Vanilla Cream Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:

1- 9inch Baking Spring pan

9- Graham crackers (1 package)

1/3- Cup Melted butter

Batter:

4- 8oz packages Cream Cheese (softened)

1- Cup Sugar

½ -tsp Vanilla extract

3- Eggs

1 –Cup Pumpkin puree

1 – Tbs Pumpkin spice

Vanilla Cream Topping:

¼- Cup Sour Cream

¼-Cup Sugar

½- tsp Vanilla

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1- Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and set on baking pan with the bottom of a cup.  Place in freezer for five to ten minutes.

2- In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.  Beat until smooth and creamy then blend in one egg at a time.  Remove 3 cups of batter and spread on bottom of your crust then set aside.

3- Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice to the remaining batter and mix well.  Grab a large spoon and gently pour over the cheesecake batter for a layer of pumpkin pie.

4- Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until center is almost set.  Allow to cool, and then mix sour cream, sugar and vanilla to spread evenly over cheesecake.   Refrigerate overnight and enjoy next day!

Steak and Arugula Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

Steak Arugula Salad

1-lb Skirt Steak

2 Cups - Heirloom or Cherry Tomatoes

½ lb - Baby Arugula

½ cup - Gorgonzola Cheese (Crumbled)

1/3  cup - Dried Cranberries

¼ cup - Sliced Almonds

½ - Red Onion (thinly sliced)

Vinaigrette:

1tbsp – Coarse Dijon Mustard

2tbsp – Wine Vinegar

1/4tsp – Worcestershire Sauce

1/2tsp – Honey or Agave Syrup

1/3cup – Olive Oil

RECIPE

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees to roast heirloom tomatoes for 15 minutes.  Cut tomatoes in half and drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper for flavor.  When finished, set aside to cool as you prepare meat.

2.  Leave steak out at room temperature for about 30min with salt and pepper to tenderize.  After it reaches room temperature, heat up skillet to medium/high heat with a tablespoon of Canola Oil.  Once the oil reaches smoke point, add meat and slightly lower flame and cook each side depending on how well done you like your meat (I like it medium/raw so I don’t cook it too long). 

3. Once the meat is browned on both sides, allow the meat to rest for about 10minutes before you slice so the juices coagulate and you have a nice juicy piece of steak.

3.  Prepare ingredients to make vinaigrette, and begin by mixing ingredients in order as listed above and whisk together. Yes it’s that simpleJ!

4.  Now that all your food is cooked and prepped, slice your meat; mix the vinaigrette with the arugula, and add all your toppings.  Now go and enjoy your lovely healthy salad!!!

Thanks for supporting my blog everyone!

Rockfish Tacos with a Green Chili Cream Sauce

Tacos:

1-1/2 lbs Rockfish (or fish of choice)

8- Corn Tortillas

¼- Cup Queso Fresco

½- Cup Monterey Jack Cheese (Shredded)

1- Red Onion (Chopped)

1- Tomato (Chopped)

¼- head of cabbage  (Chopped)

1-Avocado

1- Small Bunch of Cilantro for Garnish

Canola Oil for cooking fish

Green Chili Cream Sauce:

4- Anaheim chili peppers

2- Jalapeno peppers

2- Tbsp Mayonnaise

2- Tbsp Sour Cream

1- Tbsp Minced Garlic

1- Lemon (Zest and Juice)

1- Lime (Zest and Juice)

Salt/Pepper as needed

Sauce:

1. Preheat oven to 350,  and lightly coat the Anaheim and Jalapeno Peppers with olive oil salt and pepper.

When oven reaches 350, roast peppers for approx 25-30 minutes turning every 10 minutes to fully cook both sides.  

2. Once roasted, (should be blackened) let cool and begin mixing the other ingredients.  In a blender, mix all ingredients (except lemon and lime, just juice and zest them) for the cream sauce and add more more water if needed. Set aside for tacos!

Tacos:

1. Heat a skillet at medium with desired canola oil and add fish seasoned with salt and pepper.  While the fish is cooking, chop all fresh topping ingredients (red onion, tomato, cabbage, avocado, cilantro) and any other ingredients you enjoy in your tacos.

2. Heat separate pan and add tortillas with the shredded Monterrey jack cheese to make quesadillas. You can add a little oil to the pan if you like your tacos a bit crunchy ;)! 

3. Once the fish is fully cooked take the warm cheesy quesadillas, add the fish and all your other chopped ingredients.  Finally you can top it off with the delicious Green Chili Cream Sauce and savor every moment, maybe even with an ice cold beer!

Hasta luego amigos, gracias!

Shrimp and Asparagus Whole Grain Spaghetti with Cream Sauce

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

7oz (1/2 box) - Barilla Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti  Pasta

1 lb – Raw Shrimp

4 – Cups Pasta Water

2 – Tomatoes (Cut into small pieces)

1 – Bunch of Asparagus (Cut into small pieces)

4 – Garlic Cloves (Chopped)

1 – Lemon

1 – Lime

½ Cup – Sour Cream

¼  Cup – Shredded Romano Cheese

1 tsp – Red Pepper Flakes

1. Fill large pot ¾ with water, dab of Olive Oil, and salt until it tastes like the ocean.  Bring to a boil and add pasta.  Cook as directed on box and let’s begin cooking the sauce as that boils.

2.  Heat medium pan with olive oil and add tomatoes (cut into small squares), chopped garlic, and a dash of salt.  Take the lemon and lime and give them a little massage to release the juices and then using a Microplane Grater , grate the lemon and the lime to give the sauce a kick.   Cook on medium heat for about ten minutes until the tomatoes and garlic are very soft and mushy.  Continuously stir so they do not burn!

3.  Once the Pasta and tomatoes are fully cooked, take 4 cups of the pasta water and mix it with the pan of tomatoes and cook on Med/High heat.

4.  Add Shrimp, and asparagus (cut into small pieces) then let simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes so the sauce thickens up.  Add the lemon and lime juice to the sauce with some salt and pepper.  Taste it to make sure it has flavor but do not add too much salt.

5.  After it has simmered bring the heat to low and add ½ cup of sour cream and stir until fully mixed.  Once you have added the sour cream finish it off by adding the yummy Romano Cheese and red pepper flakes!

6.  Drain the pasta, mix it with your very own homemade sauce and enjoy!