braised chicken tacos with spicy carrot-raisin slaw

This would be that one big meal you make that could easily make a several smaller meals for the next couple days with its leftovers.
A little bit of extra work for two to three more meals for the rest of the work week.
These kicked up chicken tacos on day one, then BBQ chicken sliders, a quick veggie stir fry, and maybe even a stuffed omelet--just to name a few.

I stole this recipe from Marc over at No Recipes.
Craving tacos with a little bit of kicked up flavor and heat.
I added on the slaw for a 'cooling' aspect and a bit of crunch.
The slaw is so good, you can eat it on its own. The heat of the spicy mayo mixed with the crunch of chopped pecans and a bit of sweet from the honey and raisins--so good!
Use this slaw on any type of spicy taco filling really, very versatile.





This makes a lot of tacos, about 12-15?
I only used a 1/4 of this and made BBQ sliders the next day, and a nice stuffed omelet a couple days later.  The leftovers are very versatile, can be used for anything really.
It also freezes well!

braised chicken tacos with spicy carrot-raisin slaw
chicken recipe from No Recipes
slaw from vanillasugarblog.com
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2 pounds whole chicken thighs
3 small onions, sliced thinly
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed (I skipped this)
14 ounce can of chopped tomatoes in juice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf
(I added in 1/2 cup of light brown sugar)
juice of 1 meyer lemon (or juice of 1/2 regular lemon)
salt to taste

carrot-raisin slaw
1 cup of shredded carrots (enough slaw for 2-3 people as a topping)
1/2 mayo
a few squirts of sriracha sauce
a handful or two of chopped pecans
a handful or two of raisins
a squirt or two of honey to your liking

Generously salt and pepper the chicken on both sides. Add about 2 TB of oil to a large heavy bottomed pot and heat until the oil is very hot. Brown the chicken in batches, leaving room between the pieces of chicken so they turn a golden brown on one side before flipping. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and repeat.  Turn down the heat to medium low, add the onions and garlic to the pot, and cover with a lid for 10 minutes. When you remove the lid, the onions should be wilted and cooking in their own juices. Use a wooden paddle to scrape up all the browned bits (a.k.a. chicken flavor) from the pan, then turn up the heat to medium high to burn off the liquid. When most of the liquid has evaporated, turn the heat back down and stir and continue to caramelize the onions until they are brown and glossy (another 20-30 minutes).
Meanwhile, tear up the chiles into small flat pieces and place them in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast in a 350 degree oven until they are fragrant, but be careful not to burn them as they will become bitter. Transfer the roasted peppers to a bowl and cover them with very hot water. Once the peppers are soft, transfer them to a food processor or blender adding in about 1/2 cup of the water they were soaking in along with the can of tomatoes. Puree the peppers and tomatoes until they form a smooth sauce.
When the onions are done caramelizing add the pepper puree, along with the chicken, cinnamon sticks, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, bay leaf and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, partially cover with a lid and cook until the chicken falls apart when prodded with a fork (about 1 1/2 hours).
When the chicken is done, remove the bay leaf an cinnamon sticks, then use 2 forks to shred the meat. Taste the sauce and add salt to taste.
I served this with my carrot-raisin slaw, or you can serve it plain, or with sliced avocados, fresh cilantro, lime wedges and tortillas.
For the carrot-raisin slaw: just mix all to your liking, go easy with the hot sauce at first and add more as you taste-test.  I figured about 1 cup of shredded carrots for every 2-3 people?

crunchy peanut-curry broccoli salad

I eat the broccoli salad from Whole Foods in mass quantities.
It's gross really how much of it I eat and never tire of it.
I should make more of my own, and I do, but I get horribly lazy sometimes.
On a whim, while eating said Whole Foods broccoli salad, I decided to add a nice heaping
tablespoon (or 2) of curry powder.
Oh man was that good.
Then realized it needed peanut butter, then it needed coconut milk....ok you get the idea.
If you are like me, who craves and loves that thai peanut sauce on a daily basis,
then this peanut-curry broccoli salad is for you.
I promise you this will be your new go-to broccoli salad.
The curry flavors, the crunch of the broccoli, the sweetness of the raisins.....

I used cashews for an extra crunch and depth of flavor, use whatever you wish.
But I do recommend using the raisins and carrots as a base, then add in: peanuts, nuts, sesame
sticks, onions, other veggies...endless possibilities really.

Does it get soggy overnight?  A little. I used raw broccoli so it wasn't that soggy.
Read the cook notes for more info stuff.

Baker hindsight is 20/20: so I would also add in a touch of red pepper flakes.
No golden syrup? Use honey.



crunchy peanut-curry broccoli salad
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I used a 12-14 ounce bag of broccoli heads, raw
1/4 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup of cashews (or other nuts)

sauce
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1-2 ts apple cider vinegar
1-2 TB golden syrup (or pure/raw honey)
2 TB curry powder or Madras curry
1/4 cup (might need more) coconut milk
a couple dashes of hot sauce
salt & pepper to taste

cook notes:
I used raw broccoli, it just has a better crunch, and can hold up to the sauce much better.
If you prefer to cook your broccoli first, then go ahead, but please make sure to drain
the broccoli really well.
This salad will taste awful with extra water in it.
I made my sauce very thick, if you want it thinner just add in more coconut milk.
I highly suggest adding a pinch or three of red pepper flakes to this.
I love the taste of curry so I added in 2 TB, you can easily use just 1 TB.

for the sauce:
Mix all ingredients in sauce in a bowl, stir well, give it a taste-test and see what it needs.
Cover and let it chill/set up in fridge at least an hour or two.
When ready to assemble, in a large bowl mix the broccoli, shredded carrots, and raisins, add in the sauce a little bit at a time.  You might not need all the sauce, so use a little at a time.
A little goes a long way!

Makes about 4 cups; enough for 4 people as a side dish.

my go to red sauce

For those times when you truly want fresh tomato sauce, but haven't the time to boil, crush, mix, puree your own tomatoes--I always go for the San Marzano canned tomatoes. 
If you haven't tried cooking with these you must.
It will give you a little inside taste of what tasting fresh tomatoes from Italy tastes like.
They are a bit pricey, but from time to time I've seen Whole Foods have sales on them, and that is when  I stock up.
Hands down, these tomatoes are the best--so sweet, never bitter.
Mix them with fresh herbs, a little garlic, salt, pepper, maybe a little heat and you're good to go.
I'd like to share with you my "go to" red sauce, it has a tiny amount of heavy cream in it to bring it all together.
Feel free to add or take away what you like or don't like; it's a great base recipe for customizing it to your own tastes.
And as you'll notice we don't put cheese on this sauce; the flavor of the san marzano tomatoes are just so good, so sweet, that cheese takes away from that.
But feel free to customize this sauce to your own likings.

This paste goes a long way, it's very strong, so you only need a little bit.



This recipe makes just enough for about a pound of pasta.
Does it freeze? I have no idea.
I highly suggest saving a little bit for a homemade pizza--delish.

dawns red sauce

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1 can (28 oz.) san marzano crushed tomatoes (drained, reserve some of the liquid)

1 TB (or more) San marzano tomato paste

3-4 TB extra virgin olive oil

hand full fresh basil, chopped

hand full fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

fresh oregano (half a hand full) or 1 TB dried

2-3 TB fresh garlic

1 – 1 ½ TB heavy cream

1-2 TB fresh pepper flakes

salt & pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat up the olive oil, add in the garlic, sauté a bit.

Add in the red pepper flakes, heat through (1-2 minutes).

Add in the tomato paste, stir through.

Add in the drained crushed tomatoes.

Heat this through.

Then add in all your herbs and a pinch of salt & pepper.

Heat this through and taste-test—see what it needs.

Might need more salt or pepper or need more oregano.

Let it sauté a bit over medium to low heat.

If the sauce it too thick for you, add in some of the reserved liquid from the crushed tomatoes. (I like my sauce thick).

When ready to serve, add in about 1 to 1 ½ TB of heavy cream, heat through.

Serves enough sauce for almost a pound of pasta.

The best sloppy joe's

Are you a BBQ sauce junkie? I am. Some of the best BBQ sauce I've ever had in my life. I've made 1001 uses for it. The best part? It's all ingredients you can understand and are familiar with. And has real maple syrup in it! Maple syrup is one of the best ingredients for chili's, BBQ sauce, glazes for grilling, etc....

When I find a really good product, I can't help but tell all. I'll even make sure to tell people in the grocery store.

They did not pay me to do this post (I mean I wish they would in cases of BBQ sauce for me and my fans--I would gladly take that). But this post is all my own opinion. You need to try this if you are a BBQ sauce junkie like me.

Next time you go to whole foods, look for this special sauce. It's amazing on grilled chicken, steak, and even tofu. And I have used this on salads too. Amazing.

the best sloppy joes
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Note: found this BBQ sauce at whole foods and am in love with it.
It’s very tangy, sweet and not too salty. Has a list of ingredients that you can understand; very versatile with almost any dish.
You can use chicken or even grilled tofu works really well in this dish. Feel free to use any veggies you desire.

1 lb of meat (hamburg, chicken or tofu chunks), cooked/fried/baked/etc.
3 or more bell peppers, sautéed
1 large onion, sautéed
½ bottle (or more) of the Butternut mountain BBQ sauce
Toasted onion buns

Fry up or grill up the meat of your choice; sauté the veggies. Then mix all together in a pot with the sauce; heat up and serve over toasted buns.
Leftovers are amazing on salads!

teriyaki beef tacos w/ ginger-miso slaw & sriracha

Ohhh these were good. I marinated the beef strips for about 3 days and they turned into little pieces of sweet candy after grilling them.
Incredibly easy to throw together. The sauce for the slaw I got from whole foods. As soon as I saw it I knew exactly what to do with it--make a nice crunchy slaw for a beef teriyaki taco. Don't you love how you find one special food item and instantly you figure out a fabulous meal from it? Love when that happens.
Can you do this with chicken, fish, tofu? Yes! Please do. I bet the fish would be amazing tasting, just make sure you grill it. Teriyaki anything is better grilled don't you think?
Please make sure to top off the tacos with sriracha sauce. OK?
These cook fast; 3 minutes per side for medium.
I know the outside looks burnt, it's not, just the grilling turns the teryaki marinade dark and sweet. The inside is nice and juicy and tender.



That ginger-miso dressing I found at Whole Foods in the refrigerated section over by the lettuce. It's really good. Great on plain salads too. Any bottled ginger-miso dressing will do. If you can't find one, here is a good homemade ginger-miso dressing recipe from Chow. I marinated the filet strips for 3 days; they were like candy after I grilled them, so good. The marinade will turn the beef a dark color, don't be alarmed.

sun dried tomato pizza w/ ketchup

Yep ketchup.

Do not click away. I wanted to grab your attention with that title.

Let me explain.

Judging from the overwhelming response I've gotten on the tomato pie AND the tomato & cheddar hand pies, I can clearly see there are a lot of tomato fans out there like me. You have good palettes.

And here is another tomato filled, tasty recipe. It's really quite simple you see, it's just two different kinds of tomato flavor on a pizza. But boy oh boy do they pair well on a pizza--very well. There could be some of you out there who have already had this combo, but for those of you who haven't you must try your next homemade pizza this way.

Had I known that a couple of friends were going to tell me to make a post of this pizza I would have taken shots of the ingredients like I always do. I didn't because to be honest I've made this pizza for years and never thought to share it with you. I know better--I should share everything--you're all foodies too. I'll do better at that.

But the ingredients are merely: good homemade pizza dough (I adore whole foods multi- grain pizza dough), ketchup used as the tomato sauce (a nice think layer), good mozzarella cheese, and some sun-dried tomatoes that are soaking in olive oil. Trust me, you will love it. And its easy peasy.

See those crispy, charred sun-dried tomato bits? HEAVENLY!





sun dried tomato pizza with ketchup
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1 pizza dough (whole foods multigrain pizza dough is amazing)
good quality ketchup (love whole foods organic brand)
a few handfuls sun dried tomatoes (that were sitting in olive oil), drained slightly
good quality mozzarella cheese
few dashes of red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste

preheat oven to 450/500 degrees. grease up a jelly roll pan.
spread out pizza dough
apply thin layer of ketchup, even the edges of the dough
apply the mozzarella
add on the sun dried tomato bits
add on the red pepper flakes (if desired), then the salt & pepper

bake for about 10-18 minutes until desired doneness is achieved
i like mine really crispy so i went to about the 17 minute mark.
let cool before slicing.

blackberry coulis ice cream w/ salty white chocolate-cream cheese chunks

One of my big ice cream idols.....OK the man I worship and would repeat over and over "I'm not worthy" if I met them face to face are the geniuses behind the ice cream joint Humphry Slocombe. They literally have taken ice cream and kicked them up to notches unknown--and yeah that would be notches even Emeril himself would not recognize but be very proud of! They dub themselves as 'ice cream with attitude' --indeed. To name a few wild flavors: Jesus Juice, Peanut Butter Curry, Valhorona Fudge, Szechuan Strawberry, Skull Splitter Root Beer, Balsamic Caramel HELLO?....the list goes on and on. If I had a nickel for every time someone told me I should pack up my things and go work with them I'd have my boarding pass paid and in hand ready to go. Dare I say that the owner should have some of the best tastebuds on earth to create such unique pairings that indeed go very well together. For example, peanut butter curry: that sounds so good in ice cream form. A nice custard base filled with good quality peanut butter and a pinch of curry. Yes please. And one of my favorites is the caramel balsamic ice cream. Ridiculously good. Honestly I've made caramel scallops with a touch of thick balsamic vinegar and it was good.



The best part? Or should I say the best parts actually; it has been floating around the twitterverse that they are FINALLY coming out with their first ice cream cookbook. A cookbook I should add that can be used by all. You might need some fancy ingredients to match the flavors/ingredients they use but you will only need a simple standard ice cream maker. They have tested all their recipes using the same ice cream makers that you and I use in our homes. Brilliant. The book should be coming out spring 2012.

Go check out their flavors. I'll wait.

See? Now you feel me right? Mad ice cream scientists I tell you. Creative geniuses.

So this post: my funky blackberry coulis ice cream with salty white chocolate-cream cheese swirls is dedicated to you, the wonders, the geniuses of Humphry Slocombe.



I saved a tiny bit of the coulis to drizzle over the ice cream. Please do try this at home. That coulis is the fruit of the gods over ice cream.


I used raspberries & blackberries, why not?



I wanted chunks of white chocolate swirls in the ice cream so I mixed it in by hand. If I added them to the ice cream churning away they might just clump up or partially dissolve. If you add this in by hand, work fast. This ice cream, at this stage must get in the freezer ASAP.



blackberry coulis ice cream w/ salty white chocolate-cream cheese chunks
recipe by vanillasugarblog.com
ice cream base partially adapted from Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
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ice cream base:
2 eggs
½ cup + 1 TB white sugar
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk
Tiny pinch of sea salt

salty white chocolate-cream cheese chunks:
8 ounces of cream cheese, room temp
10 ounces of good quality white chocolate, chopped in small bits
1 ts of half & half
couple pinches of sea salt

blackberry coulis:
2 pints of blackberries
1 pint of raspberries
(or use 3 pints of blackberries and no raspberries)
The juice of one large lemon
A scant ¼ cup of white sugar
1 OR 1 ½ ts of sifted cornstarch (depending on how thick you want the sauce; I choose the latter)

make the coulis:
In a small saucepan add in the berries with the lemon and let them boil down a bit over medium heat. After about 10 minutes I added in the sugar. I then let it boil down some more until all the berries were dissolved. Once dissolved, take off the heat and add in the sifted cornstarch; mix well until it starts to thicken; stirring often. There should be no lumps or clumps. Let this cool a bit then strain it thru a fine mesh sieve. Store the finished coulis in the fridge for at least an hour before using. You want this nice and cold before adding to the ice cream mixture.

make the ice cream base:
Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue to whisk until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend.
Pour this into the ice cream maker and start churning.
When the ice cream just starts to slightly harden add in ¾ of the blackberry coulis. (if you want to save some of the coulis for decorating the ice cream then only use about ¾). If you don’t want to save any of the coulis for later then feel free to add it all into the ice cream.
Let the coulis and ice cream base continue to churn while you work on the white chocolate cream cheese chunk filling.

While the ice cream is churning away make the white chocolate-cream cheese chunk by adding the 1 ts of half and half to a medium saucepan along with the cream cheese. Let this melt a bit, do not dissolve. Once it’s partially dissolved, add in the white chocolate chunks and a few pinches of salt. You want the white chocolate chunks to be half melted. Recipe by Dawn Finicane of vanillasugarblog.com Don’t let them melt all the way. When in doubt, keep stirring and keep taking off the heat. You want a consistency of “almost” Ganache. Basically you still want some chunks of white chocolate in there; a thick like Ganache. Do a quick taste test and see if you want more salt. If not then go back to the ice cream, take the ice cream out of the churn and place in a big glass or ceramic bowl. This is when you have to work quickly. Pour the ice cream into the bowl and then pour in the melted white chocolate swirls into the ice cream by quick, simple FOLDS. Do not completely stir it in, just fold in so we achieve nice swirls. Do this fast, then cover it, and right into the freezer for at least 5 hours to harden.
When ready to serve, serve with fresh blackberries and/or any remaining blackberry coulis you have left.

Should make a little over a quart.

extra crunchy broccoli salad

So we all know that infamous (expensive) uber-tasty broccoli salad from Whole Foods right? Man that stuff is good! Almost worth it's weight in goodness.

I, of course, do love it, but have always wanted to jazz it up (no brainer there).

What I created is good. No no, I mean it's good. I did not foresee myself eating this for breakfast, lunch and then for dinner with some roasted chicken.

I should point out to you all that I am NOT a broccoli fan, nor am I a mayo-based salad fan UNLESS it's my balsamic potato salad. So, with that said you have to know that I must really like this crunchy broccoli salad. The flavors going on, the textures, the un-mayo'ey like taste....really tasty.

I know I say this alllllll the time, but promise me you will make this? Even if the ingredient list sounds funky? Trust me you will love it--it's highly addictive. But hey it's filled with veggies. OK?

Cook notes: One can easily add bacon chunks to this, and I've even seen almond butter and/or peanut butter added into this and I can now see why. Fabulous additions. If you do use almond butter add a pinch of cinnamon too--trust me.

"extra" crunchy broccoli salad
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About 3-4 cups of broccoli crowns, flash cooked (just to take the raw edge off)
1/2 cup red onion
1/2 cup raisins
½ cup sesame sticks, loose chop
1/2 cup whole honey roasted cashews
½ cup of carrots, chopped

Dressing:
(not quite a) 1/2 cup Hellmans mayo
2-3 TB white sugar
2 TB apple cider vinegar

1 - 2 TB honey
¾ TB madras curry powder

Dashes of Tabasco sauce
½ TB of red hot pepper flakes
Salt & pepper to taste

Cook notes: One can easily add bacon chunks to this, and I've even seen almond butter and/or peanut butter added into the dressing, and I can now see why. Fabulous additions. If you do use almond butter add a pinch of cinnamon too--trust me. This does not keep for days as sesame sticks get soggy. This makes a good amount of dressing, so use sparingly and keep the rest for future batches. Obviously if you dress the salad and then store leftovers it will get soggy. So dress the salad as you go along and add sesame sticks after you've dressed the salad.

Make sure to flash cook the broccoli heads to take the raw edge off. A quick 2 minute cook should work.
Drain them well. Even go as far as to blot with paper towels. Place in bowl and chill.

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix, do a taste test and see if you like it and/or what it needs. Then set aside in fridge to chill.
When ready to serve get all the add in’s ready on a plate; then in a giant bowl add in the chilled broccoli heads, carrots, and all the add in’s. Mix well. Then in batches pour in the dressing and stir. Add as much or a little dressing as you desire. I found that this doesn’t need a lot of dressing.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2-hours. If you do add bacon to this, add it at the very last minute just before serving. You don’t want the bacon chunks getting soggy.

filet mignon salad w/ balsamic-blue cheese dressing

Living on cape cod has it pro's and con's. Pro's: summertime on the beach, endless supply of fresh seafood, close to both islands, provincetown, ice cream stands everywhere. Con's: long winters, limited sun, endless supply of tourists, limited supply of restaurants, limited supply of farmers markets, and no whole foods, BUT we do have a Trader Joe's. And when I say limited I do mean limited because most family owned businesses that are restaurants close down for the winter. Most of the family owned restaurants are fairly good (for the cape). We do have a small amount of the larger chain restaurants like Chili's, Outback, Friendly's, etc.. Not many really. It is rare for the hubby and I to go to a large chain restaurant. If we do it's because we are desperate, there are long lines at the seafood joints or we're just plain stupid. The latter for the most recent trip to Outback. I don't know why we did what we did because my inner voice told me not to go to Outback. Yes, it was awful. I ordered the steak salad. On the menu the steak salad sounded really good: a sliced filet mignon with balsamic and blue cheese and a nice wedge of iceberg with tomatoes/onions. Plus the photo looked really good! What I got was nothing like the photo (see photo below), it was small, micro-small, and way over-cooked, plus the iceberg wedge was mostly white (under grown lettuce). Have you ever seen white iceberg? Scary. I made sure to let the manager know of my situation and that I was not happy. Nothing was done. For real.



To quote Miranada from Sex and the City, who said while eating at the "raw" restaurant after drinking a shot of wheatgrass juice "I'm going to need a pizza after this!". That is exactly what hubby said after eating half of his micro-mini, gamey cheeseburger and fries, served on greasy plate.

This turn of bad foodie events prompted me to remake this steak/salad dish at home.

My version came out perfectly. Wasn't heavy at all. When the hubby eats a meal that he loves he won't come up for air or speak until half is devoured--half time! And at that point he exclaims, as always, I can even mouth in-tune, with him, as he says "this is the best dish ever!"

The sauce is great mingling of tastes when combined with the blue cheese. Plus the beef I used is a lot safer than what is served in those larger chains. Heavens knows where their beef comes from and what it was fed.

And the real point I wanted to make: this is really easy to make. Simple, tasty and fast. You can easily make the reduction sauce a day ahead and chop up veggies ahead of time. This meal is a great way to impress friends for your summertime lunch/dinner. I did grill the steaks in a cast iron pan (for the nice grill marks), but one can easily grill these too. Just watch the steaks if you use a filet cut as filet's tend to cook a lot faster than a strip steak or porterhouse.

Leftovers make EXCELLENT steak sandwiches on toasted buns!



filet mignon salad w/ balsamic-blue cheese dressing
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2 filet mignons
1 small red onion, chopped
heirloom tomatoes (or regular tomatoes)
salt & pepper

for the sauce:
1/4 cup balsamic dressing (trader joe's has a good one)
5 TB Worcestershire sauce
chunky blue cheese dressing
1/4 cup (or more) danish blue cheese crumbles

In a small bowl mix the balsamic dressing and worcestershire sauce, set aside

Season the filets with salt & pepper.
Get your grill or cast iron grill pan ready--nice and hot.
Cook the steaks. And on the cooked sides generously douse them with the balsamic miixture. I just poured the sauce right on the steaks and caramelized both sides of the steak.
It makes a nice sticky coating. Make sure to do both sides.
And if you want, with any remaining sauce, go ahead and make a quick reduction (heat up, boil a few minutes till sauce thickens just slightly) to use on the salad wedge and any extra you want on the steaks and/or veggies.

Serve the steaks with a wedge of iceberg lettuce and heirloom tomatoes.
Then drizzle lettuce and tomatoes with blue cheese dressing, then the blue cheese crumbles..
Top the steak and salad with red onions.
Do a drizzle of the reduction sauce if desired.

lemon cheesecake w/ lemon cookie-panko crust and white chocolate-raspberry ganache

Is that a title or what? Is there another dish I've made with a longer title? No, I think this is the longest. Oh the flavors abound in this lovely cheesecake.
Everything paired together so perfectly--I was happy. Truly fabulous.

This was my first lemon cheesecake and it won't be my last.
 When I saw those lemon wafers at whole foods, I knew exactly what to do with them; tasting them on the car ride home confirmed there would be a lemon cheesecake happening in the near future.
 Don't you love when you see a product in the store and a "recipe light bulb" goes off in your head? Instant inspiration!
But why is there panko in the crust? Why not? On my 'to create' list, in the notes column, I've had "use panko in a cheesecake". An experiment of sorts. The "crunch" factor in a cheesecake is what I craved for a while. The crunch factor in this crust is not overwhelming at all. Those panko crumbs really stand up to just about any type of cooking; do they ever lose their crunch? Hardy lil critters!
Just don't use seasoned panko crumbs, make sure they're plain!

Lastly the raspberry coulis is a natural pairing with anything lemon.
This time of year I just adore the smell of raspberry coulis cooking and then that "snap" "twang" flavor when you first taste it.

lemon cheesecake w/ lemon cookie-panko crust & white chocolate-raspberry coulis
recipe by vanillasugarblog.com
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crust
1- 9 oz box of lemon wafer cookies
½ cup plain panko crumbs
3/4 stick salted butter, melted (6 ounces)
1 TB lemon zest
medium pinch of sea salt

cheesecake filling:
4 - 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, room temp
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
3 large eggs and 2 large egg yolks
1 TB lemon zest
2 TB of fresh pink lemonade, preferably with pulp! (don’t know if frozen from concentrate would work, feel free to try it)

cook notes:
Please invest in a good/sturdy cheesecake pan. They make all the difference in terms of baking and not overbaking. Williams Sonoma has some good ones.
I do not like my cheesecake batter too sweet, so please taste test as you go along and before it goes in the pan for baking to see if you like it as is or if you want more sugar. This makes a lot of crust for the 10-inch pan, but I like to have it thick, so if you don’t like it thick you could probably halve it. But with the remaining leftover crust I just put it in a bag and freeze or make a mini cheesecake. There will also be a small amount of leftover cheesecake batter—haven’t figured out how to scale it down yet. But with the leftover crust and batter you can easily make 2 mini cheesecakes if you have the mini springform pans. Also, I do not have a mixer, I know, everyone always ask how I do it, but I do, been that way for decades. So I just use a food processer, works perfectly. But use what you feel comfortable with.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a measuring cup, crack open the eggs and egg yolks, set aside until ready to use.
Spray a 10-inch springform pan with non stick spray.
In a food processor grind up the cookies into a fine crumb. In a bowl, combine the cookies, a pinch of salt, panko crumbs, lemon zest, and the melted butter. Mix, then press into the bottom and partially up the sides of the springform pan. (I use a flat bottomed glass to press it in evenly AND up the sides). Recipe & photos by Dawn Finicane of vanillakitchen.blogspot.com
Bake crust for 12-15 minutes, set aside and let cool or until sides of crust are lightly brown. Reduce the oven heat to 325°F.
I used my food processor to make the cheesecake batter—I suppose you could use a mixer, but I don’t have one (I know, weird). With the food processor, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and lump free. Add in the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. .
Add in the eggs one at a time until all is mixed well; add in the heavy cream, the zest, and pink lemonade. Process until all is well mixed. Do a taste test see if you like it and if you want more sugar.

baking:
Most people like to do a water bath for their cheesecake. I never do, I find all too annoying. But if you want to do this please feel free; it’s best to bake your cheesecake how ever you feel most comfortable.
I baked this cheesecake at 325°F for one hour then at 300°F for an additional 40-50 minutes or until the center is set. Please put a tray under the cheesecake to catch any spills. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

raspberry coulis

1 or 2 pints raspberries
Use ¼ cup of superfine sugar for every pint of raspberries you use
½ lemon (the juice of) for every pint of fresh raspberries you use
1 TB cornstarch for every pint of fresh raspberries

Over medium heat, heat up the raspberries with the lemon juice, and sugar. Let it come to a boil, stirring occasionally to help break up the raspberries. Once the raspberries are dissolved strain the mixture in a fine sieve. Take strained juices back to pan and over low heat add in the cornstarch until it’s thickened. Do not leave the stove at this point since the coulis heats up fast once seeds are gone and cornstarch is added. Should only take 5 minutes. Let cool in pan or in a separate bowl. Then refrigerate.

white chocolate-raspberry ganache

Is nothing more than melted white chocolate (3/4 cup),
with a splash or two of heavy cream, mixed till creamy (stir well).
Then take small portions of it, pour into a bowl and then add in tiny swirls of the raspberry coulis. (this part you have to work fast before the white chocolate hardens). Alternatively, you can put a layer of the white chocolate Ganache on the cheesecake and small swirls of the raspberry coulis and swirl with a toothpick.

chicken shawarma

Steamy. That best describes the weather these days. And the sun isn't even out AND it's not even July! When the sun does come out on steamy days it gets brutal. This extreme hot and cold varying weather caused by global warming? I don't know, I'm on the fence about it. Something is causing it, be just plain old weather trends every 50 or 100 years or pollution. Who knows I need more data/facts on it. What I do know is almost 10 years ago on the cape we never had this much humidity in the summer. Sure it would get hot but never this humid. Another thing is the amount of rainfall we've been getting; every year it's gone up by 1-3 inches. Now that part is scary. You've seen on the tv all the flooding that's been going on?

For any of you weather history buffs, like myself, here are a few neat weather data sites that let you see the history of the weather. First one is the NOAA regional climate centers. The second is the old farmers almanac that has a good weather history section. For myself, I love the NOAA one it gets really in depth. I love to know what the temperature was like in say 1903--good stuff.

The oven in my house has not been on much. Lots of pizza, salads and grilling have been taking over. Haven't been in the mood to make cakes for a while, with this heat and all. But the grilling is something I've been craving non-stop. So here is my version of chicken shawarma. I know there are tons of versions out there, but this one is quick and easy to throw together for hot summer nights. Here is another good version of chicken shawarma from Food in my Beard. And Lisa over at Jersey Girl Cooks has a good one too.

chicken shawarma
print recipe

chicken marinade:
2 large lemons, juiced
3 TB extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ts cumin
1 ts madras curry powder
A couple dashes of cayenne powder
1 ts salt
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut up into large chunks (or you could use thighs)

In a large glass or ceramic dish mix together lemon juice, oil, garlic, cumin, salt, curry, and cayenne.
Add in the chicken and coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Make the tahini sauce next. When ready to cook chicken you can either grill it, cast iron fry it or bake it in a roasting pan at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes or until juices in the chicken run clear. If you do use the oven way do not cook it in the marinade. Personally I think grilling is the best way, really brings out the flavor of the marinade. When the chicken is cooked shred it into long strips.

tahini sauce:
1/4 cup tahini paste (sesame paste)
2 TB plain yogurt (I used greek yogurt)
1 ts garlic powder
2 TB lemon juice
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
A few dashes of cayenne
a couple dashes of paprika
salt & pepper to taste
fresh chopped parsley

Whisk all ingredients together. If you like a thinner sauce, add in water. I prefer mine thick. Chill this for a few hours before using.

Assemble:
Pita breads or lavash bread, warmed up
chopped tomatoes
chopped cucumbers
red onions
avocado
black onions
feta cheese
hummus

Grill the pita bread/rollups so they are warm and pliable. Layer in some of the chicken then top with whatever toppings you like and then top with the tahini sauce.
For me, I love to add in a layer of hummus, then the chicken, then the toppings and then the tahini sauce. It all works very well together.