Blackberry Cheesecake Squares

When it is any type of cheesecake, it gets my attention.  

I saw Ree make this cheesecake on The Pioneer Woman this afternoon and what I loved best (besides it being cheesecake) is the crust.  Vanilla wafers and pecans sounds like a delicious crust that I'd like to try out real soon.

Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond
The Food Network
SHOW: The Pioneer Woman
EPISODE: Make Ahead Potluck

Ingredients

Crust:

• Cooking spray, for spraying foil
• One 11-ounce box vanilla wafers
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

Filling:

• Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Topping:

• 4 cups blackberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust: Line a 9-by-13-inch rectangular baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Place the vanilla wafers and pecans into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse again until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. (If they come up the sides, that's okay!)

For the filling: Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream and mix again.

Pour the filling into the crust, smooth the top and bake for 50 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the oven door and allow the pan to sit in the open oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

For the topping: Add the blackberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water to a saucepan or skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the juices thicken slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, make a slurry by stirring together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Add the slurry to the berries, return to the boil and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and cool the mixture.

Pour the blackberries over the cheesecake and place the pan into the fridge to cool and set for at least 2 hours (several hours is better).

When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the pan by lifting the edges of the foil. Slice into 15 pieces with a long serrated knife.

Marinated Zucchini and Summer Squash

The Captain and I are looking for healthier alternatives for snacks and side dishes and these grilled marinated veggies are perfect!  Finding new recipes for marinades and sauces will be great for variation for both veggies and meats.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

The Cooking Channel

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Marinades and Sauces

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic 
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 pound zucchini (about 3 large), trimmed and sliced diagonally about 1/4-inch thick 
• 1 pound yellow crookneck squash (about 3 large), trimmed and sliced diagonally about 1/4-inch thick 

DIRECTIONS

Whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and thyme in a large bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Gradually whisk in the oil. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the marinade into a small bowl. Cover and set aside. 

Add the zucchini and yellow squash to the remaining marinade in the large bowl and toss to coat. 

Transfer the mixture to a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. 

Cover and marinate at room temperature at least 3 hours or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.

Prepare the grill for medium-high heat. Grill the vegetables until they are crisp-tender and brown, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes. 

Transfer the vegetables to a platter. Drizzle with the reserved marinade and serve hot or at room temperature.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookie Bars

These semi-homemade cookie bars are a quick and delicious

 celebration of the strawberry shortcake.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Pillsbury.com.

Ingredients

• 1 package Pillsbury™ Ready To Bake!™ refrigerated sugar cookies
• 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1 tablespoon)
• 4 oz frozen (thawed) whipped topping (half 8-oz container)
• 1 3/4 cups chopped fresh strawberries

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.

Remove cookies from package; place cookies on cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool completely. (To speed up process, refrigerate cookies about 1 hour.)

Meanwhile, line 11x7-inch pan with cooking parchment paper.

Once cookies are cool, place in food processor. Cover; pulse a few times until all cookies are crumbled. 

Reserve 1 cup of the cookie crumbs. Pour remaining cookie crumbs into pan; press in bottom of pan to form crust.

In mixer bowl with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy and smooth. Add gelatin; stir to combine.

With rubber spatula, fold whipped topping and 1 cup of the chopped strawberries into cream cheese mixture. Spread over cookie crust. Top with remaining chopped strawberries.

Sprinkle reserved 1 cup cookie crumbs evenly over dessert; gently press with fingers. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

To serve, cut into 5 rows by 3 rows to make 15 bars, or into 6 rows by 3 rows to make 18 bars.


Notes from Pillsbury

If you're on a vegetarian diet, you can leave the gelatin out, but remember to refrigerate a little longer.

These bars can be easily frozen and served as ice cream bars on hot summer days.

BBQ Roast Beef Nachos

Everything about these nachos sounds good!  They looked good too as Jeff Mauro prepared them on my new favorite cooking show, The Kitchen on The Food Network.  The whole thing came together very quickly with the help of a trip to your local deli.

Check out the link for the show episode which includes other recipes and great tips from that episode.

Recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro
The Food Network
Show: The Kitchen
Episode: Weeknight Shortcuts

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound rare deli roast beef, thinly sliced and julienned
• 1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar
• Tortilla chips
• 1 cup French-fried onions
• 1/2 cup pickled cherry peppers, sliced
• Honey Horseradish Crema, recipe follows

Honey Horseradish Crema:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1 teaspoon honey

Directions


Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the roast beef, stir once and let the meat brown, about 2 minutes, and stir again. Add in the BBQ sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

Layer the shredded cheese on top of some tortilla chips on a large platter. Pour the piping hot meat over the cheese and then top with the crispy onions, cherry peppers and dollops of the Honey Horseradish Crema.

Honey Horseradish Crema:
Mix the sour cream, horseradish, honey, mustard and salt in a bowl. Let the crema sit for 20 minutes before serving.