Cheesecake Bites

Simple, delicious, cheesecake bites! I'm such a fan of this cheesecake reciepe because it requires few ingredients, it's easy to make, and it's delicious every time!

Classic Cheesecake Bites

Ingredients:

• 1) 8 oz. Package Cream Cheese

• 1/3 Cup Sugar

• 1/2 t. Lemon Juice

• 1 Egg

• 2 Graham Crackers

• 1 T. Softened Butter

How To: 

• Using a mixer, cream together cream cheese + sugar 

• Add lemon juice + egg, mix until well blended 

• Slowly add butter + mix well

• In a ziplock bag, crush up graham crackers 

• Place cupcake liners in muffin pan, spoon a layer of crushed graham crackers in liners 

• Spoon cheese mix on top of graham crackers 

• Place tin in preheated 375 oven 

• Bake 11-14 mins (it took 17 mins in my oven) 

• Refrigerate + serve chilled

• Top with fresh fruit, chocolate, caramel or whatever your heart desires! 

(I made a strawberry/sugar mix to top mine) 

There's such a nice light balance with the sweetness + slight lemon taste, and the consistency of this dessert is heavenly! Definitely one of my favorite desserts to make, hope you enjoy it as much as I do! 

Until next time friends, cheers!

<3 Noonie

Creamy Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Fettuccine

I don't recall where I originally was inspired to try to make this dish, but I found this recipe + it sounded so delicious I knew I had to make it! I made it my goal as part of my MOTW|Ed 3 to try this recipe this week + that's exactly what I did. I've never made any sauce from scratch so I was pretty excited to try my hand at this recipe, which turned out delicious + super easy to make! The sauce has a perfect balance between the lemon + garlic, neither of them overpowering the other, but rather complementing each other perfectly. I've been craving shrimp lately, so although the original recipe I looked at didn't call for shrimp I decided to add some in + it was so. damn. goood. Because the sauce does have so much flavor + is somewhat rich, eating it as is without any meat would be just as delicious. Below is the recipe as I found it, however I do have some other notes as to what I did differently which can be found at the bottom.

Let's get down to business...

Ingredients:

Garnishment:

* 3 t. Lemon peel, grated

* 2 t. Fresh parsley, minced

* 2 Garlic cloves, minced

Sauce:

* 1/4 C. Butter

* 1 Small onion, chopped

* 2 Garlic cloves, minced

* 1 t. Lemon peel, grated

* 1/2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream

* 1/2 t. Salt

* 1/8 t. Pepper

* 4 oz. Cream cheese, cubed

* 2 T. Lemon juice

* 2 Tomatoes, diced

* 2 t. Fresh parsley, minced

* Parmesan Cheese, grated

* Fettuccine Noodles

How To:

* Mix garnishment set aside, + start your Fettuccine noodles.

* In a large skillet over medium high heat melt the butter. 

* Add onion + cook 3-4 mins until tender.

* Add garlic + lemon peel.

* Slowly stir in heavy cream, salt + pepper.

* Whisk in cream cheese + stir until melted.

* Remove sauce from heat + let it cool slightly.

* Add in lemon juice

* Add pasta, tomatoes + parsley to the sauce + toss to coat.

* Serve immediately, top with garnishment + Parmesan cheese.

* Enjoy! :)

Notes: 

* Like I said I added shrimp to my pasta. I just bought a 40-60 count bag of frozen cooked shrimp, defrosted it + then warmed up the shrimp in a skillet with a few spoonfuls of the sauce + some water.

* I opted to omit the tomatoes since I wanted more of a lemon garlic flavor. I also didn't include the lemon peel which I don't think really played in a big factor, my pasta still had a nice zesty lemon flavor from the lemon juice alone. 

* I love a ton of sauce on my pasta so next time I make this I think I may double the sauce recipe, I got about 3 servings out of the recipe as it is. 

* I didn't toss my pasta in the sauce like the recipe calls for, however I do wish I had as it is a very thick sauce + would be best tossed rather than ladled onto the pasta. 

I can't say enough good things about this recipe, it was that delicious! Definitely putting this one down in the recipe book + can't wait to make it again! Next time I might try making it with chicken + maybe I'll add broccoli to it :) There are just so many combinations that would be so good with this sauce, I'll go do some experimenting + get back to ya.

Until next time friends...Cheers!!

<3 Noonie

Lemon Fennel Quinoarotto

Risotto, Risotto, Risotto, I love you!

So creamy, flavorful, filing, inventive, variety.... Need I go on? 

Risotto is often my go to "lazy chef" dinner, which usually gets the leftovers of whatever veggies I have around, and tonight was no exception.

I had a bunch of fennel and scallions and was trying to figure out how to use them all up; and while I usually create a more hearty risotto I figured this one would be a bit more "spring like" and boy it was! In the corse of my research I found a few people who'd made risotto with quinoa, and conveniently I had more quinoa than I had rice.... So this was an obvious experiment that had to happen.

This dish is going to be one of my go-tos from now on! I've already made it 2x this week. Yum yum yum!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Quinoa

1/4 bulb sliced Fennel

2 Scallion stalks

1/4 Lemon juice

Salt

Olive oil

Directions:
1. In a small pot sauté scallions + fennel in olive oil (10 minutes)
2. Add 1/4 cup quinoa, a little salt, + 1/4 cup water into pot and turn on high. When it begins to boil place the lid on top and reduce to a simmer. Set your timer for 15 minutes
3. Add water as needed (1/8-1/4 cup), stir, and set timer for 15 minutes.
4. The quinoa should be fully cooked (but if not repeat the water + another 10-15 minutes), add the juice of your lemon + olive oil + salt; stir + serve.

Serving: 1 portion
Tips: If you want it more lemon-y add the lemon juice earlier +/or add some lemon zest

Enjoy

-Nelli