I'm Way Behind, But I Have Some Cheesecake To Make It All Better...

OHHHHHKAY.  So I have March's meal post ready to go.  MARCH? (Yeah, March).  I know I'm behind, but starting a new job and moving to a new city and living with people is so much more time consuming than I could have imagined.  I was much better about blogging while living in Oklahoma City, but I've also been working out a ton and going on trips and reading and and and....


Doing a month a meal really isn't realistic for me right now.  I need quick, easy meals that I know how to do without thinking about them. But, I still made March AND April's meals so I'll do a post on them.


March's meal wasn't nearly as difficult as January or February's meals. I decided (with the request & debit card of my parents) to make Lobster Tails.  Ohhhh yeah.  That's right. Lobster.

Even though it's expensive, lobster is super easy to make.  You just need to season up some butter or oil & heat 'em up!

I decided I would trust one of Emeril's lobster dishes (Grilled Lobster Tails with Tarragon-Lemon Vinaigrette) & add Red Lobster Cheddar Bisquits on the side.  I started with a Poached Shrimp Louie Salad (similar to Elephant Bar, but without crab) & made Mini Blackberry Cheesecakes

Because I needed them to chill in the fridge, I made the Mini Blackberry Cheesecakes FIRST.  Since I basically have 3 courses & a side, I'm going to do this recipe in 4 different posts. Hopefully that makes sense, plus it counts as four posts, so I'm going to take advantage of it.

Enough excuses explanation ado: onto the MINI BLACKBERRY CHEESECAKES!!

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman herself, Ree Drummond!

Total Cook Time: 45 min to prep, 45 min to cook, 15 minutes to finish it off: 1 hour 45 minutes.


Serves: Mine served 6, but that was because I only had 6 ramekins.  This recipe would have made a whole cake :)

Here's all the stuff you need: 1 box Vanilla Wafers, 1/2 cup pecans, 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla, 3 packages 8 oz Cream Cheese, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 4 whole eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 cups blackberries, 1/2 cup Splenda, 2 tbsp water

Equipment: Food processor, Food Mixer, Mini Ramekin cups, Saucepan, Utensils

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Combine 'Nilla Wafers & pecons into the food processor & pulse until they become a crumby mixture.

3. Melt the butter, add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and mix with the crumbs.  If I could do it over again, I wouldn't add all of the butter at once & I would stop when the mixture  was doughy (not greasy)

4. Press the crust mixture into the bottom & sides of the ramekin cups & set aside.

5. Beat the cream cheese & sugar in the food mixer until smooth.  

6. Add eggs (4) one at a time & beat thoroughly after you add each.

7. Add the sour cream & continue to mix.

8. When the filling is how you like it, pour the mixture into each ramekin. Leave about 1/4 " from the top so the filling can expand & smooth the top.

CAUTION: THESE ARE TOO FULL!

9. If you are making a cake, bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes.  If you are make minis, they should take NO MORE than 30 minutes, so watch 'em! (I was basically 1 minute away from burning mine....no pics here because they looked terrible and not how they should).

10. Turn the oven off, open the door, and allow the cake(s) to sit in the oven with the door open for a few minutes.  

11. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool on the counter while you make the topping.

12. Combine Blackberries, 1/2 cup Splenda & 2 tbsps water to a saucepan.  Bring to a boil on medium heat & let cook for 4 to 5 minutes.

13. Remove the topping from the stove & allow to cool for 3-4 minutes.  

14. Pour the blackberries over the cake or minis & place in the fridge for 2 or more hours (the more the better)!!

I can tell you that this was the best cheesecake I've ever had...even if they were slightly overdone.

January Recipe: Cream of Mushroom Soup

For January's new recipe, I decided to make Julia Child's Cream of Mushroom Soup.  I was pretty nervous about this one because mushrooms can be weird, but they are my favorite fungus and probably in my top 10 of favorite items in the produce section.

Overall, it was more than a success......it was a TRIUMPH!!! I could not believe how delicious it was. I originally hoped it to be a little thicker, but it tasted perfect.

Massive props to Kirsten for her help in the kitchen, taking pictures and 5-star eating.

Total Cook Time: About an hour and a half, but I could have prepped ahead of time. (See bottom of the post for pre-book prep stuff!).  This takes into account that my first time doing a recipe is usually twice what is normally is

Serves: 6-8 (according to Julia...this must be 8 cups, not bowls, of soup)

Here's all of the stuff you need!!: 1/4 cup minced onions, 6-8 tb butter (I used I Can't Believe...), 3 tb flour,  6 cups chicken stock, 1 lb fresh mushrooms, 1 tsp lemon juice, 2 egg yolks, 1/2-3/4 cup whipping cream, Port Salut cheese (or Gruyere, if you must), garlic salt, salt, pepper.

Equipment: sharp knife, cutting board, wire wisk, large (2 1/2 qt) saucepan, medium sauce pan, 3 quart mixing bowl (or several smaller ones, in my case. Who owns that big of a mixing bowl?!?!), wooden spoon, ladle, strainer

1. Start boiling 6 cups of chicken stock in a medium sized sauce pan. 

 2. In a large saucepan, slowly cook the minced onions in the butter for 8-10 minutes over med-low heat. They should be tender but not brown.

3. Add 3 tb flour & stir 2-3 minutes (without browning).

Note: I would have added a tablespoon of cornstarch at this point had I know it would be so thin in the end.  I also ended up needing to take this off the heat after a minute because it was getting too hot! The mixture is thick, but that's a good thing here.

4. Take the large saucepan off heat & beat in the boiling stock, blending thoroughly with the flour mixture. Season with salt and pepper (maybe a little garlic powder, if you're like me).

Note: A wire wisk would have worked marvelously, but K and I were just having too much fun with my Granny's pre-appliance mixer!

5. Separate the mushroom stems from the cap (if they don't come apart easily, wiggle the stem in circles a little).  Chop the stems into small pieces.  They can be smaller than mine because you will remove them later, which I didn't realize!

5. Stir the chopped mushroom stems into the stock. Simmer partially covered for at least 20 minutes (longer won't hurt), stirring occasionally.

6. Thinly slice the mushroom caps.

7. Melt 2 tb butter in the same medium-sized sauce pan you used earlier.

8. When the butter is foaming, add sliced mushroom caps, 1 tsp lemon juice & 1/4 tsp salt.  Stir well until caps are coated.  Cover & cook slowly over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Note: This is what the 'shrooms look like after they cook...they go down in size quite a bit!

9: When the stock mixture has simmered for 20 minutes or more, strain out the mushroom stems, pressing out their yummy juices into the soup. The soup should be left as liquid only. You can toss the stems at this point, not that you'd want to keep them around.

(mushroom stem curd...gross)

10. Pour the mushroom caps into the strained soup base. Stir well, then simmer for an additional 10 minutes

11. Beat 2 egg yolks with 3/4 cup cream in a large mixing bowl.

Note: This is the biggest mixing bowl I own, so there was some definite transferring of juices going on!

12. Beat in the hot soup by the spoonful until about a cup has been added. Gradually, stir in the rest of the soup. Season with more salt & pepper 'til it tastes yummy. Return to your large saucepan & stir over moderate heat for a minute or two to cook the yolk.  The soup should be very warm, but not yet simmering.

Note: More juice transferring.

13. Take the soup off heat.  By the tablespoonful, add 2-3 tablespoons of butter to the soup

Note: Number 13 was crucial for me, but easy to forget.

 

14: Serve in your favorite soup bowl, garnishing with fresh mushrooms, herbs, or (my preference) Port Salut cheese.

Looking to prep ahead? Chop the mushroom stems and slice the caps the night before, as well as mincing the onion.

Again, this soup was amazing! 1 month down & I already know that 2011 is going to be a very yummy year! I hope you'll give this one a shot.