{Easy} Lemon Cheesecake Tarts

On the Menu Today~
{Easy} Lemon Cheesecake Tarts

Need a 'sweet treat' to bring to a party, work or a potluck?
Then Easy Lemon Cheesecake Tarts are just what your looking for.
Made with convenient, store bought ingredients,
they are fast, easy to prepare and delicious too.

A tart is a pastry crust with shallow sides, a filling and no top crust.
It's typically made in a tart pan.
The filling can be sweet such as fruit or a sweet custard.
It can be savory like meat, cheese or a savory custard.
Depending on the type of tart,
the pastry shell can be baked and
then filled or filled and then baked.
Tarts can be bite-size and often served as hors d'oeuvre or
individual size, sometimes called tartlets.
They can be used as appetizers, entrees or desserts

Easy Lemon Cheesecake Tarts are made with:
Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Sheets,
Philadelphia "Ready to Eat" Cheesecake Filling,
(you don't even have to cook this yummy stuff) and
Wilderness Lemon Pie Filling.
You can use cherry or blueberry pie filling too.
Talk about Easy!

Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Cups or
Shells can be used in place of the puff pastry sheets.
Garnish these tarts with a spring of fresh mint if desired.
Get the recipe here!

Bacon Wrapped Cheese Filled Hot Dogs

On the Menu Today~
Bacon Wrapped Cheese Filled Hot Dogs

Bacon Wrapped Cheese Filled Hot Dogs

Bun-length, all-beef hot dogs,
stuffed with pepper jack cheese,
wrapped in bacon and baked at 425º
for 30 minutes. Perfection!

Bacon Wrapped Cheese Filled Hot Dogs

Bacon Wrapped Cheese Filled Hot Dogs
are so delicious, you won't even need a bun~

Serve Bacon Wrapped Cheese Filled Hot Dogs
with warmed BBQ sauce for an extra layer of yum!
Get the recipe here!

Hawaiian-Style Baked Beans

On the Menu Today~
Hawaiian-Style Baked Beans

Summer just isn't summer without some sort of baked beans on the menu.
Made with great northern beans, smoked ham hocks,
crushed pineapple and the star of the show;
Sweet Baby Ray's {New} Hawaiian Style BBQ Sauce!

Sweet, Smokey and Delicious~

Get the recipe here!

Smoked Ham Hocks with Black Beans

On the Menu Today~
Smoked Ham Hocks with Black Beans Or
Brazilian Feijoada~

Believe it or not, this recipe was inspired by my calendar.
That's right, my calendar, the month of June to be exact.

Smoked Ham Hocks with Black Beans

What is Feijoada? (I found two definitions)
1. Feijoada pronounced [fay-ZWAH-da] or [fey-jwah-duh]
Is a delicious, traditional, Brazilian stew made of pork and black beans and
is traditionally served over rice with a side of fresh greens and orange slices
2. Feijoada pronounced [fay-ZHWAH-duh]
Brazil's most famous regional dish, feijoada is an assortment platter of thinly sliced meats,
such as sausages, pigs feet and ears, beef and smoked tongue accompanied by side dishes of
rice, black beans, shredded kale or collard greens, hearts of palm, orange slices and hot peppers.

We served this delicious 'stew' over rice for a hearty meal.
Brazilian Cheese Rolls and Feijoada are meant for each  other~

Get the recipe here!

Sautèed Balsamic Steak-Cut Mushrooms

On the Menu Today~

Sautèed Balsamic Steak-Cut Mushrooms

Sautèed Balsamic Steak-Cut Mushrooms are extra thick,

large sliced mushrooms that are sauteed in a mixture of butter,

oil and balsamic vinegar.

Montreal seasoning and sea salt adds just the right spice. 

Perfect served over grilled steak or grilled chicken breast.

Heck, they're great spooned over a grilled thick hamburger.

Sautèed Balsamic Steak-Cut Mushrooms 

are fast, easy and delicious. 

The perfect addition to any meal.

A Word About Mushrooms~
There are literally thousands of varieties of mushrooms.
Sizes and shapes vary tremendously and colors range from
white to black with a full range of colors in between.
The cap's texture can be smooth, pitted, honeycombed or ruffled.
Flavors range from bland to rich, nutty and earthy.
The cultivated mushroom, such as the white button mushroom, 
is what's commonly found in most supermarkets.
The more exotic, wild mushrooms are becoming more widely found and used.
Wild mushrooms such as chanterelle, enoki, morel, and shitake.
*Use extreme caution when forging for wild mushrooms, many are poisonous* 

Mushrooms are also available canned, frozen or freeze-dried and dried.
Canned mushrooms are available in several forms including whole,
chopped, sliced and caps only.
Dried mushrooms are available either whole, in slices, bits and/or pieces.

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A Word About Balsamic Vinegar~
Balsamic Vinegar [bal-SAH-mihk]
Italian Balsamic Vinegar is made in and around the areas of Modena and Reggio-Emilia. It's produced from white Trebbiaano grapes, the must of which is cooked and concentrated until deep, dark and rich. The vinegar continues to gain its dark color and pungent sweetness from a lengthy period of aging in barrels of various woods, such as chestnut, juniper and mulberry and in graduating sizes, from larger to smaller as the vinegar ages over a period of years. Many balsamic vinegars contain sulfites, which are added to inhibit the growth of unfavorable, flavor-detracting bacteria. 

Balsamic Vinegar ranges in age from young (3 to 5 years), to middle-aged (6 to 12 years), to the noble older versions, which can range from 12 years to over 100 years old. By law, a vinegar labeled
aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena must have been wood-aged for a minimum of 12 years. The word stravecchio on the label tells you the balsamic's been aged at least 25 years. Older, high-quality balsamics are sometimes used as an Aperitif or Digestif.

Get the recipe here!

Goat Cheese, Spinach and Black Forest Ham Panini

On the Menu Today~
Goat Cheese, Spinach and Black Forest Schinken Panini

Panino; pl Panini [pah-NEE-noh; pah-NEE-nee]
Italian for "small bread" referring to a sandwich or roll.

Schwarzwald ("Black Forest") Ham is super delicious.
Black Forest Schinken is the authentic German answer to Italian prosciutto,
made in the picturesque Black Forest, following traditional family recipes.
Produced with carefully selected pork meat, hand salted and
seasoned with various, authentic spices.

It is cured for several weeks and
smoked with Black Forest fir tree wood.
Most Schinken is allowed to cure for 12 weeks but
many German companies allow the Schinken to cure much longer,
resulting in a superior Schinken of the highest quality.
Black Forest Schinken is deliciously smokey with an enticing aroma.

Get the recipe here!

Brazilian Cheese Bread

On the Menu Today~
Pão de queijo or
Brazilian Cheese Bread

Pão de queijo are basically a slightly bigger version of French gougéres,
French gougéres [goo-ZHEHR]
is choux pastry that is piped into a ring or ball shape before being bake.
We have made gougéres many times here on Turnips 2 Tangerines.
Gougéres can be served hot or cold as an hors d'oeuvre or snack.

Brazilian Cheese Bread

Like gougére, the dough for pão de queijo starts on the stovetop,
eggs are beaten into the dough, one at a time and
the end result is delicious, crispy, cheesy, hollow puffs
The biggest difference between the two is the flour.
Pão de queijo are made with sour cassava flour or tapioca flour.
Gougéres are made with all-purpose flour.

Pão de queijo are chewier and more bread-like than their gougére cousins,
which makes them perfect to dunk into feijoada, Brazil's most famous regional dish.
Pão de queijo have a mild cheesy flavor,
thanks to the addition of shredded/grated queso fresco cheese.

Both gougéres and pão de queijo are easy to prepare, delicious and
quite frankly, should be prepared more often, like everyday!

Brazilian Cheese Bread

*A word about tapioca flour.*
If you have never used tapioca flour before you are in for a real surprise.
Tapioca flour turns into a gelatinous, sticky, paste-like mess.
It looks more like something you'd use for your kids art projects than
something your going to add cheese too, bake and then eat!
But rest assured, this stuff makes the best cheese rolls you'll ever eat.


Get the recipe here!

Chocolate Caramel Layer Bars #SundaySupper

On the Menu Today~

Caramel Chocolate Layer Bars
#SundaySupper Movement
Today's Event is hosted by:
Christie Campbell from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

I found this recipe in an old church cookbook that was from the 1950's.

I bought the spiraled bound recipe book at a thrift store for 10 cents.
I'm sure you have seen this type of cookbook before....
In fact you might even own a couple yourself,
they were and still are often used as a way to raise money,
for schools, churches and organizations.
The monies raised usually stays in the community and
is used for many wonderful causes.
This cookbook is a collection of recipes from:
St. Mary's Catholic Church Cookbook, Volume 2.

I'm always a little hesitant about making recipes from old cookbooks...
I never know if all the ingredients are listed,
if the measurements are correct or
if the ingredient list is compatible to today's ingredients.
Hence the reason for the Recipe Note below.

Recipe Note:
When I made this recipe,
my cake mix mixture wasn't crumbly.
The recipe stated to combine together the dry cake mix,
melted butter, evaporated milk and chopped pecans.
Stir until dough 'holds' together.
The recipe then states to 'press' half of the dough into pan.
At the end of the recipe, it says to 'crumble' remaining dough over caramel layer.

My 'dough' was more like a brownie batter and not at all crumbly,
which meant we had to change the directions slightly.
Recipe Direction Change~

Spread 3/4 of the batter into the greased pan and
bake for 8 minutes, removed from oven and
immediately sprinkled the chocolate chips over the baked crust,
drizzle the caramel sauce over the chocolate chips and
drop the remaining batter, by spoonfuls over the top.
Other than that slight hiccup,
these chocolate caramel layer bars turned out fantastic.
We are big caramel fans, so these bars didn't last long~

German chocolate cake mix, melted caramels, chopped pecans and
chocolate chips turned into an irresistible, candy-bar like treat,
that your whole family will love.
Next time you see an old spiral bound cookbook at a thrift store,
pick it up and see what delicious recipes you can make.....

Get the recipe here!

Lavender in the Kitchen

On the Menu Today~

Lavender in the Kitchen

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Lavender is historically known as the "herb of love," lavender is a relative of mint.
This aromatic plant has violet flowers and green or pale gray leaves both of which
add a pleasant pungency to salad, rubs for poultry and fish,
and in spice blends, such as herbs de provence. The leaves can also be used to
make tea. You can find culinary lavender in natural food stores and 
in some produce sections of larger grocery store.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

The Largest Lavender Farm,
in the Midwest, calls Washington Island, 
located in Door County WI, home.

Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm and Shop  currently has over 16,000 plants and 48
different varieties of lavender growing, including white and pink lavender. More than
5,000 people come for the lavender festival alone in late July.

This fragrant, easy-growing herb is famous for scenting soap and
long ago in sachet pouches, to scent dresser drawers. 
When used with a light touch,
lavender adds a sweet, almost rosemary-like flavor to summer recipes.

Harvest lavender flowers before they are fully open. 
Hang stems upside down in a dark area. 
Remove buds when dry and
use in a variety of ways.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Beneath lavender's sweet facade is a tough,

drought-tolerant perennial that is every gardener's' dream. 
Silvery foliage extents the beauty long after flowering.

Lavender is most famously cultivated in sweeping fields in the South of France, 
where it turns the summer landscape into a patchwork of purple. 
But you don't have to travel to Provence France to enjoy lavender.

Photo Credit: Turnips 2 Tangerines

English lavenders are the hardiest (Zones 5-9) 

and are the earliest to bloom, 
with dark blue or purple flowers. 
Lavandin types are hybrids of English lavender, 
prized for their long stems and intensely fragrant flowers. 

French lavender has narrow, serrated leaves. 
Flowers emit a camphor-like fragrance. 
French and Spanish lavender,
sport distinctive flourishes of petals that resemble tiny butterflies at the tops of flowers. 
Both Spanish and French types are tender perennials, hardy in Zones 7-9. 
They also tolerate humidity, making them good picks for Southern gardens.

Photo Credit: Turnips 2 Tangerines

Heat-loving lavender prefers well-drained soil,
in a spot that receives eight hours of full sun each day. 
A light-color mulch of gravel or oyster shells 
gives a reflective boost to these sun seekers.
It also drains moisture, a common cause of crown rot away from the bases of plants. 

Combine lavender with other drought-tolerant species,
such as yarrow, coreopsis, and coneflower, 
that don't require regular watering once established. 
There's no need to fertilize,
as these tough plants do best in lean soil. 
Remove deadwood in early spring and 
shape after flowering by shearing back new growth by a third.

Photo Credit: Turnips 2 Tangerines

From small to tall, 

there are more than 450 varieties of lavender.

Here are some popular varieties:

'GROSSO' This French type is one of the most fragrant. Tall stems are dramatic in bouquets.

'HANA ALBA' Pure white flowers on this dwarf English type appear luminescent in pots.

'LULLABY BLUE' Compact plants bear tall flower spikes in midsummer. Try this sweet-scented, English species in a big pot on patio.

'IMPERIAL GEM' Clusters of lasting deep blue flowers in midsummer make this English lavender a top choice for fresh and dried flower arrangements. 

'MADRID BLUE' An early-blooming Spanish type, with perky white tuffs over purple-blue flowers.

'OTTO QUAST' Another Spanish-type with tidy, gray-green foliage and a top hat of winged petals. Snip back after flowering for rebloom.

Get the recipe here!

Rose Petal Jam

On the Menu Today~
Rose Petal Jam~

This delicately perfumed jam is beautiful on
lightly buttered, toasted brioche or
stir some into plain Greek yogurt or
spoon Rose Petal Jam over goat cheese and
serve on buttery crackers.
Heavenly~

Rose Petal Jam spooned over Greek Yogurt

Rose Petal Jam spooned over Greek Yogurt

Get the recipe here!

Polish Reuben Casserole with Homemade Marble Rye Croutons

On the Menu Today~
Polish Reuben Casserole with
Homemade Marble Rye Croutons

Polish Reuben Casserole

Polish Reuben Casserole is our version of the Classic Reuben Sandwich.....
only we it made into a casserole instead of a sandwich.
Smoked Polish sausage, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese are used.
Medium noodles replace the rye bread and
homemade marble rye croutons top the casserole.
Cream of mushroom soup is used in place of the thousand island dressing.

 A different yet delicious casserole the whole family will enjoy.

Polish Reuben Casserole is topped with homemade marble rye croutons and
then the croutons are dotted with butter.......
You can probably see by the pictures,
that I forgot to top the casserole with the marble rye croutons.
Dang it all!
Have you ever done that? Forgot to add something?
I made the croutons but forgot to put them on top of the casserole....shoot!
The casserole was still great without the croutons but
adding the homemade marble rye croutons definitely adds that extra yum to the dish.
So make your marble rye croutons first then make the casserole.
This way you won't forget to cover the top of the casserole with the marble rye croutons,
which in my opinion really makes this casserole extra special.

Get the recipe here!

Chicken Empanada

On the Menu~
Chicken Empanadas

Stuffed Chicken Empanadas

Empanada [em-pah-NAH-dah;  em-pah-NAH-thah]
Empanar is Spanish for "to bake in pastry."
These Mexican and Spanish specialties are usually single-serving Turnovers,
with a pasrty crust and savory meat and/or vegetable filling.
They can also be filled with fruit and served as a dessert.
Empanadas range in size from the huge empanada gallega, 
large enough to feed an entire family to empanaditas-tiny, ravioli-size pastries.

Empanadas are a great way to use left-over meat and vegetables.
The possibilities and combinations are endless.
We used a package of refrigerated piecrusts for convenience but
you can easily make your own crust.

Get the recipe here!

Red, White and Blue Cupcakes

On the Menu Today~

Red, White and Blue Cupcakes

Get the recipe here!