I received Valerie’s Home Cooking by Valerie Bertinelli in exchange for this post. All opinions and my love for cooking remain my own.

As a young girl in the 1970s, I watched every episode of One Day at a Time.

I loved Valerie Bertinelli, a Golden Globe-winning actress.

Now she has a cookbook highlighting her cooking–Valerie’s Home Cooking.

Valerie Bertinelli’s second cookbook, Valerie’s Home Cooking, extends her cooking show of the same name on Food Network.

This cookbook is fantastic, and Bertinelli and I share the same thoughts on cooking:

“The kitchen is where I express myself, where I am truly at home,” she writes in her new book. “And I enjoy the feeling I get from sharing something I love. It’s my favorite way of connecting with family and friends.”

Bertinelli has accomplished much in her career.

She’s an award-winning actress, best-selling author, popular Food Network personality, and so much more.

She’s also a lot like you and me in that she likes to have fun, and cook delicious meals bursting with flavors that are not fussy or forced, just an expression of love.

Valerie’s Home Cooking is like stepping into her kitchen, sampling her favorite dishes, learning new culinary tips and tricks, and spending the afternoon with a friend who entertains.

She shares a story behind every recipe, and those stories accompany the recipes in this gorgeous cookbook.

The meals are innovative and easy to make.

They are fresh and vibrant.

On page 159, you’ll find her Aunt Norma’s Pork Chops and Sauerkraut recipe.

How about bacon-wrapped jalapeno shrimp with cherry cola BBQ sauce? Those recipes are in here too.

Reading through these pages and reviewing the recipes made me think back to being in the kitchen with my grandma.

Watching her make bread or pies and asking her to teach me.

She didn’t have a recipe; she just added a little of this, more of that, a pinch of this, and a tad of that. In a little bit, I’d have a warm piece of homemade bread in front of me that just tasted incredible.

The pie she made me wait to eat until after dinner.

Bertinelli’s book, Valerie’s Home Cooking, is a lot like that.

Family recipes impress their taste and get passed down for their simplicity.

Here’s a dessert that’s sure to have you drooling.

Quick-and-Easy Blueberry Cheesecakes

“More frequently than you might imagine we will have guests over for an impromptu dinner and I’ll need a quick, last-minute dessert. Do you know the drill? Rather than pull out store-bought cookies or a quart of old ice cream whose top is a layer of milky ice clusters from the last time we served it, I turn to this blueberry cheesecake.”

Makes 15 servings.

Easy Blueberry Cheesecakes Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place phyllo shells on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Cool completely, about  15 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, lemon zest, vanilla, and 1/4 cup of sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until the mixture is smooth and sugar dissolves for 1 to 2 minutes.

Beat in mascarpone until just blended. (Do not overbeat.)

Spoon mixture into ziplock plastic bag; seal bag and snip about 1/2 inch from 1 corner of bag.

Pipe the mixture evenly into phyllo shells (about 1 1/2 teaspoons per shell).

Combine blueberries, water, cinnamon, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Cook until berries burst and the mixture is thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove from heat, and cool completely for about 20 minutes.

Spoon blueberry mixture over cream cheese mixture in phyllo shells.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Notes: 

Mascarpone cheese, or Italian cream cheese, can specialty markets.

You could substitute creme fraiche in a pinch.

Also, you can easily substitute raspberries, raspberry jam, or chopped strawberries for the blueberries.

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Valerie's Home Cooking Quick-and-Easy Blueberry Cheesecakes Recipe

Yield: 15 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Rather than pull out store-bought cookies or a quart of old ice cream whip up these quick and easy blueberry cheesecakes.

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Ingredients

• 2 (1.9-ounce) packages frozen mini phyllo pastry shells, thawed
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons mascarpone cheese, softened
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place phyllo shells on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Cool completely, about  15 minutes.
2. 2. Beat cream cheese, lemon zest, vanilla, and 1/4 cup of sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until mixture is smooth and sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in mascarpone until just blended. (Do not overbeat.) Spoon mixture into ziplock plastic bag; seal bag and snip about 1/2 inch from 1 corner of bag. Pipe mixture evenly into phyllo shells (about 1 1/2 teaspoons per shell).
3. 3. Combine blueberries, water, cinnamon, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until berries burst and the mixture is thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool completely about 20 minutes. Spoon blueberry mixture over cream cheese mixture in phyllo shells. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Notes

Notes: Mascarpone cheese, or Italian cream cheese, can be found at specialty markets. You could substitute creme fraiche in a pinch. Also, you can easily substitute raspberries or raspberry jam or chopped strawberries for the blueberries with a light and creamy no-bake cheesecake layer is a fabulous make-ahead dessert choice for any time of year!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 122Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 76mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 2g

The Nutritional Information may not be accurate.

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