2009 August — Cooking During Stolen Moments

Confession time – I have never, not once, made cheesecake. (Until today that is.) I suppose it’s because cheesecake would never be my first choice when it comes to dessert. I like it well enough, but I’d glad take something chocolaty as my first pick.

However, my husband loves cheesecake. He has been begging me for years to start making cheesecake for him. But I resisted. I used not having a spring-form pan as my excuse. So I guess when he presented me with my very own spring-form pan a few months ago, I should have taken the not-so-subtle hint.

I’ve had a dozen kiwis lingering in my refrigerator and I’ve been brainstorming ways to use them. A middle of the night stroke of genius hit me the other night though. I could use those kiwis to garnish cheesecake! (I do wonder if that inspiration was whispered in my ear by my innocent husband…but, I digress.)

So I finally tackled my very first cheesecake. I went the easier route and broke myself into the process painlessly by making bars instead of an actual cheesecake.

These were so easy to make and they were just delicious! Seriously, I know they aren’t chocolate, but I am enjoying these bars for dessert. I suppose I’ll know be making cheesecake on a regular basis. There are worse things that could happen.

Cheesecake Bars with Lime-Glazed Kiwi Garnish

2 c. graham cracker crumbs (about one sleeve, crushed)
2 T. sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
2 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. lime juice (I used lime juice to tie the flavor of the garnish into the bars. If you’re using a different garnish, or not at all, you can replace the lime with lemon juice if you want.)
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. water
2 T. lime juice
3 kiwis, quartered and sliced

1. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a bowl. Press into a 13×9 casserole dish lined with foil. (For easy removal of the bars, leave an inch or two of foil hanging over the ends of the dish.) Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes, until golden and set. Cool.

2. While the crust cools, beat the cream cheese in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add sugar, lime juice and vanilla. Beat an additional 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs until combined. Pour on top of cooled crust.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until edges are lightly browned and filling is set. It will firm up as it cools. Cool on a wire rack and then move to the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cutting.

4. Shortly before cutting the bars, combine sugar, water and lime juice in a small pot. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Cook until slightly thick and syrupy, stirring often. Remove from heat. Stir in kiwi pieces.

5. Remove the bars from the casserole dish and cut into squares. Garnish each square with a spoonful of the kiwi. Serve and enjoy. Store leftovers in the fridge.

This post is being linked to:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace
Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Tackle It Tuesday at 5 Minutes For Mom

I’ll be the first to admit – succotash has never appealed to me. Just the name alone makes it suspect in my book. And lima beans? I don’t know, they’re okay mixed in with other veggies and things this just always seemed like too much.

However, my oldest daughter (strange creature that she is) absolutely loves lima beans. I buy bags of frozen lima beans and she’ll eat a bowl as a snack. So I thought I’d attempt succotash for her, especially since fresh, Michigan sweet corn is available everywhere I look lately.

I decided to go a little non-traditional with this dish and keep everything a bit more rustic. I’m glad I did. Not only does this dish present beautifully, it’s also fun to eat. And as for those lima beans…surprisingly, we all ended up really enjoying them. The larger beans have an almost nutty flavor and they truly are good. But if you’re not sure about lime beans, you could replace them with fresh green beans and get an equally pretty and delicious side dish.

Rustic Succotash

3/4 c. butter
1/2 small onion, diced
1 bag frozen lima beans (I used the larger, fordhook lima beans)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
4 Roma tomatoes, cut into sixths
3 ears fresh corn, boiled for 5 minutes and quartered

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the lima beans and seasonings. Cook for 5 minutes, until beans are thawed and heated through.

2. Add the tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes just begin to give off some juice and cook down a bit. Add corn, stir to heat through. Remove from heat and serve hot or at room temperature.

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