Lace Cookies ½ cup butter ½ cup sugar ½ cup flour 2 Tbsp. cream ½ cup ground filberts pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease cookie sheets and set aside. Combine butter, sugar, flour, and cream in heavy saucepan. Add filberts. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until butter melts and small bubbles appear around the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and stir well. Drop rounded teaspoons of butter approximately 6" apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake about 6 minutes or until cookies are deep golden brown at the edges. Let cookies stand on cookie sheets for 2 minutes, then remove with spatula to wire cooling rack. You may also at this time drape cookies over a wooden spoon balanced between 2 cans of the same height, or wrap around wooden dowel. If you wish, dip the edges of cookies into melted chocolate of your choice.
Cheesy Potato Soup 1 cup onion, chopped ½ tsp. cumin 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 cans (16-ounce) chicken broth 5 cups baking potatoes, peeled, diced ½ tsp salt ½ cup flour 2 ½ cups milk 1 cup Jalapeno Cheddar cheese, shredded ½ cup Cheddar cheese, shredded 10 green onions, diced
Sauté onion, cumin and garlic in olive oil in large sauce pan until golden brown. Stir in broth, potatoes and salt; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes (until potatoes are tender.) Combine flour and milk with whisk, add to pan slowly. Cook on medium heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add cheeses. Stir until melted. Serve in bowls with parsley and croutons as garnish. (10 one-cup servings)
Cheese Steak with Red Potatoes 1 ¼ lbs. red-skinned potatoes 4 rib eye steaks, about 6 oz. each Salt & pepper 4 slices pepper jack cheese 2 Tbsp. olive oil
Wash the potatoes and cut into wedges and cook in salted water for about 20 mintues. Meanwhile season the steak with salt and pepper and place on a hot grill for 4-5 minutes each side for medium rare. Top each steak with a slice of pepper jack cheese and cook just until melted. Toss potatoes with 1-2 tbsp. olive oil and parsley. Serve steak with potatoes and garlic toast. (Serves 4)
Giant Popovers 6 eggs 2 cups milk 6 Tbsp. butter, melted 2 cups flour 1 tsp. salt
Preheat over to 375 F. Grease 8 deep 7- ounce pottery custard cups. Set greased cups in jelly-roll pan for easier handling. In large bowl, at low speed, beat eggs until frothy, beat in milk and butter. At low speed beat flour and salt into egg mixture. Pour about ¾ cup of batter into each cup. Bake 1 hour, make slit in each to let out steam, bake 10 minutes more. Immediately remove from cups and serve with butter curls or butter balls.
Ham and Cheese Tart 4 oz. low-fat cream cheese 8 oz. wheat flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 stick of cold butter Salt 3 ¼ oz. whipped cream 1 ½ oz. crème fraiche 2 oz. Mozzarella cheese, grated 2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated 2 oz. Cheddar cheese, grated 2 eggs Salt Freshly ground pepper 1 tsp. mustard 1 tsp. grated lemon rind 4 slices smoked ham 4 tart tins ( 4 3/4")
Mix the flour with the baking powder, the butter (cut up into small pieces), 1 pinch salt and the cream cheese. Knead quickly into a smooth dough, then cover and chill for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the filling by whisking the cream with the crème fraiche, the cheeses, and the eggs. Season with salt, pepper, mustard and lemon rind. Roll the dough out thinly on a floured work surface and cut out 4 circles to fit the tart tins. Line the tins with pastry, forming a raised rim at the edges. Pour the cheese mixture into the tins and top each with a slice of ham. Bake for about 30 minutes. (Serves 4)
Olive Bread Topped with Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes 1 olive flatbread 6 ½ oz. cream cheese (or any soft spreadable cheese) 6 ½ oz. of red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes ½ bunch chives Salt Freshly ground white pepper
Slice the olive bread. Wash and half the tomatoes. Wash the chives and shake dry then snip with scissors. Spread the bread with the cheese. Top with tomato halves and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with snipped chives. (Serves 4)
Berry Milkshake 6 ½ oz strawberries 3 ¼ oz. raspberries 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring 10 peppermint leaves 1 ½ oz. low-fat yogurt 2 tsp. grated coconut 2 ¾ cups milk 2 tsp. honey To garnish: 4 sprigs fresh peppermint
Carefully wash the berries and hull the strawberries. Wash the peppermint and shake dry Put the berries in to a blender with the mint, yogurt, grated coconut and vanilla and blend to a puree. Then stir in the milk and honey. Pour the berry milkshake into four glasses and serve garnished with sprigs of mint. (Serves 4)
Red Currant Yogurt Cake with Peanuts 4 Tbsp. peanut butter 2 ½ cups sugar 1 egg ½ cup flour ½ tsp. baking powder 2 Tbsp. milk 8 oz. red currants 1 ½ cups red currant nectar ½ cup corn flour 4 sheets gelatine 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring Juice of an orange 6 ½ oz. soft (fresh) cheese 12 oz. yogurt 2 oz. peanuts, unsalted, chopped To decorate: Several bunches of red currants
Preheat over to 350 F. For the cake base, cream the peanut butter with 1 cup sugar and the egg until light and fluffy. Mix in the flour, baking powder and milk and work to a pliable dough. Line a springform pan (8" diameter) with parchment, press the dough into the pan and bake for about 20 minutes. Wash the red currants, strip off the stalks and put into a pan with the red currant nectar and ½ cup sugar. Bring to a boil. Thicken with corn flour and leave to cool. place a cake ring around the cooled cake base and spread the red currants on top of the cake. Soak the gelatine in water. Mix vanilla with the orange juice. Put the juice into a pan with the rest of the sugar and heat. Squeeze out the gelatine and dissolve in the orange juice. Mix together the soft cheese and yogurt and slowly stir the gelatine into the mixture. Spread smoothly on top on the red currants. Chill the cake for about 4 hours. Then carefully remove the cake ring and sprinkle the sides of the cake with the chopped peanuts. For the decoration, wash the bunches of red currant, roll in sugar and arrange on the cake.
Cheese and Apple Salad 5 oz. Edam cheese 5 oz. Mozzarella cheese 5 oz. Gruyere cheese 1 apple 1 small onion 4 small gherkins 4 Tbsp. yogurt 1 Tbsp. cream 1 Tbsp. whit wine vinegar 1 tsp. mustard (medium hot) 1 Tbsp. snipped chives A little sugar Salt Freshly ground pepper
Dice the cheese and gherkins. Peel and dice the onion. Wash, core and dice the apple. For the dressing, mix the yogurt with the cream, vinegar, mustard and chives. Season to taste with sugar, salt and pepper. Mix the cheese, gherkins, onion and apple. Pour the dressing over the salad and leave stand for a while. (Serves 4)
Savory Eggs on Tortillas 4 flour tortillas (7-inch) Vegetable pan spray 1 cup sliced leek or green onions with tops ½ cup (2 oz.) chopped pepperoni 6 eggs 1/3 cup milk 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese Salsa, additional grated Parmesan cheese, thin orange and avocado slices, optional
Warm tortillas according to package directions. Meanwhile, evenly coat 10-inch omelet pan or skillet with pan spray. Over medium heat, cook leek and pepperoni until leek is tender but not brown. Beat together eggs, milk, and 2 Tbsp. cheese until well blended. Pour into pan. As mixture begins to set, gently draw an inverted pancake turner completely across the bottom and sides of pan, forming large, soft curds. Continue until eggs are thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Do not stir constantly. For each serving, top warm tortilla with ¼ of the cooked eggs. Dollop with salsa. Sprinkle with additional cheese and garnish with orange and avocado slices, if desired.
Manicotti with Spinach and Ricotta Filling ¾ lb. spinach 1 clove garlic 3 ¼ oz. Parmesan cheese, grated 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. pine nuts 6 ½ oz. Ricotta cheese 1 egg 16 manicotti or cannelloni 1 small can tomatoes, peeled and chopped 1 small onion 1 Tbsp. butter 1 sprig fresh rosemary Salt Freshly ground pepper
Preheat over to 400 F and grease baking dish. Wash and sort the spinach and wilt in a little boiling, salted water. Drain, refresh in cold water and drain thoroughly. Then squeeze it out with your hands and chop roughly. Peel the garlic. Roast the pine nuts in a frying pan without adding any butter, then chop. Mix the ricotta with the egg and season with salt and pepper. Press the garlic directly onto the mixture, add the chopped pine nuts and the spinach and mix well. Transfer the cheese mixture to a piping bag with a large nozzle and fill the manicotti or cannelloni. Lay in greased baking dish and spread the rest of the cheese mixture over the pasta rolls. Bake for about 35 minutes. Meanwhile make the tomato sauce. Peel the onion and dice very finely. Chop the rosemary. Heat the butter in a pan and sauté the onion. Add the tomatoes and rosemary and simmer over low heat for about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with the manicotti. (Serves 4)
Taco Dip 12 ozs. cream cheese, softened 2/3 cup sour cream 1 tsp. ground cumin 2 tsp. chili powder ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper ½ cup salsa Crisp salad greens 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded ¾ cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded ½ cup tomatoes, chopped 1/3 cup green onions, sliced ¼ cup pitted ripe olives, sliced ¼ cup pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced Tortilla and/or corn chips
Combine cream cheese, sour cream, cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Mix well. Stir in salsa. Line a serving platter with salad greens. Spread dip onto greens. Top with cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, tomatoes, green olives, ripe olives and green onions. Serve with chips.