Goat Cheese with Cherry Salsa

Goat Cheese with Cherry Salsa - from WholeFoodsMarket

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sweet cherries, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1T basil leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• pinch sea salt
• pinch ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
2. Spread on top of a wheel of goat cheese, serve with sliced baguette or crackers.

Queso Blanco Dip

Queso Blanco Dip - from Annie's Eats

Yield: about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

12 oz. white American cheese, shredded*

4 oz. Monterey jack cheese, shredded

¼-2/3 cup milk

1 tomato, seeded and finely diced

2 tbsp. cilantro, minced

*White American cheese can be found at the deli counter in most grocery stores.

Directions:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and jalapeño to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium-low.  Add both of the shredded cheeses and ¼ cup of the milk.  Whisk or stir until completely melted.  Mix in the tomato and cilantro, and add additional milk gradually as necessary to achieve desired consistency.  Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately.

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese - as seen on 68 Days of Gourmet
(Recipe source The Gourmet Cookbook)

Ingredients:

FOR TOPPING
1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups panko or coarse dry breadcrumbs
1 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

FOR CHEESE SAUCE AND MACARONI
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 pound)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound elbow macaroni

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 3-4 quart baking dish or 13 x 9 pan with butter or cooking spray.

FOR THE TOPPING
Mix together panko, butter and cheese in a medium bowl. Set aside.

FOR THE SAUCE
Melt butter in a heavy pot over low heat. Whisk in flour and red pepper flakes and cook, whisking constantly, for about 3 minutes to make a roux. Whisk in milk in a slow steady stream. Increase heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Simmer for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently until mixture is thickened a bit. Stir in cream, cheese, mustard, salt and pepper until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

COOK THE MACARONI AND ASSEMBLE THE DISH
Cook macaroni according to package directions, making sure to add plenty of the salt to the cooking water. (At least 1 tablespoon for every 4 quarts.) Undercook macaroni about 3-4 minutes so that it still has quite a bite to it. This ensures the pasta won’t get mushy when cooking. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and then drain noodles.

Stir together macaroni, reserved cooking water and sauce in a large bowl or in your sauce pot if it’s big enough. Transfer to prepared baking dish, mixture will be loose.

Sprinkle topping evenly over mixture and bake for about 25-35 minutes. Top should be golden and bubbling.

Yield: 8 main course servings or 12-14 side dish servings

Over-the-Rainbow Macaroni and Cheese

Over-the-Rainbow Macaroni and Cheese - by Patti LaBelle, as seen on Oprah

Servings: Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Over-the-Rainbow Macaroni and Cheese

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Muenster cheese
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup (8 ounces) Velveeta , cut into small cubes
• 2 large eggs , lightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2-quart casserole.

Bring the large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the elbow macaroni, and cook until the macaroni is just tender, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot.

In a small saucepan, melt eight tablespoons of the butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half-and-half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta, and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and dot with the remaining one tablespoon of butter.

Bake until it's bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Cheddar Goldfish Crackers

Cheddar Goldfish Crackers - from Country Living, as seen on YumSugar

Ingredients:

• 1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoon(s) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 8 ounce(s) grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground pepper
• 1/2 cup(s) peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon(s) honey
• 1/8 teaspoon(s) cayenne pepper, optional

Directions:

1. Make the dough: Pulse the flour, butter, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper together using a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pulse in 3 to 4 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and only enough so that the dough forms a ball and rides the blade. Remove, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours.
2. Make the spread: Stir the peanut butter, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and honey together until smooth. If desired, stir in the cayenne pepper for extra heat. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to serve.
3. Bake the crackers: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper and set aside. Roll the dough out to 1/8th-inch thickness. Cut out as many crackers as possible using a 2-inch fish-shaped cutter. Place them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking pans. Bake until golden and crisp — 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough and scraps. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Serve with peanut butter spread.
   

Cheesy Potatoes

CHEESY POTATOES - from a friend on facebook

ingredients
2 lb. bag frozen hash browns (I use the shredded ones)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup melted butter
some crushed up corn flakes

Spread the frozen hash browns in an 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Mix soup, sour cream, and cheese in a bowl. Pour mixture over hash browns. Pour melted butter over the top of the mixture and sprinkle with crushed corn flakes.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for approx. 1 hour at 350 degrees or until bubble and warm. Remove foil for the last 15 minutes.

Cranberry Apple Baked Brie

Cranberry Apple Baked Brie - from user blue-eyedwife from thenest.com

Basically you cook 2 Tbsp butter with 5 Tbsp brown sugar, until the butter melts. Then add 2 apples, sliced and about a cup of cranberries and simmer until the apples are nice and soft, the cranberries have popped, and kind of thickened the whole thing. Let it cool. Then place on a wheel of brie, wrap in puff pastry dough, and bake in the oven for 24 minutes at 350.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Homemade Ricotta Cheese - as seen on Simply Recipes (originally from David Lebovitz)

I always use whole milk yogurt, but if you do try it with low-fat yogurt, please let me know in the comments how it works out. I don't recommend non-fat yogurt for this recipe. This recipe can easily be halved or doubled.
Ingredients

* 2 quarts whole milk
* 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
* Optional: 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 2 teaspoons white vinegar
* 1 teaspoon salt

Method

1 In a large pot, bring the milk, yogurt, heavy cream (if using), vinegar, and salt to a boil. Very gently boil for one to two minutes, until the milk is curdled.

2 Meanwhile, line a strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and set it over a deep bowl.

3 Pour the milk mixture into the strainer and let drain for 15 minutes. Gather the cheesecloth around the curds and squeeze gently to extract any excess liquid.

Storage: Homemade ricotta is best served slightly warm, although it can be refrigerated for up to three days, if desired.

Makes 2 cups.

Homemade Ricotta

Homemade ricotta - from the Seattle Times via Swiss Ms.

Yields about 1 pound of cheese, and halves or doubles easily.

If possible, use organic dairy here.

Anticipate this recipe taking 90 minutes from start to finish. You won't need to hover over the stove all that time, but you will need to be in the vicinity. Have an instant-reading thermometer handy, and a good-sized sieve lined with cheesecloth (found in most supermarkets) or a thin kitchen towel, and set over a large bowl.

21/2 quarts whole milk

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream — not ultrapasteurized or sterilized

5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

Stir all the ingredients together in a 6-quart, nonreactive (enamel- or stainless-steel-lined) saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the milk reaches 170 degrees, about 40 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium, and slowly bring the milk's temperature up to 205-206 degrees (6 to 8 minutes). Avoid stirring to keep the developing curds large. The curds should mound on a spatula like soft-cooked scrambled eggs.

Turn off the heat, and let the ricotta rest in the pan another 10 minutes. Line a sieve with cheesecloth (I like to wet it to keep it in place) and turn out the contents of the pot and allow to drain 10 minutes. Add more salt if desired. Keep it covered in the refrigerator.

Lynne Rossetto Kasper hosts "The Splendid Table," American Public Media's weekly national show. The program airs on KUOW 94.9 each Sunday at 2 p.m. Contact Lynne and find station listings at www.splendidtable.org.

Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company

Gougeres: Cheese Puffs - Recipe 1

Gougeres - as seen on plumpudding
(minus the portion of the recipe for frying Gougeres)
From Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything

1 c water
4 T (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 c (about 7 oz) all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 c freshly grated Emmenthal, Gruyere, Cantal or Cheddar cheese
1 c freshly grated Parmesan or other hard cheese

Lightly grease a baking sheet and preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the water, butter, and salt in medium saucepan; turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until the butter melts, just a minute or two longer. Add the flour all at once and cook, stirring constantly, until the dough holds together in a ball, 5 minutes or less.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating hard after each addition (feel free to use an electric mixer). Stop beating when the mixture is glossy. Stir in the cheeses.

Drop teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheet and bake until light brown, 10-15 minutes.

Labels: recipe

Baked Brie (in puff pastry)

Baked Brie - as seen on Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats

Green notes - original author comments
Red notes - my comments

1 Puff Pastry Sheet, thawed
1 round of Brie (I like to remove the white "skin" from my brie using a vegetable peeler but that is optional)
12 ounces fruit preserves (my favorite is cherry) - I (julie) like apricot

Preheat oven to 350F

Unfold the puff pastry into a single layer on a baking sheet. Spread the fruit preserves over the center. Place the brie on top of the fruit preserves.

Fold the pastry dough over the top of the brie and press the edges together to seal tightly.

You can bake the brie as is on the baking sheet, but I prefer to invert it into an oven safe bowl so the seams are on the bottom, and any juices that leak will stay in the bowl.

Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite crackers or some sliced apples. Jamie recommends Wheat Thins.

Tomato, goat's cheese and olive gratin

BBC Good Food Magazine via Madeleine Loewen

I love this dish, especially when there are masses of fresh tomatoes. I often eat the left overs cold. Mmmm!

First you make the rich tomato compote

3tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 strips dried orange zest (or I do a small amount of fresh orange zest)

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1lb 5oz tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 tsp tomato puree

light muscovado sugar, to taste (I don't bother)

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Toss in the onion, garlic and orange zest, then fry until the opnion is soft, but not coloured. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir until is is completely evaporated.

2. Tip the tomatoes and puree into the pan and cook over a medium heat for aobut 10-15mins, or until the compote is as thick as you want it. Remove and discard the orange zest. Season with salt if you want, plus pepper and muscovado sugar to taste.

Gratin, Serves 4

1batch of rich tomato compote

2 tsp dried thyme

4 medium tomatoes

2 x 100g logs soft, rindless goat's cheese

16 pitted olives (I use more than the precise 16!)

1. Heat over to 180C/350F. Spread two thirds of the tomato compote over the base of a 20 x 30cm ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over 1 tsp of the thyme.

2. Slice the tomatoes and goat's cheese, then arrange in rows on top of the compote. Scatter over the remaining thyme and the olives.

3. Spoon over the remaining compote, bake for 10mins, then pop the gratin under a hot grill until golden.

Vegetable Cheese Soup

Vegetable Cheese Soup - Ann Stidham

4 c. diced potatoes
2 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped onion
1 bag "winter blend" frozen vegetables
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. milk
1 lb. Velveeta cheese

Cook everything in 4 c. water until tender. Add both cans of soup, milk, velveeta and cook until cheese is melted.