Jiggly Cheesecake

• 130 ml milk
• 100 g butter
• 200 g cream cheese
• 13 egg whites
• 6 egg yolks
• 60 g. flour
• 60 g. corn starch
• 260 g. sugar
• 1/4 t. cream of tartar
• 1 t. Vanilla

Set out cream cheese, butter, and eggs to reach room temperature. Turn oven onto 320 degrees.
Melt cream cheese, butter, and milk on medium-low heat. (cut up bricks of cheese and butter to facilitate even melting)

Separate eggs reserving 6 egg yolks.

Line pan with parchment (with collar to help the rise) and use cooking spray to help the parchment stick to the pan. If using a springform pan line the outside with tin foil.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar for two minutes and then gradually add sugar while beaters are going until stiff peaks form.

In separate large bowl whisk cooled cream cheese mixture with egg yolks. Sift in flour and cornstarch. Stir in vanilla.

Boil hot water in teapot.

Fold in ⅓ of the egg whites to cream cheese mixture to slacken. Then carefully fold in the addition two ⅓ portions ensuring that each is carefully incorporated before adding the next.

Pour cheesecake batter into prepared pan and then place that pan into a larger pan. Set the two pans into the oven and carefully pour in to half the side of the larger pan with the boiling water (the steam and water bath will help the cake from cracking).

Bake for 25 minutes at 320 degrees. Then reduce the temperature to 280 and cook it for an additional 55 minutes (online reviewer added an additional 30 minutes to the cooking time. I added an addition 20 minutes to that.)

Remove from pan and peel off parchment paper. Eat hot or cooled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzqiBTFF-IE

Batter Rolls With Orange Roll Variation

Batter Rolls:

1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup salted butter
2 eggs
1 Tbsp dry yeast (SAF)
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups flour (Lehi Roller Mills)
2 Tbsp melted salted butter

1. In medium sauce pan bring milk to boil. Whisk on high heat until milk scalds (you can tell by the smell) do not burn.  Add butter and sugar, allow butter to melt off heat.

2. Beat eggs in standing mixer. SLOWLY add milk mixture, beating continually.

3. Add 2 cups flour, mix well. Add yeast, mix well. Add salt and remaining flour. Knead 4-5 minutes with hook attachment. Batter should still be sticky. Let raise until double. Bunch down, divide dough into two balls.

4. Grease lipped cookie sheet and turn oven onto 400 degrees.

5. Cover one ball and roll out other in large circle, dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Brush 1 Tbsp butter onto surface. With pizza cutter cut dough into 12 wedges. Roll the dough from the wide end to the point to form a croissant. Pinch dough together and place seam side down on greased cookie sheet. Continue forming rolls and place 1/2 inch apart. Repeat with second ball of dough and butter.

6. Cover rolls loosely with greased (oil spray) plastic wrap oil side down and let raise another 15 minutes. Remove plastic and bake rolls at 400 for 12-13 minutes or until golden (I check my rolls at 10-11 minutes). If pan is darker check earlier on baking time and do not let completely cool on cookie sheet or bottoms of rolls will get overdone. Best eaten same day, store in airtight bag once completely cooled.

Orange Roll Variation:

Filling:

2 Tbsp melted butter, slightly cooled
4 Tbsp orange zest
3/4 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Omit butter in 5th step and spread filling over dough before cutting into wedges. Remember to divide filling between two balls of dough. Let raise and bake as directed above.

Glaze:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp frozen orange concentrate
8 Tbsp salted butter

Mix ingredients in medium sauce pan and let boil for 6 minutes stirring constantly. Evenly pour over baked and slightly cooled rolls. Serve immediately.

From Erin's Kitchen in Beaumont Texas:)

Vegetable and Bean Tostadas

America's Test Kitchen has lengthy directions. I found there was bit of a learning process before I could read through their directions quickly. They treat cooking like it's a science which can be good for someone who is needing to learn techniques. These tostadas are VERY satisfying and worth the work. I've found with ATK recipes that if I prep all the ingredients first, it goes faster. At our house we have a rule when eating messy and delicious foods: No judging and no looking at each other. Just dig in!

12 (6inch) corn tortillas - I buy mine at Sprouts. They have a white chewy corn tortilla that are also flexible.
Vegetable oil spray
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 onions, halved and sliced thin - I only use one
3 green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into matchsticks
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper
2 (15-ounce) can pinto beans - keep canning liquid
1 Tbsp finely chopped jarred pickled jalapenos, plus 4 Tbsp jalapeno brine
1 (10-ounce) bag of shredded cabbage
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
1/2 c sour cream
2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro

1. Adjust oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray the tortillas lightly with vegetable oil and spread out over two rimmed backing sheets. Bake until lightly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions and peppers and cook until softeneed and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 sec. Off heat, stir in 1 Tbsp lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer vegetables to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

3. Add the remaining Tbsp. oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the beans and their canning liquid, pickled jalapeno, and 1 Tbsp brine. Cook, mashing the beans with a potato masher, until the mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the beans to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

4. Toss the coleslaw mix with remaining 3 Tbsp jalapeno brine in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Spread the bean mixture evenly over the crisp tortillas, then top with cheese, vegetables, and slaw. Whisk the sour cream and remaining 2 Tbsp lime juice together and then drizzle over the top. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Paperbag Apple Pie - From Blue Ribbon Pies

Congratulations! You have just found one of the greatest pie recipes ever. Easy and incredible.

Turn oven on to 350 degrees and place oven rack in lower third of the oven.

Pie Crust:

1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 c + 1-2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp cold milk (we use rice)

Mix the dry ingredients then add the oil and milk. Form a ball and pat into a 9 inch pie plate. Pie shell shrinks during cooking so pat slightly over the edges. Set aside.

Apple Filling:

5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced. (not too thin)
1/2 c sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I always add more)

Mix apples with the dry ingredients until coated evenly. Pour into uncooked pie shell creating a mound in the center.

Streusel Topping:

1/2 c flour
1/2 c of cold, salted butter
1/2 c sugar

Cut butter into flour and sugar until butter. Mixture should have large clumps and be crumbly (do not melt the butter!). Sprinkle on top of apples, a larger portion of the streusel should be placed over the mounded apples.

Slide pie into a standard brown grocery bag (take off handles if necessary) and staple shut. Ensure folds of the paper bag do not touch the pie. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Carefully take out the pie, juices are abundant. Cut open the bag and let cool to desired temperature.

Laura’s Brazilian Salad

Rice

¾ cup Of onion (diced)

3-4       Cloves of fresh minced garlic (depending on size)

2 cups Of Black Rice

4 cups Of water

1 ½      Large pinches of dried Basil

1 ½      Large pinches of dried Oregano

½ tsp   Of salt

Avocado oil (or another mild oil)

Directions:

In a medium pot, saute onion and garlic with enough avocado oil to cover the bottom of the pan or as to prevent sticking and to coat the rice. Add Basil and Oregano. When garlic begins to brown (don’t burn the garlic) quickly add rice and roast for 30 seconds continuously stirring. Do not allow rice to burn. Then add water. Stir in then add salt and stir again. Cover and bring to a boil and then turn the heat to a low. approx 40 min. cooking time.

Hint: it is important to NOT continue to stir the rice after this point. Rice will cook and form air pockets which will allow the rice to cook evenly and thoroughly. You will begin to hear when the bubbles and water have evaporated. At this point it is safe to place a spatula inside the rice to the bottom to check to see if the water is gone. DON’T STIR. When the water is gone take the rice off the heat. Nothing is worse than burnt rice.

Beans

2          cans of black beans and their liquid (cheap kind aren’t the best)

½         cup  of onion (Diced)

2 ½      cloves of fresh minced garlic

1 ½      Large pinches of dried Basil

1 ½      Large pinches of dried Oregano

½ tsp.  Of salt

Directions:

In a medium pot, saute onion and garlic with enough avocado to cover the bottom of the pan or as to prevent sticking. Add Basil and Oregano. When garlic begins to brown (don’t burn the garlic) add the two cans of beans and the salt. Mix and then stir occasionally on a low heat for the amount of time the rice needs to cook.

Salad

1          Head of Romaine lettuce

3          Chopped tomatoes

1-2       Grated carrots

Cilantro (if desired)

Thinly sliced onion (amount to your liking)

                        - This is important for the dressing!

Portuguese Dressing

Olive oil

Lemon juice (preferably fresh squeezed)

Salt for taste

Directions:

Mix together Lettuce, tomato, carrots and cilantro in a big bowl. Thinly slice the onion and place it on top. Pour in an appropriate amount of Olive oil, and squeeze about a half of a fresh lemon or drizzle lemon juice. (Be careful with this one). Then add Salt to taste!

Assembling:

With desired portions your dish should be stacked. First rice, then the beans (liquid is considered the gravy), and add grated cheddar cheese on that. Then add your salad on top of that and eat with tortilla chips. :D

Fish Tacos from Jessica's Newlywed's Cookbook

I make a pretty mean fish taco. Every time I make them they are slightly different, but they always have the same fundamentals:

• corn tortillas (I like white corn)
• a flaky, white fish marinated in lime, cumin, chili powder and grilled or fried
• my special Chalula sour cream sauce
• a tropical fruit salsa of some kind (mango, avocado, pineapple, etc.)

Tonight the fish was flour-crusted and pan fried and topped with pineapple salsa. Here's the recipe:

Fish:
Heat 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a pan over med. heat. Make the marinade:

1/4 cup lime juice (I used the kind in the bottle, it's okay)
1/2 tsp. salt
a few cracks of pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin

Mix the ingredients and marinate 2 tilapia loins for 5-20 minutes. Dredge the fish in 2 Tbsp. flour mixed with 1 Tbsp. corn starch. Pan fry for 5 mins on each side or until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towels and flake into bite-sized chunks.

*Pineapple Salsa:
1 cup diced pinepple
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed and finely diced
1 tomato (I used a handful of grape tomatoes, do not use if making mango salsa), seeded and diced
salt, pepper, cumin to taste
a few splashes each of lime juice, red wine vinegar,  olive oil, and honey

Special Sauce:
1 Tbsp. mayo
2 Tbsp. sour cream
lime juice
Chalula hot sauce to taste

To assemble:
Heat a corn tortilla in a dry skillet on medium heat for 30 seconds on each side. Smear some special sauce in the center of the tortilla. Top with some chunks of fish and then the salsa. Make sure to get some of the yummy salsa water over the fish.

*the salsa I made on Friday was a little different. I used mango instead of pineapple, red onion instead of sweet onion, and no tomatoes. I also don't put honey in my salsa if the mangos are sweet enough. Adding some shredded cabbage to the top is also something we've tried and liked.

 - http://newlywedscookbook.blogspot.com/2012/07/fish-tacos-with-pineapple-salsa.html?m=1

Chickpea Cakes With Cucumber Sauce - ATK

This is so yummy! Takes a little work but it is worth it.

* Wheat bread my also be used. Avoid over mixing the chickpeas in step 3 or the texture will become mealy. Serve with salad.*

• 2 slices high-quality white sandwhich bread, torn into pieces
• 1 cucmber peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and shredded
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/4 cups 2 percent greek yogurt
• 6 scallions, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed
• 2 large eggs
• 10 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 shallot minced
• lime wedges for serving

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Spread the crumbs out over a rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and dry, 10 to 12 minutes.   Let cool to room temperature.

2. Meanwhile, toss the cucumber with 1/2 tsp. salt in colander and let drain for 15 to 30 minutes.  Combine the drained cucumbers, 3/4 cup yogurt, 2 Tbsp scallions, and 1 Tbsp cilantro in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Pulse the chickpea in the food processor to a coarse puree with large pieces remaining about 8 pulses.  In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, 2 Tbsp. of the oil, garam masala, cayenne, and 1/8 tsp salt together.  Add the processed chickpeas, breadcrumbs, remaining 1/2 cup yogurt, remaining scallions, remaining 3 Tbsp cilantro, and shallot until just combined.  Divide the chickpea mixture into 6 equal portions, about 1/2 cup each, and lightly pack into 1 inch thick patties.

4. Heat 2 teaspoons more oil in a 12-inch skillet (nonstick if possible) over medium heat until shimmering.  Carefully lay half of the patties in the skillet and cook until well browned and both sides, 8 to 10 minutes. (we always have to cook ours longer- if you flip it before it's had a chance to form a crust it will crumble)

5.  Transfer the cakes to a plate and tent loosely with foil.  Return the skillet to medium heat and repeat with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and remaining patties.  Serve with the cucumber-yogurt sauce and lime wedges.