Simple Easy Cheesecake

Yes, I have had my head stuck in the trash-cookbook this week once again and came away with another idea and ya know, it not only was easy, it turned out nice! I did a few changes to lower the fat and a minor tweak for the topping. This is one I will make again. 45 minutes total time from prep to done (not including cooling). Moist and dense, though pie like. Edible out of your hand so not as messy either.

Simply Easy Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Cheesecake:

1/3 cup nonfat dairy milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 egg

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup Bisquick Heart Smart® baking mix

1 package (8-ounces) lower fat cream cheese (NOT non-fat!)

Topping recipe

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (get a very thick type, preferably with gelatin added!)

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup moist dried cherries, diced up

Directions:

Heat oven to 350*. Spray a 9″ pie plate with cooking spray, set aside.

Place all the cheesecake ingredients into a blender and blend on high for a minute. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center is firm and pie is golden brown on the edges.

Cool on the counter, on a rack for an hour.

Meanwhile mix up the topping ingredients in a bowl and chill for an hour while the pie cools.This allows the cherries to mellow and absorb some of the yogurt. Also good with a little liqueur added.

Spread the topping on the cheesecake and stash uncovered in the refrigerator for two more hours.

Makes one pie, servings depend on you!

~Sarah

Black Bean and Rice Burgers

I saw an idea for these this afternoon and played with it for our dinner – and had some very tasty mini burgers! The original recipe I saw was more bland and didn’t have enough binding, the bread crumbs and a longer sitting time allowed the mix to thicken up.

Black Bean and Rice Burgers

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup rice, cooked and slightly cooled (instant works well)
2 slices bread, pulverized into crumbs
1/3cup onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp BBQ sauce
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp diced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
6 mini buns (dinner rolls work well)
2% fat cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
ketchup or more BBQ sauce

Directions:
In a large bowl mash the beans. Mix the beans, rice, onion, egg, BBQ sauce, seasonings and breadcrumbs. Stash in the refrigerator for an hour or two to blend.

Divide the mix into 6 balls, flatten into patty shape.

Heat a large non stick skillet over medium high heat (7) and then add in the oil. Add in the patties and then reduce the heat to a setting lower (6).

Cook 5 minutes, then carefully flip over. Flatten the patties a bit with your spatula. Lower the heat another setting (to 4) and cook for another 5 minutes. You may want to lower your stove one more setting if browning fast.

Top the patties with the cheese. Dress your buns how you like and top each with a burger.

Serves 3 by themselves, with other items added you can serve up to 6.

~Sarah

Garbanzo and Tomato Curry

This is a recipe I am hoping to try out in the near future….thanks to Teresa for sending me the original (I took out the cumin, just don’t like it!).

Garbanzo and Tomato Curry

1 medium yellow or white onion, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tsp mild curry powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cans (15 1/2 oz. each) garbanzos, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes
Salt, to taste, as desired

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
Cooked rice

In a large pan over medium-high heat, stir onion, ginger, and garlic in oil until onion begins to brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add curry powder, mustard seeds, and cayenne and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add garbanzos and tomatoes (including juice). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. If mixture is thicker than desired, stir in a little water to thin. Add salt to taste. Spoon into serving dishes.
If desired, serve over cooked rice in the bowls.

Serve with yogurt on the side.

Serves 3 to 4.

~Sarah

Lets Celebrate National Macaroni Day

Yes, one can learn dumb things on the interwebs….today is National Macaroni Day. ;-P

So in celebration a total trash-erole, Mac n’ Cheese Pie, a recipe that I got the idea out of Betty Crocker Bisquick Impossibly Easy Pies: Pies that Magically Bake Their Own Crust and then tweaked it a bit to make it with less fat, as well as adding in more spices.

You can see the original recipe as well on Bisquick’s website.

Mac n’ Cheese Trash-erole

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

2 cups grated cheese (I used half cheddar, half Italian blend)

1/2 cup Heart Smart Bisquick mix

1 1/2 cups nonfat dairy milk

3 egg whites

1/2 tsp ground mustard powder

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper sauce

Directions:

Heat oven to 400° and spray a glass ovenproof 8″ square baking pan with pan spray. Place the uncooked pasta in the pan.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, 1 3/4 cups of the cheese, milk, seasonings and biscuit mix. Pour over the pasta, making sure all the pasta is covered.

Cover pan tightly with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. This will depend on your oven. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and bake for another 2 minutes, to melt it.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.

Cut into squares.

Makes 9 squares, or 3 servings.

~Sarah

Refried Bean and Spinach Quesadillas

This is a recipe I haven’t had a chance to try but want to soon!

Refried Bean and Spinach Quesadillas

16-ounce can spicy refried beans
10 fajita-sized flour tortillas
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 1/2 cups finely sliced spinach leaves
1 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Cooking spray
1 cup prepared salsa (optional)
1 cup sour cream (optional)

Heat the oven to 200 F. Divide the refried beans between 5 of the tortillas, spreading it evenly over each. Top each with scallions, then spinach, then cheese. Press the remaining tortillas on top.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray, then set over medium heat. One at a time, toast each quesadilla until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Coat the skillet with additional cooking spray between each quesadilla.

As they finish toasting, transfer the quesadillas to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. To serve, cut each quesadilla into quarters and serve with salsa and sour cream.

~Sarah

Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Tarragon

Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Tarragon
Ingredients
Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste
2 pounds beefsteak or plum tomatoes, cored
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
3/4 pound uncooked spaghetti
1 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh tarragon or basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Meanwhile, halve tomatoes lengthwise. Squeeze gently to remove most of seeds; discard seeds. Chop tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces, and transfer to a bowl, set aside.
In a large pan, heat oil over medium-low. Add shallots and cook until golden, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in tomatoes until coated with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot. Pour tomato mixture over pasta; add tarragon and Parmesan. Toss to combine. Divide among bowls, top with additional Parmesan.
Serves 3.

Farfalle with Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese

Farfalle with Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese
Ingredients
12 ounces farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 ounces cream cheese, diced
1/4 cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
4 ounces smoked salmon, cut into bite-size pieces

Directions
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions for time. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add onion to pasta pot, immediately drain pasta mixture, and then return to pot.

Add the cream cheese, dill, capers, and salmon to pasta. Toss, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time to create a thin sauce that coats the pasta (you may not need all the water). Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.

If desired add a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 3.

Coconut ‘Pie’

I was browsing through cookbooks at the local library when I came across a copy of Betty Crocker Bisquick Impossibly Easy Pies: Pies that Magically Bake Their Own Crust. Lets be honest, a cookbook on Bisquick® pies is not gourmet cooking – but it can be fun, quick and easy.

I will be trying out some of the recipes as I have a box of Heart Smart Bisquick® to use. So for the first recipe I picked out Impossibly Easy Coconut Pie. While the recipe is online on their website, the book contains how to make it lower fat/calorie. What I did with my version of the recipe:

While not a true pie in the end, I would say it is more a cake on top of a thick custard like filling – crust on top. The flavor is quite nice and easy to nibble on. I am sure when it is full fat (4 whole eggs, full fat milk) it is more pie like.

Coconut ‘Pie’

Ingredients:

1 cup natural shredded coconut

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup Heart Smart Bisquick® mix

1/4 cup softened butter

2 cups nonfat dairy milk

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

6 egg whites

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°. Spray a 9″ pie plate with baking spray, set aside on a baking tray.

In a large bowl beat all the ingredients together well with a wire whisk. Pour into the prepared plate.

Bake 55 minutes or until top is golden brown and a knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool on counter then stash tightly covered in the refrigerator.

~Sarah