly in crisscross pattern with tines of fork. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.
Bake at 375ºF for 8-9 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown.  Let cool 5 minutes on pan.

Yields about 3 dozen cookies.  Freeze some dough if you don't want to make them all - they last about 3 months in the freezer!

Chocolate Walnut No Bake Drop Cookies

Almost everyone has tasted no-bake cookies before.  Some people like them with peanut butter, some people don't.  I am one of the ones who doesn't (if you like peanut butter, omit the walnuts in recipe below, and add creamy peanut butter).  However, I do like nuts, so I added some walnuts instead, and WOW.  Easy and addicting (not necessarily a good combination)...

Mix in a saucepan:
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 stick margarine
Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat.  Stir in :
3 cups Quick oats
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mix well.  Let rest for 3-5 minutes (no more) in pan and then drop onto wax paper. 

Rocky Road Brownie Bites

Super easy, gooey, and delicious right out of the oven...

1 box brownie mix (fudge flavored)
1 c. mini marshmallows
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Prepare brownie mix as directed.  Add nuts (optional).  Place 1-2 mini marshmallows in the paper lining of each mini cupcake slot.  Pour 3/4 full with brownie batter.  Bake as directed on package - about 11 minutes in my oven (longer if you make them in regular cupcake pan). 

Easy Dinner Nachos

These are plain old nachos that we have at least once a month when we need a quick meal.  They are great and we like to serve them with Burnt Mexican Salsa!  Takes no more than 10 minutes to throw together and have on the table!

Your Favorite Tortilla Strips
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 can white kernel corn, drained
1/2 can diced tomatoes, drained well
shredded rotisserie chicken (if desired, we eat them without meat all the time)
1-2 cups Colby or Monterrey Jack cheese

Turn broiler on high.  Place chips on foil covered cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with beans, corn, chicken and tomatoes.  Cover with cheese.  Broil for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Dip in salsa and enjoy!

Quick Cornbread

This was nearly as easy as making cornbread from a box.  And to think I've spent all this money on "Jiffy" cornbread, when I can make it in a jiffy myself.  Just a note, this is not my favorite homemade corn bread (hmmmm....have I posted that recipe yet? I'll get to that).  It's not a dessert corn bread, but it is just what I needed for a quick cornbread, which I used to make cornbread croutons for a salad I'm going to tell you about soon.  Tastes just like the kind you make from a box.

Here are the croutons I made (recipe coming soon, along with a great salad!):

1 c. flour (can use wheat)
1 c. cornmeal
1/3 c. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt or coarse ground salt
2 eggs
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil

Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl.  Sift dry ingredients together.  Combine wet & dry ingredients with quick strokes of a spoon until incorporated.  Pour batter into greased 9x9x2 pan.  Bake at 400 for 22 minutes.

Strawberry & Green Apple Crisp

A healthy, but really good option for an easy weeknight dessert.  The mix of sweet fresh strawberries and tart Granny Smith apples, with a oatmeal brown sugar crumble will make this dessert tickle your taste buds. I promise.

4 c. thinly sliced Granny Smith apples
1 c. thickly sliced strawberries
3/4 c. oats
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
5 TBS. butter, nearly melted
2 TBS. chopped walnuts (optional)

Place cut fruit in a greased 8x8 glass baking dish.  Mix dry ingredients, pouring nearly melted butter over mixture and work through with fork until the mixture becomes crumbly. Top with walnuts if desired.  Pour mixture over fruit and spread evenly.  Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. Serve warm.

Shannon's Dump Cake

Large Can of Cherry Pie Filling (or flavor or your choice)
Box of White Cake Mix
1 Stick Butter (melted).

Preheat oven to 350. Grease casserole dish. Pour in pie filling. Top with box of white cake powder mix. Pour 1 stick melted butter over. Bake at 350 for approx. 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.