Recipes…recipes…and more recipes…
This is the spot if you’re hungry! Family recipes, gathered in one spot for quick reference!
Now, go on and find the silverware to go with these plates. Recipes to follow as time permits.
This is one of two lime cheesecake recipes I’ve used. This one has mascarpone, and it’s the recipe I favor when I want to make this delicious pie and have some mascarpone on hand.
Mascarpone is an Italian dessert-type cream cheese that is to die for. It’s somewhere between cream cheese and creme fraiche, and if you use it, you don’t need to use any sour cream.
LIME photo by libraryman
- 1 1/2 T butter
- 3 cups cookie crumbs (or graham cracker crumbs – I use shortbread cookie crumbs)
- 2 1/4 c mascarpone
- Finely grated rind and juice of 2 (key)limes
- 1/2 c sugar
- 2 large eggs, separated
Grease the base of a large (about 10″) spring-form pan and line with parchment paper (or skip the paper if you don’t have any), just grease well.
- Melt the butter in a pan (low heat) and stir in the crushed cookie crumbs.
- Then line the pan with the crumbs, pressing up to about 1/4 inch or so up the sides.
- Gently beat together the mascarpone, lime rind & juice, sugar and egg yolks till very smooth.
- Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the cheese mixture.
- Then pour mixture over into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven (350F, 180C) for 35-45 minutes, or till just set.
It’ll crack — this is fine! If you like, you can “seal” those cracks lightly with a wee bit of mascarpone while the cheesecake is still hot. But cracks are no problem!
If you’re feeling fancy, you can make a curl from a bit of lime peel — or twist a thin slice of lime — and place on the top of each piece.
Some like whipped cream with their cheesecake. I think it’s plenty rich just as it is.
A great snack – or it can be a light supper for two (like a ‘small plate’) along with a green salad.
So many things can be done with refrigerated crescent rolls. Trader Joes now carries these (in my local store anyway.)
Trader Joe's Refrigerated Crescent Rolls
- TJ’s Crescent Rolls (prepared dough), or similar from the refrigerator section of your grocery store
- 1 huge or 2 medium sized red onions
- 1 yellow or red pepper
- tomato slices (cherry tomatoes are nice – good flavor)
- 3 1/2 oz (100 g) mozzarella of your choice, cut into thick slices or chunks
- Fresh basil leaves
Roll out the dough and pinch it together to make four squares (about 3″ x 3″)
Bake at 375F for about 8 minutes while you cut up the other ingredients:
Cut the red onions into thin wedges. Cut slivers of pepper. (Or if you’re in the mood, cut the pepper in half and char it a bit on a broiler rack for flavor.) Slice up your yummy mozzarella. Thinly slice the tomato.
Take the dough squares and assemble all the cut up ingredients in an artistic way – sprinkle with basil. Then bake these for 10-12 minutes (keep a bit of a watch).
Yum! These are really good. You can also just line a 8 x 8 pan with the dough — not do squares — bake it and then cut into serving sized pieces. It’s a bit faster, but a bit less pretty.
Healthy food - kidney beans!
- 2 cans dark kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
- 2 bell peppers cut up in chunks (I use Trader Joes frozen peppers – rinsed first in cold water to get the ice off)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 cup corn (frozen or canned, whatever you have)
- 1 can tomatoes (good with the version that has celery and onions – or chop up roma tomatoes if you’re a purist)
- 3 T chili powder (or more if you like – taste to see)
- (2 t sugar – optional)
- Salt (to taste)
- 1 T olive oil (right before serving – if desired!)
Toppings:
Sour cream or yoghurt and chopped cilantro – or parsley leaves — to pretty things up and add a bit of added flavor.
Combine everything but the salt and olive oil in a slow cooker and let it cook on HIGH for about 3 hours or on LOW for about 5 hours. Mix in the salt (to taste) and the olive oil.
Top with yummy toppings if you wish.
I love to serve this with cornmeal muffins. It’s GOOD, and quite filling without being overly heavy.
Remember to really rinse the heck out of the kidney beans!
