Celebrating My Dad's Birthday

My dad loves spaghetti.  However, it's not a favorite of my mom's.  I offered to cook some for his 83rd birthday meal.  He very quickly agreed.  No recipes on this post because I've already posted the spaghetti sauce recipe before.  Thought y'all might like to see some pictures of the menu and the table.

Cannellini Bean & Tuna over Mixed Greens with Basil Vinaigrette

A good friend provided the beautiful mixed greens fresh from his garden.  The basil on my deck wanted to be included in the dressing.  A can of cannellini beans and a few cans of olive oil packed tuna in the pantry.....yes this salad started to come together beautifully.

Let's make the dressing:

2 cups packed basil leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

3 T fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 T. white wine vinegar

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 t. red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pulse all ingredients in food processor until well blended.  Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

4 cups of mixed salad greens

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 cucumber peeled and quartered, then sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 medium tomato, chopped into small pieces

2 cups drained olived oil packed tuna, broken into large pieces

Place salad greens onto a large platter in an even layer.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

Combine 1/2 of the vinaigrette, beans, cucumber and tomatoes in a medium bowl and gently mix together.  Arrange bean mixture on top of the salad greens and then add the tuna.  Drizzle additional vinaigrette over salad.

I need a favor....

I want to thank all of the followers of my blog.  I appreciate that you take the time to drop in and read and look through the posts and try some new recipes.  But the favor is...would you please take a few minutes and put the link to the blog on your Facebook page or send the link to your friends.  I want to reach 100 followers soon! 

If you try one of the recipes that you enjoy, drop me a note and let me know.  If you try one that needs a little tweaking, let us know and we'll all discuss/debate and try it your way and compare results.

And if any of you are Pinterest groupies....I always appreciate Pins!

Lolly

Strawberry Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream is one of the great joys of life.  Especially when the fresh fruits of Spring and Summer are here.  With a nice basket of freshly picked strawberries and a beautiful Sunday afternoon in May, what else is there to do but get the ice cream freezer off the shelf?

No worries about raw eggs here nor any time spent making a custard on the stove top before freezing the mixture.  It literally took longer to dice up the strawberries than it did for the freezer to do its' job.

4 cups whole milk

4 cups heavy cream

2 cups sugar

1/2 t. salt

1 T. pure vanilla extract

4 cups diced/mashed strawberries

3 - 4 drops red food coloring (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the milk, cream, sugar, salt, vanilla, strawberries, and food coloring.  Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of an ice cream maker.  You may need to add a little extra milk to reach the "fill" line.  Freeze according to manufacturer's directions and then pack in ice for about 30 minutes before dipping.

Chicken and Dumplings

Do you consider Chicken and Dumplings a soup?  A main course?  An oddity that you've never tried?  I consider a bowl of chicken and dumplings to be one of the main foods of the gods.  Dumplings can either be "dropped" or "rolled."  I've always been a dropped dumpling kind of girl, but decided at this stage of my life it was time to overcome my fear of rolling out dough, cutting nice little squares and dropping them into simming chicken stock.  Sounds easy right?  Then why haven't I made myself attempt this project before now? 

Dumplings can be made from a flour/shortening/milk dough, cut up refrigerated biscuits or even tortillas.  But as a good Southern girl, it was (way past) time for me to Just Do It.

First you cook 2 or 3 bone in chicken breasts in enough water to cover them with a little salt and pepper and about 2 T. of butter.  I added a little dried thyme to the broth, because in Lolly World, chicken and thyme are wonderful partners.

When the chicken is fully cooked, remove from the broth and set aside on a plate to cool enough that you can shred the meat. 

Carefully strain the chicken broth into a wide pot and bring up to a slow simmer over medium low heat.  You'll need about 8 - 10 cups of broth.  Add a little water if needed.

Now to make the dumplings!

2 cups self-rising flour

1 t. poultry seasoning

1/4 cup shortening

2/3 cup milk

In a large bowl, combine the flour and poultry seasoning.

Add the shortening and with a pastry blender mix in with the flour until you have little pea sized crumbles.

Make a well and slowly add most of the milk and gently stir with a fork until blended into a wet dough.  Add the remaining ounce or so of milk and stir.  It's going to be a wet dough, so don't panic. 

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for a minute or two until no longer sticky.

Then roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/8" inch. 

Carefully cut the dough into small squares and gently add them to the simmering broth.

Once you add the dumplings to the broth, DO NOT STIR them.  The fragile dough will disintegrate.  Let the broth cook the dumplings as you add the remaining squares.  Very carefully jiggle the pot occasionally to bring the hot broth over the top of the dumplings. 

Let them cook for 8 - 10 minutes or so and then carefully add the shredded chicken.  NOW you can gently stir the dumplings to incorporate the chicken into the heavenly pot of dumplings.  Taste and add salt and pepper.  If you wish, you can use white pepper.  I always use black pepper because I love to see the little specks of peppery goodness against the white of the dumplings.

 

I'll never make drop dumplings again.  And, drum roll please.....I have overcome my fear of making rolled dumplings.  I am quite proud of myself!

Easy Smeasy Cheesy Potato Soup

Yes this is considered a cold weather soup.  And I'm going to cheat with this recipe because it contains two cans of cream of.....soup.  By the time the cubed potatoes are cooked through, this soup is basically ready to be ladled into bowls.  Enjoy.

5 pounds of russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1" pieces

6 cups of chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of celery soup

8 oz. sour cream

2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese

s & p

Boil the potatoes in the broth until tender, about 10 minutes.  Lower heat to simmer.  In a mixing bowl combine the soups and the sour cream.  Slowly stir in the soup/sour cream mixture and let heat through.  A little at a time, add the shredded cheese and stir until melted.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Add extra cheese on top, or more sour cream or crumbled bacon, or parsley or chives....you get the idea.  : )

Chess (or Buttermilk) Pie

Ah....Chess Pie.  I love this pie.  Chess Pies are a Southern specialty that has a simple filling of eggs, sugar, butter, buttermilk and a little bit of flour.  Some recipes call for cornmeal or a touch of vinegar to cut the sweetness. 

There's lots of versions of where the name came from, but the filling is close to a curd which is an Americanized verion of "cheese".  So I guess a Chess Pie is like a cheese-less cheesecake.

Wherever the name originated, give this pie a try.  You'll be glad you did.  You don't even have to get the mixer out of the cabinet.  You can use a nice wire whisk and it will work just fine.

3 eggs

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 T. plain flour

3/4 stick butter, melted

pinch of salt

1 1/2 t. vanilla

9 inch pie crust

Whisk eggs lightly and combine with buttermlk.  Add other ingredients and mix well.  Pour into an unbaked pie crust.  Bake 10 minutes at 250 degrees.  Increase oven temp to 275 degrees and bake 60 minutes more or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Spicy Turkey Meatball Minestrone

The original recipe was featured in the April 2012 issue of Bon Appetit.  Instead of ground chicken, I used ground turkey and changed some of the seasonings.  Here's Lolly's version.  I love meatballs, but y'all knew that.

8 oz. ground turkey
3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
6 T. finely grated Parmesan, divided, plus more for garnish
4 garlic cloves, 2 minced, 2 thinly sliced
2 T. chopped fresh chives
1 T. chopped oregano
1 T. chopped basil
1 t. dried red pepper flakes
1 large egg, whisked to blend
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup orzo
1 cup 1/2" inch rounds peeled carrots
1 cup (packed) baby spinach
Thinly sliced fresh basil

Let's make our meatballs!

Mix turkey, breadcrumbs, 3 T of the parmesan, 2 minced galic cloves, chives, oregano, basil, pepper flakes, egg, 3/4 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper in a medium bowl.  I usually used a fork to very lightly mix the ingredients together.  Form the meatbealls into 1/2 inch diameter meatballs.

Heat oil in a small pot over medium heat.  Cook meatballs in batches until medium golden brown about 3 minutes or so.  They'll finish cooking in the soup.  Transfer the batches to a plate and set aside.

Add leek to the pot and cook, stirring often until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add the two thinly sliced garlic cloves; cook for 1 minute.  Add broth and 2 cups of water, bring to a boil.  Stir in pasta and cook until it is almost al dente, about 8 minutes.  Add meatballs, simmer until pasta is al dente, carrots are tender, and meatballs are cooked through.

Add spinach and remaining parmesan.  Stir until spinach is wilted and Parmesan is melted.  Season with the salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls.  Garnish with basil and Parmesan.  Serve with crusty bread.

Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

This is such an easy salad that can have endless variations and it's beautiful to boot!

In fact there's not even a recipe...Use your imagination.

Here's what I did:

Half a bag of spinach leaves, washed and dried

Placed them in a serving bowl.

Added half a can of mandarin oranges and 3 large strawberries cut up in bite sized pieces

I used a bottled poppyseed dressing and then topped with about a 1/4 cup of slivered almonds.

You could use blueberries instead of strawberries.  Walnuts or pecans instead of almonds.  If you try some different variations, let me know!

Fruit with Sweetened Cream Cheese Dip

One of the desserts for the Mother's Day luncheon would also be perfect for a bridal tea, girls' night out or a cookout!

Prepare your favorite fruit by washing and slicing/chopping into bite sized chunks.  Carefully, and I mean CAREFULLY!, slice a medium sized pineapple lengthwise.  Gently remove enough of the pineapple to have room for the dip.  Cube the pineapple pieces up as well.

Now for the dip:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Soften cream cheese and with an electric mixture on low speed blend in the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time. Increase mixer speed to medium and add in whipping cream until it forms soft peaks. Combine beaten cream cheese, whipped cream, granulated sugar, lemon juice and zest until you have your desired consistency.  Add to pineapple half for dipping.

Mother's Day Luncheon

Saturday I had a lovely Mother's Day luncheon with my mother, mother in law, daughter and twin granddaughters.  I used my girly High Heel Shoe plates.  I marked the place settings with letters from Hobby Lobby and had pots of violets for the guests to take home.

Piñata Pinwheels

Here's another spin on the classic pinwheel recipe.  These go to an entirely different level.  Enjoy!

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese softened

3/4 cup sour cream

1 small red bell pepper diced

1 small jalapeno, minced (leave the seeds if you want extra heat!)
1/2 t. granulated garlic
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1 cup finely shredded cooked white meat chicken
2 cups of  your favorite blend of Mexican or Taco seasoned shredded cheese
6 10 inch jalapeno cheddar tortillas

In a large bowl, blend first seven ingredients.  Lay one tortilla out at a time.  Spread a layer of the cream cheese mixture onto the tortilla all way to the edge.  Sprinkle chicken and cheese over cheese mixture.

Tightly roll tortilla and wrap with plastic wrap.  Continue with remaining tortillas.  Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Slice in 1 inch thick pieces and serve.

You could also add chopped cilantro if you like.

Margarita Cheesecake

You all know how I love to bake cheesecakes.  Thanks to Martha Stewart for incorporating the perfect blend of salty/sweet/tart.  The crust is ground pretzels.  Add the tartness of lime juice and zest....then tequila and triple sec.  It's definitely a margarita in a cheesecake.  This one won raves all around!

For the crust:

4 ounces salted pretzels

1/3 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter, melted

For the filling:
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Triple Sec
1 tablespoon tequila
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in center.  Make the crust: Butter a 9 1/2 inch springform pan; set aside.  In a food processor, pulse pretzels to fine crumbs.  Add sugar and butter; process until combined.

Press evenly into bottom and slightly up sides (about 1 inch) of a 9-inch nonstick springform pan. Place on a baking sheet.  Bake until light golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Prepare filling: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 1 minute.  Mix in sour cream, sugar, Grand Marnier, tequila, and lime zest; beat until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition.

Pour into cooled crust (filling will come up higher than crust).  Line outside of pan with aluminum foil (to prevent water from seeping in).  Place in a roasting pan.  Pour hot water to come halfway up sides of springform pan.  Bake until set and slightly firm to the touch, about 1 hour.  Remove from water bath, and let cool on a wire rack; refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours.  Run a hot knife around edge of pan to release.

Taco Cupcakes

Okay this picture doesn't do these little jewels justice.  And yes I should have taken the time to "decorate" them with diced tomatoes and sour cream and cilantro.  But to be honest, we just wanted to eat them.  Then. 

Super easy to make.  The kids would have fun assembling these and they're a great twist on traditional tacos but with all your favorite fillings.  And yes, you need to add the extras on top.

1 pound ground beef

1 (1.25 ounce) package of Old El Paso taco seasoning mix

36 wonton wrappers

1 (16 ounce) can Old El Paso refried beans

36 tortilla chips

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

optional toppings: sour cream, diced tomatoes, cilantro, onion

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray 18 muffin cups with cooking spray.

Brown beef in a skillet and drain the fat. Add the taco seasoning mix and water called for on the package and simmer for 4-5 minutes.   Set aside.

Place one wonton wrapper in the bottom of each muffin cup.   Layer about 1 Tbsp of refried beans on top of each wonton.  Crush one tortilla chip on top of the beans.  Top with 1 Tbsp of taco meat and 1 Tbsp of shredded cheese.  Repeat the layers again with a wonton wrapper, refried beans, tortilla chips, taco meat, and cheese.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove cupcakes from tin and top with your favorite taco toppings (i.e. sour cream, diced tomatoes, onion, or cilantro)

From Tablespoon.com

Cinco de Mayo

Here's a few pics of the dining table and the FOOD table.  Some of the food items already have recipes posted on the blog from meals past.  There are a few new ones though!  They'll be posted soon.

Italian Style Stuffed Pork Chops

I found an awesome sale of super thick cut pork chops.  I had been waiting patiently for the sale so I could attempt a new recipe I had in my mind.  This recipe would be an excellent one to serve to company.  I can't wait to cook it again!

4 thick cut pork chops (at least 2 inches)

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/2 small green bell pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon

1/2 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. fennel seeds, crushed

1/2 t. dried basil

1/2 cup red or white wine

1/2 cup shredded parmesan

1 cup red or white wine

Carefully make a deep slit in the pork chops.  Salt and pepper them and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together bread crumbs, bell pepper, garlic, bacon, and herbs.  Slowly add the 1/2 cup  wine to moisten the mixture and add shredded parmesan.

Divide the mixture into four parts and stuff into the pork chops.  Place the chops in a 13 x 9 casserole dish and add the 1 cup  wine to the dish.  Cover with foil and cook for 30 - 35 minutes.  Remove foil and cook for an additional 5 - 10 minutes until chops are cooked through. 

Cheese & Ham Pinwheels

I made these for my granddaughters' 1st birthday party last weekend.  I brought home an empty tray.  Feel free to use whichever flavor tortillas you prefer.  I used Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato.  The basic recipe has endless possibilities. 

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup green bell peppers, diced

1/2 cup red bell peppers, diced

1/2 cup green onions, finely chopped

1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 lb. shaved deli ham 

1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

5-6 large 10 inch flour tortillas

Mix together all ingredients except the ham, cheese and tortillas. Lay a tortilla on plastic wrap and spread mixture thinly over the entire tortilla all the way to the edges.

Sprinkle with the ham and cheese.

Roll up tightly and wrap the one roll with the plastic wrap.  Continue with the other tortillas  until all the filling is used.

Put the rolled and wrapped tortillas in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours until they are well chilled.  When you're ready to serve, slice the rolls into 1 inch slices.

Rosemary Biscuits

As regular readers of the blog know, I don't claim to be very successful when it comes to biscuit baking.  Yeast rolls? Yes, ma'am.  Cornbread? Oh yeah.  I have those down.  Biscuits?  Not so much.

So explain to my why I thought it was a great idea to attempt Rosemary Biscuits on Easter Sunday.  I dunno, but I'm glad I did.  These were delicious. 

Thanks to Southern Living for the recipe.

3 cups self-rising flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/2 cup shortening, chilled

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 T. chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl.  Cut shortening into flour mixture with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.  Add buttermilk, whipping cream and rosemary, stirring with a fork until the ingredients are moistened.  Dough will be soft.

Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surfce; knead 3 or 4 times.  Pat or roll dough to 1 inch thickness; cut with a floured 2 inch biscuit cutter.  Place biscuits 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool slightly. 

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Panko Breadcrumbs

We all know how delicious roasted asparagus is, right?  What, you've never roasted asparagus with a drizzle of olive oil and then added a few dashes of balsamic vinegar and then fought over the last piece on the platter? 

Just imagine, the wonderful flavor of asparagus, then ..... lemon panko breadcrubs then........parmesan.  Make this.  Soon.  Your family will love you.  If you're just cooking for you, more better.  You can enjoy the entire platter!

And yes, I know you want the asparagus platter.  A great buy a few years ago at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

But on to our recipe:

1 lb. asparagus

1 T. olive oil

1 t. herbs de provence

2 T. butter

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1 lemon, juiced and zested

2 T. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Lay the trimmed asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle the herbs de provence on top and place into the oven.  Roast for about 15 minutes until just tender.

 

While the asparagus is roasting, melt the butter in a small saucepan.

Add the panko and stir for 3-4 minutes until the panko is golden brown.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the lemon juice and zest and stir.  Transfer the panko to a paper towel lined plate and let cool.

 

Once the asparagus is done, remove the baking sheet from the oven.  Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter and sprinkle with the panko mixture.  Add the parmesan cheese on top and season with salt and pepper as needed.  Serve immediately.

 

Thanks Martha Stewart!

Coconut Cream Pie



I'm not a fan of coconut anything, but Sweet Harold is and he requested this pie for Easter.  He and the rest of the diners thoroughly enjoyed it and I will trust their assessment of the recipe.  I will admit it was a beautiful pie!

If you're looking for a great source of pie recipes, I recommend Southern Pies by Nancie McDermott.

You'll need pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie (home made or store bought)

Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 t. salt
3 egg yolks
2 1/4 cups milk
1 1/4 cup shredded or flaked coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
3 T. butter
1 t. vanilla extract

Meringue
3 egg whites
5 T. sugar

Line a 9 inch pie pan with crust and crimp edges.  Line and partially bake the crust at 375 degrees for about 18-20 minutes until lightly browned.  Let it cool to room temperature.

To make the filling:

Combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a small bowl and use a fork or a whisk to mix them well.  In another small bowl, beat the egg yolks.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk almost to a boil, stirring it as it heats up and begins to steam.  Scoop out about 1/2 cup of the hot milk and pour it into the small bowl of beaten egg yolks, stirring well as you pour.  This warms up the eggs and discourages them from curdling when they are cooked.  Scrape the warmed egg yolks into the hot milk mixture on the stove and stir well.

Add the sugar-cornstarch mixture to the warm egg and milk mixture and stir well to dissolve it.  Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring all the while, until the mixture has thickened to about the consistency of cream and becomes very smooth and evenly combined.  Cook for about 1 minute more, and then remove the pan from the heat.

Add 1 cup of the occonut, the butter and vanilla.  Stir to mix everything together well and until the butter has melted.  Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the filling, and set it aside to cool to room temperature.  When the filling has cooled down, pour it into the pie crust and set aside. 

To make the meringue:  Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixture on medium speed until foamy.  Increase the speed to high, and add the sugar gradually, about 2 T. at a time.  Beat the egg whites until they thicken and swell up into plump, shiny, soft clouds that will hold firm, curly peaks.

Scoop the meringue onto the filling and spread it out to seal the edges of the crust.  Mound it up in the middle and sprinkle the reserved coconut over the top of meringue.  Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the meringue is a beautiful golden brown, 10 - 15 minutes.  Place the pie on a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature, or refrigerate and serve chilled.

Lemon Bar Cheesecake

This cheesecake is a play on the traditional lemon bar dessert popular in many areas of the country.  You get a double hit of lemon goodness.  There's lemon zest in the filling (I love lemon and ricotta together) and then a layer of rich lemon curd on top. 

For the crust:
8 oz. vanilla wafers, finely crushed (2 cups of crumbs)
3 Tbs. granulated sugar
7 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup ricotta
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
Table salt
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature

For the garnish:
3/4 cup lemon curd
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Make the crust:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

In a medium bowl, stir together the vanilla wafer crumbs and 3 Tbs. granulated sugar. Mix in the melted butter until the crumbs are evenly moist and clump together slightly. Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of the pan (to press, use plastic wrap or a flat-bottom measuring cup). Bake until the crust is fragrant and slightly darkened, 9 to 12 minutes. Let the pan cool on a rack. Lower the oven temperature to 300°F.

Fill and bake the cheesecake:

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, ricotta, flour, and a pinch of table salt on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle frequently, until very smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Make sure the cheese has no lumps. Add the 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar and continue beating until well blended and smooth.

Add the lemon zest and vanilla, and beat until blended, about 30 seconds. Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until blended. (Don’t overbeat once the eggs have been added or the cheesecake will puff too much and crack as it cools.) Pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top.

Bake at 300°F until the center jiggles like Jell-O when nudged, 55 to 65 minutes. The cake will be slightly puffed around the edges, and the center will still look moist. Set on a rack and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours and up to 3 days. The cake can also be frozen at this point for up to 1 month (see make-ahead tip, below).

Garnish and serve:

Unclasp and remove the side of the springform pan and run a long, thin metal spatula under the bottom crust of the cheesecake. Carefully slide the cake onto a flat serving plate.

Spread lemon curd evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Sift confectioners' sugar evenly over the cake and serve immediately. To cut, run a thin knife under hot water, wipe it dry, and cut the cake into slices, heating and wiping the knife after every slice.

Make Ahead Tips

To freeze, put the unmolded, cooled cake on a rimmed baking sheet in the freezer, uncovered, until the top is cold and firm; then wrap it in two layers of plastic and one layer of foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

From Fine Cooking #104

Line Camp Ribeye with PInto Beans

I've been craving a steak for weeks.  As luck would have it, I found an awesome buy on ribeyes at a local market and we were set.  My favorite "Texas" cookbook provided this gem.  I am completely recommending that you purchase The Big Texas Steakhouse Cookbook.  Each recipe for apps, side dishes, entrees, desserts and beverages are from steakhouses in Texas. 

This one is a specialty at Line Camp Steakhouse in Tolar.  I'd like to eat there someday!

6 (14 oz.) ribeyes

Southwestern Dry Rub (recipe on a separate entry on the blog)

Garlic Butter (recipe on a separate entry on the blog)

Pat steaks on each side with dry rub.  Allow steaks to reach room temperature before grilling. 

Each time you flip the steaks on the grill, add a pat of garlic butter.  Grill to desired doneness and before serving, top with another pat of garlic butter.  Enjoy!

Pinto Beans

1 pound pinto beans

1/2 red onion, julienned

2 - 4 whole jalapenos

4 slices uncooked bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

salt to taste

Thoroughly wash and soak beans in enough water to cover overnight.  Drain beans and set aside.  In a large Dutch oven, boil enough water to cover beans again.  Cook until almost tender, about 30 - 45 minutes.  Add all other ingredients and cook another 10 - 20 minutes, until tender.