Sunrise over the Mississippi

Southwestern Beef & Bean Burger Wraps

Kids and adults alike will love these quick, zippy burgers. The beans make the burgers a little fragile, so be careful when taking them off the broiler pan. Make it a meal: Serve a green salad and frozen mango slices for dessert                            

READER'S COMMENT

"Panfrying rather than broiling may help keep the burger from falling apart; otherwise, very flavorful, I'd definitely make these again! "

4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 12 ounces 93%-lean ground beef
• 1 cup refried beans
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapenos
• 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1/2 cup prepared salsa
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 whole-wheat tortillas, warmed (see Tip)
• 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

PREPARATION

1. Position oven rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray.
2. Gently combine ground beef, beans, cilantro and jalapenos in a medium bowl (do not overmix). Shape into four 5-by-2-inch oblong patties and place on the prepared pan.
3. Broil the patties until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 165°F, 12 to 14 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, mash together avocado, salsa and garlic powder in a small bowl.
5. Place tortillas on a clean work surface. Spread each with the guacamole, then sprinkle with lettuce and cheese. Top each with a burger and roll into a wrap. Serve immediately, with lime wedges.

TIPS & NOTES

• Tip: To warm tortillas: Wrap in foil; bake at 300°F until steaming, about 5 minutes. Or wrap in barely damp paper towels and microwave on High for 30 to 45 seconds.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 394 calories; 17 g fat (6 g sat, 7 g mono); 67 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 10 g fiber; 634 mg sodium; 810 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Vitamin A (45% dv), Fiber & Zinc (40% dv), Folate & Potassium (23% dv), Magnesium (20% dv)

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

Cheesecake Cupcakes

Easy, tasty, vanilla cookie base with cheese filling and cherry pie topping.

24 paper muffin cups
1 package vanilla wafers
1 cup granulated sugar
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 eggs
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Cherry pie filling or blueberry or raspberry

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix sugar, cheese, eggs and lemon juice together until smooth.

Line cupcake pans with papers and place 2 vanilla wafer in bottom of each. Spoon cheese mixture over wafers to fill cup 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool. Spoon pie filling on each cupcake and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

For Passover, chocolate cream cheese brownies

If you are looking for a great Passover dessert recipe, this one’s kid-approved - and delicious. The 48 kindergarteners at Manhattan Day School, who just enjoyed a matzo-baking session as part of their pre-Passover traditions, fell in love with these Swirly Cream Cheese Brownies.

The school’s director of early childhood ed, Aviva Yablok, created the recipe and it’s a fabulous addition to the holiday meals. The brownies are made with dairy.

Passover Swirly Cream Cheese Brownies
Makes 2 dozen
¼ cup butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup matzah meal
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons potato starch

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9x9-inch baking dish.

Using an electric hand mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together in a large bowl. Add the sugar and eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly blended. Fold in the matzah meal and potato starch until blended evenly.

Combine 2/3 of the batter with the melted chocolate and mix well. Pour chocolate batter into the pan, then the original batter on top. Swirl together with a skewer or knife, making sure to spread batter evenly in the pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/rosemary/2010/03/for-passover-chocolate-cream-c.html#ixzz0jZvM2LjB

Cranberry Orange Cheesecake

 This weeks recipe makes 16 servings of 193 calories each.

Cranberry Orange Cheesecake

1 1/3 cups gingersnap crumbs

3 Tablespoons Equal Spoonful

3 Tablespoons stick butter or margarine, melted

3 packages, (8 ounces each), reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1 cup Equal Spoonful

2 eggs

2 egg whites

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

Mix gingersnap crumbs, 3 Tablespoons Equal and melted butter in bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of crumb mixture. Pat remaining mixture evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake in preheated 325 F oven 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Beat cream cheese and 1 cup Equal in large bowl until fluffy; beat in egs, egg whites, cornstarch and salt. Beat in sour cream and vanilla until blended. Gently stir in cranberries and orange peel. Pour batter into crust in pan.

Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake in 325 F oven 45 to 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove cheesecake to wire rack. Gently run metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake. Let cheesecake cool completely. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving. To serve, remove sides of springform pan.

Doomed from the start

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars!

This recipe comes courtesy of  A Cake a Day

A fun recipe which lets kiddies' eyes sparkle......

Ingredients

Crust:1 & 1/2 c. butter biscuits crumbs, 5 TBSP butter, melted, 2/3 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cookie Dough: 5 TBPS butter, room temp. 1/3 c. packed light brown sugar, 3 TBSP sugar

1/4 tsp coarse salt, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 3/4 c. flour, 1 c. chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling: 10 oz. cream cheese, room temp. 1/4 c. sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping: 1/3 c. chocolate chips, 1 tsp shortening (biskin)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 170°C.

For the crust:

Grease a 8x8 pan with butter, line pan with parchment paper and butter the paper, leaving enough to extend over the sides.

Crush butter biscuits into crumbs to make 1 & 1/2 cups. Add to butter and stir until crumbs are moistened. Stir in chocolate chips.Press crust mixture into bottom of pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Set pan on wire rack to cool.

For cookie dough:
Using mixer and the paddle attachment, mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth. Adjust mixer speed to low and add flour. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

For cheesecake:

Using mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract, beating just until blended.

Pour batter into cooled, baked crust. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the top of the filling.

Bake about 30 minutes, or until set. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Place in the refrigerator to chill several hours.

For the topping:
Combine the chocolate chips and shortening and melt in the microwave at 30 second intervals at 50% power. Stir after each interval; repeat until melted.

Drizzle over the bars before serving.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmhhhhhhhhh

Fabulous Passover desserts

Hazelnut dacquoise with chocolate mousee and buttercream

Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Chill: 2 hours
Makes: 10 servings

This recipe, which tasters found rich, sweet and impressive, is adapted from one by Rafael Ornelas, head pastry chef at Sarah's Pastries & Candies in Chicago. Circles of meringue are layered with a chocolate mousse then finished with a hazelnut buttercream frosting. The meringue, mousse and buttercream can be made ahead. Serve this with a dairy meal, because it contains butter and cream. If you want a lighter dessert, simply enjoy the meringue on its own, with ice cream, sorbet or whipped cream.




Meringue layers:
5 ounces whole hazelnuts, toasted, skinned
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 large egg whites, room temperature
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla


Chocolate mousse:
7 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 cups whipping cream

Hazelnut buttercream:
1 pound butter or margarine, room temperature
2 tablespoons each: almond paste, finely ground toasted hazelnuts
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar 1. Heat oven to 275 degrees. Cut three 7{-inch circles from parchment paper. Position racks so oven is divided into thirds. Place hazelnuts and 3/4 cup of the sugar in a food processor; pulse to a fine cornmeal-like texture. Set aside.

2. Combine egg whites and salt in bowl of electric mixer; beat on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium-high; gradually add remaining 1/2 cup of the sugar, beating until glossy and medium peaks form. Add vanilla. Turn speed to high; beat 30 seconds until medium stiff peaks form. Gently fold nut-sugar mixture into beaten egg whites in four additions.

3. Scoop batter into a pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch round tip. Place a parchment circle on a baking sheet. Starting in the center of the parchment circle, pipe meringue in a continuous spiral until you reach the outer edge; repeat with remaining two circles. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 250 degrees; bake 1 hour. Let cool completely on baking sheets.

4. For mousse, place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at 50-percent power, stirring in 1-minute increments, until half-melted, about 3 minutes. Heat 3/4 cup of the whipping cream to a boil in a small saucepan; pour over the chocolate. Let cool to slightly warmer than room temperature, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Beat remaining 11/4 cups of the whipping cream to stiff peaks with electric mixer; fold gently into chocolate mixture.

5. For buttercream frosting, stir butter, almond paste and hazelnuts together in a medium bowl; set aside. Place yolks in a large bowl; beat with electric mixer until light and pale in color, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Heat sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat to soft ball stage (234-240 degrees on a candy thermometer or when a drop of syrup dropped in cold water creates a soft ball), about 25 minutes. Add hot sugar mixture to yolk mixture; beat on high until cool, about 5 minutes. Beat in butter mixture.

6. To assemble cake, line an 8-inch round cake pan with plastic wrap. Carefully place 1 meringue layer on the bottom. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip with hazelnut buttercream; pipe two rings around the edge of the cake, one atop the other. Fill the inside of the ring with chocolate mousse; spread evenly. Repeat with remaining meringue layers. Refrigerate cake to firm, 2 hours.

7. Carefully invert pan to unmold cake onto a serving platter; remove plastic wrap. Frost top and sides of cake with buttercream. Use any remaining chocolate mousse to pipe rosettes with a pastry bag on torte, if desired; top each rosette with a toasted hazelnut. Slice carefully with a serrated knife.

Nutrition information:
Per serving: 909 calories, 72 percent of calories from fat, 75 g fat, 40 g saturated fat, 395 mg cholesterol, 57 g carbohydrates, 10 g protein, 101 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.

Green Squash Soup

Description

This is another easy, flavorful soup that can either be a first course or a main course in a meal with salad, bread, and cheese. Eat it right away; the fresh taste of the vegetables is what makes it appealing.

Ingredients

1 medium leek, preferably organic 1 pound summer squash, such as zucchini, preferably organic 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 4 cups vegetable stock 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried marjoram 2 tablespoons artichoke purée (see Note) GARNISH Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Remove the root end and green top part of the leek. Wash the white part of the leek well to remove any dirt, then chop it into fine pieces. Wash and trim the squash and chop it into medium-sized pieces. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped leek and sauté it until it is translucent. Add the squash and sauté, stirring, until the squash softens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the stock and marjoram, heat to boiling, cover, reduce heat, and boil gently for 30 minutes. Add the artichoke purée and mix well. Pour the soup into a food processor and process into a coarse purée. Serve the soup in warm bowls with freshly grated Parmesan cheese to garnish. Note: Artichoke purée is available in specialty grocery stores. You can also make your own simply by draining a jar of water-packed baby artichokes and grinding them in a blender or food processor. Store any leftover purée in the refrigerator and use it as a base for a pasta sauce or a dip for raw vegetables.

It’s good to be the king…

The four suits in a standard deck of playing cards originated from France in the fifteenth century (around 1480). French playing card manufacturers assigned names to the faces of the four kings.

The King of Spades was King David, the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Bible. The King of Clubs was Alexander the Great, the ancient Greek King that conquered most of the world. The King of Hearts was King Charlemagne who was the leader of the Franks, whilst Diamonds was Julius Caesar.

This practice had largely disappeared by the 19th century however.

White Chocolate and Strawberry Cheesecake

yield: Makes 12 to 14 Servings

Bake this at least one day ahead.

crust

• 1 9-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies, broken into pieces
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

filling

• 1 pound good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker’s), finely chopped

• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

• 3 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled, halved
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons brandy

for crust:
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add melted butter; process until crumbs are moist. Press crumbs onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Cool on rack. Maintain oven temperature.

for filling:
Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar, then salt; beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla; beat until well blended.

Bake cake until top begins to brown but center still moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Open oven door slightly; turn off oven. Leave cake in oven 30 minutes. Chill cake uncovered overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep refrigerated.)

Run small knife between pan sides and cake. Release pan sides. Starting at outer edge of top of cake, arrange strawberry halves in slightly overlapping concentric circles, covering top completely. Stir preserves and brandy in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until mixture boils. Strain preserves. Brush glaze generously over strawberries, allowing some glaze to drip between berries. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Chill.)

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Chocolate-and-Strawberry-Cheesecake-103290#ixzz0j6mbbGj3

Apricot-Wheat Germ Muffins

Nutty toasted wheat germ and tangy dried apricots give these muffins a homey, satisfying flavor. Plumping dried fruit before adding it to the batter keeps the muffins moist.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I love these muffins! They were exactly what I needed to curb my sweet tooth. The muffins only needed 15 mins of baking time. The recipe called for orange zest but I didn't have an orange on hand so I used a 1/2 tsp of orange extract to...

1 dozen muffins

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 cup orange juice, divided
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ,divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk, (see Tip)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
  2. Combine apricots and 1/4 cup orange juice in a small bowl. Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on High for 1 minute. (Alternatively, bring to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat.) Set aside to plump.
  3. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
  4. Whisk eggs and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk, oil, orange zest, vanilla and remaining 1/4 cup orange juice. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Add the plumped apricots and juice and mix just until blended. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon wheat germ.
  5. Bake the muffins until lightly browned and the tops spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

  TIPS & NOTES

  • Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: the ratio is 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

  NUTRITION

  Per muffin: 220 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 36 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 3 g fiber; 185 mg sodium; 284 mg potassium.
  2 Carbohydrate Serving
  Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 1/2 fat

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