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Santa Fe Cheesecake




Source of Recipe


First published in Chatelaine's 09/2003 issue


Recipe Introduction


Gail Hall, owner of Edmonton catering company Gourmet Goodies, created this appetizer cheesecake. Serve small wedges with salsa and avocado or surround cheesecake with tortilla chips or bread and use as a dip


List of Ingredients




2 cups (500 mL) tortilla chips
3 jalapeño peppers
1/2 red pepper
1 large or 2 small shallots
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup (50 mL) finely chopped fresh coriander
1/4 cup (50 mL) grated old cheddar
2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, cut into cubes
1/4 cup (50 mL) regular sour cream
1/2 tsp (2 mL) chili powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cumin
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried leaf oregano
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
Salsa, green onions and avocado for garnish


Recipe



1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan with vegetable oil. Coarsely crush tortilla chips. Spread out in bottom of pan, but don’t flatten them out. Bake in centre of preheated oven until chips are a deep golden colour, from 7 to 10 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325 F (160 C ).

2. Seed and finely mince jalapenos. Core and seed red pepper, then dice into tiny pieces. Finely chops shallot and mince garlic. Combine in a small bowl. Stir in coriander and cheese.

3. Place cream cheese, sour cream, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer set at high, beat until well mixed, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add eggs and continue beating until smooth, about 2 more minutes. Beat in jalapeno mixture just until evenly distributed.

4. Scrape mixture into pan over cooled tortilla chips. Mixture will not be high, this is a thin cheesecake. Bake in centre of 325 F (160 C) oven until centre of cheesecake is just set, from 25 to 30 minutes. Immediately turn oven off. Leave cheesecake in the oven with door ajar for 1 hour. Then remove from oven. Run a knife around inside of pan to loosen cake from pan, but do not remove sides of pan. Refrigerate, uncovered until chilled, at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. Remove sides of pan. Slice cheesecake into wedges and serve with fresh chunky salsa, green onions and avocado slices.