Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Of course each of my recipes has to have a story. I don't know why--perhaps it's because there is a source of inspiration for each of them. Maybe I simply can't stop myself from being a storyteller. Whatever the case, today's post and recipe has my favorite source of inspiration: good friends. Recently we went North to Sonoma, CA to visit a dear family friend with another dear friend in tow. Our Sonoma friend had in her courtyard a few healthy yet gnarled lemon trees which were heavy with the most enormous lemons I have ever seen in my life. for context, they were considerably larger than softballs. I'll have to get her to take a picture, because I didn't think of it. I am a little embarrassed to say that I didn't think of taking one, either, despite the overabundance. It was the dear friend we had brought with us who suggested we take one and that I do something special with it. And it is a special lemon. The ones you let get heavy on the tree and which are plucked immediately are sweeter, but at the same time more redolent of citrus fragrance.
I'm finally getting around to that project, so in honor of dear friends, I present my creamy, dreamy, deliciously citrus-y and just a little bit tart lemon cheesecake bars. To enhance the lemon flavor I used lemon extract and to really compliment the sharp cheesecake filling I used some sweet and buttery vanilla wafers in the crust. The zest was put into this dessert and I used the juice to make fresh lemonade which was absolutely fabulous.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

makes one 9" square pan

For the crust:
2 graham crackers, crushed to crumbs
12 Nilla Wafers, crushed
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Zest of 1/4 lemon

1. Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Press into the bottom of pan. If you don't have a square springform pan, line the inside of your square pan with parchment paper to make the cheesecake easier to remove.
2. Cover pan and refrigerate for one hour.
3. Meanwhile, make filling (see ingredients below).

Ingredients for filling:

(2) 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup cream
2 eggs
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch
Zest of 1 enormous lemon or two large lemons

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Combine all filling ingredients, mixing thoroughly.
3. Pour over crust and bake until the cheesecake has set, 40 to 50 minutes.
4. Cut into squares and serve with an optional garnish of candied lemon peels or candied lemon slices.

Napa Cabbage and Bean Sprout Wasabi Slaw

This slaw was created because I wanted to get an updated (ok, sexier, or at least more appealing) photo of my teriyaki turkey burgers (http://joyouskitchen.blogspot.com/2014/05/teriyaki-turkey-burgers.html); they are delicious, flavorful and so easy to make that I thought they deserved a photo as enticing as they are. I wanted to make an Asian inspired slaw to serve on top of them, so I thought of combining napa cabbage and bean sprouts with a wasabi mayonnaise dressing. The slaw turned out so well I decided to blog about it. Softly crisp sprouts and cabbage in a creamy, tangy mayonnaise, vinegar and wasabi dressing with just a little bit of a kick to it makes a fabulous burger topping, especially for these burgers. What's really great about both of these recipes is that they're both very easy to put together.


Napa Cabbage and Bean Sprout Wasabi Slaw

3 leaves napa cabbage, chiffonaded
2 1/2 ounces bean sprouts
4 green onions (dark green upper stem parts only*), thinly sliced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon mirin
2 teaspoons wasabi powder
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 pinches sugar
salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

1. Combine mayonnaise, wasabi powder, sesame oil, vinegar, mirin, sugar and salt in a small bowl to create dressing. Whisk to combine thoroughly. Cover and set in the fridge to allow flavors to combine.
2. Meanwhile combine cabbage, green onion and bean sprouts in a larger bowl.
3. After the dressing has been in the fridge for 20 minutes, pour over vegetables and toss well to combine. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the slaw and mix in gently. Serve alongside or on top of burgers.

*grill the leftover white/light green parts and put them on burgers.

Roasted Garlic, Cannelini Bean and Kale Soup

One thing I should mention about this cannelini bean soup is that it is rather a different dish from my Tuscan Cannelini Bean Stew. In what ways? Well, the beans are pureed, which is less rustic and more sophisticated. And it isn’t quite hearty enough to be an entree, even if it is rather filling. It’s also delicious and a perfect starter or quick lunch for a meatless Monday. The inspiration is partly from a delicious bean and roasted garlic soup I had at a cafe here and partly inspired by our house falling sick. Thankfully, we’re both on the mend, but in the meantime it was nice to have something as nourishing and filling as it is tasty in the fridge. Sweet and pungent roasted garlic is a great complement to creamy, nutty pureed cannelini beans and bitterly earthy kale. We enjoyed this alongside grilled pork sausages and it was a really amazing meal. Also, it was incredibly easy to make.

Roasted Garlic, Cannelini Bean and Kale Soup

(makes 6 servings)

2 ½ cups cooked cannelini beans*
1 head of garlic, roasted
8 ounces kale, washed, stems trimmed and chopped into 1” pieces
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 cups water
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

1. While the beans are still warm from being cooked, combine in blender with water, stock, garlic and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Season with salt & pepper.
3. Add kale and saute 3 or so minutes, until it has started to turn color, but is still tender.
4. Add pureed bean mixture and cook until soup is heated through.Serve garnished with parmesan.

*I cooked my own beans, but if you’re using canned drain and rinse them

Rosemary Garlic Cheddar Chicken Roulade

I don’t have a curing chamber, but I do love me some fancy lunch meats. Hmm...what to do? I remembered a long-ago experiment by my then roommate (also my foodie guru) where she made a garlic and rosemary roulade with some fantastic biodynamically organic chicken breasts and I had the idea of using the roulade slices on a sandwich. They were amazing. Remembering that long ago chicken dish, I decided that would be a fabulous and fairly simple way to create for myself some fancy lunch meats. So, here we are. Rosemary, Garlic and Cheddar Roulade. Butterflied and tenderized chicken stuffed with a trio of delicious ingredients is perfect on a crunchy roll. Pictured below is the sandwich I made with baby spinach and mayonnaise. Really worth the effort!

Rosemary Garlic Cheddar Chicken Roulade

Makes enough for 4 -6 sandwiches

4 chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded thin (about ¼” thick)
3 large sprigs of rosemary, woody stems discarded and leaves chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
2 - 3 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Spread a thin layer of cheese over one side of each chicken breast, then sprinkle all over with rosemary and garlic. Starting from the thinnest side of the breast, roll up tightly. Secure with kitchen twine along the length of the roulade approximately every 1 - 1.5”.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Add olive oil to cover the bottom of a large saucepan over medium heat. Sear the wrapped chicken (roulades) on all sides, about 10 minutes total cooktime.
Transfer chicken roulades to a baking dish and bake in oven for an extra 10 -15 minutes, or until thermometer shows internal temp to be 165 degrees.
Slice into approx ¾” rounds and use in sandwiches.

Brown Butter Pecan Brioche Pudding with Bourbon Brown Butter Sauce

Butter Pecan Brioche Bread Pudding with boozy sauce. Just say it to yourself and you'll know exactly why I allowed myself to be seduced by this idea. The idea for this was sparked because my new boss has a pretty sweet (no pun intended) ice cream maker and was describing the rich, custard-y chocolate ice cream she had made. It caused me to dream of making my favorite flavor at home: butter pecan. Well, I don't have an ice cream maker and I'd been planning to play around with another style of bread pudding and bam--this dish was born. I added my own little twist to the idea of butter pecan by using nutty brown butter in both the pudding and the sauce. Sweet and spicy cognac and bourbon in the sauce compliment the rich butter flavor and crisp toasted pecans. This is an easy yet impressive dish to make for company. If you chill the sauce you may notice it separating. It will come back together when warm and sufficiently whisked.

A word about the choice of bread: If you can find brioche or have a good recipe and don't mind making some, definitely use it; it really gave the pudding a much softer consistency, so it was more like a custard than a bread pudding. This was the consistency I was shooting for and I think it can best be achieved with soft bread like brioche or challah, although brioche is best.

Brown Butter Pecan Brioche Pudding with Bourbon Brown Butter Sauce

For the Pudding:

4 cups stale brioche, cubed
4 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons clarified brown butter
1/3 cup whole pecans
1 tiny pinch of salt

1. Assemble the bread pudding: grease a 9 × 9 inch baking dish and lightly press the brioche into the dish to compact it somewhat and make it easier for the egg mixture to be absorbed.
2. Whisk together all other pudding ingredients and pour equally over entire pan of bread cubes. Press once more to get eggs absorbed. Cover and chill for a minimum of 3 hours and up to overnight.
3. In the last half hour of your pudding chilling, make your sauce (see below instructions).
4. Preheat the oven to 325 and lay your pecans in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Ladle a small amount of sauce over them and toast for between 5 - 10 minutes. Set sauce aside and cover to keep warm.
5. Turn the oven down to 300 and bake bread pudding for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake.
6. Chop toasted pecans and sprinkle over each portion before serving. Cover each portion with a generous amount of sauce.

For the Sauce:

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons cognac
2 Tablespoons bourbon
1/4 cup cream
2 Tablespoons clarified brown butter

1. Add water sugar and salt to a small saucepan over low heat. When sugar has dissolved add cognac and bourbon.
2. Reduce to 2/3rds of its original volume by continuing to cook sauce at a lazy simmer.
3. When it has been suitably reduced, add cream to warmed brown butter. Whisk to combine. Slowly incorporate this into your sauce and remove from heat.
4. Use sauce for pecans and to cover bread pudding.

Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

What could be better than buttery thumbprint cookies, topped with your favorite jam? Introducing peanut butter into the mix. Think of it as a PB & J, but for dessert. I had a couple of jars of this fabulous four fruits jam (cherry, strawberry, red currant, raspberry), so I wanted to do something special with them. Thumbprint cookies were a good idea in the “something special” category, but to make it even more so I decided to change the cookies from butter cookies to chewy, rich peanut butter cookies. They’re my dad’s favorite. I’m thinking I’ll probably have to make these for him the next time I visit.

Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Makes 2 dozen

1 cup flour
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup + 2 Tblsp brown sugar
½ cup + 2 Tblsp sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter, softened
¼ teasp salt
¼ teasp baking soda
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup jelly of choice (I used a preserve called four fruits)

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease a baking sheet.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients.
3. In a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together sugars and butter until they form a paste. Add eggs, then peanut butter and vanilla.
4. Turn speed down to low and add dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated.
5. Drop onto cookie sheet in rounded Tablespoonfuls. Press center of each with your thumb gently to form a well.
6. Bake for 18 minutes, or until cookies are set. Reflatten the thumbprint and fill it with the jam of your choice. Serve them warm, if possible.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and I welcome your feedback!

Chilled Pencil Asparagus Spears in a Zesty Miso Citrus Dressing

As we all know (and can even feel in the air), two things are coming: asparagus season and beyond that bathing suit season. This recipe is a new way to enjoy tender chilled asparagus virtually guilt free. The zesty, umami rich flavor of miso dressing compliments asparagus gently bitter green taste and is very low in calories. The result of this combination tastes like a tangy and flavorful celebration of the fact that spring is on its way!


Chilled Pencil Asparagus in a Zesty Miso Citrus Dressing

1 bunch of pencil asparagus, washed and trimmed

For the dressing:

1 shallot clove, roughly chopped
juice of 2 limes
juice of 2 small navel or two blood oranges
1 Teaspoon sesame oil
¼ cup red miso
2 Teaspoons mirin
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

Prepare an ice bath for your asparagus (2 parts ice cubes to 1 part water in a metal mixing bowl or metal baking dish).
Bring a large pan of water to boil and salt it.
When the water is boiling, add asparagus and allow to boil for 1 - 2 minutes. Immediately scoop asparagus spears out of pan and into ice bath. Leave to cool.
Meanwhile, pulse all dressing ingredients in the blender.
Serve asparagus drizzled with dressing.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and I welcome your feedback!