BLUEBERRY LEMON CHEESECAKE BARS

I love lemons and adore blueberries! Add cheesecake, and fuhgeddaboudit, I'm making that dessert and eating it, too.

BLUEBERRY LEMON CHEESECAKE BARS

INGREDIENTS:
Crust:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup chopped almonds

1/3 cup butter, chilled, cut up

Filling:

3 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon grated lemon peel

3/4 cup raspberry preserves

4 cups fresh blueberries

METHOD:

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Pulse flour, oats, brown sugar and almonds in food processor 8 to 10 times or until coarsely chopped. Add butter; process 10 to 15 seconds or until mixture is moist and clumps together when pressed. Press firmly into bottom of pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until set. Cool on wire rack 15 minutes.

Process cream cheese and sugar in food processor until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time; pulse until blended. Add sour cream, lemon juice and lemon peel; process until well-blended. Pour over crust. Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until just set.

Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Warm raspberry preserves slightly and fold in blueberries. Pour over cheesecake and gently spread with a spatula. Store covered in refrigerator.

CHEF'S NOTES: I've made these bars using light cream cheese, less sugar, and all-fruit instead of preserves. The result: very yummy, and easier on the hips ; )

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Pleasures magazine.

Stay tuned...... and be sure to visit us on YouTube for our cooking show, Gourmet Again!

TOFUTTI SUN-DRIED TOMATO SPREAD

Back at Kahle's Party....

Friend J.P. showed up with a super-size house plant and blew us all away. Our cat Scootie really liked this plant. See him there under the table?!

Bro Beau and I supplied lots of yummy breads to accompany fine cheeses and my Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Spread:

TOFUTTI SUN-DRIED TOMATO SPREAD

Re-hydrate a handful of Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of the liquid.

Coarsely chop cooled Tomatoes and place in a medium bowl.

Add one 8-oz. container of Tofutti (vegan cream cheese), 1 teaspoon dried Basil, and 1-2 Tablespoons of the Tomato liquid. Blend until smooth.

Refrigerate overnight for best flavor, and serve with fresh breads or crostini.

We hired a guitarist, Dom, to play live for an hour during the festivities and he was a hit with all the guests. Ron and I sat in on a couple of songs by request.

Also, our friend Dave made us a fantastic, out-of-this-world candle holder! It's a unique design, and as you can see from the photo, it goes perfectly with the decor in our dining room.

We love dragons, and these two fire-breathers will definitely do the job of protecting the flame.

Plus, when not holding candles, this phantasmagorical piece could serve as a dish for mashed potatoes, or a soup terrine, or even a platter for lamb chops!

Cheesy Spinach Mini Phyllo Cups

This is a continuation of my story about Kahle's party!

My first appetizer was Cheesy Spinach Mini Phyllo Cups. I even made a few without spinach for those guests who don't dig it. Here's the recipe:

CHEESY SPINACH MINI PHYLLO CUPS

INGREDIENTS:

1 - 10 oz. pkg Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed, excess water removed

1/2 cup Ricotta

2 Eggs

2 Tbsp. Asiago Cheese

2 Tbsp. Fontina

2 cloves Garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper

45 mini Phyllo Shells

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients except Phyllo shells. Place mini Phyllo shells on two ungreased baking sheets. Spoon filling into shells. Bake 18-20 minutes. Serve immediately.

The guests ate 'em up!

Meanwhile, Grill Master Ron managed to keep the grilled delicacies coming in platefuls! Teriyaki Chicken and Ahi Tuna, Tangy Beef, BBQ Chicken, and an array of fantastic veggies: Carrots, Broccoli, Onions, and Cauliflower.

Check out the next recipe I made for the party, Tofutti Sun-Dried Tomato Spread!

La Panzanella Style Croccantini (crackers)

My favorite crackers in the world (La Panzanella Croccantini) cost anywhere from $5.00 to $9.00 per 8 oz. package. That's insane! But they are sooooo good, and I paid the hefty price.

That is, until I found a recipe at The Fresh Loaf! I played with the recipe a few times and made some slight modifications, as you'll read below. Feel free to make them as per Jennie's recommendation.

LA PANZANELLA-STYLE CROCCANTINI

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup very cold water
1/8 cup olive oil

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 450°F with a baking stone. Place a pan in bottom of oven for water.

Put flour and salt in food processor fitted with cutting blade. Pulse to blend. Add oil, pulse. Add water in a stream until dough comes together. Process for about 20 seconds.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide into four pieces cover with a towel and let rest 5 minutes.

Roll each section with a rolling pin or in pasta roller. Sheets should be paper-thin.

Place on parchment paper. Spritz with water.

Put parchment directly into oven on baking stone, then add 1/2 cup hot water to pan in the bottom.

Flip crackers front to back after 2 minutes. Remove after about 45 seconds to 1 minute, when crackers display a hint of brown.

Crackers may be slightly limp when taken out at the right time. Additionally, I have experienced the need for longer baking times with certain batches.

Cool sheets on wire racks. Break into pieces and crunch to your heart’s delight!

Store crackers in an airtight container in pantry.

Seafood Stuffed Portabellas with Faux-Tatoes

Yum! Get ready for a fantastic, healthy grilled main dish for two that will knock your socks off!

SEAFOOD STUFFED PORTABELLAS

INGREDIENTS:

2 large Portabella Mushrooms

1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc

1 Green Onion, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc

2 Seafood Sausages, thawed (check out Trader Joe's brand)

1/2 cup Vegetable Broth

1 Tbsp Soy Sour Cream (or the real deal, if you want all that extra fat)

2 Tbsp Vital Wheat Gluten

2 teaspoons dried Fine Bread Crumbs

METHOD:

Remove stems from Portabellas and discard. Place Portabellas in a pan or on a large plate, gill side up. Pour half of the white wine into each cup. Set aside.

Heat grill.

Saute onions and garlic in white wine. Meanwhile, use a kitchen scissors to cut open the seafood sausage casing. Remove the casing, discard.

Grill Portabellas gill side down until heated but not charred.

When the onions and garlic are soft, crumble seafood sausage into pan. Heat 6-8 minutes or less if shrimp turns pink/orange.

Whisk together vegetable broth, sour cream, wheat gluten and bread crumbs. Stir into seafood mixture until blended and thick. Turn off heat.

Remove Portabellas from grill.

Place half of the seafood mixture in each Portabella. Carefully return mushrooms to grill, stuffed side up, for several minutes until hot and seafood mixture starts to char slightly.

Remove from grill and serve immediately.

I also made "Faux-Tatoes" and steamed Brussels Sprouts.

FAUX-TATOES

INGREDIENTS:

1 large head of Cauliflower, cut into large florets

2/3 cup vegetable broth

1/4 cup Non-Fat Unsweetened Evaporated Milk

Fresh Ground Pepper

Paprika, for garnish

METHOD:

Place cauliflower florets in a large pot and add vegetable broth.

Cover and cook over medium low heat for 25-30 minutes until all pieces are very soft. Turn of heat.

Add evaporate milk and some pepper.

Transfer to a blender or food processor and pulse until creamy. Or use a hand blender to avoid transferring the hot food.

If excess liquid remains, cook it off over low heat with the cover slightly ajar to allow steam to escape. Stir frequently to avoid burning on pan bottom.

Serve hot like mashed potatoes!

Makes four servings.

Mustard Marinated Grilled Salmon & Veggies

I'm in a phase with Salmon, and it's all about the marinade/sauce. This is so easy you'll wish you had invented it yourself! So do I, but the truth is, I modified the marinade recipe from the back of some cedar grilling planks!

Okay, here we go:

MUSTARD MARINATED GRILLED SALMON & VEGGIES

INGREDIENTS:

8-12 oz. Salmon (No Atlantic; I prefer King, the photo shows Coho)

2 Bell Peppers, halved, seeds removed

3 medium Zucchini, cut into discs

1 large Onion, peeled and quartered

Steamed Brussels Sprouts

For the Marinade/Sauce:

1/4 cup Coarse Grain Mustard

1 cup Sauvignon Blanc (or Pinot Grigio)

3-4 cloves Garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Worcestershire

2 Tbsp Apricot Preserves or All-Fruit

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

1 Cedar Plank, for grilling the Salmon

1 cup Sauvignon Blanc

METHOD:

Mix 1 cup Sauvignon Blanc into a pan or bucket of water large enough to hold and cover Cedar plank. Add plank and allow to soak for a minimum of 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients for marinade/sauce.

Pour 1/4 cup of marinade into a suitable pan. Add salmon, flesh side down. Pour another 2 Tbsp of marinade over fish. Cover and refrigerate the fish and, separately, the remaining marinade at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Start Brussels Sprouts to allow 20-25 minutes of steaming time, depending on their size.

When ready to light the grill, remove fish and remaining marinade from refrigeration, set aside on counter.

Prepare vegetables decoratively on skewers then brush with marinade from separate bowl.

Place the remaining marinade in a small sauce pan and heat until bubbly over low flame while grilling salmon and skewered vegetables finish on the grill.

Remove Brussels Sprouts from steamer.

Arrange salmon, steamed Brussels Sprouts and grilled vegetables on plates and drizzle with that yummy mustard sauce!

Serves 2.

Easy Roasted Red Pepper & Artichoke Hummus

Hummus is a lovely spread or dip made from my favorite legume, garbanzo beans, otherwise known as chickpeas.

I make a batch of hummus every week! Our house fave is made with roasted peppers. Here's the latest concoction, made simply with some jarred Roasted Pepper & Artichoke spread from Trader Joe's.

TIP: Don't leave out the Tahini!

You can find it in most grocery stores, often near the peanut butter or in the ethnic food aisle.

What is Tahini, you ask? Crushed sesame seeds!

Also, I make my own beans to reduce intake of sodium and other chemical preservatives. The process is simple and the results, delicious and healthy!

ROASTED RED PEPPER & ARTICHOKE HUMMUS

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups cooked Garbanzo Beans

2 Tbsp Tahini

1/2 Lemon, juice of

1/2 cup Roasted Red Pepper & Artichoke Spread

1/2 cup low sodium Vegetable Broth

1 teaspoon ground Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano

Cayenne and Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste

METHOD:

In a food processor, combine all ingredients but begin with just 1/4 cup of Vegetable Broth. Pulse gently a few times to incorporate, and then puree for 20 seconds. If necessary, add more brothe, 1 Tablespoon at a time, pulsing food processor and testing for smooth and creamy consistency.

(Using a hand blender saves cleanup time!)

Scrape into glass or ceramic bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Flavors get better overnight!

VARIATIONS:

Use Lime Juice instead of Lemon to give your hummus a Cuban vibe! Add Chipotle or Red Chile Powder for a warm & spicy Mexican flavor.