No Bake Cheesecake - Migraine Friendly!

Yes, I know...this has been done before.  But because it was SO incredible and I used it in my anti-migraine pie crust, I'm going to go ahead and post it here in case anyone on the planet hasn't tried it.

See my other post from today for this yummy pie crust!

No Bake Cheesecake Ingredients:
12 oz cream cheese (I used the soft in a little tub) (softened)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup Cool Whip (just barely thawed - not runny) 
     (I'm sure you could also use homemade whipped cream 
      out of heavy whipping cream if you want a completely natural
      alternative, or if you just don't have Cool Whip on hand)
1 tsp vanilla

THAT'S IT!  Beat it until well blended for a few minutes, scrape into a cooled crust, stick in the fridge  covered for a couple of hours, and top it with whatever you want.  I actually drizzled it with some caramel & at times ate it plain.  It really is perfect plain :)

This is ALSO anti-migraine (containing no typical trigger foods or additives).  Be careful what you top it with if you must top it.  Newsflash:  Citrus is not your friend if you suffer from migraines! And the "other" easy no-bake cheesecake recipe circulating out there calls for lemon juice.  Take my word for it...the recipe doesn't work without the lemon juice.  The lemon juice is what causes the cheesecake to "set up" so mine was a runny mess.   


For you migraine sufferers:
Acceptable fruit toppings (if you must have fruit topping)—Fresh strawberries, apples, pears, grapes, peaches, nectarines, blueberries, kiwi, apricots, blackberries, cherries, cantaloupes, mangoes, honeydew melon and watermelon.  

What fruit toppings to avoid—Bananas, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, tangerines, pineapples, clementines, raspberries, plums, papayas, & passion fruit.

Disclaimer:  The information above is not to be substituted for common sense and/or your doctor's advice and/or your own experience with trigger foods.  My information comes from my own online research as well as my own recent experience avoiding nearly everything good on the planet because it triggers a migraine in me.  Do what works for you!

PIE CRUST - EaSy, DeLiCiOuS, & MIGRAINE FRIENDLY

I am always the pie maker.  Do you have one of those in your family?  I don't even like pie.  For some reason I could never teach my tastebuds to like the texture & taste of warm fruit.  I started making pies for my family, and for some strange reason, did it really well.  My mother couldn't make a pie crust to "save her soul."  Those are her words...not mine!  So I was always stuck with the assignment at Thanksgiving & Christmas!  

It became art to me though.  I loved carving out the designs in the pie crust tops, making lattice tops, getting creative with my edging depending on the tool I was using.  This isn't one of those crusts......

This is just a simple, fast, migraine-ingredient-free crust.  

The other day, reading over my newest "migraine diet" that I will post in a different section, it included the easiest and tastiest and fastest pie crust recipe I've had in a while. This only works for a one-crust pie...In other words, it doesn't roll out so you can make a pretty top & scallop the edges.  

Unfortunately, the very plain, non-blog web page I accidentally came upon had absolutely no identifying information, name, or contact info, so I really can't give any credit here.  The writer said to email them with suggestions or comments, but they didn't leave an email address.  So I thank them, whoever they are!

Since I'm SO headache-sensitive to so many foods, I used this for a cheesecake recipe instead of a traditional graham cracker or Oreo crust.  It was delicious!

Crust: 
4 Tbsp butter (softened) 
4 Tbsp sugar  
1 egg      
1 tsp baking powder    
1 cup flour   
                         
Combine butter and sugar. Add egg, flour and baking powder. Press crust into a sprayed 9x9 glass baking dish. 


No Kidding!  That's it.  It was on the "wet" side after mixing, so I was really skeptical. But I sprayed the glass pie plate and started pressing.  One thing I learned is that you want to get more of the dough up onto the sides of the pie plate than I did.  I left my bottom a little too thick.  Just my preference that it be a little more even....but being a crust lover...it didn't really matter that the bottom was a little thicker!  :)

Because I was using it for a no-bake cheesecake, I poked around the bottom with a fork several times and stuck it in the oven on 325 for a few minutes...just kind of watched it until it was golden. I think it was around 10 or so minutes or so.  I cooled it before adding my no-bake cheesecake recipe.

Anyway - there ya go!  You could use this SIMPLE crust for quiche or cooked cheese cakes or anything really. The original recipe is for a cooked cheesecake, so you can put all the ingredients in the UNcooked pastry and cook it.  So it is really versatile. 

AND.....THERE ARE NO NASTY MIGRAINE TRIGGER FOODS, ADDITIVES, PRESERVATIVES, ETC., IN IT!

Disclaimer:  The information above is not to be substituted for common sense and/or your doctor's advice and/or your own experience with trigger foods.  My information comes from my own online research as well as my own recent experience avoiding nearly everything good on the planet because it triggers a migraine in me.  Do what works for you!

Fideo MY Way

~Be sure and click on the picture to enlarge & see how amazing this looks~

When I was in Texas, I was introduced to this strange thing called "Fideo."  Who knew?  Not me.  The pasta are tiny noodles usually found in the Mexican food section, but sometimes in the pasta section. They kind of remind you of the "Roni" from the you-know-what box!  The bags are only about 7 oz, but don't worry...that's enough.

This makes a very large skilletful 

(& freezes in individual containers & microwaves up beautifully).  

You can enjoy it in a flour tortilla with a little cheese, like the picture above, 

or just in a bowl by itself.  Delicious either way!

Let's get started.....

Though I'm not Hispanic, my Fideo will rival the person's I learned it from ANY day...(if I do say so myself!)  I think you'll like it.  You'll need to gather your Fideo, garlic, scallion, green chiles, bouillon, Rotel, salt, and tortillas.  

A little note about Rotel - I choose the one with habanero peppers because I like extra spicy. They also have a mild and medium versions with different flavors...all are good in this dish.  Just depends on your heat tolerance!

Brown up a pound of ground pork or ground beef.  What you see above is pork.  It was a good change!  Set it aside.  Do not drain the grease out of the skillet.

Dump your UNCOOKED Fideo pasta into the pan with the drippings from the ground pork or beef.  Have your heat on medium and don't leave it for even a second!  Take your spatula and start stirring.  Continue to stir and and move the pasta around in the pan for approximately 5 minutes.  The idea is to get it to a golden brown color.  It browns up fairly quick, 

...and will burn even quicker if you walk away!

Prepare a cup and a half of chicken broth and have it ready...

~Be sure & click on the picture to enlarge & see how amazing this looks~

Notice the nice golden brown color of the Fideo?  Perfect.  Pour in your chicken broth.  Add your can of Rotel (don't drain), your green chiles, garlic, scallion, the meat, salt, & cumin, and you are good to rock & roll!

Stir it up!

Now cover & simmer on medium-low (low enough not to burn) about 20 minutes...really just until the liquid is all absorbed. By the time the liquid is absorbed, the Fideo is cooked to perfection.  You can take the lid off a couple of times and stir while it is cooking.

FABULOUS DAHLING!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground pork or hamburger

1 approx 7 oz package Fideo pasta

1 can Rotel - any heat/flavor

3-4 oz green chiles (you can use fresh chopped chiles too!)

3-4 finely chopped garlic cloves

(or more to taste)

About 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion 

(everyone is different with how they tolerate the flavor of scallions - they are a bit stronger than onion.  You can use about 1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion instead...done it a million times!)

4 teaspoons ground cumin (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups chicken broth

Flour tortillas & shredded cheddar if you would like to roll it up!

(My favorite way to eat it!)

Great Variations:  Add fresh chopped jalapenos with or without seeds, add fresh chopped Anaheim peppers, add fresh chopped green or purple onion, add about a 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh cilantro

Fast & Easy Cheater Chicken Pot Pie

I found a "chicken pot pie" recipe similar to this on Pinterest but I saw some soup in the store that was labeled "chicken pot pie" so I decided to try an even FASTER way of making up a yummy favorite.  It may not be as good as a homemade version, but if you are trying to put dinner on the table in a short amount of time...this is perfect.

This is all you need!

Heat the oven to 350.  Spray the bottom of your baking dish (I made about a 9 x 9 equivalent) with nonstick spray. Pour in the can of soup.  Cover with a thin layer of sharp shredded cheddar.  Stick in the oven for about 10 minutes just to get it hot. Pull out the pan and cover the top with canned biscuits.  Sprinkle some more cheddar on top.  Return the pan to the oven and bake 15-20 minutes (until the biscuits are cooked and lightly golden).  Take out of the oven and enjoy!  

SO good!