Just in time for Thanksgiving – here are the recipes requested by participants at last Thursday’s NExpress Users Group Retreat.
Praline Cheesecake (adapted from Gourmet Magazine)
Line 10-inch springform pan with a graham cracker crumb crust (or crumb & ground pecan combo), then set aside.
Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, beat 2 pounds (4 8-oz.pkgs.) of softened cream cheese with 2 cups packed brown sugar until smooth. Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, and 1 t. vanilla. Stir in 3 tablespoons flour and 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans. Pour into crust and bake about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool on a rack to room temperature, then chill 2 hours or more.
Marinated Vegetables (adapted from the Chicago Tribune)
For marinade, blend (in blender) until smooth: 1/3 cup red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar for light-colored veggies), 3/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped onion, 2-3 cloves garlic (peeled), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon each dried rosemary, basil, and oregano (or more if using fresh herbs), and a dash of cayenne. Set aside.
Use any colorful combination of fresh vegetables (broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, red and/or green peppers, mushrooms, green beans, cauliflower, snow peas, etc. Steam or boil until crisp-tender (dense ones take longer to cook, so take that into account). Drain well and toss with dressing while still hot. Marinate at room temperature until serving time. (Marinated artichoke heats, roasted red peppers, black olives can be added while vegetables are marinating.)
Before serving, pour off extra dressing. Garnish with cherry or grape tomatoes. (Crumbled feta or coarsely-grated parmasan are also good.)
Teri Nelson is the Staff Assistant at NEKLS. You can reach her by email (tnelson (at) nekls.org), phone, or on the Google Chat instant messaging platform (look Teri up by her email address). Visit the 
