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Posts Tagged ‘cream cheese’

Faux Cheesecake

Posted by terrepruitt on May 26, 2021

We had neighbors observing Ramadan and they were so kind as to bring us some treats. One of the treats was an individual sized “eggless” cheesecake which tasted like something I used to make. I call it Faux Cheesecake. I looked up the recipe and I found several, all with different toppings. I don’t like the toppings and was just interested in making the “cheesecake”. In this case, when I say I “looked up the recipe” I actually mean in my recipe book. All of the recipes were from a specific magazine (I don’t even know which one because these were the pages ripped out). But there was also a handwritten (by me) recipe. It doubled one of the ingredients. So when I made this in the past I decided that I need TWO bricks of cream cheese not just one as the recipes stated.

Also the recipe includes the making of the crust. When I made this (these) recently I didn’t make the crust, I used those little individual graham cracker pie crust that are premade. I also . . . . as usual, didn’t plan on posting this so I didn’t take pictures. but I realized I wanted to post it so I would use the correct recipe.

What makes this a “FAUX” cheesecake is there are no eggs and no baking which I think are two things normally done with a REAL cheesecake, but it is delicious!

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Faux Cheesecake

CRUST Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 7 graham crackers)
1/4 cup sugar

FILLING Ingredients:

2 8 ounce packages of cream cheese (softened)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla

CRUST directions:

Melt the butter in a pan over low heat. Stir in the cracker crumbs and sugar, mix well. Once the mixture has cooled a bit press it into an 8 or 9 inch square pan. Then chill.

FILLING directions:

In a large bowl us a  electric handmixer to beat the cream cheese, then add the lemon juice and vanilla. Keep mixing the cream cheese, scrapping the beaters as necessary. Add in the condensed milk. Mix until smooth and creamy and everything is incorporated. Then pour into the graham cracker crust. Chill for about four hours before serving.

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I spooned the mixture into the individual graham cracker crusts. There were six in a package. I had a lot of filling left over so I put it in my mini-muffin pan. So now we have little tiny “faux” cheesecake bites. We have to eat them out of the muffin pan because they don’t pop out. They might if they are frozen.

I kind of like the little bites because they are a good way to portion control.

This is a really quick and easy way to get the cheesecake texture and flavor you may be craving without making and baking a cheesecake.

Do you like topping on your cheesecake?  Like what?

Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Turkey Tortilla Rolls Ups Lessons

Posted by terrepruitt on December 11, 2014

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia at the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Zumba, PiYo, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCATortilla rolls ups.  An easy thing to make and bring to a potluck or serve at a party.  I brought them to our Thanksgiving lunch.  I wasn’t sure if we would be snacking beforehand or not.  Lately we have been so I brought them.  This time we did not and they were served with lunch, which is fine.  At the meal there were several names that were being tossed about and, of course, I don’t remember any of them because I just have always called them tortilla rolls.  I don’t consider it a wrap because it is sliced and not served whole.  I have also called them turkey rolls because I make them with turkey lunch meat.  I have made them often enough — which is just a few times — that I have learned a few things.  Well, this time I learned even more.  So I am going to share the things I learned about Turkey Tortilla Rolls Ups.

First here is the “recipe”:

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Turkey Tortilla Rolls UpsDance Exercise, Nia, Nia at the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Zumba, PiYo, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA

Tortillas (large), 5
Cream Cheese, a brick
lunch meat (I usually use turkey), 15 slices
cheese, sliced, 15 slices
onion, sliced
olives, sliced
lettuce

Before you start you might want to take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator to soften.

I use the ingredients in the order listed.  I find that it seems easier to lay out cling wrap.  The size of the wrap does not have to be that large because the tortilla is going to be rolled.  So it can be as long as the tortilla, but the entire tortilla does not need to fit on it (say from top to bottom).

Lay out 5 pieces of cling wrap.  Then place a tortilla on each piece.  Then spread the cream cheese in a “band” across the tortilla about 1/3 of the way up.  Then put a little “ribbon” of cream cheese on the upper edge of the tortilla.  Place the lunch meat across the band, (at least 3 slices per tortilla).  Place the sliced cheese (at least 3 slices per tortilla) on the lunch meat near the bottom of it.  I don’t have pictures because, can you guess?  I really wasn’t planning on posting this because this recipe can be found anywhere, but what I found out made me want to share.

Put slices of onions on top of the sliced cheese.  On top of all that add the slices of olives.  Then put handfuls of lettuce on top of that.  The lettuce can be put on the tortilla from the bottom all the way up to — and even past — the band of ingredients you have across the tortilla.  So basically you can “fill up” the entire bottom half of the tortilla with lettuce.

When you roll, I find it works best to roll it has tight as you can.  You have to push the lettuce in and under the roll as it goes.  Roll it as TIGHT AS YOU CAN.  You will probably hear lettuce crunching!

Then roll the tortilla roll into the plastic wrap.  Then let them set at least two hours.  Before serving, cut into slices.  I usually get about 8 rolls out of a tortilla.  So this recipe will make about 40 little roll ups.

They seem to slice best with a serrated knife.

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My family got together AFTER Thanksgiving.  I made the roll ups on Thursday night.  I sliced them and served them Saturday.  When I made them I rolled them very tight.  When I sliced them they were very loose.  I was confused while cutting the first wrap.  Then by the time I got to the second one I realized that the lettuce had shrunk.  It wilted a bit.  It wasn’t really soggy and totally wilted, but it did lose a lot of volume.  So that is something I need to keep in mind if I make them in advance.

Also . . . people seem to love the flavor of cream cheese and olives.  Interesting the things you learn:

-serrated knife, the lettuce will lose volume making the wrap loose (and more difficult to cut), and olives and cream cheese.  Oh, and at the store I found THIN sliced cheese.  That helped a lot.

Do you like these?  Do you make them?  What would you put in your Roll Ups?

Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Leftover Rainbow Chard To The Rescue

Posted by terrepruitt on October 25, 2014

You might know from reading my posts that 1) I teach Nia in the morning and yoga in the evening on Thursdays  2)  On Thursdays I like to have dinner at the point of readiness at which it will only take a 20 minutes tops for me to have dinner on the table  3)  I cook a lot of ground turkey and use the same flavors/spices.  So, I was so excited that on Sunday I thought ahead to what I would cook on Thursday.  I found a recipe in my “Recipes I really want to try” folder.  Artichoke hearts are not something I think of using because I didn’t always like them.  The recipe I decided to try had them in it.  I was very focused on the artichoke hearts.  My plan kind of consisted of the fact that by the time I went shopping on Thursday we would need A LOT of things.  The weekend before we had been out of town so I let the fridge get rather empty.  So this trip I was going to be grabbing some staples.  I had added a few things to my list as I thought of them.  I was focused on the artichoke hearts, that DIFFERENT flavor.  The recipe I chose was a chicken recipe and when I glanced at it when scribbling out my list I thought the chicken was shredded.  My idea was to check the recipe again before I shopped on Thursday to see if it was or not.  If it was I could have used chicken I had, if not, I needed to buy some.  I got busy and didn’t check the recipe again and I just decided I could buy the chicken and use it if I needed it or save it if I didn’t.  Something came up Thursday morning after my Nia class so I arrived home after shopping later than I planned.  After putting away the groceries and having some food, I looked at the recipe – the SPINACH and Artichoke Chicken recipe.  I hadn’t bought spinach.  I hadn’t even put it on the list.  (EYE ROLL!)

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia at the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Zumba, PiYo, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCASo click here for the recipe I was going to make.  The recipe I ended up making is below.  Just some slight adjustments. (Be sure to visit Dinner of Herbs for more yummy recipes!)

When I was putting away the groceries I noticed I had a container of “fresh” baby spinach that needed to be used.  There was about a handful of nice looking leaves.  I had also noticed we had our leftover Rainbow Chard.  I had cooked the Rainbow Chard as I usually do with onions and garlic and salt in some olive oil.  I had even added a bit of Worcestershire sauce to help over power the “green” taste.  So the chard was tasty.  I was just concerned that it would get too cooked after baking for 25 minutes.  But . . . I didn’t have the time nor the desire to go out to get spinach.  I needed to use up the chard anyway so . . . why not?

Also, the store I was at did not have the usual brand of chicken breast so I bought some that I have never seen.  They were quite large.

So below is what I ended up making.  I thought to take a few pictures while I was making it, but after I got home from class and was in get-it-on-the-table mode I forgot to take pictures of it cooked.  It was good.  I will be making it again . . . . next time with spinach and then who knows.  It seems any green you would cook would work.

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Chicken With Spinach, Rainbow Chard, and Artichoke Hearts

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
garlic salt
handful of baby spinach, chopped
1.5 cups of cooked Rainbow Chard
2 6.5 oz jars of artichoke hearts, drained (save a little for the pan)*, and chopped
1/8 C sliced almonds**
2 oz Neufchâtel cheese
2-3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Garlic powder
Onion powder

Preheat oven to 375° F.  Sprinkle garlic salt on both sides of each chicken breast.  In a large bowl mix the spinach, chard, artichoke hearts, almonds, Parmesan cheese, and powders.  Use two utensils to cut the Neufchatel cheese into the mixture.  Put the chicken in a 9X13 glass casserole dish.  Spoon the filling onto one side of each of the butterflied chicken breasts, then fold over.  Spoon any remaining filling onto each folded chicken breast, if you have enough put it all around.  Bake for at least 20 minutes . . . until chicken is cooked to your liking.

*I poured a little bit of the artichoke marinade on the chicken.
**Next time I am going to add more AND sprinkle some on top!

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Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia at the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Zumba, PiYo, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCAThe chicken breast I used were so huge, I actually had to cook them for 40 minutes.  PLUS, I left them in the oven with it turned off for an additional 10 minutes while I prepared our plates with the rice I served.  I don’t think that the chicken I normally buy would require 40 minutes.

Neufchâtel is like cream cheese in that it has the same consistency, so it just didn’t stir into the other ingredients.  I had to “cut it in” with two utensils.  Basically you want to make sure there are no clumps of cheese.

The store I was at had only ONE brand of Neufchâtel cheese and I don’t know how authentic it is because it tastes just like cream cheese to me.  Perhaps on my next go at this recipe I will find a brand that I feel is more authentic.  I will do some research.

Sounds yummy, huh?  Don’t you think any green that you would cook would work?  If you make it with another green (kale, collard greens, etc) let me know.  Go wild!

 

 

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Butternut Squash Soup Adaptation

Posted by terrepruitt on November 22, 2011

Yesterday, after my Nia class in Central San Jose, I went to Campbell to pick up some locally “grown” honey.  It has been pretty cold here so I have been drinking tea and I was thinking soup.  It was at the last minute and through a chance of “well this light is green so I will turn this way” that I ended up at Trader Joe’s.  I don’t get to Trader Joe’s often because it is just not in my regularly traveled areas.  I didn’t know what I was going to get there until I saw the package of cut butternut squash.  Then I was on my phone trying to find the recipe so I could make certain I got all the ingredients for butternut squash soup.

I have made this soup at least twice before, but the last time I made it I put too much pepper in it.  Probably not even as much as the recipe calls for, but it was WAY too hot for me to eat.  I was soooooooo disappointed.  But at least it didn’t go to waste because my hubby loves spicy hot food so he ate it.

I remembered from the times before that one package of cut butternut squash is about 6 cups of squash and that is what the recipe calls for.  With Thanksgiving coming I thought that we could just eat it all week if I doubled it.  I am fortunate in that my hubby doesn’t mind eating the same thing over and over.  So my plan was to make a double batch.  But my plan was also to not follow the recipe exactly.

Before I had made it the very first time, I had read the reviews and I believed what the majority of them said so I was already adapting, but I was even thinking of more modifications.  The problem is I don’t always know what I am going to do until I do it.  As I am cooking an idea will pop into my head and then I don’t always remember what I did when it comes out great.  I thought to write as I cooked but I didn’t.

After I sat down to eat it though I decided I had to make note of what I did because to me and for me, this is the best batch I have made and I want to make it EXACTLY like this from now on.  Please excuse me for being brand specific.  Normally I like to be more Rachel Ray than Martha Stewart, and I will say use whatever, but for me, I am going to use these exactly ingredients to make this soup.  I really think that these particular flavors are what made it so yummy.  But you of course are free to use the brands and flavors you like, but if you don’t want to lick the pot when you are done than it really might be the brands.  😉  I would have taken pictures of the cooking process had I thought I was going to post about this. Dance exercise, Nia classes, San Jose Nia Classes, Nia classes in the San Francisco bay area I had thought NOT to post, but then after I ate it, I realized I HAD to post just so I would have record of it.  The pictures of the products are after I fished the packages out of the garbage.

Butternut Squash Soup Adaptation

Two packages Trader Joe’s cut butternut squash (2 lbs each)

Olive oil spray

salt

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 box (32 oz) Trader Joe’s Low Sodium Vegetable Broth

4 packages Trader Joe’s Savory broth – chicken flavor

3 1/2 cups water

1 tsp marjoram

6 turns of the smoked pepper pepper mill

two light sprinkles of cayenne pepper

1 8 oz package cream cheese

2-3 tablespoons of whipped cream cheese

dance exercise, Nia teacher, Nia class, Nia San Jose, San Jose Nia, Nia in the San Francisco Bay, South Bay NiaHeat the oven to 450.  Spread the squash on a pan or two, spray with olive oil, sprinkle with salt.  Roast the squash.  The goal is to cook it until it is soft, but it is nice to have some of it browned.   Roast for at least 30 minutes.  Flip, stir, or shake so as to move the squash around a bit.  Here is where you decide how roasted you want your squash.

Melt the butter in the stockpot, add the onions, and a little salt.  Cook the onions until tender.  Put the roasted squash in the pot, add the box of broth, add the water, add the contents of the broth packages, add the marjoram, add the pepper, sprinkle the cayenne.  Bring to a boil.

Take the pot off the burner and blend the soup until smooth.  (I use the immersion blender).  Add the cream cheese.  Stir.  Blend until the cream cheese is full incorporated in the soup.  Depending on how long it takes you to blend the soup and how hot you want to serve it.  You might have to put it back on the stove.

This recipe makes a nice creamy squash-flavored soup.  It is not sweet, but it is not spicy hot.  If you like spicy hot you can add more pepper.  The actually recipe on Allrecipes.com calls for a 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper and a 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper.  That is too hot for me.  I just put a few twists and a sprinkle.  The thing about making the pot mild is that people can add their own heat.  My hubby sometimes adds hot sauce.  But then sometimes he doesn’t.  He can decide.

As with any recipe, of course, you can modify it as you want.  But for me THIS IS IT!  Also as with anything, I would love to hear what you think.

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Celery

Posted by terrepruitt on May 14, 2011

After my Los Gatos Nia Class yesterday I went to the store.  I wanted to get some food to take to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life today.  I grabbed a bunch of celery for a snack.  I think people like celery.  I don’t.  But I didn’t realize how much I didn’t like it until I started cutting it and washing it.  I do not like celery.  As I was dealing with it I kept thinking, “What a useless vegetable.”  Well, I don’t really think that is true.  I mean it has to be good for something besides as a filler in casseroles, salads, and soups.  So . . . . to the cloud.  Ok not really because I don’t even know what that is, but I definitely decided to look it up.  Since I am going to be gone all day today at the walk, I thought I would jot down my celery education as my Saturday blog post.  Yay!

As I think back on so many things (soups, salads, and casseroles) that I didn’t like as a child I realize it is because they had celery in them.  I realize when I cook these things myself, I love them because I don’t put celery in them.  But, as I truly believed, celery is not useless.  The stalk, root, leaves, and seeds can all be used.

Celery (the stalk) is a great source of vitamin K and vitamin C.  A cup can provide you with 2.04 grams fiber.  Do people normally eat a cup of celery when they eat celery?

Celery contains nutrients that have been linked with lowering blood pressure, reducing high cholesterol, and helpful in preventing cancer.  The phthalides are the compounds that help with lowering blood pressure.  The vitamin C helps with the immune system.  I’ve posted before about how chronic inflammation is associated with many diseases, vitamin C help reduce inflammation by helping contain free radicals, so does the coumarins also found in celery.

According to Wiki celery is like peanuts in that people who are allergic to it can have a very bad reaction as people with peanuts do.  As with peanuts people who are allergic to celery can get a reaction from something that has been used to process it.  Stalks, seeds, and roots all have varying degrees of potency.

As I was cutting the celery, just the smell was bothering me.  And it is like an onion, not as strong, but once it gets your hands you can’t wash it off.  I probably washed my hands at least 10 times in the course of my preparation of snacks for the walk and it never came off.  As I was cutting it I kept thinking, “Peppery.”  Not sure why.  Since I was getting so disgusted while dealing with it, I thought, “Is it REALLY that bad?”  So I cut a small piece off to taste it.  I put it in my mouth and bit down.  Yup, it IS that bad.  I spit it out.  I just do not like celery.

I did have celery soup a couple of times and I did like that so I don’t know what that means.  Except that I WILL be trying my hand at making the soup but I will not be adding celery to anything I make.  Any fans out there?  Do you eat it raw?  Do you disguise the taste by filling it with cream cheese?  Or peanut butter?  Do you cook with it?

Thanks, as always, for letting me share.  And thanks, in advance, for sharing back.  🙂

Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments »

Baby Bok Choy and Spinach Soup

Posted by terrepruitt on April 12, 2011

I was going off the “recipe” for Green Garlic and Spinach Soup, but I was not measuring and making it up as I went along so the measurements are not exact.

When I served it I put some mozzarella in it.  For hubby I put some raw onions and mozzarella.  But I made him taste it BEFORE I added anything and he thought is was good without the added onions and cheese.  I would imagine if you like pepper it would be a GREAT addition to this soup.  I was going to serve it with hot sauce to my hubby because originally I thought it was going to be rather flavorless, but it turned out not to be flavorless and he liked it.

Keep in mind that I made this up, never having made a soup like this and never having used the immersion blender.  So you might want to read my “Experimental Soup” post so that you know some of the issues if you haven’t done something like this before.  Basically keep an eye on things because this post is not a step by step, “turn stove on, turn stove off” kind of recipe.
Baby Bok Choy and Spinach Soup

–olive oil
–1/2 (ish) of a medium sized onion chopped
–some chopped onion (for garnish)
–2 bundles of baby bok choy
(chopped, bottom portion separate from leafy portion)
–2 or 3 tsp of minced garlic
–garlic powder
–garlic salt
–48 oz of chicken broth
–some beer
–shake or two of teriyaki
–1 6-oz bag of spinach
–1.5 (ish) wooden spoonful of cream cheese
–mozzarella

Sautee onions in the olive oil.  When the onions look tender add in the chopped bottom portion of the bok choy. Let it cook a minute, then add the garlic.  While the bok choy is cooking, add garlic powder and garlic salt to help the veggies sweat.  Sautee until tender.  Then pour in the broth.  Added some beer and teriyaki.

Stir it as you feel necessary throughout the entire process.

Bring to boil. Add the cream cheese if you are going to use it.  Add leafy portion of the bok choy and bag of spinach.  Gently boil for a few minutes or until the veggies are wilted.

Once the veggies looked wilted use the blender to mix it all up.

Ok, so if you try this let me know.  If you make changes let me know.  Sometimes I just stick to what I have tried because I don’t wanna ruin a good thing so you can do the experimenting for me and let me know what you’ve done that works!  😉

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