Cheddar and Walnut Appetizers

 This recipe is a tiny clipping from some magazine from who knows where! This sounds really good! I however will use pecans as walnuts make the roof of my mouth itch. What is that anyway, a small allergy?

Ingredients

1 cup grated cheddar

2 Tablespoons flour

salt

chili powder

oregano

1 egg white, stiffly beaten

walnuts, coarsely shopped

butter

Process

 1. Combine 1 cup grated Cheddar with 2 Tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon oregano, and 1 egg white beaten. 

2. Form the mixture into balls and roll coarsely chopped walnuts and chill thuroughly. 

3. Just before serving, saute the balls in butter.

Cheddar Ale Soup

I found this recipe originally on Pinterest. There are recipes for it in several different places.
This recipe on Fake Ginger is the recipe I ended up using since it was printed out. I did not however make the pretzel bowls. I made croutons instead and served the soup in mugs.
This was the idea of the Pinterest link that I pinned on my board of this recipe on Tracey's Culinary Adventures. Tracey is the one that recommended making croutons. SP made the croutons using left over baguette from New Years fondue baguette, olive oil spray, and rosemary.
A quick consult and I found Williams-Sonoma's identical recipe.

I highly highly recommend making this. Any soup that begins by frying slices of bacon in the bottom of your Dutch oven is bound to be pleasing. On top of this you then slowly cook carrots and onions and celery. Long after you add the garlic, and flour, and Worcestershire and ale, then milk and broth and voila!
You have this.

Time for the immersion blender.

While this close up picture is unattractive, I included it because of the color and consistency it ended up as. I blended for a rather long time trying to get the chunks smooth. It was such a hearty broth it never attained a single hue. Flecks of bacon were evident. I loved it.



At this point I was getting really excited about the next step.
Adding the cheese. Add cheese. Cheese and more cheese. 4 cups of it.

Cheese glorious cheese.

Stir, heat, stir, wait patiently for the consistency to even.
Patience. Smell. Savor.
Serve in a mug with home made croutons and enjoy, salivate, want more.

Food is love. Amen.

Cheddar Pancakes

Could there be a better comfort food for me than cheese pancakes?

Ingredients
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large green bell pepper chopped
1/4 of a sweet or Vidalia onion diced
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste
oil for the griddle

Process

1. In a bowl, stir together cheese, sour cream, bell pepper, onion, flour and egg yolks.
   
2. In a small bowl, whip egg whites until peaks form and then fold into batter.
   
3. Heat a skillet over medium high heat.
   
4. Heat oil in skillet.
   
5. Pour large spoonfuls of batter onto skillet and bake pancakes in batches.
   
6. Serve hot with a side of sour cream , apple slices, or even a mild salsa. Enjoy!
   

Cheddar Tomato Soup

I am proud to open up my section of soups, a long standing tradition for my family, with a vegetarian soup. I was a vegetarian for 15 years so you may notice I do not post a lot of meat dominated dishes. Tomato soup is my comfort soup, one that HiHo would make with accompanying grilled cheese sandwiches. I think this recipe rolls it all into one! I hope you enjoy this yummy comfort soup on a cold winter's night (maybe even with a grilled cheese).

Ingredients
1 small onion diced
1 large stalk celery diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large can (or 2 small) tomatoes
2 cups vegetable stock (in a pinch use chicken)
salt and pepper to taste
1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese (or more!!)
1/2 cup milk or cream (optional)

Process

1. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil.
   
2. Add first three ingredients and saute until golden.
   
3. Add tomatoes and stir.
   
4. Slowly add the stock and stir.
   
5. As it heats season with salt and pepper.
   
6. Simmer for about 10 minutes allowing soup to heat and reduce just a bit.
   
7. Lower heat and stir in cheese.
   
8. When cheese has melted, if you would like a creamier soup, add the milk/cream.
9. Taste soup. Add more S and P if you wish or other seasonings of your choice. I often add some curry powder at this point.

Enjoy!