Friday Foodday

Happy Friday!
Here are my favorite recipes this week.

Bare Minimum
c/o The Kitchn

Ingredients

For the ginger syrup (makes 1 1/2 cups, enough for 12 cocktails):

5 ounces fresh ginger (1 medium hand)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water

For 1 cocktail:
1 fresh basil leaf
6 raspberries
1 1/2 ounces New Riff Kentucky Wild Gin (or other floral gin)
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
Ice
4 ounces club soda
Lemon slice, for garnish

Directions

Peel the ginger and chop into rough 1/4-inch pieces. Place in a small saucepan, add the sugar and water, and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.

Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof medium bowl, measuring cup, or glass jar, pressing on the ginger with the back of a spoon. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of syrup. Cool to room temperature.

Place the basil, raspberries, and 1 ounce of the ginger syrup in a cocktail shaker. Muddle for 30 seconds and the remove the basil. Add the lemon juice and gin, then fill the shaker with ice. Cover and shake until the outside of the shaker is frosty. Strain into a Collins glass. Add the soda water and top with ice. Garnish with a lemon slice, if desired.

Monterey Chicken Spaghetti

c/o Buns in My Oven

Ingredients

• 6 oz. spaghetti, broken into 3 pieces
• 1 cup shredded or diced cooked chicken
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups grated monterey jack
• 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
• 3 ounce can french fried onions

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and add to a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the chicken, egg, sour cream, garlic powder, cheese, spinach, and half of the onions to the bowl and stir well to combine.
4. Pour into prepared baking dish and top with the remaining onions.
5. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes more.
7. Serve immediately.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake Cake

c/o Shugary Sweets

Ingredients

FOR THE CHEESECAKE:

• 2 pkg (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla

FOR THE CAKE:

• 1 recipe chocolate layer cake (9inch layers)- homemade or cake mix is fine

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup caramel sauce (homemade caramel sauce or jarred is fine)
• 4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

FOR THE GANACHE:

• 4 oz dark chocolate
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp caramel sauce
• pinch of kosher salt

Directions

FOR THE CHEESECAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a large roasting pan on the lower 2/3 of the oven, preheat the pan too!
2. Prepare springform pan by wrapping bottom of pan (outside) with double layer of foil. Spray pan with nonstick baking spray and line bottom (inside) with a circle of parchment paper. Meanwhile, boil a kettle of water to use later.
3. Beat cream cheese with granulate sugar for 2-3 minutes until creamy. Add in salt and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Beat in sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla. Pour into prepared 9inch springform pan. Place pan in center of preheated roasting pan in the oven. Pour boiling water slowly into the roasting pan, until there is about an inch of water coming up the sides of the springform pan.
5. Bake cheesecake for 45 minutes. Turn oven off and let cheesecake sit in oven for an additional 30 minutes. Remove and cool completely on counter.
6. When cooled, transfer entire springform pan into the freezer for several hours or overnight. I put it in freezer for about 2 hours. **If using within 24 hours, feel free to just refrigerate cheesecake!

FOR THE CAKE LAYER:

1. Prepare chocolate cake according to package directions for 9 inch cake. Or, like me, prepare a homemade dark chocolate layer cake using THIS recipe

FOR THE FROSTING:

1. Beat butter in a large mixing bowl for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy. Add caramel sauce, powdered sugar, milk and kosher salt.
2. Beat for 4-5 minutes until soft and creamy.

TO ASSEMBLE:

1. On a cake platter, lay one layer of chocolate cake, top with the cheesecake. Then add the other layer of chocolate cake. Spread frosting over entire cake, sides and top.
2. Refrigerate frosted cake while you prepare the chocolate ganache.

FOR THE GANACHE:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, combine dark chocolate with heavy cream. Heat 30 seconds. Stir and heat an additional 30 seconds. Whisk for several minutes until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
2. Once cooled. Spread over top of chilled cake. Drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp of caramel sauce and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve!