Stuffed Tomatoes

I am always trying to find new preparations using leftovers. I find that the more we are creative with our leftovers, the less food we waste. Sometimes we have leftover chicken from a meal we made and have to use it as not to waste food. While you could make chicken salad with your leftover chicken, you could also use it as a filling. Combine your leftover chicken with fried onions, blue cheese, and tomatoes to fill raw whole tomatoes as a unique meal option.

Ingredients:
two whole tomatoes
precooked chicken breast, diced
blue cheese crumbles
1/3 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon canola oil
salt
pepper

Method:
Cut the tops off the tomatoes. Dice the tops and reserve for the filling. Cut around the pulp of the tomato to create a cavity for stuffing. In a small frying pan, fry the chopped onions using one tablespoon of canola oil. Once the onions have turned a golden brown, season with salt and pepper. Strain the onions from the hot oil. In a small mixing bowl, combine the diced precooked chicken, diced tomato, blue cheese crumbles, and the fried onions. Stuff the chicken mixture into the tomatoes. The tomatoes are now ready to be serve as a light meal accompanied by a salad.

Chocolate Clementine and Almond Cake

One of my favorite new cookbooks is Jerusalem, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. As you can probably infer by the title, Jerusalem focuses on the food cooked by the Israelis, and Arabs that live in Jerusalem. Most of these recipes are amazing and bring me back to my year living in Israel. One of my favorite recipes found in the book is for a Clementine and Almond Cake topped with chocolate sauce. The cake itself is extremely flavorful and decadent without being heavy. The citrus cuts through the . This cake is a must try if you are a fan of citrus based desserts. It also helps that it is covered in chocolate.

Recipe is from Jerusalem, written by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Ingredients:
3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cup sugar
zest and juice of 4 clementines
zest and juice of lemon
2 1/2 cups ground almonds
5 large beaten eggs
3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
pinch of salt

Chocolate topping:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 ounces good quality dark chocolate
2 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons cognac

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 1/2 inch springform pan with butter and the line the pan with parchment paper. Using a stand mixer, combine butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and the lemon and clementine zest. Beat on a low speed until combined. Be sure to not work the mixture too much as it will effect the finished product. Add half the ground almonds and mix until combined. Gradually add the eggs while the machine is running. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure that all of the ingredients are incorporated. You might need to do this a few times. Add the remaining ground almonds, flour, and salt. Beat the mixture until the batter is smooth. Pour the mixture into the pan and level the top with a spatula. Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes at 350°F. To check if the cake is done, stick a wooden skewer into the cake. The cake is ready when the skewer is slightly moist.

While the cake is baking, combine 1/3 cup of sugar and the citrus juice in a small sauce pot. Bring the sugar and citrus juice mixture to a boil. Once at a boil, remove from the heat. When the cake comes out of the oven, brush the cake with the citrus syrup until the cake has soaked up all the syrup. Leave the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan.

As the cake is cooling, it is time to prepare the chocolate topping. Place the chocolate, butter, and honey in a double boiler. Stir the mixture until everything has melted. Remove from the heat and fold in the cognac. Pour the chocolate sauce over the top of the cake. Let the chocolate topping set up. Once the topping has set up you are ready to serve.

Mixed Berry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake is a classic dessert that has never gone out of style. It is a dessert that is associated with summer, the season in which berries such as strawberries are freshest. While it would be optimal to eat strawberry shortcake during the summer, it is never a bad time to make and eat it. To spice things up, you can macerate blueberries, raspberries and strawberries in simple syrup to make an extremely flavorful topping. Making mixed berry shortcake is easy to make from scratch and will not take all day toiling in the kitchen to make. It is well worth it to make this dessert from scratch because it is that good.

Whipped cream:

Ingredients:
heavy whipping cream
teaspoon vanilla
tablespoon powdered sugar

Method:
Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk together the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar until the whipping cream comes together.

Macerated Berries

Ingredients:
sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:
In a small sauce pot, combine the water and sugar. Bring to a boil and be sure that all of the sugar has been dissolved. Once at a boil, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and take off the heat. Let the simple syrup cool down slightly. In a medium mixing boil combine all of the berries. Pour the slightly warm simple syrup over the berries. Let the berries macerate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Biscuits

Assembly:

First cut in half one of the biscuits and place in a bowl. Next, pour a generous portion of the macerated berries over the biscuit. Finally, garnish with a few tablespoons of whipped cream.

Biscuits

Nothing is better than eating a fresh homemade biscuit. Making homemade biscuits is just as easy as buying the pre-made biscuit dough from the Pillsbury doughboy. Plus, when you make biscuits at home you know exactly what is going into the finished product. These biscuits are extremely versatile and can be used in a variety of preparations. These biscuits are great when used to make strawberry shortcake, breakfast sandwiches, or plainly eaten with some butter and jam.

Ingredients:
3 cup all purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons of cold butter cut into small pieces
1 cup whole milk
1 egg yolk plus 1 teaspoon of water beaten lightly

Method:
Preheat your oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture. When the flour mixture looks like crumbs, you are ready to add the milk. Add the milk and combine with a fork. Once the dough starts to come together turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Fold the dough onto itself 4 times. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/2 inch in thickness. Use a round cookie cutter, or a circular glass. With the leftover dough, combine again and roll out to make more. Transfer the biscuits to the baking sheet. Brush the tops of each biscuit with the egg yolk. Bake the biscuits for 10-12 minutes at 450°F.

Young's Double Chocolate Stout

One of my favorite styles of ale is Stout. I could never get tired of drinking stout. While the nectar of the gods might be a perfect poured pint of Guinness, there are many more stouts out there that are just as divine. Young's Double Chocolate Stout is an interesting take on stout. Hailing from England, this stout is separates itself from the rest by being brewed with chocolate. This stout is darker than most when poured into a glass. The aroma is like any other stout, but with a slight sweetness from the chocolate. Taste wise, the chocolate is not overpowering. In fact, there is a bitter aspect to the stout which can be attributed to a bittersweet chocolate rather than a milk chocolate which is extremely sweet. With low carbonation combined with an ABV of 5.20%, this double chocolate stout is very drinkable. Young's Double Chocolate Stout is a must try for any lover of stout. Cheers!

Long Trail Ale: Ramble

Out of Vermont, Long Trail Ale is one of my favorite local New England breweries. Long Trail features a fantastic array of year-round beers as well as seasonal beers that I highly recommend trying. This spring, Long Trail has come out with a Kolsch style beer called Ramble. Originating from Cologne, Germany, Kolsch style beers are slightly bitter from hops, but for the most part are extremely refreshing. Ramble is a unique Kolsch style beer in that it is brewed with lemon zest and ground peppercorns. The combination of lemon zest and ground peppercorns might sound disgusting, but it really is not. There is a slight peppercorn flavor to the beer, but it is not overpowering. The balance between the spicy notes of the ground peppercorns and the bright flavor of the lemon zest makes Ramble a refreshing option. It has a fairly average ABV of 5.25%, which makes this beer fairly tame. Ramble is a must have spring seasonal beer this spring.

Spice Market Chicken

Using a dry rub to impart flavor to your meal is a great technique. If you have ever had Southern-style barbecue, you have probably had food that has been seasoned with a dry rub. The dry rub imparts flavor to what ever you are cooking. My spice market dry rub is perfect for using on chicken breast. I call it spice market chicken because the dry rub I use contains a plethora of spices that you will find in the world's spice markets.

Ingredients:
3 boneless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dill
salt
olive oil
1 small onion sliced
half a lemon sliced
sesame seeds

Method:
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the herbs, spices, and sugar until fully blended. Rub the spice mixture onto the chicken breasts. Let the chicken marinate in the spice rub for at least 1 hour in your refrigerator. If you have the time, marinate the chicken breasts overnight. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place aluminium foil on a baking sheet. Pour a thin layer of olive oil on the foiled baking sheet. Next, place a layer of sliced onion and lemon. Place the marinated chicken breasts on top of the onion and lemon. Drizzle olive oil on top of the chicken breasts. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the chicken breasts. Cook the chicken breasts at 400°F for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, broil the chicken breasts for about a minute and a half to brown the top of the chicken breasts. Make sure to keep an eye on the chicken breasts so that they do not burn.

Whole Chicken Braised in Tomato Sauce

There are many ways in which you can cook a whole chicken. Roasting is one of the obvious techniques you could use to cook a whole chicken. You could also braise the whole chicken in a flavorful stock or sauce. A great way to braise a whole chicken is to cook it in tomato sauce. You could easily make your own tomato sauce or you could use your favorite jarred tomato sauce. Either way, this dish is a home run. Serve with pasta, salad, and garlic bread to make a complete meal. If you are making the tomato sauce from scratch you can easily freeze the leftovers for another meal.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onions chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
2 carrots chopped
3 (28 ounce) cans of whole tomatoes, pureed in a blender or food processor
1/2 cup red wine
3 bay leaves
tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped button mushrooms
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
4 pound whole Chicken
salt
fresh black pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large stock pot, heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer in the pan, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 4 minutes stirring occasionally. Next, add the minced garlic, mushrooms,and bay leaves. Cook for another 2 minutes at medium heat. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Lower the heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium, add the 1/2 cup of red wine and scrap any of the stuck on bits. Add the pureed tomatoes, teaspoon dried oregano, and a teaspoon of dried basil. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for an additional 5 minutes at a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Now that the sauce is down, transfer the sauce to a large roasting pan. With the chicken, make sure to take out the giblets and trim any excess fat. Place the whole chicken breast side down. Cover the chicken with aluminium foil and cook at 325°F for two hours. With 30 minutes left in the cooking, add another teaspoon of dried oregano, teaspoon of dried basil, the fresh parsley, and the fresh mint to the pan. Stir to incorporate the herbs into the sauce. After two hours of cooking, remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for about 15-20 minutes. To serve, you can cut the chicken into eighths, or you can pull the chicken right off the bones.

Hamentashen

Hamentashen are traditional jelly filled cookies that are served during the Jewish holiday of Purim. There are many explanations for why Hamentashen are shaped the way they are. Some say that Hamentashen represent the triangular hat that the villain of the Purim story, Hamen, wore. Others say they are suppose to represent Hamen's ears. Either explanation will do because these cookies are delicious. You do not need to be Jewish to enjoy these festive cookies.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 teaspoons baking powder
5 1/2 to 6 cups of all purpose flour
Jelly of you choice. Apricot and Raspberry were the jellies that I used. You can also use cherry, poppy seed, prune, or even chocolate spread.

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Next, add the baking powder and the flour. Mix the cookie dough until smooth. Now it is time to roll out the cookie dough. When rolling out the cookie dough, be sure to use some extra flour on your work surface and rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll the cookie dough out to 1/8 of an inch. Cut with a circular cookie cutter or a circular glass. Once you have cut out the circles, place a teaspoon of jelly in the middle of each circle. Fold the sides of the circle over the filling to create a triangle. You may also pinch in the sides to create the Hamentashen. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and spray with non stick spray. Place the Hamenstashen on the baking sheet making sure that there is enough space in between the cookies. Bake the Hamentashen in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. After cooking for 15 minutes, let the Hamentashen cool on a cooling rack.

Stuffed Mushrooms

It is no surprise that Americans love to eat appetizers. We devour chicken wings, potato skins, nachos, and mozzarella sticks whenever there is a cause for celebration. From watching sports to celebrating holidays, appetizers are a ubiquitous part of American food culture. One of my favorite appetizers to make at home is stuffed mushrooms. They are extremely easy to make and take less than an hour to make. Next time you are having a party, try these stuffed mushrooms. They are sure to be a hit.

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 dozen stuffing mushrooms

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil 

salt 

pepper

non stick spray

Method:
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut out the stems of all the mushrooms. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, parsley, mint, oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix the ingredients until fully incorporated. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Spray the lined baking sheet with non stick spray. Place the mushrooms on the baking sheet with the stem side facing up. Place a teaspoon of filling onto each of the mushrooms. Once you have placed all of the filling onto the mushrooms, drizzle the top of the mushrooms with olive oil or non stick spray. Bake the mushrooms for 25 minutes at 400°F. Serve the mushrooms right out of the oven while they are still hot.

Hasselback Potatoes

The baked potato is a side dish that is frequently found on dinner tables across America. We may add sour cream or butter to our baked potato to add additional flavor. While the baked potato is a humble dish, it can be transformed into something unique. The Hasselback potato is a style of baked potato in which you cut slices in the potato without going through the whole potato. When baked, the slices open up with a crispy exterior and a tender interior. Try this recipe the next time you are hungry for a baked potato. They are nothing like your typical baked potato.

Ingredients:
4 baking potatoes (Russet) washed and dried with a paper towel
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon seasoned bread crumbs
salt
fresh ground black pepper

Method
Preheat oven to 425°F. On your cutting board, place two wooden spoons parallel to each other. Place the potatoes in between the handles of the two wooden spoons. Make slices about 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart from each other while not cutting through the whole potato. When you have made the slices on all of your potatoes, transfer them to a baking sheet that is lined with aluminium foil. Make sure that the potatoes are cut side up on the baking sheet. Drizzle half of the melted butter on top of the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 425°F. Take out of oven and drizzle the remaining melted butter on the potatoes. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and the seasoned bread crumbs on to the top of the potatoes. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown.

Baked Mustard Chicken

There are countless ways in which you can prepare boneless chicken breast. One of my favorite ways to prepare chicken breast is to coat the chicken with Dijon mustard, and bread crumbs. Baked, the chicken absorbs the flavor of the mustard and is a delicious take on Shake and Bake chicken.

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs. (may use panko)
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
non stick spray

Method:
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Spray the foiled baking sheet with non stick spray. Coat the chicken breasts with the Dijon mustard. Next, coat the chicken breasts with seasoned bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs. Place the breaded chicken breasts on the baking pan and spay the top of the chicken breasts with non stick spray. Cook at  400°F for 20 minutes.

Broccoli in Tomato Sauce

Broccoli that is simply steamed or boiled is a very healthy side dish as a part of any meal. While it is extremely healthy, it lacks flavor. Cooking broccoli in a quick tomato sauce will inject much needed flavor into your broccoli. Once you try this recipe it will become a favorite of yours.

Ingredients:

1 large head of broccoli cut into florets

1 medium onion sliced

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 cup day old white bread cubed

1 tomato grated

1 tablespoon chili sauce

1 teaspoon Frank's Red Hot Sauce

1/3 cup water

salt 

pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 

1 teaspoon sesame oil 

canola oil to saute with 

Method:

In a medium frying pan, saute the sliced onion for about 4 minutes. Add the tablespoon of chopped garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Next, add the cubed day old bread. Cook the onions, garlic, and cubed bread until the bread becomes toasted which should be about 3 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Then, add the grated tomato, chili sauce, sesame oil, hot sauce, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the tomato sauce to a boil. Once at a boil, add the broccoli florets. Cook the broccoli in the tomato sauce for 10 minutes while occasionally stirring. Once the broccoli is tender it is ready to serve.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

There is no secret in that I love cheesecake. When you combine cheesecake with chocolate you have a win win dessert. This chocolate chip cheesecake is sure to please.

Ingredients:

Cheesecake:
nonstick baking spray
2 tablespoons melted butter
a full 9 ounce package of chocolate wafer cookies
3 (8oz) bars of softened cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips


Chocolate Ganache:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 oz high quality milk chocolate broken into small pieces

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9" nonstick springform pan with nonstick baking spray. Using a food processor, pulse the chocolate wafer cookies until they form crumbs. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Press the buttered cookie crumbs into the prepared springform pan. Bake for 15 minutes and let cool on a baking rack after.

If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer this is the time to use it. If you have a hand mixer use a large enough bowl. Place the cream cheese and beat until fluffy. Add sugar and the eggs to the cream cheese. Beat until the mixture is smooth. Next, beat in the sour cream, and the vanilla extract. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared cookie crust. Bake for an hour at 350°F. After baking for an hour, turn off the oven and leave the cake in the oven for an hour to rest. After resting in the oven, it is time to prepare the ganache topping. Using a double boiler, heat 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream. When the heavy cream begins to simmer, add the 3 ounces of milk chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted completely and the ganache is smooth. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate ganache over the top of cheesecake. Place in the refrigerator so that the ganache can set up for at least 4 hours. Run a paring around the edge of the cheesecake. This will loosen the cake from the pan. Release the sides of the pan and now the cheesecake is ready to serve and slice.

Chicken and Vegetable Couscous Casserole

A casserole is generally not the most delicious sounding thing to have on your plate. While the casserole might have negative connotations, it is certainly not always the case. If you make a casserole with fresh, wholesome ingredients it can be a delicious dish to serve your friends. This casserole features a myriad of vegetables, chicken and couscous. It is sure to warm the stomach and the soul.

Ingredients:
two boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
couscous
one green bell pepper, diced
one chopped onion
one large eggplant peeled and sliced
one tomato chopped
tablespoon minced garlic
salt
black pepper
sliced button mushrooms
teaspoon dried oregano
teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup bread crumbs
canola oil
sesame seeds

Method:
First cook a box of couscous. Follow the cooking directions on the box. Once the couscous is cooked, fluff the couscous with a fork and set aside.

Peel the eggplant and cut into slices. Salt both side of the eggplant slices and place over a rack. Let the eggplant rest for about 20 minutes. After twenty minutes, wipe the eggplant pieces with a paper towel to remove the excessive liquid. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Place the eggplant slices onto a baking tray lined with aluminium foil. Coat both sides of the eggplant slices with canola oil. Roast in a 375°F oven for 25 minutes. After 15 minutes of cooking flip the eggplant. After 25 minutes of roasting, take the eggplant out of the oven and reserve.

In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil. When the oil begin to shimmer, add the chopped onions. Cook the onions for about 6 minutes or until golden. When the onions have caramelized, add the sliced button mushrooms and cook for another 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic, oregano, and basil. Cook for another minute. Reserve the onions and mushroom in a bowl.

Season the chicken chunks with freshly ground black pepper and brown on each side. You should brown the chicken chunks in the same saute pan as the onions and mushrooms. Once the chicken has browned, reserve in a bowl.

In a small sauce pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has completely melted, add the sesame seeds and the bread crumbs. Mix the butter, bread crumbs and sesame seeds until the bread crumbs have absorbed all of the butter.

It is now time to assemble the casserole. First, place the cooked couscous into the casserole dish. Then place the cooked onions, mushrooms, browned chicken, 1 freshly chopped tomato, and 1 freshly chopped green bell pepper. Mix the ingredients until thoroughly combined. Place the roasted eggplant slices on top of the couscous mixture. Next evenly spread the bread crumb mixture on top of the roasted eggplant layer. Bake the casserole at 375°F for 20 minutes. Next, turn on your broiler on low and brown the top layer. Once the top layer of the casserole is golden brown, the casserole is ready to serve.

Challah Bread Pudding

Bread pudding is a dessert that I think we should start making more of. It is a wholesome dish that utilizes ingredients that most people have on hand in their kitchens. Bread pudding is a rich dish that definitely comforts the soul. While you can use any type of bread, I use Challah bread. Challah bread is rich with eggs which gives the dish a richer taste than if you used white bread.

Ingredients:
1 loaf of Challah bread, cut into chunks
3 cups of milk
3 tablespoons of Gran Marnier
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons sugar
4 large eggs
cinammon
sugar to garnish
handful of golden raisins to top

Method:
Coat a 9x13 inch pan with non stick cooking spray. Put the challah chunks into the pan. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, Gran Marnier, vanilla extract, sugar, salt, 3 tablespoons sugar, and the 4 eggs. Whisk the mixture until all of the ingredients have been fully blended. Pour the milk and egg mixture over the challah chunks. Allow the challah to soak up the milk and egg mixture overnight in the refrigerator. Before baking, set the oven to 350°F. Before putting in the oven, top the bread pudding with ground cinnamon, golden raisins, and a spoonful of sugar. Bake the bread pudding for 40 minutes at 350°F. Serve with maple syrup, or fresh fruit.

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Squares

Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts. Having a slice of cheesecake sometimes is too much. How can you eat your cheesecake and have it too? The answer is to simply make bite size cheesecake. These lemon raspberry cheesecakes squares are a delicious way to indulge in some cheesecake without feeling guilty about eating a whole slice.

Ingredients: 

non stick cooking spray

a full 9 ounce package of chocolate wafer cookies

salt 

5 tablespoons unsalted butter that has been melted and is warm

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 8-ounce bars of room temperature cream cheese

2/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon plain powdered gelatin 

1 cup raspberry jam

Method:

Set your oven to 350°F. Spray your 13-by-9 inch baking pan with non stick cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper as wide as the pan and about 22 inches long. Place the parchment paper into baking pan making sure that the parchment paper is in all of the corners. Spray the parchment paper with the non stick cooking spray. Next, place all of the chocolate wafers and a pinch of salt into your food processor. Pulse until the wafers turn into fine crumbs. With the food processor running, add the melted butter slowly to the cookie crumbs. Pulse until the mixture becomes like wet sand.  Now that the cookie crumbs resemble wet sand, it is time to place the crumbs into the baking pan. Press the cookie crumbs into an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, and let cool on a cooling rack.

Using a mixer, beat the granulated sugar with the lemon zest until moist and fragrant. Now add the cream cheese, sour cream, and powdered sugar. Beat the mixture at a medium to medium-low speed until smooth, and creamy. Next, add the egg, vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. mix until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Once the cheese mixture has come together, place the cheese mixture on top of the cooled cookie crumbs. Make sure that the cheese mixture is evenly spread across the cookie crumb base. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, rotate the pan and cook for another 15 minutes. Once the cheesecake has baked for 30 minutes, let it cool on a cooling rack.

While the cheesecake is cooling, it is time to make the raspberry topping. In a small bowl, stir the tablespoon of lemon juice and gelatin. Set aside until the gelatin softens. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the 1 cup of raspberry jam for about 45 seconds. After microwaving, stir the jam until it is smooth and has become m ore fluid like. Add the gelatin to the raspberry jam and stir to dissolve. Set aside to cool down.

With a toothpick, lightly score the surface of the cheesecake. Pour the raspberry mixture over the cheese filling. Tilt the pan to make sure that the raspberry mixture is evenly spread across the top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate the cheesecake so that the raspberry topping can set up. With the ends of the parchment paper, lift the cheesecake out of the baking pan. Cut the cheesecake into evenly sized squares. You can make around 20 cheesecake squares. Garnish each cheesecake square with a fresh raspberry. Once the cheesecake squares are cut, you are ready to serve them.