Strawberry Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with a Lemon Cookie Crust

Three years ago, I was blessed with a daughter and my life has increasingly become filled with all things pink and girly! Because of my connection with my daughter, Alaina, I was inspired to host a Mother~Daughter brunch at our lovely Bella Cucina. It was a fun time with some of the mommies who are dear to my heart, their daughters and even some of their moms too! When planning it, I wanted to come up with something special to give all of the ladies coming but just couldn't pin point exactly what that would be. In the cookie aisle, while gazing at my favorite "Back To Nature" California Lemon cookie, it came to me! Wouldn't these make the best crust for a cheesecake! This cheesecake was a hit and made an already precious lunch with our little ladies even more of "girl's day out"!

Strawberry Sauce Ingredients:

3cups of strawberries

2/3 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of water

1/2 lemom

2 TBSPs of cornstarch

Add strawberries, sugar, water and the juice of half the lemon to a small saucepan. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add cornstarch and boil for a few minutes. Smooth in a blender. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare a 9 inch springform pan

Lemon Crust Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of ground lemon cookies

1/2 stick of butter

Zest of one lemon

Stir ingredients together and press pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees

Cheesecake Ingredients:

4~ 8oz packages of cream cheese at room temperature

1 3/4 cups of sugar

4 eggs

pinch of salt

2 TBSP of flour

1 pod of vanilla seeds (or just use 2 tsp of vanilla)

Whip cream cheese on high for 5 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides and whip for 5 more minutes. This is to make the cream cheese light and airy. Combine all other ingredients in. Scrape down sides and stir. Pour onto the crust. Top with half of strawberry sauce and swirl with a knife or toothpick. Bake at 325 degrees for 65 minutes. Open oven door, don't move the cheesecake, for 15 minutes. Refigerate overnight. Serve with the remaining strawberry sauce drizzled. Enjoy!

*When cutting cheesecake, wipe the knife with a warm wet towel between slices* 





Bruschetta Stuffed Chicken

Basil.

Beautiful, fragrant and delicious! And this meal is one of my favorite ways to use fresh basil from my fun, new basil plant I found at Wegmans! This chicken is simple to put together but gives you a gourmet meal to present to your family, which in our house helps alot when there are red and green "things" mixed in with their food! It's a great way to start off this great summer season.

Chicken Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts

Marinade- olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, 2 torn basil leaves

Butterfly 3 chicken breasts and marinate in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and basil leaves. Refigerate for as long as you can.

(To butterfly a chicken breast, just filet it, slowly, across from side to side but stop before you slice clear through. You will be able to unfold it and have a wide flat piece.) 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Bruschetta Ingredients:

3 medium tomatoes

1/4 cup of mozzerella cheese

5-6 leaves of basil

dash of salt, pepper, garlic powder

Dice tomatoes and remove the wet seeds. Tear the basil into the tomatoes. Toss with remaining ingredients. Set aside.

Lay the chicken out, cut side up, and lay some of the bruschetta on one half of the breast. Fold the other side over and toothpick to secure. Repeat with other two chicken breasts. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.



Avacado Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

When I heard a mention, on a friend's facebook, about chocolate chip cookies being made with avacados, instead of butter, I quickly made it a point to try it. My mom and future sister-in-law beat me to it but I didn't mind. I got to try these delicious cookies without having to clean up the mess. I made them again on my own and they are so delicious, completely worth doing some dishes! Moist and chocolatey with all the health benefits of avacado but without the hint of avacado flavor. The addition of oats gives them fiber and great texture. Plus who doesn't need a fun way to use up overly ripened avacados! Try these... you will be very glad you did.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

1 cup avocado beat until smooth and creamy
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup agave
3/4 cup unbleached sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup chocolate chips

With a mixer, beat the avacado until very smooth. Add the molasses, agave, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Once well combined, add in the dry ingredients. Mix on low until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake @ 350* for 12-15 mins until firm but still soft.

"The Pioneer Woman" White Chicken Enchiladas

                                                  

My husband took me to meet Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. I made my first recipe from her book. This is how it began... yum!

And this is how it ended... yummy!

Here is the link to her recipe. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/11/white-chicken-enchiladas/ 

I used whole grain tortillas and boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Omitted the jalapeno and the sour cream and used only half of the heavy cream. I also added some salsa to the finished sauce. They were beyond delicious and beautiful too. I loved grilling the peppers and trying a new technique. Meeting Ree was an exciting day and she was as sweet and lovely as she seems when you watch her on her Food Network show. It was one homeschooling home cook mama to another. It was a great day!

Maple Toasted Sesame Dressing

This dressing makes salad a delight to eat! I think that may be all that needs to be said.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

1-2 tsp apple cider vinegar (depending on your preference)

2 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 TBSP Maple Syrup

pinch of salt, pepper and garlic powder

1 tsp of toasted sesame seeds

Shake ingredients in a small jar (or whisk in a bowl) until combined. Taste and adjust to your liking. Shake before serving.

White Chocolate Blondies

There's a need for baked goods in my house but there's also a need for that baked good to be something that will not call my name until the last crumb has been eaten! Combined with my husbands recent confession of not loving all things chocolate, I decided to bake him some white chocolate brownies... blondies! And I'm happy to report that they did not talk to me once! They sure did smell delicious though. I introduced them to the vanilla bean ice cream and the two were happily accepted for dessert after our Sunday meal with my lovely in-laws. All was well with the world.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter

1 cup of brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup of flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 of a bag of white chocolate chips

Combine the flour, salt and baking powder and white chocolate chips and set aside. Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Pour it into the mixing bowl with the brown sugar and vanilla. Mix on medium for a minute, until smooth and cooled a bit. Add in the egg while still mixing. Remove from mixer and fold dry ingredients into the butter mixture until combined. Pour into a greased 9x9 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30-32 minutes. Check with toothpick. Do not overbake. Some baking will continue as they cool. 

Snickerdoodle Biscotti

It is a sad sad day when the husband tells me that he really doesn't enjoy chocolate as much as I do. To try and make up for usually including chocolate in my cookies, granola bars and cakes I decided to make a granola bar based on one of his favorite cookies. A snickerdoodle. I'll admit, these aren't lacking in flavor without the addition of chocolate! 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp. softened butter
1 large egg 
1 large egg yolk (save the white for the topping)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 TBSP ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. of nutmeg
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt

For the topping:
Beaten egg white
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until lightly and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Blend in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated and a dough is formed. Form the dough into a large square form 1/2 and inch thick and 12 inches wide. Whisk together the ingredients for the topping and brush all over and down the sides of the big square before baking.

Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 10 minutes, slice into individual biscottie cookies and then return to the oven for an additional 12 minutes.