Category: Cooking

Pumpkin Cheesecake in the Instant Pot

Pumpkin Cheesecake

It’s autumn and time for pumpkin to take center stage.  Pumpkin is also the Good Friends Good Food Cooking Group’s vegetable for this week.  My choice shifted between a favorite pumpkin soup and a pumpkin cheesecake, which would be a new dessert for me.  Pumpkin cheesecake is one of those seasonal dishes that I love.  Because I have also been wanting to try a cheesecake in my Instant Pot, now seemed a good time.

If the Instant Pot is not your thing, I believe this recipe would work fine in an oven with close watching near the end to get to the appropriate degree of doneness.

Instant Pot Utensils

I used my six quart Instant Pot and a 7” springform pan.   When I first bought the Instant Pot, I invested in a couple of pans to use inside it.  This is my first use of the springform pan.  It fits perfectly inside the pot and on top of the trivet.

Special Instant Pot Considerations

I did some research on Instant Pot cheesecakes and the following things should be a part of the process.

  • The ingredients should be at room temperature when used because it important for the consistency of the top of the cheesecake.
  • Bring the water to boiling in the pot before cooking the cheesecake because it reduces the steam in the pot by bringing up the pressure more quickly.
  • Do not overmix the ingredients and it will help prevent a puffy soufflé-style cheesecake.
  • Cover the top and bottom of the pan with foil because it keeps the steam off the cheesecake.  It is also important for the cooking time to be accurate.
  • Freeze the prepared crust while mixing the filling. (Or bake in 325 degree oven for 15 minutes.)
Wrapped Springform Pan
Wrapped Springform Pan

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients 

12 oz. Cream Cheese (1 1/2 blocks), softened
1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 tsp Cardamom
2 Large Eggs, slightly beaten
1 c. Pumpkin Purée

1  1/2 c. Water in Instant Pot

Crust

1 c. Ginger Snap Crumbs or Graham Cracker Crumbs
2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp Salted Butter, melted

Whipped Cream for topping

Instructions

Remove eggs and cream cheese from refrigerator about an hour before preparation to bring to room temperature.

Prepare a 7” springform pan by lining the bottom with wax or parchment paper.  Grease the sides with butter.

First, prepare the crust.  Mix together the crumbs, sugar, and butter and press into the prepared pan.  Place the pan into the freezer or bake in a 325-degree oven while preparing the filling.

In a large bowl, stir the cream cheese and ensure it is very soft.  Add the condensed milk and stir with a whisk until smooth.  Stir together the flour and spices and then add to mixture.  Lastly, add the pumpkin and eggs and stir until blended.

Pour filling over the crust evenly and tap the pan lightly on the counter to release air bubbles.  Next, cover the pan with foil on both the bottom and top to prevent condensation getting to the cheesecake.

Add the water to the Instant Pot and turn on Sauté.  Heat until the water is boiling and then turn off the sauté function.  Put the springform pan inside the trivet and lower the foil-covered pan into the pot.

Place the cover on and set for pressure cooking on high for 49 minutes.  After cooking, allow 20 minutes for a natural release.

Remove foil cover and examine cheesecake.  There should be a slight jiggle in the center.  If the center looks like liquid, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes and 5 minutes natural release.  If there is any condensation on the cheesecake, dab with a paper towel to remove.

Serving Instructions

Remove all the foil and allow the cheesecake to cool on the counter for 1.5 hours.  Lastly, cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 10 hours before serving.

Pan in Instant Pot
Springform pan in Instant Pot

 

Carefully remove the cheesecake from the pan and remove the wax paper.  Serve with whipped cream.  Voila, pumpkin cheesecake!

My Result

So, the center of my cheesecake was a little jiggly as desired.  I  found the center to be a little more creamy than the edges, but all of it was good.  It was also easy to get out of the pan.  However, this is not an overly sweet cheesecake. Surprisingly, my husband, a big sugar fan, loved it!  I think he liked it more than me.    The cardamom was one of my modifications, which I liked.

This opens our world of camping to cheesecake because we usually take the instant pot, but not an oven.   It is a little different process, but is not really difficult.

Pumpkin cheesecake
Pumpkin cheesecake

In conclusion 

I am enjoying cooking with Good Friends Good Food group.  Check out my page,  Vegetables with Good Friends, Good Food and our recipes for other vegetables.   I am so looking forward to all the creative ways pumpkin is used by members of the group.  Lastly, be sure to click on their links.

Ellen’s Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Kayte’s Pumpkin Strudel Muffins

Margaret’s Curried Pumpkin Soup

Nancy

Peggy’s Mini Pumpkin Pie

Ulrike’s Pumpkin Salad with Kale

Happy Cooking!

 

 

 

Zucchini Frittata, an Anytime Dish

Zucchini, this Week’s Vegetable

This week’s vegetable is an easy one to have available because it is accessible year round and keeps well in the refrigerator for several days.  Routinely, I have about three different ways to serve them.   However, I most often include zucchini in a frittata.  A frittata is a special breakfast in our home, but it is so hearty that it is also an excellent choice for brunch or dinner.

I don’t generally follow a recipe for my frittatas, so the ingredients can vary.  Most often though, I include zucchini or summer squash.  However, either type of squash works well in a frittata.

Special Equipment

I have always made my frittatas in an iron skillet.  So, for me, it would feel unnatural to use anything else.  But, any skillet or pan that can go from stovetop to oven could be used.   My choice though,  will always be an iron skillet.

Frittata Possibilities

Eggs are the only absolute necessity in a frittata, everything else can vary.  Butter or oil will work, but I prefer butter.  Olive oil is, of course, a healthier choice.  The sky is the limit with vegetables because they are cooked until tender crisp on the stovetop.    Any cheese that you like will also do just fine.  Lastly, a variety of seasonings work well in a frittata, such as basil, oregano, dill, thyme, cayenne pepper, or chives.

Zucchini Frittata Ingredients
Zucchini Frittata Ingredients

Zucchini Frittata Recipe

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Butter or Olive Oil
1 c. Zucchini, diced
1/2 c. Onion, diced
1/2 c. Red Bell Pepper, diced
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/8 tsp Accent
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes
6 Large Eggs, Slightly beaten
3/4 c. Gruyere & Swiss Blend Cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in ovenproof skillet over stovetop.  Add all vegetables except tomatoes and cook over medium-high heat until tender-crisp.   Add desired salt and pepper.  Sprinkle Accent and Italian Seasoning over vegetables.  Lastly, add whole cherry tomatoes and distribute them evenly in skillet.

Next, pour beaten eggs evenly over vegetables; do not stir.  Sprinkle cheese over top.  Place skillet into preheated oven and cook for approximately 18 minutes or until eggs are firm.

Sautéed Vegetables
Sautéed Vegetables
Optional Garnishes

Salsa, Tomato or Green Chili
Avocado Slices

This Frittata Version

This was my first time using the Gruyere/Swiss blend cheese and green chili salsa.  It gave it a bit of a different taste, more complex, but we really liked it.

Because there was no previous recipe, I adjusted my estimated measurements for several ingredients as I prepared it.   I must say, this was a delicious meal.  My husband agreed!

Zucchini Frittata
Sunday Brunch

Good Friends Good Food Blogs (GFGF)

Check out other zucchini dishes by my GFGF friends.  I have been very impressed by their cooking expertise because of all the cool ways they have prepared vegetables so far.

Ellen’s Zucchini Bread

Kayte’s Grilled Zucchini with Red Onion and Feta

Margaret’s PHO-GA

Nancy

Peggy’s Chicken Zucchini Casserole

Ulrike’s Baked Courgettes/ Zucchini with Minced Meat

In Conclusion

If you have never made a frittata, they are a marvelous way to turn a variety of on-hand vegetables into a quick and delicious  meal.    Zucchini is an excellent vegetable because it can be kept in your vegetable bin ready to make a delicious frittata happen.

Lastly, if you would like to check out other vegetables prepared by our cooking group, see my page,  Vegetables with Good Friends, Good Food.

Happy  Cooking Y’all

 

 

Grilled Tomatoes in Air Fryer

The vegetable for this week’s Good Friends Good Food recipes is tomatoes.  I really love tomatoes and grilled tomatoes are a favorite in our house.  In the past, I have made them on the grill and in the oven.  However, I suspected they would be really quick and easy in the air fryer.  This proved to be correct.  They were so easy to make that the air fryer will be my preferred method of cooking going forward.

Air Fryer Cooking

I have only had my air fryer for five months, but it is a very good small appliance for lots of different foods.   After much research, I settled on the Ninja Air Fryer.   So far, I have been really pleased with this brand and model.

A few things about grilling tomatoes in the air fryer to keep in mind:

  • There is no need to preheat the fryer for tomatoes.
  • There is certainly no need to heat up your kitchen with a big oven.
  • No oil or grease is needed in the fryer because the bottom of the tomatoes are oiled and this prevents sticking.
  • Above all, the cooking basket and tray can be put into the dishwasher.  I love this benefit of the air fryer.
  • The tomatoes can be touching without impacting results.
  • The cooking time can vary based upon the thickness and level of ripeness of the tomatoes.
Grilled Tomatoes in Air Fryer
Tomatoes ready to cook in air fryer

Grilled Tomatoes, The Recipe

Ingredients

3-4 Tomatoes, washed and cut into halves
Olive Oil, approx 2 Tbsp
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Dried Basil, to taste
Garlic Powder, to taste
Dried Chives, to taste

Optional:  Parmesan Cheese or Breadcrumbs

Instructions

Use a brush to liberally spread olive oil on bottom and top of each tomato half.  Next, place the tomatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket.  Sprinkle salt, pepper, dried basil, garlic powder, and dried chives as thick or as light as desired.

After that, cook at 350 degrees for 15- 20 minutes.  Because tomatoes vary in size and ripeness,  check on how the tomatoes are progressing at 15 minutes.  They should be soft and lightly browned.

If adding optional cheese or breadcrumbs,  add during the last five minutes of cooking.

My Grilled Tomatoes

I omitted adding cheese or breadcrumbs because we are on a special one-week diet.  But, they were still marvelous!

Grilled Tomatoes
Grilled Tomatoes

Good Friends Good Food Blogs

Kayte’s Taco Tomatoes

Margaret’s Tomato, Sausage & Eggplant Soup

Nancy’s Tomato and Cheese Cobbler

Peggy’s Tomato Pie

Ulrike’s Baked Aubergine with Pasta and Tomatoes

In Conclusion

I certainly recommend grilled tomatoes in the air fryer.  I hope you give them a try.

Moreover, if interested in other vegetables that I have cooked with Good Friends Good Food, check out my page,  Vegetables with Good Friends, Good Food.   I will be updating the page with each new vegetable.  The next vegetable is zucchini!

Happy Cooking Everyone!

 

 

 

Green Beans Almondine, A Special Occasion Dish

Green Beans

Green Beans are the vegetable for my first post with the cooking group, Good Friends Good Food (GFGF).   I am afraid it is rather late because we were traveling when it was due.   However, GFGF is a very flexible group, which I like very much.  So, you just post a recipe of your choosing every two weeks.  The only requirement is you must include the assigned vegetable for the week in your recipe.

My Recipe this Week

My dish is a modification of one I have occasionally used for holidays. The original recipe was obtained from my bosses’ wife more than thirty years ago.   The original was good, but way bad for you.  I must say,  my scaled-down version is still not especially healthy because it has bacon, that delicious, yet bad for you meat.  But, you might want to limit this dish to special occasions.

Recipe, Green Beans Almondine

Ingredients

1 lb Fresh Green Beans (or 3 cans)
3 Strips Bacon
4 Tbsp Sugar
4 Tbsp Vinegar
3 Tbsp Slivered Almonds
Salt to taste

Directions

If using fresh beans, remove ends and strings;  wash.  Cook beans in a small amount of boiling salted water covered for 20-25 minutes or until crisp tender.  Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook bacon until crisp.  Crumble and reserve 2 Tbsp of drippings.  Stir sugar and vinegar into reserved drippings.  After that,  add the crumbled bacon to the dripping mixture.

Next, layer 1/2 the beans, bacon mixture, and almonds in a casserole dish and then repeat with remaining half.

Bake 35 minutes, uncovered.

The Results

Green Beans Almondine
Green Beans Almondine

It felt like a holiday having this somewhat decadent dish on a weekday.  I haven’t actually served it in about ten years, but remembered it was good.  Actually, it was quite delicious.  The bacon remained crispy and the almonds were nicely toasted.  Also, the beans had a nice sweet/sour flavor.  My husband said, “I could eat this every day.”  I told him that he should not expect that because it has too many calories and is too much work.

GFGF Recipe Links

Kayte’s Green Beans with Bacon and Onion

Margaret’s German Green Bean Salad

Nancy’s Food Blog

Peggy’s Not Your Granny’s Green Bean Salad

Ulreke’s Baked Green Beans with Olives

In conclusion, more vegetable posts will be upcoming to my new page, Vegetables with Good Friends, Good Food .

Happy Cooking Y’all!