Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

I made this for Thanksgiving.  Mine didn't look quite this pretty, but it was tasty.  Brian is a big cheesecake fan and he loves pumpkin pie, so this was his request and he loved it.



Makes 16 servngs

38 Nabisco Ginger Snaps, finely crushed (couldn't find Nabisco, so I used the Meijer brand instead)
1/4 cup finely chopped Planters Pecans
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz each) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs

Heat oven to 325*.  Mix crumbs, nuts and butter, press into the bottom and up 1 inch of the sides of a 9" springform pan.

Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended.  Ass pumpkin, spice and vanilla. mix well.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition just until blended.  Pour into crust.  Bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until center is almost set.

Loosen cake from rim of pan, cool before removing ring.  Refrigerate 4 hours.  Serve with a dollop of whip cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Buttermilk Glaze

I made this to take to a friends house a few weeks ago.  Mine was not this beautiful, but it was moist and tasty.  I think it would be good with like a gooey, nutty layer in it or on top, or both.

Anyhow, the Cooking Light recipe  is here.  I highly recommend it!

Cheeseburger Soup

Cheeseburger Soup from Nancy Reid

Serves 8-9 and doubles easily

1/2 lb ground beef

3/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup chopped carrot

3/4 cup chopped celery

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. parsley flakes

4 Tbsp. margarine, divided

1/4 cup Flour

3 cups chicken broth

4 cups diced potatoes

8 oz. cubed Velveeta

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 tsp. salt/pepper to taste

1/4 cup sour cream

Brown beef and drain.

Saute' onions, celery, carrots, basil and parsley in 1 Tbsp. margarine until tender.

Add broth, potatoes and beef.  Bring to a boil and simmer 10-12 minutes until potatoes are tender.

In a small skillet, melt remaining margarine then add flour, cook until bubbly, add to soup mixture and bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes. 

Reduce heat to low, add cheese, milk, salt and pepper.  Cook and stir until cheese is melted.  

Remove from heat and add sour cream.  

Lentil Soup

Here is the recipe I used and it turned out great!  I didn't change a thing, but let it simmer for a couple of hours and used an immersion blender after adding the tomatoes and wine at the end.  I still have a huge pot left too!  Perfect for a cold weekend!

Fiesta Lime Fish Tacos

Fiesta Lime Fish Tacos

1.5 lb fish - walleye, cod or other firm white fish
Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning
Panko
Eggs
Sour Cream
Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
Tortillas of your choice
Cole Slaw

Clean fillets of skin and bones and cut into chunks or fingers.

Season panko bread crumbs with a generous amount of Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning.

Beat at least one egg in a dish.  Heat up your pan and add some olive oil to it.  Dredge the pieces of fish in the egg and then cover with the panko, add to pan, turning occasionally to cook through and brown the panko slightly.  In the meantime, add a generous amount of  Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning to your sour cream.

Assemble tacos with the sour cream sauce, cole slaw, fish and cheese.  Enjoy!

I served these alongside the Alexix Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries, my new favorite!

Chicken Breasts with Turkish White Bean Salad

Chicken Breasts with Turkish White Bean Salad - 6 WWP

This recipe and many more can be found in From Pantry to Plate on Amazon.com

1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 small bell pepper, seeded and chopped (omitted)
1 small red onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
4 ( 1/4 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/3 tsp. ground cumin

1.  Combine the beans, bell pepper, onion, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and 1/8 tsp. salt in a large bowl.  Set aside at room temperature.

2.  Sprinkle the chicken breasts with the cumin (I used more and rubbed it on) and the remaining 1/8 tsp. salt.  Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium heat.  Add the chicken breasts and cook, turning once, until the chicken is tender and just cooked through, 10-12 minutes.

3.  Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and top with the bean salad.

Orzo Salad

Orzo Salad

6 cups water
3 cups whole wheat orzo
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed, trimmed and quartered
1 half bag Dole Baby Spinach, stems removed
a handful of pitted kalamata olives, rinsed and quartered
about 10 sundried tomatoes, chopped (hint: find them packaged in the produce section at Meijer, they are in a plain plastic package not packed in oil, so much better for you!)
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
about a half a pound of greek feta, cubed small
you could also add capers, pine nuts and cannellini beans
Dressing:
juice of 3 - 4 lemons
3- 4 t. Dijon Mustard
a blend of Olive and Canola Oils
salt and pepper to taste

This is a great dish for the week, make it up on Sunday and take a bowl every day, or take it to a BBQ, picnic or potluck.  It makes a huge bowl and is really easy to customize with additions or size.  We are totally diggin' this salad right now!