Cheese

Labneh
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Labneh

This is my new favorite thing. I had never had it before but was inspired after my friend Vivi told me it was one or HER favorite things. Oh my! SO. GOOD. Labneh is a soft Middle Eastern cheese made from strained yogurt. It’s surprisingly easy to make, and it’s really versatile. Serve it as a dip with good-quality olive oil and za’atar. This recipe is from loveandlemons. I served with homemade pita but it would be great with crackers, veggies, on pizza….

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
  • heaping 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt and salt.
  • Scoop the mixture onto a layer of cheesecloth (or 2 layers, depending on the thickness of your yogurt). Bring the edges of the cheesecloth together, tie it around a wooden spoon, and place the spoon across the top of a medium bowl so that the labneh hangs in the center but does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Chill overnight.
  • Remove the labneh from the cheese cloth. Transfer to bowl and serve as a spread with desired toppings and veggies, pita, or crackers for dipping. It can also be dolloped, like soft goat cheese, onto salads, pizza, or flatbread.

toppings & serving options

  • Olive oil for drizzling
  • Z’atar spice mix (I found at Trader Joe’s)
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Brazilian Cheese Bread
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Brazilian Cheese Bread

These are quick to make and addicting!!!! From the blog Simply Recipes. This is very similar to a popover in consistency. They are best served warm from the oven. I served them alongside Beef Bourguignon
on Christmas Eve.

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cups (170 grams) tapioca flour
  • 1/2 cup (packed, about 66 grams) grated cheese, your preference (see recipe note)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Instructions

  1. Pour into mini-muffin tin: Pour batter into prepared mini-muffin tin, not quite to the top; leave about 1/8 inch from the top.
  2. Bake: Bake at 400°F in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until all puffy and nicely browned. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes.
  3. Pour into mini-muffin tin: Pour batter into prepared mini-muffin tin, not quite to the top; leave about 1/8 inch from the top.
  4. Bake: Bake at 400°F in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until all puffy and nicely browned. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes

Eat while warm!

Note that Brazilian cheese bread is very chewy, a lot like Japanese mochi.

Bonus Recipe

1 kg tapioca flour [polvilho azedo]
1 kg potato, cooked in water and mashed
250 ml milk at room temperature
250 ml vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 queso fresco or panela grated [1 pound]
6 free range eggs

Put the tapioca flour in a bowl. Add the potato still hot using a potato masher. Add salt. Mix very well using your hands. Add milk and continue working the dough with your hands. Add vegetable oil. Continue working. Add the grated cheese, and at last the eggs. Add 1 teaspoon of anise seeds for a special touch. The dough needs to get very silky and be moldable. If it is breaking, add one more egg. Make little round breads, and bake at 450oF for 20 minutes. The dough can be frozen.

Breakfast Casserole
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Breakfast Casserole

This is a mix of several recipes. Some call for adding hash browns. I went for straight up eggs, cheese and ham. This is perfect for company, comes together quickly and even is good warmed up the next day.

Ingredients

  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 12 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded swiss cheese or gruyere
  • 8 oz. diced ham, break up any clumps

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Add eggs to a large mixing bowl. Break yolks and stir together with a fork until blended.
  • Stir in half and half, cheddar, Swiss, ham, green onions, parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Pour mixture evenly over hash brown layer then spread out with a spatula to even out top as needed.
  • Bake in preheated oven until center is just set, about 35 minutes. Check center with a knife and it is done when knife comes out clean. I use a convection oven so cooking times vary. Let cool about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Switch up the cheese. Smooth melting cheeses like Monterey jack, muenster, provolone, colby, and pepper jack work best. 

Swap ham for cooked bacon or even diced Canadian bacon.

Add veggies like sautéed mushrooms, artichokes or bell peppers.

Make it vegetarian and swap with meatless sausage, like beyond beef.

Try it with cooked breakfast sausage or cooked Italian sausage instead of ham.

Use other herbs.

Serve it topped with sliced or diced avocado and/or tomatoes.

Caramelized Onion and Parmesan Cheese Soup with Parmesan Cheese Toasts
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Caramelized Onion and Parmesan Cheese Soup with Parmesan Cheese Toasts

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The past 2 months have been so busy, suddenly it was Christmas and then it was over and I was cleaning up glitter. One more holiday before the bleak month of January. This would make a wonderful start to New Year’s Eve dinner. I served this as a soup course for 9 as part of Christmas Eve dinner. I made it the night before, then heated up and added the cheese and cream right before serving. It also reheated well the next day. This is adapted from a EMERIL LAGASSE recipe. I did not take a lot of photos as I was in full on dinner party mode but trust me this soup is worth making!

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INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions
8 to 12 garlic cloves, smashed, plus 1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
2 quarts Chicken Stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
2 cups 1-inch cubes crusty French or Italian bread
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Parmesan Cheese Toasts

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onions, the smashed garlic cloves, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened and golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the stock and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Add the bread cubes. Cook, whisking often, until the bread disintegrates and thickens the soup, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Purée the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor or blender. Return to the pot and whisk in the cream, cheese, and parsley. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Ladle into bowls. Serve with the hot cheese toasts.

Parmesan Cheese Toasts

Twelve 1/4-inch-thick baguette slices (cut on the diagonal to make large slices)
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/3 cup Mayonnaise (I used Black Truffle Aioli)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Spread the bread on a baking sheet. Mix the cheese, mayonnaise, parsley, garlic, and cayenne in a small bowl. Spread a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture onto each slice of bread.

Bake until golden brown and bubbly, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve hot.