Author Archives: patty

The Best Cheesecake Made for Grandma

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SERVINGS12 servings PREP TIME9 hrs 30 mins COOK TIME1 hr 15 mins TOTAL TIME10 hrs 45 mins

Ingredients

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

For the Cheesecake Filling:

  • ▢ 40 ounces cream cheese at room temperature (5-8 oz. packages; 2 1/2 lbs total)
  • ▢ 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • ▢ 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature
  • ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ▢ 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • ▢ any desired cheesecake toppings

Instructions

  • Place oven racks in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a medium sized bowl, stir graham cracker crumbs together with sugar and melted butter until well incorporated and mixture looks like damp sand. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press crust into the bottom and half way up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
  • In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix cream cheese 30 seconds ’til smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and add in granulated sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Mix again until incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again briefly.
  • Crack eggs into a liquid measuring cup and using a fork, beat until well scrambled. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the eggs into the cream cheese mixture and stop stirring once egg has been incorporated. Remove bowl from mixer and scrape the sides and bottom again, ensuring the entire mixture is smooth. If there are a few small lumps, try to fold in using the rubber scraper.
  • Once the batter is completely smooth and ready, tap the bowl on the counter for 30-45 seconds to remove as many air bubbles as possible. You should see them popping on the surface as you tap the bowl. Pour filling into the center of the graham cracker crust and gently smooth the top. Will be very full!
  • Bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Reduce temperature to 250 degrees and continue cooking for 45 minutes more. Once this time has elapsed, turn oven off and keep cheesecake inside for another 30 minutes for some carryover cooking without opening the oven door. Crack oven door to let cheesecake cool slowly for one hour before removing. At this point, cheesecake should be slightly warm. Bring cheesecake to room temperature on the counter (3-4 hours) before covering with plastic wrap and transferring to the fridge.
  • Refrigerate until chilled completely (6 hours to overnight). To serve, open springform pan and remove collar. Decorate as desired.  Dip a sharp knife into hot water, wipe off any excess water and slice. I like to dip my knife in water between each slice to get really clean-looking pieces.

Notes

If you would like a thicker graham cracker crust, use 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, 5 tablespoons granulated sugar and 6 tablespoons melted butter. Press into the pan and bake for 8 minutes.

Sunny’s Butter Chicken

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Ingredients

Marinade:

1 cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoon chili powder 

2 tablespoon ground cumin 

2 tablespoon turmeric 

2 tablespoon garam masala 

2 tablespoon hot Hungarian paprika 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch sections 

4 tablespoons salted butter 

Sauce:

1/2 cup crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon sugar 

2 frozen ginger pods (or 2 inches ginger, grated) 

2 frozen garlic pods (or 2 cloves garlic, grated) 

3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Serving:

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more to garnish 2 cups cooked basmati rice 

Directions

  1. For the marinade: In a bowl, add the yogurt, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, paprika, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir until everything is one color. Scoop half into a large resealable bag and add the chicken. Leave on the counter at room temperature for 2 hours. Cover the remaining marinade and place into refrigerator.
  2. To cook the chicken: In a large pan with straight sides on medium-high heat, add the butter and then the chicken chunks from the bag, discarding the marinade. Cook, turning, until some parts are browned but most are still white, about 8 minutes.
  3. For the sauce. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, ginger and garlic to the pan. Things should be bubbly and hot. Stir to marry everything and when the pan smells like garlic and ginger, add the heavy cream and stir again until everything is the same color. Add in the remaining marinade from the refrigerator. Partially cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes.
  4. For serving: Stir in the cilantro and serve over rice with another sprinkle of cilantro.

Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli

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Ingredients 
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 1 large white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 2 (15 1/2–ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or navy, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 dried or fresh bay leaf
  • 1 Parmesan rind
  • 8 ounce small pasta, such as ditalini, shells, or elbow macaroni
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
  • Grated Parmesan, for serving
  • Good Italian bread, for serving (optional)
Directions
  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic, and sauté until aromatic and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Scrape mixture into slow-cooker insert. Alternatively, you can skip this step and add all ingredients (including the oil) into the slow cooker—you won’t get as much depth of flavor, but ultimately it will all be fine and taste great.
  2. Dump tomatoes into a medium bowl, then use your hands to break them into uneven pieces. Add to the slow cooker. Stir beans, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind into the slow cooker. Season with more salt and pepper. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 5 hours.
  3. Remove Parm rind and season with more salt and pepper. If you’re not planning to finish all the soup tonight, cook the pasta separately in a medium pot of salted water according to the package directions until just al dente, even a little under. Scoop 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked pasta into each serving bowl, then ladle the soup over. (Store leftover pasta separately from leftover soup—this prevents the pasta from turning into mush as you eat leftovers.) If planning to finish all the soup tonight, stir dry pasta directly into the soup, then cook for another 15 minutes.
  4. Serve with parsley, grated Parm, and bread.