Cheese Bourekas

 

I had these wonderful things from a box of frozen ones from Trader Joe's. I knew I just had to make them myself.  Bourekas are traditional Jewish or Middle Eastern dish. The recipe I used is from Tori Avey and can be found HERE. To quote, "Bourekas originated in Asia as a deep-fried filled dumpling known as a burga. When the Turks of central Asia moved to what is now the country of Turkey, they brought their stuffed burga dumplings with them. Over time, the dumpling evolved into a variety of stuffed, layered pastries known as börek.

Sephardic Jews who settled in Turkey adopted the pastry, merging it with their version of the same dish (empanada) and adapting it to make it kosher. Börek + empanada = boureka. The boureka was born!"

 

Ingredients

 

2 sheets puff pastry (you can also use filo dough)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup grated Kashkaval cheese (or substitute another 1/3 cup feta)
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg
Salt and pepper
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon sesame or poppy seeds for topping (optional)
Nonstick cooking oil spray

 

Process

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

 

2. In a mixing bowl, combine feta, kashkaval, ricotta, egg, a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper (if using all feta cheese, you may not need to add any salt). 

 

3. Use a fork to mix ingredients together till well blended. Make sure to break up any large crumbles of feta with the fork. Put aside 

 

4. On a smooth, clean, lightly floured surface, unfold one of your puff pastry sheets. Use a rolling pin to roll out the sheet to a 12x12 inch square. If using homemade puff pastry, roll your dough out to the same size - a 12”x12” square. 

 

5. Cut the sheet of puff pastry dough into 9 equal-sized squares, each about 4”x4” large. 

 

6.  Place 1 scant tablespoon of the cheese filling in the center of each dough square. 

 

7.  Fold the dough squares by grasping one corner and folding it over to the opposite corner to make triangles. Pinch firmly along the outer open edge of the triangles to seal. If you're having trouble sealing the dough and getting it to stick together, wet your finger with a bit of water and run it around the edge of the square before folding-- this will help it stick together.  You can also crimp the edges with the tines of a fork, if you wish.

 

8 . Repeat this process for the second sheet of puff pastry—roll out the pastry, cut into squares, add filling, and seal the triangles.

 

9.  Spray your baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Place 9 Bourekas on each sheet, evenly spaced, giving them some room to expand during baking. 

 

10.  In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and 2 tsp of cool water. Use a pastry brush to brush a light layer of the egg wash onto the surface of each boureka. 

 

11.  Sprinkle the bourekas with sesame or poppy seeds, if desired. 

 

12.  Bake the bourekas for about 30 minutes, switching the baking sheets between the upper and lower racks halfway through cooking. Bake till golden brown and cooked through.Serve warm. Store in a sealed container or plastic zipper bag. 

Goat Cheese Souffles

 

This recipe is an oldie but a goodie from Martha Stewart Living. Remember those perforated recipe cards in the back? Yes this was one of them. 

 

*. You can substitute soft goat cheese for the aged * 

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

 

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dishes

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 cup warm whole milk 

4 ounces firm aged goat cheese, grated or coarsely chopped 

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 large eggs, separated 

 

Process

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

 

2.  Butter four 1-cup souffle dishes (or ramekins). Dust with flour, and tap out excess. 

 

3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over the top and cook, whisking for 1 &1/2 minutes. 

 

4. Add milk, cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook whisking until thickened, about 3 minutes. 

 

5. Whisk in egg yolks. 

 

6. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the cheese mixture into the whites. 

 

7. Divide among the souffle dishes, filling to 1-inch from the top. Place on a baking sheet, and bake until puffed and golden, around12 to 15 minutes. Serve Immediately.  

Pimento Cheese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is a classic New York Times recipe which also demonstrates that I am most certainly on a Pimento kick! This recipe is intended as a sandwich ingredient, and cheese sandwiches are a staple in my life. Our friend Carrye introduced us to Pimento cheese, and a local restaurant, Norway Brewing, makes an awesome version I love ordering. I can't wait to make this and play around with it. 

 

Ingredients

 

8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated/shredded

1/4 cup (2 ounces) softened cream cheese, pulled into several pieces

 Scant 1/2 cup jarred pimento (or roasted red peppers)

3 Tablespoons Duke's (traditional) , Hellman's (my favorite) , or other mayo

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (Allepo for a little spice)

salt and black pepper to taste.  

 

Process

 

1. In a large mixing bowl, place the cheddar in an even layer. Scatter the cream cheese , pimentos, mayonnaise, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper over the cheddar. 

 

2. Using a spatula, mix the pimento cheese until it is smooth and spreadable. 

 

3. Transfer the pimento cheese to a bowl or container, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.  

 

Christmas Cheese Ball from Cafe Delights

 

 I make this recipe every year. It is simply the best cheese ball ever. This year I am going to halve the recipe and make a ball instead of the tree. This recipe is from Cafe Delights.

Ingredients

For The Dip:

• 4 cups cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell peppers (or capsicum
), diced
• 1/4 cup dill pickles, finely diced
• 1/4 cup chives, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• Salt, to taste (if desired)

For The Decorations:


• 1 1/2 - 2 cups pitted mixed olives (I use a variety of black, green and Kalamata olives) -- dried with paper towel
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (dried with paper towel)
• Rosemary leaves/sprigs to decorate
• Ritz, water crackers or pretzels for serving
• Salami slices, for serving
• Prosciutto slices, for serving

Instructions

• In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the dip and mix until the ingredients are well combined.
• Place a piece of non-stick plastic wrap on a clean bench top or work surface. Scoop the cream cheese mixture out onto the plastic wrap and completely cover with another piece of wrap (you may need two pieces to cover it). 
• Use your hands to mold the cream cheese into a tree shape. Then, carefully pick up the tree with one hand and peel off the plastic wrap on the bottom of the tree with your other hand. Place the tree straight onto a serving plate.
• Use a cake spatula to smooth the edges. Decorate with olives, sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary leaves/sprigs, lightly pressing each element into the cream cheese to ensure they stay on. Brush with some sun dried tomato oil from the jar (optional but adds even more flavor)!
• Top with a star cut out of a yellow or orange bell pepper OR a thick slice of cheese. 
• Serve with crackers of your choice, salami and prosciutto slices rolled up!ENJOY! Printable recipe : HERE
  

Cheese Soup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I am a turophile  and I can stand behind this!

 

"Take 1/2 cup flour , 1 cup cream, 2 Tablespoons each of butter and grated Parmesan cheese,  with 1 quart stock. Stir flour , cream, butter, cheese and pepper together in a bowl. Place over hot water and stir until it is a thick paste. Add 2 eggs, mix thoroughly and cook 2 minutes or longer. Let cool. Roll into balls and drop into boiling water and cook 5 minutes. Put in soup plates, pour over stock and serve with Parmesan cheese."

Welsh Rarebit

 I am so excited to see a family recipe for Welsh Rarebit as it is one of my favorite meals. When I read the recipe out loud to SP he made a face of distaste with the 1 cup of hot milk. He uses beer at the end. We will have to try this sometime soon. 

"To 1 cup cheese cit in small pieces add 1 beaten egg, salt, pepper, mustard, and 1 teaspoon flour. Mix and add 1 cup hot milk. Cook in double boiler until smooth."

Serve over pieces or toast or crispy bread.

Fromage a la Creme

 I am a turophile. You had me at fromage!

Ingredients

3 lumps sugar

an orange or lemon

1 pint cottage cheese  (oh wait, now I am not sure where this is heading)

cream 

unsalted crackers

fruit

Process

1. Rub 3 lumps sugar on the rind of an orange or lemon until they are moist with the oil from the skin. 

2. Take 1 pint cottage cheese and crumb the sugar cubes into it. 

3. Beat all with enough cream to soften it. 

4. When there are no more lumps, pack in small mold, chill, and serve with unsalted crackers or other fruit. 

It looks like it should end up similar to cream cheese. Oh wait that IS the name. THIS is how to make homemade cream cheese? Wow.

 

Eggs Bourgeoise Style

 This is not the raging fashion style they are talking about but rather an inexpensive French culinary style of the lower class.

"Cut some thin slices of bread and trim off the crusts. Lay the bread on a thickly buttered dish. Cover with thin slices of cheese. Beat well a sufficient number of eggs to cover the bread, season with salt and pepper and grated nutmeg. Pour over the slices of bread. Put dish in a moderate oven abd bake until eggs are set. Serve in same dish, very hot. "

This recipe actually reminds my of Hi-Ho's baked fondue, which I modified into Madeleine's baked fondue.

Cheese logs

 Cheese logs sound yummy! 

Ingredients

Gruyere cheese

Other cheeses

small thin buttered slices of bread

anchovy paste

butter

Process

1. Lay soft strips of Gruyere , and other cheeses, on small, thin buttered slices of bread. 

2. Spread over the cheese a film of anchovy paste. 

3. Roll up the cheese and bread. 

4. Seal edges of the log with butter and put logs in a broiling oven under a low flame until slightly brown. 

5. Serve hot with a frilled toothpick in each. 

Something tells me that a missing instruction is to slice the logs into serving size pieces before using the toothpicks.

Cheesy Corn Dip

 This recipe made Super Bowl Sunday much yummier!

Ingredients

1 can corn kernels

2 scallions, diced

1 cup shredded Mozzerella

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

1/2 cup mayo

salt and pepper to taste 

a bag of tortilla chips for serving

Process

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a pie dish, smoothing it over with a spatula. 

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until it is bubbly. 

4. Finish under a broiler until browned on top. 

5. Serve with tortilla chips,

Cheese Dollars or Cheese Pennies

This recipe was given to me by Susan Parker after a wonderful Christmas visit. This yummy appetizer is easy to fill up on!

Ingredients

1 stick butter - at room temperature

1/2 pound Sharp cheddar - finely shredded - at room temperature

1 cup flour

1/2 envelope of onion soup mix

Dash of cayenne pepper

Process

1. Mix all the ingredients until well blended. The Mixing is essential so take your time and do it thoroughly.

2. Divide the dough into 3 parts.

3. Roll each part out into a tube that is 6 inches long and 1.5 inches thick.

4. Wrap each in wax paper and close the ends.

5. Freeze at least over night, but could be as much as days.

6. Remove from freezer and let stand until slightly soft (check every 5 minutes).

7. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

8. Slice each thinly, about 1/2 inch thick.

9. Bake in hot oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until they slightly darken.

10. Cool on rack and then keep in an air tight tin.

Kartoffel-Bacon-Tarte AKA Bacon Pie

I can't translate German but this video is fairly strait forward.
It says I can embed which I will try above, if not below is the Youtube link.
https://youtu.be/nwyh31pOjgs
The recipe is posted here:
 http://www.leckerschmecker.me/im-knuspermantel/

You can't make this s**t up and it was well deserved after a long day boiling syrup outside, even if that meant that we didn't eat until 10:30.  I rallied against it because it looked like a risk and it would take about 3 hours between the trip to town and the 2.5 hour cooking time. Nonetheless, they persisted and we had it for dinner.

It's fairly straight forward.

Ingredients
 Large cast iron pot
Two or more packages of bacon
2 lb white potatoes
1 lb shredded cheese
salt and pepper

Process

 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Lay out the bacon as showed in the video. You want half the strip in and half the strip out.
3. Place a layer of sliced potatoes.

4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Cover with a layer of cheese.
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4, with a little pepper (no more salt) one more time.
7. Fold the bacon strips over the top of the pie.

8. Bake in oven uncovered for 2.5 hours.

9. Let cool a bit and then serve. You may want to pat with a paper towel to absorb some of the excess fat and grease.

10. Eat with some fresh vegetables. Cover your head in a napkin and hide from God as you eat such a sinful meal. Thank you Anthony Bourdain for allowing us a way to escape the embarrassment of our gluttony.

Rob's "Wing it" Mac and Cheese

 

 

Note: Just reading the recipe will make you gain five pounds.

Stuff you need:

• 16 oz elbow macaroni
• 1/2 Cup (2 sticks) butter
• 8 oz supermarket "Cheddar" (that yellow shredded stuff)
• 8 oz or so freaking' Razor Sharp "wow, what is this feeling in my jaw hinges" cheddar - the kind of stuff that makes you think twice about what so-called "Cheddar Cheese" is - run this through the cheese grater. You want stuff that puts hair on your chest, not that wimpy yellow crap.
• 1x 5oz can of evaporated milk.
• 2 eggs. Beaten like they owe you money
• 1x 10.75oz can condensed Cheddar cheese soup - get the Campbells stuff - hell, why not…
• Some reasonable amount of bread crumbs. Use "Planko" or "Seasoned" or whatever is the trendy mix at the time. I use "Plain".

Process

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes or so. Drain and leave it in it's big-ass saucepan. Turn off the heat.
2. Add 2x sticks (1/2 cup) butter. Let melt, mixing occasionally - if you turned off the heat the butter will melt without burning anything.
3. Whisk evaporated milk and eggs together in a bowl until smooth while you are waiting for the butter to melt. Stir this mess into pasta mixture.
4. Dig out the soup into your pasta mess. It's thick stuff. Work it.
5. Mix the soup and all the cheese into the pasta/butter matrix. Mix it all up, mix it good, make it a gooey mixed up mixture.
6. Spread this gooey mess out in 2x 8x8" pans or however the math works out. Whatever. It's wing in mac and cheese. Figure it out.
7. Sprinkle some amount of your trendy bread crumbs on top. The ideal amount is enough to cover it completely without any loose bits. Shake it baby, make them well distributed.
8. Bake in conventional oven at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on taste, oven issues and such. you will know when it's right based on what you put it in and how it looks.

Cheese Souffle

This recipe reminds me of HiHo's Baked fondue.

Hot Cheese Olives

I'm not really sure what I think about the hot olive concept, but the rest of it sounds good to me.

Cuban Stromboli from Wine and Glue

 

This recipe from Wine and Glue was an excellent find this week. 

It was quick and easy and oh so kid friendly. 

I went liberal on the first batch I made and discovered that it could have used more kick to it. So I made it a second time last night and nailed it. 

That's what the above picture is from. Yummy stuff folks that we highly recommend!

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb. Spicy Italian Sausage (I used Jennie-O)
• 1 (13.8 oz) tube refrigerated pizza dough
• 7 slices swiss cheese
• 6 slices black forest ham
• 8 sandwich style dill pickles
• 2 TBSPs mustard
• 1 TBSP mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a cast iron skillet, preheat your olive oil and then cook your Spicy Italian Sausage until completely cooked through, crumbling it as you cook.
3. On a silicon mat lined baking sheet, spread out your refrigerated pizza dough until it is about 14 by 12 inches.
4. Spread out your swiss cheese, spread the mustard over it, layer it with the slices of ham, the pickle slices and the cooked sausage.
5. Carefully roll up the dough, starting with the long end, and then place it seam side down and pinch both ends closed.
6. Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle with the garlic salt.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing

Awesomesauce Bruschetta

In preparation for Winter storm Nemo, I did some creative menu planning. Creative isn't a strong enough word because I set my mind on a bizarre idea of watercress pesto. Yes watercress pesto - and low and behold I found this awesome recipe from a great new blog The Bite House to follow.This recipe is entirely local because I also used Sister's Salsa from Blue Hill and a wonderful raw milk local cheese. The Silver Ridge Tomme is a raw goats milk cheese from Sonnental Dairy I found recently at The Good Life Market. Sonnental Dairy doesn't seem to have a website but they are a part of the Maine Cheese Guild. The tomme was a perfect addition for this cornucopia of tastes - hence the name Awesomesauce Bruschetta.





















Ingredients
Baguette - sliced on a diagonal
Watercress pesto
1 container Sisters Salsa
Shredded cheese to melt on top

Directions
1. Slice baguette on a diagonal, place on baking dish, and put a little olive oil on it.

2. Toast the bread slightly under the broiler.

3. Assemble the bruschetta first the pesto (sorry for the blurry picture) and then the salsa.

4. Top with melted cheese

5. Put under the broiler, turning the pan a couple of times so that they all get equal share of the broiler flames. Keep an eye on it and take it out then the cheese is melted. Yummy!

Madeleine's Baked Fondue

It didn't take me much longer than a trip to the market to make Hi-Ho's Baked Fondue. I even went out on a limb and didn't exactly follow the directions. That is a big deal for me as a cook that likes to follow recipes and tends to not 'wing it'. By the way, this is much less like a bread pudding but much more a souffle like

I decided to use a baguette and then doubled the wet ingredients. It worked perfectly. The picture below is after I made my first layer.


















Ingredients
1 baguette, cut into three equal lengths, and then each piece is cut in half lengthwise.
 4 eggs beaten
tub of Old English cheese to spread on baguette lightly
cheddar cheese slices
tomato slices
Lots of dry mustard
Lots of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon chopped onion
3 cups milk

Directions
 *Below are additional pictures of my assemblage.*

1. Place bread, cheese, and tomatoes in layers in a round baking dish.




















2. Beat eggs, add milk and seasonings. Stir. I add a lot of seasoning and it ended up a light tan color.

3. Pour over bread and cheese. 
 
















4. Top with a layer of slices cheese.
 
















5. Let stand on hour. Stare at it and drool.

6. Preheat oven to 325.

7. Bake for one hour.

8. Cut like a pie and serve.

This served my family of five with left overs.

Baked Cheese Fondue

Oh my oh my this makes me think of fondue married to Welsh Rarebit served as a cake pop in heaven. Oh Hi-Ho why did you never make this for me! Oh SP? Honey? Can you run out to store please?

(silence)

oh darn he is at hockey. Gasp!

Ingredients
6 slices bread without the crust
2 eggs beaten
1/2 package sliced Old English or any cheddar cheese
tomato slices
dry mustard
herbs
worcertershire sauce
1 teaspoon chopped onion
1 and 1/2 cups milk

Directions

1. Place bread and cheese in layers in a baking dish.
2. Beat eggs, add milk and seasonings. Stir. 
3. Pour over bread and cheese. 
4. Let stand on hour. Stare at it and drool. 
5. Preheat oven to 325. 
6. Bake for one hour. 

Makes 3 to 4 servings. 

Mushroom and Cheese Souffle

The 1950's antiquity of some of these recipes really cracks me up! Another Pete special!


 
Ingredients
1 package Old English cheese
1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
4 eggs, separating yolks from whites- slightly beat the whites
4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
serve with : corn muffins and a salad

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a casserole dish. 
2. In a double boiler, melt Old English cheese.
3. Blend in mushroom soup. 
4. Add egg yolks and cook slowly, stirring until thick. 
5. Season to taste
6. Fold in slightly beaten egg whites. 
7. Pour into a buttered casserole pan.
8. Sprinkle with bacon. 
9. Place casserole dish in a shallow pan of water. 
10. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.

Serve with corn muffins and a green salad for a "satisfying meal"!