Oreo Cheesecake

Recipe # 19: Oreo Cheesecake

This is a recipe I made a while ago, but forgot to post. Our friends invited us over for dinner a couple months ago, and I offered to bring a dessert. 

Cheesecakes are a specialty of mine (if I do say so myself), so I copied Caitlin and make an Oreo version of my favorite cheesecake recipe, Eagle Brand's Creamy Baked Cheesecake. I substituted Oreos for the graham crackers, and put 1/2 cup of Oreo crumbs in the batter.

I was really happy with how this came out. I baked it in a water bath, and it didn't crack at all on top. To do this, put your cheesecake on a jelly roll pan and put about 1/2 inch of water in the pan. This makes the oven nice and steamy, and your cake won't crack on top.

I decorated the top with whipped cream and mini-Oreos:

Chicken and White Bean Chili

Recipes #17: Chicken and White Bean Chili
Recipe #18: Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Muffins

I love green chiles, so when I saw this recipe for chili with chicken, cannellini beans, and green chiles, I had to make it immediately.

I made the chili exactly as the recipe stated, except I reserved about a tablespoon of the jalapenos for my corn muffins, and only used 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. I was glad I made those modifications, because the chili was super spicy (or maybe I am just a wuss).

I made some corn muffins to go along with the chili. I am not sure if this should count as one of my recipes, but I'm in charge and I'm behind in my posts, so I am counting it!

Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Muffins
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 TBSP diced jalapenos
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Bake at 350 for 15 min.

Breakfast Quinoa

Recipe #16: Breakfast Quinoa with Strawberries and Cream

Quinoa is a favorite in our house, but this is the first time I've made a sweet version. We usually have it mexican-style with black beans, green chilies, tomatoes, and avocados. I'll post that recipe as soon as I make it again and get a decent photo. I love the versatility of this grain, and the healthiness of it is an added bonus.

I was out of milk this morning, but had some cream on hand (a perk of being a coffee addict), so I made some improvisations. I omitted the milk and put about 1 cup of cream in, but otherwise followed this recipe. I thought it was still very creamy, and we topped it with fresh strawberries. It was a tasty breakfast, and a fun alternative to oatmeal or another hot cereal. If you like Cream of Wheat, I suggest giving it a try.

Chicken Taco Soup

Recipe #15:  Chicken Taco Soup

As I said in my last post, I have been sick the past 3 weeks, which has kept me from both cooking AND blogging (unless you want me to post my recipe for homemade grilled cheese and purchased soup from Paradise Bakery). But, I do have a stockpile of photos and recipes that I made before I caught the cold from hell (CFH). 

Since Matt caught the CFH before I did, I made him this tasty soup for him. I wanted to stray from the path of traditional chicken soup, and thought something with a little spice would help clear his sinuses. 

So, I made this Chicken Taco Soup that was recommended by my mom. I added some diced avocados on top, and I had forgotten to buy cilantro so I left it out. 

The soup was good, but it wasn't as spicy as I wanted so I added a 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper. I served this soup with some tortillas. If I haven't made a plug for uncooked flour tortillas yet, here it is: BUY THEM IMMEDIATELY! My grocery store sells them in the cheese section, and they take about one minute to cook in the pan (no oil, just put them in the pan for about 30 seconds then flip). They will change your life.

Apologies

Sorry for not updating the blog, but I've been sick. I promise I'll add a ton of recipes and pictures this week!