Red Velvet Cheesecake

If I lived on Oahu I'd be FAT. Why? Because they have the Cheescake Factory. I just want to hurry through dinner so I can feast one one of the many flavors of cheesecakes. I fell in love with the Red Velvet Flavor because it had the perfect balance of cake and cheesecake so it wasn't overly rich. Here is my edition of their cheesecake.

Photo to come 

Ingredients

Red Velvet Layers

Use Moisest Cake recipe using Red Velvet cake mix and chocolate pudding.

Cheesecake Layers

2 packages cream cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar

Directions

1. Bake the cake in 2 springform round pans and cheesecake in 1.
2. Refrigerate cake and cheesecake for a few hours then layer the cake with red velvet on top and bottom and cheesecake in the middle. 
3. Top with homemade cream cheese frosting. 

Apple Bread Pudding

Adapted from my idol Jean Hee's book, "Hawaii's Best Local Desserts." It's warm, cinnamony, and there's surprise chunks of apples inside. It's the perfect dessert with a fresh scoop of vanilla ice-cream :-)

Makes for 13x9 pan

Ingredients

1 1/2 loaf Sweet Bread, ripped up into pieces

4 cups milk

1/2 stick butter melted

3/4 cup sugar

4 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 can Apple Pie Filling (or make your own!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a big bowl mix the milk, vanilla, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter.
3. Add in the bread to soak in all the liquid.
4. Pour half of the bread pudding into a greased 13 x 9 pan, add in the can of apple filling, then top with the rest of the bread pudding,
5. Sprinkle the top with more cinnamon.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden.
7. Eat with vanilla ice cream and enjoy the best sense we have TASTE! 

This dessert makes good breakfast too! It's just like French Toast!

Corn and Bean Salsa

I remember the weekend I learned to make this very vividly. I had to take my Praxis test to become Elementary Ed certified and I sat in a room circling bubbles for 5 hours straight. Waiting at my friend Lauren's house in Washington was the salsa. Luckily, I passed the dreadful test and scored this delicious recipe! Adapted from Lauren Kayahara's mom! Thank you!

Ingredients

1 can each
Corn
Pinto Beans
Black Beans
Water Chestnuts

Red Onion chopped
Tomato chopped
Cilantro chopped
Avocado chopped
squeeze of lemon/lime
Salt/pepper

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

Directions

1. Mix together all the canned goodies.
2. Pour cider over the ingredients and let marinate for an hour.
3. Right before serving add avocado, onions, tomatoes, salt, pepper, lemon/lime, and cilantro.
4. Serve with some tortilla chips and you will be addicted!!

Chocolate Mac Nut Shortbread Cookies

Adapted from my mom's dear friend Mrs. Nero.
As amazing as soft and chewy cookies are, every so often everyone craves a crispy cookie!

Ingredients

1 1/2 blocks butter
1 1/2 blocks margarine
1 cup sugar

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup macadamia nuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Cream sugar and butters until white.
3. Add flour and baking soda.
4. Stir in nuts and chocolate.
5. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet (they will spread so leave in a high blob).
6. Bake for 30 minutes, cool and let crispify!

Cocoa Mochi

Went to a party in Washington knowing only a few people but a few minutes after I plopped these babies on the table I knew everyone. Yes, these are pretty wonderful!

Ingredients

Dry

1 box mochiko (1 pound sweet rice flour)
1 3/4 cup sugar
5 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
1 handful chocolate chips (optional)

Wet

2 eggs
1 can coconut milk (13.5 ounces)
1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients.
3. Mix all the wet stuff.
4. Combine it all together and pour into a 13 x 9 pan.
5. Bake for an hour. 
6. Serve warm. Do not put in the fridge or it will get hard. Will be good for two days max so eat it fast!

Poi Mochi

Life doesn't get much better than this... Crunchy and crackly on the outside then you are surprised by a sweet, gooey treat in the middle! These were my favorite when they used to sell these outside of Walmart on a stick or in a box. I didn't eat it again for years until I realized how simple they are to make.

Here's Kelsey modeling her fresh out of the fryer mochi :-)

Makes about 30 chicken nugget looking mochi balls

Ingredients

1 box Mochiko
1 1/2 cups sugar
1-1 1/2 cups of water (you want the batter to be thick but easy to drop into balls)
1 container of Poi (1 pound)
Coconut Oil for Frying (can use vegetable but coconut gives it a nice sweet flavor)

Directions

1. Heat up oil in pot to be about an inch and a half from the bottom.
2. Mix together poi, sugar, and water.
3. Add in mochiko and use more water until it is the consistency of really thick paste.
4. Drop by spoonfuls into the oil, spin them around so they get an even golden brown. 
5. Drain on a paper towel and share um with your friends while they are hot!

Honey Bran Muffins

From my healthy and buff Washingtonian roommate Mary Wenneborg!

Makes 16 muffins

Ingredients

Dry

2 cups flour

2 cups unprocessed bran flakes

1/3 cup toasted wheat germ

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Optional- 1/3 cup nuts, 1/3 cup flax seeds. 1/3 cup sunflower seeds (save some for sprinkling)

Honey Butter

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) at room temperature

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

Wet

1 cup vanilla or Plain (add 2 teaspoons vanilla) Yogurt

1/2 cup milk/buttermilk

3 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a big bowl stir dry ingredients.
3. In another bowl cream the butter, honey and brown sugar.
4. Beat in the wet ingredients into the honey butter mixture.
5. Mix the dry with the wet just until moistened and still lumpy.
6. Pour into muffin pan and sprinkle the tops with leftover flax and sunflower seeds.
7. Turn heat down to 350 degrees then bake for 18 minutes.
8. Serve warm with honey or freeze for a quick and healthy breakfast when you're in a rush!

Seafood Sushi Bake

Inspired by Kintaro's Tin Foil Special!

Serves 4

In this Pan sushi variation just take the seafood mixture and spread on top of rice and broil for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.

Ingredients

1 zuccinni sliced into strips

bunch of mushrooms sliced

salmon/ahi chopped into cubes

scallops 

shrimp

imitation crab/lobster

Any other seafood or vegetable you think would be good in it

Spicy Garlic Mayo

Mayo (enough to coat everything about 1/2 cup)

1-3 Tablespoons Siracha depending on how spicy you like um

3 cloves garlic  minced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix Spicy garlic mayo and mix it with all the seafood and vegetables.
3. Put all the goodies into a pan or tin foil boat, making sure that everything is spread out pretty thinly.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until a little golden.
5. Broil for 1-2 minutes to make the top crispy and browned.
6. Eat on top rice, and now you never have to wait till you're at Kinty's to get this unbelievable and easy dinner!