This flavour-packed halloumi salad is complemented with mint yogurt, pomegranate molasses and pomegranate arils. Perfect for lunch or dinner.
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cheese
Greek & Lemon Ricotta Toast
There is so much flavour in this greek and lemon ricotta. Perfect slathered on toast!
Appetizers are my favourite. Especially simple ones that can be whipped up in no time. And even better when made with cheese. I have mentioned that we are cheese freaks right?
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Instant Pot Cheese Stuffed Meatballs
These cheese stuffed meatballs are a new family fave. Made in minutes in the instant pot, they are perfect with pasta or a hunk of bread.
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cheddar crackers
It’s getting cold. As much as I want to hold on to summer, there’s no denying the chill in the air. Reports of snow on it’s way make me want to get cozy and enjoy comfort foods like steaming hot soup.
What goes great with soup? Crackers! Bowls of delicious broth topped with buttery cheddar crackers. Yes please! These crackers are topped with nigella seeds giving it an extra burst of flavour. Not only are these crackers super easy to make, they are great on soup, a nice addition to any charcuterie board and they make the perfect snack!
Cheddar Crackers
1 cup flour
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
4 TB butter
4 TB cold water
1 TB nigella seeds
In a food processor, pulse the flour and the butter. Add the cheese and pulse again. Add the water one tablespoon at a time until the dough forms into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for half an hour. This will make the dough easy to roll. Roll the dough, sprinkle the nigella seeds and roll again. This will allow the seeds to stick right to the dough. Cut into squares, or use a cookie cutter for your desired shape. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
cheesecake stuffed strawberries
There’s not many people that I know who don’t like cheesecake. These Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries are perfect when you feel like cheesecake but don’t feel like all the work. They are great for entertaining because they take minutes to make, leaving you with lots of time to focus on other things. The sweetened cream cheese mixture is piped into the centre of a strawberry and topped with graham cracker crumbs. All the components of a cheesecake in one bite!
I prefer the idea of turning the strawberry upside down and just make a couple cuts to fill the luscious cheese mixture in. You could make a hole and scoop out the inside but why waste the delicious fruit?
I’m excited to participate in the Canadian Food Creatives Strawberry Collaboration. Thanks so much to Amanda for hosting! Check out all the fabulous recipes and see this recipe below.
Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries by Food Mamma
Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Covered Strawberries by 365 Days of Easy Recipes
Dark Chocolate Strawberry Oatmeal Pancakes by She Bakes Here
Rituals + Strawberry, Rhubarb, Ginger Shrub by Eating Niagara
Simple Macerated Strawberries by She Loves Biscotti
Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles by Homemade & Yummy
Strawberry Ice Cream with Drunken Rhubarb by Sugarlovespices
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble with Toasted Almonds by Crumb Kitchen
Strawberry-Rhubarb Streusel Buns by Crumb: A Food Blog
Strawberry Rolls with Basil Cream by The Cinnamon Scrolls
Strawberry Shortcake with Lavender Lemon Cream by My Kitchen Love
Strawberry Streusel Shortbread Bars by The Bluenose Baker
Strawberry Vanilla Cream Tart by Tiny Sweet Tooth
Yogurt Cake with Roasted Strawberries and Rhubarb by Making Healthy Choices
Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
15-20 strawberries
1 block cream cheese
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 TB graham cracker crumbs
Cream the cheese, icing sugar and vanilla until combined. Put the mixture into an icing bag.
Wash and dry the strawberries. From the bottom of the strawberry, make two cuts but not all the way down. Pipe the cheese mixture into the cut, letting it fill to the top. Sprinkle the filled strawberries with the graham cracker crumbs.
cheesy puff pastry sticks
Puff pastry is one of those versatile things that are great to have in the freezer. It’s perfect for desserts or main courses and great for making a range of appetizers.
I had people coming over and needed something to add to the charcuterie board. I was hoping for bread sticks but didn’t have any. I did have puff pastry though so cheese sticks sounded perfect. I had recently found Nigella seeds which added a burst of flavour with every bite. These taste great, and even more so when they are warm.
Cheesy Puff Pastry Sticks
1 sheet puff pastry
1 cup shredded cheddar / marble cheese
2 tsp nigella seeds
Roll out the puff pastry. Sprinkle the cheese on the pastry and fold it in half. Roll it out again so that the cheese gets incorporated into the dough. Sprinkle the seeds on top of the pastry and run the rolling pin over it so that the seeds get embedded into the dough. Cut strips and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, giving them a little twist. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
brie in puff pastry
Q’s favourite cheese would have to be brie. So, when I made him responsible for a couple of appetizers at our Christmas Eve appetizer party, naturally, he wanted to make something with brie.
This brie in puff pastry is so easy to make and so delicious to eat. It is perfect for a party – the cheese oozing out of the pastry was a sight to see. It definitely was a winner!
Brie in Puff Pastry
1 sheet puff pastry
1 small round brie
1 egg, beaten
Place the brie in the middle of the puff pastry. Bring the edges of the pastry up so that the cheese is nicely wrapped. Brush the egg on top off the pastry.
Bake on parchment at 425 degrees until golden, approximately 25 minutes.
three cheese pasta
When I stayed at the Banff Springs Hotel a couple months ago, I indulged one day with their Grown-Up Mac and Cheese – a pasta dish made with Boursin and lobster. It was a comforting meal and was so delicious. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I ate it.
I decided to give it a go, and make some Mac and Cheese tonight. I’m hoping Q will love it and that it will be a hit for school lunch.
Using this recipe as a reference, I made the pasta dish with lots of mushrooms. I ended up not putting the pasta in the oven with breadcrumbs because I wanted the dish to be creamy through and through. The addition of three different cheeses – Boursin, Cheddar and Parmesan – made the dish ooey and gooey.
This pasta dish was definitely a splurge but oh so worth every single bite!
Three Cheese Pasta
Slightly adapted from here.
1 pound pasta
4 TB butter
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 TB flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups milk
2 stalks of thyme
1 package Boursin cheese with garlic and herbs
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, following package directions. Drain and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms until they are cooked. Add 2 TB butter and add the flour and stir until well blended and bubbly. Add salt and pepper, and the milk. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Add the herbs, Boursin cheese, and Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.
Cook, stirring, until cheeses have melted. Stir in the drained pasta. Indulge!
Grown-Up Mac and Cheese
lemon ricotta crostini with crispy lentils
It’s Oscar Sunday! Although I haven’t seen a lot of the nominated movies, it’s a great excuse to have a party. If you’re looking for an appetizer, here’s a tasty one!
Toasted baguette rubbed with garlic topped with a refreshing ricotta spread that’s brightened with lemon and basil – yum!. This crostini is complete with a topping of crispy lentils. The ricotta makes it nice and light while the lentils add some crunchy substance. It was hard not to eat them all myself!
I became a fan of crispy lentils after trying it on a pasta dish at the Food Bloggers of Canada Conference. They are so easy to make, just tossing some cooked lentils in the oven with a little bit of olive oil. It took about 25 minutes and a couple shakes throughout the process. The crisped up lentils are great on their own but perfect as a topping.
What are you serving at your Oscar party?
Lemon Ricotta Crostini with Crispy Lentils
1 baguette
300 grams ricotta cheese
1/2 large lemon, juice and zest
2 TB chopped basil
1 cup cooked lentils
olive oil
salt
pepper
Spread the lentils on a baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.
In a bowl, combine the ricotta, zest of half a lemon, juice of half a lemon and the basil. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut the baguette into slices, drizzle with olive oil and toast.
Add a spoonful of the mixture on the toasted bread and top with the crunchy lentils. Enjoy!
accordion potatoes
In my special delivery from The Little Potato Company, I received a package of cute little fingerling potatoes. I thought these would go great with our Turducken dinner and was the perfect time to try accordion or hasselback potatoes.
I sliced each potato, stopping before I reached the bottom. I then drizzled the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkled some salt and pepper. They cooked for about half an hour on 350 degrees. When they were done, I pulled them out of the oven and drizzled on some more oil and sprinkled them with Parmesan cheese. A handful of green onions provided a nice crunch and contrast and cilantro made the finishing touch.
These were so tasty! They had a nice crisp outside but the centers remained soft and creamy. I’ll definitely be making these again!