Easy South Beach Recipes: Asparagus with Basil Pesto

People keep asking for more Easy South Beach Recipes, so I'm always looking for South Beach Diet friendly recipes with five ingredients or less that taste wonderful. This one is a combination I stumbled on by accident. I planned to use Elise's recipe for The Perfect Way to Cook Asparagus, but when I got ready to make it, I didn't have any lemons. Then I noticed a jar of pesto in the fridge and it turned out to be fantastic with the lightly cooked asparagus. I wondered what else would be good with asparagus and pesto, and when I entered it into the Food Blog Search I found out I wasn't the first food blogger to think this sounded like a good combination. See those recipes at the end if you're up for something with a few more ingredients.

Asparagus with Basil Pesto
(Makes 2-4 servings, but I could eat all of this myself.)

1 lb. fresh asparagus
1-2 T purchased basil pesto

Be sure asparagus is clean, then break off the end of one piece to see where the woody stalk starts. Trim the other asparagus pieces to that size, then cut asparagus on the diagonal into pieces about 2 inches long. Fill medium sized pot with water and bring to a boil. Add asparagus and cook 2-3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Don't overcook, use a timer! When asparagus is lightly cooked but still fairly crisp, drain well. Toss hot asparagus immediately with pesto and serve immediately.

Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

I have a new favorite pie that I will be sharing with my family at Thanksgiving—it’s peanut butter pie. But before I tell you how to make it, first a little background.

Two years ago, I received a cookbook in the mail. It was spiral-bound with a lavender cover that had a black and white photo of a woman pulling a tray of rolls from an oven. The title of the book was “Gennie’s Bishop Grill. The Best Buns in Town!!!”

Inside the front flap was an inscription: “Lisa, We hope you enjoy a little bit of Texas home cooking! Thanks, Rosemarie.” I scratched my head. I had not ordered this cookbook, nor was I familiar with either Rosemarie or Gennie’s Bishop Grill. It was strange.

A couple of days later, my dad called. “Lisa, did you send me a cookbook from Gennie’s Bishop Grill?” I told him I had not. Now I was really confused! Who was Rosemarie and why was she sending my dad and me cookbooks?


But before I had a chance to say this, my dad continued. “I love Gennie’s Bishop Grill! I used to eat there all the time!” He went on to tell me that Gennie’s Bishop Grill was a restaurant in the Bishop’s Art District that served up excellent home cooking. It was known for its chicken-fried steak, yeast rolls and its pies—namely its peanut butter pie.

The owners of the restaurant, Rosemarie (daughter of Gennie) and her husband Gus, retired in 2005 and closed the restaurant. But they had a bunch of cookbooks and the Dallas Morning News had written an article about the restaurant, with an address to place orders for this trove of Texan home cooking.

I had wanted to make a custard-based peanut butter pie for quite a while, but most of the recipes I saw were the kind where you mix the peanut butter with cream cheese and whipped cream and spoon this into a chocolate-cookie crust. Not a bad dessert, but not quite what I was looking for.



I asked my grandma if she had one, and she recommended taking her chocolate pie recipe and substituting peanut butter for the chocolate. I followed her advice and fell in love. This was the peanut butter pie I had been seeking!

A few days later when I was talking to my grandma, she said, “Are you still looking for peanut butter pie recipes? I bet there’s a good one in that cookbook I sent you.”

Now, my grandma often sends me recipes clipped from the newspaper or photocopied from an old family recipe cards, but I didn’t recall her ever sending me an actual cookbook.

“What cookbook?” I asked.

“Oh, you know—the one from that Oak Cliff cafe that closed. I read about it in the paper and bought one for you and one for your dad.”



But of course! The mystery was solved. And yes, Grandma was correct—there was indeed a recipe for peanut butter pie in the cookbook. And while it was a little bit different from the one I had already made, I could tell by reading it that the food at Gennie’s Bishop Grill was pretty spectacular and I’m sorry I was never able to eat at their restaurant. But thankfully, their good food lives on in their cookbook, which I’m very happy to own.

Peanut Butter Pie

Filling ingredients:
2 egg yolks, beaten slightly
1 1/2 cups of milk
3/4 cups of sugar
5 tablespoons of flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
¾ cup of peanut butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Meringue ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon of salt
4 tablespoons of sugar

Your favorite pie crust. (I use my grandma's pie crust.)

Method:
In a pot, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, flour and salt. While stirring, cook on medium heat until it bubbles and thickens, about five to 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne and peanut butter.

Meanwhile, poke holes in your pie crust with a fork and bake it at 350 until it’s brown, about 20 minutes.

Beat your egg whites with salt and when they start to get fluffy add the sugar.

Pour the peanut butter custard into the baked pie shell and top with the beaten egg whites.

Bake pie until peaks on the meringue are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Notes: I used smooth, unsweetened peanut butter; feel free to use chunky. If you use sweetened peanut butter, however, you may want to cut down on the sugar. And I like to top my meringue with roasted peanuts. A sprinkle of cocoa powder is also delicious. And I understand some of you don't even like meringue! The Bishop Grill recipe is topped with whipped cream, which I bet is also pretty darn good.


thank you

*sharing is caring*

Almost instant mini raisin scones

If I know that someone is coming over, I try to throw a batch of scones in the oven. Tea and warm scones: is there anything better?

The only way to be able to do this is to take a recipe -- any recipe -- and make it again and again until it becomes second nature. The dough should roll off your fingers. This is the simple recipe I'm working on now.

Mini raisin scones
Makes 36

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup whole milk, or more if necessary
3/4 cup dark raisins
Extra flour (for rolling)
Extra sugar (for sprinkling)

1. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and shortening. With your fingers or a pastry blender, work the mixture until it resembles sand.
3. Add the sugar, 1/2 cup of the milk, and the raisins. With the fork, work the milk into the flour mixture to form a moist dough. Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary, until the dough comes together.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead it lightly, adding a little more flour to make it manageable but not dry.
5. Press the dough into an oblong or rectangle that is 3/4-inch thick. The size or shape of the dough does not matter. But don't press it thinner than 3/4 inch. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch bands. Cut each band into triangles. Transfer them to the baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar.
6. Bake the scones for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.


hail to

Orange brownies recipe

It’s so hard to describe this recipe…it has the chewy kind of texture of a brownie, yet has the density of a cake. This is probably one of the strangest recipes that I’ve ever made but it’s quite enjoyable. The orange flavoring is so refreshing on a smoldering summer day. This recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen from the Food Network.

INGREDIENTS:

For the cake:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 recipe Orange Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
1 each orange, cut in half, sliced into half moons (optional)

For the orange cream cheese frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
4 Tablespoons softened butter
1 (1-pound) box confectioner’s sugar
2 Tablespoons orange zest
2 Tablespoons orange juice

PROCEDURE:

For the cake:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

2. Stir together flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a bowl.

3. Add butter, eggs, orange extract, and orange zest. Using an electric mixer beat until well blended.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Meanwhile make the frosting.

For the frosting:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whip the butter and cream cheese together using an electric mixer.

2. Gradually beat in the confectioner’s sugar until it is all combined and smooth.

3. Beat in the orange zest and juice. Set aside.

To finish the brownies:

1. Remove the brownies from the oven. Allow to cool and pierce the entire cake with a fork.

2. Spread the orange cream cheese frosting over completely cooled brownies. Top with orange slices if desired. Cut into squares.

source:http://www.examiner.com

Featured Recipe: Pasta With Shredded Vegetables and Lavender

Like rosemary, lavender is a powerful and not tremendously versatile herb, and, like rosemary, it takes very readily to grilled lamb. But it really comes into its own when it is combined with vegetables, the herb performing more like thyme than rosemary. This dish is distinctive, different and altogether lovely.

Pasta with Shredded Vegetables and Lavender

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Time 30 minutes

Mark Bittman

Ingredients

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium-to-large zucchini, trimmed
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and trimmed
• 1 red bell pepper, cored
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 or 3 cloves crushed garlic
• Several lavender leaves or flowers, or both (or use rosemary)
• 1 pound cut pasta, like penne or farfalle

Method

• 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Shred vegetables, using a food processor, grater or knife. Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add garlic. When it starts to brown, stir and add vegetables. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, add a bit of lavender and cook, stirring occasionally, until they barely soften, just 5 minutes or so.
• 2. Meanwhile, cook pasta until it is just barely tender, a little less cooked than it would be to serve it. Drain, reserving some cooking water. Add pasta to vegetables and continue to cook, adding water as necessary to keep mixture moist.
• 3. Taste, and add more lavender to taste; it should be distinctive but not too strong. When pasta and vegetables are tender but not mushy, adjust seasoning for salt and pepper, garnish with a couple of lavender flowers if you have them, and serve.

source:NY

Recipe: Dark Chocolate Toblerone Cookies

Your Recipe.

The new season finally gets under way today as Arsenal travel to Goodison Park to play Everton in an evening kick off at 5.30 and it's live on ESPN. With that late kick off we will have to wait a little longer than most other teams to see our players doing what they're paid a small fortune to do. This summer seemed to drag on for an awful long time but we have reached the end of that long wait finally. Suddenly we will be seeing Arsenal play 5 games in 15 days with Celtic, Portsmouth, Celtic again and Manure all following in quick succession before the next international break.

With us playing Celtic on Tuesday night it means our Premier league game against Bolton had to be postponed until a later date and we will be playing catch up along with Bolton and 4 other clubs. Don't forget to keep that in mind for your Fantasy Football by the way as the second round of games comes 2 days after the first round ends. The new dates for the 3 postponed matches have not been arranged yet and I'll let you know when they are arranged. The away game against Celtic has been picked up by Sky and it will be shown on Sky Sports 2 next Tuesday night with the home tie on ITV1 eight days later.

I'll be heading to the Arsenal supporters club in The Strand in Bray to watch the Everton match today and I'll probably be there for the 2 Celtic games as well. I hope we get a good turn out as I'm looking forward to having a drink or 2 with my fellow Gooners. I put together a bit of a blog for our website and if it works out I'll probably be doing it on a weekly basis. We have a lot of activities planned for the new season and I'm really looking forward to our trips and 5 a side tournaments.

Last season I kept my season preview back until the transfer window had closed in the hope that we signed a couple of top class players and I'm going to do the same thing this season. I will however make a prediction for today's game and despite the fact that we are short of 7 players and Wilshere is not in the squad I still predict a 2-1 win with Arshavin & Eduardo scoring for us. It will be interesting to see what team the boss puts out. Personally I would play the following team in a 4-3-3 formation. Almunia/Sagna, Clichy, Gallas, Vermaelen/Song, Cesc, Arshavin/Eduardo, Bendtner, RVP but I have a feeling that Denilson will start and Eduardo will be on the bench. I think Eduardo is our best goalscorer and if he can play for his country he can start for us. I can remember him taking Everton apart up there a couple of seasons ago after Bendtner was sent off. Our bench might be looking a little sparse and that's a little worrying for the first game of the season.

The manager had an awful lot to say yesterday as usual on the Friday before a match. He is so accomidating to the media before matches unlike another red nosed manager I can think of. He explained why Wilshere wasn't in the squad and what he said was that he's only 17 and he will get chances this season but not today. I think we could have done with him in the squad at least and he seems as ready as other players who got their chance at that age. He also said what we all knew already that Cesc is going nowhere and that all the speculation was created by the press as they have to print something. He went on to joke that he was quoted a price of £125 million for Messi but the press didn't run with the story.

The boss also spoke about this being the most open Premier league season in a long time with at least 8 teams having a chance. He went on to say that this is the make or break season for the current Arsenal team and his target for the season is to win the league but that at the very worst we must finish in the top 4. When asked about transfers he said there are only 10 players in the world we can't afford and he also seemed to say that he knows who his targets are but he hasn't decided if we should sign anyone yet. That seems a little strange to me and maybe he is waiting to see how we start off our season and how our injury position progresses. What he did say was "If we buy someone we will tell you". The boss also admitted that at times he did see some of those things that he said he didn't on the pitch but he only said so to protect his players after he knew what had happened first. He now thinks that he won't be believed in future when he says he doesn't see something.

I haven't seen the whole squad for tomorrow's game but if we start with the team I want that will leave a bench of Mannone, Gibbs, Silvestre, Denilson, Merida, Eboue & Ramsey as I presume that Vela is unavailable. That means that all our strikers are on the pitch from the start so it probably means that Eduardo will be sacrificed and Denilson will play alongside Cesc with Arshavin playing in the front 3. It means our equivilant of Xavi & Iniesta is Cesc & Denilson rather than Cesc & Arshavin. One of those pairings sounds right to me and the other one will struggle to open Everton up.

That's the lot for today. If you haven't signed up for Fantasy Premier League yet you have until 11.30 this morning GMT to get your team in. You can still join my leagues at any time and the most important thing is to have your team in by 11.30. If you join the leagues after that deadline all your points will still count so I'll give you the codes to the 2 leagues that are still open to new players.

Recipe for chocolate chocolate white cupcakes

Recipe reposted with permission, via Emily Luchetti's blog. Emily is a chef and the author of several cookbooks: A Passion for Ice Cream, A Passion for Desserts and Classic Stars Desserts. To see some of her other recipes on her site, click here.

Chocolate Chocolate White Cupcakes

12 cupcakes

10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Cream the butter and sugar until light.

Add eggs one at a time, making sure to scrape down the bowl.

Stir in the sour cream.

Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add and mix just until combined.

Line cupcake pans with liners and fill.

Bake until skewer clean, about 15 minutes.

Cool to room temperature. Cut a hole in the center of each cupcake. Fill with the chocolate ganache (see recipe below). Frost with chocolate frosting (see recipe below.)



Two Chocolate Ganache

¾ cup cream

3 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 ½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

In a small saucepot bring the cream to a bowl. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Let sit for a couple minutes and then whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until pipeable.

Easy Chocolate Frosting

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar

7 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or broken into 1-inch pieces

4 1/2 ounces (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Heat the cream and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until small bubbles form at the edge. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate pieces and swirl the pan gently to make sure the chocolate is covered by the cream. Let sit a couple of minutes and then stir until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Whisk in the butter a little at time. Let sit at room temperature until spreadable.

I don't have a photo of the ones above, but did find this photo and if you click through, there's another recipe from her!

Tip of the Week: Food Photos on Flickr

A picture is worth a thousand words, but certain snaps on Flickr may also supply you with a few hundred calories as well. In the Recipes to Share group pool at www.flickr.com/groups/recipes, participating photographers post pictures of food and also include the recipes (or links to them) on each photo’s Flickr page. Searching the site for “recipe ingredients” also rounds up plenty of photos and instructions from helpful cooks with cameras.


source:The New York Time

Heirloom potato salad flavored with a touch of dill

This recipe is one of many developed this summer by five Maplewood Richmond Heights high school students. Gabrielle Williams, Relissa Norman, Marissa Robinson, Dynique Moore and Leah Booker spent the summer interning at St. Louis University in the program dubbed HELP — Healthy Eating with Local Produce. The girls learned about food safety, developed recipes, evaluated recipes suggested by other students and visited local farms. Some of their recipes will be added to the school district’s lunch menus.

To learn more about the program and to see two more of their recipes, click here.

Heirloom Baby Potato Salad with Fresh Dill
Yield: 6 servings

2 pounds baby heirloom or fingerling potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste
1/2 small onion, minced
1 green onion, cut into thin 1-inch strips
3 to 4 sprigs fresh dill, chopped
2 to 3 sprigs parsley, minced
4 eggs, hard-cooked and sliced

1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 8 to 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, make the dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper until well blended.
3. Drain the potatoes. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, quarter them or cut into medium pieces. Add the dressing to coat. Add the onion, green onion, dill, parsley and egg, folding gently to distribute the ingredients evenly. Serve the salad warm or at room temperature.

source:RECIPE EXCHANGE

Grilled Mushroom Recipe on Skewers

This is a simple grilled mushroom recipe that goes great with any steak. Be sure to soak the skewers in water overnight to keep them from catching fire. I used portabella mushrooms with this recipe but any good quality mushroom will work. I pretty much filled 3 skewers with this recipe. If you need more just double it. If you are having guests for dinner what a great combination. A grilled steak with a skewer of mushrooms along side of it. Looks great!

　

Ingredients

1. 8 oz whole fresh mushrooms

2. ¼ cup margarine

3. ½ teaspoon dill weed

4. ½ teaspoon garlic salt

　

Directions

1. Thread mushrooms on skewers.

2. Combine the margarine, garlic salt and dill weed.

3. Grill over hot heat for 10 to 15 minutes, bast and turn every 5 minutes.

Enjoy

source:http://cullyskitchen.com

Lunching with Nutella, and a recipe for Nutella Ice Cream

Every year I obsess about the first few weeks of school. Not because I’m worried about my children’s teachers — I’m more concerned about lunchtime.

My kids do purchase the stuff made at school, but there are also times when they’re fortunate to have fabulous food prepared for them by their gourmet cook father. Yes, we do send leftovers and those wonderful Thermos containers that keep food hot are a godsend. But all too soon there will be days when a quickly made sandwich ends up in the bag.

What causes me consternation is not that my kids will get odd looks when they bring a frittata or curry soup that might not appear on a regular school lunch menu; rather it is that the kind of sandwich my children prefer always gets a comment from a new teacher or another child in class who isn’t familiar with our sandwich filler choices.

My kids like Nutella. For those not familiar with it, Nutella looks like a chocolate spread, so to the untrained eye my children are eating a chocolate sandwich. In these days of hyped up healthy eating-isms, chocolate is bad!

At some point, early in the year, I find myself explaining:

1. Our family chooses what is healthy; and although we respectfully listen to others, we make choices that work for our family.
2. Nutella is made with hazelnuts, skim milk and cocoa, and has no preservatives and no artificial colors.
3. Nutella, while not a traditionally “healthy” food, has 190 calories and a total fat contact of 11g. A traditional or even “healthy” supermarket peanut butter may have the same number of calories but 16 g of fat and a lot more preservatives. Add jam to the peanut butter and….
4. It has no peanut products for those children who have peanut allergies.

Nutella is rich, creamy, and has a chocolaty flavor, with a hint of roasted hazelnuts makes it even more satisfying. And, if the Nutella website is to be believed, it is a “healthy part of a balanced breakfast”. So there.

Originally created by Italian baker, Pietro Ferrero when there was chocolate rationing in WWII, Nutella is now become a worldwide staple. In fact, the heirs to the spreadable empire are now the richest people in Italy.

Nutella is kind of like saying Kleenex when you want a tissue. This past year, we discovered that although the original recipe is a tightly guarded secret, one can find other spread makers and try it in many forms. I’ve tried a similar product created by Giraudi,called GiaCometta, that was sublime. In fact, the name GiaCometta originated as a chocolate-hazelnut confection/truffle from Turin. Apparently the concept of the chocolate spread started in the Piedmont area of Italy when the blockade ordered by Napoleon made it difficult to get any cocoa.

The major chocolate makers in Turin all have their personal hazelnut/chocolate recipes for a candy that is commonly known as gianduja. Even Nutella has slight variations in taste. We’ve discovered that the version in Italy is different than the one in the States. (Italy adds less sugar).

Nutella has come a long way from being a snobby European junk food. Now it can be found in most of the major American supermarkets as well as wholesale clubs. It has an almost cult following on the web. As of this writing, Nutella has a ridiculous number of sites on Facebook dedicated to it, the largest page with 3,236,513 fans. Many fancy bakers and caterers use Nutella in their recipes. It is considered a staple at creperies, and even Spago in Los Angeles has served it. The 4th annual world Nutella day will occur on February 5, 2010.

There are a myriad of ways to consume Nutella. The classic option is to simply spread it on bread, which is the approach that the Nutella website suggests. My favorite is with Grissini Torinesi, the thin breadsticks from Turin.

My husband Giuliano is working on a new book, and this past weekend we had friends over to taste test his new recipe for a Nutella ice cream; isn’t life great? Even the adults loved it, but the kids thought they were in heaven. Daughter Gabriella said, “it’s like chocolate ice cream with a twist! It’s really good”. What could be better after swimming in the pool than a bowl of cool, lush, smooth and creamy chocolate/hazelnut ice cream with just the right amount of sweetness? It was a wonderful indulgence.

So, please, let my kids have their Nutella and eat lunch in peace!

Nutella Ice Cream
Gelato di Nutella
from an upcoming book by Giuliano Hazan, 2009

2 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
4 ounces (1/4 cup) Nutella

1. Put the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. When the milk is hot enough to release steam when stirred, but is not boiling, remove from the heat.
2. Break the eggs open and separate; reserve the whites for another purpose. Add the sugar and whip at high speed until you have a pale yellow, thick and creamy mixture.
3. Pour the hot milk into a pitcher or cup with a spout. Slowly add the milk to the egg and sugar mixture while whisking on low speed. Once half the milk is in you can begin to pour a little faster until all the milk is assimilated. Add the Nutella and whip on medium speed until it is all mixed in evenly.
4. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator. When it is cold, put it into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve right away, or you can keep it in the freezer for a few days before ice crystals will begin to form.

source:http://blogs.creativeloafing.com

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

1 medium eggplant
1 medium zucchini
Mozzarella Cheese (or sliced fresh mozzarella)
Parmesan Cheese
Marinara Sauce (homemade or Prego Three Cheese is gluten-free)

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Slice eggplant & zucchini.
3. Spread sauce in the bottom of a glass pyrex dish. Start to layer eggplant & zucchini and cheeses with sauce. Repeat until ingredients are gone.
4. Bake at least 30 minutes. Test the eggplant with a fork, it should be soft. Broil for a couple minutes to brown up the top.

**This recipe can be made with ricotta cheese too. That would make it more a meal, suitable for vegetarians or vegans.

Rubio's white sauce recipe

If you cannot get to Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, just cook up some of its tacos at home. Here's the white sauce that goes with the fish taco recipe.

Recipe:

• ½ cup of mayonnaise
• ½ cup of plain yogurt

Mix ‘em together and you got the white sauce that makes Rubio’s Fish Tacos legendarily delicious.

It’s extraordinary that something so blissful and heavenly could be so simple. Something that has brought joy to over 50 million customers only has two ingredients. The car: way more than 2 ingredients, the ball point pen: way more than two ingredients, even the Big Mac: way more than 2 ingredients. Rubio’s white sauce is beautiful in its simplicity. It inspires awe and mouthwatering delectable visions of divinity and holiness. It is the Rubio’s Fish Taco White Sauce. It is immortal. Make it. Spread it. Share it. Help it bring joy to the sad and food to the hungry.

original post: http://www.examiner.com

Baked lemon chicken recipe

I decided to branch out from my normal baking topics and experiment with a savory chicken dish. I have long been disappointed with lemon chicken recipes because they require so many hours of marinating and they are generally grilled recipes. I tend to prefer baked or roasted chicken dishes because they are easy and don’t require constant attention over a grill. I took one of my favorite chicken recipes, Chicken with White Wine and Grapes, and tweaked some things to create a Baked Lemon Chicken recipe. While baking the chicken makes cooking the chicken easier, the liquid it bakes in keeps the chicken moist and tasty.

The dish is great served over rice or egg noodles and is a great summer dinner because even though it’s hot, it’s light and lemony.

¼ cup AP flour
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp pepper
4 chicken breasts, cut in half
6 tablespoons butter
¼ cup chicken broth
¼ cup lemon juice
1 lemon, sliced
1 small onion, diced
10 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons capers, (optional)

1. Mix together the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or plastic bag. Coat the chicken pieces in the flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Heat a medium large skillet on medium high heat with 3 tablespoons of butter.
3. Brown chicken pieces on both sides and then place in a large casserole dish.
4. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth and lemon juice and scrape off the bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining butter, onion and garlic. Place the lemon slices in the pan as well.
5. Sauté over medium heat until onions are soft. Pour sauce over chicken in casserole dish.
6. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 70 minutes or until cooked through.
7. Salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add capers to dish.

Note: Serve whole garlic cloves with chicken if desired.


original post: http://www.examiner.com

Baking 101: Which flour should I use in my recipe?

Flour is made with a range of hard and soft wheat, which influences how much protein the flour has. The higher the protein content, the tougher and stronger the baked product will be.

Those luscious Italian country breads are made with bread flour or gluten flour, two of the highest-protein flours.

Delicate cakes with a soft crumb are made with cake flour, one of the lowest-protein flours. Cakes lack the internal structure that well-made country breads have, and protein is one of the reasons. Here are some protein contents for common flours.

Bread: Twelve to 13 percent protein. Use it in pizza crusts and machine-made and traditional breads.

All-purpose: Nine to 12 percent protein. All-purpose is your everyday-use flour.

Self-rising: Nine to 11 percent protein. Self-rising flour is all-purpose flour with baking powder added. Save money. Add your own baking powder.

Pastry: Eight to 9 percent protein. This blend is ideally suited to pie crust with its need for tenderness and structure.

Cake: Five to 8 percent protein. Use it for cakes and other delicate baked goods where a soft, fine crumb is needed.

Store it:

Flour lasts longest in the refrigerator or freezer, but who has room for it? The alternative is a cool, dark corner of your kitchen in an air-tight container. Buy what you need and use it fast to make sure your flour is always fresh. Whole wheat flour spoils much faster than white.

A note on bleaching:

Freshly milled flour is aged before it is packed and shipped. Before the introduction of chemical aging and bleaching agents, flour was stored for months until it had oxidized and lost some of its natural yellow pigment.

To make the aging process faster and more reliable, flour makers use potassium bromate and chlorine dioxide gas to remove pigments and make the protein more stable. Chemical bleaching reduces the amount of protein and removes some of the vitamin E naturally found in wheat products. Enriched flour replaces vitamins lost during the bleaching process. Unbleached flour has a buttery golden color but performs in recipes essentailly the same as bleached all-purpose flour.

Double chocolate butterscotch cookies recipe

These delicious treats blend the rich taste of butterscotch with the sweetness of chocolate for a heavenly treat. They are perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday parties, backyard barbecues or for ice cream sandwiches. Simply adjust the size of the cookie for the intended use.

Double Chocolate Butterscotch Cookies

Makes: 3-4 dozen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake Time: 11 minutes per batch

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

2 sticks of butter, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons milk

2 1/2 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl cream brown sugar and butter until smooth and creamy.

3. Add in eggs, vanilla and milk. Blend well.

4. In a separate bowl mix flour, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder.

5. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture. Stir well until combined.

6. Add butterscotch and chocolate chips. Mix well.

7. Drop by the teaspoon onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

8. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-12 minutes.

Recipe: Plum-Almond Galette

Active Work Time: 20 minutes

Total Preparation Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Galettes are carefree tarts. They are homey and casual and open to all kinds of improvisation. Because the plums are so much on display here, their sweetness is critical. Taste them and adjust the amount of sugar accordingly. They should be tart, but not bitingly so. If the fruit is extra ripe and juicy, scatter a couple of tablespoons of ground almonds between the crust and the fruit to absorb the moisture.

DOUGH

1 1/4 cups flour, plus more for kneading

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 8 pieces

2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

Grind the flour, almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor until the almonds are fine. Add the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture is the texture of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of ice water over the dry ingredients and pulse 4 or 5 times. If the mixture begins to come together, stop now. Otherwise, keep sprinkling the ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time, and pulsing until a dough begins to form.

Remove the dough from the food processor and quickly and lightly knead on a floured work surface into a solid mass. Press into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

ASSEMBLY

1 pound plums (about 4), cut up

1 to 3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons slivered almonds

1 tablespoon coarse sugar

Combine the plums and the sugar in a work bowl and toss well to mix. Set aside at room temperature until the dough is chilled.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into a rough circle about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet.

Drain any accumulated liquid from the plums. Spoon the plums into the center of the dough. Fold the outside 2 inches of the dough circle toward the center to make a hexagon, leaving the inner 4 or 5 inches of plums uncovered. Scatter the almonds across the plums, then scatter the coarse sugar over the plums and the pastry.

Bake until the pastry has browned and the plums are cooked through, about 30 minutes.

6 servings. Each serving: 336 calories; 255 mg sodium; 41 mg cholesterol; 20 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 2.41 grams fiber.


source: http://www.wqad.com/la-fo-galette-s,0,4584515.story

iBartender iPhone App Review: Have cocktail recipes available no matter where you are

onesin’ for a cocktail? Not sure what to make with the random alcohol atop your refrigerator? No fear, the iBartender is here!

The iBartender app for the iPhone and iPod Touch is a simple to-the-point cocktail reference application. You can quickly and easily find alcoholic drinks by name or, if you can’t remember the name, you can do a quick search of the ingredients to bring up tasty concoctions that contain the ingredient you’re looking for.

Once you find the drink you want in iBartender, you can quickly reference the ingredients and portions needed as well as the directions to make the drink like a true bartender. The recipes for many popular cocktails are included, with more being added to the iBartender app all the time. Can’t decide what you want to drink? Give your iPhone or iPod Touch a quick shake to let iBartender pick a random drink for you.

One of the neatest features of iBartender, I think, is the ability to email drink recipes. How would this come in handy? You know after all the drinks you plan on having, there’s no way you’re going to remember the green cocktail the bartender suggested to you that was out-of-this-world delicious. So you can quickly look it up on your iPhone and email the recipe to yourself, so that in your hangover state the next morning, you will be quickly reminded of the drink you need to stay away from next time you head to the bar with your friends! Also, it’s a great way to share a delicious cocktail with a friend far away, and let them know you’re thinking of them and their blood alcohol level as well.

iBartender is a great cocktail reference application for the iPhone. It does what it says and it does it well. The constant updates and the ability to email a drink recipe to yourself or a friend are great features that make iBartender stand out from the rest.

Cheers!

credit: http://www.examiner.com

Recipe for Sweet Potatoe Fries

This is a very healthy alternative to regular fries or even store bought sweet potato fries (there are no preservatives in these or trans fat). Olive oil is one of the healthiest oils to consume. Research has shown that olive oil helps lower bad cholesterol levels and raises good cholesterol levels, it helps prevent heart disease and cancer. Sweet potatoes are loaded with Vitamin A ( because Vitamin A is fat soluble most of is retained when cooking). Sweet potatoes are also loaded with other vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C (most of it is lost when cooking because it’s a water soluble vitamin), Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus, Vitamin B, Potassium, etc.

Ingredients:

• Sweet Potatoes cut into fries ( use a really sharp knife because they are very hard to cut through)
• Olive oil
• Season to taste with whatever seasoning you would like ( my favorite is salt free chili seasoning but thyme, basil, Real Salt, or whatever taste fine as well)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place fries into boiling water for about 2-3 minutes ( this will help them get a little crisper. Don’t let them get soft). Remove fries from water. Lightly coat fries with olive oil and seasoning of choice. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes turning a couple of times. Keep an eye on them because ovens vary.

credit: http://mindbodysmile.com/2009/07/31/recipe-for-sweet-potatoe-fries

Making ice cream, part 2: vanilla bean ice cream recipe

The first rule of making ice cream: have fun. Be creative. And if it doesn’t work out, that is okay. That is part of the learning process.

One way to flavor ice cream is with infusing. Ingredients are added to the dairy. The dairy mixture is then heated at a medium to medium high heat to release flavors into the dairy. This is similar to the way tea is steeped in hot water. The great thing about infusing is that you can make a variety of ice cream flavors with this method. Below is a vanilla bean ice cream recipe.

To make other flavors simply omit the vanilla beans and replace with desired ingredient. You can try to make flavors such mint with fresh mint leaves, or coffee using coffee grinds.

Recipe yields about 1 1/4 quart ice cream
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean

3/4 cup of sugar
6 large egg yolks
a pinch of salt

1. Pour dairy into a medium saucepan or pot (a 2-quart saucepan should do). Scrape the vanilla beans and place in pot on medium to medium high heat until dairy start to boil.

2. Mix egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a second bowl, whisking until pale yellow.

3. Slowly add the heated cream into the egg mixture, whisking together at the same time. (This technique is called tempering.) The continual whisking prevents the egg yolks from being cooked by the heated dairy.

4. Bring mixture back into the saucepan over medium heat. With a spatula (or wooden spoon) continue stirring the pot, scraping the bottom of the pot. Cook until the mixture thickens enough to coat the spatula. (If the ice cream base starts to curdle, and the base has not yet thickened, lower the heat.)

5. Strain and chill overnight.

6. Spin ice cream according to the instructions of the ice cream machine. When finished, place in an air tight containter and freeze for at least two hours or until set.

Variations: For coffee ice cream, omit the vanilla and add ½ cup of ground coffee beans. For cinnamon ice cream, omit vanilla and replace with one or two small cinnamon sticks, broken up.

Need an ice cream machine?

http://www.examiner.com/x-7888-SF-Dessert-Examiner~y2009m7d30-Making-ice-cream-part-2-vanilla-bean-ice-cream-recipe

chicken recipe

Ingredients :

1.5 kg 50g 100 ml 300 ml Spices 6 3 cloves 2cm 1 stalk 3 teaspoons 1 teaspoon Seasoning 2 teaspoons 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon

Chicken, cut into 6 pieces Tamarind paste Water Thick coconut milk Shallots Garlic Ginger piece Lemon grass Chili paste Cinnamon powder Salt or to taste Pepper Ground black pepper

Method : Mix the tamarind paste with the 100ml water and squeeze to obtain tamarind juice. Set aside. Ground and combine the spice ingredients. Then add the tamarind juice and thick coconut milk. Put the chicken pieces in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the combined spices with coconut milk and tamarind juice before adding in the seasoning. Mix well until the chicken is coated with the marinade. Keep in the refrigerator for several hours or preferable overnight. Remove and grill the marinated chicken pieces over a charcoal pit or bake in the oven until meat is cooked and slightly charred.

credit: http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com

Celebrate National Ice Cream Day: Refreshingly cool recipes

It’s National Ice Cream Sandwich Day, and just in the nick of time too! Each year, the annual event takes place on August 2nd. Just picture all of that rich and creamy ice cream stuffed between two tasty cookie or cake wafers. Who could resist this refreshingly cool frozen treat on a hot August summer day?

Fabulous Ice Cream Sandwich Recipes:

• Naughty Ice Cream Sandwiches - This recipe is to die for! Not only is it beautiful, it looks delicious too! Perfect for Valentine's Day or just because, Irish Cream liquor AND coffee-flavored liquor isincluded in this delish dish!
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich – You’ll need chocolate chip cookie dough, ice cream and semi-sweet mini morsels for this fun recipe from NESTLE.
• Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe – This recipe, from Stephanie Jaworski, looks fabulous.
• Weight Watchers Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe with Vitalicous VitaTops – This recipe could not be simpler. All you need is Vitalicious Vita Tops and Fat Free Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream.
• Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe – This gluten-free recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare.
• Ice Cream Sandwich Crowd Pleaser – From Rachel Ray, this recipe calls for 4 ingredients including heavy cream and dark chocolate.
• Ultimate Italian Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe – Examiner Lisa Patrin shows you just how to whip up this “flat or round” Italian treat.
• Christmas Cake Ice Cream Sandwich – it doesn't have to be summer to enjoy an ice cream sandwich! This recipe includes fruit cake and ice cream.
• Chocolate Strawberry Heart-Shaped Ice Cream Sandwiches – This heart-shaped dessert from Martha Stewart is just too pretty to eat. Strawberry ice cream is used.
• Giant Ice Cream Sandwich Kid Friendly Recipe – This recipe calls for chocolate chips, toffee bits, evaporated milk, brownie mix, butter, sugar and a few other ingredients.
• Praline Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe – This recipe, from Maggie Ruggiero, makes 24 sandwiches and calls for pecans and vanilla ice cream.
• Mexican Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe – You’ll need cinnamon, cocoa powder cayenne and black pepper along with butter, sugar, flour and eggs for this recipe that is served warm.

History of recipe

The earliest known recipes date from approximately 1600 BC and come from an Akkadian tablet from southern Babylonia.

The ancient Egyptians painted hieroglyphics depicting the preparation of food.

Many ancient Greek recipes are known. Mithaecus's cookbook was an early one, but most of it has been lost; Athenaeus quotes one short recipe in his Deipnosophistae. Athenaeus mentions many other cookbooks, all of them lost.

Roman recipes are known starting in the 2nd century BCE with Cato the Elder's De Agri Cultura. Many other authors of this period described eastern Mediterranean cooking in Greek and in Latin.

Some Punic recipes are known in Greek and Latin translation.

Much later, in the 4th or 5th century, appears the large collection of recipes conventionally entitled 'Apicius', the only more or less complete surviving cookbook from the classical world. It chronicles the courses served which are usually referred to as Gustatio (appetizer), Primae Mensae (main course) and Secundae Mensae (dessert). The Romans introduced many herbs and spices into western cuisine, Renfrew states that thyme, bay, basil, fennel, rue, mint, parsley and dill were all common in Roman cooking.

Arabic recipes are documented starting in the 10th century; see al-Warraq and al-Baghdadi.

King Richard II of England commissioned a recipe book called "Forme of Cury" in 1390, around the same time another book was published entitled "Curye on Inglish". Both books give an impression of how food was prepared and served in the noble classes of England at that time. The revival of the European class system at this time brought entertainment back to the palaces and homes of the nobility and along with it the start of what can be called the modern recipe book. By the 1400s, numerous manuscripts were appearing, detailing the recipes of the day. Many of these such as the Harleian MS 279, Harleian MS 4016, Ashmole MS 1429, Laud MS 553 and Dure MS 55 give very good information and record the re-discovery of many herbs and spices including coriander, parsley, basil and rosemary, many of which had been brought back from the Crusades.

During the 1500s and 1600s competition between the large houses became common place and numerous books were written on how to manage households and prepare food. In Hollandand England competition grew between the noble families as to who could prepare the most lavish banquet. By the 1660s cookery had progressed to an art form and good cooks were in demand. Many of them published their own books detailing their recipes in competition with their rivals. Many of these books have now been translated and are available online.

By the 1800s, cooking had become a passion throughout the world. Using the latest technology and using a new concept in publishing, Mrs Beeton (Isabella Mary Beeton 1836 – 1865) published her famous ‘Book of Household Management’, in the new format of 24 monthly parts between 1857 and 1861. Around the same time the American cook Fannie Farmer (Fannie Merritt Farmer 1857 – 1915) was born and having devoted herself to cooking published in 1896 her famous work ‘The Boston Cooking School Cookbook’ which contained some 1849 recipes.

By the mid 1900s, there were literally thousands of cookery and recipe books available. The next revolution came with introduction of the TV cooks. The first TV cook in England was Fanny Craddock who had her show on the BBC, later followed by chefs such as Graham Kerr (known as the Galloping Gourmet). These TV cookery programs brought the recipes of these cooks to a new audience who were keen to try out new ways of cooking. In the early days, the recipes were available by post from the BBC and later with the introduction of the CEEFAX text on screen system, they became available on the television. The new companies of Channel 4 and S4C also brought recipes to the television with their own text system called ORACLE. Today the television is still a major source of recipe information, with international cooks and chefs such as Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey, Nigella Lawson and Rachael Ray having prime time shows and backing them up with Internet websites giving the details of all their recipes. Today, despite the Internet, cookery books are as popular if not more so than they have ever been.

Easy fresh peach ice cream recipe

Peaches are abound right now. In hopes of testing some new recipes, I loaded up on them at the State Farmer's Market in Raleigh recently. Breyers Peach Ice Cream is a favorite in our household. I tried to emulate it and ended up with an easy version you can make right in your own kitchen.

Easy Peach Ice Cream

• 4 c. fresh peaches, diced
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 TBS. lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 2 c. heavy whipping cream
• 1 c. half and half

Toss peaches, sugar and lemon juice together in a medium size bowl. Refrigerate for 2 hours stirring every 30 minutes. Whisk eggs, cream and half and half together in a large bowl. Drain the juice from the peaches into the cream mixture and stir. Mash peaches and stir them into the cream mixture. Transfer mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Bean Basic

For such tiny little things, beans offer some pretty big health benefits. Not only are they high in protein, fiber, calcium, potassium and iron, but beans can also lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of cancer and protect against ulcers.

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Buying in Bulk vs. Canned Beans

When you scoop your own beans, you'll have much more to choose from compared to what you'll find canned on a shelf (health food or ethnic grocery stores have the largest selections). Another great advantage of buying in bulk is that you have control over how your beans are cooked, while canned beans usually contain salt and other spices or seasonings.

On the other hand, canned beans offer the convenience of being fully cooked and ready to add to any recipe--perfect for the busy home cook. And you can modify your recipe to account for any seasonings canned beans may contain (check the labels to see what’s been added).

Here are some tips for buying in bulk:

Buying in Bulk

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Soaking Beans

For the best results, you'll want to soak your beans overnight, but in a pinch, you can do a quick-soak about an hour beforehand.

Full-soak:

• Rinse beans in cold water, picking out any shrunken ones as well as pebbles or grass (beans are very much a product of the earth and even the highest-quality brands may have dust and little rocks in them).
• Place in a pot with at least three cups of water for every cup of beans--refrigerate overnight.
• Discard any beans that float to the top--these are most likely hollow, or they may have been sullied by mold or insects.

Quick-soak:

• Rinse and pick through beans, then place them in a pot with enough cold water to cover them by two inches.
• Bring to a boil, cap the pot with a snug-fitting lid, remove from the heat and let sit for one hour.
• You can either keep the cooking water and proceed with your recipe, or you can drain the beans and start again with fresh water. (Using fresh cooking water will not, as some cooks claim, reduce beans' gas-causing properties. To build up your body's ability to digest beans, simply eat them more often.)

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Cooking Beans

When you're ready to cook the soaked beans, drain them, and cover them with fresh water.

• Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
• Check periodically and keep enough water in the pot so beans are always under at least ¼ inch of liquid.
• Once soaked, beans will take between one and two hours to cook, depending on their size.

National cheesecake day: Chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake recipe

This chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake recipe has just about everything you could ask for: creamy cheesecake filling, nuggets of cookie dough and chocolate chips.

The secret to perfect, crack-free cheesecake is cooling it to room temperature – that’s several hours – before covering and putting in the refrigerator to chill.

My friend Imelda Lopez of Jacksonville, N.C. wrote this recipe out from memory on a sheet of notebook paper one summer evening while she dazzled me with her cheesecake-baking skills. Thanks Mel! I make it often.

For the crust:

1 16.5-oz. package Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie dough

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray a 9-inch spring-form pan with no stick spray.

Line the bottom of the pan with a sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper cut in a circle to fit.

Press the cookie dough into the bottom of the pan in a 1/4-inch layer. You probably won’t use all the dough. Store leftovers in a plastic bag and return to the refrigerator.

Bake the crust 8-10 minutes until puffed and slightly brown.

Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool while you prepare the filling.

For the cookie dough:

¼ cup butter (1/2 a stick), softened

¼ cup granulated white sugar

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup all purpose white flour

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar for 3 minutes.

Add water and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.

Gradually add the flour to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.

Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. Set the cookie dough aside.

For the filling:

3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated white sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Method:

Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, to the cream cheese mixture and beat until incorporated. Stop the mixer to scrape the bowl.

Add sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat until just blended.

Scrape the bowl and beat the scrapings in if necessary.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust.

Drop the cookie dough by spoonfuls onto the surface of the cheesecake filling. Poke them under the surface using a spoon or fork. The cookie dough should be submerged in the filling.

Bake 45-50 minutes or until the center is almost set but jiggles a bit when you shake the pan.

Remove the cheesecake to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it.

Continue to cool at room temperature at least one hour, up to 6 hours, until the cheesecake is cool to the touch.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, carefully remove the collar of the spring-form pan. Garnish the cheesecake with ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and serve.

Serves 12-16.

Cook’s notes:

• The cookie dough may seem a little odd, but this eggless version allows the dough to maintain its texture in the hot cheesecake filling.
• Cool the cheesecake at room temperature as long as you can to help prevent it from cracking.
• Don't overbeat the filling. Too much air will make it puff in the oven, then collapse when you remove it. You'll lose the smooth, flat top and the dense, creamy filling.

More information:

If you liked this cheesecake, try these chocolate chip cheesecake cookie bars. Decadent.

Try this lemon curd cheesecake. A show stopper at dessert time!

credit: http://www.examiner.com/x-7286-LA-Baking-Examiner~y2009m7d27-National-cheesecake-day-Chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-cheesecake-recipe

Blackberry Cobbler

"My grandmother made this cobbler when I was a little girl I can still remember the fun we had first picking blackberries together in the hills. Blackberries are my favorite filling, but this cobbler can also be made with apples."

NGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter or margarine, divided
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour*
• 1/3 cup milk, room temperature
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons sugar

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DIRECTIONS

1. In a 10-in. round or oval baking dish, melt 1/2 cup butter; set aside. In a saucepan, heat sugar and water until sugar melts; set aside. Place flour in a mixing bowl; cut in remaining butter until fine crumbs form. Add milk, stirring with a fork until dough leaves sides of bowl. Turn out onto a floured surface; knead three or four times. Roll out to an 11-in. x 9-in. rectangle 1/4 in. thick. Spread berries over dough; sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up, jelly-roll style. Cut into 1/4-in. thick slices. Carefully lay slices in baking dish over butter. Pour sugar syrup around slices (syrup will be absorbed). Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Sprinkle sugar over top and bake 15 minutes more. Serve warm or cold. (*If self-rising flour is not available, use 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder.)

credit: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Blackberry-Cobbler-2/Detail.aspx