This one's for Mindy...

This recipe isn't exactly healthy, but here it is anyway:

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

CRUST:

Mix together

1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1/3 cup butter, melted

Press into a 9" springform, Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

FILLING:

2- 8oz. packages cream cheese

3/4 cup white sugar

1- 15 oz. can pumpkin

1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

Beat together cream cheese and sugar; add pumpkin and spices.

Beat in eggs one at a time. Add salt.

Beat until creamy. Pour batter evenly into shell.

Bake for 50 min. or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Run a sharp knife along the outside of the crust to prevent the top from cracking.

Let cool, then top with whipped cream or caramel if desired.

**I've used a springform before, but this last time I used just a 9" pie pan and that worked fine. I had a little bit leftover from that, and I made a little mini single serving cheesecake too.

Asian Benne ('Frisco style)

Everyone loves a good ol' eggs bennedict, but is all that hollendaise really necessary? After taking a cue from Kelly, I came up with this lighter, "Asian" version:

Asian Eggs Bennedict

Put a little butter on a large slice of sourdough bread, and throw it in the broiler for a couple minutes.

Steam some frozen spinach and throw it on top of your toasted bread.

Poach 2 eggs and place on top of spinach.

Drizzle Asian Sesame dressing of any sort on top of everything,

more enchiladas!

These enchiladas are not exactly SUPER cheap, or SUPER simple, (but they're not too labor intensive), but as far as enchiladas go, they are fairly healthy. I love Mexican food, but traditional Mexican is so dense- I prefer my homemade versions to authentic restaurant stuff!

Shrimp and Spinach Enchiladas

1. Defrost 1 pkg. jumbo shrimp.

2. Steam 1/2 pkg. frozen spinach.

3. Chop: 2 green onions, 2 tomatoes, cilantro, and shrimps.

4. Combine above ingredients in a bowl, squeeze some lemon juice in, and add shredded cheese. Add less cheese for a healthier version, or more cheese for a richer version.

5. Add some green enchilada sauce to mixture, reserving most for dipping your tortillas.

6. Preheat oven to 350

7. Heat oil in a pan. Get out large baking dish, and fill a bowl with enchilada sauce.

8. Dip whole wheat tortilla in oil for a few seconds, let oil drip off, dip in enchilada sauce, and add a couple scoops of filling. Roll and repeat, to fill the pan with about 8 enchiladas. Top enchiladas with remaining enchilada sauce, and sprinkle with a little cheese or green onions.

9. Bake for 30 minutes.

10. Serve with shredded lettuce or greens and a dallop of sour cream. If you've got them handy, sprinkle a few black beans on top too!

Waffle Maker!

I got a waffle maker for Christmas, and I didn't even know I wanted one! But so far, I am loving it. We had the standard waffles yesterday, and today I tried out the whole grain version. Super simple, and the nonstick waffle iron doesn't really need much cleaning.

Whole Grain Banana Waffles with Blackberry Syrup

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oats

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

1 mashed banana

Then, I threw some leftover blackberries from the refrigerator into the blender with a couple tablespoons of maple syrup. The waffles were delicious, but I did have to add some butter. I would normally opt not to do the butter on top, but these waffles tasted a bit too healthy. I forgot to add the baking powder- I wonder if that had anything to do with it?

I think tomorrow I'll try the same waffles with peanut butter spread on top- as a substitute for my usual toast-with-peanut-butter breakfast.

I've got to send out a big Thanks for the shout-out from Kelly's Grateful Apron!

Nothing's cheaper than leftovers!

Lucky me! Thanksgiving leftovers have coincided with my busiest week of school! I haven't lifted a finger in the kitchen (well, except for the piles and piles of dishes) since I made hot spiced wine and pumpkin cheesecake on Thursday.

Another Thanks has to go out to Kim for transforming our leftovers all weekend!

-Turkey Soup

-Creamy Broccoli and Turkey [fancy french name, but I'll call it soup]

-Turkey Enchiladas

-Potato Pancakes

I wish I could give you the recipes to all these, but I'm not that advanced! Actually, here's one I came up with:

Turkey Sandwiches

Place turkey between two slices of whole wheat bread

Squeeze Wasabi Sandwich spread liberally onto bread and turkey

Add a slice of swiss cheese

Ok, maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but maybe in a few days (like, after I finish my TeacherWeb!) I can give you all something better!

In the spirit of the holidays...

I've come to notice that if you serve a nice beverage, many times it doesn't really matter what it is you cook. This hot spiced wine is the perfect choice for the holiday season!




Hot Spiced Wine





In a Crock Pot, pour in 3-4 bottles of red wine. I made this on Thanksgiving and used Petite Syrah, but I think next time I would use a sweeter red, like Lambrusco, and add less sugar.





Drop in a couple tea balls full of Apple Cider Mulling Spices. If you can't find mulling spices, just use cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. If you don't have tea balls, wrap up the spices in cheesecloth, or just drop them right in the wine.





Squeeze in juice from 1/2 a lemon.

Add a few slices of peeled, cored apple. (I used 4 whole apples for my batch.)

Add sugar to taste. (I used 2/3 cup on Thanksgiving. It tasted good, but I think I could have gotten away with a bit less.)





Heat on High for 1-2 hours, or Low for 4-5 hours.

Bean Salad all week long

I learned a new, simple dish from my (future) mother-in-law this week- Thanks, Kim!

The Bean Salad

I like this one because you can make a big batch and munch on it for a quick lunch all week long. Since it's pretty much all beans, it's high in fiber and protein, and low in fat.

1 lb. great northern beans *or 2 cans, and really, any bean would do* ($2)

Add chopped greek-cured olives, such as Kalamata (price varies)

Add olive oil, red wine vinegar, chopped garlic, chopped cilantro, and salt and pepper (I don't count these as since I usually have them onhand, but I would estimate this cost at $3)

I don't usually use measurements for something like this. Just add more of what you like more.

Also, you could substitute basil for the cilantro if you prefer.

This salad would be lovely as an appetizer while you wait for these healthy Enchiladas to cook:

(Note: These aren't the quickest or cheapest thing I've ever cooked, but sometimes on a Saturday evening I'm feeling a bit more motivated.)


Broccoli, Mushroom, and Chicken Enchiladas:

Cook up some ground chicken (or turkey) in a skillet. Transfer to a large bowl.

Sautee some mushrooms and garlic in olive oil in same skillet used for chicken.

Steam broccoli.

Add mushrooms, garlic, and broccoli to bowl of ground chicken.

Add shredded cheese and half a can of green enchilada sauce to above mixture.

Heat some oil in your previously used skillet, and dip some whole wheat tortillas in. (Do not fry to a crisp.) Drain tortillas on paper towels. (This step makes for a slightly less healthy dish, but it makes a world of difference in taste and structure of enchiladas!)

One at a time, dip lightly fried tortillas in leftover enchilada sauce. Then, set in a large baking dish, and scoop some of your chicken/veg. mixture into tortilla. Roll and Repeat.

Any leftover enchilada sauce can be poured over rolled, filled tortillas. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Bake at 350* for 1/2 hour.

Loves it!