Chocolate-Glazed St. André

Serve this extravagant (yet oh-so-easy) dessert as the perfect ending to a special dinner party...with, of course, a bottle of Champagne!


Serves 6

Ingredients

* 8 oz. wedge of St André cheese, well chilled

* 1/4 cup. fresh strawberries, finely chopped

* 1 cup. premium quality milk or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

* 1/2 cup. heavy cream

* shortbread cookies, sliced strawberries and/or chocolate coulis for garnish

Methods/steps


* Slice very cold St. André cheese into three equal horizontal slices.



* On work surface, place bottom slice of St André cheese, cover with 1/3 of the chopped strawberries. Repeat with second and third slices of cheese. Transfer to a wire rack placed on a baking sheet, and place in refrigerator.



* Place chocolate in a small stainless steel bowl. Heat heavy cream to simmer and then pour over the chocolate. Stir with whisk until smooth.



* Remove the cheese from the refrigerator, slice into six equal wedges, and place each wedge on an individual serving plate.



* Keeping the chocolate sauce warm by placing it in a bowl over a pot of simmering water, spoon 2-3 tablespoons of chocolate around the base of each plate to create a "pool" for the St. André.

Ile de France Goat and Cream Cheesecake

Ingredients



Serves

10Crust:

Butter for greasing the pan

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs*

1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Cheesecake:

1 pound Ile de France ®goat cheese,

at room temperature

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature

The grated zest from 1 large lemon, about 1 tablespoon**ss

Juice from 1 large lemon, about 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons**

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Confectioners’ sugar, for decorating

1 cup blueberries and 1 cup strawberries, quartered, for garnish



*A simple way to make graham cracker crumbs is to place about 10 whole graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground.



**Grate the zest from a large lemon and then cut that lemon in half and squeeze the juice out, making sure to strain any seeds.
Methods/steps






* Grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch spring form pan. In a small skillet, heat the butter over low heat.



* In a small bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, and ginger, stirring until the mixture comes together. Press the crust evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and chill while you make the filling. You can also make the crust the day before by covering it and chilling it overnight.



* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixer, using a paddle attachment if you have one, cream Ile de France goat cheese and the cream cheese until softened, using a spatula to make sure the cream cheese doesn’t get stuck inside the paddle. Gradually add the sugar and then the eggs, one at a time, beating well, until the filling is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the lemon zest and juice, vanilla, and ginger and mix another minute or two. The mixture should be light, fluffy and fully incorporated. Remove the mixture and gently stir with a spatula to make sure the lemon zest and ginger is fully incorporated and that there isn’t any cream cheese sticking to the bottom of the bowl. Place back in the mixer and mix if necessary.



* Wrap the bottom of the cake pan in aluminum foil and place on a large baking sheet.



* Pour the filling into the chilled crust and bake the cake on the middle shelf for about 55 minutes to 1 hour. The cake is done when it is still soft in the center; when gently jiggled, the cake should move as one.



* Let cool at least one hour. Remove the outer ring of the pan and place the cake on a serving plate. Just before serving, sprinkle lightly with sifted confectioners’ sugar and surround with the berries.

This Will Make You Smile!!

Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto

This fragrant, Italian-flavored soup takes advantage of quick-cooking ingredients—boneless, skinless chicken breast, bagged baby spinach and canned beans. It features a simple homemade basil pesto swirled in at the end to add a fresh herb flavor. If you are very pressed for time, you can substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of a store-bought basil pesto

Ingredients


2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 cup carrot or diced red bell pepper

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces), cut into quarters

1 large clove garlic, minced

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram

6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

Freshly ground pepper to taste

3/4 cup plain or herbed multigrain croutons for garnish (optional)
 
Preparation


1.Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot (or bell pepper) and chicken; cook, turning the chicken and stirring frequently, until the chicken begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Stir in broth and marjoram; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

2.With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces to a clean cutting board to cool. Add spinach and beans to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

3.Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, Parmesan and basil in a food processor (a mini processor works well). Process until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water and scraping down the sides as necessary.

4.Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken and pesto into the pot. Season with pepper. Heat until hot. Garnish with croutons, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving: 204 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 29 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 6 g fiber; 691 mg sodium; 529 mg potassium.



Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (110% daily value), Folate & Vitamin C (20% dv).



1/2 Carbohydrate Serving



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

Apple Creme Brulee Cheesecake Recipe

INGREDIENTS


1.For the graham crust

2.1 1/2cupsgraham cracker crumbs

3.2 1/2tablespoonssugar

4.4-5tablespoons meltedbutter

5.For the apple layer

6.3green apples, sliced into 1/4 in. slices

7.1tablespoonlemon juice

8.2tablespoonsunsalted butter

9.1 1/2tablespoonssugar

10.2 1/2tablespoonsheavy cream

11.1pinchnutmeg

12.For the cheesecake

13.3 (8 ounce)packagescream cheese

14.1 1/4cupssugar

15.2teaspoonsvanilla extract

16.1pinchsalt

17.1/2teaspooncinnamon

18.1/4teaspoonground ginger

19.1/2cupsour cream(full fat)

20.1tablespooncornstarchor flour

21.4largeeggs

22.1/4cupbrown sugar(for brulee topping)
 
DIRECTIONS


1.Make the Crust:.

2.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter and mix. If the crumbs seem dry, add the last tablespoon of butter. Press onto the bottom of the springform pan. Press in an even layer.

3.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The crust should be firm and golden. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Cool the crust completely. Once cooled, wrap the outside of the pan in a heavy duty piece of aluminum foil.

4.Apples:.

5.Toss the apples with the lemon juice.

6.Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the apples and cook for 2 minutes, over medium heat, until the apples begin to soften. Sprinkle with sugar and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the apples soften further and begin to turn golden. Add the cream and the nutmeg and lower the heat slightly. Cook until the cream has been absorbed by the apples, about 10 minutes. Transfer the apples to a plate and let cool completely.

7.Cheesecake.

8.In the bowl of your mixer, beat the cream cheese for a minute or two until it’s smooth. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until smooth, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, the salt, the cinnamon and the ginger and beat for another minute. Add the sour cream and cornstarch and beat until blended, another minute or two. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.

9.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

10.Layer the apples over the cooled graham cracker crust. Pour the prepared cheesecake filling over the apples. Place the pan in a large, shallow roasting pan and add hot water to come about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Carefully place the pan in the oven. Bake for between 70 and 80 minutes, until only wobbly in middle.

11.Remove the cheesecake from the oven and from the water bath. Peel off the aluminum foil layer and place on a rack to cool completely. Once cool, place in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

12.Just before serving, sift brown sugar over top of cheesecake to lightly cover the entire surface. Either using a propane kitchen torch, or by putting the cheesecake under the broiler, melt the sugar to form thin crust. (This step can be omitted and cheesecake is still excellent).