Easy Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
3 cloves minced garlic
1 package Philadelphia cream cheese (NOT LOW FAT!! OR ANY OTHER BRAND!!)
2 c whole milk (can replace with 2%, half and half, or cream, but not skim)
6 oz finely shredded Parmesan cheese (NOT KRAFT!!)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
nutmeg to taste

Directions:

1. NOTE: have pasta ready before making sauce
2. Heat butter on stove over medium heat.
3. Add garlic.
4. Add room temperature cream cheese. Whisk. Get it as smooth as you can.
5. Add warm milk. Whisk till smooth. DO NOT boil.
6. Add parmesan. DO NOT bring to boil or it WILL separate. Whisk till smooth.
7. Take off heat.
8. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
9. Sauce will get thicker as it cools.
10. Add sauce to pasta and enjoy!

Manchego Cheese Sticks

From Bobby Flay.

Because I bought manchego cheese on sale from Costco and don’t know what to do with it.

CHEESE STICKS:

Three bowls:

Bowl 1: 1/4 c flour, salt, pepper

Bowl 2: 1 egg, 1 tbsp water, salt, pepper OR yogurt, salt, pepper

Bowl 3: 1/4 c bread crumbs, 2 tbsp ground almonds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Cut manchego cheese into lego sized one inch pieces.
3. Dredge in bowl 1, then bowl 2, then bowl 3.
4. Place cheese stick on cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bale 5-7 min until cheese is soft and light brown.
5. Serve with garlic dipping sauce.

GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp sherry vinegar OR rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Saucepan on stove on medium heat.
2. Add oil.
3. Add garlic, let brown.
4. Remove from heat, add vinegar, salt and pepper.
5. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Goldfish Crackers

INGREDIENTS:

1 c all-purpose flour (can use whole wheat for healthier alternative)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper (optional)
4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
8 ounces grated cheddar cheese
3-4 tbsp water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pulse the flour, salt and pepper, then add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add grated cheese a little at a time until the mixture again resembles coarse meal.
2. Pulse in 3 to 4 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms into a ball. It will probably take a minute or so.
3. Remove, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. I left mine overnight. This way the butter has time to solidify and I think makes for puffier crackers.
4. Roll the dough out to 1/8th-inch thickness directly onto a baking sheet. You don’t want to roll them paper thin, neither do you want to roll them too thick. If they are too thin, they will not puff up as much. If they are too thick, they will not be as crispy.
5. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut 1 inch squares,…I like to use cookie cutters/shapes. I noticed the square crackers don’t keep their square shape as much. Some do and some don’t …Some form into diamond shapes as it bakes. The dough sort of shrinks and puffs up. But that is ok. I liked the triangles better, so I did more of those.
6. Bake at 350° F for 15-20 minutes or until crackers are golden brown. Watch them after the 10 minute mark.

 

 

Emeril’s White Cheese

Ingredients

2 quarts whole milk, as fresh as possible
1 cup heavy cream (optional)
2 cups fresh buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, strained
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt, if desired
Heavy Cream, for serving

Directions

In a large, heavy saucepan, add the milk and the cream for a richer fromage blanc. In a mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk and lemon juice and stir to combine well. Add the buttermilk-lemon juice mixture to the milk and begin to heat the milk, over low heat and very slowly, to 175 degrees F. While the milk is heating, stir only twice, making 2 strokes each time, with a heat-proof spatula or other flat utensil. Check the temperature often. As soon as the temperature reaches 175 degrees F, remove the pot from the heat and allow to sit, undisturbed, for 10 minutes.

Line a large colander with 2 layers of fine cheesecloth and set over a large bowl. Gently ladle the curds and whey into the colander and allow to drain until the drips of whey slows, about 2 minutes. Tie the corners of the cheesecloth together to form a hanging pouch, and hang pouch over a bowl and allow to drain until the cheese reaches the desired consistency.

Serve as is, with preserves, honey or fresh fruit, or add salt or fresh herbs, to taste, and enjoy as a savory appetizer. If a rich cheese is desired, spoon or pour a bit of heavy cream over the top before serving. Also, if a very smooth product is desired, beat the cheese briefly with an electric mixer before serving.

Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 1 week. If cheese is marinated in oil with fresh herbs, it will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 month.

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, 2002

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/homemade-fromage-blanc-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Pimiento Cheese Dip

Makes 6 to 8 appetizer servings

Pimiento Cheese Cherry Bombs

Ingredients
1 box of 12 pearl tomatoes (or extra-large cherry tomatoes)
1/4 lb extra-sharp yellow cheddar cheese, grated with a medium grater plus 1/4 lb aged white cheddar cheese , grated with a medium grater
(should make 2 cups of grated cheese)
1/3 cup mayonnaise (Duke’s is nice if you have it)
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
splash of jalapeno pepper vinegar brine (OR vinegar of your choice)
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp finely minced green onion
3 Tbsp finely minced cilantro (save a little to sprinkle on top of the finished tomatoes)
1/2 cup (or a little more) diced pimiento pepper (I like Roland’s Sweet & Peeled Red Pimientos, one, 7.5 jar holds a whole pepper, about 1/2 cup diced)
1 small jicama, divided. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped to mix into the pimiento cheese. Cut the rest of the jicama into sticks to serve with the stuffed tomatoes.

Instructions

Grate the cheeses into a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the tomatoes and gently mix well.
With sharp pointed kitchen shears or scissors, poke a small hole in the top of a tomato. Holding the tomato in your hand, insert the tip of the scissors into the tomato and snip the fibers and membranes in the center of the tomato to loosen them from the sides. Using the tip of the scissors or a mini spoon, scoop and scrape the tomato guts seeds and juice out into a bowl. Using a very sharp knife, cut the barest sliver from the bottom of the tomato, giving it a flat bottom so that it will stand up on a plate.
Carefully fill each tomato with a small amount of the pimiento cheese mixture. Serve with jicama sticks and extra pimiento cheese.

NOTE: You’ll have a good cup or so of pimiento cheese left after stuffing the tomatoes. Serve this with crudities, in lettuce cups, with crackers, in sandwiches, or keep it in the fridge next to your pickled jalapenos. It will keep for at least a week.

http://lostrecipesfound.com/recipe/pimiento-cheese-cherry-bombs/

Mustard Rye Muffins

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/welsh-rarebit-muffins-recipe.html

Ingredients
For the muffins:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/3 cup rye flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon English mustard powder
Generous 1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt (or greek yogurt)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
For the topping:
2 tablespoons grated sharp Cheddar

Worcestershire sauce, for garnish

Special equipment: 12-cup muffin pan lined with 12 paper baking cups

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, mustard powder and cheese in a large bowl with a fork. In a large measuring cup, beat together the remaining ingredients. Pour into dry ingredients, mixing lightly with your fork, remember that good muffins are made from lumpy batter.

Pour into muffin cups and cook for 20 minutes, then quickly take them out of the oven and put a little cheese and sprinkling of Worcestershire sauce on each one. Put them back in the oven for another 5 minutes, and then put the muffins on a baking sheet to cool. Eat them while they are still warm but not hot.

Matar Paneer

Nigella Lawson Recipe

Yummy and Easy

INGREDIENTS

SERVINGS 8 UNITS US
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
8 ounces panir, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 onion, halved
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 inch piece ginger, roughly chopped
1 dash salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 (10 ounce) packets frozen peas
1 teaspoon tomato puree
1 cup vegetable stock

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil a large skillet and add the paneer cubes, in 2 batches, and fry until they are golden.
Remove the golden cubes to a double thickness of kitchen towel. (It is possible to dry fry the paneer cubes in the pan with no oil, to avoid the oil splashing you. Then continue with the recipe below.)
Pour all but about 2 tablespoons of the oil out of the pan.
Put the onion, garlic cloves, and ginger into a food processor and blitz to a coarse pulp.
Fry gently for about 5 minutes with a sprinkling of salt.
Stir in the garam masala and turmeric and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the still frozen peas.
Dissolve the tomato puree in the vegetable stock and pour over the contents of the pan.
Stir again and turn the heat down to low, cover with foil or a lid and cook for 15 minutes, tasting to check that the peas are tender.
You can cook muttar paneer up to this stage, if you like, uncovering and then reheating gently with the diced, oil-crisped cheese, or proceed directly now.
In which case, take off the foil and add the paneer cubes to warm them through before serving.

Serve with rice and naan.

Naan

Buy naan from the grocer.

Brush with butter. Add garlic and salt if you want.

Place in 400 F oven for 5 min or till brown.

Enjoy! Serve with chopped cilantro or parsley or mint.

British Cheese and Mustard Biscuits

Mary Berry Recipe from Mary Berry’s Stress Free Kitchen

Ingredients:

75 g (3 oz) shelled walnuts

75 g (3 oz) Stilton cheese, or any leftover blue cheese, grated (Americans should probably use cheddar cheese)

1 tsp English mustard powder (Americans should use 1 tsp gray poupon dijon mustard or coleman’s mustard)

150 g (5 oz) plain flour (I’m guessing this is all purpose flour)

100 g (4 oz) butter at room temperature

salt and pepper to taste

50 g (2 0z) parmesan cheese, coarsely grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C.

2. Blend walnuts, coarsely, in a food processor. Add in all the rest of the ingredients (except for 1/3 of the parmesan cheese, which you should save for the topping). Blend for 3 seconds.

3. Turn out dough onto floured surface. Divide into two. Roll out into log shape about 6 in long and 2.5 in in diameter. Wrap dough in cling film and fridge until firm.

4. Slice log into discs about 1/4 in thick. Spread onto two baking sheets greased, lined with parchment paper, or on a silpat. Sprinkle with reserved parmesan cheese.

5. Bake 15-20 min, or until pale golden at the edges.

6. Cool and enjoy!

British Indian Egg and Cheese Toast

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/10830745/Dishooms-Kejriwal-recipe.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-3112083/How-make-perfect-McDonald-s-Egg-McMuffins-home.html

Ingredients:

2 slices white bread or 1 english muffin

1 c cheddar cheese

2 chopped green onions

1 green chili or jalapeno or green pepper diced

black pepper to taste

2 eggs

oil

Directions:

1. Toast bread or English muffin.

2. In bowl, mix cheese, onions, chili and black pepper. Mash it up well.

3. Put cheese mash on toast. Place in toaster oven and let cook until cheese melts.

4. While cheese is melting, put oil into medium heat warmed saucepan. Crack two eggs into it. Now, you choose – you can fry the eggs until the yolks are runny, fry until the yolks are hard, or just scramble them like I do.

5. Put the eggs on top of the toast. Enjoy with ketchup or salsa.

Easy No Effort Directions:

1. Make toast.

2. In bowl, mix cheese, onions, chili, eggs and black pepper. Mash it up well.

3. Add oil to warm saucepan (med heat). Add egg mixture. Stir until eggs are cooked and cheese is melted.

4. Put the egg mixture on toast or English muffin.

5. Enjoy with ketchup or salsa.

Grilled Cheese

This is the classic American recipe. Accept no imitations.

Ingredients:

2 slices Wonder Bread (Classic White)

2 slices Kraft American Cheese Singles

Butter

Oil

Directions:

1. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Oil it too (this is to prevent the butter from burning when you cook it).

2. Place bread, butter slice down, on cold skillet. Turn on stove. Turn skillet to medium low heat.

3. Layer two slices of American cheese onto the center of the slice of bread in the skillet.

4. Top with the other slice of bread, buttered side facing upward.

5. Let cook for about a minute. The heat is really low to let the cheese melt. You should hear a sizzle when the bottom is done.

6. Flip over sandwich. Let other side brown until a lovely golden color, and cheese has melted. It takes about a minute.

7. Take off stove. Cut off edges. Cut into diagonals. Enjoy with ketchup or salsa.

YUM!