Mi No Bake Key Lime Cheese Cake

1 cup finely ground graham crackers (from 9 crackers)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese Spread 8 Oz
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup fresh Key lime juice, plus 2 teaspoons grated zest (from 16 limes), and thinly sliced lime rounds for serving
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup cold heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
1. Whisk together cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt. Stir in butter until mixture resembles wet sand and holds together when squeezed. Press evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Freeze until firm, 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and condensed milk on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add lime juice, zest, and vanilla. Beat 1 minute more.
3. In a separate bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour over chilled crust; smooth top with an offset spatula. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 12 hours and up to 3 days.
4. Run a knife along cake's edge before releasing sides of the pan, then under the bottom to loosen. Serve, garnished with lime rounds.
VARIATIONS
If you can't find Key limes, swap in regular ones. They're less floral in flavor, but you'll still get that fresh zing.

COOK'S NOTES
For pristine pieces of cake, dip a sharp knife in hot water and wipe it dry before slicing.

Mi Nut-Crusted Key Lime Ice Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces 
3 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened 
2 teaspoons lime zest 
1/2 cup fresh Key lime or Persian lime juice Garnishes
: whipped cream, lime wedge slice

How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cupcake liners. Combine first 6 ingredients in a food processor; process until nuts are ground and the mixture is thoroughly blended. Press into bottoms and partially up sides of prepared cups. Bake 5 minutes; cool completely.

Step 2
Stir together with ice cream, lime zest, and lime juice in a mixing bowl. Spoon about 1/4 cup ice cream mixture into each crust; freeze until firm. Garnish, if desired.

Mi Liverwurst Pate

1 lb. Braunschweiger liverwurst
4 oz. cream cheese softened
2 tbsp. horseradish, plus a little more
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. grated onion (1 sm. onion)
1 tsp. mayonnaise

Mix all of the above and cover and chill. If putting pate in mold, line mold with plastic wrap first. Serve with assorted crackers.

Mi Chic-pea Meatballs

Ingredients

1 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained

1 small sweet red pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 small zucchini, ends trimmed and coarsely chopped

1 small carrot, scraped and chopped

1 leek (white part) cut into rings

1 clove garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons Filippo Berio olive oil

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs

Fine sea salt to taste

Canola Oil for Frying

Directions

Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

Add the pepper, zucchini, carrot, leek, and garlic to the food processor and pulse until the mixture looks minced. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and stir in the minced vegetables; cook until softened. Cool for about 5 minutes.

Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the chickpeas. Add one egg and mix well. With wet hands form 1 inch balls. Set aside.

Beat the remaining two eggs in a shallow bowl and place the bread crumbs in another shallow bowl.

Coat each ball in egg then in bread crumbs and place on a dish. When all the balls are coated, heat 4 cups of oil in a heavy duty pot or a deep fryer to 375°F.

Fry the balls a few at a time until golden brown and use a slotted spoon to transfer them to absorbent paper to drain. Serve warm.

Mi Soft Pretzel Recipe

1½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
4½ cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
10 cups water
2/3 cups baking soda
1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon water, whisked together (for egg wash)
Coarse salt, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the water, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to foam.

2. Add the flour and butter. Use the dough hook attachment to mix on low speed until all of the ingredients are combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Remove the dough from the mixer and place in a clean, oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and brush with the vegetable oil; set aside.

5. Combine the water and baking soda in a large, wide pot (a Dutch oven works perfectly for this). Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.

6. In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.

7. Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 2 or 3 at a time (or however many will fit comfortably given the size of your pot – don’t crowd them), for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large, flat spatula. Place the boiled pretzels back on the baking sheet, brush the top of each pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt.

8. Bake until dark golden brown in color, about 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Mi Crab Stuffed Mushroom Caps

1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

2 garlic cloves, pressed

¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1-tablespoon cream

½-cup bread crumbs

1-tablespoon parmesan cheese

1-tablespoon lemon juice + a wedge to squeeze on top

Lemon wedges for garnish

Hot sauce


Directions

Wipe mushrooms with a damp towel. Pop out the stems, chop, and set aside.

Spray mushroom caps with the Parkay butter spray. Spay a shallow baking dish with butter spray.

Pour 3 tablespoons of the butter into a saucepan; add reserved chopped mushroom stems, minced onion, 
garlic, and red bell pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender.

Combine cooked ingredients with breadcrumbs, green onion, Greek yogurt, cream, lemon juice, 
crabmeat, and seasonings. At this point, I added a few dashes of hot sauce and a 
few dashes of Tabasco pepper vinegar. Fill each mushroom cap, piling up.

Sprinkle each mushroom with a little Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes, 
until hot and mushroom caps are tender.

Serve with lemon wedges & enjoy!

Mi Chicken Stock

The great thing about making stock is it is freezable and you can control the sodium in the recipe. Use it for soups or gravy. Cook rice or flavor your al dente pasta for a richer different taste.

Ingredients

• 5 pounds assorted chicken parts (backs, necks, legs, and wings), rinsed
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 2-inch lengths
• 2 celery stalks, chopped into 2-inch lengths
• 2 medium onions, peeled and cut into quarters
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Directions

1. Place chicken parts in a stockpot just large enough to hold them with about 3 inches of room above (an 8-quart pot should do) and add enough water to cover by 1 inch (about 3 quarts). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, using a ladle to skim impurities and fat that rise to the top.
2. Add vegetables, bay leaf, and peppercorns and reduce heat to a bare simmer (bubbles should just gently break the surface). Cook, skimming frequently, for at least 1 1/2 hours and up to 4 hours.
3. Pass the stock through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a large heatproof measuring cup or another bowl or pot; do not press on solids. Discard solids.
4. Skim off fat if using immediately, or let cool completely (in an ice-water bath, if desired) before transferring to airtight containers. Refrigerate at least 8 hours to allow the fat to accumulate at the top; lift off and discard fat before using or storing stock.

Cook's Note

Stock can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months; thaw completely in the refrigerator before using.

Mi Kalamata Olive Hummus

Kalamata Olive Hummus

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 can garbanzo beans/chickpeas (15 oz) drained
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives (pitted)
• 1-2 Tblsp tahini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 Tblsp finely diced onion
• 1/2 Tsp finely diced garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• dash of black pepper

Preparation:

In a blender add your drained beans, and oil, lemon juice and blend. Occasionally stopping to scrape down. add remaining ingredients including olives but pre-chop your olives first. Blend on high until thick and creamy.
or......

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and blend into a creamy, smooth dip. If the dip is too thick, add a small amount of oil, until desired consistency. 

Kalamata olive hummus can be made in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I make Hummus all the time and it's good over a week in the fridge.

Mi Spicy Moroccan Lentil with Chick Pea Soup

2 Tbsp Olive oil

1 pkg (8 oz) cleaned and cut Mirepoix

4 cloves (2 Tbsp) peeled and chopped Garlic

1 pkg (16 oz) Pkg green Lentils sorted and rinsed

1 can (28 oz) Roma Tomatoes with Basil

(64 oz ) Vegetable Stock

1 tsp Coriander seed or ground Coriander

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp powdered Cayenne pepper
1 can (15.5 oz) drained Garbonzo beans

2 Tbsp chopped fresh Cilantro
Salt to taste

You'll Need: Handheld or regular blender

Directions:

1. Add basting oil to stockpot on MEDIUM. Add mirepoix and garlic; cook, stirring, 5-6 min, until soft but not browned. Stir in lentils, tomatoes, stock, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.
    
2. Cook, covered, 20-25 min.
    
3. Puree briefly (about 15 seconds) with a handheld blender, just to thicken (don't puree all the lentils).
    
4. Stir in garbanzo beans and cilantro. Season to taste with salt. Simmer about 5 min on MEDIUM until heated through.

Tip

To save time, use cooked lentils. 

Mi Meatless Meatballs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Dry out 8-10 slices of whole grain bread or you can use store-bought.
In a food processor place dried bread and add a dash oregano, basil, parsley, garlic for seasoning.
pulse until very fine.

In a mixing bowl stir these ingredients,
Ingredients:
3/4 cup egg beaters
1 egg white
1cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup small curd 4% cottage cheese
1 Tblsp worchestire sauce

In a food processor pulse
onion for 1/2 cup onion w/2 cloves garlic finely chopped
wipe down bowl and pulse pecans whole for 1 cup raw pecans
measure out 1 3/4 cups fine bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan-romano sprinkle cheese
set aside

1 Tblsp oregano
1 Tblsp basil
1 Tblsp parsley
1 tsp black pepper
pinch of sage
Mix all dry ingredients and onion then mix liquid ingredients.
The mix should be gloppy and sticky but not loose. If it is add a dash more bread crumbs but you still want the mix to be a bit runny, if too dry add a dash more egg beaters until you reach a meatloaf mix tacky consistency.

Pour 4 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil into a 9 x 13" baking pan and cover bottom evenly.
Spray hands with cooking spray and roll out balls in 1 1/2" rounds.
Place evenly in baking dish cover with tin foil and bake for 35-40 minutes.
Halfway through (20 min.) uncover and flip the balls and leave off the tin foil.
When you take out of the oven they may seem a little soft, don't worry as they cool they firm up great.
Now the fun part, you can add to pasta sauce for spaghetti and meatballs or you can make dipping sauces to serve on the side.
One really good way to serve is to mix,
In a saucepan combine
1cup grape jelly
1 bottle of chili sauce
2 Tblsp prepared mustard,
bring to a boil and whisk until candy glaze thick.
Pour over meatballs that are cooked at room temp or place in a crock pot on low with meatballs if they are frozen for about an hour.

These make great appetizers so experiment with sauces like ranch, blue cheese, sweet and sour, marinara, etc and have fun.
These meatless meatballs are really good and healthy too.

Mi Savory White Bean and Portabella Cream Soup

Ingredients:

2 16 oz bags dry white beans
1 large bulb of garlic
1 large onion
2 stalks celery
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large carrot
3 medium red potatoes
1/2 red bell pepper
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 black peppercorns
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Bay leaves
1 cup of soy milk ( cream or milk)
1 lb portabella mushrooms
5 packs sodium free chicken bouillon
Fat-free sour cream (optional)

Soak beans overnight, cover in water 2" above beans. Next day beans will be double in size. Discard any floaters.

In a large crock pot place 1/2 of the beans, cover with water to fill pot 3/4 full.
Cut the garlic bulb in half and carefully place in center cut sides upright, bury in the beans.
Dice onion in small pieces, dice celery in medium size pieces, sautee in a pan with 4- 6 Tblsp olive oil and set aside when glossy, translucent but not brown.

Dice carrot and potato (red peels on) into smaller cubes.
Dice red pepper into fine pieces.
Pull rosemary off stems and chop small and fine.

In crock pot add to beans, peppercorns, bay leaves, onion, carrot, 1/2 of the cubed potatoes, celery, rosemary, sea salt, and bell pepper. Cook on low all day 8 -10 hours.

2 Hours before done place remaining beans and potatoes on the stove and bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until tender.

Take soup out of cooker carefully remove garlic bulbs set aside, if any of the cloves slip out take them out of the soup. Stir in your boullion. When cooled squeeze cooked cloves out onto plate set aside.

Sautee 1 lb diced portabella mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil until tender.
Set aside to cool slightly.

Strain remaining beans and potatoes, place in a blender with soy milk and garlic cloves

In a blender puree beans, garlic, potatoes, and soymilk to a cream.
reincorporate back into your soup.

This is so aromatic and savory, you can also incorporate fat-free sour cream into just before serving.

Mi Creamy White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
• 1 cup diced fresh moonlight or portabella mushrooms.
• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast cooked or you can use any leftover cooked chicken skinned however more white meat is preferred. 
• 1 large white sweet onion, chopped finely.
• 3 cloves garlic, minced.
• 3 whole peppercorns
• 2 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock or if you don't have use store-bought stock, I like to control the sodium in my stock. 
• 2 Chili peppers, seeded and diced.
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped.
• 1 tsp ground cumin.
• 1 ½ tsp oregano.
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper.
• 5 cups cooked cannellini beans (or white northern.)
• 2 cups of cannellini (or white northern)beans pureed.
• Soy milk.
• Sherry for taste.
• 12 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded.
• optional: red pepper flakes (for added spice if the jalapenos don’t give it enough kick!) sour cream, and or salsa.

Preparation
1. Pour the oil into a hot pan and cook mushrooms, garlic, peppers, and onion till done but not browned. Transfer to a large stockpot.
2. Add in the chicken, broth, beans, and additional seasonings, simmering for at least 20 minutes. Add the pureed beans checking for consistency to thicken. To give a slightly creamier texture add some soy milk (nonflavored, small amounts at a time till you reach the desired creaminess.) Taste and add red pepper flakes if needed.
3. Stir in about 8 ounces of the shredded cheese, simmer for another 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
4. Splash a shot of sherry in and stir.
 for each bowl to taste top with,
5. Cheese, sour cream, or salsa and serve.
 Salt on the table to taste.
Enjoy!

* To add color and variety try whole kernel corn, diced carrot, Jalapeno ( add and simmer ASAP to cook thoroughly) and or diced red bell pepper.

Mi Mom's Cool Cucumber Salad

4 cucumbers (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced into rings
Kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons white vinegar 
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tsp Garlic powder to taste
1 Tbsp Granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip
1. Mix cucumbers, sweet onion, and sea salt together in a bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
2. Turn cucumber mixture into a colander set over a bowl or in a sink; let drain, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has drained, about 30 minutes more. Transfer drained cucumber mixture to a large bowl.
3. Stir mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, dill, garlic powder, and black pepper together in a bowl with a whisk until smooth; pour over the cucumber mixture and stir to coat vegetables with the dressing.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
5. *Best served the next day.

Mi Oven Sun Dried Tomatoes

Cherry, Grape or small Roma Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Herbs such as Thyme, Rosemary, Basil or Oregano (optional)
Garlic

Preparation

I start the day before by peeling and crushing or dicing in tiny pieces 6 cloves of garlic and add this into 1 cup of Olive oil. Cover and set aside for a day to absorb the garlic in the oil.

Next day

Preheat your oven to 225°F. Halve each Cherry or Grape tomato (no need to de-seed) and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet but leave space between each. Drizzle with olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten or use a small pastry brush and brush on. Sprinkle herbs on, if you are using them. 

Bake the tomatoes in the oven for about 3-4 hours depending upon size. The small tomatoes Cherry and Grape average 3-4 hrs. You want the tomatoes to be shriveled and dry, but with a little juice left inside, this could take more or less time depending on the size of your tomatoes. When done remove from oven and cool completely. Use right away or pour olive oil over them after placing in a covered storage container. Refrigerate.

• For Roma Tomatoes
• Cover your oven floor in foil.
• Cut Roma tomatoes lengthwise (I make a lot so I cut 24 whole tomatoes to equal 48)
• Roma tomatoes need to be scraped out. Clean the seeds out with a spoon. 

Place lengthwise direct on the oven grills but leave space between. Drizzle with olive oil or use a small pastry brush and brush olive oil on just enough to make the tomatoes glisten. Sprinkle herbs on, if you are using them. 

Bake the tomatoes in the oven for about 6 hours depending upon size. The small tomatoes average 4-6 hrs, larger Romas 6 hrs or longer depending.

When tomatoes are done remove from oven and let them cool. Use them right away if you like or cover them with some olive oil placing in a covered storage container and keep them in the fridge. 

The best summer or anytime condiment ever. Eat as is or put in any salads, soups or sauces you like. Great on burgers. Be creative, these are a wonderful ingredient to add to any recipe for that extra touch.

Mi Marinated Mushrooms

If you love mushrooms this is my creation, fast and easy and the best part is there ready to eat as soon as they cool down. No waiting for days. Try them and let me know what you think. You will need a large plastic container with a lid or a large pickle or mayo jar at least 1 quart in size. Make sure it is cleaned well and dry.

2 lbs of moonlight mushrooms, whole. medium size. Wash and set aside.

One large red pepper cut into julian strips.

In a large 2-quart pan measure in the following.

2 cup red wine (inexpensive Merlot)

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons brown sugar packed

3 tablespoons horseradish mustard

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/2 large red onion julian cut or thin strips (do not add until the end with mushrooms.)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

5 Tablespoons of teriyaki sauce

Bring above ingredients to a boil then add mushrooms, red pepper strips and onion, simmer one minute, stop cooking, cover and set aside to cool.

Find a large plastic container with a lid or a large pickle jar. Make sure it is cleaned well and spoon the mushrooms in then pour the remainder of your mix into the container and refrigerate. This recipe makes a lot of marinades so what I like to do when the mushrooms are all gone I will buy a couple more pounds and clean the mushrooms, leave whole and place in a skillet or frying pan with about 1" of water. Simmer till cooked and add to the marinade. I only reuse the marinade once.

 You can play with this recipe. If you like smaller mushrooms, use smaller. If you want to try a different spice, go for it. 

Mi Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Preheat oven to 320 degrees

Ingredients:

Moonlight Mushrooms - 2 Lbs
Garlic - 3 cloves
Onion - 1 small
Pepper - 1 Tsp
Salt (if desired)
Extra Virgine Olive Oil - 3 - 4 Tblsp

Jimmy Dean mild sausage 1 - 8 oz pkg or if you want to substitute for a healthier tastier mix try 2-8 oz. Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Grillers Crumbles Pkgs. 

Italian bread crumbs - 1 1/2 cups or toast your own 12-grain bread for a heartier filling.

Asiago cheese shredded 1 - cup

                                        

Port wine 5 Tbsp

Moonlight mushrooms,

Clean with a soft cloth and remove stems. Chop stems finely.
3 cloves of garlic, chop or mince the garlic finely.
1 small sweet onion, onion chop finely.
add a dash of pepper and if you like add a dash salt.
Simmer till tender in extra virgin olive oil or butter if you prefer, set aside let cool.

With hands in a large bowl mix together,
1 - 8 oz pack Jimmy Dean mild sausage, sage is great
1- 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs finely crumbled
1 cup of aged asiago sharp cheese or well-aged provolone.
Pepper, salt and saute. Mix garlic, onion, and stems.
Then add port wine, mix well.
Stuff caps and top with raw cheese.
Place in a baking pan
Bake 12 - 20 minutes at 320 degrees checking periodically.
let cool and serve.