SLOW-COOKER CHOCOLATE MARBLE CHEESECAKE
This decadent dessert is from Grace Parisi, a New York City-based food writer, and posted on The Today Show's cooking e-newsletter. Grace wrote, “The beauty of using a slow cooker to make cheesecake is the steady, moist heat. Allowing the cheesecake to sit in the slow cooker for an hour after it's cooked (not on the "keep warm" setting, but off completely) ensures a gradual cooling which keeps the top from cracking. Don't let the size fool you—this little gem is rich beyond rich and can easily serve 6 people. And don't be tempted to use reduced or fat-free cream cheese—it won't cook properly and the texture won't be nearly as silky and luscious. Before starting, make sure your spring-form pan fits into your slow cooker. Some pans have a 1-inch lip and will only fit into round slow cookers. The cheesecake can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.” Cook Time: 3 hours 0minutes; Prep Time: 30 minutes; Yield One 6-inch cheesecake; Servings: 6 (and this is me speaking: that's 6 servings – preferrably so that you can SHARE WITH OTHERS!)
To view this yummy recipe online, click here..
Ingredients
2/3 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 8-ounce blocks full-fat cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup full-fat vanilla yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup (4 ounces) chocolate chips, melted and cooled
Preparation
Tear a 2-foot length of aluminum foil and loosely crumple it into a long snake. Coil the snake and set it in the slow-cooker. This will elevate the cheesecake above the water. Add a 1/2-inch of water.
Spray a 6-inch spring-form pan with vegetable spray. In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and press it into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of the pan.
In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, flour, and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and process until smooth. Add the yogurt and process until smooth.
Transfer 1 cup of the batter to a bowl and stir in the melted chocolate.
Pour half of the vanilla batter into the pan and dollop half of the chocolate batter. Repeat with the remaining batters.
Using a table knife, make a few swirls through the batter to create a marble effect. Don't swirl too many times.
Set the pan into the slow cooker and cover with a large, clean kitchen towel (this prevents condensation from dripping onto the cake)
Cook on high for 2 hours, until the cheesecake reaches 155° to 165° on an instant read thermometer. Turn off the slow cooker and let sit, covered for 1 hour. Carefully transfer to a rack to cool, then refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Carefully remove the ring and set the cake on a plate. Using a slightly moistened knife, cut into wedges, wiping the blade each time.
MEATLESS-BALL SUBS
1 package Meatless Balls (see note)
1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce
4 hoagie rolls
cheese slices
Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.
Makes 4 meatless ball subs.
Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.
SPAGHETTI SAUCE
Of course, now that I've mentioned jarred spaghetti sauce, I had to post my homemade version, right? This can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
28 oz. can tomatoes (note)
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 6 oz. cans tomato paste
3 onions, chopped
3 to 5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 T oil
1 T oregano
1/4 - 1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. dill
1 tsp. anise
2 T honey
Brown onions & garlic in oil. Add tomatoes, sauce & pasted. Stir. Add everything except cheese & stir. Simmer 1 hour. Add cheese & stir until cheese is melted. Serve over a pound of hot spaghetti. Better the next day—if any is left!
NOTE: I usually use crushed tomatoes. If you’d rather use fresh tomatoes, 6-8 large ones may be used (diced, of course) in place of the canned tomatoes, & add an extra can of tomato sauce.
Note:If you want to make it vegan, leave the honey out and use grated vegan cheese.
SAUSAGE & KALE STUFFED SHELLS
This comes from the GE Appliances e-newsletter. It begins, “A hearty and delicious meal your family will eat any night of the week! We upped the nutrition on this classic Italian dish by adding leafy green kale to the traditional sausage and ricotta cheese filling.” Makes 8 – 10 servings (about 36 shells); Time: 30 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
12 ounce box jumbo pasta shells
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage, bulk or links with casing removed
1 heavy pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped (preferably Lacinato or Tuscan Kale)
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
Freshly cracked pepper
Pinch kosher salt
6-7 cups marinara
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Directions
In a medium non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Add Italian sausage and red pepper flakes; cook sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon, about 4-5 minutes. Add onion and saute with the sausage until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add chopped kale and continue to cook until kale softens, another 3-4 minutes. Add in minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, making sure not to brown garlic. Turn off heat and let sausage and kale mixture cool.
While your sausage mixture cools, cook pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain noodles, and lay shells on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl mix ricotta, egg, oregano, basil, Parmesan cheese and Italian parsley. Stir in sausage and kale mixture. Season with freshly cracked pepper and a pinch of kosher salt, stir to combine.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cover the bottom of a 13 x9 baking dish with 2-3 cups marinara. Fill each shell with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sausage kale mixture. Layer shells in the prepared baking dish and pour remaining marinara on top, making sure to cover each shell. Sprinkle the top with mozzarella, cover baking dish with aluminum foil bake for 30 minutes.
Take off aluminum foil and cook for another 5-10 minutes until cheese is lightly browned and sauce is bubbling.
Chef's Notes:
For a week where you need to get dinner on the table for your family fast, simply divide the recipe into two smaller baking dishes and place one in the freezer before baking. When ready, remove the pan from the freezer and bake for 45 - 50 minutes at 375 degrees F.
SPICY SAUSAGE, POTATO & KALE SOUP
It's amazing some of the places you can find really yummy recipes. This also comes from the GE Appliances e-newsletter. This makes 6 – 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 pound spicy Italian sausage
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Crushed red pepper
2 large bunches of kale, stemmed and chopped
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced
8 cups chicken stock
Directions
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage from the casing (if it's in a casing) and add it to the skillet. Cook until the sausage is browned, about 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into smaller pieces. Transfer the sausage to a plate.
Add butter to the skillet and let it melt, then add the onions and garlic. Saute until the garlic and onions begin to soften and then add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Add the chopped kale to the onions and garlic. If it seems too much for the pan, work in batches until the kale is wilted down. Once the kale is fully cooked and wilted down, sprinkle in the nutmeg.
Next add the potatoes, sausage and chicken stock. Cook until the stock begins to boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer until the potatoes are soft and cooked.
ROASTED CHICKEN PROVENCAL
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Sam writes, “This is a recipe I picked up from Steven Stolman, a clothing and interior designer whose 'Confessions of a Serial Entertainer' is a useful guide to the business and culture of dinner parties and general hospitality. It is a perfect dinner-party meal: chicken thighs or legs dusted in flour and roasted with shallots, lemons and garlic in a bath of vermouth and under a shower of herbes de Provence. They go crisp in the heat above the fat, while the shallots and garlic melt into sweetness below. You could serve with rice, but I prefer a green salad and a lot of baguette to mop up the sauce.” Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Make 4 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 chicken legs or 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons herbes de Provence
1 lemon, quartered
8 to 10 cloves garlic, peeled
4 to 6 medium-size shallots, peeled and halved
1/3 cup dry vermouth
4 sprigs of thyme, for serving
Preparation
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow pan, and lightly dredge the chicken in it, shaking the pieces to remove excess flour.
Swirl the oil in a large roasting pan, and place the floured chicken in it. Season the chicken with the herbes de Provence. Arrange the lemon, garlic cloves and shallots around the chicken, then add the vermouth to the pan.
Put the pan in the oven, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, then baste it with the pan juices. Continue roasting for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is very crisp and the meat cooked through.
Serve in the pan or on a warmed platter, garnished with the thyme.
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