Almond Streusel Cherry Cheesecake Bars *

 Cookie Base and Topping
1 pouch sugar cookie mix
1/4 cup cold butter
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Filling
20 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp almond extract
2 eggs 
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

Heat oven to 350.  Spray 13x9 pan with cooking spray.  Place cookie mix in large bowl.  Cut in butter and 4 oz cream cheese, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture is crumbly.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups mixture for topping.  Press remaining mixture in bottom of pan.  Bake 12 minutes.  Meanwhile in large bowl, beat 20 oz cream cheese, sugar, flour, almond extract and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over partially baked cookie base.  Spoon pie filling evenly over cream cheese mixture.  Sprinkle with reserved topping and almonds.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool 30 minutes.  Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.  Store covered in refrigerator.

Chocolate Honey Bun Cake *

 1 box chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
8 oz sour cream (use plain greek yogurt for less calories)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tsp cinnamon
Rich and Creamy chocolate frosting

Heat oven to 350.  Grease 13x9 pan with nonstick cooking spray.  In bowl, beat cake mix, water, melted butter, eggs, and sour cream on low speed for 30 seconds.  Beat on medium speed 2 minutes.  Spread half of the batter in the pan.  In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, pecans, chocolate chips and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter in pan.  Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls evenly over pecan mixture; carefully spread to cover.  Bake 48-54 minutes or until top springs back with touched lightly.  Cool 10 minutes.  Poke top of warm cake every 1/2 inch with chopstick or something of that nature.  Carefully spread desired amount of frosting evenly over warm cake.  Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake.  Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.  

Unstuffed Southwest Chicken Poblano Skillet *

 3 Tbsp avocado oil

4 poblano peppers, stem and seeds removed and cut into 1/2 inch wide strips

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 bottle SideDish southwest dressing

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 cup shredded  monterey jack cheese

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

Hot cooked rice

Preheat oven to 400.  Heat an oven safe skillet over medium high heat.  Add 2 Tbsp oil, poblano peppers, onion, salt and pepper.  Cook, tossing, until the veggies are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add chicken, southwest dressing and broth and stir to combine.  Spread contents in skillet in single layer.  Sprinkle top with cheese.  In small bowl, combine bread crumbs and 1 Tbsp avocado oil and stir until well combined.  Sprinkle over top of cheese in even layer.  Transfer to oven and bake until hot, bubbly and browned on top, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving over rice.  

Serves 4

Italian Mac and Cheese Bake *

 1 pound ground italian sausage

1/2 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

10 oz elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

24 oz four cheese tomato sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

5 oz plain greek yogurt

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  In large oven safe skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink.  Add onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add cooked pasta, tomato sauce, and season with salt and pepper.  Stir in yogurt and simmer until well combined.  remove from heat and stir in half of mozzarella.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake until cheese is bubbly and golden, about 10 minutes.  

Serves 3

Creamy Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry *

 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp tapioca flour

2 Tbsp avocado oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/4 inch thick strips

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 baby bok choys, roughly chopped

1/3 cup creamy sesame dressing

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1-3 tsp crushed red pepper, adjust to desired heat preference

1 lime, cut into lime wedges

Hot cooked rice

Pat shrimp dry then add to a large bowl with salt, pepper, and tapioca flour.  Toss to combine.  In large deep skillet, heat oil over med-high heat.  Add shrimp in a single layer and cook until shrimp is browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.  Remove from skillet and set aside.  Reduce heat beneath skillet to medium then add bell pepper, shallot, and thicker portions of bok choy.  Add additional oil if skillet is dry.  Saute, stirring until the veggies begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add leafy portions of bok choy and toss until it begins to wilt.  Add shrimp back to skillet.  Add creamy sesame dressing, sesame seeds and crushed red pepper.  Toss until shrimp and veggies are well coated.  Serve with lime wedge.

Serves 2

  

Cochinita Pibil *

 2.5 pound pork shoulder or pork loin, trimmed of excessive fat and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks

3/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lime juice

2 oz achiote paste 

3/4 tsp ground cumin

2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced

Salt and pepper

Combine achiote paste, OJ, lime juice and cumin in food processor and blend until combined.  Place pork and peppers in crock pot and drizzle with achiote marinade.  Toss to combine.  Cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours, until pork is tender and shreds easily with a fork.  Shred pork and toss in marinade.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Add additional lime juice if desired.  Serve with desired toppings, such as sour cream, cheese, guacamole, onion, cilantro, etc.  Serve on tortillas or rice. 

Serves 4

 

I found achiote paste on Amazon, but it might be worth checking in a hispanic market.  Cochinita Pibil roughly translates to "baby pig cooked in ground oven" and is a yucatan style bbq pork.