Sweet Potato Pumpkin Cheesecake w/ Gingersnap Crust

"Cheesecake Picnic Party" - David Russell Talbott

The time of year when you can actually use the excuse “It’s the holidays” in a court of law to cover your (ever-growing) ass as you gorge for 4 straight weeks is upon us once again.  And that means it was time for Mike to make dessert for the family meals.  Hell, if we’re going to eat way too much over the course of 8 hours, I may as well contribute something sweet.

Last year I spent weeks coming up with a Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie recipe.  I was obsessed and couldn’t be stopped.  My coworkers were overjoyed because I brought in a half dozen pies as I used them for my guinea pigs.  This year, I wanted to make a cheesecake version of the pumpkin pie classic, and luckily I already had my recipe from 2008 to work with.  Using a basic cheesecake recipe from AllRecipes I performed some recipe mad science to come up with the final recipe below.

The original crust calls for Pecans, but I’ve always been a Walnut person myself.  I think in this situation it worked out for the better.  Of course, if you’re worried about nut allergies you can also just replace the 1/2 cup of nuts with more gingersnaps or even a 1/2 cup of Nilla Wafers.

And I can only hope you’re better at marbling, because mine appeared more like a storm system over the sands of Tatooine than it did a “marble” effect.  Tasted just as good though!

Gingersnap Crust

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, walnuts, and butter. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake crust 5-6 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.

Sweet Potato Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 heaping cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 heaping cup mashed sweet potatoes
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, the 1/2 cup white sugar, and vanilla until just smooth.  Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each.  Set aside 1 cup of the mixture.  Blend 1/4 cup brown sugar, pumpkin, sweet potato, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.  Pour the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by teaspoonfuls onto the top.  Swirl with a knife to create a “marbled” effect.  Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set.  Run a knife around the edge of the pan.  Allow to cool before removing pan rim. Chill for at least 4-6 hours before serving.  It can also be stored in the freezer if not using the same day.

Breakfast Cereal Muffins

Photo borrowed from AlmightyDad.com

Breakfast is the greatest meal on earth.  You sit me down in front of a perfectly made 3 egg omelet stuffed with cheese and I will be a happy man.  Toss in a side of hash browns and pancakes, and I’ll thank you after my nap.

Of course, those were special occasion breakfasts when I was a kid.  Usually it was some Rice Krispies covered in sugar or some other delicious breakfast cereal that was about as good for you as rubbing sugar directly on to your teeth.  Even now I cannot resist the allure of a box of Golden Grahams or Fruit Loops when I see a sale price on the supermarket shelf.  The power of Post and Kelloggs is too, too strong.

One day a few weeks back, Katie asked me to make some healthier snacks, which resulted in these Oatmeal Bran Muffins.  Sure, you can make them healthy like I did, but isn’t the allure of swapping out the bran and oatmeal with something like Golden Grahams and Cocoa Krispies calling out your name?

Breakfast Cereal Muffins

• 1 cup bran cereal
• 1 cup dry oatmeal
• 1 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2-3/4  cup Craisins (or chocolate chips if you want them slightly less healthy)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine bran, oatmeal and milk.  Let stand 5 minutes, or until nice and mushy.  Mix the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda together, and set aside.  Melt the butter.  Add the melted butter and egg into bran mixture.  Stir in the dry ingredients until blended.  Fold the Craisins (or chocolate chips) into the batter.

Spoon into 12 lightly oiled  2 1/2 inch muffin pan cups. Bake for 18 minutes or until done.

The House of Bread Opens in Wheeling

Hey Wheeling-ites? Wheeling-ians? There’s a new bakery opening up in your neck of the woods tomorrow.  I know it’s last minute, but what’s not to love about another bakery in the world?  The PR release is below:

Join us at the Grand Opening of The House of Bread on October 23rd from 11a-6p. Sample a wide variety of delicious breads which you can take home for the reduced price of $2/loaf all day. Free pastry and apple cider will also be served.

Enjoy Russian, Polish, Yiddish, American tunes played by DJ Roma L.V. from Noon to 2pm and 4-6pm. There also will be 10 opportunities to win gift certificates for the House of Bread. Be sure to stop by and say hello.

House of Bread Info:

Website: http://www.houseofbreads.com/

Garden Fresh Plaza
1762 Hintz Road
Wheeling, IL 60090
Phone : 847.253.6300

From the moment you walk into our bakery, you are surrounded by the rich, flavorful aroma of freshly baked, home-made breads and rolls. From our deliciously sweet Cranberry Walnut Raisin loaf to our scrumptious Ciabatta with the perfect touch of olive oil, every single product we bake is made with love, care, and the finest of all-natural ingredients. . . never with any preservatives!

Using recipes that have been passed from one generation to the next and the latest technologies in modern baking, we pride ourselves on our tasty selections! Customers have raved about our 15 different types of European-style breads baked to absolute perfection with crunchy crusts on the outside and scrumptiously moist centers. We also offer buttery, melt-in-your-mouth croissants, fruity turnovers, and a variety of Danish and pastries.

And, be sure to try our very popular Multigrain Bread, loaded with 12 wholesome grains; our Sunflower Seed Bread, our hearty Bavarian and Lithuanian Rye, or the traditional 100% German Rye, all of which transform a sandwich into a spectacular meal!

We look forward to welcoming you to The House of Bread, so you can experience our flavorful varieties of baked offerings for yourself.

Seitan Meatballs w/ Simple Winter Tomato Sauce

I used to subscribe to Vegetarian Times religiously when I first became a vegetarian.  I tried caring about the carrots and the sticks they doled out.  I even pretended to care about the alternative health information they were trying to preach. But at the end of the day, it was about one thing, and that was the occasional recipe I could glean from the pages to make and devour.

My admiration for the magazine went away when a new EIC decided it would be a great idea to start introducing chicken and fish recipes into a magazine called VEGETARIAN times to help boost their sales. It irked me that they were now considering vegetarian to include those tasty, meaty vegetables chicken and fish. I hear enough people say, “Oh yeah, I’m a vegetarian but I eat fish.” That makes you a NON-vegetarian.  To quote Bruce the Shark, “Fish are friends, not food.”  I’ve been told I pick odd battles to fight, and in this case, the semantics and definitions people try applying vegetarian too are one of them. I don’t care what you eat, and I’m pretty much a vegetarian simply for my health, but just get your facts straight, dammit.

Luckily they went back to purely vegetarian content, but by this time the food revolution had hit a fevered pitch online and waiting for a magazine every month for 2 dozen recipes was outdated.  But in one of the last issues I received, there was a recipe that turned out to be one of Katie’s favorite dishes ever.  We lost the recipe in the move, but that never stopped her cravings for it.  This past week I was finally able to search through the Vegetarian Times database and find the recipe.

I made some changes including using real egg instead of egg replacer in the meatballs. It binds the ingredients together better, even if it takes away from the vegan aspect the original recipe was going for. I also made my own seitan instead of purchasing some overpriced Whole Foods brand.  And most importantly, I doubled the sauce recipe.  If you want a truly hearty meal, you probably want to double it even further.  As it is, the sauce gives you only the slightest taste of tomato, making it a lighter meal than your typical spaghetti and meatballs.

Seitan Meatballs w/ Simple Winter Tomato Sauce (adapted from Vegetarian Times)

Ingredients

Winter Tomato Sauce

• 2 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 6 Tbs. olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
• 4 tsp. dried basil

Seitan Meatballs

• 16 oz. cubed seitan
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup matzo meal
• 1/4 cup chopped dried parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped dried basil
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
• 1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/8 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 eggs

Misc

• 16 oz. whole-wheat pasta

1. To make Winter Tomato Sauce: Simmer all ingredients in partially covered saucepan 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. To make Seitan Meatballs: Preheat oven to 400F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Blend seitan in food processor until crumbly. Add walnuts, and pulse until combined.
3. Transfer to bowl. Stir in matzo meal, herbs, 1 Tbs. oil, garlic, soy sauce and oregano. Whisk eggs until frothy. Fold eggs mixture.
4. Shape mixture into 24 balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, and brush with 1 Tbs. remaining oil. Bake 20 minutes, turning once, or until crusty and lightly browned.
5. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain, and divide among serving bowls. Top with sauce and meatballs, and serve. Serves 6

XoCo – Chicago, IL

My need to NOT be that guy who writes headlines like “XoCo is LOCO” is in a constant internal struggle with the guy who on occasion loves such incredibly horrid word play.  But Chef Rick Bayless has earned a little more respect on this page than horrible puns and easy rhymes the 10-year-old stuck inside my head wants to shout.

And we’re best friends now.  Not only did he respond to one of my tweets, but he walked by us where I nonchalantly said, “Hey, Chef.” Even better is, he responded, “Hello.”  Yep.  Best friends.  Expect my Bayless endorsed restaurant MoHo RoCo in 2011.

The fixed menu is nice and simple, with only one or two daily specials.  Choices range from the familiar tastes of chicken, to the slightly-less-familiar headcheese. There are also caldos (soup) versions of a handful of the sandwiches.  Chips, salsas, guacamoles and pastries fill out the menu; along with aqua frescas, ice creams and churros.

Let me tell you, the churros are where it’s at.  Rick Bayless could open a churro stand with those things and make money.  The dough was that perfect combination of crunchy and chewy, covered with a healthy amount of cinnamon sugar.  At 1 for $1.00 or 3 for $3.00, it may be the best deal on the menu.

Chips and salsa were fine but unnecessary.  They made be handmade, but at the price you shouldn’t be able to count the amount of chips you get just by looking at the basket.  They were also a little conservative with the salsa.

Katie ordered the Gunthorp Chicken Torta described on the menu as a wood-roasted red chile chicken, caramelized onion, black beans, avocado, tomatillo salsa.  The first problem arose when the onions on the sandwich were nearly raw and definitely not carmelized.  She was also not a fan of the chicken itself, or the lack of spices that came with it to be more to the point.  Luckily, after a healthy dose of the hot sauce provided at the table, it was finally to her liking.

I ordered the Woodland Mushroom torta which came with wood-roasted garlic mushrooms, Prairie Farm goat cheese, black beans, wild arugula, 3-chile salsa.  The mushrooms were perfectly marinated and went well with the goat cheese.  I couldn’t find a single issue with my sandwich, made evident that mine was gone before Katie even touched the second half of hers.

Our main problem with the tortas were the size.  They’re perfectly average in size,  but just on the side of a little too small that when we left I was still hungry.

The mexican chocolate flan we had for dessert was rich and dense, but not sickeningly so.  A nice little finish to our meal. We also accidentally ended up getting some hot chocolate for dessert.  We ordered it thinking we could drink it before the meal, but the process is so involved that we didn’t get the cup until halfway through our meal.  It was a happy situation, however, because it went well with our dessert.

There is one thing that is keeping XoCo from moving beyond good to being great.  It’s not XoCo’s fault, nor is it Rick Bayless’.  But it is a problem that turned away at least 6 people while Katie and I took our first visit there Saturday afternoon.  The line to get in is ridiculous.  Reports vary, of course.  Our friends from Fritz Pastry, Nate & Elaine, went there on a weekday afternoon to find an empty restaurant where they quickly ordered and ate within 30 minutes.  On the other end of the spectrum, it took us nearly 30 minutes of standing in line to merely reach the doors of the restaurant.  The next 20 minutes were made even worse because now we could actually smell the smells we were already hungry for.

This would be the perfect lunch spot if you could run in and grab a quick torta, which is how this place appears to be set up.  And maybe once the excitement of a new Bayless restaurant wears off, that’ll be the case.  But for right now you have to seriously consider if your need for a torta and some chips outweighs the chance you could be waiting for that very torta any where from 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Vegetarian “Beef” Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki, although not mine. This one's prettier.

It’s been a Swank diet week here in the Two Bites kitchens. We’re attempting to eat healthier, and for the most part we’re succeeding.  We just need to stop eating out on the weekends, and stick to the menu we keep during the week.  Of course that doesn’t always work when you have a stack of “Buy One Get One” brunch coupons and gift cards for LEYE (Lettuce Entertain You) stacking up on your breakfast bar.  We love eating healthy, but we love a cheap meal out even more.

I spent the morning yesterday making another recipe from the Multiple Sclerosis Diet Cookbook I mentioned yesterday.  Again, you can use real beef as the original recipe calls for, but I swapped out the proteins with some Trader Joe’s Beef-less strips.  For a recipe that doesn’t require any herbs or spices, it’s a pretty tasty dish.

Vegetarian “Beef” Sukiyaki

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 1/2 lbs (3 packages) Trader Joe’s Beef-less strips, cut into slices
• 4 oz sliced Shiitake mushrooms
• 4 oz (1 can) sliced bamboo shoots
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 pound extra firm tofu, pressed of water and cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup green onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups cooked brown rice

Heat the large skillet or wok on high heat.  Add oil.  When oil begins to sizzle drop in the “beef” and brown, cooking 2-3 minutes.  Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and onion.  Stir-fry for 5 minutes, turning vegetables frequently.  When onions begin to soften add the wine and soy sauce.  Add the tofu and green onion cooking for 1 minute.  Serve over the rice.  Serves 6.

Vegetarian Cream of “Chicken” & Mushroom Soup

As is usually the case, summer has disappeared a little too quickly here in Chicago.  Normally I don’t mind the lack of 90 degree temperatures, but they were in even shorter supply than normal this year, leaving it feeling more like a prolonged spring easing its way into a, hopefully, prolonged fall.

Needless to say, I do not like winter.  It is the devil’s season.  By the time February rolls around, there’s a vague sense that everyone is looking forward to punching everyone else in the face.  But perhaps being trapped inside looking at the same 4 walls all winter will do that to a person.  Or in this case, an entire city.

Luckily, it’s not here yet, but fall has most definitely set in which makes it the perfect weather some soup.  This cream of chicken and mushroom recipe was adapted from the Swank Multiple Sclerosis Diet Cookbook.  It’s a great book for people dealing with Multiple Sclerosis and are looking for other ways beside medicine to boost their health.  Just be forewarned that it’s not an easy diet.  It’s a strict low-fat regime that I wasn’t even able to stick to.  But that could be love of carbs talking.

You can easily replace the veggie chicken with real chicken to give yourself that meat fill you’re craving.

Vegetarian Cream of “Chicken” & Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 lb sliced mushrooms
• 1/3 cup AP flour
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 2 packages Trader Joe’s Chickenless Strips, diced
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• chopped parsley
• paprika

Pour oil into a large saucepan and saute onion over medium heat until tender.  Add mushrooms and cook 10 minutes.  Blend in flour.  Gradually stir in chicken broth, skim milk that has been mixed with the nonfat dry milk powder, and the wine.  Stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to a boil.  Add remaining ingredients except parsley and paprika.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.  Garnish with parsley and paprika.  Serves 6.

Yang Chinese Restaurant – Snapshot Review

There’s only three words hungry vegetarians need to know before rushing down to the CTA train stop on Roosevelt Road: General Tso’s Tofu.

Sticky, sweet, and spicy, Yang Chinese Restaurant’s General Tso’s Tofu could be the most delicious surprise of the month.

In fact, everything we had at a restaurant we normally walk right by was delicious. The orange tofu was good, but placed a distant second to the Tso’s. The fried rice was cooked just right. And the veggie egg rolls were stuffed with crisp vegetables.

Seriously, seriously, some of the best quick stop Chinese food we’ve ever grabbed on a whim.

Yang Chinese Restaurant
28 E. Roosevelt Rd.
Chicago, IL 60605
312-986-1688

P.S. Bangkok – Snapshot Review

Our original plan was to finally check out Matsuya after several recommendations; but with time short we made an executive decision to hit up P.S. Bangkok instead.

Appetizers were a fried sweet corn cake and tofu satay. The corn cake was perhaps lacking a little too much flavor, relying solely on the dipping sauce to add something to the deep fried crunch. The satay, however, was supremely satisfying. The peanut sauce was not the typical thick, rich paste; but instead a perfectly flavored drizzle on top of the already well marinated tofu.

The Pad Thai was easily some of the best I’ve eaten since moving to the city, perfectly creamy and seasoned. Katie was also pleased with her Chicken Panang Curry, complaining only that she could have used some vegetables to mix up the flavors.

Relativley fast AND affordable, P.S. Bangkok was definitely a nice surprise for two people originally in the mood for some sushi.

P.S. Bangkok
3345 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 871-7777

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Indian Garden – Snapshot Review

Spicy. Spicy. Spicy.  That about sums up Indian Garden.

I could eat the pakora by the plateful. It’s like the popcorn shrimp of the vegetarian world.  Always crisp, never greasy.  As I mentioned, everything has a kick.  From the saag paneer to the aloo gobi.  By the time we were done, I was convinced my eyes were sweating.

While their full menu offers a wider variety of dishes, but the buffet gives you a decent sampling of their food.

Try the iced tea. It’s confoundingly some of the most delicious ice tea I’ve ever had.