Toasted Almond Cheesecake

This a great cheesecake. Just the right balance of sweet and creamy, without feeling too heavy. I got the recipe from: http://www.pastrywiz.com/dailyrecipes/recipes/200.htm

Crust:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted & chop fine
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed (I used Splenda)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (room temp)

Filling:
24 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used low fat)
14 oz can condensed milk
3 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 325. Spray 9-inch springform pan.

Combine graham crumbs, nuts, sugar, and butter, press firmly on bottom of pan.

In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed
milk until smooth. Add eggs and extract. Pour into pan.

Bake 325 for one hour. Turn off oven and leave inside for 1 hour. Do not open oven door!!

Top with toasted almonds and chill overnight.

Notes: I would add the toasted almonds as soon as the cheesecake is done cooking to help it stick. We served it plain and it was delic. I could see serving with a hot berry sauce. Presentation is beautiful. I also saw a similar recipe where they lined a cookie sheet with foil and cut the cheesecake into squares. They poured caramel desert topping on top sprinkled with nuts. I could also see shaved chocolate. I would definitely make this again.

Future note: I made this again and this time only used 16oz cream cheese and a can of pumpkin and no almond extract. I also wound up doubling the crust ingredients (only a pinch of Splenda). It came out divine and looked so professional. Someone said they thought it was from The Cheesecake Factory. This is a winner and so easy to make.

Easy Crockpot Brisket/Roast

Doesn't get easier then this. This is my absolute favorite crock pot recipe!

1. place brisket/roast in crockpot

2. mix envelope of onion soup and 1/2 cup water; pour over roast*

3. cook on low for 7 hours

That is all the ingredients!!! Place your beef in the crockpot fat side down. Serve with potatoes and steamed carrots!

Check out www.justslowcooking.com for more recipes.

*Note: If you don't have an onion soup mix, I used seasonings like onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, paprika.

Plum-Spiced Brisket
A bit different than the traditional recipe for brisket, but one that introduces more flavor and tender meat.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 1/2 pounds beef brisket, trimmed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 cans beef broth
2 cups finely chopped dried plums
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Heat the sesame oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown in the heated oil. Add the remaining ingredients and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and cook for four hours, turning the brisket once every hour. Serve brisket with the cooking liquid

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/recipes/beef-brisket-chanukah-hannukah#ixzz0ZgXXVpU2

From a Jewish calendar
brisket
1-3/4 cup chicken broth
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 T sugar
1 T all-purpose flour
2 tsp instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp thyme

Chicken Parmesan (Crockpot)

Thanks to "A year of slow cooking" for this Chicken Parmesan recipe.

The Ingredients:
--2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

--1/2 cup bread crumbs

--1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

--1/2 t Italian Seasoning

--1/4 t black pepper

--1/4 t kosher salt

--1 T olive oil

--1 beaten egg

--sliced mozzarella cheese

--favorite jarred marinara sauce
(we used Paul Newman's marinara sauce which was really nice)

The Directions:

--spread the 1 T of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot stoneware insert

--whip the egg with a fork in a separate bowl

--mix bread crumbs, seasonings and Parmesan cheese in a separate dish

--dip the chicken into the egg, then bread crumbs, coating both sides

--place the chicken breast pieces in the bottom of the crock

--layer slices of mozzarella cheese on top

--cover with entire jar of marinara sauce

--close lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4.
If your chicken is still frozen, it will take longer.

Serve over your favorite pasta. Also served with steamed carrots.

The Verdict.

This tasted great, was really easy, and presented well. This is definitely a dish you can serve to company without hesitation.

Sweet Potato Wedges

(from Vegetarian Times)
3-1/2 lb sweet potatoes
3 T olive oil
1-1/2 t chili powder
1-1/2 t soy sauce
salt
1 T chopped rosemary

1. preheat oven 450 degrees
2. line baking sheets with foil
3. halve potatoes crosswise, then lengthwise, then each half into 4 sticks
4. mix oil, chili and soy sauce and drizzle over potatoes, toss to coat.
5. place potatoes skin side down in one layer on sheet. Sprinkle with salt.
6. cook 12 min, turn over and roast 8-12 min more until tender. Add salt and rosemary.

Breaded Chicken

We started a hump day family dinner night. I had leftover chicken, and by pounding it and breading it, the chicken stretched to feed all of us. And yummy. Even the girls liked it.

Ingredients
Skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 egg
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Italian-style bread crumbs (bread crumbs, oregano, basil, black pepper)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried onions

Directions
Preheat over to 375F and spray baking dish.
Pound chicken breast.
Beat egg and add a little water.
Mix dry ingredients together.
Dip chicken in egg mix, then dip in crumb mixture until well covered.
Bake about 20 - 30 minutes until cooked thoroughly.

Serve with spaghetti and sauce. Sprinkle top with Parmesan.

From the recipe Spark Recipes for Breaded Chicken Parmesan