New York Style Cheesecake

New York Style Cheesecake
Original recipe by Emeril Lagasse (adapted by Frank Hays)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
8 tablespoons ( 1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 lemon, zested
1 orange, zested
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. In a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar and mix well. Press onto bottom of springform pan and bake until golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, zests and vanilla and beat until light and creamy.

Add the flour, then the eggs and yolks 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add sour cream and mix until smooth.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 12 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 1 hour more.

Transfer cake to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Refrigerate cake overnight before serving.

To serve, slice with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped with a clean cloth, and serve.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Rum Glazed Pumpkin Cake

Rum Glazed Pumpkin Cake
Original recipe by Taste of Home 
www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/rum-glazed-pumpkin-cake

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 can (15 ounce) solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1 package yellow cake mix (regular size)
1 - 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Glaze:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash ground cloves
1/2 cup rum

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan; sprinkle pecans onto bottom of pan.

In a large bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar, oil, eggs and water until well blended. In another bowl, whisk cake mix and spices; gradually beat into pumpkin mixture. Transfer to prepared pan.

Bake 55 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, butter, cinnamon and cloves; cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat. Stir in rum; cook and stir 2 - 3 minutes longer or until sugar is dissolved.

Gradually brush glaze onto warm cake, about 1/4 cup at a time, allowing glaze to soak into cake before adding more. Cool completely.

Yield: 12 servings

Hint: To remove cakes easily, use solid shortening to grease plain and fluted pans.

Plum Torte

Plum Torte
Oringinal recipe by NYT Cooking
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/3783-original-plum-torte

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
24 halves pitted purple plums

Topping:

Sugar
Lemon juice
cinnamon

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Cream the sugar and softened butter together in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.

Lightly coat an 8-inch springform pan with non-stick spray and spoon the batter into the springform pan. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter.

Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Bake 1 hour, approximately. Once cooled, serve plain or with whipped cream.

Hint:

You can freeze your plum torte if desired. Double-wrap the torte in foil and place in a plastic bag and seal. To serve a torte that has been frozen, simply defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.

Italian Country Ribs

Italian Country Ribs
Original recipe by allrecipes.com
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/14718/italian-country-style-ribs/

Homemade spaghetti sauce is easy to make and it will make this dish delicious.  Here's the link to my homemade spaghetti sauce.

All Time Favorite Tomato Sauce
https://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2012/04/all-time-favorite-tomato-sauce.html

Ingredients:

3 pounds country style pork ribs
1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (12 ounce) box of spaghetti
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat the oil in a extra-large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ribs and brown on all sides.

Once the ribs have been browned, pour the spaghetti sauce over the ribs and stir in the water. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour. Turn the ribs after 1/2 hour of cooking. If the sauce gets too thick, add a little more water.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 11 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Place the country ribs over the spaghetti noodles and smother with sauce. Garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serve with salad and bread.

Italian Country Ribs 

Italian Deli Sandwich

Italian Deli Sandwich

Ingredients:

4 Ciabatta sandwich rolls or 1 loaf (12 ounces) focaccia bread
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1/4 pound sliced deli ham
1/4 pound sliced deli smoked turkey
1/4 pound sliced deli pastrami
Provolone cheese, 4 - 6 slices
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 small tomato, sliced
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions:

I use the ciabatta sandwich (square) rolls for this Italian deli sandwich recipe. Which ever bread you choose, cut horizontally in half.

Spread the pesto over cut sides. On bread bottom, layer the ham, turkey, pastrami, cheese, onion and tomato. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Replace the bread top and wrap sandwich rolls or loaf in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 -25 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges.

4 servings

Interested in making your own pesto sauce? If yes, here's the recipe.
http://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2012/10/pesto-sauce.html

Blackened Steak Salad

Blackened Steak Salad
Original recipe by Epicurious

Hands down, this is the best dinner salad ever!

Ingredients:

Spice Mixture

1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salad

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 cups (packed) mixed baby greens
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 (6 ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, each about 1/2-inch thick
3 tablespoons butter, melted
6 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese (about 3 ounces)
1 tomato, quartered

Directions:

Spice Mixture

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Salad

Whisk oil, vinegar and mustard in large bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Add greens, bell pepper and onion and toss to coat. Divide salad between 2 plates.

Spread spice mixture on plate. Coat both sides of steaks with spice mixture. Dip both sides of steaks into melted butter. Heat heavy large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add steaks and cook to desired doneness, about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to cutting board; let stand 2 minutes. Thinly slice steaks crosswise. Arrange slices atop salads. Sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with tomato and serve.

Grilled Margherita Pizza

Grilled Margherita Pizza
Original recipe by www.foodandwine.com

The only complicated thing about this recipe is getting the pizza dough on the grill. You might lose your round or oval shaped dough, but trust me, this will be delicious!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 large tomatoes, sliced
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
Pepper
Pizza dough, divided
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. mozzarella, shredded, divided
Fresh basil, torn

Directions:

Light a grill and oil the grate.

Spread the tomato slices on a platter and top with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the minced garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Divide your pizza dough in half. The directions below are for one 12-inch pizza. Repeat the directions for the second 12-inch pizza.

On a lightly oiled large baking sheet, stretch 1 ball of pizza dough to a 12-inch oval or round and brush with olive oil. Grill the dough over moderate heat until lightly charred on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the crust and scatter half the mozzarella on top. Close grill and cook until the cheese is melted and the crust is firm, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large board and top with half of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish with torn basil.

Repeat with the remaining dough, mozzarella, tomatoes, seasoning and basil for the second 12-inch pizza.

Cut the pizza and serve.