Vanilla Coconut Cheesecake Recipe

Vanilla Coconut Cheesecake

Vanilla Coconut Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients
  • For the crusts:
  • 1 and ½ cups sweetened coconut
  • 1 egg white
  • For the filling;
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese at room temperature
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract
  • 2 (5.3 ounce) containers Traditional Toasted Coconut Vanilla Greek Yogurt
  • For the glaze:
  • ½ cup (four ounces) heavy cream
  • ½ cup (four ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon corn syrup (optional)
  • For the whipped cream:
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
Directions
  1. For the crusts:
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Place cupcake wrappers inside standard size muffin or cupcake tins.
  4. Combine sweetened coconut and egg white. Scoop one tablespoon of mixture into lined muffin tins.
  5. Bake 8-10 minutes until edges are lightly browned.
  6. For the filling:
  7. Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and coconut extract until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs and egg yolk one at a time. Beat until combined and scrape the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add yogurt. Mix until smooth.
  8. Scoop filling over each baked crust. Fill almost to the top.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until edges are set but centers remain slightly wobbly.
  10. Remove pans from oven. Let cakes cool 20 minutes. Remove from pans.
  11. For the glaze;
  12. Heat heavy cream over medium heat until it just boils. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Add corn syrup.
  13. Let mixture sit for five minutes. Stir until smooth. Let cool for one hour.
  14. Pour ganache over cooled cheesecakes. Let cool completely.
  15. Top with whipped cream.
  16. For the whipped cream:
  17. Beat cream, sugar, and vanilla until the mixture holds firm peaks.
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Baked Chicken Wings

Baked Chicken Wings

Ingredients:
 
Wings

  • 1 1/2- 2 pounds chicken wing pieces
  • non-stick spray

Marinade

  • 1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
  • 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp ginger, grated

Garnishes

  • chopped scallions
  • chopped cilantro
  • roasted sesame seeds
  • gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)

Equipment:

  • grater
  • large mixing bowl with cover
  • large sheet pan
  • tongs
  • brush or small spoon

Directions:

1.) In a large bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients together well. Add the chicken wings to the marinade, then cover and let sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight.
2.) When you are ready to make the wings, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place wings in a single layer on a large sheet pan lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. Give each wing a quick shake to drain off any excess marinade, then place them on the pan so that they do not touch.
3.) When the oven comes to temperature, place the tray of wings into the oven and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and flip the wings over, flipping just once. Place the wings back in oven to cook for another 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and flip the wings over one last time. Increase oven to “broil.” Place wings back in the oven to cook for another 8-10 minutes, or just until the wings get very light burned edges and a dark, glossy finish (check every few minutes after the first 5 minutes of broiling).
4.) Remove wings from the oven, then let them sit for about 5 minutes to cool. For a bit of extra gloss, brush or spoon some of the thickened cooking juices/sauce on each wing. Scatter on green onion, cilantro, roasted sesame seeds, and gochugaru and serve.

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Open-Faced Enchilada Quesadillas

Open-Faced Enchilada Quesadillas

Ingredients

  • 4 whole Flour Tortillas
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 whole Onion, Thinly Sliced
  • ¼ teaspoons Salt To Taste
  • ⅛ teaspoons Black Pepper To Taste
  • ½ cups Green Bell Pepper, Diced
  • ½ cups Yellow Bell Pepper, Diced
  • ½ cups Red Bell Pepper, Diced
  • ¼ cups Enchilada Sauce
  • ½ cups Black Olives, Chopped
  • 1 cup Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
  • ¼ cups Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
  • ¼ cups Sour Cream For Garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Place tortillas on an ungreased baking sheet, lightly spray with cooking spray and prick all over with a fork. Bake for 5-6 minutes, until they are puffed and begin to turn golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Keep the oven on.
  2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions to the skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions turn translucent and begin to caramelize (about 8-10 minutes). When the onions are almost done, add the diced peppers and cook just until they begin to soften. Remove skillet from heat.
  3. Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce over each of the baked tortillas. Top with the onions and veggie mixture, olives and cheese. Place it back in the oven and cook for 5-6 more minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh cilantro and sour cream.
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How to Make Deviled Eggs

How to Make Deviled Eggs

What you’ll need:

  • 6 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, salad dressing or half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon yellow, Dijon or spicy brown mustard
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper
  • 2-quart saucepan
  • Knife
  • Spoons

Directions:

  1. Place eggs in single layer in 2-quart saucepan. Cover with cold water at least 1 inch above eggs. Cover saucepan; heat to boiling.
  2. Immediately remove from heat; let stand covered 15 minutes (12 minutes for medium and 18 minutes for extra-large).
  3. Drain. Immediately place eggs in cold water with ice cubes or run cold water over eggs until completely cooled.
  4. To peel, gently tap egg on countertop until entire shell is finely cracked. Roll gently between hand to loosen shell. Starting at large end, peel egg under cold running water to help remove shell.
  5. Cut lengthwise in half. Slip out yolks into small bowl; mash with fork. To prevent eggs from tipping on the serving plate, cut a thin slice from the bottom of each egg white half before filling. Or, to stand eggs upright, cut crosswise slice about 2/3 from top of narrow end of egg to remove yolk; cut thin slice from bottom of wide end of egg white to rest on serving platter.
  6. Stir mayonnaise, mustard and pepper into yolks. Fill whites with egg yolk mixture, heaping it lightly. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Tips:

  • Buy eggs 7 to 10 days ahead of time for easier peeling. This gives eggs time to take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell.
  • Heat just to boiling to prevent eggs from cracking. If left to boil, the bubbles toss the eggs around in the pan, which can cause their shells to crack.
  • For the easiest peeling, peel hard-cooked eggs as soon as they are cool enough to handle.
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Singapore Noodles Recipe

Singapore-Noodles-Recipe

Singapore Noodles Recipe

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. rice vermicelli noodles
  • 1 Tbsp hot curry powder
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch fresh ginger
  • 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 bunch bok choy
  • 4 medium carrots
  • 12 oz. bag bean sprouts
  • 1 bunch green onions
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp chili garlic sauce (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place the dry rice noodles in a bowl and cover with room temperature water. Let soak for 15 minutes. Drain in a colander after they have soaked and are softened. Return the noodles to the bowl, cut the noodles into pieces (approximately 6 inches in length) to facilitate stir frying later. Sprinkle the noodles with curry powder and toss to coat. Set noodles aside.
  2. While the noodles are soaking/draining/marinating in curry powder, prepare all of your vegetables. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger, julienne the carrots, wash and thinly slice the bok choy, rinse the bean sprouts and slice the green onion.
  3. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the garlic and ginger. Stir fry very briefly (1 minute or less) then add all of the vegetables, reserving some green onion for garnish. Stir fry the vegetables until they just begin to soften.
  4. Add the noodles to the hot pan and stir fry briefly (1-2 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil and chili garlic sauce. You can either add them to the pan individually or mix them all together in a bowl then stir into the dish. Taste the noodles and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
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Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Ingredients:
  • about 3 cups cooked chicken
  • 6-8 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 Tbs. butter
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • salt to taste (I just shake some in)
  • about a cup of milk, maybe a bit less
Directions:
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball.
  2. Heavily flour a work surface. You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings with. I like to use a pizza cutter. I also like to use a small spatula to lift the dumplings off the cutting surface.
  3. Roll the dough out thin with a heavily floured rolling pin. Dip your cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares about 2″x2″. It’s okay for them not to be exact. Just eye ball it. Some will be bigger, some smaller, some shaped funny.
  4. Use the floured spatula to put them on a heavily floured plate. Just keep flouring between the layers of dumplings. If they will be cooked soon, this method works well. If I’m going to cook them later in the day I layer them on a cookie sheet with wax paper between and lots of flour. You can also freeze them like this and then transfer them to a ziplock bag.
  5. To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they not doughy tasting. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and you’re done!
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Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites Recipe

Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites

Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites

Ingredients:

  • 1 can Pillsbury refrigerated thin crust pizza dough
  • 1 package (8 ounce) sliced cheddar cheese
  • 1 package (7 ounce) sliced deli ham
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Coarse sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • Progresso Recipe Starters Creamy Three Cheese cooking sauce, for dipping

Directions:

1.Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Unroll pizza dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
2.Top dough evenly with sliced cheese and ham slices. Carefully and tightly roll up dough from the long end into a log; pinch seam to seal.
3.Slice log into 16 equal pieces. Set each piece cut side-down on baking sheet.
4.Brush dough with beaten egg, then sprinkle sides and tops with coarse salt. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.
5.Brush dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with more salt, if desired. Serve with warm Creamy Three Cheese cooking sauce on the side for dipping.

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Breakfast Muffins

Breakfast Muffins

Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients

1 package of Pillsbury Biscuits (10 biscuits)
5 slices of bacon (cooked and cut into pieces)
4 eggs scrambled
5 cheese slices
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. water
Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F.
Using a rolling pin or your hands flatten each biscuit.
Top each biscuit with a spoonful of egg, a spoonful of bacon and 1/2 slice of cheese.
Pull up on each corner to form into a ball, pressing together at the seam.
Place in greased muffin tins.
Lightly whisk water into egg yolk and brush over each muffin.
Top with pepper to taste.
Bake for 13-15 minutes.
Let cool on baking rack and serve warm.

Yield: 10 Muffins

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Honey-Apricot Monkey Bread Recipe

Honey-Apricot Monkey Bread Recipe

Honey-Apricot Monkey Bread Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup apricot preserves
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 (16.3 ounce) Pillsbury Grands Honey Butter Biscuits

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 inch bundt pan or tube pan.
  2. In a small bowl combine the apricot preserves, cardamom, honey, and butter. Set aside.
  3. Open one can of biscuits and cut each biscuit into 4 equal parts. Place the biscuit pieces in the bottom of the bundt pan. Pour half of the sauce on top of the biscuits.
  4. Open the other can of biscuits and cut them into 4 equal parts. Place the biscuit pieces in the bundt pan and pour the remaining sauce on top.
  5. Bake for 30-32 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. Invert onto a serving plate and serve warm. Pull pieces off to eat.
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Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sandwiches Recipe

Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sandwiches Recipe

Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sandwiches Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 20 small Hawaiian sweet rolls, cut in half crosswise
  • 1 pound deli black forest ham, sliced
  • 20 slices provolone cheese
  • 8-oz. container spreadable cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons dried minced onions
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with the bottom halves of the sweet rolls. Top with the ham, then the provolone cheese slices. Spread the cream cheese onto the bottoms of the sweet roll tops and place them in a layer on top of the cheese.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onions and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and pour evenly over tops of the sandwiches. Sprinkle the poppy seeds over the top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until warmed through. Cut at the seams with a knife and serve warm!
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