I wanted this caprese salad to be the kind where one gets a surprise with the first bite and maybe even the second bite – like a surprise in the palate. When I made this feta/mozzarella combination in a caprese salad I was thinking that Feta with its briny tangy fresh flavor would make the perfect accompaniment to the milder fresh mozzarella cheese. The caprese is unexpected in that you don’t know what you are getting when you take a piece – since both fresh feta and fresh mozzarella are the same color and look similar, its hard to tell them apart creating an unexpected flavor surprise when eaten. Continue reading Feta Mozzarella Caprese Salad
Tag Archives: cheese
Parmigiano Reggiano Fettuccini
The twins Anjali and Rani brought back a bunch of Italian goodies from their school trip to Italy recently -Parmigiano reggiano cheese, balsamic vinegar, pasta, and honey infused with balsamic vinegar. The parmigiano reggiano cheese was amazingly delicious 😋 and tasted so good that Hitesh asked me to make a pasta with just the cheese, and I did. Gosh, when food is made with quality ingredients it really doesn’t need much by way of flavor enhancers. I didn’t even add any herbs to this parmesan pasta, just olive oil and garlic with salt and pepper. What is it about pasta that makes one feel so good? Pasta has to be God’s gift to man, the ultimate comfort food. Continue reading Parmigiano Reggiano Fettuccini
Juicy Peach and Super Greens Salad with Fennel and Walnut Oil Dressing
It’s summer and stone fruit season is here! Peaches, apricots, plums, pluots, nectarines and cherries are all so delicious in the summertime; you know summer is here when we see all these fruits piled up high at the farmer’s market. Continue reading Juicy Peach and Super Greens Salad with Fennel and Walnut Oil Dressing
Spinach & Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Feta and Pistachios
Spinach & Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Feta and Pistachios
Ingredients:
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups sugar snap peas cut into halves
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- 2 tbsp crumbled Feta cheese
- 2 tbsp salted roasted pistachios chopped
- Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
Continue reading Spinach & Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Feta and Pistachios
Creamy Corn Soup
Creamy Corn Soup:
makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
- 6 cups corn – fresh or frozen
- 2 cups finely cut carrots
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes – 2 cups
- 4 cloves finely minced garlic
- 5-6 cups vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tbsp cream cheese or goat cheese
- 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
Kale and Shallot Risotto
I had just picked a basket full of fresh kale from my veggie patch and wanted to cook something delicious that same day for dinner. I asked the kids what they were in the mood for – kale pasta? kale paneer curry? or kale risotto? The answer was a unanimous “Kale risotto please!” Kale risotto it was for evening dinner. Continue reading Kale and Shallot Risotto
Creamy Chèvre on Baguette with Fig Jam
Artisanal creamy cheese topped with fig jam on a baguette, it’s a positively decadent combination. This is the easiest appetizer to pull-off with the most luxurious of results. Our friend Shelley brought this delectable cheese appetizer to a holiday party that tasted and looked amazing. Most of the fun in making this appetizer is shopping for the ingredients. Selecting the right creamy cheese, picking up a sweet fig jam, and grabbing an awesome baguette – this is a great opportunity to try something new and have fun with it! Pick a cheese that is spreadable and packed with flavor for this wonderful appetizer. Any type of soft flavorful creamy cheese such as Blue Cheese, Brie, Camembert, Chèvre, or Gorgonzola will work. Continue reading Creamy Chèvre on Baguette with Fig Jam
Artichoke & Jalapeño Cream Cheese Sandwich
I made this artichoke jalapeño cream cheese sandwich for lunch more times than I can count when my eldest daughter Sri was in high school. Once Sri went off to college I stopped making these sandwiches completely, there was no need. Then recently while shopping at Costco I came across a tub of the same artichoke jalapeño spread I used to use in those sandwiches – which was LaTerraFina chunky artichoke and jalapeño dip, and I got a craving for those cream cheese sandwiches I used to make. I picked up a tub of LaTerraFina artichoke and jalapeño dip and all the necessary ingredients for that nostalgic sandwich and made it for lunch recently, they tasted just as delicious as I remember 😋. Continue reading Artichoke & Jalapeño Cream Cheese Sandwich
Mushrooms & Feta Cheese Egg White Frittata
Mushrooms & Feta Cheese Egg White Frittata
makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 6-8 egg whites
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2-3 cups mushrooms finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
- Feta cheese – about 4 tbsp
- Salt and pepper
Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
Rather than have the family binge on some cookies and crackers on a Sunday afternoon I made this roasted cauliflower dish for a late afternoon snack which the entire family devoured 😋. I picked up this recipe watching an old episode of Ina Garten’s show Barefoot Contessa on Food Network channel. The episode was all about vegetable side dishes, and this cauliflower dish caught my attention because it was so easy to make and looked scrumptious. It involves just roasting cauliflower and then melting Parmesan cheese over the florets. How easy is that? The best part of this cauliflower dish is how awesome it tastes!! Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower by Ina Garten. Continue reading Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
