Sopapilla Cheesecake

So there are some recipes that are pretty stupid easy (at least to me). This would fall into that category.

D and I were having a party, and I always make an "easy" dessert and then another dessert, so this was the easy one.

Anyway it took me about 20 minutes to prepare the whole thing.

The result...At least 5 people said they ate half the pan. I thought they tasted like the cheese Danish you get at 7-11. I also thought I ate half the pan.

Anyway, if you aren't really a great baker, this could be up your alley.

Sopapilla Cheesecake 

Adapted from Pillbury 

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened) (I used Neufchatel, because I find it creamier)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1 TBSP Cinnamon
4 TBSP Sugar

Preparation
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Unroll and spread 1 can crescent rolls on bottom of un-greased 9×13 pan (I greased it with PAM). Press all the perforations to seal.

3. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Spread over dough in baking dish.

4. Unroll second can of dough. Carefully place on top of cream cheese layer. Pinch seams together.

5 Pour melted butter evenly over top. Mix sugar with the cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over butter.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes (I baked for 25 minutes).

7. Cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Refrigerate for easy cutting. Cover and refrigerate any remaining bars.

Spinach and Feta Chicken Burgers

So this recipe caught my eye.  One, cilantro is hard to come by since Mexican Cilantro is not being sold at the moment.  Two, I had no idea what Halloumi was, and three, Feta just is delicious.

So I showed D and he said ok.  He made it.  I won't lie, my picture isn't that great, but life happens.  The flavors were really good together.  It was messy.  Everything was just good.  We had with a cauliflower "tabbouleh" from Whole Foods, that I would not recommend but that is another issue.

I didn't rebuild the calories to check the accuracy.

I would have again.

Spinach and Feta Chicken Burgers (aka Spanakopita Burgers) with Grilled Halloumi, Roasted Red Peppers and a Spinach and Feta Sauce

Photo by ALB

From Closet Cooking

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
FOR THE SAUCE:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE BURGERS:
1 pound ground chicken (or turkey)
2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup feta, crumbled
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 buns, optionally toasted or grilled
1 cup spinach
8 ounces halloumi, sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 roasted red peppers, cut into 4 pieces

Directions
FOR THE SAUCE:
Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat until frothy, mix in the flour and cook until a light golden brown, mix in the milk and simmer until it thickens, add the feta and cook until it melts, mix in the spinach, dill and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat when the spinach wilts.

FOR THE BURGERS:
Mix the chicken, spinach, feta, garlic, green onions, dill, salt and pepper, form into 4 patties, oil the grill, heat to medium high and cook the patties, about 4-5 minutes per side.

Grill the halloumi slices, about 2 minutes per side, and hit them with the lemon juice.

Assemble the burgers and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Calories 720, Fat 41g (Saturated 21g, Trans 0.3g), Cholesterol 243mg, Sodium 1324mg, Carbs 37g (Fiber 2g, Sugars 11g), Protein 50g

Macaroni with Sausage and Ricotta

Another Pinterest Find, althought the picture was odd.  Called Macaroni, their picture used what look liked linguine.  But flour and egg taste pretty much the same to me, so I let that go.

D was working late, so I decided to make this.  Of course by the time I finished cutting the onion and the garlic he was home, and took over.    Basically this is deconstructed lasagna.  It is very good, but also pretty quick.

And it uses almost all ingredients that we tend to have in the house (minus ricotta).  We had with a Caesar Salad.

Would have again.

Macaroni with Sausage and Ricotta

A bit of sausage goes a long way in flavoring the creamy ricotta tomato sauce in this healthy and quick pasta recipe. While this recipe calls for macaroni, you can make this dish with any type of tubular pasta. It’s just the thing to satisfy your craving for comfort food in a hurry.

Photo by ALB

Makes: 6 servings
Serving Size: 1 1/3 cups
Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
Added 3 Garlic Cloves
6 ounces mild pork sausage, casings removed (used spicy)
1 14-ounce can no-salt-added whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, with their juice (used diced)
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt plus 1 tablespoon, divided
12 ounces thin tube-shaped pasta, such as pasta al ceppo
6 tablespoons part-skim ricotta cheese
10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation
Put 2 quarts of water on to boil in a large pot.

Meanwhile, combine oil, onion and sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring and crumbling the sausage with a spoon, until the onion is golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt; cook until the tomatoes have reduced and separated from the oil, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon salt to the boiling water, stir in pasta and cook according to package instructions until just tender. Just before the pasta is done, return the sauce to medium-low heat. Add ricotta and basil and stir until combined. When the pasta is done, drain well and toss with the sauce and Parmigiano. Serve at once.

Nutrition 
Per serving: 362 calories; 12 g fat (4 g sat, 6 g mono); 16 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 3 g total sugars; 15 g protein; 3 g fiber; 441 mg sodium; 276 mg potassium.

EatingWell: September/October 2014

Chicken and Couscous Salad

So this was one of those recipes I thought we had, D said no. I had it pinned on Pinterest a few times as to try, and we finally got around to it.  It was pretty flavorful, and I really liked it.  I liked it better for lunch the next day cold.

Would definitely have again.

Chicken and Couscous Salad

Photo by ALB

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients
Salad:
1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (5.7-ounce) box uncooked couscous
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup diced radishes (about 3 large)
1/2 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Dressing:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation 
To prepare salad, bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Spoon couscous into a large bowl; cool slightly. Add chicken, onions, radishes, cucumber, parsley, and pine nuts; toss gently to combine.

To prepare dressing, combine vinegar and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss to combine.

Note: You can toast nuts quickly in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Stir frequently, and as soon as they become fragrant, remove the nuts from the pan.

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 334; Fat: 10.9 g; Satfat: 2 g; Monofat: 5.9 g; Polyfat: 2.1 g; Protein: 20.9 g; Carbohydrate: 35.8 g; Fiber: 2.9 g; Cholesterol: 39 mg; Iron: 1.8 mg; Sodium: 484 mg; Calcium: 23 mg

Cooking Light, MAY 2004

Mexican Street Corn Style Grilled Zucchini

This is one of those recipes where I should probably read better.  It wouldn't have been adapted if I had written on the list 2 pounds of zucchini and not 2 zucchini.  But such is life and thus 2 zucchini made 4 servings.

I love Elote, so this wasn't a huge stretch.  It was very good, had a nice bite, and I would have again.

Mexican Street Corn Style Grilled Zucchini 

Photo by ALB

Adapted from Closet Cooking

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4


Ingredients 
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1/4 cup queso freso, crumbled
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 lime, juice

Directions 
Grill the zucchini over medium-high heat until just tender, about 2-3 minutes per side, brush with the mixture of the butter and mayo, sprinkle on the cheese, cilantro, cayenne and lime juice and enjoy!

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal)
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 73; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 14 mg; Sodium: 112 mg; Potassium: 268 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 4 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugars: 3 g; Protein: 3 g