Thai Crunch Salad and Coconut Cheesecake

April LemmonJanuary 2017

Thai Crunch Salad

For the Thai Peanut Dressing

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2-1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1-inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

For the Salad

• 4 cups chopped Napa cabbage or shredded coleslaw mix (I like to toss in a little shredded red cabbage for color)
• 1 cup prepared shredded carrots
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 cup cooked and shelled edamame
• 2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
• Shredded Chicken
• Fried wontons
• Diced avocado
• Crushed Peanuts

Coconut Cheesecake

Ingredients:                                Filling

14 whole graham crackers            5 packages (8 oz) cream cheese

1 C flaked coconut                       1 ¼ C Sugar

¼ C sugar                                   1 ¼ C sour cream

⅓ C butter, melted                       1 TBS vanilla

                                                 1 TBS lemon or lime juice

                                                 5 large eggs, lightly beaten

                                                 1 C Flaked coconut

                                                 1 TBS coconut extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a greased 9-in (3 in deep) springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan.
  • Creak graham crackers into quarters;place in a food processor.  Add coconut and sugar; pulse until fine crumbs for.  While pulsing add melted butter just until blended. Press onto bottom and 1 ½ inch up sides of pan
  • In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream vanilla,lemon juice, and coconut extract.  Add egg; beat on low speed just until blended.  Fold in coconut.  Pour into crust.  Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.  
  • Bake 80 -90 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull.  Remove springform pan from water bath.  Cool cheesecake on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool one hour longer.
  • Remove rim from springform pan.  If desired, press additional coconut onto sides of cheesecake.  Serve with warm drizzled chocolate, sliced almonds, and homemade whipping cream.