Thien Vu Cheesecake

Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients:
2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (We used 3 cups for a 9inch pan)
1/4 cup of melted butter (Used 1/2 cup (one stick) for a 9inch pan)

Directions:

1. Line bottom of pan w/ parchment
   
2. Mix above ingredients and put in pan

Cheesecake
Ingredients:
3 8oz. cream cheese packages
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used one and 1/2 vanilla bean pod)

Directions:

1. Mix cream cheese, vanilla and sugar
2. Add egg one-at-a-time and mix
3. Pour over crumb crust
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes* (*Try baking at lower temperature 250 degrees so cake does not dry out)
5. Take out for 6 minutes

Topping
Ingredients:
1 pint of sour cream (16 oz tub or 1 lb)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I used 1/2 a vanilla bean pod)

Directions:

1. Beat for 2 minutes
2. Start from the outer edge and cover the top of the cheesecake
3. Bake for 6 minutes

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Casserole

We love casseroles at our household. I particularly love them because you just put everything in one baking dish and put it in the oven. This came out of a casserole book I have at home. We ate it tonight for the first time and thought it was delicious! Its great for your kick of Mexican food. It tastes really fresh!

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper

- 1 small onion, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

- 1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

- 1 jar (16 oz) salsa, recommend chunky style

- 1 can (2.25 oz) sliced ripe olives

- 6 corn tortillas, cut into halves

- 2 cups (8 oz) shredded Mexican flavored cheese

- sour cream (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic; cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add chicken; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Stir in salsa and olives; remove from heat.

Place 6 tortilla halves onto bottom of ungreased 8-inch square baking pan. Top with half of chicken mixture and 1 cup cheese; repeat layers.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with sour cream. 

Zucchini Stuffing

Got this recipe from my friend, Lisa Mann. She uses a pressure cooker to cook the zucchinis but I don't have one of those so I did the old-fashion boiling technique.

Recipe Details:
Makes 1 - 2 quart casserole
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes


Ingredients:

• 6 large (6 cups) zucchinis (chopped to 1/2 inch rounds)
• 1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup (substitute with cream of mushroom to make vegetarian)
• 1 (8oz) sour cream
• 1 box of Stove Top chicken stuffing (substitute with cornbread stuffing to make vegetarian)
• 1 small yellow onion - diced
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
2. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook zucchini in lightly salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, and place in a large bowl. Stir in the condensed soup, sour cream, onion.
3. In a small bowl, mix together stuffing and melted butter. Spread half of the stuffing mixture in the bottom of the casserole dish, add a layer of the zucchini mixture, and top with remaining stuffing mixture.
4. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown.

Sesame Ginger Glazed Chicken & Stir-fried Broccoli

It is of no surprise to anyone that I am not the family cook. There really is nothing too special about this dish, but I just thought maybe I'd share with you what I eat almost on a weekly basis for dinner! There really aren't any clean measurements.... I kind of throw it all together and it tastes different everytime, but I'm sure you get the idea.

Ingredients:

- Chicken breast tenderloins (Or plain chicken breasts)

- Salt

- Pepper

- Dried minced onions

- 1/4 Onion sliced

- Grounded Ginger

- Chicken seasoning

- 1/4 cup Sesame Ginger marinade (Lawry's brand)

- 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce

- 2-3 tbsp Soy sauce

- 2-3 tbsp Terriyaki Sauce

- 1-2 tbsp Sriracha

- Broccoli Florets (Broccoli Wokly) Steamed

- EVOO

- Minced garlic

- Teriyaki stir fry sauce

Directions:

Season all sides of chicken with salt, pepper, dried minced onions, grounded ginger, and chicken seasoning. Oil a frying pan, place chicken in pan and cook on medium for about 7-9 mins per side.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix Ginger sesame marinade, Hoisin sauce, Teriyaki sauce, Soy sauce, and Sriracha. Set aside.

After chicken cooks on the outside, add onions to the pan. Once chicken is thoroughly cooked, brush sauce on all sides of chicken and over onions as well. Let simmer in sauce.

In another pot, add 3-4 tbsp of EVOO. Add garlic (to your preference). Add broccoli and stir until broccoli is well coated. Drizzle teriyaki stir fry sauce and splash a little bit of soy sauce. Continue to mix until evenly coated and broccoli is at the firmness/softness of choice.

Enjoy!

Oi Seobaggi (Cucumber Kimchi) Revised

This is a revised take on the Korean cucumber kimchi (Oi Seobaggi).

INGREDIENTS

• 4 persian cucumbers cut into slices at an angle
  
• 1/2 yellow onion sliced into rings and breaking the rings.
  
• 3 tablespoon rice wine vinegar plus 1 1/2 tablespoon
  
• 1 tablespoon sambal olek
  
• 1 tablespoon hoison sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
  
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black toasted sesame seeds (optional)
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix cucumbers and salt in a collander and set aside to draw out moisture. At least 15 minutes.
   
2. In a bowl, mix 3 tablespoon vinegar with onion and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
3. Rinse cucumbers and thoroughly dry.
4. Drain onions and squeeze excess vinegar from onions.
5. In another bowl mix together onions, cucumbers, sugar, hoisin, sambal, sesame oil, and remaining vinegar.
   
6. Refrigerate until thoroughly cold.
7. Serve cold garnished with sesame seeds.
   

Celery with Tofu and Dried Shrimp

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cake hard baked bean curd (can substitute with 1 cake pressed soy sauce marinated tofu) cut into strips 2 inches long and about 1/4 in wide
  
• 8 stalks celery cut down the centerlong long way and then cut into 2 inch long pieces
  
• 1/8 cup of dried shrimp coarsely chopped
  
• 1 clove garlic minced
  
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoon oil
• 1/4 cup chicken brothe
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat wok with oil until very hot
   
2. Add garlic and shrimp and stir-fry for 20 seconds
   
3. Add soy sauce, salt, chicken broth and celery and stir-fry until celery is slightly translucent
   
4. Add tofu and stir-fry until tofu is heat through
   
5. Add sesame oil and stir-fry for a another few seconds
   
6. Plate and serve hot

Stir-fried Eggs and Tomatoes

Adapted from The Food of China cookbook (with my tweaks):

INGREDIENTS

• 4 eggs
• 2 ripe medium-large red tomatoes
• 2 scallions finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoon oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl beat together eggs, sesame oil, and salt
2. In a wok, heat oil until very hot
3. Add scallions to wok and stir-fry for 20 seconds
4. Add egg mixture to wok and stir until almost set
5. Add tomatoes and soy sauce to wok and stir-fry for another minute
6. Plate and serve hot