Blue Cheese in oil

It never fails that when I love a product either the manufacturer stops making it, or the store stops selling it. I don't know which is the answer this time around, but I love, love this jar of blue cheese packed in oil that I have been buying for a year or so. Just a little nibble spread on a cracker or with a pretzel and a glass of lovely red wine while I cook dinner is a real treat. Just a nibble is all I really want because it is to packed with flavor.

Alas, my grocer no longer carries it. And I will not spend $10 to have it shipped.

I was at my butcher shop on Saturday and since they are an Italian gourmet shop and have a large selection of cheeses, I asked if they carried it. The young employee I asked had no idea what I was talking about so he went and got someone else. That man told me that they don't carry it but that is was simple to make. He was so right.

I didn't find the product on the internet until this morning so I did not know it is normally packed in canola oil, but good to know for the future. I bought two largish pieces of Danish blue cheese. I had 100% extra virgin olive oil, peppercorns and crushed red pepper at home. I did not know it contained juniper berries, bay leaves or garlic, but I'm not sure I would have added them anyway. Maybe a little garlic.

 I used a warm knife and sliced the blue cheese into small cubes. I poured a small quantity of oil (see note below) in a clean old pickle jar (rinsed with boiling water first and dried with a clean towel or paper towel) and added a palmful of black peppercorns and crushed red pepper. I added about half the cheese and then another quantity of oil. More cheese, more oil and a repeat of the peppercorns and red pepper, plus a small palm of coarse sea salt. I put the lid on an rolled it around in my hands -- don't shake it.

We used it last night with our Bonefish Grill salad and it was heavenly. If you like blue cheese, you are sure to like this treat. It would be wonderful with some fruit and crackers, or as part of an antipasta. Or stuff your favorite olives. Yum.

NOTE: Olive oil solidifies at cold temps (I should have remembered that) so for future preparations I will be using canola oil. If you already used olive oil, just warm it a little (or let it sit at room temp) and it will come back to liquid state.

New York Style Cheesecake

hello?

anybody out there?

 I know you're busy.

Too busy to cook?

 Maybe you're not too busy to make cheesecake. I promise you can have this cheesecake in the oven in less than five minutes. You don't even need to wait for the preheat.

 This is the cheesecake I grew up with. I must say it seemed like the most glamorous thing my mother made, but now that I make it myself, I realize it's probably the easiest thing she ever made. You don't even make a crust -- just add 2 tablespoons of flour to the cheese mixture and it settles on the bottom. It's pure cheesecake deliciousness.

 I made my last cheesecake (pictured) with homemade cream cheese. I am not going to get into that right now, but it was more wet than block cream cheese from the store, thus my cheesecake was more moist. It was delicious, but the picture does not look exactly like the cheesecake normally. It gets higher, and more firm.

 New York Cheesecake 

serves 12-16

 4 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese (full fat) 

1 pint sour cream (full fat) 

3/4 cup milk (preferably whole milk)

 4 eggs 

1 T. vanilla extract 

1 1/2 cups sugar 

4 T. flour

 Bring cream cheese and sour cream to room temp -- just get them out in the morning and let them sit. 

Grease and flour a 10" springform pan. 

Cream the cheese and sour cream for a minute or so, until it is fully combined. Add eggs, sugar, vanilla and flour. Add milk. Beat only until all ingredients are incorporated. 

Pour mixture into pan (I wrap foil around the bottom in case the pan leaks a little). Place in a cold oven. Turn oven on to 375 degrees. Bake for one hour. 

Turn off oven but don't open the door. Leave cheesecake in oven for one hour. 

Remove from oven and cover with foil. Let sit at room temperature for two hours. Chill until ready to serve (several hours or overnight).

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Number 2 Stovetop Mac and Cheese

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My family loves, loves good old-fashioned baked macaroni and cheese. But that's a recipe that I don't make for lunch -- it's a little more involved than I like to get into for lunch when we are sometimes schooling right through the lunch hour. I love this recipe for a quick mac 'n' cheese, but sometimes for lunch my kids beg me (I mean it) not to make the kind with veggies. O.k., sometimes you just want simple comfort food without the veggies.

Rachel Ray's Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese is just right for a quick comfy lunch without the neon orange cheese that comes in the blue box. It's soft and creamy and very cheesy. I call it the Number 2 Mac 'n' Cheese because all the ingredients come in twos -- super easy to remember. It does call for 2 cups of half and half and when I read that the first time my arteries gave me a gratuitous squeeze. I do use half and half, but I water it down -- about 1 1/4 cups half and half with the rest of the two cup measure being water. It tastes just as yummy. I'm sure you could use milk as well, just don't use a really low fat milk (fat = flavor). Don't forget to taste and salt and pepper at the end, and if your people like a little spice, add a dash of cayenne pepper. I use an 8 oz. block of sharp cheddar cheese shredded in the mini cuisinart and reserve a little to put on top of each serving.

Number 2 Stovetop Mac 'n' Cheese

serves 4

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2 cups elbow macaroni 

2 T. butter

2 T. flour

2 cups half-and-half, warmed

8-ounce bag shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente; drain in a colander.

In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the warmed half-and-half and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is steaming hot and thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar until melted. Stir in the cooked macaroni and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Source: Rachel Ray .

Queso Blanco

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Last week we had company over mid-week. I don't usually have dinner guests during the week, but my Goddaughter was in town on business and I wanted to host dinner for her and her beau. It was just a simple dinner of  Chicken Gyro Pizza, but because I wasn't certain when they would arrive, I also prepared an appetizer. I saw this Queso Dip over at Annie's Eats and decided to give it a try. I ended up modifying it because my fresh tomatoes were mushy and tasteless, and I think even during the summer months a can of tomatoes and chilies are a great alternative. The dip is not too spicy, but it probably depends on the heat of your jalapeno and the heat of your can of Ro-Tel tomatoes. I used "Original" which is in the middle of the spicy range.

The Queso was a big hit with everyone -- salty, warm, cheesy -- the best comfort food. The boys really loved it, and we ate the leftovers for lunch -- double duty!


I turned mine from the pan into a small appetizer crock-pot. The cheese dip gets thick quickly once you take it off the heat, so either use a small crock-pot like I did, or only ladle a small amount at a time out of the pot. I found white American cheese at the deli counter of my store -- I just asked them to cut me a one-inch chunk to shred at home.

Queso Blanco

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1 T. canola or vegetable oil
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
12 oz. white American cheese, shredded

4 oz. Monterey jack cheese, shredded
2/3 cup milk
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes with chilies, drained well

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and jalapeño to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium-low.  Add both of the shredded cheeses and half of the milk.  Whisk or stir until completely melted, adding milk as necessary to thin. Add the can of tomatoes and stir until dip is hot again. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl or small crock pot and serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Source: modified from Annie's Eats

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President Reagan's Macaroni and Cheese

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A few weeks ago, just before the mid-term elections, a girlfriend gave me a cookbook that was published by Mike DeWine's campaign office. DeWine is a former U.S. senator and was running recently (and won the election) for  attorney general for the state of Ohio. The cookbook is just a small one, but is filled with family favorites, and I found more than a few I'd like to try. They are just, for the most part, good homey recipes.

This one caught my eye because it was my favorite president's recipe. I tried it a few weeks ago for a Friday night supper and my family looooved it. I have tried about a million and one recipes for macaroni and cheese and have never found one that was just perfect. I think I can stop trying now. And the best part -- it could hardly be easier. No white sauce necessary, just mix the ingredients and pour over cooked macaroni. I used the sharp cheddar called for in the recipe for a really tangy flavor, but I imagine this recipe could be made with almost any combination of cheeses (but I think you need to stick to sharp cheddar in order to call it President Reagan's Macaroni and Cheese!).

This is good, old-fashioned comfort food at its best. It was great as a main dish, and super for meatless Fridays.

President Reagan's Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz. macaroni, boiled to al dente and drained

1 t. butter

1 egg, beaten

3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 t. dry mustard

1 t. salt

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a buttered casserole dish, pour macaroni.

Toss with butter, egg and 2 1/2 cups cheddar.

In a small bowl, whisk milk with salt and powdered mustard.

Pour milk over macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle with remaining half cup cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes until custard is set.

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Source: Fran DeWine's Family Favorites

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Cheese and Guinness Spread

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Last weekend I was looking for a few recipes to make for a homemade tailgate party. It's college football season in Buckeye territory and at least a part of each Saturday is usually spent watching a game on the TV. Last Saturday the game was at 3:30 p.m. and so the game time overlapped with supper time, thus dinner was tailgate party fare.

My husband enjoys Guinness beer (his preference is for a Black and Tan) and so I knew he would like this spread. Served with carrot and zucchini chips, as well as some whole wheat crackers, I enjoyed this spread, as did the kids. The flavor of the beer is present, but not overpowering. I modified the recipe, found at myrecipes.com, just a bit.

Cheese and Guinness Spread

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4 T. unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 ounces Guinness stout
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 t. caraway seeds
1/2 t. paprika
Salt and pepper

Assorted crackers and crudités

In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until soft, 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a food processor and let cool.

Add Guinness, cheeses, caraway and paprika to food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a serving bowl, cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers and crudités.

Source: modified from myrecipes.com

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Mac 'n' Cheese with Veggies

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This quick recipe for macaroni and cheese is a lovely compromise between artery-clogging comfort food and healthy eats. I made it a few weeks ago, adding a cup of diced ham for extra flavor and protein, and it was a really delicious, healthy main dish. Paired with some whole wheat bread and fresh fruit, it was a very comforting, satisfying meal.

The original recipe, from Women Heart's All Heart Family Cookbook, did not call for the ham. I noticed, however, when I was making another recipe recently, that some ham steaks are very low in fat. I buy Bob Evans brand and there are only 2 grams of fat per (thick) slice, so the addition of two slices, diced, did not add much fat at all. It did add lots of flavor and texture, however. The recipe would also be very good without ham, for a meatless Friday.

The only other change I would make in the future has to do with the onion. Please tell me your kids balk at onion. Ugh. My kids (all but the youngest who eats almost anything) said they really liked this macaroni and cheese, but wished there wasn't so much onion. I did not think it was too much onion, but in the future, I will cut back to half an onion, and minced it finely. Also, if you have onion detectives, make sure the onion is very soft before adding the milk. The recipe as printed below is also adjusted for quantity, which originally served 4.

Mac 'n' Cheese with Veggies
serves 6

12 ounces shells or elbow pasta

3 c. mixed vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower florets, sliced carrots, chopped bell pepper (I used cauliflower, carrot coins, and red bell pepper)

2 c. fat-free or low-fat milk

3 T. cornstarch

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion, minced

1 1/2 cup (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese

1 c. diced ham (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the pasta according to package directions, adding the vegetables to the water during the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Drain and place in a serving bowl.

Meanwhile, in a measuring cup, whisk together the milk and cornstarch. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until onion is soft (but not brown). Add the milk mixture and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the Cheddar and cream cheese and ham (if using). Stir until melted. Pour over the pasta mixture and toss to coat well. Taste and salt and pepper as needed.

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Source: adapted from Women Heart's All Heart Family Cookbook
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