Smocked sockeye salmon is really salty, no need to salt it yourself. Actually, I can't think of a good way to season this.
Potatoes that don't look terribly appetizing to eat, are great if cooked, pureed and turned into a sauce for pork. My mom uses her old potatoes for potato pancakes- I'll try this next!
Cheesecake takes a long time to bake/cool/set before you can actually take one precious bite. This is especially true if you put the fresh, out of the oven graham cracker crust on a heated burner and you have to start all over again because you burned the crust. This said, it is well worth the time and effort. (Recipe below)
Cheesecake with Strawberry Swirl
crust:
1 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers (the original recipe called for pecans, I used graham but added pecans)
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
filling:
2 pckgs cream cheese
2 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tsp tsp grated lime zest
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup strawberries
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350. Butter bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
Pulse grahams, flour, and sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse just until combined. Press the crust evenly over the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until light brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Reduce oven temp to 300.
To make the filling: Mash the strawberries and sugar together in a medium saucepan with a pastry blender or fork. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release their juices. Stir in the cornstarch, bring to a boil over med-high heat, stirring constantly and boil for 1 minute. Pour the puree through a coarse strainer set over a small bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Refrigerate, tightly covered until thoroughly chilled.
With an electric mixer on med-high speed, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the condensed milk, zest, lime juice and vanilla, scraping down the side as necessary. Reduce the speed to med and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour the batter into the pan.
Transfer the strawberry puree to a small glass. Drizzle it in a spiral pattern over the batter, then swirl a table knife through the batter to marbleize it. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until the cheesecake is puffed on the sides and still slightly jiggly in the center. Let cool on a wire rack.
Refrigerate, tightly covered, for at least 8 hours, until thoroughly chilled and set.
*This recipe comes from the book, luscious creamy desserts by Lori Longbotham and is called blackberry-ripple lime cheesecake- I obviously altered the recipe, but will definitely try this recipe as calls out.