Vegan Cheesecake #Dessert #GlutenFree! #NoBake!

Cheesecake the Vegan #Dessert way!
(#GlutenFree!) (#NoBake!)

Ingredients:

• Dates - a handful
• Lemon - one
• Agave Nectar or Honey if you are not vegan - a couple spoon fulls
• Coconut Oil - 1/4 cup
• Cashews - 2 handfulls, quick soaked
• Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup

Optional Ingredients for toppings: 

• Peanut Butter
• Grand Marnier
• Blueberries

Makes 5-6 large muffin size Vegan Cheesecakes
Freeze Time: a couple hours

Start: 

1. Put 1 cup of Cashews and pitted Dates in a blender or food processor. The correct ratio will create a crust and will hold together on its own.
2. Spray muffin tin.
3. Pack in the crust.
4. Put in 1 cup of quick soaked cashews in the blender along with one squeezed lemon, coconut oil, coconut milk, and agave nectar or honey (I used both).
5. Pour filling over crust in muffin tin until full. 
6. Top with chosen toppings, I tried all of them in their own separate Vegan Cheesecakes compartment. 
7. Freeze for a couple hours. May need a thin knife or spatula to remove the Vegan Cheesecakes from muffin tin.
8. Serve cold!

Peking Duck

Peking Duck

Ingredients:

• Duck, I used dark meat - each pound serves one (2 pounds in recipe)
• Cucumber - 1
• Scallions - 1 bunch
• Hoisin Sauce - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1/3 cup
• Honey - 4 spoon fulls
• Soy Sauce - 2 spoon fulls
• Sesame Oil - 2 spoon fulls
• Chinese Pancake - for serving

Cook Time: 1 Hour    Prep time: 1 Hour (or less if you just want to eat! :) )

Start: 

1. Pour boiling water over Duck legs and thighs, discard water
2. Create glaze, boil 3 cups of water, honey, and soy sauce together and let cool. 
3. Coat Duck with watery glaze, paint over duck a couple times. I used a cooking brush and brushed the glaze over the duck 4-5 times within one hour until all glaze was used.
4. Cook Duck in oven on 375 degrees for 30 minutes with skin facing up, turn over and cook for another 15 minutes, then turn over again so skin is facing up and cook for another 15 minutes, or until skin is crispy. Let sit for a couple minutes before you serve.
5. Chop up Cucumber in thin strips
6. Chop Scallions
7. Make Sauce, boil then cool, Hoisin sauce, sugar and 1/4 water
8. Serve with Chinese pancakes or rice to keep it simple

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers !!

Ingredients:

Zucchini Flowers
Cheese - I used mozzarella. Feel free to get creative - goat cheese, ricotta cheese, cream cheese...
Pancetta - or bacon
Chives
Flour
Panko bread crumbs
Egg
Vegetable oil
Salt & Pepper
Pasley
Paprika

Start!

1. Fry the pancetta or bacon
2. In three bowls fill with some flour (seasoned with salt and pepper), beat an egg, and pour in some panko bread crumbs - season panko with parsley, salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika
3. Make the stuffing in a bowl with cheese, cooked pancetta or small pieces on bacon, and chopped chives
4. Stuff the Zucchini flowers with the cheese stuffing
5. Roll the stuffed zucchini flowers in the flour
6. Dip them in the egg, making sure they are covered by egg
7. Roll in seasoned panko bread crumbs
8. Place carefully in hot vegetable oil in a pan/pot on the stove
9. Turn frequently, once the balls of joy are golden brown, take them out and place on a paper towel.
10. Serve hot and enjoy!!! 

BBQ Short Ribs

BBQ Short Ribs!

Ingredients:

• Short Ribs
• Soy Sauce
• Ponzu or lime juice
• Garlic powder
• Pepper
• Brown Sugar

Start: 

1. The night before marinade the short ribs (or at least many hours before cooking)
2. In a strong bag put raw meat, lots of soy sauce, ponzu, and brown sugar
3. Sprinkle a good amount of pepper and garlic powder
4. Grill! They are perfect medium rare!

Beef and Vegetable Soup

Beef and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• beef shank with bone, bone marrow, and a decent amount of meat
• beer, one can
• garlic (lots)
• onion (1/2-full onion)
• shallots (2-3, optional)
• carrot (2-3)
• celery (3 or so stocks)
• zucchini (or other squash)
• okra (optional)
• tomatoes (1-3)
• apple (optional)
• mustard seeds
• celery seeds
• coriander
• sugar
• salt & pepper
• olive oil
• lemon juice (optional)
• orzo (or some sort of small grain, rice, barley, orzo or small pasta is the best)

 

Start: 

1. Brown the edges of the beef shank in a pan on the stove on low-medium heat in a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper
2. Chop up the garlic, onion, shallots, celery, and carrots
3. Put the beef shank into a crock pot
4. Pour a beer over the shank
5. Shake some of the seasoning over the beef; mustard sees, celery seeds, coriander, sugar, lemon juice, salt & pepper
6. Cover the rest of the beef shank with water
7. Cook in a crock pot on high for 4-5 hours or bring to a boil on the stove, then turn to a simmer
8. Wait until the meat falls off the bone and the first set of veggies are tender
9. Add the zucchini, okra, tomatoes, and apple for sweetness
10. Cook for another 1-2 hours until the second set of veggies are soft
11. Add more salt and sugar to taste
12. Boil some orzo on the side and add into individual bowls. (Do not store orzo or any grain with the soup! It will become mush!)
13. Serve Hot! Enjoy!

Chorizo Mexican Rice with Chicken Thighs

Chorizo Mexican Rice with Chicken Thighs

I love when meals work out like tonight's... I opened the fridge and saw boneless chicken thighs and chorizo bulk sausage. I knew I had rice so, I went for it!

Ingredients:

• Rice (brown or white, long grain)
• Chorizo sausage or bulk
• Boneless chicken thighs
• Frozen peas
• Lemon
• Capers
• Garlic cloves
• Garlic powder
• Shallot or onion
• Tomato paste
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil
• Cilantro (optional)

Start:

1. Cook rice in rice cooker or on the stove in a pot with two scoops of tomato paste, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
2. Place the chorizo and chicken thighs in the same large pan, no oil necessary, the juices from the chorizo will help cook the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. You can cover the meat with a pan top if you have one. Make sure to break up the sausage bulk and flip the chicken from time to time. 
3. While the rice is cooking, saute in olive oil the crushed garlic and chopped up onion or shallot (half of a medium size onion and a couple cloves of garlic).
4. Once the garlic and onion are browned, add a cup or so of peas, squeeze lemon over pan, salt and pepper to taste. Add a scoop of capers once peas are soft.
5. Once meat is fully cooked, remove the chicken thighs and drain 3/4 of the chorizo drippings out of the large pan.
6. When the rice is finished, join with the peas, garlic, and onion in the large pan of chorizo and mix together, salt & pepper one more time, squeeze more lemon on the Chorizo Mexican Rice. 
7. Plate your meal! Top the chicken with cilantro and serve next to a generous amount of the Chorizo Mexican Rice. 

Snack-Off | Ep. 19 | Late Night Snack and Cheetos- my episode!

Snack-Off | Ep. 19 | Late Night Snack and Cheetos: It's the cooking show for the rest of us! Using whatever random stuff is left in their kitchens, and one magical mystery munchie, three half-baked chefs compete for 1,000 dollars, and the mythical Golden Spork.

http://www.mtv.com/shows/snackoff/snack-off-ep-19-late-night-snack-and-cheetos/1734469/playlist/#id=1734469


my episode!

featuring mycookingisamazing.blogspot.com