Phenomenal Salad Dressing

What this post lacks in effort, it definitely makes up for in content. This is the latest thing I cannot live without.

I found this recipe for a shockingly easy salad dressing on Emily's blog here:

http://www.dailygarnish.com/recipes?recipe_id=49

I happened to have all the ingredients on hand so I printed it out to try at home. Words cannot explain how glad I am that I did.

I don't use any additional salt, since the liquid aminos pack all the salty punch I need. With 5 ingredients (one of which is water), and literally two steps I won't bore you to tears with pictures of me making it. But make it you should, immediately. It is so good I had to go to the store the next day and stock up on lettuce. Well, my honey must have been halfway reading my mind. While I was tossing head afer head of lettuce in my cart, he was at Costco buying this:
Yes, I see a lot of salads in my future...

This dressing is also fabulous as a marinade for fish. I used it on some salmon and it would have knocked my socks right off had I been wearing any.

Thin Mint mini cheesecakes

Have you heard of pinterest? This amazing and addicting time suck of an online pinboard? No? Well you might want to head on over there so I don't feel so incredibly alone in this world. Okay, there is my emo for the day. But really, check it out:

http://pinterest.com/

Pinterest is where I found this beautiful food blog with professional grade photos. A site that makes my amateur attempts all the more obvious, but if you must, go ahead and check it out. I won't hold it against you:

http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/09/cookies-and-cream-cheesecakes.html

That there is the recipe that led us to where we are right now. The reason I found myself the other night whipping together this luciousness:
Preparing it to go on top of these:

Why yes, those are in fact Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. Yes, I do happen to be addicted. So what, who cares?

I used the recipe in the link above, with a few changes.

Mini Thin Mint Cheesecakes

Roughly 2 boxes of Thin Mints, 10 coarsely chopped

(32 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 teaspoon peppermint flavoring

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

pinch of salt

1) Preheat oven to 275°. 2) Line standard muffin pans with liners. 3) Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each liner.4) Beat cream cheese at medium speed using an electric mixer. 5) Gradually add the sugar, beating until combined. 6) Beat in vanilla and peppermint flavoring. 7) Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time. 8) Beat in sour cream and salt. 9) Stir in chopped cookies by hand. 10) Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. 11) Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 30 minutes. 12) Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. 13) Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). 14) Remove from tins just before serving.

This batter was phenomenal. Cheesecake has always been intimidating to me and this was a piece of cake. Or, I guess, a mini piece of cupcake.

It was almost a shame to add the Thin Mints...

Almost.

I baked a test one before baking a whole pan's worth. There goes that incredibly well loved cupcake tin. Don't tell me I am the only one with kitchen equipment that looks like this!

After baking. Plump, moist, cheesecake perfection. The origial recipe calls for 22 minutes of baking time. I don't know if i is the high altitude or what, but it took mine more like 30-35.

YUM.

Of course I had to sample to ensure quality and all.

They most definitely passed muster. Most definitely.

Go forth! Make these! Do great things! Change the world! But first, MAKE THESE.

Testimonials for the above recipe:

"These......these should not be allowed, sweet Jesus they're delicious!!" - Marissa, my favorite IT person

"Are you kidding me? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!?" - crazed woman at work

A software engineer who I have never seen smile was heard saying "Those are to die for".

So there you have it ladies and gents.

One more thing before you make these, please reassure me. Tell me you have a well loved and beat up piece of kitchen equipment you can't part with!

Peanut Butter Coconut Granola

What you will not find here:

A fancy shmancy complicated recipe
A million step by step pictures
A recipe that tastes as simple as it is

Peanut Butter and Coconut Granola

1 1/2 c rolled oats
1/2 c coconut
1/4 c wheat germ
1/2 c pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/4 c peanut butter (I used crunchy but creamy works fine too)
1/4 c puffed rice
3 T honey
2 T coconut oil
1/2 t salt

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Stir all ingredients together (heat your cocout oil to dissolve if it is solid)
3. Toss the ingredients into a 9x13 glass baking dish
4. Stir every 10 minutes until granola is nicely browned, roughly 20-25 minutes total
5. Let it cool, and enjoy!
I like mine over yogurt, sometimes I add a drizzle of maple syrup if I am feeling frisky.

No matter how you eat this, what you put it on, what time of day you partake in it, the hardest thing about this recipe is not immediately shoveling it into your mouth by the handful before it cools.You're Welcome :)

Happy Saturday! I hope each one of you is having a fabulous day.