SIX MINI CHEESECAKES

As empty nesters, we are easily overloaded by a full size cheesecake, so I have been experimenting. I finally got it down to six cupcake size cheesecakes which suits us perfectly.

These little guys ALWAYS turn out perfect.....no cracks, no sink hole in the center and they are smooth, rich and addicting!!

Place six foil (or paper) cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Preheat your oven to 325°.

CRUST
1/3  cup graham cracker crumbs
2    teaspoons sugar
2    teaspoons melted butter

Mix together and split evenly between the six cupcake liners, and press the crumbs into a flat layer.

FILLING
8 ounces of full fat cream cheese (room temperature)
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons flour
2 large egg whites

Beat the room temperature cream cheese with electric mixer for three minutes. Add the sugar and beat for another two minutes.

Add the vanilla, flour and egg whites and mix until well incorporated, but don't over mix.

Pour the batter over the crumb crust, filling almost to the top (I use an ice cream scoop).

Bake at 325° for 25 minutes (the cheesecake should be just "set" and barely jiggle when you tap lightly on the side of the cupcake pan.

Remove from the oven and let sit at room temperature about 20 minutes, then put in the fridge and chill for at least a couple of hours.

Before serving, I like to add a swirl of raspberry jam on the surface of the COLD cheesecake (any jam will work, see note below).

ENJOY !!!

Note:  I like to use the foil cupcake liners because they release the cheesecake so easily, but paper ones work great as well.

Note: Any jam or spreadable fruit works well in this recipe. To make the jam super spreadable, I just put a couple of heaping tablespoons into a small bowl and stir it vigorously until it is smooth and soft.

Note: I never seem to remember to bring the cream cheese up to room temperature, so I just put it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds (to take the chill off) and it works fine.

CROCKPOT TURKEY BREAST

SUPER EASY

Have you ever cooked a whole turkey breast in the crockpot? It is fail proof and super moist and tender!!! 

It is so easy, that turkey and gravy won't be "just for Thanksgiving" any more!!  

5 pound bone-in turkey breast
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
3 stalks celery chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
black pepper

The size of your crockpot will determine how many pounds of turkey you can cook. I've found (bone-in) turkey breasts at the market, weighing as little as 4 1/2 pounds and as much as 7 pounds... but keep in mind that the roast is going to have to fit into your crockpot.

Wash and pat dry your THAWED turkey breast. Trim the meat so that it will fit into the crockpot (I usually have to remove the rib bones (with my kitchen shears) to get the big ones to fit). Coat the surface of the turkey with minimal butter and rub the dry onion soup mix* and pepper all over the surface of the turkey. Put the chopped celery into the bottom of the crockpot and add 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Lay the turkey breast (skin side down) on top of the celery. Cook on low for 5-7 hours (see notes below).

NOTE: You will be tempted to add more than 1/2 cup of broth to the crockpot, but don't. The turkey will produce plenty of liquid (for  gravy) and *don't worry about an over-powering onion soup taste, you won't even know its in there, but it really makes a great addition to the gravy.

NOTE: Everyone’s crockpot cooks at a different temperature, so you will have to keep that in mind. We like our turkey to come easily off the bone, and that takes 6 hours on LOW for a 5 pound (bone-in) turkey breast. Just start testing it after 5 hours.

When turkey is fully cooked, remove it from the crockpot and thicken the juices/broth to make gravy.

This is a great (fool proof) cooking method for turkey breast. There are so many uses for it like "extra turkey" if you are serving a BIG crowd, or extra turkey for next-day sandwiches, casseroles, soups, salads, etc.

ENJOY !!!

CHOCOLATE MAGIC SHELL

This fast and fun recipe is a delicious chocolate sauce and when you put it on something cold, it turns hard like commercial "Magic Shell" (except a lot more budget friendly). Don't restrict it to ice cream though, how about frozen bananas?

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 
¼ cup butter
¼ cup canola oil
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat the chocolate, butter and oil until the chocolate melts. I do this in the microwave, starting at 30 seconds on high, then stir, then 15 more seconds and stir and a final 15 seconds and stir. At first, it will seem like the ingredients don't want to blend, but whisk it for 10-15 seconds and it will go together beautifully. Once it is smooth, whisk in the vanilla extract.

Cool to room temperature, (you can use it right away, but while it is still hot it will take a few seconds for it to harden on the ice cream).

NOTE: If you use your microwave to melt the chocolate, watch it carefully, since your microwave might cook faster or slower than mine and chocolate scorches easily.

NOTE: With the addition of butter & oil, I thought this might have a greasy taste, but it does NOT. While warm (which is my favorite) this has a velvety texture, almost like the best hot fudge sundae taste.

BEST BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS EVER

I kid you not, these chicken thighs are the BEST of the BEST and quick and easy to make. They are SUPER moist, SUPER tender and SUPER flavorful. We couldn't stop eating them and they are going straight to the TOP of my FIVE STAR recipe list.

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs  (thawed)
Milk to cover
1/4 cup melted butter

1 tablespoon Coleen's seasoned salt (click here for recipe)
3/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons paprika

Put the chicken in a large bowl and cover with milk (I use 2%). Let this sit in fridge for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the flour, seasoned salt, salt and pepper, and paprika until well mixed. NOTE: I've only ever tried this with my own seasoned salt mixture (click here for recipe)I can't tell you if any other seasoned salt mixtures would taste as good.

Drain the milk off of the chicken and put the chicken in the flour mixture and toss to coat evenly.

Preheat your oven and an EMPTY 9 x 13 baking dish to 400°. When the oven hits 400°, put the melted butter in the hot baking dish, spreading it around so the entire bottom of the pan is covered.

Set the floured chicken on the melted butter and put back in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake another 20 minutes. That's it!!

Chicken comes out SUPER tender, SUPER moist and SUPER flavorful.

ENJOY !!!

ULTRA TENDER SHRIMP 5 STAR

I don't know about you, but I have ruined a LOT of expensive shrimp over the years by not cooking it properly. I have been known to turn $20 dollars worth of beautiful raw shrimp into a bowl of shrimp that has the texture erasers!!  Very frustrating for sure!!

Well, not any more, my friends!! I have found the easiest, quickest, most fool proof and certainly most delicious way to cook RAW shrimp. Where has this recipe been all my life?? Am I the only one who didn't know this trick?

A QUICK 30 MINUTE BRINE
1 cup cold water
2 cups ice (I just used an ice cube tray full)
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup white sugar

Mix the brine ingredients well, then add 1 pound of large raw shrimp (roughly 25 shrimp to the pound) that have had the heads, shell and back vein removed (leave the tail on if you want).

Stir the shrimp GENTLY into the brine and make sure it reaches all of the shrimp evenly, then chill (shrimp in brine) in the fridge for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, drain the shrimp and RINSE WELL UNDER COLD RUNNING WATER.  Drain and BLOT DRY with paper towels. Keep shrimp cold while your broiler heats up.

Put a DRY (no grease) cookie sheet (with a rim) under the broiler (about 6" from the flame) and preheat it for FIVE FULL MINUTES.

While the pan is heating up, put 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl and add 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/8 to 1/4 cayenne pepper (but no salt because the shrimp will still have a little salt from the brine on them). Stir until well mixed and then add the shrimp and GENTLY toss to coat all sides of the shrimp.

After the pan has pre-heated under the broiler for FIVE MINUTES, put the shrimp on it (they will sizzle). Quickly put the HOT pan full of shrimp under the broiler.

Broil (6" away from flame) for 2 minutes, then flip the shrimp over, and broil for 1 more minute.

Remove the shrimp from your broiler, AND TAKE THEM OFF OF THE HOT PAN IMMEDIATELY(or they will continue to cook and get rubbery). That's it!! Easy as pie.

Shrimp cooked with this method are extremely tender and flavorful. This is a great technique for ANY recipe that calls for pre-cooked shrimp.  It is also a GREAT method to cook shrimp for a big crowd!!

ENJOY !!

CROCKPOT SERIOUS COMFORT FOOD

SERIOUS COMFORT FOOD!!

We call this lasagna (which it isn't) but it qualifies as serious comfort food and has all of the rich, familiar lasagna flavors.

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (browned and drained well)
4 cups of beef broth (I used canned)
(1) 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
(1) 12 ounce can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes
1 teaspoon dry oregano
2 teaspoons dry basil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed (don't leave out)
1 teaspoons salt (leave out if you use bullion)
1 tablespoons sugar (don't leave out)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (1/2 tsp if you like heat)
3/4 pound of rigatoni noodles
1/2 pound of mushrooms (thick sliced)
2 to 3 cups Colby Jack cheese shredded

Brown the ground beef and drain it very well. In a large crock pot (see note below), Mix the beef broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, onion and spices. Use a whisk to mix the sauce together well, then stir in the meat and mushrooms. Cook on high for 4 hours (see note). Stir once in a while during the 4 hours if possible (but not absolutely necessary.

After 4 hours, Stir in the DRY unboiled rigatoni, make sure you push them under the sauce (add a little extra hot water if necessary). 

Continue to cook for 30-ish more minutes. Sprinkle the surface with shredded Colby jack cheese and put the lid back on for about 5 minutes or until cheese is nicely melted. Serve.

NOTE: My crock pot is a large oval and wide slow cooker, which works well for this recipe, as opposed to a small/tall one.  The main cooking time is 4 hours on high, but if you are going to be away from the house all day, just turn it down to LOW and cook for 8 hours before you add the noodles. If you are using one of those smaller/taller slow cookers, you may have to adjust the cooking time.

NOTE: Noodles tend to fall apart if you leave them in the crock pot for much more than 30 minutes, so don't be tempted to add them early. Thirty minutes is perfect.

NOTE: This recipe uses rigatoni noodles, which are large diameter tubular noodles that have ridges on them. However, any kind of thick walled (sturdy) noodle (like rotini) will work for this recipe. Just make sure you do NOT BOIL THEM before you add them to the sauce. They cook in the sauce and soak up all of that extra liquid. 

NOTE: I like dehydrated onion in this recipe, but if you don't have that, just saute a small chopped onion along with the ground beef.

NOTE: You can use your favorite cheese. We happen to like Colby Jack cheese, but mozzarella works well too.

NOTE: This reheats very well.

ENJOY !!!

"Peanutella" Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread

If you like Nutella, you will LOVE peanutella, just think of the possibilities!!

Lets see, let me count the ways: on waffles, on pound cake, on warm scones, in a sandwich, with s'mores, on waffles, as a dip for apples and oh yes...right out of the jar with a spoon!!!

2 cups shelled, skinned raw peanuts (see note)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (best quality you can find)
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt 
2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil

Spread the nuts on a cookie sheet and roast in a 400F oven for 10 minutes (stirring half way through for even roasting).  NOTE: I couldn't find raw peanuts, so I used dry roasted UNSALTED peanuts and roasted them for only 5 minutes in the oven (to bring out more flavor).

Put the nuts in a food processor and process for five minutes. At first they will get mushy or pasty, but keep processing and the nuts will start to liquefy. Scrape down the sides of the food processor every once in a while.

Once the nuts begin to liquefy, add the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Process for another minute or so. If the mixture seems too thick (it will thicken more in the fridge) add the other tablespoon of peanut oil. Taste the mixture, add another mini-pinch of salt if you think it needs it.

That's it!! Store in the fridge (tightly covered) for up to a week.  This mixture might seem a bit thin at first, but it will thicken as it "sets" in the fridge.

ENJOY!!!

GREEN CHILE PORK LOIN ROAST

We love this recipe, not only because it is easy and tasty, but because of it's excellent leftover possibilities. Green chile roast leftovers make great cold sandwiches or it can be torn apart and tucked (hot) into warm tortillas (with a little bit of the chile gravy & some pepperjack cheese?) It is one of those recipes that tastes even better on day two).


4 pound boneless pork loin roast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 ounce can of roasted green chiles (I use Ortega)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dry red pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 Reynolds roasting bag + 1 tablespoon flour

Place the tablespoon of flour in the roasting bag and shake it around (per roasting bag instructions). Place the bag in a roasting pan and set aside.

Mix all of the dry ingredients and rub it all over the surface of the pork roast. Brown the roast in the vegetable oil (both sides). Place the browned roast into the roasting bag with half of the green chiles under the meat and the other half on top.

Seal the bag tightly and make a few small holes in the top of the bag to let steam escape. Bake in preheated 325F oven for 2 hours (see note). Thicken juices and serve over pork slices.

 

NOTE: I have not tried it, but I see no reason why you couldn't use a roasting pan that has a tight lid instead of the plastic roasting bag.

NOTE: Most recipes tell you to cook a boneless pork roast like this for 20 minutes per pound, however, we like our pork cooked longer than that. Thirty minutes per pound will give you very tender pork but still slice-able (not quite to pulled pork tenderness). If you don't care for pork done this way, figure 20 minutes per pound.

ENJOY !!!

CROCKPOT TACO BEANS

I have been tweaking this recipe for a few years and I finally have it just the way we like it. It is one of those easy recipes that you dump everything in the slow cooker and wait for the magic. 

Canned refried beans just don't "do it" for us after this recipe. Honestly, I could just eat these right out of the slow cooker with a spoon...forget the toppings.

This recipe makes a huge batch of beans (I use a 6 quart slow cooker). 

1 medium sweet onion chopped
3 cups of rinsed (and sorted) DRY PINTO beans (don't soak)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 ounce can of chopped mild green chiles (do not leave out)

9 cups water (water should be about 3" to 4" above the beans)

I put everything in the crockpot just before bed and cook on low overnight. By morning, the house smells glorious!! You can also cook them in the crockpot on high for 8-ish hours. They are very "forgiving" and don't get soft and mushy.

If you want to make refried type beans, drain the liquid (but save it) and put the beans in the food processor. Puree (adding just enough of the reserved liquid to get the consistencey you want). That's it!! 

Personally, I seldom make them into refried beans. I like to leave them whole and stir them into taco meat, or sprinkle on taco salad, etc.

I freeze the extras in 2 cup portions which makes them super easy to thaw (and they taste just like they came out of the crockpot).

NOTE: Do not pre-soak the beans.

NOTE: If your cooking on HIGH, check the beans after 6-7 hours, if they look like they are a little dry, add another cup of water and stir.

ENJOY !!!

DOG TREATS - PEANUT BUTTER & APPLESAUCE

 Buddy, our 5 year old Chiweenie, absolutely LOVES these treats. They are super easy to make (only 4 ingredients) and cost a fraction of most commercial treats.

4 cups oats (processed in food processor to smaller texture)
2/3 cup applesauce (I used unsweetened)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I use Skippy)
2 eggs (lightly beaten)

Put the oats into a food processor and chop until you have a smaller texture. It will take (about) 6 cups of oats to make 4 cups of chopped oats. (I hope that makes sense).

Click on this photo see the texture

In a stand mixer, mix the chopped oats, applesauce, peanut butter and eggs until you get a very stiff dough that holds together.

Scatter a little of the chopped oats onto your work surface and then roll out the dough to 1/4" thick. Cut into squares.

Place squares onto a parchment lined baking sheet. The treats don't spread, so you can place them fairly close together.

Bake at 350F  25-30 minutes (my electric oven takes 30 minutes). They will be nice and crunchy. If they don't seem "crunchy enough", let the treats sit in the oven for another 5 minutes with the heat turned off.

Cool completely on baking rack, then store them in an air tight container.

BUDDY Gives 2 Paws Up !!!

ITALIAN SEASONING & A TIP

I use a lot of dry herbs and spices; they are convenient. However, there are some spices that I don't use all that often. For example, that little $3.99 jar of rubbed sage gets used for a single holiday and then languishes on my spice rack, only to be thrown away. Well, I've discovered the (bulk) dry herb and spice section of the health food isle. The spices are sold by the pound, so the big hand full of sweet basil I bought the other day was a whopping 45 cents. I am buying all of my dry herb and spices this way from now on. They are not only economical, but they are super fresh and are an excellent quality!! . This recipe for Italian Seasoning is a far better blend than any ready-made Italian Seasoning that I've found so far. I hope you will try it.

3 tablespoons dry basil
3 tablespoons dry oregano
3 tablespoons dry parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon dry rosemary
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Stir together thoroughly and break down the larger herbs (like the rosemary) with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder (just don't grind it too fine).

Store in airtight jar for up to six months.

NOTE: I wash out the glass jars that spices usually come in, and refill them with the bulk herbs and/or spices.

CROCKPOT SHORT RIB TACOS

The idea for this recipe came about because I had some BONELESS beef short ribs thawed out and I had no clue what to do with them. I decided to make short rib tacos and they were SO GOOD, I will definitely be making these again!!

Click on Photo

I started with 2 1/2 pounds of BONELESS beef short ribs. I'm sure every butcher shop has their version, but the ones I used look like this and they are about 1/2" thick.

In a small cup, mix 3 teaspoons of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin (don't leave that out), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano and 1 tablespoon of dry onion flakes. Mix well and sprinkle both sides of the meat as evenly as possible (no need to brown the meat).  

Note: Hubby does not like spicy food, so the spice measurements above are very conservative.  Add more if you like a little "heat".

Put the seasoned meat in the crockpot, in single layer, and top with a   4 ounce can of mild green chile's (liquid and all, I use Ortega brand). Do not add any water!!

Cook on low for 6 hours or until they are almost  fall apart tender (it really depends on how thick the meat was). 

Click on this photo

Remove the meat from the crockpot and cover with foil to keep warm for a few minutes. The meat will have naturally made about a cup of broth in the bottom of the crockpot...thicken it and coat the meat with the "taco gravy" you just created. Each boneless short rib makes a couple huge tacos !!

Click on this Photo

The leftovers (sliced on the bias) make fantastic grilled beef and cheese subs.

ENJOY !!!



FREEZING EGGS

Freezing chicken eggs is very easy and you can use them (thawed out) just like you would a fresh egg for baking cakes, cookies,casseroles, scrambled eggs, pancakes, quiche and baked custard type pies like pecan pie!!

Here are a few easy tips and tricks for successfully freezing eggs. 

I call these "Egg Pucks"
each one equals 1 egg

You can freeze the eggs individually (which is what I like to do because they thaw out so fast) or you can freeze them in multiples. Just remember to mark on the container the number of eggs inside.

DO NOT FREEZE EGGS IN THE SHELL!!!

TIP: Stir an egg gently with a fork and add a micro-pinch of kosher salt to each egg.  If  you are preparing multiple eggs, the rule of thumb is 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt for 4 eggs. You don't HAVE to add the salt, but it eliminates viscosity issues when the eggs thaw out.

TIP: If you are freezing  multiple eggs per zip-top freezer bag, remember that when you use them in a recipe... 3 tablespoons of stirred egg equals 1 whole egg.

TIP: Whether freezing your eggs in a flexible (silicone) tray or a rigid cupcake tin, spray the container lightly with cooking spray. Flexible trays make it easier to remove the frozen eggs.

TIP: To remove frozen eggs from an unflexible cupcake tin, just let the tray sit on the counter for about 3-4 minutes and then you can lift them out using a thin bladed knife. 

TIP: Put the frozen "egg pucks" into a air-tight container (or zip-top freezer bag). If using a freezer bag, press all of the air out of the bag before closing it.

TIP: If you are packaging multiple eggs, put them in a zip-top freezer bag and lay it down flat while it freezes (helps it thaw out faster).

TIP: Best way to thaw frozen eggs is overnight in the fridge. Do not thaw at room temperature.

TIP: Frozen eggs pop right out of silicone cupcake liners!!!

TIP: You can freeze eggs for up to 1 year.

SWEET BABY RAY BBQ SAUCE CLONE...DELICIOUS!!

I often find myself without BBQ sauce in the pantry or (not enough) BBQ sauce left in the bottle. This recipe comes to the rescue and it is truly delicious. It tastes just like Sweet Baby Rays!!!

The 1st time I made this, my picky-picky husband came from another part of the house to see what smelled so good!!  It's quick and easy to make.

1 1/3 cup ketchup
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
6 ounce can of pineapple juice
2 tablespoons worcestershire
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 teaspoon roasted garlic granules
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/3 cup water

Put everything in a saucepan and whisk until it's all smooth and the seasonings are well mixed in.

Bring it all to a boil, then turn the heat down so you get a nice slow simmer (sort of the same simmer as if you were cooking rice).

Cook at a low simmer for 7 minutes. It will thicken a little after it's cooked and cooled.

Cover and chill. Stays good in fridge for about a month.

ENJOY !!!!!