What could be better for summer? And just in time for Memorial Day? This yummy take on a popular ice cream treat, of course. Can't you just hear the ice cream truck coming around the corner now?
1 ready made graham cracker pie crust (I used reduced fat)*
2- 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 reduced fat)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream (I used light)
1/2 Tbs vanilla extract
Zest of one orange
1 Tbs juice from orange
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. With an electric mixer whip cream cheese until smooth. Add one egg at a time whipping after each addition until incorporated. Continue to whip mixture on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Gradually add sugar a little at a time whipping on medium high until mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in sour cream. Remove 1 cup of cheese cake mixture and set aside. Stir vanilla into the remaining mixture. To the reserved mixture stir in the orange zest and juice. Pour the plain mixture into the pie shell. Drop tablespoons of the orange cheesecake onto the plain and swirl using a butter knife. Bake for 40 min. (will still jiggle but don't overcook!) turn off oven and allow the cake to sit in the closed oven for 45 min. Let cool for at least 30 min before refrigerating overnight. Best served with whipped cream.
* I usually bake a homemade crust in a springform pan but I took the shortcut this time and the only difference is that I didn't have to lug out my 100 lb. food processor to chop graham crackers. However, we did think the graham cracker crust may have been a little over powering for the delicate orange taste of the cake. When shopping I noticed that ready made pie shells now come in shortbread (who knew?!) so next time I'll try that one :)
In case you would like to make your own:
Graham Cracker Crust
2 cups finely ground graham crackers(about 30 squares)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
Follow above directions for cheesecake filling-for homemade crust follow baking directions below.
In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, best if overnight.
Oh, and sorry no picture. If I had any self control at all I could have taken a picture before diving straight into the cake with a fork ;)
Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers
We love sloppy joes around here but we're trying to cut back on carbs so this recipe is a winner. I used red bell peppers as you see in the picture and parboiled them for three minutes but I think I'll do five next time. If you like them to hold a little bite after they're cooked go with three. You can use pre-shredded cheese, for most of my cooking I usually do, but it's worth the extra effort to shred your own this time. It melts so much better. We like the flavor of traditional sloppy joes (the manwich kind) so I stirred in a little ketchup at the end but let your own taste be your judge. Bon appetit!
1 pound ground turkey or beef
1 small onion
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup ketchup(optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
3 bell peppers any color, halved lengthwise, seeds and stems removed
Brown the ground turkey, onion, celery and garlic; drain the fat, if any. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients except the cheese and green peppers. Simmer 10 minutes. Meanwhile, parboil the peppers in a little boiling water 3-5 minutes (longer yields a more tender pepper); drain. Place the peppers in a baking dish. Stir half of the cheese into the hamburger mixture; fill the peppers with the meat. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350º 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbly
Strawberry Lemon Creme' Cupcakes
This recipe was inspired by my love of strawberry shortcake and lemon creme' filled doughnuts. Healthy, right? It's also super easy and uses premade ingredients however, I'm working on a more "from scratch" version that will incorporate more whole foods. Whenever I develop a recipe I throw it together with whatever is handy to make sure the flavors mesh before I delve into the process of breaking down each part to make it better. This is prototype one. Enjoy :)
1 box strawberry cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water
1 can lemon creme' pie filling
1 tub cream cheese frosting
Bake cupcakes according to package directions and allow to cool completely. Insert a knife into the center of each cupcake making an "x" shape. Fill the cupcakes by using a piping bag or ziploc bag (fill bag, seal, and snip one corner) filled with lemon creme'. You can do this by inserting the tip of the bag into the center of the cupcake and fill just until it reaches the top of the cake. Be careful not to use too much, less is more! Frost cupcakes as you normally would. That's it! Easy peasy.
