Berry Cheesecake Bars

Berry Cheesecake Bars

Here's a simple dessert made with frozen mixed berries
Dole makes a 12 oz. bag that's perfect for this easy recipe.

1 1/2 C Graham Cracker Crumbs mixed with 1/2 Stick of Butter, melted and 2TBS of sugar
Press into a 9"X13" pan sprayed with a vegetable cooking spray
Refrigerate until the filling is made.

In a large bowl, mix together with an electric mixer:
4 (8oz.) packages of Cream Cheese
1/2 C  granulated Sugar

Thaw a 12 oz. package of mixed berries, and drain them.  Smash them with a fork ( have the berries thawed before beginning the recipe.)
Stir the berries into the cheese mixture

From 1 (8oz.) tub of thawed Whipped Topping , take out 2 cups and fold it into the cheese/fruit mixture.
Spoon the mixture into the pan and spread out evenly.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours...... longer if necessary.

Cut into bars to serve and top each bar with remaining Whipped Topping.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Peanut Butter - Chocolate - Banana Cream Pie

This is a Kraft Recipe adapted from their Food and Family Magazine.

35 Vanilla Wafers, crushed
1/4 C  ( 1 1/2 stick ) Butter, melted
2 Medium Bananas, cut in half lengthwise and then quartered
2 Squares of Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, divided
1 TBS vanilla extract
1/2 C Creamy Peanut Butter
2 C milk
2 packages ( 4-serving size ea.) Vanilla Flavored Instant Pudding and Pie filling
2 C of Whipped Topping, thawed
2 TBS of chopped peanuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl, mix Wafers and butter,  until well blended
Press into a 9" pie plate and bake for 5 - 8 minutes or until golden brown
Cool completely and cover the crust evenly with the bananas
Create chocolate curls from 1/2 square of chocolate using a vegetable peeler, set aside
Place the remaining chocolate and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat until melted (about 1 minute) , stirring until smooth.
Stir in vanilla
Drizzle the chocolate over all of the bananas

In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix and milk
Whisk together about 2 minutes, until well incorporated
Fold in the whipped topping
Spread the mixture evenly over the bananas

Top the pie with the remaining whipped topping

Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving

Top with chocolate curls and crushed peanuts to serve

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

English Crumpets

English Crumpets:

This recipe is adapted from Elaine Lemm from the British & Irish Food Guide

My wife and I go to a local place called Eatzi's every Saturday morning for fresh Crumpets.
I found this recipe so I can make them at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 C  milk, warmed but not boiling
• 4 C  flour
• 1 TBS dried yeast
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 C warm water 
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1tsp .baking powder
• Vegetable oil for cooking

Preparation:

• Whisk together the milk, flour, yeast and sugar. 
• Add half the water and beat into the batter.
• Continue to add more water until the batter is thick and smooth.
•  Stop adding water once it reaches the consistency of thick cream.
•  Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until foaming - about 1 to 2 hours.
• Whisk salt and baking powder into the batter.
•  Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove on medium heat until hot.
• With a paper towel,  oil the pan and  pastry rings  rings measuring 3"x 1 ½" approx. 
• Place rings in the heated pan, add enough batter to fill just below the top of the ring.
•  Cook for five minutes, there should be  holes on the surface. 
• Remove the rings carefully with tongs.
•  Flip the crumpet over and cook for another two – three minutes.
• Repeat with the remaining batter. 
• Cool them on a wire rack. Reheat in a toaster or under the grill before serving.
•  Serve with  butter and jam.
• NOTE: If the batter seeps from under the ring it is too thin, whisk in more flour.
•  If the crumpet is heavy and without holes, the batter is too thick, add more water.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Cast Iron Skillet / Salt Roasted, Stovetop Potatoes

2 Pounds of red, New Potatoes
2 C Kosher Salt
2 Tbs fresh Chopped Rosemary
1 TBS Olive Oil
Sour Cream for Service

Scrub Potatoes
Set aside
Pour Salt into a 12" Cast Iron Skillet or Dutch Oven, spread evenly
Heat on medium heat for 5 minutes
Sprinkle evenly with Rosemary

Add Potatoes, pressing lightly into the salt in a single layer
Cover and cook for 35 - 40 minutes or until fork tender
Remove skillet from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes

Remove potatoes with tongs and brush off excess salt
Reserve the salt

Transfer potatoes to a serving platter
Drizzle with Olive oil

Cover with foil and let stand for 5 minutes

Serve salted with some of the reserved salt and Sour Cream

Store the salt in a sealed container , a canning jar with a lid that clamps works well.
Use as needed to salt other dishes

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Dallas Morning News Taste Recipe ! July 17th / Oven Dried Tomatoes for Tomato Pesto

The entire section is dedicated to tomatoes.
There are many recipes and I decided to post this one for Oven Dried Tomatoes to make  Oven Dried Tomato Pesto.
This looks very interesting and something I would make.

First you have to oven dry the tomatoes.
This recipe is for small tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes.

Small oven dried tomatoes can be kept in the refrigerator in airtight bags or immersed in olive oil in glass jars. They can also be frozen for up to a year.

Preheat the oven to the lowest setting, such as warm.
Wash and dry the tomatoes. Cut them in half and place them cut side up on a perforated sheet pan or rack. I think a roasting pan with a perforated rack would be perfect.
Salt the tomatoes.
After 5 - 6 hours, turn off the oven, leaving the door closed, so the tomatoes dry further to the consistency of raisins.

Oven Dried Tomato Pesto:

1 C oven dried tomatoes, moistened with a little water if necessary.
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 C toasted whole almonds ( note to follow)
1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 C of extra virgin olive oil plus some to cover the tomatoes.

In a food processor:
tomatoes
garlic
almonds
parsley
cheese
vegetable oil

Process until smooth, adding a few drops of warm water if necessary, this will simply help the processor.
Once the pesto is at the desired consistency, add olive oil quickly and process until relatively homogenous, not more than a few seconds. ( olive oil will turn bitter if over processed)

Pour into a container, cover and refrigerate.
It will separate , that's OK. Make sure there is a layer of olive oil on the top, adding if necessary.
The pesto will keep for a week.
Make about 3 cups.

Note: to toast the almonds, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the nuts start to darken.

Ways to use oven dried tomatoes:
Toss into salad.
Mix them into a meat or vegetarian based bell pepper stuffing.
Mix with an Olive oil, garlic, rosemary saute to use as a sauce on Pasta and finish with fresh Ricotta Cheese.
Add to Potato Salad.
Chop and mix into burgers,( meat or vegetarian).
Add to stews or soups.
Add finely chopped to Gazpacho.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Amish Zucchini Patties

These patties are served hot with sour cream.

1/4 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 TBS salt
1 TBS corn meal
cold water
2 C shredded zucchini
1/2 C finely diced onion
sour cream for garnish

Mix together the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl.
Add enough cold water to make a thick batter.
Mix in the zucchini and onion and mix well.
Drop by the tablespoon in a cast iron skillet with hot vegetable oil.
Flatten the patties lightly and brown them , turn them and continue to brown the other side.
Fry to a golden brown.

Serve with dollops of sour cream.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Amish Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Amish Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins:

I have to take some liberty with this recipe. It was very vague in the instructions.

It came from one of my vintage Amish cookbooks from the Mennonite Central Conference Sale in Kansas.

2 beaten eggs
1/2 C pumpkin
1/2 C milk
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 C sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg

In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients well.

Filling:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 TBS sugar
1 TBS milk
Whisk well in a small bowl, creating a smooth topping

Grease the bottoms only of a 12 cup muffin tin or line them with paper liners.

Fill the cups 2/3 full of batter.
Put 1 tsp of the filling on top of the batter and swirl it with a knife.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 22 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!