Mini Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

Ohhhhh, cookies and cream cupcakes - where have you been all my life?! If you enjoy eating Oreos - this recipe should not be missed. It literally tastes like an OREO cookie on steroids! I've always loved cookies and cream ice cream. Take a moment and think about this...cookies and cream in a cupcake form....O...M...G...!

The result? Um...amazing.  No really, like awesome, delicious, creamy, Oreo magic. As if these cupcakes weren't sinful enough, chopped Oreo cookies are mixed straight into the batter for a joyful surprise. Take one bite, close your eyes, and all is good in the world.

{Ingredients}  

42 Oreo cookies, 30 whole and 12 coarsely chopped

4 Packs of Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 cup Sugar

2 teaspoon Vanilla
4 Large Eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners. Place 1 cookie in the bottom of each cup and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high until smooth.  Add sugar and mix until combined. Add in vanilla.

Slowly pour in the eggs, mixing to incorporate and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt.  Fold in chopped cookies by hand.

Evenly divide batter among the muffin cups, filling each cup almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove from tins just before serving.

Store cupcakes in a sealed container in the fridge. For a fancier look, top with Cool Whip or whipped cream and garnish with a mini Oreo.

 

Happy Eating! 

Shrimp Alfredo

This is another classic, hearty and tasty Italian-styled dish. I first had shrimp alfredo in a restaurant many moons ago and totally loved it. It was comforting and delicious. I have made this dish a few dozen times and can never get tired of it plus it’s so easy and quick to prepare. Can’t go wrong with that right? Some people opt to leave out the alcohol that but I think a splash of white wine takes a flavor to another level.


 
{Ingredients}

• 1 pound dried or fresh fettucinne
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1.5 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Crusty Bread, for eating with

{Directions}

Cook the fettucinne in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots, garlic and pepper flakes and saute until tender. Add the shrimp, in a single layer and allow to cook on the first side for 3-4 minutes. Or until the edges turn pink. Give them a flip and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Once cooked transfer to a platter or plate, and allow to rest while you finish the sauce. Add heavy cream to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Return the pasta to the pot it was cooked in, set over medium-high heat along with the reserved cooking liquid. Add the butter-cream mixture, half of the Parmesan, the cooked shrimp and toss to combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and parsley. Serve immediately.

Happy Eating!

Saffron Lobster Risotto

Though lobster is often best enjoyed simply steamed with butter, there is something sumptuous about a creamy lobster risotto. That's because Arborio rice is cooked to perfection in flavorful broth, white wine, silky butter and aromatic fresh parsley only enhance the flavor of the succulent lobster meat.

There are three Italian varieties of rice that are generally considered to be best suited for risotto. Their plump, short- to medium-sized grains release just the right amount of starch as they are cooked and retain some firmness in the center. 

{Arborio rice} Is the most commonly used and widely available rice for making a very creamy risotto. You shouldn't overcook any kind of rice, but Arborio has a tendency to be less forgiving than the others and can get a little sticky. 

{Carnaroli Rice} Is often more expensive and considered by many to produce a better risotto. Like Arborio, it is creamy and rich, but it holds its shape better than Arborio, making it easier to avoid a gummy, overcooked texture.

{Vialone Nano} The stubbiest grain of the three, is favored in the Veneto region of Italy. It cooks up relatively quickly into a creamy risotto with a firm center. This is the hardest to find of the three.

Here's the thing about entertaining with risotto. If you have a kitchen that's out in the open or big enough where people can gather with you as you stir and add broth, it's actually a fine dish to serve to dinner guests. There's only one way you can really mess this up, and that's by starting to add the broth too soon and then finishing the dish before the guests even arrive.

{Ingredients}

• 2 Onions
• 1 Stick Butter
• Kosher Salt and Pepper
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 2 cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice
• 1/2 teaspoon Saffron, crumbled
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 6 cups warm Lobster Broth or Seafood (you can sub chicken broth)
• 3 1/2 cups cooked lobster meat, roughly chopped (I used 4 tails.)
• a Parsley, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Thyme, chopped
• 2 Tbsp Chives, chopped
• Fresh lemon juice from a wedge or two
• Spicy lobster mayonnaise (recipe follows)

In a heavy-bottomed pot, saute the onions in the butter, adding a little salt, until they are translucent, 5 minutes or so. Increase the heat and add the olive oil, rice, saffron, bay leaf, garlic, and a little more salt. Stir until the rice is sizzling and aromatic. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil (from this point, it will take 15 or 20 minutes to cook the rice).

Set the fire to keep the liquid at a brisk simmer. This is critical. If the flame is too low, the rice will become soggy; if is too high, the liquid will simply evaporate instead of being absorbed by the rice. You'll need to keep adjusting the heat to keep the risotto simmering correctly. Stirring occasionally, allow the broth to reduce almost completely, until  little sinkholes appear on the surface. Add another cup of broth and repeat. Adjust the seasoning with each addition of liquid. Add a final cup of broth and repeat. A little more salt, or more broth, may be required. When the rice is done, it should be just al dente and a bit soupy.

Just before serving, add the cooked lobster meat and season it with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the herbs and lemon juice over the lobster, then gently mix with a wooden spoon—avoid smashing the rice. Add a little more warm broth, so the risotto is easily spoonable. Serve the risotto in a warmed shallow soup plate, and pass a bowl of the spicy lobster mayonnaise, so each person can add a small spoonful.

Spicy Lobster Mayonnaise via A Platter of Figs
Tanis practically shamed me into making this from scratch. His words: "I believe it's important to make your own mayonnaise. It is not hard to do, and no matter how many cookbooks or food magazines recommend mayonnaise from a a jar as a good substitute, I strongly, vehemently disagree.

Here's the thing, guys. It's not hard to do. Does it take extra time, and will your arm hurt from whisking? Yes. OK, here's how Tanis says to do it:

Whisk two egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly stir in olive oil, a spoonful at a time, until an emulsion forms. As the sauce thickens, continue whisking and adding oil in a slow, steady stream.

When the mayonnaise is quite thick (you'll have used about a cup of oil at this point), thin with a teaspoon of broth or water. Season with salt, pepper, and a good pinch of ground red pepper, such as hot paprika. (I used crushed chili flakes.) Whisk in another 1/2 cup olive oil. Thin again, and adjust the seasoning. Add a few drops of lemon juice or red wine vinegar, and a little more broth or water. The finished mayo should be the texture of softly whipped cream.

How Do You Like Your Eggs?

 

The Egg; Full of quality protein, virtually carb-free, and packed with vitamins and minerals. In my opinion, eggs are one of the best resources to have in the kitchen. 

I wanted to share my thoughts and techniques on getting the most out of your dishes. They are so simple to prepare, yet they're constantly botched. Here are tips on preparing eggs in the most popular traditional ways: scrambled, fried, eggs in a basket, hard-boiled, and omelet.

{Scrambled}

Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add a splash half & half, kosher salt and pepper; whisk until the eggs look foamy and light. Heat a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter until it foams, then turn the heat down to low and slowly pour in the eggs. Add two tablespoons of shredded sharp cheddar. Using a heat resistant rubber spatula, slowly stir the eggs from the outside of the pan to the center. Once the eggs begin to set, stirring slowly will create large, cloud-like curds. This sounds easy but perfect scrambled eggs that are soft and custard-like with no brown color are a sign of a really good cook. This process takes about 10 minutes. 

 {Fried}

Place a small non-stick frying pan over the medium-low heat. Add two tbsp of butter and let slowly melt, when all the butter has melted, crack the egg into a small bowl, dish, or saucer (taking care not to break the yolk) Cook slowly until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slide rubber spatula under each egg and carefully flip it over. Cook second side to desired doneness. For a runny yolk another 2 minutes. 

{Shirred}

Butter 4 (6-ounce) creme brulee ramekins and lay 1 slice of ham in each ramekin so that it sits flat on the bottom. Crack 2 eggs into 2 separate small cups and pour simultaneously into 1 of the ramekins so that the eggs sit side by side on top of the ham slice. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining eggs. Place the 4 filled ramekins onto a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake until eggs are just beginning to set up and become opaque, 9 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and drizzle each ramekin with 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream and then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese over the top of each. Sprinkle the parsley and chives over the ramekins and then return to the oven. Cook until eggs are just set up but yolks are still runny, 10 to 12 minutes, or to desired degree of doneness.

{Egg in a Whole}

Cut a 2-inch round from the center of the bread, reserving the round. Melt a nut size bit of butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the slice of bread and the round in skillet and toast lightly, about 1 minute. Crack the egg into the hole and season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add remaining the rest of the butter as needed to brown and crisp the toast. Flip the egg and round, season with salt and pepper. Cook another 2 minutes for a runny yolk, or slightly longer for a set egg.

{Boiled}

Place eggs in a medium stock pot and cover them with cold water. Make sure the tops of the eggs are covered by at least an inch of water. Crowding the eggs risks cracking them. Bring the water to a full boil, uncovered, then turn off the heat and cover it. Let the pot stand untouched for 8 minutes. Remove the boiled eggs from the water and transfer them to a bowl of cold water for 2 minutes. Then either peel and serve or refrigerate.

{Omelet}

Crack eggs into a bowl, add salt and pepper blend with a fork. Heat a 10-inch nonstick  pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the butter once melted pour the eggs into the center of the pan and stir vigorously with a rubber spatula for 5 seconds. As soon as a semi-solid mass begins to form, lift the pan and move it around until the excess liquid pours off into the pan. Using your spatula, move it around the edge of the egg mixture to help shape into a round and loosen the edge. Let the omelet sit in the pan for 10 seconds without touching. 

Lift up the far edge of the pan and snap it back toward you. Add the toppings of your choice. Using your spatula, fold over. Slide the omelet onto a plate. Serve immediately.

Happy Eating!