Matcha Cheese Cake (makes a 9 inch cake or 8 individual cakes)

The recipe below is a very light dessert and a fresh finish for any meal. Chez was pleasantly surprised and I hope you will be too. This one has to be tried in order to appreciate how 'non-cheese cake' this cheese cake really is.

The version below is for a 9 inch cake but I opted for 8 individual cakes. [Pictured above.] Either way you choose is fine, just adjust your cooking time. I also garnished with a bit of the sweet sour cream (2 tbs sour cream, 1 tsp vanilla and 3 tbs of sugar, well mixed). I also used a 'frosting pen' to write Japanese words on the cakes; "prosperity", "happiness", "peace", "serenity"... you get the idea. (Yahoo Babel fish is such a handy tool!) Of course the sparkling candles are optional.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
• 2 pounds cream cheese
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs , separated
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest from 1 small lemon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoon matcha, sifted
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons matcha
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325F degrees. Line bottom of 9-inch spring form pan with foil, tuck foil underneath pan bottom, assemble pan, then pull foil around side of pan.

2. Brush bottom and sides with butter. Sprinkle crumbs over bottom. Tilt pan in all directions to coat evenly with crumbs.

3. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add sugar and matcha, beat on medium speed until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.

4. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down after each addition, ensuring ingredients stuck at bottom of bowl are fully incorporated so as to avoid lumps. Add zest and vanilla and beat until just incorporated.

5. Remove bowl from mixer; stir in cream and sour cream.

6. Beat egg whites to soft peaks and fold into batter.

7. Bake until perimeter of cake is set, but center jiggles like Jell-O when pan is tapped, 45 to 50 minutes. Turn off heat and leave oven door ajar, using a long-handled kitchen fork or spoon to hold it open for 1 hour longer.

8. Remove spring form pan; cool to room temperature.

9. Sift together 2 Tb matcha and 2Tb powdered sugar on top of cheesecake. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours.

Chicken Souvalaki with Tzaziki (Serves 4)

This particular recipe is simplicity itself. The ingredients are few and the technique is super-simple. If you have cool looking skewers, great, if not then simple bamboo skewers are just fine; just remember to soak them first, lest they burst into flames.

Ingredients - Souvalaki

• 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1” x 1” cubes


• 3 medium zucchini, cut into 1” chunks


• ¼ cup olive oil


• 1 large, juicy lemon zested and juiced


• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced


• 4 bamboo skewers


• Salt & fresh ground pepper
  

Ingredients - Tzaziki

• 1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded and finely chopped (Squeeze out the excess liquid)


• ½ large onion, finely chopped (Squeeze out the excess liquid)


• 1 cup Greek yogurt (don’t skimp on this… use the real stuff)


• 6 mint leaves


• 1 tbs lemon juice


• 1/4 tsp salt


• ½ tsp pepper
  

Preparation:

For the Tzaziki, combine ingredients and refrigerate… Yup, that’s it, and the longer is sits in the refrigerator the better it will get, so do this at least 1 day before use.

For the Souvalaki, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, the garlic, a good pinch of salt and a couple good grinds of pepper. About 1 hour before you are ready to eat, toss the chicken and the zucchini into the marinade and let them sit for at least 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, alternately thread the chicken and zucchini onto the skewers and either grill outside on the BBQ or do it up right on a cast iron grills. You are going to be cooking them with the goal of a few dark, caramelized areas on both the chicken as well as the zucchini…maybe 3 minutes per side.

AB's Shred, Head, Butter and Bread (Serves 6)

I am not a fan of cabbage that has been cooked to death, limp as mucus and emanates deadly, sulfurous fumes. The good news is that last week, while watching "Good Eats" on the Food Network, my hero Alton Brown, gave me an alternative to noxious and non-edible cabbage. Below is the recipe and I have to say that this one is killer. If you are in the mood for cabbage then this one is certainly a possible candidate for you to try out.

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup pulverized, seasoned croutons
• 2 pinches dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 small head cabbage, shredded
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

1. Fill your largest pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil on high heat.
2. Melt the butter and croutons in a skillet.
3. Add the mustard and caraway seeds and stir over medium heat until the butter browns and smells nutty.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat, but leave dressing in the pan.
5. Add the salt and sugar to the boiling water and cook until dissolved.
6. Place the cabbage in the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes exactly. (This is important!)
7. Drain the cabbage in the bowl of the salad spinner or colander.
8. Spin the cabbage to remove any excess water.
9. Add the cabbage to the butter-crumb dressing and toss to coat thoroughly.