Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette

This recipe is from the newsletter of Ciao Italia's Mary Ann Esposito.  I've watched her PBS cooking show since I was a very young girl . . . and she is still on the air . . . America's longest running cooking show!  Check your local PBS listings or visit her website to find out when she's on in your area.

I remember the days when we grew so many tomato plants that friends and family would leave the house with bags of tomatoes.  It was such a joy to have so many fresh tomatoes at my fingertips.  This fresh tomato vinaigrette is the type of food I would often make.

To make a creamy tomato salad dressing, add some mayonnaise.  Experiment and add mayonnaise slowly until you reach the desired taste and consistency.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large Backyard Farms vine ripened tomato
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1/4 cup basil cut into ribbons
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Cut the large tomato in half and grate with a box grater over a dish or wide bowl, discarding the skins, but collecting the juice and pulp.

Mince the garlic clove with a little salt. Add to the tomato. Add a pinch more salt, crushed red pepper to taste, vinegar and basil. Whisk in enough of the olive oil to make an emulsion.

This should yield at least one half cup of vinaigrette. 

Roasted Garlic Clove Chicken

Easy, economical and delicious!

This recipe comes from the show Ten Dollar Dinners on the Food Network where Melissa always comes up with awesome meals that are economical. Check it out sometime!  At this time, it is airing every weekday afternoon EST.

You can imagine the delicious flavor of this chicken with all that garlic!  That is, if you love garlic like I do.

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 head garlic, separated into whole cloves, papery skin removed (about 20 cloves)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Bread, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Salt and pepper liberally and allow to temper on a cutting board while you prepare the garlic. 

In a large ovenproof saute pan over medium heat, cook the whole garlic cloves in olive oil and butter, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan and set aside. 

Increase the heat to medium high and brown the chicken skin-side down until the skin is golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over, sprinkle on herbes de Provence. 

Add the garlic back to the pan and place hot pan in oven. Bake the chicken until cooked through, about 25 minutes. 

Once the chicken is done, remove chicken thighs and garlic to a platter. Place the pan over medium-high heat and sprinkle the drippings with flour and stir to incorporate. Deglaze the pan with the stock and lemon juice. *

Pour the sauce over the chicken on the platter and serve with bread for sauce-mopping and garlic-spreading.

*Many comments on the recipe page claimed their gravy did not come out right.  Some tips for the gravy . . .

Make sure the drippings are heated thoroughly before adding flour, followed by the stock and lemon juice.

Depending on how much drippings your chicken produced, you may want to add butter to the drippings and heat thoroughly before adding the flour.

Grandma Yearwood's Coconut Cake with Coconut Lemon Glaze

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood (c) Clarkson Potter 2010

The Food Network
SHOW: Trisha's Southern Kitchen
EPISODE: Grandma Knows Best

This recipe takes me back to childhood days and the delicious cakes my southern belle neighbor from North Carolina would make.  Along with my nana and godmother, she was a great cooking inspiration in my life and taught me so much about baking as a young girl.

You can never go wrong with a cake made with coconut!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing
• Flour, for dusting pan
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• One 12-ounce box vanilla wafers, finely crushed
• One 6-ounce package frozen or fresh grated coconut, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Coconut Lemon Glaze:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Pinch of salt
• Grated zest of 2 large lemons
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
• One 6-ounce package frozen or fresh grated coconut, thawed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

For the cake: Grease and flour a 9-inch tube cake pan. Cream the butter and sugar until light and smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, beating well. Mix in the vanilla wafer crumbs, coconut and pecans. Pour into the pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack.

For the glaze: Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest and juice, 1 1/2 cups of water and coconut in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened, for about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then using a toothpick, poke several holes in the top of the cake and drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Crouton Crushed Chicken Tenders with Orange Barbeque Sauce

Love the concept of baked chicken that tastes like fried chicken, making it a healthier choice.

One of the things I love about this recipe is the use of croutons as a major breading ingredient.  Sandra Lee suggests store bought croutons (you know, the semi-homemade thing), but I would opt to make my own.  Some comments on the recipe page complained about the breading being bland.  You can make it as bland or as flavorful and spicy as you want depending on the croutons you use.  Could be they used plain croutons!  Make sure to keep this in mind when planning this recipe.

A tip I gained from watching this episode is the method she uses to bread the chicken using tongs instead of her hands.  I use the one hand for dipping in the wet ingredient and the other for breading . . . I hate when I get uncoordinated and get my hands all mucky with breading and eggs.  Love the idea of using tongs . . . let the tongs get all mucky!

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

The Food Network
SHOW:  Semi-Homemade Cooking
EPISODE: Moms Tailgate Party


Ingredients

• 1 (6-ounce) bag garlic and butter croutons
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

Orange Barbeque Sauce:

• 1/3 cup barbeque sauce
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the corner off of the bag croutons just enough to let the air escape. Place the bag onto a cutting board, cover with a kitchen towel and smash it with a rolling pin. Crush the croutons until coarse in texture.

Set up a breading station with 3 pie plates or baking dishes. In 1 dish add the flour, and season it with poultry seasoning, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. In the second dish mix together the egg and buttermilk. In the third dish add the crushed croutons, and the bread crumbs.

Dip chicken tenders into the flour and shake of any excess. Then dip them into the buttermilk, and then into the bread crumb mixture making sure to thoroughly coat the tenders. Put the tenders on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Transfer to a platter and serve with the orange barbeque sauce.


Orange Barbeque Dipping Sauce: Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl, and whisk together until well combined.

Quesadillas de Camarones (Shrimp Quesadillas)

As I watched The Pioneer Woman on the Food Channel this morning, I realized that we have not had shrimp in quite some time and since it is my favorite food, I'm craving it and have posted lots of recipes that include shrimp lately!

These quesadillas look awesome!  One of the things I love about this recipe is the opportunity to vary the ingredients. Pork or chicken would also work well with this recipe. 

The Captain and I love spicy texmex type of food and the combination of ingredients is perfect for our taste. Sometimes we make our own tortillas to make these type of dishes extra special.  Try it sometime when you have some extra time on your hands . . . you won't be sorry!

Ingredients

• Flour Tortillas
• 12 whole Large Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined
• 8 ounces, fluid Mexican Red Sauce
• 1 whole Large Onion
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper
• 2 cups Cheese, Grated (Monterey Jack Is Best)
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Pour red sauce over shrimp. Set aside.

Chop vegetables into large pieces. Heat skillet over high heat and add olive oil.

Cook vegetables over high heat until they start to get brown/black. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Return skillet to high heat, then dump in the shrimp with the sauce. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until shrimp is opaque. Add in a little water if the sauce gets dry. 

Remove from skillet and chop into bite-size pieces.

In a separate skillet, heat butter. Place a tortilla in the skillet, then layer on ingredients: cheese, vegetables, and shrimp. Top with a little more cheese and a second tortilla. Cook on both sides, adding butter before flipping to the other side so the tortilla isn’t overly dry.

Remove from skillet and slice into wedges. Serve with rice, beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole—whatever you’d like!


Source:  The Pioneer Woman

Shrimp Scampi from Ina Garten

Shrimp Scampi is a definite treat in this house with shrimp being my favorite food!

Doesn't that look delicious?  Beautiful presentation . . .

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten
2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved
SHOW: Barefoot Contessa
EPISODE: Italian Every Time


Ingredients

• 2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 extra-large egg yolk
• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. 

Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. 

Serve with lemon wedges.

Easy Corn Fritters

Corn is one of my favorite foods, so naturally corn fritters are something I love. You will find many variations of the recipe on this blog!

This recipe comes from Mr. Food, whose recipes never let me down.

I can make a meal from a plate of these little jewels :)

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 (14-3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn (thawed if frozen)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, or more as needed

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add eggs and salsa; mix well. Stir in both corns.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil . Drop batter into hot skillet 1 tablespoonful at a time and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden, turning fritters halfway through cooking. Remove to a covered platter.

Add another tablespoon oil to skillet. When hot, repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as needed, until all batter is used.




Photo and recipe source 

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

A delicious twist to traditional stuffed peppers!

Recipe and photo source

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 4 -6 bell peppers
• 1 (19 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 -16 ounce) jar salsa
• shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream

Directions

Combine beef, onion, seasoning mix and egg in a large bowl.

Add rice and mix well.

Cut peppers in half lengthwise; remove seeds and membrane.

Spread tomatoes on the bottom of an ovenproof 12 X 9 inch baking dish. The liquid from the tomatoes will reduce during cooking so if (like me) you like lots of sauce, add about a cup of water. This also helps make the peppers softer.

Place peppers, cut side up, on top of the tomatoes.

Spoon beef mixture into peppers, mounding as necessary.

Top each pepper with salsa.

Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 40-45 minutes or until beef is cooked thoroughly and peppers are soft.

Cover each pepper with cheese and return to oven, under the broiler, until the cheese melts- less than a minute, so watch carefully!

Serve with sour cream and additional salsa.

Nutritional Facts for Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Serving Size: 1 (398 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value

Calories 435.7

 

Calories from Fat 120

27%

Total Fat 13.3 g

20%

Saturated Fat 5.1 g

25%

Cholesterol 120.2 mg

40%

Sodium 1455.9 mg

60%

Total Carbohydrate 50.0 g

16%

Dietary Fiber 7.4 g

29%

Sugars 11.7 g

47%

Protein 30.4 g

60%

Red Lobster Copycat Shrimp Pasta

Shrimp pasta is my favorite meal ever.  I must have a gazillion recipes posted for different variations.  Well, here is another one that is a copycat version of Red Lobster's Shrimp Pasta.

Although I make this dish often at home, I always order it when we go out for dinner.  What can I say?  I love shrimp pasta with a passion!

Photo and recipe source

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves (I added more!)
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
• 2/3 cup clam juice (or chicken broth)
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 8 ounces pasta, cooked and drained

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; reduce heat to low. Simmer until garlic is tender.

Add shrimp and cook over medium-low heat until opaque. Remove, reserve liquid in pan.

Add clam juice (or chicken broth) and bring to a boil.

Add wine; cook over medium high heat for three (3) minutes, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat to low; add cream, stirring constantly.

Add cheese, stirring until smooth. Cook until thickened.

Add shrimp back in to sauce. Heat thoroughly.

Add remaining ingredients except pasta.

Put pasta in a large bowl and pour sauce over pasta; toss gently to coat.

Serve with additional grated parmesan cheese.

Bourbon Peach Cobbler from Tyler Florence

The peaches have been big and juicy and are very inexpensive at this time of the year.

Why not go a step beyond plain peach cobbler and try Tyler Florence's Bourbon Peach Cobbler?

I have not yet made this recipe, but it looks delicious!

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

The Food Network
Show: Food 911

Episode: Chili Roundup



Ingredients

• 8 peaches, peeled and sliced, about 6 to 8 cups
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 3/4 cup sugar, plus more for dusting
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing

Directions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl add the peaches, bourbon, 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and mix well to coat the peaches evenly; set aside.

Prepare the dumplings: Into a bowl sift together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter into small pieces. Add it to the flour mixture and cut it in with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. Pour in the cream and mix just until the dough comes together. Don't overwork; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add the peaches and cook gently until heated through, about 5 minutes. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls over the warm peaches. There can be gaps, the dough will puff up and spread out as it bakes. Brush the top with some heavy cream and sprinkle with some sugar; put it into the oven on a baking sheet to catch any drips. 

Cook for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is browned and the fruit is bubbling.

Orange Pineapple Blossoms

Wouldn't these make awesome breakfast muffins?

This recipe comes from Pillsbury's website.  It is one of those semi-homemade recipes that are quick and easy!

I love the combination of orange marmalade and cream cheese . . .

Ingredients:

• 1 can (12.4 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple (from 8-oz can), well drained on paper towels
• 1/3 cup SMUCKER'S® Sweet Orange Marmalade
• 4 oz cream cheese (from 8-oz package), softened

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. 

Spray 8 (2 3/4 x1 1/4-inch) muffin cups with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. 

Separate dough into 8 rolls; set icing aside. Cut each roll into quarters; place 4 quarters, points up and separated slightly, in each muffin cup.

In small bowl, mix pineapple, marmalade and cream cheese. Place 2 tablespoons mixture into center of dough in each cup.

Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool in pan on cooling rack 5 minutes. Run knife around edge of muffin cups; remove rolls from cups and place on serving plate.

Remove cover from icing; microwave on Medium (50%) 10 to 15 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle. 

Drizzle icing over warm rolls. Serve warm.

Crazy Brownies from The Pioneer Woman

The next time I want to make something deliciously sinful and decadent, this is it!!

I was watching The Pioneer Woman this afternoon and I could not believe it when she was putting these brownies together.  All I can say is look at the ingredients list!

Won't these be a big hit on the dessert table at your next party?

Ingredients

• 1 box Chocolate Cake Mix, 18 To 20 Ounce Box
• 1/3 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1 stick Butter, Melted
• 9 whole Peanut Butter Cups (regular Size, With The Paper Pulled Off)
• 12 whole Rolo Candies
• 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1/3 cup M&Ms
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• Powdered Sugar (for Sprinkling)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Put the dry cake mix in a large bowl and stir in the evaporated milk. (Mixture will still be dry.) Next, pour in the melted butter, stirring gently until the mix just comes together (don't over-mix.)

Divide the mixture in half and press half of it in the bottom of a greased 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Lay the peanut butter cups over the top. Peel the wrappers off of the Rolos and place them in the spaces between the peanut butter cups. Sprinkle nuts into the cracks, followed by M&M's. Finally, sprinkle the salt all over.

Put the other half of the batter on a cutting board and press it into a square a little smaller than the pan. (It will be very sticky.) Transfer it to the pan and lightly press it to cover all the ingredients. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the batter is fully baked. Allow to cool completely, then place the pan in the fridge, covered in foil, for a couple of hours.

Remove the brownies from the pan in one piece, then sprinkle on plenty of powdered sugar. With a sharp serrated knife, cut into small squares.


Source:  The Pioneer Woman

Spaghetti Aglio E Olio

My nana often made this meal for lunch with homemade garlic bread, salad (with oil and vinegar dressing and parmesan cheese) and iced tea with lemon.  It was such a treat for me and it still remains one of my favorite meals.

The photo and the following recipe comes from Ina Garten, but I make mine a different way . . . I think much easier!

My version starts off by getting my pasta water boiling (with lots of salt) and get the pasta cooking.

At the same time, I heat up a pan and melt about 1/2 stick of butter.  Add about 2 garlic cloves, making sure the garlic does not brown.

Angel hair pasta is what I prefer and the best thing is that it is ready in three minutes, so I have to work fast to put this all together.

As the garlic is sauteeing in the butter, I start adding pasta water little by little.  (You'll need to experiment with how much pasta water you add.)  I love the way the pasta water slightly thickens the butter and also brings lots of flavor!  Right before the pasta is done, I throw in a handful of parsley.

Add drained pasta to the mixture, along with about 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.  Mix together!  I always make sure that I have enough mixture to add to the pasta so that the pasta doesn't stick together.  I hate when that happens! Reserve some of the pasta water when draining in case you need more.

A note about my recipe . . . I prefer butter over olive oil because I really don't like the taste of olive oil.  You can use olive oil or a combination of both.  Whatever you prefer!  

All in all, I've got this recipe down to just five minutes from start to finish.  I've had lots of practice making it since I was a little girl!

The Food Network
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?, All Rights Reserved
SHOW: Barefoot Contessa
EPISODE: Off Duty


Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 pound dried spaghetti, such as DeCecco
• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• 8 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta, such as a 12-inch saute pan or a large, shallow pot. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just begins to turn golden on the edges-don't overcook it! Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. Carefully add the reserved pasta-cooking water to the garlic and oil and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about a third.

Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss. Off the heat, add the parsley and Parmesan and toss well. Allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 minutes for the sauce to be absorbed. Taste for seasoning and serve warm with extra Parmesan on the side.

Mini Cheesecake Cookie Bites

What a cute and delicious idea!  

I didn't even know that cheesecake cups with removable bottoms existed!  Great concept for so many recipes :)

Just say cheesecake and you've got my attention!  You can't get any easier than this recipe for a last minute dessert to take to a party or just to enjoy at home.  

I've used other cheesecake recipes from Pillsbury's website and always get requests for the recipe.

Source:  Pillsbury

By Jocelyn Delk Adams
Publish Date: September 23, 2013

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 package Pillsbury™ Ready to Bake!™ chocolate chip cookies
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whipped cream topping (from aerosol can)
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. 

Remove 12 dough rounds from cookie dough package; save remaining dough for a later use. 

Place 1 dough round in each of 12 mini cheesecake cups with removable bottoms.

Bake 14 minutes. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium to high speed 3 to 4 minutes until smooth. 

Using rubber spatula, gently fold in whipped cream topping.

Gently spoon or pour cream cheese mixture over each cooled cookie until cup is full; smooth top until flat. Freeze at least 3 hours to set.

Just before removing cheesecakes from freezer, place chocolate chips and coconut oil in microwavable bowl. 

Microwave on High in increments of 20 seconds until chocolate is completely melted. Beat mixture with whisk until smooth.

Once cheesecakes are firm, remove pan from freezer. Gently release cheesecakes from cups. Remove cup bottoms from cheesecakes; place on cooling rack. 

Decoratively drizzle melted chocolate over tops of cheesecakes. 

Let stand 2 to 3 minutes to set before serving.

Banana Fritters

Sandra Lee always has the easiest recipes that give the illusion of spending a lot of time in the kitchen when it was super fast!

I love having a variety of banana recipes . . . I hate throwing them away when they start to ripen a bit too much.

Recipe courtesy of Sandra Lee
Recipe copyright Sandra Lee

The Food Network
SHOW: Sandra's Money Saving Meals
EPISODE: Affordable Entertaining

Ingredients

Fritters:

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 cups baking mix
• 3 ripe bananas, diced
• 2 cups canola oil, for frying

Spiced Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Directions


For the fritters: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and sugar until blended. Stir in the baking mix and bananas until just combined.

Heat the canola oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop the batter into the skillet. Fry in batches until golden brown and cooked through the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the oil and allow to drain on a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

For the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup water and pumpkin pie spice.

While the fritters are still warm, pour the glaze over top. Allow the glaze to set up slightly before serving.