Two cheese Lemon Cheesecake

I had the ingredients.  All I needed was the desire to bake. It all came together and this beauty of a cheesecake was born.

Fresh lemon, vanilla wafer cookies, cream cheese, ricotta and sour cream. How can you miss with these wonderful ingredients with this recipe of mine?.

That's a sour cream coating on top. Yum

Combing two recipes is what this recipe is about.

Crust

2 cups crushed vanilla wafers( I used store generic brand)
4 T melted butter
1/4 cup sugar

Crush wafers in a food processor or you can place the cookies in a large seal-able bag and with a rolling pin press back and forth until fine.

In a medium size bowl add crushed wafers, butter and sugar. With a fork mix all. Press into a spring form pan. Refrigerate pan until you mix the below ingredients together.

Cheesecake ingredients

 6  large eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 stick softened butter
1 -15 oz. ricotta
1 cup light sour cream
2-8 oz. packages softened cream cheese
3 T cornstarch
3 T flour
1 whole large lemon squeezed (2 small to medium)
Rind of one lemon

Sour Cream topping:

1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. sugar

Beat softened cream cheese with sugar and butter.  Add eggs one at a time until blended. Beat well...at least a few minutes.   Add ricotta, cornstarch and flour. Add lemon juice, sour cream and rind of lemon. Beat until all is blended. Pour gently over crushed cookie mixture.

Bake at 325 degrees about 90 + minutes or until top is just about set in center. Remove from oven and carefully spread sour cream mixture over cheesecake. Place back in oven and bake for 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool on rack. Gently go around edges with a sharp knife around cheesecake to loosen. Do not remove sides until completely cooled.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  **Cool at least 4 hours before slicing.

It's creamy and delicious.  I like the sour cream topping and using the crushed cookies on the bottom instead of the usual graham cracker crust was a plus. We had a slice tonight and it was very light and not as rich as others I have made.  Less sugar and still a great taste. Yummy!!!

We'll see how it is tomorrow after it has totally set. 

So far so good!

P.S. I'm serving mine with crushed pineapple but any fruit topping would work. Of course just as it is was perfect tonight.

Please note**** I placed my springform pan on aluminum foil before I filled it. Sometimes I have had the pan leak onto my oven floor and boy does it create a mess. Smoke and having to clean up a dirty oven.

A final note.  I decided to try this recipe in a 11 x 14”

Pan.  Beautiful cheesecake squares.  Easy to serve! Convenient too!

Ps:  I didn’t top this cheesecake with sour cream but easily could have. Enjoy!

From my happy kitchen to yours,

Add this salad to your meal: Green Bean/ Orzo Salad

Yes I like to add orzo pasta to a lot of salads..It changes things a little and compliments instead of overpowers, as some pastas do in a salad..Here is a recipe I found to be really tasty and I'm making it with some kebabs for dinner.  .You'll find some days I tweak recipes to spice them up.  Hope to tantalize your taste buds!    

8 oz. orzo, cooked rinsed and drained
2 roasted red peppers (I took the easy way out today and used jarred roasted peppers)
1 tablespoon capers
1 large shallot (I used green onion) I forgot to buy shallots
1/2 lb. fresh green beans, cleaned and broken in half.  Cook with some salt until tender and set aside
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard( I used Honey Dijon) (See what I mean!!!!!!!!!)

Whisk together vinegar, oil and mustard..Stir in shallot(green onion), capers, bell peppers, salt and pepper to taste.  Add orzo and beans to vinaigrette..Garnish with chopped basil if desired! Toss and serve.

Pretty to look at delicious to eat!

Chicken,mushroom, sweet onion,red, green and yellow peppers..Just season with salt and pepper and grill about 20 minutes!  Enjoy!  Note: soak wooden skewers in water for at least 20 minutes.

Happy Easy Meals.

From my kitchen to yours,

Italian Pesto Salad

Easy Salads for a healthier lifestyle.  

To keep us healthy and give us energy including lots of good protein is a good idea.  I have found that including some protein in every meal (yes 3 times a day) helps to keep the body going and keep your metabolism running properly. 

Whether you use this recipe the way I have written it or adding some healthy olive oil to it I am sure you'll find it enjoyable. 

Italian Pesto Salad

8 oz elbow macaroni( I used tri color for some color)

1 -7 oz. Jar basil pesto sauce( I used fresh basil pesto)

¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ tsp. Kosher salt

2- 15 oz. cans cannellini beans rinsed and drained

(3 cups baby arugula)

2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese shaved

¼ cup pine nuts

Cook macaroni according to directions. Drain and rinse well under cold water. Set aside.

In a large bowl stir together pesto, vinegar and salt.

Add beans, cooked macaroni, arugula, half the cheese and half the pine nuts

Toss well. Serve at once or cover and chill up to 6 hours. Top with remaining cheese and nuts.

Note: I am adding the Bibb lettuce just before serving.

8/29/14

2/15/16

3/22/17