Sara Kosuth: WHITE CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE WITH A PECAN GINGERSNAP CRUST

Picture
Ingredients:
Crust:
  • 1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs (about 25-30 small cookies)
  • 6 Tablespoons real butter, melted
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup ground pecans
Filling:
  • 3 8oz blocks cream cheese
  • 3/4 cups canned pumpkin puree
  • 8oz melted white chocolate (that's about 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves
Toppings:
  • Whipped Cream
  • Caramelized Pecans
  • Caramel Sauce



Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Using heavy duty foil, securely wrap the bottom and outside of your cheesecake pan. This will prevent leaks when using the water bath.
For Crust:
  1. Use a food processor to crush gingersnaps. Then do pecans. 
  2. Combine gingersnaps, pecans, brown sugar, and butter and stir well to combine. 
  3. Press into a 9" spring form pan. Evenly spread across the bottom of pan and up the sides about 1-1 1/2 inches.

For Filling:
  1. With an electric mixer beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Add pumpkin, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and melted white chocolate.
For waterbath:
  1. Place cheesecake pan inside of a larger pan. The larger pan should be at least 2-3 inches in depth. Place in pre-heated oven.
  2. With a kettle or pitcher filled with hot water, pour water into the larger approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep.
  3. Bake for about 50 minutes or until set. The center should be a little jiggly. 

When it's done, remove from oven and place on a rack until completely cool. Place in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

Top with whipped cream, caramelized pecans and caramel sauce! Enjoy!

Veronica Thompson: SHEPHERD'S PIE

Picture
-Serves 8-

Ingredients:
  • 1 bag baby redskin potatoes (about 3 lbs.)
  • 18 oz. prepared beef gravy
  • 2 lbs. hamburger, fried and crumbled
  • 2 cans corn, drained
  • 4 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 cup milk
Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
  2. Clean, quarter and boil potatoes (Do not remove potato skins.) until thoroughly cooked in large pot of water.
  3. Drain water and in same pot, mash potatoes with butter and milk.
  4. In a large casserole, spread fried, crumbled hamburger.
  5. Pour gravy over top of hamburger.
  6. Spread corn evenly over hamburger and gravy.
  7. Spread mashed potatoes on top.
  8. Heat in oven 45 mins 
  9. Allow to cool 5 mins before serving.


Christina DeNooyer: TOMATO TART

Picture
-Serves 8 to 10- 

Ingredients:
  • 1 unbaked pie crust
  • 3 large tomatoes, cut into and sliced ½ in. thick
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint
  • ¼ lb. grayère cheese, cut into thin slices
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Ground pepper to taste 

Instructions:
  1. Push out the seeds and watery juices from the tomato slices.  
  2. Sprinkle the sliced tomatoes with salt and place in a large colander to drain for 30 minutes. 
  3. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. 
  4. Remove the tomatoes from the colander and pat them dry. 
  5. Using a rubber spatula spread the mustard evenly over the pastry shell. Sprinkle with the chopped mint.  
  6. Top evenly with the cheese, then place the tomato slices over the cheese. 
  7. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and cream until blended. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the tomatoes. 
  8. Bake until pale gold and the custard is set, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, let rest for 10 minutes, then slice into thin wedges and serve. 

Taken from: William Sonoma Festive Entertaining Cookbook




Sara Kosuth: FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

Fettuccine Alfredo, catherine-morgan.com
-Serves 4-

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb of fettuccine pasta
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 4 oz of cream cheese, in other words half of a block (stick with regular, not low-fat, it’s definitely worth the extra calories)
  • A handful (or few) of freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (NOT KRAFT BRAND)
  • A small container of Vitamin D milk (a pint)
  • Italian seasoning


Instructions:

1. Start cooking the fettuccine.
2. While the fettuccine is cooking, melt the butter in a small saucepan.
3. After the butter is melted, add the cream cheese and whisk together until it’s creamy.
4. Add about a 1/4 cup of milk at first and a handful of parmesan and whisk until the cheese is melted.
5. Taste the sauce and add either more Parmesan and/or milk until it tastes good and it’s a smooth and creamy consistency.  
6. Add a dash of Italian season, mix it in and pour on top of the cooked fettuccine.
7. Enjoy!

Zak King: CALABACITAS BURRITOS


Calabacitas Burrito
Soothe that craving for summery, squashy, south-of-the-border savor with these calabacitas (“little squashes”) from Serious Eats. Cooking them is a simple, one-pan affair and the final dish is an elegant and surprisingly hearty alternative to the ordinary burrito.

- serves 4 -

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large or 2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
  • 1 large or 2 small yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
  • 1 poblano pepper or jalapeño, chopped
  • 1 cup corn kernels (frozen
  • 1 14.5-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 4 whole wheat burrito wraps
  • Grated cheddar or cotija cheese


'Little Squashes'
Instructions:

1. Heat oil over medium-high and cook onions for 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add zucchini and squash and cook another 4 minutes. Add poblano pepper and cook 8 to 10 more minutes. Add corn and cook until warmed, 2 minutes. Add black beans and cook until heated through and squash is tender enough for your taste, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste

2. Scoop calabacitas into burrito wrap, top with grated cheddar or cotija, and serve.


Arielle Isackson: SRI LANKAN DHAL

Picture

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
  • 4 dried red chilies
  • 4 curry leaves
  • 2 cups of dhal, washed and drained
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons of oil (can also be peanut butter oil)
  • curry powder to taste


Instructions:
  1. Wash dhal
  2. Chop garlic and onions
  3. Add in mustard seeds to oil in a pan
  4. Add garlic and onions into the pan, cook until brownish
  5. add in the chilies and curry leaves and sauté 
  6. Add dhal
  7. Add water (2.5 cups)
  8. Add some coconut milk
  9. Add curry powder
  10. Leave to boil
  11. Add rest of coconut milk
  12. after dhal is cooked add salt