Jam Topped Mini Cheesecake

Jam Topped Mini Cheesecake 

2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 tbsp butter, melted 

8 oz cream cheese 

1/3 cup sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 large egg, room temperature 

3 tbsp assorted jams, room temperature 

In a small bowl combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press gently into the bottom of 9 paper lined muffin cups. 

In a separate small bowl beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add egg, beat on low speed until just combined and spoon evenly over the crusts. 

Bake at 360 degrees for 15 - 16 minutes until centres are set. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

Remove mini cheesecakes from liners, top each with 1 tsp warm jam and serve. 

Shrimp Ramen Soup

 Shrimp Ramen Soup

1 tbsp olive oil

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 large carrot, grated 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

4 cups beef broth 

1 tbsp ginger, grated 

1 tsp soy sauce 

1 tsp sesame oil 

2 packages ramen noodles 

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined 

Chopped green onions for garnish 

In a large pot sauté mushrooms and carrots in olive oil for approximately 5 minutes or until they start to soften. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add broth, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil and the seasoning packets from the ramen soup packages. Cover and bring to a boil. 

Once boiling add shrimp and noodles. Cover and boil for 3 minutes. Serve topped with green onions. 

Spice it up by adding sriracha sauce, Tabasco sauce, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper or jalapeño pepper. 

Make it more broth by doubling the broth, ground ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic.  

Chai Tea Sandwich Cookies

Chai Tea Sandwich Cookies

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 Chai flavoured tea bags 

8 oz white baking chocolate 

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamon

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper 

1 cup cold butter, cut into 16 pieces 

2 tsp vanilla 

For ganache, in a small saucepan bring cream just to a boil, remove from heat. Add tea bags, let stand 10 minutes and discard tea bags. 

Place chocolate in a small bowl. Reheat the cream just to a boil. Pour over the chocolate & let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth and cool until room temperature, stirring occasionally until ganache thickens to a spreading consistency, approximately 1 hour. 

In a large bowl whisk flour, sugar, cinnamon, cardamon, salt and pepper. Cut in butter with vanilla until crumbly. Knead until dough holds together when pressed. Shape into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, approximately 15 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out the dough to 1/8” thickness, lifting and rotating dough as needed. Cut with a 1 1/2” round cookie cutter and place 1” apart on a baking mat lined baking sheet. Bake until light brown, 10 - 12 minutes. Remove from pan to wire racks to cool completely. 

Spread or pipe 1 heaping teaspoon of ganache and half of the cookies.  Cover with remains cookies amd let stand until set. 

No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons

No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons 

5 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp heavy cream

3 tsp brown sugar

11 oz caramels, unwrapped 

5 - 6 cups sweetened shredded coconut

4 oz chocolate almond bark

1 - 2 tsp sea salt 

In a medium sized heavy bottomed saucepan melt butter, heavy cream, brown sugar and caramels over medium heat. Stir until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Can use a double boiler to prevent scorching. 

Remove pan from heat and stir in coconut until fully combined starting with 5 cups of coconut adding more if mixture seems too wet. 

Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Scoop 1 tbsp of mixture onto parchment lined baking sheet and allow to cool and set completely. 

In a small bowl melt chocolate bark. Dip bottoms of each macaroon into chocolate and place on waxed paper or silicone baking mat. Drizzle remaining chocolate over tops of cookies. Sprinkle with sea salt before chocolate has set. 

Allow to cool completely until chocolate has fully hardened. Store in airtight container. 

 

Spinach & Italian Sausage Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Spinach & Italian Sausage Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

1 1/2tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 lb frozen chopped spinach

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, chopped

2 - 1 lb pork tenderloin

3 Italian sausages, removed from casing 

12 slices bacon 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, salt and pepper & sautee until onion turns translucent, 3 - 5 minutes. Add mushrooms & cook until softened and golden, 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. 

Squeeze as much water as you can from the spinach and set aside. 

Carefully slice your tenderloin down the middle almost to the end, approximately 3/4 of the way through. Lay the tenderloin out on a cutting board and using a meat mallet delicately pound until about 1/2 “ thick. 

Sprinkle with salt and pepper then spread the sausage meat as evenly as possible without going all the way to the edge, leave approximately 1” all around. Top with spinach, followed by mushroom mixture. 

Roll tenderloin as tightly as possible, taking care to place seam side down. Carefully wrap tenderloin with bacon strips by simply going around. 

Trader your wrapped pork to a baking dish, cover with foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking 20 - 25 minutes, basting 2 - 3 times. 

Set your oven to broil and finish crisping the bacon, 3 - 5 minutes. 

Remove from oven, tent loosely and rest 10 - 15 minutes before slicing