Category: Cheese Recipes
Enjoying Cheese For Breakfast
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, especially when you’re a cheese lover and starting your day off right by eating it for breakfast! There’s nothing better than waking up for a long day at work or school with a delicious plate of cheddar or Parmesan molded into our favorite breakfast dishes.
Not only is cheese delicious, but it is a good source of protein which is essential to start the day off right with, especially for growing children and adolescents. It is known that a lot of studies show that eating breakfast improves concentration, memory, problem-solving and your mood (for those who struggle to wake up!) So, that might solve your morning blues, some toasted bread with melted Gruyère to see you through to lunch.
Here are some quick and easy ways to incorporate cheese into your breakfast:
Toast And Bagels
Chicken And Brie Bagels
Divide the bagels and layer one half with the chicken and a slice of Brie. Then add a spoonful of cranberry sauce and place the two halves together again. Cook the bagels for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Banana And Cheese Bagels
This one is relatively simple, it involves toasting the bagels and topping with a spoonful of cream cheese, banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Stilton and Apricots On Toast
Begin by lightly toasting a bread of your choice and spreading one side with butter. Then place a slice of Stilton and canned apricot halves on top of the toasted bread and sprinkle it with a bit of sugar and grill it until the cheese melts.
Other Cheese Toppings On Toast
There are so many variations and options you could go with for this breakfast idea, here are some more unique combinations you could try on toast:
– Cherries, Pecans, Brie and sugar
– Blue cheese and fig spread
– Sharp Cheddar with a marmalade spread
– Parmesan and butter (yum!)
Eggs
Breakfast Burrito
Breakfast burritos are a classic in America, originating from Hispanic cuisine. Place scrambled eggs on top of a flour tortilla with a bit of salsa and grated Cheddar.
Greek Omelet
Greek cuisine is very big on cheese so a Greek omelet is perfect for this breakfast guide. Chopping up a mixture of spinach leaves, garlic, red onions, and tomatoes for them to be sautéd in a skillet over medium heat until tender. You then beat the eggs with just a drop of water and pour it over the spinach mixture. The eggs will then begin to set, so use a spatula to lift the omelet and let the uncooked portion flow to be cooked. Then, once the omelet is close to being set, crumble some Feta cheese and then cook until it is set.
Southern Style Breakfast Pizza
This unusual, but a delicious style of breakfast can be achieved by scrambling some eggs with a drop of milk and some diced green onion. You then prepare a pizza crust and place it on a baking sheet and spread it with salsa like you would a regular pizza. Then top it with scrambled eggs, cooked bacon and shredded Mexican Queso or Monterey Jack cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes and enjoy.
Pita Pocket
This simple breakfast consists of scrambling a few egg whites and shredded Cheddar with chopped onions mushrooms, and peppers. You then stuff the food into toasted halves of pita bread and wrap it in foil so you can go about your travels if you need to.
Dips And Spreads
Cinnamon Cheese Spread
In a food processor or a with a blender, blend cream cheese while adding sprinkles of cinnamon, sugar and a handful of raisins or dried fruit of your choice. You can then chill it in the refrigerator and serve on pancakes or toast.
Ricotta Fruit Dip
This delicious dip is a blend of ricotta cheese with sugar, orange zest, and orange juice. You can dip it with your breakfast fruits such as melon and strawberries.
Cream Cheese Dip
Make your mouth water with cream cheese and chocolate spread mixed together to spread on toast and enjoy!
Keep That Parmesan Rind!
One of Italy’s greatest contributions to food has got to be Parmesan. With its origins in the region of Emilia-Romagna, it is celebrated for its versatility. Ranging from being a garnish when grated over a casserole, or the masterpiece of a cheese board, it’s delicious salty notes can more than hold its own against robust blue cheeses or meats.
Far too often, a big part of the cheese ends up being unwanted and unloved trash. It doesn’t have to be that way though! The skin sometimes referred to as the rind of Parmesan has so much more to contribute to a lot of different dishes, if only you would give it a chance to display its fabulous qualities!
For example, when you’re braising a comforting dish. Along with whatever you add in terms of spices, herbs, and stock, the cooking liquor could definitely use some seasoning to lift the dish to a whole new level. Usually, you’d just reach for the salt and pepper, but it should be known that there is more than enough sodium residing within the skin of Parmesan. It offers a milky, subtle dose of sodium which cannot be achieved by just salt and pepper.
Unique Qualities
You may be wondering what to do with it, but it is fairly simple. All you have to do is put a piece into the liquid, allow it to soak and release its unique qualities. The heat will aid with soaking and absorb the delicious qualities, and when the braise is done turning into perfection in both texture and taste, you simply have to fish out what remains of the rind.
The same approach can be used when making other dishes, especially those you’re using the parmesan with. It simply acts as a delicious season, to give your dish that extra taste you’ve been searching for.
Not only does the parmesan skin impact dishes in terms of taste, it can also contribute the visual impact simply by placing it in the center of a cheese board. The iconic stenciling of the inscription of the rind ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’ will act as a signpost that quality products are on offer. It can also act as a conversation piece, providing any host the chance to educate their guests on what the stenciled letters mean in terms of Italian cheese, which in turn spreads the message of the quality of the cheese.
Although no matter what, the rind will eventually go in the trash, there will not be guilt attached because you have put the product to full use and it also acts as an excuse to go and purchase another Parmesan! (Who needs an excuse for that though?)
Things To Know About Dairy Free Vegan Cheese : Healthy Diet
The whole term ‘vegan cheese’ sounds like a contradiction in itself. You might be wondering how a vegan can eat something made from milk when they are thoroughly against eating any product that comes from an animal. Well, there are actual non-dairy cheeses on the market, as opposed to cows’ or goats’ cheese. However, choosing non-dairy cheese requires care and attention.
Be Cautious
A lot of dairy cheeses are made using rennet, which is the process of extracting an enzyme from the stomach of a calf. Although vegan and vegetarian cheeses are made without rennet, some cheeses which are suitable for vegetarianism, including some made from soy milk, can still contain casein or calcium caseinate which is milk protein to give texture to cheeses. The best way to be completely sure you are avoiding animal products, read the ingredients thoroughly and look for the logo from the Vegan Society.
A good range of vegan cheeses are available and the choice is forever growing as more and more people decide, for ethical and health reasons, to give up dairy food and opt for a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. That being said though, vegan cheese can be hard to find in just your small local grocery store. The best places to look are specialist cheese shops or big grocery stores. You should also ask because if the demand is great enough, it will have to be met.
A few helpful names to remember when searching for tasty vegan cheese are Tofutti, Cheezly, and Scheese. All of which can be found in store or ordered online. There are plenty of useful websites and books that will contain all the information on where to get the best, certified vegan cheeses as well.
How To Use Vegan Cheese
Vegan cheese can come in soft or hard form and different styles just like regular dairy cheese. You can grate, slice, spread or use as a pizza topping, the only difference to dairy cheese is that the properties are slightly different. Most vegan cheese can be used to replace dairy cheese in traditional recipes. The best thing to do is try them out yourself and find your favorites and them go ahead and begin incorporating them into meals.
Yeast Flakes
Something very valuable to a vegan’s diet is nutritional yeast flakes. They help provide essential nutrients along with the important cheesy taste to many dishes. The flakes are yellow (not to be confused with brewer’s yeast) and can be sprinkled onto mashed potato, for example, to give the cheesy topping desired for your casserole. These flakes are available from healthy food stores or on the internet.
A Tasty Recipe Example of America’s Beloved Macaroni ‘Cheese’
What You Need
3 cups macaroni
½ cup vegan butter
½ cup plain flour
3½ cups boiling water
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
Pinch turmeric
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
¼ cup oil
1 cup nutritional yeast flakes
Paprika
What To Do
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F
Cook macaroni as instructed on the packet, drain and set aside.
Melt the butter, stir in flour and mix over low heat until you have a smooth paste. Mix in garlic powder, turmeric, and soy sauce with the boiling water and gradually add to pan, stirring constantly until you have a smooth liquid. Return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring. Remove from heat and whisk in the oil and yeast flakes.
Place macaroni in ovenproof dish. Stir in most of the sauce. Pour remaining on top and sprinkle with paprika. Cook for 15 minutes.
Serving Cheese As A Dessert
In different traditions, it is customary to serve a cheese course before dessert or after dessert. But sometimes, you can switch out your chocolate cake and cherry pie for a delicious cheese course.
In recent years, it has become popular in some places to serve cheese in place of sugary sweets. As a dessert, cheese is an elegant, healthier option than brownies, cookies or ice-cream sundaes. With its many flavors, textures, and aromas, cheese offers a whole other world of possibilities.
Flavored Cheeses
At specialty cheese shops, like Shisler’s Cheese House, you can find a number of specially flavored cheeses from sweet flavors, fruits, liqueurs, beer cheeses and even chocolate cheeses- perfect for dessert! Shisler’s Cheese House has so many options for a dessert cheese which will have your senses overloading and mouth watering. Our store allows for the cheese to become any course of your meal and can be a perfect fit for dessert. One of our favorites, chocolate cheese can be paired with many foods such as muffins, pancakes, and bread. It is the best of both worlds.
Cheese Plates
If you’re creating your own cheese dessert, cheese plates are a very sophisticated option, especially when entertaining guests. A proper cheese board should have around 3 to 4 cheeses that range in flavor from savory and sweet.
To make the presentation look nice and appealing, arrange fresh fruits between each section of cheese. Pears, apples, figs, berries and grapes are good pairings for most cheeses. Then embellish each plate with a sprinkling of walnuts with a side of honey or pecan sauce.
To complement your offerings, put some dark bread and some delicious dessert wines out with the cheese boards. Dessert cheeses match well with vintage Port, Moscato or Icewines. For more on how to get the perfect cheese board and the best wine pairings, take a look at these articles:
The Perfect Cheese Board
The Best Wine And Cheese Pairings
Serving Port With Cheese
Dessert Cheese Choices
Some cheeses are actually naturally fruity and sweet in flavor which is helpful in making them traditional treats for dessert time. Putting together Dutch Gouda, creamy Havarti or French Brie and adding a few slices of fruit and wine can turn these simple cheeses into delicious, mouthwatering desserts.
For savory cheeses, it can be a little more tricky but they still make alluring dessert choices. Matured Parmesan is nutty and salty and perhaps best served with pears and figs. Or robust Italian Pecorino cut into chunks and served with honey and pears to melt in your mouth. Another option could be pairing strawberries and peaches with some Danish Blue.
If you are looking for a more casual treat, warm some slices of Finnish Juustoleipa (Bread Cheese) in the microwave for 20 seconds and serve it with honey or dip it into your coffee for a nice snack.
Easy Cheese Dessert Ideas
You may not notice it but cheese manages to find its way into many traditional desserts- from cheesecake and pies to tarts and tiramisu. So if you are not ready to fully trade in your favorite sweet treats for a cheese plate, you can enjoy the best of both in one dish.
If you don’t have time to bake, however, cheeses like Ricotta and Mascarpone can be turned into mouth-watering desserts with no fuss. With them being mild and creamy cheeses, they can be easily spread or swirled with sweet complimenting add-ins. Enjoy!
Which Cheese Is Best? Grocery Store, Locally Purchased, Or Purchased Online?
Even though shopping at a grocery store is extremely convenient, who can truly say they enjoy shopping at grocery stores? The one main reason we all shop at them is because they house pretty much everything you need under one roof. Depending on the quality of the grocery store, there are usually 4 counters worth going to- cheese, meat, fish, and cooked meats.
Grocery Store Cheese
If you are lucky, there may be some cheese which isn’t drowning in vacuum packed, plastic wrap and actually resemble real cheese, not scrunched up chamois leathers that have been left in a water bucket overnight. You may even be able to smell and sample the cheese at the store to make sure you want it!
It all depends on what you expect to pay and what you want from your cheese. Although there are cheap and unpleasant options available, there are some options on the more expensive side that will satisfy your taste buds, you just have to shop around and try to sample some.
It is important to read the labels, it may have a sticker that indicates where it was made, but organic cheeses will have a separate logo to certify that they are organic. Vegetarian and vegan cheeses will also show the correct label. If they do not contain stamps of certification, you cannot trust how the cheese was produced. There will also be information on where the product came from, ingredients used, nutritional information, allergy warnings, use by date and storage instructions all there for our careful consideration.
The choice is entirely down to you when you’re buying cheese off the shelf of a grocery store, but if you are lucky enough to find a knowledgeable cheese counter assistant, don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Locally Purchased Cheese
If you are lucky to have a specialist cheese shop nearby and have never been in, make sure you do and compare the experience and quality with your usual cheese source. Just walking into the store is a whole different experience, it’s as though your senses are reawakened. Farmers markets especially are great places to try before you buy and specialist cheese stores might be willing to let you try the cheese before you buy it. The people who work in these stores are also bursting with the knowledge to help your every cheese need, with a lot more option and variety. They can introduce you to so many cheeses you didn’t even know existed.
If your cheese store is far away, make it an exclusive day out and slow down and enjoy the experience.
Online Cheese Purchasing
Online is a good way of having the best of both worlds. If you have previously visited a cheese store and know exactly what you like, online makes it so you don’t have to go anywhere and you can access the best cheese, no matter what. Shisler’s Cheese House has an online store as well as physical stores to ensure our customers get the best of both worlds. Whether you are looking for a little something for yourself or a gift for a fellow cheese lover, online mail ordered cheese can make the process so much easier and better. With there being thousands of different varieties of cheese, online gives us the chance to access them all, from our very own devices.
Common Questions About Cheese
As cheese lovers, it’s easy to know all about the different cheeses available however, there are some simple wonders and questions we are left with regarding things like presentation and storage so here are some quick answers to help all your cheese queries.
Can You Eat Cheese When You’re On A Diet?
If you enjoy cheese in moderation, it can easily fit into a healthy diet. In fact, cheese is a good source of essential nutrients such as calcium, protein and Vitamin A. These nutrients are important for keeping your skin and eyes healthy, your bones and teeth strong, and your muscles growing. Studies have shown that if you eat a piece of cheese after eating a meal or a sugary snack, it can restore minerals of tooth enamel and protect your teeth against cavities.
Which Cheeses Have The Lowest And Highest Levels of Fat?
Every cheese will come with its own nutritional profile which will be displayed on the label. Labels make it easier for if you are watching your fat intake as you can refer to it for the cheese’s fat facts. However, here are some general guidelines for if you find yourself at a cheese dinner party where there are no labels:
Low-Fat Cheeses: Cheeses like cottage cheese, Quark, Ricotta, and Edam. Also, any cheeses which are labeled with low-fat, reduced-fat, and even fat-free versions of your favorite cheeses are readily available.
Medium Fat Cheeses: These cheeses include Camembert, Brie, Emmental, Edam, Feta, and Mozzarella, as well as a lot of process cheeses and soft goat’s milk cheeses.
High Fat Cheeses: Cheeses such as Cheddar, Cheshire, Caerphilly, Gouda, Gruyere, Parmesan, and Stilton are all high in fat but deliciously addictive!
Why Doesn’t Reduced-Fat Cheese Melt Well?
A lot of reduced-fat cheeses are made with added gums and stabilizers to help stimulate the flavor and texture to make them similar to the full-fat varieties. While these cheeses are great for shredding into salads, snacking on, or topping sandwiches, they do not perform well when heated. The reason for this is because of the lower amount of fat in the cheese. Without a decent amount of fat, the heated cheese won’t melt into a creamy texture, it will instead be turned into a hardened, clumpy, stringy mess. The best way to avoid that is to just use a full-fat variety for melting, because a little does go a long way, so it shouldn’t be too bad for you.
How Long Should You Keep Cheese?
No matter how well you store your cheese, it will still continue to ripen in your refrigerator. This is why it is especially important to consume soft cheeses soon after you have purchased them. Once you open soft cheeses, they will only keep for around one to two weeks.
On the other hand, harder cheeses tend to remain fresher for longer. Blue cheeses will keep for one to four weeks, cheddars and swiss cheeses will keep for several weeks, and hard cheeses are usually good to eat for several months.
Also, large pieces of cheese keep a lot longer than shredded cheese, which is why labels usually state to consume shortly after opening the packet.
What Is Processed Cheese?
It was first invented in 1911 by Switzerland’s Walter Gerber. Then, in 1916, James L. Kraft applied for his method for his processed cheese to be patented. A lot of processed cheeses today are sold in individually wrapped sandwich slices, which are great for melting into burgers, but definitely not for serving with fine wine!
Processed cheeses usually consist of a blend of fresh and aged cheeses combined with some preservatives, coloring, and emulsifiers to make them smooth and ease melting. They are then pasteurized to stop the ripening process which ultimately gives the cheese a longer shelf life. This does come at some sacrifice though because processed cheese definitely lacks the distinctive flavor and texture that natural cheese has.
Is It Best To Serve Cheese Chilled Or At Room Temperature?
It is usual that you will serve cream cheeses like Ricotta, Boursin and Quark chilled, however all the other variety of cheese are best enjoyed at room temperature. Room temperature is when cheese is at its best level of flavor, texture, and aroma. If you eat cheese too cold, you are basically missing out, so just remove cheese from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving and enjoy!
Can You Freeze Cheese?
It is fine to freeze cheese, it can be frozen to make it last a lot longer. You do however have to understand that cheese which is frozen will go through some textural changes. Softer cheeses may separate, and harder cheeses may become crumbly. However, if you are going to use the frozen cheese in cooked dishes, you probably won’t notice any difference.
A quick tip to freezing cheese is to double wrap it and only keep it in the freezer for up to six months. When you are ready to take it out the freezer, thaw it in the refrigerator and use the cheese within a few days.
Soul Food- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are the staple to any family get together. Perhaps you’re going through a hard time or are too busy to cook something huge; that’s where mashed potatoes come in handy, especially cheesy ones!
The specialty aligot dish will have you drooling. Aligot is mashed potatoes which are thickened with cheese and will lend a hand to being that little cushion of comfort during a hard time or will make a perfect dish to bring along to gatherings.
Ideally, to make aligot, you will need a ricer, but you could use a food processor. The only downside to using a food processor is that you may risk the potatoes ending up as an unpleasant gooey texture. Besides, there is nothing more satisfying than pushing down on the ricer and seeing the hot, tender potatoes run through the tiny holes being transformed into little noodles. Plus, you don’t have to worry about lumps!
Aligot is a delicacy from France and it is traditionally made with tomme fraîche or unripened Cantal, but both of those cheeses are difficult to find in the U.S. That isn’t the end of the world though, any cheese that melts will be perfect for the dish. Great Aligot, in particular, is made with fresh mozzarella, Comté, Emmental, and Gruyère. When it comes to potatoes, ratte potatoes can be a good use, but come with an expensive price tag as they’re a variety from France.
A good way to make Aligot is by boiling the potatoes whole and then peeling them while hot. Then, you push the potatoes through the ricer and then cover the potatoes in cold butter over the heat and then add some milk or cream, whisking it until it is airy and dreamy. Add the mix of the cheese and more milk and whip the potatoes with speed and consistency as you add the cheese, building up the stringiness as it melts. Stringiness is the whole point of Aligot because it takes on all the qualities of melted cheese but remains the intended mashed potatoes.
These mashed potatoes usually take around 20 minutes to cook, which can give you time to prepare the rest of the meal or crack open that bottle of wine you’ve been craving all day!
Here’s a delicious recipe for Aligot!
What You Need
4 large potatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
1 clove garlic, grated
1 cup grated cheese of your choice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
What To Do
1.Cover the potatoes with cold water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, salt the water, and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain, then peel.
2.Add the cream, milk, and garlic to the pot. Rice the potatoes into the mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper, and beat to combine. Serve and enjoy!
This Is No Ordinary Ice Cream… This Is Cheese Ice Cream!
I know what you’re thinking… Cheese…. in ice cream?! Absolutely! Now, this kind of ice cream is something completely different and unique. You might be expecting something sweet, but it is far from sweet, for all the right reasons.
Goat cheese ice cream might just blow your mind. For all you cheese lovers, this is a must try! Although it is ice cream, I wouldn’t consider it as a dessert, it is something that can be served with appetizers and entrees such as soups, spread on bread or even serve alongside some fresh salad. The possibilities are endless! This ice cream is definitely not sweet like you might expect, but it does taste delicious. The flavor is sharp and you can definitely taste the goat’s cheese. I find it best served with warm dishes so you can get that ‘melt in the mouth’ feeling to make it even more mouthwatering!
What You Need
4 oz Goat’s Cheese – Come pick up your delicious, top quality Goat’s Cheese at Shisler’s Cheese House!
3 tablespoon corn syrup
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
What To Do
1. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the goat’s cheese and corn syrup until smooth.
2. In a small pan, bring the milk and cream to a boil over high heat. Then remove from heat. Whilst cream mixture is coming to a boil, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks in a mixing bowl.
3. Mix one fourth of the hot cream mixture to the eggs to temper them. Whisk in another quarter of the mixture, then add the egg mixture to the cream in the pan. Cook over low heat, consistently stirring until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Do not overcook because eggs will scramble. Remove from heat and strain using fine-mesh strainer into a bowl set over a large bowl of ice water.
4. Add the goat’s cheese to the bowl and mix to combine.
5. Freeze the goat cheese base in an ice cream machine according to its instructions. It will keep for 1 week, frozen. Enjoy!
The Answer Is Feta
Image Source: irepo.primecp.com/2016/03/257238/recipe-1641_Large500_ID-1435983.jpg?v=1435983
Soaking chicken overnight in brine is an age-old technique. Brining a chicken seasons it through and through, locking in the moisture for tender meat.
However, unless you work in a Greek restaurant, going through 600 pounds of feta cheese a month, you probably won’t think to use feta as brine instead of plain salt water. At the Greek restaurant Souvla in San Francisco, that’s exactly what they did!
Image Source: 476343dd60686491a262-192409bd95508847c5120d21ffc8ab86.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/admin/uploads/transforms/20151023095545_576_13_704x388.jpg
The process of creating a feta brine involves the actual salt water liquid that preserves the cheese during storage. With going through so much feta cheese a month, the restaurant also went through a lot of the salt water solution that was used to store their feta. They were simply tired of seeing so much brine go to waste.
The brine is a lot more complex than salt water and has a fermented pickled flavor, along with an umami character which the restaurant knew could be repurposed. With that, Mr. Cervone came up with the brilliant idea to use the brine on the rotisserie chickens, which were served at the restaurant and sold as takeout. Not only did it make the chicken even more plump and juicy, it also added a pleasant earthiness to the meat. It also sparked immense popularity at the restaurant with how delicious the chicken is and now every night they go on sale, they are sold out very quickly!
Now although you may not have the commercially used feta brine, you can actually purée feta cheese in water and use that in its place. You marinate your chicken in the mix and store it overnight in the fridge. The following day, pat the chicken dry, cover it with lots of grated lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper, and dried oregano. You then roast it how you would any chicken and let your senses burst with this juicy, feta infused chicken!
Image Source: finecooking.com/CMS/uploadedImages/Images/Cooking/Articles/Issues_91-100/051100074-03-how-to-make-feta_ld.jpg
The Creamiest, Dreamiest Mac ‘N’ Cheese On Earth!
Mac ‘n’ cheese is an American staple! It is one of the most convenient, but tastiest foods you can make, pleasing all ages. Unfortunately, we are often disappointed with premade mac ‘n’ cheese, with it being too bland or worse- dry and gritty; when all we really want is fluffy pasta, smothered in a creamy, velvety cheese sauce, not forgetting the light, but perfect, crunchy topping. We want the type of mac ‘n’ cheese that is so good that we are scared to start eating it, in fear we might not stop!
Here are some top tips on creating the creamiest, dreamiest mac ‘n’ cheese you can find:
