Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

WOW. We never buy oreos because both Dave and I can't resist them. They are one of those things that I never crave, but if they are around then I must eat them. These treats served as a double batch. We used them to celebrate our friend Haven's and Seth's birthdays. I plan on making these again because they were simple and delicious. I just need to make sure I have somewhere to bring them.

This recipe comes from Martha's Stewart Cupcakes, and if you don't own this book-you should. I think it is my favorite recipe collection so far.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes
(Makes 30 cupcakes)
*42 Oreos-30 whole and 12 coarsely chopped
*2 pounds of cream cheese, room temperature
*1 cup sugar
*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
*1 cup sour cream
*Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate, in tins, at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

I made 24 regular size cupcakes and then some minis. Both came out great.

Chickpea Turkey Burgers and Kale Chips

These burgers were something different that we tried. They have a bit of a mushy texture to them, but we didn't really mind. I found the recipe on Oishii. The kale chips are my new obsession. They are seriously delicious and a great way to enjoy a leafy green with some crunch. I have seen recipes for these everywhere, and the one below is how I have had the most success.

For the burgers, you will need:
*1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
*3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
*1 clove garlic, chopped
*1 tsp. ground cumin
*1/4 tsp. chili powder
*1/4 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
*a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
*2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
*3/4 lb. ground turkey
*2 Tbsp olive oil
*2 rolls
*a large handful of baby spinach leaves, washed
*1/2 a red onion, sliced
*mayo & Dijon mustard

1. In a food processor, combine the first 9 ingredients (through Worcestershire sauce).
Pulse until smooth. Taste to check seasoning.

2. Transfer chickpea mixture to a large bowl and add the ground turkey. Mix together until well combined, then form patties. (You can make mini patties, or 4 larger ones like we did)

3. Add some olive oil to a frying pan and heat over medium high heat. When hot, fry the patties, about 4-6 minutes on each side depending on thickness of patties. You may have to cook them in 2 batches.

4. Assemble burgers on rolls with the spinach leaves, red onion, mayo and/or mustard.

For the Kale chips, you will need:
*1/2 bunch of Kale (this is how much we have been using at a time)
*1-2 tbsp of olive oil
*sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Wash Kale and remove stems. Use hands of kitchen shears to pull leaves off the center ribs.
3. Spread the Kale out into a single layer on a cookie sheet lined in parchment paper.
4. Drizzle the olive oil over the Kale and then sprinkle sea salt.
5. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are curling and lightly browned (not burnt)

Bananas Foster Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for my friend Matty's birthday. I set out to follow Joelen's exact recipe, but I had trouble finding some ingredients and made a few of my own additions. Below is the recipe the way I made them. These came out tasty, and the birthday boy enjoyed them!

You will need:
*1 box butter cake mix
*1 cup mashed ripe bananas (3 bananas)
*3/4 cup buttermilk-in place of water the mix calls for
*3 large eggs
*1 ounce of rum

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2) Follow the box instructions, putting all the ingredients in a large bowl and using the buttermilk in place of the water. Beat until moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and beat until thick, 2 minutes longer.

3) Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the baking pans, place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. I frosted them with the recipe below.

Joelen's Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
*1/4 cup unsalted butter
*4 oz. cream cheese, softened
*2-3 tablespoons caramel sauce
*4-6 cups confectioners or powdered sugar (I only needed about 4)
*1-2 tablespoons half & half

1) In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until fluffy; add the caramel sauce and beat until fully incorporated.

2) Slowly add confectioners or powdered sugar into the bowl 1/2 cup at a time, and beat after each addition. Continue adding the sugar until you have a thick frosting of your preferred consistency. Stir in the half and half until incorporated.

3) If the frosting becomes too thick, add a tablespoon or more of half & half to thin out.

To frost them, I dipped each cupcake into the mixture. I had a lot of frosting leftover, so if I was to make this again, I would probably half the frosting recipe. I froze some banana slices and used them to top the cupcakes. I also drizzled some additional caramel sauce over the frosting.

Pita Chips

This is a simple recipe that I make a lot. Whenever we buy pitas, we tend to only use a couple of them. Once they start to stale, I make these, and we continue to enjoy them. There are a number of ways to make these. We prefer sea salt and olive oil or parmesan and olive oil as toppings.

You will need:
*Pita bread of any size
*Olive oil
*Topping of your choice

1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) Using kitchen shears, cute the pita rounds into triangles. We prefer thinner chips, so I cute the pita triangles into two separate halves.

3) Line a baking sheet with foil. Place pita chips onto foil lined baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Top with parmesan, sea salt, or any spice you prefer.

4) Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the pita chips are browning and the edges are curling.

These are a great chip to pair with sandwiches, and they can also be used in a hummus or guacamole dip.

Salsa Verde Turkey Burger

Wow, life has been busy. I have missed updating my food blog! We are in the process of buying a house, and we will be moving in the next couple of weeks. This, on top of the usual end of the school year craziness, is not leaving me with much free time. I am happy to say that we are still cooking at home quite regularly, and I am excited to be cooking in our new home in June! My parents already purchased our housewarming gift-a fabulous grill! I can't wait to try even more grilled recipes throughout the summer. These burgers were made on a busy weeknight, and we loved them! The recipe comes from Sing For Your Supper who altered it from Rachael Ray. I love trying a variety of turkey burgers, and these are now in our regular rotation.

You will need:
*1 avocado, halved and pitted
*1/2 cup mayonnaise
*1 clove garlic, minced
*Salt
*1 pound ground turkey thigh meat
*1/2 cup salsa verde
*4 slices pepper-jack cheese
*4 rolls
*1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
*1 red tomato

1) Scoop the avocado flesh into a small bowl. Add the mayonnaise and garlic and mash with a fork until well combined but chunky. Season with salt and set aside. ( I am not a fan of mayo. I did enjoy a little bit of this with my burger. I made a slightly smaller amount and opted to top the avocado on the burger)

2) In a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey and salsa. Divide the mixture to form 4 patties.

3) Grill the patties over medium-high heat for 4 minutes on one side. Flip and top each with a slice of cheese; cover and cook for about 4 minutes more. (I used my Cuisinart griddler, and I would also make these on the grill. I am not a fan of stove top burgers, but it is possible to do this step in a large skillet on the stovetop)

4) Spread the avocado aioli on the split side of each roll bottom and cover with 1/4 cup cilantro. Top with a patty and 2 tomato slices.

Cilantro Lime Potato Salad

Cilantro and lime are two flavors that I love together. The combination tastes like summer, and it is a light way to flavor food. This original recipe from Beantown Baker called for lemon and cilantro. As soon as I saw it, I knew that I was going to make it with lime. I brought this to a cookout with friends and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Potato salad with mayonnaise is not really my thing, so I much prefer something like this!

You will need:
*2 lb Red Bliss potatoes, scrubbed
*Kosher salt
*1/2 cup olive oil
*1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
*lime (I used juice from almost all of it)
*freshly ground black pepper
*1/2 cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro
*2 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced, or 1 shallot, minced (omitted)

1) Put the potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil, and lower to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork (about 25 minutes).

2)Drain and let cool slightly. While the potatoes are still warm, slice them about 1/4 inch thick. You do not need to peel.

3) Put half of the potatoes in a large serving bowl. In a small bowl, combine the oil, lime zest, and juice, 1 tsp kosher salt, and several grinds of pepper. Drizzle half of the dressing over the potatoes. Add the remaining potatoes to the bowl, drizzle on the rest of the dressing, and toss gently with a large spatula to combine well.

4)Add the cilantro and scallions and toss gently again. Taste and add more salt as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Green Tea Cupcakes

I am on a new quest; I am going to attempt to make all of my close friends cupcakes for their birthdays so that I can practice baking. If I bake something and it sticks around here, we will pick on it for a week. The only problem with this plan is how many of my friends and family have March, April, or May birthdays! These cupcakes kicked off the trend back in March, and they were made for my friend Meghan. Meghan loves green tea, so I thought these would be perfect. This recipe is from Designs By Gollum, and I was linked to them via Foodgawker. Foodgawker is one of my favorite sites. I highly suggest that you check it out, but make sure you do not look at it when you are hungry! Anyway, I was bit disappointed with this recipe. They just didn't taste strong enough for me. If I was to make them again, I think I would add stronger tea to the mix. On a positive note, the great thing about this recipe was how simple it was.

You will need:
*1 box butter cake mix
*2/3 cup green tea, cooled
*3 eggs
*1 stick unsalted butter, softened
*1 cup chopped pecans
and for the icing:
*confectioners' sugar
*green tea

1)Preheat the oven; Mix batter according to the directions on the box, but substitute the tea for water. Fold in raisins and pecans.
2) Line cupcake tin. Pour batter into cupcake liners, and bake 18-20 minutes.
3) Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
4) For the icing, mix green tea with confectioners’ sugar. You may dunk the cupcakes or spoon the glaze over them to cover. (The original recipe recommends food coloring here. I skipped this step, but you could add that and more sugar to make a more noticeable icing.)

Simple Lunch-Pesto Grilled Sandwiches

We live near a local coffee shop that has delicious sandwiches. As tasty as their lunches are, they are usually overpriced. I love trying to create some of our favorite takeout selections at home. This allows us to save some money, and I am often able to make some recipes healthier by using less butter and oil. This is a simple sandwich that I almost didn't blog about. However, I have been eating it so much lately that I decided to share. I have made this on a variety of breads; my favorite breads for this are pumpernickel and any variety Arnold sandwich thin.

You will need:
-pesto
-roasted red peppers or tomatoes
-goat cheese (plain or with herbs)
-bread of your choice

1) Spread pesto on one slice of bread; spread goat cheese on the other.
2) Top the cheese side with roasted red peppers or tomatoes.
3)Toast/Grill together until bread is toasted to your liking, and the sandwich contents are hot.
4) Enjoy!

Panko Pork

I love getting cooking magazines in the mail. This past Christmas I hit the jackpot and was gifted quite a few subscriptions. The Food Network magazine is one of my favorites, and when this recipe was in the latest issue, I knew we had to try it. Dave and I love going out for Japanese food and often order sake when we do. It was that rice wine ingredient, just a small amount of it, that made me realize this would be a recipe we'd enjoy. We also have bottles of sake on hand because many people have gifted it to us, yet we never drink it at home. Adding lean pork to our weekly menu also helps to break up the chicken rut that we sometimes fall into. I made a few minor changes from the original recipe and was happy with the way it turned out. (To view the original recipe, click the link above) We've been on a lucky streak with new dinners lately, and I have found another winner!

You will need:
*1 pound thin-cut boneless pork chops or cutlets, trimmed
*Kosher salt
*2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine, sake or sherry
*1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
*2 medium cucumbers
*1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar
*2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
*2 large eggs
*1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
*3/4 cup cornstarch
*Peanut oil for frying
*1/4 cup tonkatsu sauce (You can make your own by mixing 2 tablespoons each ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and sugar with 1 tablespoon water)

1) Season the pork with salt. Mix the rice wine and 1 teaspoon ginger and spread on the pork. Stack the pork chops and set aside.

2) Peel, quarter and seed the cucumbers; cut into 4-inch spears. Toss with the sugar and vinegar. (For a time saver-by a seedless cucumber)

3) Beat the eggs with 1/2 cup water in a shallow bowl or rimmed dish. Put the panko and cornstarch in 2 separate shallow bowls/dishes. Dredge each piece of pork in cornstarch, dip in egg, and then coat with the panko.

4) Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat. Fry the pork in batches until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.

5) Mix the tonkatsu sauce and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon ginger in a bowl. Serve the pork with the cucumbers and sauce.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

We are enjoying some fabulous spring weather here! It is a great lift to flooded spirits after an incredibly rainy March. This warmer weather is changing up our menu quite a bit. One of my favorite light summer dinners is lettuce wraps. The proteins, sauces, and everything can be interchanged. There are so many different ways to make lettuce wraps, and I found this specific recipe on Gina's WW blog. I have been frustrated lately by the lack of good lettuce leaves at the grocery store! So for this recipe, I purchased the prepackaged bibb lettuce and it worked out. This is an extremely quick and easy weeknight dinner.

You will need:
* 1.3 lbs lean ground turkey
* 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp cumin
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp chili powder
* 1 tsp paprika
* 1/2 tsp oregano
* 1/2 small onion, minced
* 2 tbsp bell pepper, minced
* 3/4 cup water
* 1/2 8 oz can tomato sauce
* 8 large lettuce leaves

1) Brown turkey in a large skillet until it is cooked thoroughly. (It will no longer be pink)

2) Add the dry seasonings and mix well.

3) Add onion, pepper, water and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

4) Wash and dry the lettuce. Place the meat mixture into the lettuce leaves.