No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Balls

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Balls

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup cream cheese, softened

2. 1/2 cup peanut butter

3. 1/4 cup powdered sugar

4. 1 tsp vanilla extract

5. 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

6. 1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted

Instructions:

1. Mix the filling: Combine cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Mix until smooth.

2. Add graham cracker crumbs: Mix in the graham cracker crumbs until well combined.

3. Shape into balls: Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a smooth ball between your palms. Place the shaped balls on a parchment-lined tray.

4. Chill the balls: Refrigerate the balls for 15-20 minutes to firm up.

5. Melt the chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until smooth and glossy.

6. Coat the balls: Dip each chilled cheesecake ball into the melted chocolate, ensuring it's fully coated. Let any excess chocolate drip off.

7. Add toppings (optional): Sprinkle with crushed peanuts, sprinkles, or other toppings while the chocolate is still wet.

8. Chill and set: Refrigerate the coated balls for 15-20 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.

9. Serve: Store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy chilled.

Tips and Variations:

- To add crunch, mix crushed pretzels or graham crackers into the filling.

- For a spicy kick, add a pinch of cinnamon or cayenne pepper to the filling.

- Drizzle melted white chocolate over the chocolate coating for a decorative touch.

- Use gluten-free graham crackers or cookies for a gluten-free option.

- Substitute plant-based cream cheese, peanut butter, and dairy-free chocolate for a vegan-friendly treat.

Mujaddara(Rice, lentils, Carmelized onions)

 Ingredients

6 tablespoons (90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

5 medium yellow onions (40 ounces; 1.13 kg), thinly sliced (see notes)

4 3/4 teaspoons (about 14 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; for table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight

1 1/2 cups brown lentils (10 1/2 ounces; 300 g), picked over and rinsed

5 3/4 cups (650 ml) water, divided

4 1/4 teaspoons (about 11 g) ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 3/4 cups medium-grain rice (12 ounces; 350 g), rinsed until water runs clear (see notes)

For Serving:

Salata falahiyeh (farmer's salad), optional

1 container (6 oz) plain whole milk yogurt, optional

Directions

For the Onions: In a large stainless steel sauté pan, heat 4 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon as needed, until they have softened, collapsed significantly in volume, and are just beginning to turn golden, about 12 minutes (pan will appear very overcrowded at the beginning).

Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring and scraping bottom of pan every 1 to 2 minutes, until onions are fully softened and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Off heat, transfer about 3/4 cup (150 g) onions to a small bowl and set aside.

Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt over the remaining onions in pan and return to medium heat. Cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pan every 1 to 2 minutes, until onions are deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking, stirring and scraping bottom of pan every 2 minutes, until deeply caramelized with some darker edges and a few lightly crisped bits, about 10 minutes (some onions may brown more deeply than others; this is expected and adds welcome flavor and texture to the final dish). Set aside.

For the Lentils and Rice: While onions caramelize, in a large pot, add lentils, 3 cups (720 ml) water, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring lentil mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are almost fully tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Drain well in a colander or fine-mesh strainer; set aside. Wipe pot dry using a kitchen towel or paper towels.

Strained cooked lentils in a mesh strainer over a sink or pot ingredient preparation step for Mujaddara recipe

Add remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil to now-empty pot and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add reserved lightly golden onions, cumin, and pepper, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice, 2 3/4 cups (650 ml) water, reserved lentils, and remaining 3 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt. Bring mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes. Let rice and lentils rest off-heat for about 10 minutes. Gently fluff with two forks or wooden spoons. Keep covered until ready to serve.

Onions and spices cooking in a large pot on a stovetop

To Serve: Transfer mujaddara to a large serving platter, top with reserved caramelized onions. Serve with salata falahiyeh (farmer's salad) and yogurt on the side, if desired.

Plated dish of mujaddara with sides of yogurt and chopped vegetable salad

Asian Peppersteak

 Asian Peppersteak

Ingredients

1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

3 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain

1 green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. finely chopped peeled ginger

Cooked white rice, for serving

Step 1

In a medium bowl, whisk soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and cornstarch until combined.

Step 2

In a large skillet over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Working in batches, add steak; season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer steak to a plate.

Step 3

In same skillet over medium heat, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Cook bell peppers, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Return beef to skillet and add sauce; season with salt and pepper, if needed. Cook, stirring, until sauce is glossy, about 2 minutes more.

Tomato Choka(Trinidad)

 

Ingredients

• ▢8 - 10 large tomatoes
• ▢1 small onion sliced finely
• ▢4 garlic cloves chopped
• ▢Scotch bonnet deseeded
• ▢½ teaspoon black pepper optional
• ▢1 teaspoon pink salt
• ▢4 tablespoon of coconut oil melted

Instructions

• Wash and blot the tomatoes dry.
• Grab a baking tray or cookie sheet and cover with aluminium foil.
• Place the tomatoes evenly spaced out on the tray and broil/grill for 10 minutes or until the skin is charred and splits.
• While the tomatoes are being broiled/grilled, place 2 of the garlic cloves into a pestle and mortar (use a masher/blender if you don't have one) along with the skin of the scotch bonnet and pink salt.
• Mash into a smooth paste and set aside.
• Once the tomatoes have cooled down enough, peel off the skin so the pulp is left and place the tomatoes along with the garlic/pepper/salt paste in a medium sized bowl.
• Use the pestle/masher/fork to breakdown the tomatoes.
• Add the coconut oil to a frying pan (or kalcul) on medium-high heat and saute the onion and garlic until slightly golden.
• Chunkay (drizzle over) the oil with the onion and garlic onto the tomato mixture and stir in the black pepper.
• Serve accordingly

Eggplant Choka(Trinidad)

 Ingredients

2 eggplant aubergines

¼ a large onion finely sliced

2 garlic cloves sliced lengthways in half

pink salt and black pepper to taste

1 scotch bonnet or chilli optional

To Chunkay

2 tablespoon of olive oil

2 garlic cloves chopped

¼ a large onion sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven at 190C/374F or gas mark 5 and line a baking tray with parchment paper

Make some small vertical slits about 4cm long all over the entire eggplant./aubergine, be careful not to slice too deep.

Place 2 garlic slices in each eggplant

Rub the eggplants and scotch bonnet with 1tbsp of oil before placing on a lined baking tray and transfer to the oven.

Roast the scotch bonnet until darkened for the first 4-5 minutes then remove, continue to roast the eggplant until it looks limp and thin in size (should take 25 minutes).

In the mean time, prepare the onions and scotch bonnet in a bowl.

Once the eggplants have been removed from the oven, allow to cool before slicing length ways to scoop out the flesh into the bowl with the scotch bonnet and some of the onions, pink salt and black pepper.

Mash everything together until smooth.

Do the chunkay method by heating up the olive oil in a miniature sized pan with the garlic and onion until golden brown, proceed to pour the hot oil over the pureed mix