chocolate cranberry cheesecake

I have a friend from China.  We love to cook together.  I teach her how to make American food, and she teaches me how to make Chinese food.    We started our friendship by making 156 sugar cookies, complete with multiple colors of frosting.  That was five years ago.  Since then, we've made meatloaf (in the shape of a rat...her idea, not mine), chocolate chip cookie dough pie, Sprite bread, bean and pasta soup, fresh pumpkin soup, cheesy potatoes, and many other dishes that I can't even recall at the moment.  It's a wonderful thing. :-)

At one memorable dinner, we made stuffed bell peppers (a Chinese recipe), vegetable couscous (my recipe), and a chocolate cranberry cheesecake (inspired by an American cookbook).  It was all delicious!

Here's the recipe for our amazing dessert...

Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake
cranberry sauce:

• 8 oz. cranberries
• 3/4 cup water
• dash allspice
• dash cloves
• 1/4 t. orange extract
• 1/2 cup sugar

crust:

• 1-1/3 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

filling:

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed

In a medium saucepan, bring cranberries and water to a boil.  Boil until the skin of the berries pops open, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add allspice, cloves, orange extract, and sugar.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  Cool in refrigerator.

For the crust, combine wafer crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl.  Press into the bottom and one inch the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add sour cream and cornstarch, beating well.  Add eggs, and beat on low speed just until combined.  Using a slotted spoon, spoon one cup of cranberry sauce into mixture; fold in.  Pour into crust.

Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes or until the center is almost set.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen; cool one hour longer.  Refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, drizzle pieces with chocolate topping.

chicken fried chicken

While traipsing across Oklahoma over Christmas vacation, I got a hankering (that's what we call a craving where I'm from, for all you Californians who don't know the word). :-)  The hankering just grew when my husband and I went to the Cracker Barrel (for all you Californians who haven't heard of it, it's only one of the best country food restaurants known to man).  I kept eying the chicken and dumplings, fried okra, chicken fried steak, fried apples, and cobbler...but in the end I ordered something much more boring to keep it healthier.

It was a bummer.  And it put me on a mission.  I determined that when I got back, I was going to figure out how to make something that tastes Cracker Barrel amazing but is a little lighter.  I think I did it!

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present...Chicken Fried Chicken. 

Chicken Fried Chicken

• 4 thin chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• 2 egg whites
• 3/4 cup milk
• peanut oil

Breading:

• 8 cups Chex or 1 sleeve Saltines, crushed
• 1 t. seasoned salt
• 1 t. fresh ground pepper
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 t. ground red pepper

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Mix together in one bowl breading ingredients.  In another bowl, whisk together egg whites and milk.  Dip chicken in breading, then egg mixture, then breading again.  Place in a glass baking dish barely coated with oil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes; turn over, then bake another 10 minutes or until done.

Cream Gravy

• 3-4 T. butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1-2 cups milk
• salt and pepper

Melt butter in saucepan.  Add flour and mix well.  Slowly stir in milk and bring to a boil.  Add more milk until gravy reaches desired consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

white chocolate-cranberry biscotti

I saw these and thought of my mom (she loves dried cranberries). She had never had biscotti before and was a little wary - but now she's a convert!

White Chocolate-Cranberry Biscotti

• 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 T. baking powder
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup vanilla chips

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in cranberries and vanilla chips. Divide dough into three portions. On ungreased baking sheets, shape each portion into a 10 in. x 2 in. rectangle. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 1-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen.

oatmeal sandwich cookies

My sister made these - she won first prize at the county fair with this recipe! Her secret is to throw in some chocolate chips as well.

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups shortening
• 1 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. ground nutmeg
• 4 cups old fashioned oats

Filling:

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 3 cups confectioner's sugar
• 7 oz. jar marshmallow creme
• 1-3 T. milk

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg; add to creamed mixture. Stir in oats. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

For filling, cream together shortening, confectioner's sugar, and marshmallow creme. Add enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread filling on the bottom half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies. Yield: about 2 dozen.

apple crisp

I just love apple crisp. It's a relatively healthy dessert (considering), and it's incredibly easy to whip up in a hurry. It's the perfect dessert for when company comes over - it tastes great and leaves your home smelling wonderful. This is my mother's recipe, and it's my absolute favorite. Hope you enjoy it, too!

Apple Crisp

• 4 lg. Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• cinnamon and butter

Peel and cut up apples in a pie pan. Mix remaining ingredients with a fork. Sprinkle over apples. Dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

creamy chicken and rice soup

This stick-to-your-ribs soup is hearty and delicious and perfect when you are feeling a bit under-the-weather.  It got a thumbs up from my husband and probably a bigger thumbs up from me. It tastes amazing with a side of cornbread.  For an exciting change, use wild rice instead of white rice.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 2 T. butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup flour
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups cooked white rice (or wild rice)
• 1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 1/4 t. poultry seasoning
• 1 cup evaporated milk

In a large saucepan, saute the onion, carrot, and celery in butter until tender. Stir in the flour until blended. Gradually add broth. Stir in the rice, chicken, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in milk; cook 3-5 minutes longer. Makes 10 (1 cup) servings.

baked cod and veggies

I've really been enjoying looking through all of the recipes available on Taste of Home's website.  Recently, I searched for fish recipes - in case you haven't noticed, we don't eat much fish around here and my recipe box is pretty empty in that section.

I actually hate fish.  It makes me gag.  So I was really excited to find a recipe on Taste of Home that I could actually tolerate.  I might even admit that I liked it!  This is a delicious cod recipe (if any fish recipe can be called delicious).  I'm committed to adding a bit more seafood to our diet, so this recipe will appear on our table again soon.  If you are a fellow fish hater, check it out! :)

Baked Cod and Veggies
modified from Taste of Home

• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 t. allspice
• dash salt and pepper
• 2 T. lemon juice, divided
• 1 t. minced parsley, divided
• 2 cod fillets

In a large skillet, saute the onion in oil until tender.  Add the red pepper, mushrooms, garlic, allspice, salt and pepper; cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Stir in 1 T. of lemon juice and 2 t. parsley.  Spoon onto the center of a large piece of heavy-duty foil.  Place cod over vegetables; sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and parsley.  Fold foil over and fold in the edges twice, forming a pouch.  Place on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.  Serves 2.