Strawberry Cheesecake

This was the first time I've made this and I made it for my brother's birthday..it turned out great..and it's less fat..you can't even tell!

1/2 c plain graham crackers

1/2 c vanilla wafers

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tbsp butter or margarine

2 1/2 (8oz) pkgs fat free cream cheese

1/2 c sugar

1 1/2 tbsp flour

1/2 tbsp vanilla

1/2 c 1/3 less fat sour cream

2 eggs

handful of strawberries

Preheat oven to 325. line circle pan with foil wrapping over the sides. blend graham crackers and vanilla wafers into crumbs. put crumbs in a bowl with 3 tbsp sugar and butter (softened), mix. press into pan evenly to desired thickness..there will be leftovers (you don't want the crust to be too thick). bake 10 min.

beat cream cheese, 1/2 c sugar, flour, vanilla on medium speed. add sour cream and eggs on low speed. pour over crust evenly.

heat strawberries with about 1 tbsp of sugar, until soft, about 1 minute. blend until pureed.

drizzle puree in lines and cut through with a knife to make marble effect..or whatever design you want..I did a 25 for my brother for his birthday..it was fun

bake @ 325 for about 40-45 minutes

cool in same pan, cover with plastic wrap..for at least 4 hours..preferably overnight.

serve with remaining strawberry puree and/or fresh strawberries and whip cream!

Salsa

This salsa recipe I have tweaked here and there and have finally come up with the perfect combination.. at least to my liking!

Ingredients:

about 5 Roma tomatoes

1/2 can petite diced tomatoes (with the juice)

1/2 white onion

1/2 green onion

1 tbsp garlic salt

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp lime juice

(depending on spiciness):

1/4-1/2 jalapeno pepper

1/4 Anaheim chili pepper

1/2-3/4 bunch of cilantro

dice tomatoes and onions into tiny pieces. add 1/2 can of petite diced tomatoes along with the juice. add garlic salt, sugar, and lime juice..taste..if too strong, add more tomatoes from the can & juice. dice peppers into tiny pieces, add little by little..taste..then add more according to liking!

really it's that simple..although the cutting takes some time, but well worth it! I don't make any other salsa :) also.. sometimes I add a tiny bit of chopped fresh parsley..or even dried parsley!

hope you like it..

Please let me know if you try any of my recipes.. and tell me what you think or if you have any questions :)

Pork Chow Mein

Ingredients

• pork
• chow mein noodles
• cornstarch
• baking powder
• flour
• eggs
• salt & pepper
• sesame oil
• soy sauce
• oyster flavor sauce
• black vinegar
• garlic teriyaki sauce
• honey
• veggies: carrots, cabbage, edemame, broccoli
  

Batter:

about 1/4 c cornstarch, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 eggs.. (then add flour and water ..if needed..to make a good consistency.. not too runny, but not too thick) add a pinch of seasoning salt, salt & pepper.

dip pork in flour or cornstarch and then add to batter; coat evenly

add oil to pan and fry until lightly golden brown on both sides, with lid on..on med-high heat.

drain in a metal strainer (don't use paper towel)

Sauce:

add garlic teriyaki sauce and equal parts of: sesame oil, oyster flavor sauce, black vinegar, honey, & amount of 1/2 soy sauce

add fried pork to sauce and simmer on med-low heat covered

add oil to deep pan or wok, then add cooked noodles, sliced carrots, edemame, broccoli, and cut up cabbage.

with a strainer spoon add pork to noodles and sprinkle black sesame seed on top.. and voila!

(I made this recipe tonight as an experiment .. so you may have to play with it a little..enjoy!)

sorry the image isn't the best.. I didn't think to take a picture until I put the leftovers in a container!

Orzo Pesto Salad

This dish is a wonderful appetizer and/or side dish..great for occassions!

• 1 bag of orzo pasta about 1/2 jar classico pesto sauce/spread (more or less to your liking)
• olive oil
• apple cider vinegar
• red onion, green onion, parsley, cilantro
• feta cheese crumbles
  

chop the onions and fresh herbs, set aside. Cook the bag of orzo pasta with italian seasoning in the water..until al dente. drain and rinse in cold water. add the pesto sauce and mix.. start adding about 1:2 ratio of the olive oil and vinegar (1 being the vinegar and 2 the oil)..start with about a tablespoon and go from there to acheive the consistency and acidity you prefer. add the onions and herbs and mix in feta cheese crumbles

*store in fridge the night before a party and the flavors kick in even more! just make sure you check consistency to see if you need to add any more oil & vinegar.

(again I appologize I don't have exact measurements.. I invented this recipe just last week for Easter and wanted to see if everyone liked it before I wrote it down as a recipe)