Key lime cheesecake bars

This is a good recipe for parties -- you can make it a day or two ahead and just stash it in the fridge.  You can decorate the bars with flaked toasted coconut or lime zest or little thin slices of lime, or chopped macadamia nuts or sliced almonds.  To make it more festive, you could also add food coloring to the cream cheese filling, or pipe whipped cream instead of sour cream.  You can also halve the recipe for a family-sized dessert. 

For the crust:

2/3 pound (2 packages out of the box) graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter
1/4 cup sugar


For the filling:

2 8-oz packages of cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup key lime juice
zest of one lime
2 tablespoons flour

For the topping:

1 cup sour cream
more lime zest, or toasted coconut flakes (optional)


Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 8 x 11 baking pans with parchment.  In a bowl, mix crust ingredients and press half into each baking dish.  Bake for 10 minutes.  While the crust is baking, mix cream cheese sugar, and vanilla together until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.  Add remaining filling ingredients, stir to combine well, and spoon half over each crust.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown and the mixture is set.  Cool for an hour and then refrigerate, covered, until just before you are ready to serve.  Spread the sour cream over the top and decorate as you like.  Cut into squares and serve. 

Bright summer slaw with pineapple vinegar dressing

This is a fresh, colorful, and tasty vinegar-dressed slaw that's great for parties, because is quick to make, makes a lot, and keeps very well.  Pineapple vinegar can be bought at many Asian food stores.  I have heard of people making their own, with cider vinegar, but I haven't tried it.  If you can't find pineapple vinegar, you can substitute cider vinegar, but you might want to adjust the sugar, because pineapple vinegar tends to be sweeter.  This recipe is GREAT with ribs or on fried chicken sandwiches or fish tacos. 

For the dressing: 
1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola or peanut
3/4 cup pineapple vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp szechuan red chili oil, more to taste (I love this oil from Blank Slate Kitchen!)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp ground black pepper


For the slaw:
about 4 cups finely shredded green cabbage (half of a medium head)
about 4 cups finely shredded red cabbage (a whole small head)
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple (about half a small pineapple)
3 medium carrots, grated
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
(I have also added chopped star fruit to this if you have it, or halved seedless grapes, or flaked unsweetened coconut)


Put all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to dissolve the sugar.  Refrigerate until just before you serve the slaw.  Put all the slaw ingredients in a large bowl and toss.  Just before you serve it, pour the dressing over the slaw and toss again.