A couple more recipes I don't want to forget

Blame it on all the cooking shows I watch (mostly PBS, but after accidentally catching two episodes this week of MasterChef - oh, my goodness, do I dislike Gordon Ramsey - I might be hooked), but I got a little creative today:

Dinner

Ground Beef, Sweet Corn, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Bell Peppers


I wanted stuffed peppers, but no rice - try finding that.  And then I decided I wanted corn and goat cheese in the mix, too, so I was on my own, as far as the internet was concerned.  I don't usually keep goat cheese around, but it's nice to have with fresh tomatoes in the summer.

1 1b. ground beef
1-2 ears of corn
Half a rell bell pepper, chopped
Half a purple onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (seeds removed for us, but do what you want)
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp.  chili powder
Salt and black pepper, to taste
4 oz log goat cheese
5-6 medium green bell peppers, tops cut off and seeds removed

Brown ground beef, add vegetables and spices and cook just a few minutes.  Add just a tiny bit of liquid - 2 Tbsp of broth or water or milk - and the goat cheese over very low heat and stir until cheese is melted and texture is uniformly creamy.  Scoop stuffing into prepared bell peppers and use a baking dish where you can pack the peppers closely, so they help keep each other upright and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until peppers are soft.

Dessert


No-Bake Cheesecake


So Martha has a whole collection on her website dedicated to "no-bake desserts" for the summer, but the cheesecake recipes included call for ingredients like vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks and equipment like a sieve.  Really, Martha?  Come on.  Let's get real here:

Crust:
1 1/3 c. crushed graham crackers (or vanilla wafers, shortbread cookies, or chocolate wafers)
6-8 Tbsp. melted butter
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Filling:
16 oz. cream cheese (or an equivalent mix of cream cheese, sour cream, goat cheese, marscapone cheese, or plain Greek yogurt)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. lemon zest or lemon juice (lemon zest will lend a milder flavor)
2/3 c. sugar
1 c. heavy whipping cream, whipped

Mix the crust ingredients in a small bowl with a fork and press into the bottom of an 8-inch pie pan or 9-inch springform pan.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Beat the first 4 ingredients of the filling with a mixer until smooth and creamy.  Gently fold in whipped cream and mix gently until thoroughly incorporated.  Pour on top of crust and freeze or refrigerate until ready to use.

Of course, Martha had all kinds of fancied-up fruit toppings, but I think just some fresh sliced fruit, perhaps with a little sugar and lemon juice, or, if you're feeling ambitious, cook the fresh fruit down with the sugar and lemon juice to make a kind of jam.  Or just top it with sprinkles, like Gideon did.