Turtle Cheesecake Muffins

I have been making Cheesecake Muffins in some way, shape or form since I was a freshman in college. Last night I made Turtle Cheesecake Muffins for my sister to take to a work Christmas food day. They have all the flavor of Turtle Cheesecake packed in a small disposable wrapper. Perfect for any buffet or food swap. Don’t be alarmed, they will fall as they cool. But it is okay, it is ideal in fact. It makes the perfect little well to fill with toppings.

You can top these muffins with any of the usually cheesecake toppings. Try using cherry or blueberry pie filling or fresh strawberries and a strawberry glaze. All three have been a hit with many of my family and friends. I have also made Mardi Gras themed cheesecake muffins (click here). You just top each muffin with a spoonful of crushed pineapple, a red grape or 2 and a kiwi slice. They are all decked out in purple, green and gold. They look like they have been decorated with beads and coins. The possibilities are endless.

My sister made snicker bar cheesecake muffins at Thanksgiving for work. She placed half of a mini snickers on top of the wafer before filling and baking; then garnished with more chopped snickers after they cooled. Delicious! Let me know if you have tried any other toppings. I am always looking for new ideas.

Turtle Cheesecake Muffins

Makes: 2 dozen

1 pkg. Chocolate Wafers(or Vanilla Wafers)

3 (8oz.) pkg. Cream Cheese

3 eggs

3/4 cup Granulated Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

Toppings:

Caramel sauce

Chopped pecans

Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream the cream cheese and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and beat until well mixed. Place 1 chocolate wafer in paper lined cupcake pan. Spoon mix on cookie until cup is 2/3 full.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Top each muffin with caramel sauce, pecans and chocolate chips. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Linking to:
See Ya in the Gumbo
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays

Smokey Beef and Vegetable Chili

Have you heard of the idea of food expanders? Hungry Girl talks a lot about this idea. It is adding vegetables to reduce carbs and high fat proteins. She appeared on Dr. Oz (video) and talked about it there too. She uses cauliflower as a swap for potatoes, spaghetti squash for pasta, portabella mushrooms for beef, and so on. Well I decided I wanted to try to expand my favorite chili recipe. I used mushrooms for half the beef in the Wendy’s Clone Chili recipe. I also increased the amount of each veggie and added a bell pepper. It turned out great! It is loaded with veggies and smokey from substituting fire roasted tomatoes for plain canned tomatoes. Be aware it is a 2 or 3-alarm chili. I used original Rotel tomatoes, if you are sensitive to spicy foods try using mild Rotel. This recipe is one that only gets better the next day.

Smokey Beef and Vegetable Chili

Makes about 10 cups; Serves 6 to 8

2 tsp. olive oil

8 oz lean ground beef (93% lean)

8 oz cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1/2 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 (10 oz) can tomatoes with diced green chilies (with liquid)

1 (15 oz) can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (with liquid)

1 (15 oz) can of red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

1 (15 oz) can of pinto beans (drained and rinsed)

2 cups water

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat; brown the ground beef, breaking into small pieces with the spoon. Add a dash of salt and pepper while cooking.

Add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper and celery to dutch oven, cook until onion is translucent. Add tomato paste and spices, stir and cook until fragrant, add the remaining ingredients. Stir until all ingredients are combined thoroughly.

Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Reduce the burner to low, cover and continue simmering 50−60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Linking to:
See Ya in the Gumbo
Miz Helen Country Cottage: Texas Star Chili Cook Off 2013
Tumbleweed Contessa: 2014 Super Bowl and Chili Party

Cauliflower Leek Soup

This cream soup is so good. It is another recipe I got off of the Weight Watchers message boards years ago. If you like cauliflower you will love it plain. If you long for baked potato soup load it up with the optional garnishes. It tastes just like baked potato soup without any guilt. I photographed it with the garnishes. It looked a little undressed plain.

 

 

 

 

Cauliflower Leek Soup

Serves 8

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

2 small leeks, cleaned and cut into rings

4 cups chicken broth

1 Tbsp light butter

1 small onion, chopped

Salt and white pepper, to taste

Heat butter in pot, add in onions and leeks. Heat until tender, but not browned. Add in cauliflower and broth. Simmer, covered until cauliflower is cooked [about 15 min]. Puree in the pot with an immersion or stick blender. Or pulse soup in a blender in two or three batches, until smooth. Return to pan and season with salt and white pepper.

WW Points Plus: 1

Optional Garnishes: 2% cheddar cheese, light sour cream, bacon bits, and chives.

Linking to:
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky

Buffalo Chicken Soup

If you like tangy and spicy Buffalo Wings, you will love this soup. I found the original recipe on the weight watcher message boards. It called for cooked chicken. I always cook the chicken just before making the soup. Today I added the Orleans Pepper Seasoning when I browned the chicken. It was delicious. If you are not a spice lover cut back on the Frank's buffalo wing sauce. You may want to start with 1/4 cup. I love it spicy. I find that spicy foods really satisfy. This soup is spicy, creamy and even crunchy from the celery. And the blue cheese is just the right finishing touch. I hope you enjoy it. Try the Orleans Pepper when you grill. It is great on all types of meats.

Buffalo Chicken Soup
Servings 4  

Ingredients

2 tsp. olive oil

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced

Orleans Pepper Seasoning (recipe below)

2 stalks celery, sliced
1 small onion, chopped

1/2 packet dry ranch dressing mix

10-3/4 oz can Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup skim milk
1/2 c Frank's buffalo wing sauce
4 Tbsp blue cheese

Instructions

Dice chicken breast into 3/4” pieces. Sprinkle chicken pieces with Orleans Pepper Seasoning. Heat oil in a 3 quart pot; add chicken in batches not crowding the pot. Brown chicken on all sides and remove from the pot, set aside. Add celery and onion, sauté until they begin to soften. Return chicken to the pot. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except blue cheese and simmer until chicken is fully cooked about 5 minutes. Serve garnished with 1 Tbsp crumbled blue cheese.

Orleans Pepper Seasoning

Adapted from: Gifts in a Bag
Rubs & Seasonings

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. plus 1-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp. plus 1-1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. plus 1-1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 Tbsp. plus 1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Instructions

Combine all ingredients until well blended. Store in an air tight container. Great seasoning for beef, pork, chicken or turkey.

Chicken Basil Cashew

I think I mentioned before, that I had been introduced to Thai food and then suddenly the local restaurant closed. Still so sad. Well I decided to attempt to make another dish we ordered there. They use to make a Chicken Basil Cashew. It was incredible!!!! It had thinly sliced chicken, green beans, lots of basil and cashews. The sauce has an incredible Thai flavor. I am sure my recipe is less than authentic but it sure fixes the Thai craving. I used regular basil, many recipes I saw recommend thai or holy basil. Those varieties are hard to find in my area. I started with finely minced garlic and jalapeno, it is really almost a paste. You can adjust the heat level by adding more jalapeno if you like really spicy foods. I have made it three times now and I like the heat from a serrano more than the jalapeno. I have used both fresh and frozen green beans both are great. So next time you see basil grab it! This is a perfectly great use of the herb.

Chicken Basil Cashew

Serves 2  to 4

Ingredients

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno or serrano chili, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise

4 tsp canola oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced

2 cup fresh green beans

2 teaspoon fish sauce

2 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 cup fresh basil, loosely packed

Cashews, for a garnish

1 cup long grain white rice, prepared per package directions

Directions

Minced together garlic and chiles using a large knife, smear with the side of the knife to paste it a little. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is just golden, about 20 seconds. Add chicken; cook, stirring often, until chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add green beans and continue to cook another minute. Stir in fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and pepper. Add basil; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Season with more pepper, if desired. Serve over rice. Garnish with basil and cashews.

Linking to:
See Ya in the Gumbo
The Tumbleweed Contessa: Spicy! Saturday Dishes Linky Party
                                       Chicken - Saturday Dishes Linky Party
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Thai Food

Hearty Pita Spinach Salad

I flagged this recipe back in the summer. I found it in the June/July issue of Simple & Delicious Magazine. I just got around to making it Monday. It is very, very good! I did use a spinach and arugula blend instead of just spinach. I also used olive oil cooking spray to prepare the pita strips. I will be making pita chips soon. They were so good. This recipe also gave me the opportunity to try a Greek Dressing recipe I saw on Pinterest. The recipe comes from Cooking on Clover Lane. It is really good. I found it could use some salt but left it out because the salad had feta and olives. Wise move. The combination of everything is just perfect. So fight the urge to add additional salt. You will not need it. Definitely a recipe I will make over and over.

By the way, the beautiful new placemat is courtesy of my dear sister. Isn't she sweet!

Hearty Pita Spinach Salad

Adapted from: Simple & Delicious Magazine

4 Servings

Ingredients

2 whole pita breads

olive oil cooking spray

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3/4 pound ground beef

3/4 cup Greek dressing, divided (recipe below)

1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach and arugula

2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

4 ounces feta cheese, cubed

1 cup pitted Greek olives

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

Cut pita breads into strips; arrange in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Spray strips with olive oil spray, and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until crisp, turning once.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add 1/4 cup dressing. Arrange spinach and arugula on four individual plates; top with a fourth of the tomatoes, cheese, olives, onion and beef mixture. Drizzle remaining dressing over salads. Serve immediately with toasted pita strips on top.

Yield: 4 servings.

Greek Dressing

Adapted from: Cooking on Clover Lane

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1-1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1-1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1-1/4 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard

Directions

Mix together and shake well. Store in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator. Set out before serving, the olive oil tends to separate and get solid. Shake well and serve.

Linking to:
See Ya in the Gumbo

Frozen Egg Nog

This is a refreshing holiday treat. I adapted a Mock Frosty recipe to make a Frozen Egg Nog. This holiday beverage is guilt free. I was inspired by the popular Tony's Frozen Egg Nog that is only available during the holidays. Tony's is a frozen Egg Nog Daiquiri. My version is alcohol free.

Frozen Egg Nog

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 cup skim milk

2 Tbsp fat free cool whip, frozen 

2 Tbsp sugar free/fat free vanilla pudding mix

1 tsp rum extract

10+ ice cubes

Smidgen of Cinnamon

Smidgen of Nutmeg

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in blender. Add more ice cubes to achieve desired thickness. Garnish with nutmeg.

Nutrition Facts: Amount per Serving; Calories 128.0; Total Fat 0.5 g; Cholesterol 4.9 mg; Total Carbohydrate 21.3 g; Dietary Fiber 0.2 g; Protein 8.4 g.