QCDN Favorite Recipes

[Kurgon]

I know on another forum that I frequent we have a thread of recipes that the members recommend trying. They can vary from complex to easy as long as they taste good. Perhaps we can try to start one here. If it takes off maybe it can get stickied.

I'll start the thread off with 3 things I made this weekend for my fathers birthday.

Jalapeno Cheesecake

1.5 cups crushed tortilla chips
6 tbls melted butter
16 oz packages cream cheese
3 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1.5 cups sour cream
1 Garlic clove, minced
4.5 oz can minced green chiles
At least 1 fresh jalapeño, minced (you can take the seeds out if you want to lower the heat a little)
2 cups Shredded Monterrey Jack
chop up some tomatoes/onions/cilantro for topping

Preheat oven to 300°F. Lightly grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Pour the melted butter over the crushed tortilla chips and toss to combine. Press on bottom and one-half inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

With an electric mixer at high speed, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat to incorporate. Reduce mixer speed to low, and blend in the flour, 1 cup of the sour cream. Beat until smooth. Add the garlic, green chiles and minced jalapeño. Turn off the mixer, and stir in the cheese.

Pour filling into crust, and bake for 1 hour. Turn oven off, and leave cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour with the door closed. Remove from oven and cool. When cool, loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a knife around the inside edge. Do not remove cheesecake from pan. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

When ready to serve, spring the pan and remove the cheesecake. Spread the remaining ½ cup sour cream evenly over the top and sprinkle with chopped tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro.

Key Lime Cheesecake

1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbls butter, melted
24 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 tbls cornstarch
3 eggs
1 tbls grated lime zest
2/3 cup key lime juice

Combine cookie or graham cracker crumbs with butter or margarine. Press into bottom and partially up sides of 9 inch springform pan. Refrigerate.
In a large bowl, beat with an electric mixer the cream cheese, sugar, lime peel, and cornstarch until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, blending just until smooth. Add key lime juice with mixer on low. Finish mixing by hand. Do not overbeat, or cake will crack during baking. Pour batter into prepared crust.

Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 55 to 65 minutes, or until set.

Turn oven off, and let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes with the door open at least 4 inches. Remove from oven. Refrigerate cake overnight, and up to three days. Take lime left over from making the zest and cut into wedges and use it as decoration.

Oh yeah! To minimize cracking, place a shallow pan half full of hot water on lower rack during baking.

Rasta Ribs

For the ribs:
4 racks baby back pork ribs (3-4 pounds)
2 cups dark rum

For the dry jerk rub:
2 tsp - 2 tbsp of scotch bonnet or habanero powder (be careful)
2 tbsp chives
1 tbsp onion flakes
1 tbsp garlic flakes
1 tbsp coarse sea/kosher salt
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp all spice
.5 tsp cinnamon
.25 tsp cloves
.25 tsp nutmeg


1) Remove the thin, papery skin from the back of each rack of ribs ( i use a pair of washed pliers). Place the ribs into a pan and cover with rum (usually take a shot at this point). Refrigerate for 4 hours and flip the ribs over every ~30 minutes.

2) Combine all the dry rub jerk seasoning into a spice mill or blender and grind it to a fine powder.

3) Drain the ribs and pat it dry with paper towels. Either hand rub or invest in a shaker to apply half of the dry rub onto both sides of the ribs. Cover the pan and allow it to marinate for another hour.

4) Prep your smoker (i'm sure bbq'ing it just like normal works well too) and you want a temperature of medium (my smoker doesn't have a specific temp gauge it just says low, medium, high).

5) When you are ready to start cooking gather half of your soaked woodchips and place them on the coals. (I perfer to wrap the woodchips into an aluminum foil pouch and then poke holes in it so the smoke can escape easily but the wood smolders longer) Place the ribs onto the racks and proceed to cook for 1.5-2 hours. Now as the smoke seems to dwindle add the 2nd half of the soaked wood chips and add 12-24 more charcoal briquets.

6) After you platter the ribs start to add the remaining half of seasoning to taste.

Tips:

Instead of using water in your drip pan use apple cider. I also hear you can simply place apples onto the racks with the meat.

Also if you don't like the heat or are making ribs for others that don't like it, you can omit the bonnet/habanero powder and mix in some brown sugar to make some sweet ribs.