Key Lime Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberry Sauce {Crazy Cooking Challenge}

This month’s Crazy Cooking Challenge is cheesecake…my absolute favorite dessert! I was kind of excited to have an excuse to make a cheesecake. I have only made a couple in my life and very rarely eat cheesecake (like once a year maybe) because it is just way too dangerous for me. I would literally eat the whole thing if left alone with it. I always think of the Friends episode with the cheesecake…if you don’t know what I’m refering to you have to check it out!

While cheesecake is my favorite, I am really particular about what varieties I will devour. The crazy cookie dough peanut butter chocolate ones or others filled with tons of toppings and flavors always look really yummy but when it comes to what kind to eat I stick to the simple. I just don’t like those crazy flavors in my cheesecake. I guess I’m a cheesecake purist.

Since the Challenge recipe no longer has to come from a blog, I decided to scour my cookbooks to see if I could find a simple, yet tasty cheesecake to whip up. I went straight to one of my favorites for dessert, Classic Southern Desserts {by Southern Living}, and found just what I was looking for in a cheesecake. Not only are the flavors pure and simple but they feature sweet and zingy fruit making it the perfect summer indulgence.

I was also attracted to the recipe because it reminded me of our Florida vacation last month that now seems so far away. I enjoyed a really tasty slice of key lime pie there so I was hoping this recipe could bring me back, if only for a few minutes! The cheesecake was dense and creamy with a slight zing from the key limes. The strawberry sauce tasted so incredibly fresh and added a nice sweetness. It was definitely worth the time and calories!

Oh, and it didn’t have any cracks so I totally knocked something off my Top 100 list! Yay!

Key Lime Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberry Sauce
recipe from Classic Southern Desserts {by Southern Living}

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. lime zest
1/2 cup Key lime juice
Garnish: strawberries, strawberry sauce (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together first three ingredients and press on bottom and 1 inch up sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 8 minutes; let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

2. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add 1 1/4 cup sugar, beating until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in sour cream, zest and Key lime juice. Pour batter into crust.

3. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour adn 5 minutes; turn oven off. Let stand in oven, with door partially open, 15 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately run a knife around edge of pan, releasing sides.

4. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack; cover and chill at least 8 hours. Garnish, if desired, and serve with strawberry sauce.

Strawberry Sauce

1 1/4 cup fresh strawberries, washed with tops removed
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. lime zest

Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.

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Recipe linked to Totally Tasty Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday and Full Plate Thursday.

New Orleans Food Tour {Part II}

I am going to start the second installment of the food tour with our favorite meal of the whole trip. We were wondering Magazine Street and found ourselves hungry. After trying to go to several places that were closed (since it was Sunday) we finally stumbled upon The Rum House. It’s a Caribbean inspired place that served the most amazing and unique tacos I’ve ever had. Oh yeah, and the most amazing drinks! So what if it was Sunday lunch, we were on vacation.

I ordered a jerk chicken taco and a calypso beef taco with fried plantains and mac-n-cheese. I know the mac-n-cheese doesn’t quite go with tacos but I just can’t resist it. And I’m so glad I couldn’t because it was some of the best I’ve ever had. It was cheesy, creamy, a bit tangy and packed full of garlic! They had so many delicious and unique side dishes so I decided to try something out of the box for me. I have never had fried plantains so I ordered them and hoped for the best. They were crispy on the outside and still a bit firm inside and a bit sweet. I didn’t love them but I didn’t hate them either. {The Rum House – New Orleans, LA}

The jerk chicken taco was topped with a sweet mango salsa which I was a bit weary of before I tried it. I understand that the sweet mango balances out the spicy jerk seasoning but I just don’t usually like fruit with meat. Well, I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave it a try because it was pretty darn delicious. As good as the jerk chicken taco was, the calypso beef was just out of this world. The beef was incredibly tender and was topped with citrusy lime sauce and big dollop of guacamole. Seriously, the best taco I have ever had! {The Rum House – New Orleans, LA}

Joel had fried oyster tacos that were topped with a caper relish and spicy remoulade. I can’t say that I tried them because, well, I didn’t like anything on them. But he said they were the best tacos ever so I thought I would share them with you all. {The Rum House – New Orleans, LA}

And we can’t forget the rum drinks we enjoyed at The Rum House. I partook in a Key Lime Coconut Punch while Joel had a Caribbean Punch with Homemade Strawberry Juice. Both were in a word, incredible! I’m not a big drinker. I just don’t like the taste of alcohol and always prefer a soda over a mixed drink. I absolutely could not taste the alcohol in either of these drinks making them just amazing. The Caribbean Punch was super refreshing and fruity while the Key Lime Coconut Punch was a bit stronger and zingy and I just loved that it was rimmed with graham cracker crumbs. {The Rum House – New Orleans, LA}

When I announced on Facebook that we were going to New Orleans I was told that I had to go to Cafe du Monde for beignets and cafe au lait. And when you are told by someone who has visited many times to go somewhere, you just have to listen. And who is going to turn down fried, sugar covered doughnuts? Not these guys. I’m not a coffee drinker so I skipped out on that but Joel had one and really enjoyed it. It was half coffee and half hot milk. He doesn’t like strong coffee so this was right down his aisle. The beignets were so airy, crispy, chewy and doused with powdered sugar. Our faces were quite amusing after we were done eating them. {Cafe Du Monde – New Orleans, LA}

The last stop on our food tour is the Cajun Cabin on Bourbon Street. We enjoyed true Cajun food there with red beans and rice and a crawfish po’ boy. The red beans and rice was served with andouille sausage and crispy chicken strips. The beans were so creamy and flavorful which made it very difficult to stop eating them. I tried a bite of Joel’s po’ boy and was pleasantly surprised by the crawfish. I have never had them before and thought they tasted like a subtle version of shrimp. This place was a definite winner. {The Cajun Cabin – New Orleans, LA}

New Orleans Food Tour {Part I}

We had a great time during our trip to New Orleans! I especially had a great time eating all the local grub! We didn’t get to eat as much Cajun food as we would have liked (because of the times of the games we had to eat at the dome a few times) but still managed to eat (and drink) quite a bit of unique fare that we couldn’t get around here. So here are our favorites….Joel thought that when we went on vacation he would escape the obsessive photo taking of our food but he was wrong. And embarrassed, which isn’t easy to do. If you ever travel to New Orleans, be sure to check out these eats!

Our first meal was at The Ruby Slipper which uses all local products from the sausage to dairy to bread. They also have a great story behind the name of the restaurant. The owners are big Wizard of Oz fans so when they came back to the city after Katrina they decided on this name because “there is no place like home.” They serve breakfast, lunch and brunch offerings with a New Orleans flair. Joel decided on the BBQ Shrimp and Grits while I had a Cheese Omelet with Breakfast Potatoes and a Biscuit. There other breakfast items sounded amazing (check out the pancakes and french toast options) but I just wasn’t in the mood for sweet and they all came with meat which I was trying my hardest to avoid.

The omelet was good but the breakfast potatoes and biscuit definitely stole the show. The potatoes were so brown and crispy while the biscuit had a crunchy bottom (in a good way) and soft, moist middle. {The Ruby Slipper, New Orleans – downtown and midtown}

The BBQ Shrimp had an amazing, spicy Cajun rub that was great on the shrimp. I can’t be a judge on the grits because well, I hate grits. I tried them because I haven’t had them in awhile and thought maybe I wouldn’t mind them but the hate remains. Joel enjoyed them though and they looked yummy. {The Ruby Slipper, New Orleans – downtown and midtown}

We stayed about 45 minutes outside the city in Picayune, MS and when we were driving in the first night, I spotted this little place and my heart skipped a beat. When we walked inside I just about died because it was even better than my wildest dreams!

They displayed case after case of pretty much any Southern (or any other region for that matter) pastry you could imagine. Needless to say, it was extremely difficult to make a selection…so we went a second time in order to get the full effect. I didn’t get any pictures inside the shop because Joel looked like he just might die if I pulled out the camera.


Joel indulged in his first ever eclair and it was pretty heavenly to say the least. He tried to compare it to a Long John and thought the doughnut version was better but let’s be honest…he is crazy and doesn’t know what he is talking about. The pastry was light and airy, the filling creamy and the chocolate rich. Yum! {Paul’s Pastry Shop – Picayune, MS}

I had my first cannoli and it was divine! It has definitely moved to the top of my “to make” list. The shell was sweet and crispy, the filling was light, fluffy and slightly sweetened and the chocolate chips added that extra richness. Oh, I’m still dreaming about it! {Paul’s Pastry Shop – Picayune, MS}

On our last day we stopped by one last time for a cream puff, mounds macaroon and little key lime cookies. The cookies were tart and melted in your mouth. The macaroon was sweet, dense and rich…everything it should be. And the cream puff was just as heavenly as the eclair. I actually enjoyed it more since I am not a huge fan of chocolate. If you are EVER in the area, you have to stop by and try one of everything! You won’t be disappointed. {Paul’s Pastry Shop – Picayune, MS}

Another favorite spot we visited was L.A. Pines Cafe in Slidell, LA. We were there for our swamp tour and had seen this little place featured on Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives so it was on our list of places to try. Their specialty is the Smoked Prime Rib Sandwich. It consists of delicious French bread slathered with horseradish sauce and topped with an enormous amount of smoked prime rib, caramelized onions and melted cheese. They had a lot of business that day due to all the people in town so they were running short on the prime rib and I managed to snatch up the last one. Score! It was the first Sunday I cheated during Lent and it was so worth it. I don’t normally cheat on Sundays but I made an exception since we were on vacation. The prime rib was so incredibly tender and paired so well with the horseradish sauce (which I normally don’t like and almost asked for the sandwich without it). The bottom half of the roll is dunked in au jus…need I say more? {L.A. Pines Cafe – Slidell, LA}