Creamy Cheesecake with Pomegranate Topping

Creamy Cheesecake with Pomegranate Topping

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Cool the heat from your chile-spiked dish with a slice of this rich cheesecake. Fresh pomegranates in the topping make this a beautiful, unforgettable dessert. Recipe courtesy of Pomegranates.org, where you’ll find many more recipes featuring pomegranates.

Ingredients

Crust: 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 9, 5 X 2.5 crackers)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened


Filling:

2 8-ounce containers whipped cream cheese
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest

Topping:

Seeds from 2 pomegranates
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup pomegranate juice
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a 9-1/2 inch springform pan, place crust ingredients and with fingers, blend well. Press mixture evenly over bottom and 3/4 inch up side of pan.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat filling ingredients on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until cheesecake is just set in center. (Cake will continue to set as it cools.) Transfer cake in pan to a rack and cool, about 3 hours.

Place juice in a 1-cup liquid measure and add water. Sprinkle gelatin over pomegranate juice and let stand 1 minute to soften gelatin. Remove the seeds from the pomegranates.

Transfer gelatin mixture to a small saucepan. Add sugar and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture into a bowl and set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water, stirring mixture gently until it is cold and slightly thickened but not set. Stir in pomegranate seeds and spoon topping onto chilled cheesecake. Chill cake until topping is set, about 1 hour. Remove side of pan and serve chilled.

Heat scale: mild

California Stuffed Chiles

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Pomegranates go with green chile too, as demonstrated in this tasty twist on fresh avocado salad. This recipe (and many others) can be found on the “official” pomegranate industry website, www.pomegranates.org, along with the answers to deep existential questions such as “can you eat the seeds?”

Ingredients

4 fresh poblano chiles

4 tablespoons orange juice

1/4 cup lime juice

1 firm-ripe avocado

1 to 2 teapoons minced fresh jalapeño chile

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese

Salt

Instructions

In a 10 X 15-inch pan, broil poblano chiles 4-6 inches from heat, turning as needed, until skins blister and blacken, about 15-20 minutes.


When chiles cool, gently pull off and discard skin. Cut a lengthwise slit through one side of each chile. Gently scoop out and discard seeds and veins, leaving stems on. In a bowl, mix orange juice and lime juice. Peel and pit avocado, cut into 1/4-inch chunks and add to bowl. Add jalapeño chile, green onions, cilantro and pomegranate seeds. Stir gently. Add salt to taste.

Lay chiles on plates, slit side up. Spoon equal amounts of salad into each chile.

Sprinkle crumbled cheese evenly over top.

Serves 4

Heat scale: medium

Apple Stuffing for Pork Loin Roast

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Extra stuffing may be put in a buttered casserole dish and baked, covered, at 350 degrees F. for about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

3 cups prepared stuffing mix
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion (1 small onion)
1 tart apple (Granny Smith), cored and finely chopped
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Instructions

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the celery and onion; sauté for 5 minutes. Add the chopped apple and minced jalapeño; cook until the apple is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.

Prepare the stuffing according to package directions, substituting apple cider for an equal amount of water. Stir in the sautéed fruit mixture and stir to combine. Allow the stuffing mixture to cool completely. (The stuffing may be prepared 1 day ahead and held refrigerated.)

Yield: About 5 cups
Heat Scale: Mild

Spicy Papaya Salad

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

This recipe is the Thai equivalent to American coleslaw. It’s got a similar crunch, a similar freshness, but a lot of spice. Enjoy it on its own as a meal or along with your favorite curry.

Ingredients

Spicy Papaya Salad

1 green papaya, peeled, seeded, and shredded
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 ripe tomato or 5-6 cherry tomatoes, sliced
1-2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1 seeded and chopped Thai bird chili, jalapeño pepper, or fresh cayenne pepper
The juice of 1-2 limes, preferably key limes
Salt to taste

Optional:
1/2 cup crushed peanuts
1 Tbsp. garlic, thinly sliced

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients into a large serving bowl, toss, and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Serve topped with crushed peanuts and fresh garlic slices.

 

Smoked and Braised Lamb Shanks with Roasted Spring Vegetables

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Love the taste of lamb for Easter but don’t want to go to the bother of cooking a whole leg of lamb? This recipe combines stovetop smoking with slow cooking to produce fall-off-the-bone tender meat with a very rich, flavorful sauce. Although wonderful the day it is prepared, this entrée is even better after mellowing for a day. You’ll need a stovetop smoker and a slow cooker (alternatively, the lamb shanks could be braised in a 325 degree F oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours after being smoked). Serve with roasted spring vegetables (recipe follows) and garlic mashed potatoes. Smoke and braise extra shanks for a wonderful lamb stew.

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks (about 1 pound each)
1 tablespoon apple wood shavings
1 tablespoon hickory shavings
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large celery ribs, cleaned and chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat leaf parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 Tellicherry peppercorns
2 cups Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon
2 cups beef stock, homemade preferred
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Trim any exterior fat from the shanks and season them with salt and pepper.

Prepare the stovetop smoker by adding 2 tablespoons of wood chips (1 tablespoon of hickory and 1 tablespoon of apple) under the drip pan. Place the lamb shanks in the smoker and tent aluminum foil over the shanks. Leave one corner of the foil loose and heat the smoker over medium heat.

Once smoke begins to show, tightly seal the foil and smoke the shanks for 20 minutes. Remove smoker from the stovetop and place shanks on a plate.

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 lamb shanks and brown them on all sides until golden brown. Remove them to a plate and brown the other 2 lamb shanks. Transfer the shanks to the plate.

Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of drippings from the skillet. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the skillet and cook them, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, parsley, basil, oregano, peppercorns, wine, and stock; heat to boiling. Transfer the vegetables and liquid to a slow cooker set on high. Place the lamb shanks on top of the vegetables and cook, covered, for 4 to 6 hours on high or 9 to 10 hours on low. Remove the shanks and keep warm while finishing the sauce.

Strain the sauce through a fine mesh colander into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Allow sauce to reduce and thicken, about 15 minutes. (If desired, the sauce could be thickened with a cornstarch slurry.)

Yield: 4 servings