PB Brownie Cheesecake

I made this just so that i could use what I had on hand and it turned out great!  This was a creamy cheesecake with a chewy brownie crust.

Ingredients:
1 Chewy Brownie Package
add all ingredients on package
1 tsp of espresso or instant coffee
1/2 cup of peanut butter chips.

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes in a 9 inch Spring Form Pan (Spray with Pam)
While it bakes prepare your cheesecake filling.

Cheesecake Filling:
1 pkg of Cream Cheese (Room Temp)
1 pkg of low fat cream cheese (Room Temp)
1 Sweetened Condensed Milk...any brand
2 eggs (Room Temp)
2 tsp of vanilla
1/2 cup of Creamy Peanut Butter any brand

Mix cream cheese in Heavy Duty Mixer until smooth, gradually add condensed milk, eggs, vanilla, and slightly warmed peanut butter until all incorporated.

Add to slightly cooled brownie mixture and bake at 300 degrees for 50 minutes.

Usually i bake my cheesecakes in a water bath but this recipe was fine without it.  No cracks!!  I think it was the condensed milk and Peanut Butter that kept it firm.

I decorated it once cooled with melted dark chocolate.  you can leave as is or add your own touch!

Chill 4 to 8 hours in frige.  if you must eat at once chill in the freezer.

Overall this cheesecake was a hit!

Mexican Pizza

Mexican Pizza is one of those easy to do appetizers or even a super fast dinner. I always have these ingredients available so its good for those nights when you don't want to fuss about dinner.

Ingredients:
Flour Tortillas

1 lb of ground beef
2 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of salt
Pepper to taste
If you don't have these seasonings you could use a package of taco seasoning.

1 1/2 cups of grated jack cheese
1 med onion
2 small jalapenos
2 Fresh Roma Tomatoes Diced
Black sliced olives are optional( I don't like them so i don't use them)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Brown ground beef and seasonings.

While your ground beef is browning, Dice tomatoes, jalapenos, and onion.

Layer Tortilla, Ground Beef, and sprinkle with tomato, jalapeno, onion, and cheese. You can add as much or as little as you like. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve immediately. You can serve with sour cream and salsa. Check out my Guacamole de Tomatillo salsa recipe it compliments this well.

Enjoy

Roasted Turkey Sandwich with Horseradish Mustard Mayo

Turkey is one of my favorite leftovers. We make a couple Turkeys at Thanksgiving just to make sure we have enough to freeze for another day. This is an easy dinner or lunch and all you need is a few ingredients.

1 pound of left over turkey(dark meat preferably)
1 sliced loaf of crusty bread (ciabatta works well)
3 tbsp of mayo
1 tsp of horseradish(or more if you like spice)
1 tsp of mustard
1 - 2 Ripe avocados
1/2 cup of shredded jack cheese

Heat your roasted turkey until it get golden brown not too long or it'll get dry. Lightly brush olive oil on one side of your bread Toast your bread on a grill pan on oil side only. Toast until you see light grill marks.

Remove bread from grill pan. Mix mayo, horseradish, and mustard. Add mixture to crispy side of bread. The crispy side will be on the inside of the sandwich to prevent you from cutting the roof of your mouth. Add cheese and turkey on cheese to melt. Add avocado and final layer of bread with crispy side on the inside again. Feel free to add more mayo sauce.

You can add chips or left over pasta salad to your sandwich. This makes a supper tasty quick meal.

Another variation of this sandwich is a steak sandwich. I will use left over rib eye steak and slice it thin with some sauteed onions. I omit the avocado when I make the steak sandwich.

Mexican Sugar Skuls

My first attempt at making these!!! Wow it was a long day, but worth it. I had my three daughters and nephew decorating. They had so much fun and so did I. I made the skulls and the icing. I also went out and bought the professional tips by Wilton for the icing and that added a nice touch. I got my skull mold from mexican sugar skulls at www.mexicansugarskull.com/ . It came with all the instructions needed for the skulls and the icing. The instructions were clear and easy. I am making this an annual tradition!!


These are Miah's Skulls!!! She did a great job!!

Cinammon Mexican Wedding Cakes

After trying these they are officially on my Christmas Cookie List!!!

Ingredients:

2/3 cups of toasted and finely chopped pecans

1 c unsalted butter room temp

1/4 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp of salt
2 cups of flour



Topping
1 c powdered sugar

Preheat 350 degrees

Start by toasting the pecan for 5 min at 350 degrees. Allow them to cool before chopping or processing. Add 2 tablespoons of flour to your pecans before you chop. You can either process in a food processor or use a food chopper. I used my pampered chef chopper. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar with mixer until fluffy about 2 min. Beat in vanilla. Add remaining flour and ingredients and beat until combined. Stir in pecans. You can use a spoon or your hands.

Cover and refrigerate for one hour. Roll dough into 1 inch circles and bake at 350 degrees for 13-16 min until light brown on bottom. Allow them to cool 5 minutes on rack before you roll them in sifted powdered sugar.

These cookies are very delicate and tasty. My kids loved them. They reminded me of soft pecan sandies.

Guacamole de Tomatillo

I first tried this salsa a couple of years ago when my brother was cooking for us. He brought home the tangy, creamy salsa that complemented our carne asada so well. So I tried to duplicate it at home. I make small batches of salsa, since I like certain salsa's with certain meats and dishes. I suppose the way people pair food with wine. You can certainly make a larger batch. Super easy since this is a raw salsa that requires no cooking!!!

Ingredients:

2 Tomatillos

1 Serrano Pepper

1 Ripe Hass Avacado

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 c of water

I place tomatillos, Serrano, water, and salt in blender. I pulse on low until everything is blended but still chunky. I then add avocado without the pit or skin. And pulse again on low until it encorporates. This salsa will remain chunky. The tomatillo will also keep the avocado from browning.

I serve this salsa with rolled tacos, tostadas, and carne asada.

Esquites

I grew up eating these in the summer when we would visit my Grandparents in San Miguel Tecomatlan Mexico. This was one of my favorite street foods. For the last couple of years I have craved these and although the last time I was in San Miguel was about 15 years ago I could still taste them. So finally I gave it a try. My first try was off due to the fact that I bought the wrong herb. The prominent taste that comes through is the epazote. This herb is so flavorful that without it I would not call them esquites. You can find epazote at your local Latin American Market. Give it a try this recipe is really a piece of cake...I'm not sure why i waited so long to try it.

Ingredients:

4 Ears of Fresh Corn (kernels only)

1 Jalapeno or Serrano Pepper sliced

1/2 Medium Onion (Chopped)

1 can of chicken broth

2 cups of water

1 bushel of epazote

Toppings:

Salt

Chile Piquin

Lime

Crema Mexicana

Queso Fresco (Crumbled)

Combine all ingredients in large pot and bring to a boil. Once it has boiled simmer for about 30 minutes.

Serve with a slotted spoon so that you don't serve liquid only kernels and herbs. These are traditionally served in small cups and people can dress them up with crema, cheese, chili, and lime. I personally prefer chili, lime, and salt. The best part about this is that its full of flavor and healthy as long as you keep it light on the cheese and crema...

Enjoy