Chocolate Eruption Cheesecake

This was definitely a splurge for us! I have been wanting to make this cheesecake for a long time, but couldn't justify the calories or the time. I am not a big cake fan so for my birthday every year I get cheesecake. This year I decided this would be my choice. As I was making it, Port kept pointing out how many calories it had! I explained to him that I had been stuck in the house all week with sick kids and it was my birthday! I didn't care! This cheesecake was great, but you don't need a huge piece. It is definitely rich, but totally worth the splurge. Our family only ate some of the cheesecake and we froze the rest.

From Recipezaar

Ingredients

Bottom Crust

1 1/4 cups Oreo cookies or chocolate cookie crumbs or fine brownies, crumbs
1/4 cup white chocolate, finely ground
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

2 1/2 lbs cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 (14 ounce) can condensed milk
5 eggs
1/3 cup light cream
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 cups white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate
2 cups coarsely chopped Snickers candy bars or turtle candy bars
1 cup coarsely cut chunks brownie, homemade or prepared from a mix
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

Garnish
1/4 cup melted white chocolate
1/4 cup melted semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup melted milk chocolate chocolate shavings
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1-Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2-Spray a 10 inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3-Mix the crust ingredients together and press firmly into the pan.
4-Mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth.
5-Add condensed milk, eggs, cream, flour, vanilla, and salt.
6-Blend until smooth, about 5 minutes on slow speed, scraping bottom of the mixing bowl.
7-Remove 1/3 of batter and mix it with the white chocolate.
8-Pour this into the springform pan.
9-Fold in the remaining ingredients (except caramel sauce) into the cheesecake batter.
10-Mix gently by hand.
11-Fold half the batter into the pan (on top of the white chocolate cheesecake batter), and then drop spoonfulls of half the caramel sauce all over.
12-Top with remaining batter and then remaining caramel sauce.
13-Stir with butter knife.
14-Pan will be very full.
15-Bake until set about 45-55 minutes.
16-Cool in oven an hour and then place in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
17-Before serving, drizzle on melted milk, white and dark chocolate over top, allowing it to drip down on side.
18-Garnish with large chocolate shavings and dust with powdered sugar.

Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta

From Smitten Kitchen

Serves 6

1 pound spiral-shaped pasta

1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into

1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon plus more for garnish

1 5- to 5 1/2-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese (I thought you could even use cream cheese)

Fresh lemon juice to taste

Cook your pasta in a large pot of well-salted water until it is almost tender, or about three minutes shy of what the package suggests. Add asparagus and cook until firm-tender, another two to three minutes. Drain both pasta and asparagus together, reserving one cup of pasta water. Meanwhile, combine olive oil, lemon peel, tarragon and cheese in a large bowl, breaking up the goat cheese as you put it in. Add hot pasta and asparagus to bowl, along with a couple slashes of the pasta water. Toss until smoothly combined, adding more pasta water if needed. Season genersously with salt and pepper, and lemon juice if you feel it needs a little extra kick.

Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

This was delicious and really simple. I shredded my chicken, but that is just a personal preference. My kids ate the broccoli and Port thought it was great! It tasted like Chinese take-out.

From Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. peanut oil, divided

1½ tsp. sesame oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

¼-½ tsp. red pepper flakes

4 cups broccoli florets

6 tbsp. chicken broth, divided

2 tbsp. oyster sauce

1 tbsp. hoisin sauce

4 tbsp. soy sauce

1½ tsp. cornstarch

3 scallions, chopped

Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Heat about half of the peanut oil and the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and sauté until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the red pepper flakes and broccoli florets to the pan. Pour in about half of the chicken broth – it should steam and boil quickly. Allow the broccoli to cook until crisp-tender and the broth has mostly evaporated. Add the oyster sauce and hoisin sauce to the pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and cornstarch, and add to the pan. Stir in the remaining chicken broth. Return the chicken pieces to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the scallions. Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Yesterday was a crazy day and maybe because of being pregnant and tired, I really was craving baked goods and comfort foods. I saw these cookie bars and they reminded me of being a kid. We very seldom made cookies. We usually made cookie bars. These were awesome! They are really chewy and they hit the spot!

Picture and recipe from Kitchen Cafe

Makes a 9X13-inch pan of bars

2 1/8 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly

1 cup (7 ounces) light brown sugar

1/2 (3 1/2 ounces) cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups chocolate chips (use your preference of semisweet, bittersweet, milk, white, peanut butter...the options are endless!)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab those edges and pull the brownies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Chicken and Vegetable Dumpling Soup

I don't know what my deal has been lately, but I have been really enjoying and cooking good, hearty, wholesome food. This soup was delicious! My hubby and kids tend to balk at eating veegetables, but they loved this soup! It was great for a cold day.

From Kitchen Cafe

*Serves 6

Chicken and Broth:

4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
2-3 chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Vegetables:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots (6-7 baby carrots), chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas

Dumplings:
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or sage
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

In a large pot, boil the chicken broth, water and chicken breasts until the chicken is cooked through and tender (about 15 minutes). Remove the chicken from the pot, reserving the broth in the pot, and shred the chicken with two forks. Set the chicken aside and keep the broth warm on the stove. While the chicken is boiling, in a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the celery, carrots and onions. Saute for about 6-7 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the vegetables to the hot broth in the pot after the chicken has been removed. Add salt, thyme and pepper to the vegetable/broth mixture and stir to combine. Heat the soup to a simmer.In a small bowl, blend ½ cup cold water and 1/4 cup flour with a wire whisk until smooth. Whisking vigorously, slowly add the flour mixture into the hot vegetables and broth and whisk until well combined. Add ½ cup frozen peas and the reserved chicken and cook, stirring gently for one minute.For the dumplings, in a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, milk and oil. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined (don't overmix, it is ok if there are a few dry spots of flour here and there). Heat the soup to boiling and drop teaspoonful amounts (the dumplings should be fairly small, they'll expand while cooking) of dumpling dough into the boiling soup, covering the entire surface of the soup (don't make more than one layer of dumplings). Reduce the heat to simmering, cover and let the dumplings cook for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid of the pot while the dumplings cook. When the dumplings have cooked fully, remove the lid and gently stir the dumplings to break them apart. Serve.

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

This was our delicious Superbowl dinner! We have loved Deep Dish pizza since we visited Chicago in April! The crust was really buttery and delicious and the sauce was definitely a keeper. I won't be buying sauce now because I have this recipe.

Recipe and picture from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1½ cups plus 2 tbsp. (8 1/8 oz.) all-purpose flour

¼ cup (1 3/8 oz.) yellow cornmeal

¾ tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1 1/8 tsp. instant yeast

½ cup plus 2 tbsp. (5 oz.) water, at room temperature

1½ tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For the sauce:

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. grated onion

Pinch of dried oregano

¼ tsp. salt

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes (I used diced and then blended the sauce after it was cooked)

Pinch of sugar

2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

1½ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Ground black pepper

For assembling and topping:

2 tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups)

¼ oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 tbsp.)

Directions: To make the dough, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook on low speed. Mix until blended, about 1 minute. Add the water and melted butter and continue mixing on low speed until fully incorporated, 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is glossy and smooth, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 4-5 minutes. Using your hands, coat a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, turning once to coat with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

While the dough is rising, prepare the sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until reduced to about 1¼ cups, about 25 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To laminate the dough, turn the dough out onto a dry work surface and roll into a 8- by 6-inch rectangle. Using an offset spatula, spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. With the seam side down, flatten the cylinder into a 9- by 2 inch rectangle. Fold into thirds like a business letter, pinch the seams to form a ball, and return to the oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator until nearly doubled in size, 40-50 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.

To assemble, coat a 9-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Transfer the dough ball to a dry work surface and roll out into a 13-inch disk about ¼-inch thick. Transfer the dough to the pan. Lightly press the dough into the pan, working into the corners and 1 inch up the sides. If the dough resists stretching, let rest 5 minutes before trying again.Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the surface of the dough. Spread the tomato sauce over the cheese and top with Parmesan. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Yield: 1 9-inch deep-dish pizza

Chicken Spiedie Sandwiches

Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

I thought this recipe looked really good. Surprisingly, it was delicious!

1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 tablespoon dried basil (or 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons grated zest plus 1 tablespoon juice from one lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 1 1/2 pounds
6 6-inch sub rolls, slit partially open lengthwise

Combine oil, garlic, basil, oregano, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes in a large bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons oil mixture to separate bowl and whisk in mayonnaise, vinegar, and lemon juice; refrigerate. Sauce can be refrigerated, covered for 2 days. Put frozen or thawed chicken breasts in crockpot with remaining oil mixture. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Place on sandwich roll. We added fresh spinach to our sandwich.