A Little Bit of Both: Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries and Turtle Brownie Bites

A few weeks ago, I was asked to bring a dessert-type thing to a NYE party, I found it difficult to decide what to bring.  Should I bring a decadent chocolate dessert or a lighter, fruit-based choice?  Should I make something that requires a plate and fork or finger food?  I did not have time to bake the day of the event, so whatever I chose would need to be simple enough to assemble in a couple of hours.

After spending far too long researching what to bring, I thought of the big family dinners we had growing up - these events always included a choice of two or more desserts.  When us kids were asked which selection we preferred, we promptly declared,"A little bit of both."   I had my inspiration:  I would assemble a platter with a little bit of both:  Cheesecake-Filled Strawberries and Mini Turtle Brownie Bites.  

Recipes abound on the Internet and Pinterest for both of these items.  Some recipes call for making your own components, others employ a mixture of those which are store-bought and homemade.  I did not have the time to make my own cheesecake, caramel or ganache - I was going semi-homemade.  While I spent a bit more money in the store, I saved myself the time and hassle of cooking and cleaning all afternoon.  

Keep reading to see how my husband and I assembled a yummy tray of elegant small bites that was a big hit at the cocktail party:

Cheesecake Filled Strawberries

Ingredients:

• Strawberries, washed well
  Note:  The big, dipping strawberries were not available, so I used the largest I could find the day of the event.
• Cheesecake
• Graham Crackers - about 4 squares, crushed

General How-To:

• I rinsed the strawberries well and patted them dry. 

Rinse the berries really well.

• Next, I removed any remnant of stem so the berries sat flat on the leaves.  Some recipes advise to remove both the stem and leaves before hulling the berries. My berries were not huge to begin with, so I used the stem as the base of the bite, and removed only the remnants of the stem and left the leaves.   After I sliced the end of each berry (using a paring knife) and removed the cavity, I placed all the cuttings in a bowl for future use. 

Slice the bottom of the berry off...

And remove a cavity from the berry.

• Once my berries were prepped, I addressed the cheesecake filling.  I originally planned to make my own cake.  But then I took my husband grocery shopping. He suggested that we just buy the cheesecake, rather than spend time making the filling from scratch.  After all,  I really only needed the guts of the cake.  We purchased a small, NYC-style cheesecake (without a crust) in the bakery department.

Store-bought, NYC-style, crust-less cheesecake

• To prepare the cheesecake filling, I sliced off the hardened top of the cake, placed the rest of the cake in a bowl, and then used a spatula to mix it all together until it had a creamy consistency.

Cheesecake turned into filling

• I placed a piping tip into the corner of a gallon-sized plastic bag and then filled the bag with my cheesecake mixture.    

Fold sides of the bag down to ease the process, scoop filling and fill your bag.

• Once all the cheesecake mixture was in the bag, I snipped the corner and squeezed the mixture into the the corner.

Cheesecake filling ready for berries

• Alas, the tip I chose was a bit small.  When I squeezed the filling, the whole piping tip came out of the hole.  No worries, though - I just piped through the bag, without a tip.  This method worked just as well, and took no time at all.   After I filled all the berries, I used the back of a spoon to smooth the surfaces.

Filling berries took no time at all.

• Now for the topping.  I crushed up my graham crackers to use as a topping.  I could easily have left the berries unadorned, drizzled them chocolate, topped them with nuts or berry coulis, etc.   

Crushed graham cracker to sprinkle on berries

If you choose graham cracker, as I did, sprinkle the tops of the berries with the graham crackers just before plating so that the topping does not get soft and soggy.

Completed Berries

 My cheesecake stuffed strawberries were a big hit - both taste and presentation were well-received.  My pictures may not be as pretty as the ones on Pinterest (I used my phone's camera), but the taste is just as good or better!  Going semi-homemade was SO the way to go with this dessert, too - everyone seemed to enjoy the combination of cheesecake and strawberries, and no one could tell that the cheesecake was not hand-crafted.

Turtle Brownie Bites:

Now, on to the chocolate portion of the program.  I knew I wanted something rich, dark and chocolaty for my dessert platter.  But what?   My typical cookies were good, but a NYE party dictated something a bit more dressed up.  While scouring Pinterest for ideas, I happened across several repins for turtle brownie bites.  Hmm.  Chocolate, caramel, pecan and brownie?  All in two bites?  Yum!

Just like the strawberries, many recipes exist, with varying degrees of complexity.  My husband offered to assist me with the preparation, and loved the idea of semi-homemade as well.  So, rather than making brownies from scratch, homemade ganache or salted caramel sauce, we bought ready-made ingredients, and assembled them into our version of the mini turtle brownie bite!

Ingredients:

• Brownie Bites
• Caramel Topping
• Fudge Topping
• Pecan Halves

Mini Turtle Brownie Bites:  Four Ingredients are all it takes!

General How To:
I lined a cookie sheet with wax paper and a baking/cooling rack.  The wax paper is to catch the drips from the toppings.  Next we placed the brownie bites on the rack.    After my husband microwaved the fudge topping (so that it would drizzle properly), he simply used a spoon to drizzle the toppings on each brownie.  Then, he placed a pecan half on top.  That's it.  Super simple and done in 5-10 minutes.

Wax paper catches caramel and fudge topping drips.

• He placed the sheets of brownie bites in the refrigerator to set up.  The bites were good to go after about an hour.  

Let bites set up in refrigerator for about 1 hour

After removing them from the refrigerator, we placed each bite in a mini cupcake liner.  This made it easier for guests to handle - no one likes sticky hands!
And, to transport the brownies, we plated them with an overturned funnel to keep the plastic wrap from messing up the tops.

Turtle Brownie Bites ready for transport.

These were a hit with guests as well.  The chocoholics in the crowd especially loved them.

A little Bit of Both:  Plated and ready to Enjoy!

Both of these small bites are in my rotation for quick, easy, and party-worthy dessert items.  I was able to assemble them in less than an hour, and did not spend a ton of time cleaning up pots, pans, etc.

By being O.K. with going semi-homemade, I was also able to share a little bit of both with my friends.  What's better than that?

Have you made these items?  Share with me what tips and hints you have.      

Small Bite, Big Hit: Asian Lettuce Wraps

Asian Lettuce Wraps:  Small Bite; Big Hit

This past weekend, I prepared my favorite Asian Lettuce Wrap recipe for Friday Night Happy Hour.  These small bites are packed with flavor and remind me of those we enjoy at our favorite restaurants.  To me, the perfect appetizer, or small bite is one that you can easily put together, accepts ingredient substitutions without losing integrity, is full of flavor, and is healthy.  My Asian Lettuce Wrap recipe is all this and more.

Ingredient Substitutions:
Dietary restrictions?  Forgot to buy fresh onions?  Cannot find an Asian ingredient in your local store.  No worries!  This recipe, while already dairy free, lends itself perfectly to other ingredient substitutions.  Here are a few that you can try without sacrificing a single ounce of flavor:

• Ground Meat:  This recipe tastes great whether you use ground chicken, turkey, beef or pork.
• Lower Sodium Soy:  Trying to watch the sodium?  One big way to do this when going Asian is with Bragg's Liquid Aminos.  One serving contains only 160 mg sodium.  This is much lower than what other companies report.  Try substituting regular soy sauce with this product and see what you think.  
• Gluten Free Ingredients:  Fifteen percent of the U.S. population are currently sensitive to gluten.  And, many of those people enjoy the Asian flavor profile.  So, what to do?  Substitute with a gluten-free brand sauce, such as Kikkoman's Gluten Free Soy Sauce or Premier Japan Hoisin Sauce.  
• Fresh or Frozen Veggies:  No doubt that fresh, in-season vegetables are always best.  However, frozen onions, soup blends, etc. can absolutely be substituted.  When the frozen vegetables are on sale, grab a few mirepoix bags to keep on hand.  This recipe already calls for a bunch of chopping - a bit of frozen, chopped onions will save a few of those chops!  

The next day, leftover lettuce wraps were gobbled up as lunch.  You know you have a good recipe when it tastes just as yummy in leftover format! If you want to try them for yourself, keep reading to learn how I make my lettuce wraps:

Asian Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients:

• 1-2 Heads Butter Lettuce (also called Boston Bibb Lettuce)
• 1 pound Lean Ground Meat
  Note:  I used ground chicken this week.  I've made this recipe with ground beef and ground pork - they work well too.
• Cooking Oil or Cooking Spray
• Six ounces Mirepoix
  Note:  Mirepoix  blend frozen vegetables are always in my freezer.  Feel free to substitute the following chopped vegetables:
  *One medium white onion
  *One large carrot
  *One celery stalk
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
  Note:  I use Bragg's Liquid Aminos instead of Soy Sauce in all my cooking.
• 1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Crystalized Ginger, minced
  Note:  My original recipe called for pickled ginger.  I could not find it, so I substituted crystalized ginger.  
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
• A few dashes Asian Chile Pepper Sauce, such as Siracha Sauce
• 8 ounces Water Chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
• 1 bunch Green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Dark Sesame Oil  

Ingredients: Prepped and ready to go

General How To:

• Rinse the lettuce and pat it dry or dry in a salad spinner.

Lettuce leaves, rinsed and dry

• Chop or mince all your vegetables and have them ready to go:
  Note:  If preparing a fresh mirepoix, chop the onion, carrots and celery at this point as well.  

Chopped Garlic, Sugar Ginger, Water Chestnuts and Green Onion

• Heat cooking oil or cooking spray in medium pan and brown the ground meat, stirring often.  Drain the fat and set the meat aside to cool.

Brown the ground meat over medium heat

• Return the pan to cooktop.  Add mirepoix and cook, stirring frequently.
  Note:  You want the vegetables to cook, but not brown.

Cook Vegetables in same pan.

• Add the following ingredients:  Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce), Hoisin Sauce, Garlic, Ginger, Vinegar, Chile Pepper Sauce (or Siracha).  Stir to combine.
  Note:  Need to go gluten free?  Substitute gluten-free soy sauce and gluten-free hoisin sauce.   
• Stir in the water chestnuts, green onions and sesame oil.  Cook until the onions are just beginning to wilt.

Cook until the green onions begin to wilt.

• Add the ground meat and stir to combine.  Heat until all is warmed through.

All ingredients added:  It smells so good!

• Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large plate or platter.  Place the filling in the center. 

Presentation looks as good as it tastes!

• Spoon some filling on a lettuce leaf, wrap it up and eat.

Yum!

The mixture is moist and  flavorful - so yummy.  However, some people love to sauce it up.  Want a dipping sauce?  Here's my standard dipping sauce recipe:

Dipping Sauce for Asian Lettuce Wraps:
Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 2 teaspoons soy Sauce (or Bragg's Liquid Aminos)
• 2 teaspoons Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon Asian Chile Pepper Sauce
• 1 dash Sugar
• Garnish (I show a few cilantro leaves)

Dipping Sauce Ingredients

General How To:

• Mix all ingredients together and serve in small bowl for dipping.

So, there you go.  Small Bites that are a Big Hit!  Try the recipe out yourself and let me know how you like it!

An Easy Marinade Recipe: 3-3-2-1 And Done!

I always separate bulk meats, purchased from the grocery store or warehouse club, into 1-2 pound packs, label them, and store them in the freezer. Some packs are stored in marinade, which makes future meal preparation even easier.

When I prepare marinades, I use the same basic recipe - I just switch up the seasoning mix based on the flavor profile.  I remember the marinade recipe as 3-3-2-1, which refers to the proportions of the four main ingredients.  Three parts seasoning; three parts oil; two parts soy; one part vinegar.  This combination makes a really great marinade!


Keep reading to learn how to create the basic 3-3-2-1 Marinade combo for one pound of meat.   


Making a Marinade

Marinade Ingredients

Ingredients:
3 Parts Seasoning Mix
3 Parts Oil
2 Parts Soy Sauce (or Bragg's Liquid Aminos)
1 Part Apple Cider Vinegar

Tips and Hints:

• For each one pound of meat, I use 3 tablespoons seasoning mix, 3 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons Bragg's and 1 tablespoon cider vinegar.
• The picture above shows a Store Brand spice blend.  I've used a variety of spice mixes over the years:  those I've created from scratch, purchased from specialty shops, grocery stores, Farmer's Markets, etc.  In this recipe, you can use whatever mix you desire - just be sure to use 3 parts worth.
• I use Bragg's Liquid Aminos, rather than soy sauce, for all my cooking- it contains less sodium. 
• Any Oil will do.  I was raised in an Italian household, so I always use Extra Virgin Olive Oil with my marinades.  If you prefer Canola Oil, that works well too.
• Feel free to add marinade ingredients directly to the zipper-sealed bag.  It saves some cleaning.
• Let the meat sit in the marinade for at least one hour before cooking.  You can store it overnight in the refrigerator, or freeze for future use.  

Add the ingredients directly to a storage bag to  reduce mess. 

Massage the marinade into the meat; seal the bag tight and label  before storing.

Grilled Jamaican Jerk Flank Steak.  Yum!

Super easy, super yummy.  Every time.  Try the marinade recipe soon and let me know how you like it!