Thinking outside the box.

[cougars_catnip]

I was on Facebook tonight and noticed a friend's post. Her fiance wanted her to make him a bacon cheesecake and she was freaking out. EWWW was her response. But it got me thinking. The problem wasn't with his request but her preconceptions on what a cheesecake is. (ie: dessert only.) So I went googling and found the following recipe which I shared with her. It is an appetizer but is definitely a cheesecake. I would serve this in thin slivers with a selection of good hearty breads and crackers.

Apple Blue Cheese Bacon Cheesecake

This unusual savory cheesecake is rich from Parmesan, blue cheese, and cream cheese. The sweet apples and salty bacon are a nice counterpoint to the richness of the cheese. The method requires long slow baking, so plan ahead. As you can tell, this is not a dessert, but an appetizer fit for the finest party.

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Recipe for Homemade Ginger Tea

[jjhunter]

...along with a picture of what ginger root looks like when it sprouts back into being a whole plant, can be found here:

jjhunter: Three Things About Ginger

Roast Pork with Apples & Onions

[cougars_catnip]

This is a favorite autumn meal. Brining the pork insures your roast is juicy, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned all the way through and is an essential part of this dish so don't skip this step.

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Coleslaw - almost but not quite :D

[peaceful_sands]

So I was serving quiche for dinner this evening and decided to make some coleslaw to go with it. It's ages since I've made coleslaw myself despite the fact that I far prefer it to the shop bought stuff which, for my taste, is always far too drippy and smothered with way too much mayonnaise.

I thought I would share my pseudo-coleslaw with you and see if anyone has any suggestions for the next batch. I've not included quantities because it's basically an 'as much as you feel like' kind of recipe - nothing is going to go drastically wrong if you use different quantities.

My ingredients

White cabbage
Red onion
Raw mushroom
Carrots (I picked some Chantenay ones which are supposed to be a little sweeter than the average)
Dried apricots
Mayonnaise

I diced everything (except the mayonnaise!) threw it in a bowl and mixed it up and then added enough mayo to coat but not drown the veg. And the nice thing is there's enough to go on lunch tomorrow. Today I didn't add them, but I also sometimes throw in a few chopped fresh chives.

I like adding the apricots for just that occasional bite of something a little sweeter. I know the shop bought ones sometimes include pineapple or sultanas, which is what made me begin to think about what else could go in. So does anyone have any other suggestions of things that they add to coleslaw for just that hint of unusual.

Blueberry Peach Crisp

[jjhunter]

The original Cooks.com recipe goes as follows:

BLUEBERRY PEACH CRISP

1 1/2 pkg. frozen blueberries
1 c. oats
1/2 c. wheat germ
1/2 c. brown sugar or honey
1/4 c. nuts
1 pkg. frozen peaches
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan, cover with blueberries and peaches. Combine remaining ingredients, sprinkle over fruit. Pat down. Bake at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until brown, and peaches are soft.

If using fresh fruit, as I did in the photo of the crisp-in-progress above, use about 6-7 ripe peaches and 1/3 - 1/2 quart of blueberries. If you're feeling adventurous & want to try a different fruit combo, I suspect 6 pears, peeled and sliced, 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger, and (optional) a handful or two of raisins would work well.

What's especially lovely about this particular recipe is the particular combination of ingredients for the topping. It's relatively light on butter, yet the nuts (I usually use pecans) & sesame seeds keep it very satisfying. All in all, easy prep and a reliably delicious result. Excellent for dinner parties and using up excess fruit.

Spicy Shrimp and Fettuccine

[jjhunter]

Omnomnom, this is a fabulous dinner party dish. Unlike most fettuccine recipes, it doesn't use any kind of creamy sauce. Somewhat expensive ingredients (i.e. the shrimp), but the savings in prep and execution time really pay off if you're having guests over. My additions to the original instructions from myrecipes.com are marked with brackets.

Spicy Shrimp and Fettuccine

This dish is an appealing, affordable option for entertaining. We used dried basil in this dish to cut costs, but you can substitute 2 tablespoons fresh basil, if desired. Frozen or previously frozen shrimp is often on sale at supermarkets.

Yield: 4 servings

( Ingredients and Preparation instructions behind the cut )