Master Chef Archive

Kaitlin's comment: The first thing I would suggest is to get some really great oven mitts. Perhaps ones that go up your arms quite away, like these ones, which are 17 inches long. I know it is possible to get burned while wearing oven mitts or using pot holders, so it's a good idea to have the best protection you can get. Plus, these ones are flame-retardant, so they won't catch on fire!



You can get an oven mitt like this from Amazon for quite cheap! So cheap, actually, that you may want to buy more than one. =) Here's the link. You may want to wear the mitts when you are putting dishes into the oven as well as when you take them out. Even though the dish won't be hot when you put it in, the coils and shelves in the oven will be!

As far as setting tinfoil on fire and burning hot dogs, the best advice I can give is to always be aware of what you are doing in the kitchen. Don't walk away from anything that you are cooking, even if it is in the microwave. Make sure that you don't microwave any sort of metal, including tinfoil and silverware. If you are baking something, it's okay to walk away from it, but don't go so far that you can't hear the timer go off or you will end up burning it.

If you are still really wary of using the oven, there are other ways to cook. One awesome way to create delicious meals without ever turning the oven on is to use a slow cooker. (Also known as a Crock Pot.) You simply put all the ingredients for the meal into the slow cooker, turn it on to the right temperature, and just let it cook all day! You can create really impressive meals, dips, desserts, just about anything in a slow cooker. Good luck!

Below is a great recipe from www.slowandsimple.com, a website that is dedicated entirely to recipes for slow cookers.

Breakfast Cobbler

Ingredients

4 medium-sized apples, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoon butter, melted
2 cups granola cereal

1. Spray inside of Crock-Pot with nonstick spray.
2. Place apples in slow cooker and mix in remaining ingredients.
3. Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours, or overnight (alternately, cook on high 2-3 hours).
4. Serve with milk.

Makes 4 servings.

Kaitlin's comment: Looking around for an easy Mango Cheesecake recipe was quite a job! Hopefully you will be able to handle the recipe below. I think it looks tasty! If you do make it, let me know how hard it was, and what you thought of it. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
3 large very ripe mangoes (each about 13 ounces), peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Sliced peeled pitted mangoes for garnishing.

For crust:
Preheat oven to 325°F.

1. Lightly butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides.
2. Stir cracker crumbs and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Add melted butter and stir until evenly moistened.
3. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan.
4. Bake until crust is set, about 12 minutes. Cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:

1. Puree mangoes in processor until smooth. Set aside 2 cups mango puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use).
2. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until smooth.
3. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add 2 cups mango puree and beat until well blended.
5. Pour filling over crust in pan. Bake cake until set and puffed and golden around edges (center may move very slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 25 minutes.

Cool cake 1 hour. Refrigerate uncovered overnight. Run small knife between cake and sides of pan to loosen. Remove pan sides and transfer cake to platter. Cut into wedges and serve with sliced mangoes.