Cooking fun with OXO! Peppermint Cheesecake minis

This winter I was super lucky to get a chance to check out the cutest new measuring set from OXO. For those of you who read this blog and are close friends you may know that I used to be a chemistry teacher. This is why I totally freaked when I saw this new set from OXO that is little beakers. I was so happy to have them because when I was making these adorable little cheesecakes I had to use some funky measurements because I was making 3/4 of a recipes. I know that sounds crazy but sometimes when you have a party to go to and you forgot to buy enough cream cheese and your amazing finance runs to the store but buys the wrong type and you have to get it in the oven because you still need to shower and your ride will be there in less than an hour....its a  3/4 of a cheese cake kind of day!

Luckily it was so easy to adapt the recipe and by making smaller cupcake versions not only was less messy to eat (with no cutting or serving to worry about) but no one missed the other 1/4 cake. I have seen many version of this with crushed peppermint candies but I have to be honest I think that they either have to be crushed into dust then it isn't pretty or its too chunky and I choke on them. I also didn't add the topping since I was already in a bit of a rush but these little cakes were done so fast that I never got an after shot! Filling the cakes was no fuss because I poured all of the batter into a zip top bag then cut off the corner. Using a baggie as a disposable pastry bag just makes clean up a breeze.

Recipe at Epicurious  Peppermint Twisted Cheesecake

Balsamic Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Crostini

There is something special about caramelized onions. Its not that its expensive and it doesn't take a special pan or knife or anything really.... just time and attention. Its dishes like these that truly show off your cooking skills - its easy to make $40 a pound prosciutto taste good but how does the $0.99/lb onion fare.  I have to admit that this idea was totally ripped off from a friend... she served it at her Christmas party this year and I have been thinking of it ever since! She served brie with her crostini and that was a perfect pairing as well.

This is a simple and low cost appetizer that can either be assembled or just put out for guests to serve themselves. The most expensive part of the whole dish was the splash of aged balsamic I used to deglaze the pan at the end of the cooking. If you don't have the time (or inclination) to make the crostini yourself you can always get pre-made rounds at most stores - the store near me even sells them pre-seasoned which is even easier.

Follow the link for the directions

Eggplant Cups

Let me share one of my favorite money saving ideas.....hosting a dinner in can be less expensive than paying your share of the bill at a restaurant. Add in the comfort of a casual dinner spread over a few hours at our home compared to being rushed out of your table, the awkward moments of how to split the check and then the early goodbyes to go home our separate ways and dining at home wins in so many ways. This is especially true when you have friends who are willing to do dishes since the clean up is absolutely my least favorite part of hosting! So many thank you go to all my awesome friend who don't hesitate to grab an apron and get scrubbing.

I am an avid reader of SmittenKitchen blog and I was super excited to see her post on the feature in Everyday Food , one of my favorite Martha publications. I loved her creative use of eggplant as a little shell to "stuff" - you know my love of stuffing veggies and eggplant isn't going to escape. I didn't really follow her recipe exactly - its a bit past fresh tomato season and well I forgot mint at the store (at least remembered parsley for my chicken roasting/soup making later this week) but I want to give some credit to the inspiration for tonight's dinner. I served these eggplant cups alongside some grilled steak tips (a cut that I NEVER see in NJ but grew up loving in New England!) and roasted zucchini.

Eggs Benedict vs Bacon, Egg and Cheese.... why choose when you can have both?

The ultimate brunch food is Eggs Benedict....soft, gooey soft boiled eggs with a creamy, rich Hollandaise Sauce. This is the perfect mix of decadence and simplicity. Poached eggs can sometimes be difficult to make at home but they don't need to be! If you add just a splash of white vinegar to the water when poaching the eggs they come out perfect every time - no need for crazy stirring or special containers. This time I skipped the lux Hollandaise sauce and stuck to a simple preparation that was just as satisfying (while saving quite a few calories).

This Poached Egg is served on top of a toasted round of wheat bread with some pepper jack cheese, slices of thick cut bacon and a perfectly cooked egg.... with a yolk ready that is ready to spill out with just the lightest touch of your fork! Just a simple sprinkle of salt and pepper tops it off for the perfect breakfast treat in only 5 minutes.

7/24/10 - Another Chopped Caprese Salad

When I saw this salad last summer on Smitten Kitchen's page I knew I would be weak against it. My favorite flavors combined and diced into bite size little cubes for easy consumption? I made a version souped up with some baby arugala and pancetta. This time I kept it simple (and vegetarian friendly) and it still was delicious. The perfect afternoon snack to tide us over from brunch to a late dinner with friend or a great start to a "bruscetta bar" served with garlic bread rounds to entice your guests. 

This easy salad is a combo of fresh mozzarella, drained and rinsed canellini beans, diced fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, diced garlic, salt & pepper, EV olive oil and a small splash of balsamic vinegar.

5/23/10 - Tomato Basil Open Faced Grilled Cheese

The best ingredients make the best meals..... this advice is true no matter what you might be cooking. And I think it might be even more applicable when you are cooking some thing simple since each ingredient makes a big impression. It seems that all my posts recently are revolving around the Greenmarket in Union Square and I have to admit, the first sites of spring have me a bit giddy! There is something about walking around among like minded foodies knowing that everyone is in search of the perfect tomato or cheese to make thier dinner just right...unlike the super market where I often find myself tsk-tsk'ing (I know I shouldn't judge!) behind a cart filled to the brim with processed foods, sodas, cookies etc. As some one who doesn't have children, I know that I can't even begin to understand the time (and energy and money) needed to raise a family, but sometimes I wonder just how convenient some of these pre-package foods are? Do they really save time or is it just the marketing telling us that we don't have time and we deserve a treat/ time off/ to relax etc? I mean this delicious fresh meal only took me about 10 min tops to make and only about 1 min to clean up!

5/16/10 - More Greenmarket Meals

Finally a Saturday at home! An exciting start to the morning with an 8 AM wake up knock by the police!!! Before you start asking what *I* did...apparently (even though the signs said last week!) the gas company was digging....under my car.....now! But we took advantage of the early start to the day to get into the city for the Greenmarket in Union Square. This week we tried some new items and new vendors. Getting there earlier definitely helps but we still missed out on asparagus. Perhaps next week I will need to ask for a 7am wake-up call!

We got quite a few goodies on this trip many of which have already been sampled!
4 pack of bavarian herb beef sausages
4 pack of bison garlic sausages
1/3 lb hooligan cheese
1/3 lb black ledge blue cheese
1 pt shallots
1 bunch red scallions
1 seedless cucumber
1 bunch broccoli rabe
1 lb mixed mini baby fingerling potatoes
1 jar peach raspberry fruit spread
1 doz eggs
1 lb sea scallops
1 lb steamers
3 "old fashioned" pretzels
4-5 stalks of rhubarb
3 amazing portabello mushrooms

A day later the fridge is already starting to empty! Last night we enjoyed a salad with the cucumbers, scallions and blue cheese with a side of steamers. Lunch was a Bavarian Sausage sandwich with peppers, mushrooms, onions and swiss. And finally for dinner we had Broccoli Rabe with some seared Scallops (heavenly!) I love shopping locally and having very fresh food I find that the taste is quite noticeable versus most supermarket food.

3/29/10 - Chicken Rosa

With the weather getting crazier by the day (last week it was 80 and sunny now its 45 and pouring) and my health only somewhat improved (officially bronchitis), I decided to rely on a shortcut that was sent to me a month or so ago by Foodbuzz Featured Publisher's Tastemaker program, Bertolli's Four Cheese Rosa Sauce. Since Spring is officially sprung, I wanted to include some fresh veggies to give this dish a little of a more healthful spin (if that is possible when using an Alfredo base). I also tried to cut down on the amount of pasta used so that there was a good balance of vegetables, proteins (boneless, skinless chicken breast) and starches.

This dinner was slightly reminiscent of Mac & Cheese because of the cheese based sauce however it was more elegant than even the most adult versions. With a nice light tomato base, the cheesy Alfredo sauce was the perfect companion to the large chicken chunks. The fresh green taste of the vegetables and parsley, especially,  kept it from being too rich and creamy. It was really tasty and fast dinner that got good reviews from my dinner table.

2/6/10 - Easy Fast Pizza Crust

It seems like everyone has their own definition of great pizza but for me there are only two choices.....either thick dough-y sicilian crust or very thin and crunchy. While my taste encompassed both extreme ends of the pizza spectrum (chicago style however is "too" thick) I recently found a recipe that was the perfect rendition of the thin crust that I love and can't even tell you the last time I have had anything else. I have been making a version of the dough found on 101 cookbooks for a few weeks now and I just can't stop. Unfortunately no matter who writes the instructions I can't toss the dough and end up mixing stretching and rolling. I am a bit lazy though and just sort of mix all the ingredients together and it never really seems to rise too much (just a bit of puffing up) but it tastes perfect and delicious to me. Plus my new hand mixer that has a dough hook attachment means I don't even have to take out my kitchen aid!



Best Pizza Crust
4.5 c AP flour
1.75 tsp salt
1 tsp instant rise yeast (about 1/2 of a packet)
1.5 c very cold water
1/4 c olive oil

1) combine all ingredients and mix together until ball of dough forms
2) cut into 3 pieces and form into balls
3) coat balls in oil and either place in freezer or refrigerate overnight
4) 2 hrs before using remove from refrigerator (or 24 hrs before if frozen)

to cook toss into a round or roll out and top (I used the basics for this particular pre-superbowl trial but this crust can stand up to many toppings!) and bake at 400F for 20 min

2/6/10 - Freshly Ground Filet Burgers

Last week I sent Jeremy to the grocery store and there was a little confusion, I like to buy the full tenderloins of beef that are sold at many area stores. The best part about this cut (besides the price) is that they will cut it to your specifications in the store - either roasts or steaks which are so much nicer that the pre-cut steaks they have for sale. This time Jeremy went to the store and he forgot to mention the whole cutting down of the large piece of meat and just bought it as is. I had never butchered a large hunk of meat - until a few years ago I didn't even like cutting my own steaks! However there was $50 worth of beef sitting in the fridge that wasn't going to cut it self. Like everything however there was a youTube! The computer saves the day again... I don't think there is anything that that it can't do. Since I am far from an expert I ended up losing a good amount of meat during this process and tried to save it by grinding the left overs for hamburgers.

It was quite easy to grind the beef using my Kitchen Aid Mixer attachment which I got for Christmas. The burgers were delicious and worth the time needed to find my Kitchen Aid in its hiding spot (behind the oil in the bottom cabinet) and take out all the attachments.

I set up a little serve yourself topping bar that had swiss, munster and american cheese, potato or wheat bread and jalapeno, chipotle and spicy mustard, mayo, ketchup, green tomato relish and chimichurri sauce, as well as a side of crinkle cut chips.

My burger which is pictured above was served on wheat bread with munster cheese melted to each side. I topped the burger with spicy mustard, ketchup, green tomato relish and a bit of the chimichurri. Oh and maybe a handful (or two) of chips!

2/1/10 - Fajita....unwrapped

In an effort to eat a little healthier (yes the new years resolution is still hanging on...by a thread!) I decided to forget the tortilla wrap on my fajita tonight. I still got all the wonderful flavors of the meal, especially the homemade guacamole (thanks Jeremy!).though I did miss the fun and convenience of eating with my hands. While this isn't a fancy meal its still fun to deconstruct your dinner and see what really matters flavor-wise and what you are just eating out of habit. While I admit tortilla wraps make a fajita and "fajita" its still delicious and you save about 100 cals per serving...not to bad!

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Mac & Cheese Bar....Make it your own

I don't think that there is any other food that has come to be more associated with comfort food than mac & cheese. From the instant stuff in the blue box to secret blends of cheese handed down from southern grandmothers, its hard to find someone out there that doesn't enjoy a nice bowl of melted cheese and pasta.
In recent years there has been a trend to re-make mac & cheese an "adult" treat as well - keeping all the things you love about mac and cheese but putting a little more flavor and taste into it. Additions of pork (with bacon as king) are probably most common, high end additions like lobster and truffle oil tend to find there way into many recipes as well. I decided that I was going to push the limits of additions to mac and cheese and create a toppings bar so that everyone could make their favorite. After polling friends about the additions they would most like to see, some taste testing at home and scouring some local restaurants for their secrets our menu was born.


Mac & Cheese bases:
4 cheese (Gruyere, Gouda, Jarlsberg & brie) w campanelle pasta
Jalapeno Jack w shells
4 cheese w pancetta w campanelle pasta
Baked Classic Cheddar w elbows


Mix-in toppings
bacon
pancetta
hot dogs
broccoli
roasted cauliflower
sauteed mushrooms
salsa
scallions
cilantro
jalapeno
roasted garlic
roasted red peppers
crumbled potato chips
garlic chili sauce
salt & fresh pepper

The idea was simple - allow my guests to create their "ultimate mac & cheese". While I kept my combos pretty simple and themed - Tex-Mex M&C with Jalapeno Jack M&C base, bacon, salsa, broccoli, scallions, cilantro and some potato chip topping and an Mediterranean Blend with the 4 cheese with pancetta, extra pancetta, sauteed mushrooms, roasted garlic and roasted red peppers - others got creative and blended in just about a little of everything!

We ended the afternoon with a strawberry shortcake from Martha's Country Bakery in Queens which was amazing as always. There was also a choice of homemade ice creams thanks to my new ice cream maker - peppermint stick w chocolate chunks, maple walnut, cinnamon and peanut butter w mini pb cups. Of course we topped it all off with a dollop of whipped cream to make everything a little sweeter!

Now for the results! Here is a listing of some of the creations that were made today - feel free to leave a comment and vote on your favorite combo or list one we haven't though of.....

Andrew: Jalapeno Jack M&C , Bacon ,Broccoli, Jalapeno, Salsa, Cilantro

Robyn: 4 cheese M&C , roasted garlic, scallions and potato chips

Mary: 4 cheese w pancetta M&C, pancetta, bacon, scallions, potato chips,fresh black pepper

Tova: Baked M&C, Jalapeno Jack M&C, salsa, croutons and potato chips

Corinne: Baked M&C, Jalapeno Jack M&C, 4 cheese M&C, broccoli, roasted cauliflower, roasted garlic, cilantro, scallions

Erin: 4 cheese M&C, Baked M&C, broccoli, roasted cauliflower, sauteed mushrooms, roasted garlic, scallions

Kelly: Baked M&C, 4 cheese M&C, broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, scallions, potato chips

Andrew #2: 4 cheese w pancetta M&C, roasted cauliflower, pancetta, roasted red peppers, jalapeno, fresh black pepper

Tim: Baked M&C, Jalapeno Jack M&C, 4 cheese w pancetta M&C, bacon, roasted red peppers, garlic, cilantro, potato chips

Adam: 4 cheese w pancetta M&C, cauliflower, broccoli, bacon, roasted garlic, jalapeno, fresh black pepper

Bob: 4 cheese w pancetta M&C, hot dogs, pancetta, bacon, posted red peppers, garlic chili sauce, cilantro, salt & pepper

Jessica: 4 cheese M&C, pancetta. hot dogs, bacon, roasted garlic, broccoli, scallions, salt

Adam #2: Baked M&C, mushrooms, roasted red peppers. scallions, fresh black pepper

Beth: 4 cheese w pancetta M&C, broccoli, salsa, scallions, roasted garlic









Special thanks to:
Tova - for bringing the cake, shredding the cheese and doing more dishes than I thought humanly possible
Erin - for coming over early and helping to keep the chaos to a minimum while chopping all the ingredients for the mix-in bar
Jeremy- for taking all the photos and helping me to have all these crazy little parties at our place

also a big Thank you to Food Buzz for picking my 24, 24, 24 idea out of their submissions! We had a lot of fun today and hope to be able to participate again

1/20/10 - Chicken, Kale and Rotini

With my mac & cheese party coming up I decided that I should make a test run with my bechamel sauce to see how long it would take me to put the different blends together. I had chicken left over from one I had roasted earlier in the week and the kale was purchased for what was going to be a chicken sausage and white bean soup but my broth wasn't ready yet and I didn't have time so cheesey gooodness it was!

This spin on Chicken Ziti and Broccoli was just as delicious even if we made a few changes to it. When you are working all day it pays to be flexible - sometimes things don't always go as planned and you still need dinner for the night.

Chicken Kale and Rotini
1 lb pasta - cooked according to directions
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 c warm milk (microwave)
2 c shredded cheese
roasted garlic
bunch of kale
1 c water (or chicken broth)
olive oil
garlic clove
2 c cooked chicken breast- diced
salt & pepper

1) In large saute pan, warm oil and garlic clove - add kale and saute till softened and then add a water and cover
2) make roux with butter and flour - simmer to allow flour to lose raw taste
3) slowly add warm milk and mix to combine
4) add cheese and continue to stir to combine
5) add chicken chunk and combine
6) add pasta and cheese sauce to kale and chicken and mix till combined