Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Heat your oven to 350º.

Have a 8-9" springform pan ready, with the bottom lightly greased.

For the crust - in a small mixing bowl, combine ingredients and press onto the bottom of the prepared pan:

1-1/2 cups crushed Oreo cookies

1/2 cup crushed graham crackers

4 Tblsp. melted butter

Place in oven and bake 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool slightly and lower the oven temperature to 325º.

In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer (low speed - don't use a high speed!!), combine the following ingredients:

4- 8 oz. packages of softened cream cheese

1-1/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 teasp. vanilla

2 Tblsp. flour

1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

FOLD IN:

1-1/2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips.

Spoon into pan over crust.  Place in oven and bake for 1 hour.  Open the oven door - gently tap the side of the pan. If the center is still a little 'jiggly' close the door and bake another 10-15 minutes.  Check again.  Do this until the center isn't jiggling anymore, but being careful NOT to OVERbake it - or the top will crack.  Once the cheesecake is done, turn the oven off but LEAVE it IN the oven with the door ajar for an hour or two, until it sets.  Remove from oven and place on a wire rack (room temp) until it's completely cool.

You can either leave it 'as is' - or 'frost' it with sour cream (sweetened with a little sugar & a splash of vanilla) OR you can spoon a chocolate ganache over the top. Then it must be refrigerated for at least several hours.

To make the ganache,   in a small sauce pan over a VERY low heat,  heat 1/2 cup of heavy (whipping) cream, stirring occasionally.  Once it's hot - slowly add  chocolate chips (I use a 1/2 & 1/2 combination of bittersweet and semisweet chips) - approx 1-1/2 cups total.  Stir continually until the chocolate is fully melted and then remove it from the heat.  Spoon it over the top of the cooled cheesecake and then refrigerate until ready to serve.

You can garnish it with more crushed Oreos, chocolate chips, whipped cream... whatever you like!!

Loaded Baked Potato Skins

Scrub & dry large baking (brown Idaho)  potatoes.  I baked 6 large ones.  Bake them (I wrap them in foil & put them directly on the oven rack) at 400º until they're done... one hour or so, depending on how large they are.

While the potatoes are baking, fry 1/2# bacon (or more if you LOVE bacon!!) - drain on paper towels and cool.  Break up the bacon in 1/2" pcs. or chop it with a sharp knife.

Have ready, grated co-jack cheese (as little or as much as you like), sour cream and snipped chives.

Remove potatoes from oven & cool completely once they're fully cooked..

Cut the potatoes in half. Scoop out the inside (leaving about 1/4" of potato/skin) and set it aside.

(At this point, you can either finish making/baking the skins or save them & refrigerate for later in the day or the next day.)

When ready to bake,  heat the oven to 400º.  

Melt a few Tblsp. butter, stir in 1/2 tsp. garlic powder - brush the potato skins with the butter and bake them for 20-25 minutes until they begin to get golden colored.  Remove from oven.

Lay bacon over the potato skins. Top with shredded cheese.  Return to the oven and bake another 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted / bubbly.  Remove from oven and serve with sour cream & chives. Or salsa or whatever you love most on baked potatoes.

So - what did I do with the scooped out potatoes?  I actually chilled them and fried them up (high heat!!! melt a T. of butter and anoter Tblsp or 2 of vegetable oil in a heavy pan) ... pre-cooked & chilled Idaho potatoes make THEEEEEE best hash browns!!!!! YUM!!!

Cookies & Creme Pie

Preheat the oven to 350º.

In a bowl, combine 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 1 cup finely crushed Oreos, 4 Tblsp. melted butter and 1 tsp. vanilla extract.  

Grease a pie pan. Press crumbs firmly onto the bottom and up the sides of it - bake for 10 minutes (to set). Remove from oven and cool completely.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together:

1 large package (or 2 small) Jello instant pudding, vanilla flavored

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

add:

1- 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese (regular or light)

fold in:  

16 oz container (thawed) Cool Whip

1-1/2 to 2 C. coarsely chopped Oreos

Spoon into the cooled crust.  Sprinkle some extra crushed Oreos over the top. Chill for several hours before slicing.

Grilled Flank Steak

Season a 3-4# flank steak with salt & pepper and place the steak (2-4#) in a bowl or pan - spoon your favorite marinade over it.  I drizzle my steak with olive oil (1/3 cup), a couple tsps. of balsamic vinegar, a touch of cayenne, lots of fresh chopped herbs (basil, thyme, oregano), a couple cloves of crushed garlic... turn the meat in the marinade a couple times to cover it evenly with the seasonings. Cover and refrigerage. Every 15 minutes or so, flip the steak over.  The longer you let it set, the tastier it'll be. I'd let it sit in the marinade for at LEAST one hour.

Heat your grill (we use gas, but charcoal is fine) until it's very hot.  Put the steak on the grill and cover it, letting it sear for 3-5 minutes. Flip it onto the other side and grill for another 2-4 minutes.  Turn the grill off, leave covered and let the meat stay on the hot grill for another 5-10 minutes (use your best judgment: less grill time for a thinner steak - more for a thicker one).  After you take the steak off the grill, do NOT cut it; let it sit for 10 minutes so that the juices stay INside the steak and not run out. Do this with ANY steak you cook! On a cutting board, slice the steak (angled) against the grain into 1/4" slices.

Flank steak is a delicious cut of meat if it's cooked properly. Overcook it (or cut it with the grain) and it'll be dry and stringy.

Parmesan Potato Slices

Heat the oven to 375º - spray a baking pan (WITH sides) with nonstick spray.

Melt 4 Tblsp. butter - add 1/4 tsp. seasoned salt, pepper (to taste) and pour over the baking sheet evenly.

Slice 6 red potatoes (the long way) into 3 pcs - approx. 1/4-1/3" thick.  Lay the potatoes over the seasoned butter and brush any excess butter over the tops.  (The photo below shows the cheesed up potatoes RIGHT before flipping.)

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle 1/3-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese over the tops of the potatoes - FLIP them over so they are cheese side DOWN.  Return to the oven and bake another 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender & golden.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chips

In a mixing bowl, combine & cream together thoroughly:

3/4 cup soft UNsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 extra egg yolk

2 teasp. vanilla

Stir in:

2 cups plus 2 Tblsp. flour

1/2 teasp. baking soda

1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Chill dough for 1 hr.

When ready to bake, heat your oven to 350º & line a few baking sheets w/parchment.

Have ready:  16-20 caramels, cut up into 5-6 smaller pcs. each - OR if you're lucky, you can find Kraft Caramel Bits (bag) in the baking aisle near chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded Tblsp. onto sheets, leaving space between each cookie.  Press a few pcs. of caramel onto the tops of each cookie.

Bake 8-10 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden.  Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle a small amount of sea salt onto the tops of each cookie.

Cool and enjoy!

Classic Sauce Bearnaise for Rib Eye Steaks

I'm grilling a couple X-large rib-eye steaks tonight. Both guys in my house like their steaks seasoned with salt & pepper and THAT'S IT- no fancy rubs or seasonings, no sauces, no nothing!  I might steal a little piece for myself (although I eat very little meat) and if I do, I'll have a little bearnaise sauce on the side:

Ingredients:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

4 shallots (or white onions), finely chopped 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves (or 1tsp. dried) 4 white peppercorns, crushed (or 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper) 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/4 cup dry white wine (or white cooking wine/non alcoholic)

4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten 1/4 teaspoon salt Pinch of cayenne, if desired

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat just to melt. Boil shallots, tarragon, and peppercorns in vinegar and wine in a nonreactive medium-size saucepan over medium heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Strain into the top of a double boiler.

Whisk in the egg yolks. Place the top over the bottom of the double boiler containing simmering water. Make sure that the top of the water is below the bottom of the upper part of the double boiler. Whisk constantly. The SECOND that the yolk mixture begins to thicken slightly, remove the top of the double boiler from above the hot water and continue whisking. (IF NOT THE EGGS WILL COOK!!)

Turn off the heat. Add four ice cubes to the bottom of the double boiler to cool the hot water a little. Put the pan of yolks back above the hot water. Whisk in the melted butter, drizzling it in very slowly. If at any time the sauce looks as if it is about to break apart, remove the top and continue whisking to cool it down or whisk in 1 teaspoon cold water. With constant whisking, whisk in the salt and cayenne. When all the butter is incorporated, taste and add more salt or cayenne- if you want a little heat!

Serve slightly warm but NOT hot - extreme heat will make this delicate sauce separate/curdle.