Cheesecake with Candied Lemon

Cheesecakes are fun, they can be almost whatever you want them to be. Flavors and combinations are all up to you. Here is the most basic cheesecake recipe.

Ingredients-
2 Lb Cream Cheese
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tbl Vanilla(I used orange extract but what you put here is up to you)
4 Eggs
Crust-
1 1/2 Cups Graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbl Cinnamon(Cinnamon is the name for perhaps a dozen species of trees)
1/3 Cup Melted Butter
1/4 Cup Sugar
Candied Lemon-
1 Lemon sliced thin 1/8-1/4 inch
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Sugar
1 9 inch Springform Pan

Directions-
1. Heat oven to 325 Degrees.
2. Combine all crust ingredients in medium mixing bowl and mix. Butter the inside of your springform pan, press graham cracker mix into the bottom of pan( i used a glass to press it down).
3. In a electric mixer add cream cheese and sugar, mix until it is smooth add vanilla. Continue to mix add eggs one at a time. pour into pan and put into center of oven cook for 50-55 minutes. Loosen from pan and let cool one hour before removing rim. Let chill in fridge for 4 hours.
4. In a large saute pan add water and sugar over medium high heat. Bring to a boil add lemon slices in a single layer and turn heat down to a simmer. Cook lemons for 15 minutes flipping them over after 7 minutes, when done put on parchment or wax paper and let cool...enjoy!

Homemade Chorizo Fajita Burrito with Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients-
1 Lb Ground Pork or Chorizo if you don't want to make it yourself
2 Peppers(any color) sliced
1 White Onion Sliced
2 Tbl Cumin
2 Tbl Chili Powder
1 Tbl Pepper
1 Tbl salt
1 Tbl Crushed Red Pepper
1 1/2 Cups Rice
2 Limes Squeezed
1/2 Cup Cilantro chopped

Directions-
1. In a medium pot add lime and cilantro and rice and cook as directed.
2. In a large saute pan on medium high heat add pork and all the spices, cook for 5 minutes. add peppers and onions cook fro7-10 minutes. You will want to taste it and get it how you like it I love cumin the taste of it and how it smells so I added more of it.
3. Once it is done roll it all up in a tortilla or put it in a bowl...enjoy!

Bella and White Mushroom and Spinach Quinoa

My wife wanted to try something new, oh and she said no MEAT! What the hell, no meat are you kidding me I eat meat you know cow, pig, chicken, duck and lamb. Also it had to have quinoa, so a mushroom and spinach quinoa was made.

Ingredients-
8oz Baby Bella Mushrooms sliced
8oz White Mushrooms sliced
2 Cups Fresh Spinach chopped
1 Green Pepper 1/2 inch dice
2 Tbl Garlic minced
2 Cups Chicken Stock
1 1/2 Cup Quinoa(it was successfully domesticated 3,000 to 4,000 years ago for human consumption)
1 Tbl Thyme
1 Cup Water
2 Tbl Oil

Directions-
1. In a small pot on medium heat put in water and bella mushrooms, bring to a simmer for 7-9 minutes.
2. In a large pot over medium high heat add oil, white mushrooms and peppers saute for 6-8 minutes.
3. Add garlic and thyme to the large pot and saute for 2-3 minutes. Next add the bella mushrooms and the water from the small pot, add the chicken stock and the quinoa. Bring back up to a boil, turn heat to low and cover pot let it cook for 15 minutes.
4. After the 15 minutes add the spinach and cover the pot and cook for anouther 5 minutes. Serve as a side dish(my wife ate it as her main meal and loved it) hopefully with a bog porshin of meat..enjoy!

Fried Zucchini and Marinara Sandwich

We had fried zucchini one night as a appetizer and my buddy Troy Calvert was like we should make a sandwich out of this. He did and here is my version of it.
Ingredients-
1/2 Cup Oil
2  Zucchini cut 1/4 inch lengthwise( the zucchini is a fruit, being the swollen ovary of the zucchini flower)
1 Lb Fresh Mozzarella Cheese sliced into circles
1 Batch of Marinara or Bottled Spaghetti Sauce(recipe for marinara on my lasagna post)
1 Cup Flour
1 Tbl Salt and Pepper
3 Eggs Whisked
2 Cups Bread Crumbs(Panko)
1 Tbl Oregano and Basil
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
4-6 Hoage rolls

Directions-
1. In small mixing bowl mix flour, salt and pepper, once mixed pour onto a plate.
2. In medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs.
3. In medium mixing bowl mix bread crumbs, oregano, basil and parmesan cheese, once mixed pour onto plate. In medium sauce pan heat marinara or spaghetti sauce.
4. Cut zucchini and mozzarella.
5. In large saute pan heat oil over medium high heat. While oil is getting hot take zucchini and coat all sides with the flour mixture. Then Dredge in egg wash, place into bread crumbs and cover both sides.
6. Turn on over to 350 degrees. Once all zucchini is breaded place 4-5 into pan and cook for 4-5 minutes a side. After all zucchini is cook put 4 slices of zucchini onto bun add mozzarella and put into oven for 10 minutes or until cheese starts to melt. Take out of oven and add as much marinara sauce as you like add whatever sides you like… enjoy!(my wife liked it with red wine)

Sausage and Basil Lasagna

Ingredients-
1 Lb Italian Sausage ground
1 Small Onion 1/2 inch dice
2 Peppers any color 1/2 inch dice
1 box Lasagna Pasta
1 Lb Feta Cheese
2 Lb Mozzarella shredded
5-6 Sprigs Fresh Basil
2-3 Jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce or a homemade marinara I will include a recipe at the end of this post.

Directions-
1. Cook pasta as directions say on the box. While cooking pasta cut onions and peppers.
2. In a large saute pan over medium high heat add sausage and onions and peppers and cook until sausage is browned 7-9 minutes, drain fat.
3. In a 9X13 inch pan pour sauce into bottom until about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Add first layer of pasta, add 2-3 cups of sauce and spread it out. Next add half of the sausage and veggies and spread evenly, add half of the feta and mozzarella then place basil leaves on top of the cheese. See picture below.

4. add second layer just like the first but without the basil. Heat oven to 350, cover with foil and cook for 45-50 minutes. Take out of over remove foil, put back into oven for 10-15 minutes to give the cheese a little color. Remove from oven and cut into even sized pieces… enjoy!

Marinara-
2 Tbl Oil
1 Small Onion
2 Tbl Garlic small dice
1 Tbl of each of the following, Pepper, Salt, Basil, Oregano
3/4 Cup Red Wine
2 Cups Chicken Stock
1 28oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1 28oz Can Crushed Tomatoes

Directions-
1. In a large pot over medium high heat add oil, onions and garlic. Cook for 7-9 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add spices and cook for 3-4 minutes, deglaze with wine cook for 2-3 minutes add stock. Bring back up to a boil and reduce by half.
2. Once reduced add both cans of tomatoes, bring back up to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, let simmer for 1 1/2 hour or until it thickens up some. Stir every 15 minutes and taste each time you stir it just to check the flavor adjust it to how you like it. Remove from heat and use right a way or let it cool and put in fridge it should keep for about a week.

Southwest Chicken Sandwich with Chipotle Aioli

This is a super easy chicken sandwich you can serve this hot or as a cold sandwich. We make a sandwich everyday at work for the residents this is the best one yet.

Ingredients-

2 Red Peppers
1 Red Onion cut into strips
Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese
4 Chicken Breast boneless, skinless
1 Can Chipotle Peppers(At the end of the growing season, jalapeños naturally ripen and turn bright red)
2 Cups Mayo
1 Head of Lettuce
4 Buns (whatever kind you like. In the picture is fresh baked hoagie buns)

Directions-

1. Roast red peppers on grill until all nice and charred on all sides. Put peppers into Tupperware or a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 20 minutes. Peel skin off of peppers, core and cut into strips.
2.  This step is all about you, how spicy do you like your food(when I make this for my wife it is just mayo, she can not do spicy food. She can't eat that fast food taco place's mild sauce). You get about 6-7 peppers out of each can of chipotle peppers, empty can into a bowl and leave 2-3 peppers in bowl. Take the peppers you left in the bowl out and dice them and return them to bowl, add mayo and whisk.
3. Grill the chick until internal temp is 165 degrees, while chicken is cooking put chapotle aioli on bun add cheese, peppers, onion and lettuce. Once chicken is cooked add to sandwich… enjoy!

Blue Cheese and Garlic Stuffed Burger

Ok I don't like to brag but this was frickin' awesome. I'm not a fan of blue cheese but with the garlic and the fat from the meat it was sooooooo good! This is a burger where you want a good bun to go with it. I also made a truffle aioli (hmmmm fancy mayo) as a sauce to go with it, very  rich and so many layers of taste. This is a great burger for one of those non- counting calorie days. I will make this as many times as my arteries can take.

Ingredients-

1lb Ground Beef (80-20)
1lb Ground Pork
1/2lb Blue Cheese( Blue cheeses are typically aged in a temperature-controlled environment such as a cave)
2 Tbl Garlic minced
1Tbl Olive Oil

Directions-

1. Saute garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes, let cool and mix with cheese.
2. Mix meat together in a bowl. Make eight equal sized meat balls(if you have a scale 4oz), put meat in between two pieces of parchment paper and press down (with a mixing bowl or cutting board) until 1/2 inch thick.
3. Spoon equal amounts of cheese onto four of the patties, place one of the other four patties over the meat with cheese and pinch edges together to seal.
4. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat place two patties into pan add 1/4 cup of water and cover. Cook for six minutes and flip burgers over add 1/4 cup water and cover for six more minutes.
5. Take burgers out of pan put on buns( truffle aioli 1 cup mayo 1 and 1/2 Tbl truffle oil or to taste and whisk) top with what ever you like… enjoy!

Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

A friend of mine Kate Ferris wanted a cajun recipe for a party she is having. Kate I hope you enjoy this Jambalaya. I do love calun food Dirty Rice and Red Beans and Rice, so there should be more to come.
Ingredients-

1lb Andouille Sausage sliced
1lb Smoked Ham diced
1lb Shrimp size 21-25
2 Tbl oil
1 Tbl Butter
1 Medium Onion 1/2 inch dice
2 Bell Peppers any color 1/2 inch dice
3 Celery sticks 1/2 inch dice
1 14oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
4 Cloves Garlic minced
1 Jalapeno seeded and minced
1 Bay Leaf
1 1/2 Tbl Oregano
1 1/2 Tbl Thyme
2 Tbl Pepper
1 1/2 Tbl Salt
2 Tbl Tomato Paste
5 Cups Chicken Stock homemade or Low Sodium
2 1/2 Cups Long grain Rice
5-9 Dashes of Hot Sauce(Tabasco or Franks Red Hot)
1/2 Cup green Onions chopped
3/4 Cup Cilantro
3 Lemons squeezed

Directions-

1. In a large stock pot over medium heat add oil, when hot add sausage and ham and cook 7-9 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. In same pot add butter, onion, peppers and celery saute for 7-9 minutes, add diced tomatoes, garlic, oregano, thyme, tomato paste and jalapeno. Stir and saute for 3-4 minutes.
3. Turn up heat to medium-high add stock and bring to a boil, stir in rice, ham, sausage, bay leaf, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Bring back up to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer cover and let cook for 20 minutes.
4. Add green onions, 1/2 cup cilantro, lemon juice and add the shrimp and mix. Remove from heat leave it covered and let it steam for 15 minutes, serve and garnish with extra cilantro… enjoy!