Leftover Raspberry Sauce

We used up half of the leftover raspberry sauce on pancakes this weekend and the other half was used to top these lovely key lime cheesecakes that Gabe and I made. I'll have to wait awhile before I make another batch of that raspberry sauce because I like it so much that I can't bear to see it go to waste. So after finding ways of using it up this weekend we need to take a break from the sweet stuff.
Key Lime Pie happens to be one of my top favorites so this cheesecake was right up my alley. It's a pretty basic recipe and the crust was just a combination of graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter...no measuring was done, and never is, so you may want to play around with it to find what you like.

Key Lime Cheesecake - This made 3 medium and 3 small individual cheesecakes
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 Tablespoons key lime juice
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar, beatthe two until smooth. Add vanilla and key lime juice and beat well. Add egg, beating until just combined.
I used ring molds for mine and put a strip of parchment paper inside first. Then I layered the crumbs and then cheesecake filling. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes depending on the size of your cheesecakes(the cheesecake should still jiggle a little in center).
Turn off oven and leave cheesecake undisturbed for 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and cool to room temperature on wire rack. Refrigerate several hours before serving.
Enjoy with raspberry sauce or whipped cream.

Puffed Pancake and Raspberry Sauce

Here is another new breakfast item that Gabe and I enjoyed today. We made a basic puffed pancake, this recipe was found in my good, old, reliable, Better Homes and Garden cookbook. Then we made this killer raspberry sauce. It is very simple, but it really amped up the flavor of the pancake. It's just a combination of water, sugar, cornstarch, raspberries, and jam. I think this would make a to-die-for cheesecake topping or belgian waffle topping. I have extras so I'll be thinking of a yummy way to use it up.

Raspberry Sauce
(I winged it...so this is just a starting point)
2/3 cup water
2 T sugar
1/2 T cornstarch
1/2 c fresh or frozen raspberries
1 heaping Tablespoon raspberry jam

Heat sugar, cornstarch, and water in a small saucepan. Stir constantly to avoid lumps once the cornstarch begins to work. Allow to boil for a minute or two to completely dissolve the cornstarch. Turn heat down to low and add jam. Stir to dissolve and then add raspberries. Stir until just combined.

Chorizo Hash

We felt like something a little different this morning so I went for this chorizo hash. I don't usually have chorizo, a spicy mexican sausage, around so I knew it would definitely change up our usual breakfast fare. We really liked this combination of sausage, green peppers, onions, and potatoes. I enjoyed mine with a generous amount of ketchup, but if you're like my husband you'll like it as is.



Chorizo Hash

1/4 cup crumbled chorizo
1 1/2 cups diced potato
1/2 diced onion
1/2 diced green bell peppers
salt and pepper to taste

Choose a large skillet and place a pat of butter and a swirl of oil to the pan. On medium heat add the chorizo, stir occasionally until browned. Add remaining ingredients and cook until tender 7-10 minutes. Season to taste and serve with eggs and toast.