Easy Vanilla Bean Cheesecake With Strawberry Sauce

Easy Vanilla Bean Cheesecake With Strawberry Sauce

Filling:

16oz Cream Cheese

2 Eggs 

½ Cup Sugar

1 Vanilla Pod Worth of Vanilla Bean

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Mix all ingredients in large bowl.

Beat with hand mixer on high approximately 30 seconds or until most lumps are gone.

Pour into graham cracker crust.

Bake on 350 for 30-45 minutes or until center has a “jello-like” jiggle.

Cool 100% before you put in the fridge!

Crust:

1 ½ Cups Graham Crackers, Crushed Finely

1/3 Cup Butter, Softened

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

9 Inch Cake Pan

Pre-Heat Oven to 350 degrees

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Press into the sides and bottom of a 9 inch pan.

Bake approximately 10 minutes, or until golden.

Cool before adding filling

*Even easier but not as tasty: Buying the pre-made stuff!

Strawberry Topping:

Frozen Strawberries

1/3 Cup Sugar

½ Tablespoon Corn Starch

Mix ½ tablespoon of corn starch with just enough water to make a runny paste.

In saucepan add frozen strawberries, sugar, and corn starch paste.

Cook on medium/high until strawberries begin to break down in size and sauce thickens to desired consistency.

Cool before applying topping to chilled cheesecake.

Enjoy!

Note: It is important to cool the freshly baked cheesecake before chilling in the fridge because if not, it will develop large cracks. It won't hurt the flavor but it won't be pretty either.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta

Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta

This pasta is named as such because the cream cheese based sauce and vegetable combination tastes like the best spinach artichoke dip you've ever had.

What you need:

1 Box Whole Wheat Pasta
2 8oz Packages of Cream Cheese
1 Cup of Butter
1 16oz Package of Raw Baby Spinach
Salt
Garlic Powder
1 Large (12oz-16oz) Jar of Marinated & Artichoke Heart Quarters, Drained

To make:

Boil the pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente.

Once pasta is fully cooked and drained, rinse with cool water to remove excess starches and set pasta aside.

In a large skillet saute the artichokes and baby spinach in the butter.

Once vegetables are heated through and butter is fully melted, add the packages of cream cheese.

Stir sauce/veggie mix until cream cheese is fully melted.

*If you would like the sauce thinner, you can add additional butter or even milk until it reaches desired consistency.

Add garlic powder and salt to taste.

Once sauce is heated through, add pasta to sauce and stir to coat.

Enjoy!

Note: Baby spinach is more delicate in flavor than frozen but thawed and drained frozen spinach can be used.

Helpful Hint: If you have a picky eater you can use a food processor or blender and tiny bit of olive oil to break down the spinach so you get the all the flavor and nutrition without the texture.

Upgrades Worth The Extra Expense

Upgrades Worth The Extra Expense

Honey Upgrade: Raw honey - The texture is a little gritty since it is unfiltered and tiny sugar crystals are whipped in to help keep the jar from crystallizing (warming up the honey quickly solves that problem) but the flavor is phenomenal! Comparing raw honey to the stuff in the bear is like comparing a fine Italian wine to your kid’s grape juice. You won’t go back. I may or may not lick this straight off the spoon.

What I buy: Wedderspoon 100% Raw Organic Dandelion Honey

Beef Bouillon Upgrade:  Mushroom Powder - Essentially it is just ground up dried mushrooms. While a simple enough concept, the flavor is almost beefy and is excellent in everything from beef stew to pasta sauce, and soups and has the bonus of being vegetarian & vegan friendly in recipes that call for a beef stock. This is one of those things you add to a dish that makes it taste richer without affecting the texture and can be added to most things that call for beef bouillon.

What I buy: Hoosier Hill Farm Porcini Mushroom Powder

Butter Upgrade: Ghee - Ghee is a cultured and clarified butter that is most often used in Indian cooking. Removing the milk solids means you can use the oil to cook at high heat while providing all the sinfully good flavor of butter without the burning. Typically the product is also shelf stable which is nice when you have limited fridge space. While a little pricier, ghee made from grassfed cows is truly worth the extra expense as it is made up for in flavor and the fact that a little goes a really long way. 

What I buy: Pure Indian Foods Brand Grassfed Organic Ghee

Coffee House Upgrade: Matcha Green Tea Powder - It is simply ground green tea which has a wonderfully sweet and earthy taste. This powder is surprisingly versatile since it blends so well and has been used to flavor everything from ice cream to green tea protein shakes. After a little experimentation I even opted to add some powdered spirulina along with the green tea to surprisingly good results. (Heads up, spirulina is strong stuff so use sparingly until you’ve acquired a taste for it.) 

What I buy: Kiss Me Organics Matcha Green Tea Powder

Tea Upgrade: Vanilla tea - A newly discovered favorite fit for a Queen. After having tried various cheap brands I gave up on most flavored teas because even though they smelled fantastic the taste wasn’t anything special which is quite a shame. While searching for gifts for some tea drinkers I stumbled across a particular one that is so good I’ve gifted it more times than I can recall. A good vanilla tea is like drinking vanilla beans and is astoundingly comforting. 

What I buy: Harney & Sons Fine Teas Vanilla Comoro Tin

Spice Upgrade: Saffron - If there’s only one dish you ever use this stuff for it should be paella. The combination of slightly crisped rice, saffron, and seafood is an indulgence all its own. Saffron is expensive because it is the handpicked stigmas off the saffron crocus flower. The plus side is it takes very little to go a long way, as in a pinch of saffron is more than adequate for a paella dish feeding 6-8 hungry people. Saffron has a slight metallic aftertaste to super tasters so it isn’t for everyone. But, it adds a beautiful orange color and depth of flavor that is so unique there’s really no substitution for it. Saffron is wonderful as a flavoring for otherwise plain rice, and with a little garlic as part of an aioli.  

What I buy: Spicy World Pure Spanish Mancha Saffron 5-GramBox   

Slow Cooker Bánh Mì Pork Sliders

Bánh Mì Pork Sliders

What you need:

3-4 lbs Pork Butt (Or pork tenderloin if you want it super lean.)
1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Honey
3 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Oil of Choice
Optional But Delicious: 2 Tablespoons Minced Lemongrass
Slowcooker
Bowl
Either Shredded Carrots or Broccoli Slaw Mix
Rice Vinegar
Cilantro
Bread (While French bread is traditional, sweet rolls make for perfect sliders.)
Mayo

To make:

Start pre-heating the slowcooker during prep.

In a bowl cover the shredded carrots/broccoli slaw mix in rice vinegar and refrigerate to start the pickling process. Keep in the fridge while the pork cooks.

In the slowcooker place the pork, garlic, brownsugar, salt, honey, fish sauce, sesame oil, oil of choice (canola works great), and lemongrass if you're using it.

Cook the pork on low for approximately 6 hours or high for approximately 3, or until it can easily be shredded with a fork.

Once cooked through, shred the pork and stir while still in the slowcooker so it absorbs as much of the flavor and juices as possible from the bottom of the slowcooker.

If you want your bread toasted, place in a 350 degree oven until lightly golden.

Top your sandwich with the pickled carrot/broccoli slaw mix, chopped cilantro, and mayo.

Enjoy!

Chili Mango Protein Shake

Chili Mango Protein Shake

Protein shakes are probably one of the most perfect breakfasts. It takes 5 minutes or less to blend them up, you can stick them in the freezer the night before and by the time you get to work you'll have a smoothie with the perfect consistency to sip at your desk. 

The best part? They're really easy to customize and require no actual cooking!

What you need:

Blender

Frozen Mango Chunks

Tajin Seasoning With Lime (A chili/lime powder)

Milk Product of Choice

Vanilla Flavored Protein Powder 

Tall Glass

To make:

In the blender add frozen mango, 1/2 scoop of protein powder, about 1/2 teaspoon Tajin (chili/lime) powder, and then top with milk until covering mango chunks.

Blend

Pour into glass.

Sprinkle a little more Tajin powder on top.

Enjoy!

Tip: If you don't have a single serving type blender you can easily portion out how much of each ingredient to use by using the glass you'll be drinking it in. Fill your glass with all the ingredients as listed above but then simply dump the ingredients into the blender to blend after portioning in your glass. 

Tip: Smoothies are easy to make ahead for the week by making a large batch, pouring it into a Blender Ball cup, (they're perfect for re-mixing the smoothie if it starts to separate) and stuck them in the freezer. On the way out the door simply grab a frozen smoothie and go. As you're getting ready for the day take a pre-frozen smoothie out of the freezer to start thawing and by the time you get to work they're ready to go.

****Diary free version: Use rice milk and sub the whey protein powder for soy protein powder.

Breakfast Cupcakes

Breakfast Cupcakes

Here it is, the infamous "Breakfast Cupcake" recipe which has to be one of the most popular things I've ever made.

What you'll need:

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Shredded Cheddar
Bacon
Eggs


Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bacon:
Fry the bacon in a pan until crisp. (Don't forget to save the bacon grease!)

Once the bacon has cooled, crumble or chop it into small pieces.

 * Pre-cooked bacon works great and cuts cooking time, chopped breakfast sausage could also be used.

The crescent roll base:

Take one of the pre-cut triangles of crescent roll dough, and putting two corners together create a cup shape with one cup being placed in each opening of a muffin tin.

Use your fingers to press and seal any gaps in the dough cup.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown

Eggs:

Use a little of the reserved bacon grease to keep eggs from sticking to pan.

Scramble eggs in hot pan stirring frequently.

Assemble: 

Once the crescent cups are golden, use the backside of a teaspoon to gently create a deep indention in the center of each cup for the filling.

Place about a heaping teaspoon of scrambled egg in each crescent cup.

Top each crescent cup with the crumbled bacon.

Top each crescent cup with the shredded cheddar.

Bake another 1-5 minutes until the cheese has melted.

***Note: It helps to put the cheese on after the eggs/bacon because it acts like a glue holding everything together. If you use pre-cooked bacon, or even sausage, you could easily just mix them in with the eggs while scrambling to make assembly even easier.

Sriracha Honey Salmon

Sriracha Honey Salmon

Sriracha Honey Salmon served over a bed of Israeli couscous with a side of spinach.

What You Need:

Huy Fong Sriracha
Raw Honey
Salmon Fillets
Frozen Spinach, Thawed
Rice Select Tri Colored Pearl Couscous
Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Salt
*Oil of Choice (Works especially well with Ghee)

Salmon: 

Preheat Oven to 350. Note: Any higher and the sugar in the honey glaze will burn.

In a small bowl mix equal parts Sriracha and honey.

Put salmon on greased/foiled pan for baking, drizzle glaze directly on salmon.

Flip salmon over, pour or drizzle remaining glaze over top of salmon.

Bake salmon approximately 20 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork.

During the last 5-6 minutes of salmon cook time:

Couscous:

In a microwave safe bowl add your couscous and just enough chicken stock to cover.

Microwave couscous/stock mix in 2 minute increments stirring after each two minutes.

Stop once couscous is soft and fluffy.

Spinach:

Use just enough choice oil to coat bottom of medium skillet.

Sauté spinach until heated through.

Salt to taste.

Enjoy!
 

Her Royal Highness: Mom.

       After endless amounts of encouragement from friends, family, etc. I've finally decided it was time for a blog. As the queen of this household it seems only fitting to assume the role of "Her Royal Highness: Mom" 

 Enjoy!

   
  This is also a good time to mention that I almost never measure anything unless "a little of this, some of that, and a heaping spoon of this stuff" counts. However, I will make it a point add measurements, or at least approximates, as I can.


  
























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.....or simply put, I link to the products I actually use so others can easily get them too.