Category: cheese

Get your Fill(ing)!

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Hand-rolled pasta may sound like a Herculean task for a weeknight, but last Thursday we made these ravioli to take advantage of some leftover spicy roast squash. (Other leftover mashed vegetables will work equally well). Check the recipe pages for the hand-rolled pasta. We rolled it out and used a small biscuit cutter to cut rounds – as many as we could get from the batch of dough. On each round, we placed about 10ml/2tsp of filling, then wet the circle, topped with another round of dough, and crimped the edges carefully (so as not to pierce) with a fork.

We cooked the pasta for about 10 minutes, and in the meantime made sauce:

Heat 30ml/2T butter w 15ml/1T flour. Stir in 125ml/1/2 c 1% milk and continue stirring until thick. Grate in 30-60ml 1-2 oz smoked Gouda and add a dash of nutmeg. Serve over ravioli and enjoy!

Start to finish, including making the pasta from scratch, about 45 minutes.

Tuna Melts with French Flair

In just barely more time than it takes to assemble and slice sandwiches, you can have this delicious tuna melt, to warm you on a chilly day near the coast. Makes 3 or 4:

3-4 slices of multigrain toast (not buttered)
1 can tuna in water, drained, and mixed with
1 diced tomato
15 ml Dijon
15 ml mayonnaise

Preheat broiler to high. Make the filling and put it on the toast. Grate over top, a thin layer of Comté cheese (aged cheddar works well also). Voilà, a satisfying lunch for 2.

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Isn't it Ironic?

On this chilly Saturday we’re fueling up for a day of painting and home improvement. The irony is not lost on us that we’re dining on an English muffin and cream cheese, topped with smoked salmon from our favourite French charcuterie, Ratinaud.

20130518-085608.jpg Délicieux!

On the side, local hothouse cucumbers and baby tomatoes. C’mon sun!

Eating the Dragon

20130303-121926.jpg. Last night was The Man’s birthday and we celebrated with a prime rib roast. Today, the leftovers are in a redux of last week’s grilled salad:

Per plate:

Two good handfuls of baby greens
60-120g of sliced roast beef
Drizzling of sun-dried tomato dressing
15-30 ml of Dragon’s Breath Blue, crumbled over top

Nothing left to do but to enjoy!

…You've Gotta Break a Few Eggs

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We got up early yesterday…lots to do! We fueled up with a delicious omelette – all fresh and local. Eggs, a yellow pepper, green onions, shiitakes, and a little shred of cheddar.

Huevos, olé!

20121021-073119.jpgLast night we had visitors at the little house by the sea, a nice barbecue and plenty of reminiscing. We also had plenty of leftovers.

What to do on day two with the barbecue potato thing, a combination of peppers, onions, and potatoes? The time was right for a Spanish omelette. After reheating the potato dish in a skillet, I whisked in some eggs and bacon bits, and topped it with a sprinkling of aged cheddar. In a perfect world I would have had some Serrano jamòn and Manchego on hand, but that’s the joy of leftovers…using what’s on hand.

Easter Eggs

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Today the marathon of cooking begins…hot cross buns and bunny cake for tomorrow’s Easter gathering. We’re hoping the predicted rain will hold off so we can keep it casual and barbecue. In light of all that, we made a light, simple omelette to start the day, and are about to start shopping and organizing ourselves, finishing everything in time for the Easter Vigil.

For two, we used 2 cups of chopped veg (today’s mix included celery, mushrooms, spinach). These were heated in a pan coated with a spray of olive oil, and then we tipped in 3 large brown eggs from Rowe Farms (via Better Bulk), beaten with fresh thyme and a tablespoon or so of water. A quick stir and we grated on an ounce of cheddar we picked up at Leslieville Cheese. Then we rolled the whole thing up, and split it to serve two. …and we’re off!

La Chandeleur

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La Chandeleur is crepe day in France, at its origins a celebration of the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of Baby Jesus. If you’re a devoted Francophile, it’s a great excuse to make crepes, whether you’re religious or secular. These were time-consuming but not at all difficult to make.

The recipe serves four as a meal, or 8 as a brunch or dessert…

250 ml fat-free cottage cheese
120g light cream cheese
60 ml sugar
5 ml vanilla
250 ml white, whole wheat, or spelt flour
375ml 1% milk
15ml vegetable oil
5 ml vanilla
3 large eggs
Cooking oil
500 ml raspberries
15ml icing sugar

Blend or process cheeses, first sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Place in bowl and chill about an hour.

Whisk together milk, oil, flour, next vanilla, and eggs, until nearly smooth. Cover and an hour.

Heat a nonstick skillet to medium-high, brush with oil. Add about 60ml batter. Tilt quickly to spread in a thin layer. Cook until the top doesn’t look wet any more.

When crepe loosens from its pan on its own, flip and cook about 30 seconds.

Place finished crepes on tea towel and fill them with cheese, rolling or folding, one at a time. Heat nonstick skillet at medium, and put crepes in to reheat. Serve warm with powdered sugar and berries.

Salade de…Boeuf?!?

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When we had a houseful of teenagers, “leftover roast beef” was an oxymoron. But our home is emptier now, and our eating habits have changed as well. Today at lunch we needed to use some roast beef. But not too much. Also on hand: a couple of roasted beets, some arugula, and the last ounce of Shropshire Blue from our New Year’s party. We sliced the beets on a bed of arugula, then the beef. Next, a vinaigrette using a tablespoon of grainy mustard (ours was Kozlik’s), a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, and the zest and juice of half an orange. A grating of the cheese and we split about a tablespoon of pecans over the two plates for extra crunch.