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Archive for the category “cheese”

11 Mar 2015

Vegetable Cheese Soup

The other day for lunch Big D wanted cheese soup and Little B wanted vegetable soup. We rarely find a canned soup to our liking, much less wheat free, so if we want it we make it. The good thing is we keep a fridge full of cheese and vegetables. The bad news is I did not feel like being a short order cook, so I came up with a one pot wonder. Seeing that there were about three spoonfuls of leftovers, I think they did not mind the merger I came up with. While the sky outside was spitting a mix of rain and snow we filled our bellies with simple warm goodness from scratch. The beer kept us warm too!

Vegetable Cheese Soup

14.5 ounces beef broth
1 cup beer (I used red ale)
2 cups finely chopped broccoli
1 cup finely chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 plum tomato, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups grated mix of cheddar, Monterrey and mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot over medium high heat add the broth and beer. When it is starting to boil add the broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, tomato, garlic and onion. Cook for about five minutes, until the vegetables start to soften and soup is hot. Add 1/2 cup of cheese, stirring until combined and the soup is hot again (after it got cooled off from adding the cheese). Continue adding and stirring in cheese 1/2 cup at a time and reheating soup in between until it is all incorporated. Add cream and stir to combine. Cover and let simmer on low for about ten minutes. Serve.

Posted in cauliflower, cheese, Douglas Kitchen, garlic, onion, soup, tomato, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment

02 Mar 2015

Mustard Parmesean Wings

I have a love and loathing relationship with my kitchen. It has nothing to do with whether or not I enjoy cooking, it is just that I don’t always want to cook. What is worse, I think Big D is very similar. There is not always the desire to do, but there is often the desire to eat. Since we rarely bring home prepared or processed foods, there is a constant need to make food with the wonderful ingredients we bring into our home. In finding a balance between needing to eat and wanting to cook I have come up with numerous recipes that don’t take much prep time. One such recipe is my recently shared Bacon Muffins – five minutes to prepare, then the oven does the rest of the work. Here is a more dinner focused quick pick that comes in handy, especially for my wing loving self and Little B – Big D will eat them, but so very much prefers beef! The great part about this recipe is that it completely comes from our freezer and pantry, of staples we always have around. No excuses for not eating well if your pantry is stocked!

Mustard Parmesean Wings

2 – 3 pounds wing pieces, frozen or thawed
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp ground garlic powder
1 tsp ground onion powder
2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line shallow aluminum baking sheet(s) with aluminum foil. In large bowl combine all ingredients except chicken. Stir to combine. Add chicken and stir until chicken is coated (either with a wooden spoon or hands). Place chicken in one layer on baking sheet. If the chicken is frozen the coating may not stick as well, so you may need to spread it on chicken after placing pieces on baking sheets. Place in oven and back for 45 – 60 minutes, until juices running from chicken are clear. Remove from oven and let sit for five minutes before serving. May be dipped in the sauce/dressing of your choice, but are wonderful without.

Posted in baked, cheese, chicken, Douglas Kitchen, garlic, lime, onion, wheat free | Leave a Comment

21 Feb 2015

Bacon Muffins

These eggs were so good Big D inhaled three, then went to stare at the leftovers, wishing he had belly room to eat more. I know the ingredients are the traditional stuff you may find in a breakfast, only the convenience of having it all together in a little ball makes them taste oh so much better! Depending on my mood I may add garlic powder, parsley, chili powder….whatever is sprinkled on top mixes nicely with the egg and cheese to give them even more character. They also travel well, for those mornings when we run late and breakfast is in the car! If you like crispy bacon line the cups with the meaty side up (the pictured egg in the foreground). If you like softer bacon line the cups with fat edge up (eggs in the background). Another nice thing about these eggs is breakfast prep time drops exponentially. A typical bacon and eggs breakfast requires me to stand over crackling bacon and gently fondling eggs for 20 minutes or so, while sometimes taking special orders for soft bacon or easy over eggs. With this dish I did five minutes of prep then sat down and read some Harry Potter to Little B until the oven timer went off. Always looking for more cuddle time! And she insisted they be called Bacon Muffins when I started suggesting other names. Sometimes it is wise not to argue.

Bacon Muffins

2 Tbsp butter, cut into 12 pieces
12 slices bacon
12 eggs
1 cup shredded cheese
Sea salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a muffin tin that holds twelve muffins, line each cup with a piece of bacon. For crispier bacon stand the meaty side up in the pan; for less crispy bacon stand the bacon fat side up. Drop a piece of butter in the bottom. Crack an egg into each cup. Sprinkle salt and pepper (or other seasonings to your liking) on top of the egg. Sprinkle cheese equally among the twelve cups. Bake 18 minutes for soft, and up to 21 minutes for firm eggs. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes to cool, then serve.

Posted in baked, cheese, Douglas Kitchen, eggs, wheat free | Leave a Comment

16 Feb 2015

King Cheesecake

In past years I have created a myriad of different King Cake-themed treats. This year I almost passed up creating a new treat, but then Big D opened his mouth. I do admit that most times when he does that the result is positive. Other times, not so much. This time when he got a look on his face and was about to talk I held my breath. Really? We don’t have enough possibilties to choose from? Really?! Well, after he finished sharing his idea (aka closed his mouth) I was sold. Really, we don’t have enough. More more more! This here treat is a wonderful combination of past creations – the limey cheesecake, the Unholy King Cake and King Cakelettes. I officially say, Big D, here and now, you were right…this time. The cheesecake is, as always, extremely creamy and satisfying. The crumbly, nutty topping reminds me of the spicy middle of a traditional King Cake, and the colored frosting provides for the traditional colors of Mardi Gras – green, gold and purple. I do wish the colored frosting was more vibrant in the picture, for I had to make a choice while waging a gentle battle. Today, being a gymnastics workshop day, Little B ran and flipped and tumbled pretty much nonstop for four hours. This means that her temperament, and mine, were at a bare minimum. After promising her for days she could help with this treat I could not refuse her here at the end. There was no margin for adjusting color or hue when mixing the three little bowls, so what you see is our wondrous treat with a pastel version of our dream. The good thing is she helped and looks forward to ending our feast tomorrow with a big slice. The bad thing is the decor is about four shades darker than planned. A small price to pay for some fun time with my little chef! Laissez les bon temps rouler!!!!! I hope you all have a wonder Fat Tuesday celebration tomorrow and are properly somber (whether from absinthe or faith or both) on Wednesday!

King Cheesecake

Crust
2 cups finely ground almond flour
2 Tbsp coconut flour
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp Stevita granulated sweetener
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 ground ginger
1 egg white, whisked (save yolk for filling)

Filling
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
2 large eggs and 1 egg yolk, room temperature
3 Tbsp butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1/3 cup Stevita, granular sweetener
2 large limes, zested and juice separated from meat (use less for milder lime tang)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping
1/2 cup raw pecans
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp Stevita granulated sweetener
1/4 cup butter, melted
Dash sea salt

Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 ounces butter, room temperature
1 Tbsp Stevita
Food coloring (green, yellow, purple – made with one part blue and three parts red)

Make the Topping. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread raw walnuts and pecans in one layer on a shallow, metal baking sheet. Place in oven for about five to eight minutes, until they begin to darken. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool. In a microwavable bowl add the butter. Melt on medium power, checking every 30 seconds, until completely melted. In food processor grind toasted nuts until they are a consistency of a rough meal. Add to the butter the ground nuts, cinnamon, Stevita and salt. Stir until well combined. Set aside.

Make the Cake. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In 9″ pie dish cut a round of parchment paper that fits the bottom of the dish. In medium bowl stir together all dry crust ingredients. Add the butter and stir until the ingredients clump. Add the egg white mix until well combined. Crust will still be crumbly. Press crust into dish until bottom and sides are covered.For the filling add to a large bowl the cream cheese and sour cream. Whisk together until completely smooth. Add butter and stir again until smooth. Add eggs and yolk, stirring to incorporate and until smooth. Add sweetener, lime zest, lime juice and vanilla. Beat until well combined and smooth (see a pattern?). Pour filling into crust and gently smooth surface. Place cheesecake in oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until filling sets. Remove cake from oven and sprinkle topping on top – either evenly over the the entire top of the cheesecake, or Just along the edges, leaving a 2″ diameter space the middle uncovered, like the hole in the middle of a traditional King Cake. Return cake to oven for 10 more minutes. Turn off heat without opening oven door. Leave cake in the oven until mostly cooled, about two hours.

Make Frosting and Decorate. Whisk together cream cheese, butter and sweetener until well combined and smooth. Divide mixture into three separate bowls. Using green, yellow and purple food coloring, color the mixture in the different bowls until the desired tint is achieved. Using a spoon for each color drizzle the frosting over the top of the cheesecake – if you left the middle of the cheesecake clear of topping, I suggest you continue the theme of leaving the middle plain and drizzle the frosting over the portions with the topping. If the frosting is too firm to spread randomly you have two choices: 1) scoop frosting onto the bottom of a spoon and run it over the top of the cake, allowing it to catch on the pieces of topping, or 2) heat the frosting in the microwave at half power for 15-30 seconds until it is runny, then drizzle it over the top of the cake. If the topping was spread over the top of the entire cheesecake, then use any pattern you choose to apply the frosting.

Chill finished cheesecake at least one hour before serving.

Posted in baked, cheese, cinnamon, coconut flour, Douglas Kitchen, eggs, lime, nuts, wheat free | Leave a Comment

11 Feb 2015

Fennel and Olives

I was at a loss for words. The frondy green topped vegetables with the fat white bases? What the heck are they called? Why can’t I remember? I rushed to the store after work to begin the hunt. Yes, I could look it up online and get an immediate answer, but was enjoying the wonder and the wait. After getting to the store my eyes were hungrily searching the mass of green in the produce department. There they were! And they were actually labeled! Ahhh. Satisfaction – fennel! My mind was sated and my mouth was watering. We were making some crispy oven chicken for dinner and could do with a strong side dish. The fennel, with it’s hint of anise I thought would go well with some tapenade and cheese. The more subtle taste of the chicken went well with the powerful fennel with briny olives.

Fennel and Olives

2 large fennel
2 Tbsp avocado oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup tapenade
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese

Remove green stalks from fennel bulbs. Slice bulbs in a large julienne. In a medium sauté pan over medium high heat add the oil. When oil is hot add the fennel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss every two minutes until fennel is browned and softening. Add tapenade and cheese, stirring until it coats the fennel. Cover pan and lower heat to medium. Cook for another five minutes, until preferred tenderness. Remove from pan and serve immediately.

Posted in cheese, Douglas Kitchen, side dish, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment

14 Jan 2015

Parmesean Crisps

Dinner the other night was some leftover steak. Wonderful stuff, but looking kind of lonely sitting by itself on the plate. I was hard pressed to be inspired by the veggies in the fridge for accompanying the lovely steak. I made some awesome cheddar cheese crisps a while back, and there was parmesean sitting next to the sad veggies. Let’s make some with parmesean! They were quick, fun and brightened up a dinner made up otherwise of leftovers. Little B and I even took some off the baking sheet early and laid them over some spoon handles. When they cooled they looked like little bitty taco shells. Molding the cheddar cheese version did not work as well when I tried, because the parmesean cheese is a drier cheese and cooperated much better. I can’t describe how spiffy they tasted when a slice of steak was nestled in one. Our leftover dinner became a little steak and cheese party. We even finished it off with some of our homemade sugar free ice cream sundaes – party dessert! One warning: I did a few crisps on a baking sheet without parchment paper and they seemed to want to become a permanent fixture of the pan, so I strongly recommend the parchment!

Parmesean Crisps

Grated parmesean cheese
Sea salt
Garlic powder or cayenne pepper powder ( if you like a kick)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line shallow baking sheets with parchment paper. Measure a heaping tablespoon of cheese and drop it onto the paper. Use your finger to spread out the cheese into a round shape of even thickness. Sprinkle lightly with salt and garlic powder or cayenne pepper powder. Leave about an inch between rounds for possible spreading. Bake for about five minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Remove pan from oven. Crisps can be removed from paper after about a ,minute with a spatula. If you want to shape them for fancy serving, do so immediately with the back of a spoon, thick handle of a ladle or press them on the bottom of a muffin pan to make them more like little bowls.

Posted in baked, cheese, Douglas Kitchen, garlic | Leave a Comment

06 Dec 2014

Mediterranean Meatloaf

I have shared a couple different meatloaf recipes with you in the past, like the spicy one and the veggie one, but never one wrapped in bacon! This one has a bit of a Greek twist, like my recent foray into stuffed mushrooms. I would blame other things, but the extreme moistness of this loaf I attribute to the bacon. It is great for the loaf protection. As with many baked meals, it tastes great the day it is made, but after sitting in the fridge and reheating, it is even better! I may even get all crazy next time I make this and serve a little tzatziki on the side!

Mediterranean Meatloaf

1 1/2 – 2 pounds ground beef

2 eggs

2 cups crumbled feta cheese

1 cup chopped raw spinach

1 cup chopped kalamata olives

1 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts

1 cup finely chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp sea salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

8-10 slices bacon, uncooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl place the ground beef, making a lower section in the beef. Add the eggs, cheese, spinach, olives, artichoke hearts, onion, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. Using your hands, break up egg yolks and squish other bowl contents together with meat until well combined. Press meat mixture evenly into 9×9 inch baking dish or large loaf pan. Arrange bacon slices on top of the meat in a criss cross pattern, tucking the ends around the sides of the meat. Gently press down on the loaf to avoid any uneven shaping resulting from tucking the bacon. Bake in oven for one hour. Remove and let sit for about ten minutes before removing to serving dish, then serve.

Posted in baked, beef, cheese, eggs, Mom's Kitchen, onion, parsley, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment

08 Oct 2014

Cheesy Burger Bombs

Hamburgers are heavily relied on in this household. And I use the word household loosely, for reliance includes those times when we eat in restaurants. At most places a hamburger can be ordered without a bun and with a salad instead of fries. It makes for a satisfying meal and keeps us safe from wheaty pasta and breaded concoctions on menus. Recently on a weekday evening I was standing in the kitchen, staring at a bag of ground beef, ready to be made into our dinner. Regular burgers with cheese melted on top was about to be made. As I reached into the fridge for cheese, I spotted little ever-present cheese wheel snacks in the cheese drawer. Little B loves to unwrap them, peel off the wax and throw the whole wheel into her mouth. She then slowly chews it up while looking like a chipmunk. The leftover wax serves as a mommy-eating monster lots of times, reminding me of the Pac Man games of my youth. I figured, why put the cheese on top of the burgers when it can be inside?! I have put filling inside of burgers in the past, but never such big cheese bombs! I am up for trying, are you?

Cheesy Burger Bombs

1 – 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 egg
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 Tbsp ground turmeric
4 – 6 Baby Bel cheese snack wheels
1/4 cup bacon grease or other high heat fat

Sauce

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp ground turmeric
1 Tbsp dried oregano leaves
1 Tbsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

First make the sauce. In medium pot combine tomatoes, tomato paste and spices. Stir and cook over medium heat until steam rises. Cover and turn heat down to simmer until ready to serve. While sauce is cooking prepare the burgers. Remove plastic and wax wrapping from cheese wheels, then set cheese aside. In large bowl combine the ground beef, egg and spices. The best way to combine it all is using your hands, but because of the turmeric they may turn yellow. Divide the beef mixture into 1/4 pound piles. Take a pile in your hand and flatten it into a patty. Place a cheese wheel in the middle of the patty and wrap the edges of the patty over the cheese. Close up the edges to completely cover the cheese. Repeat making patties until all the beef is used up. In a frying pan heat the bacon grease over medium high heat. Place burgers in pan and cook on one side for about five minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. Flip burgers, turn heat down to medium and cover. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, until burgers are done to your liking. Serve immediately over a bed of the sauce spread on a serving plate.

Posted in beef, cheese, Douglas Kitchen, onion | Leave a Comment

24 Sep 2014

2 Comments

Chocolate Cheesecake

So the cheesecake saga continues. Our young friend Skinny D has been visiting with us on his first trip to Alaska. When I was making the limey cheesecake for Big D he got a similar ‘happy face like a kid with a new bike’ look as he requested a chocolate cheesecake. Of course I could not say no, and was curious how it would turn out, considering the smooth success from the first cheesecake attempt. I do wish to provide full disclosure here – I have made cheesecake before – it was a pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust. It was lovely and carby and wheaty. A healthier version may be in my future this fall, for I really liked the pumkiny goodness. Back to the here and now. This cheesecake was smooth like the last one, and Skinny D was very happy. So was Big D and Little B (although for some reason Little B did not like the crust). One piece of advice on cheesecake making – this cheesecake was smooth, but as you can see in the picture, there are little speckles. It is my fault. I did not ensure that the cream cheese was soft enough, nor did I take the time to do extra mixing, so little bitty pieces of cream cheese did not get thoroughly combined. Did not seem to have a negative impact on texture or flavor though. I bet I will take the time to do it right next time!

Crust
2 cups finely ground almond flour
2 Tbsp coconut flour
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp Stevita granulated sweetener
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg white, lightly whisked

Filling
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1 egg yolk (retained from crust ingredients)
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup Stevita, granular sweetener
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In 9″ pie dish cut a round of parchment paper that fits the bottom of the dish. In medium bowl stir together all dry crust ingredients. Add the butter and stir until the ingredients clump. Add the egg white, mix until well combined. Crust will still be crumbly. Press crust into dish until bottom and sides are covered. Filling: in large bowl combine cream cheese and sour cream. Melt chocolate in the microwave proof bowl – heat and stir in 10 second increments until chocolate is melted and smooth. Add chocolate to cream cheese and sour cream mixture. Whisk together until completely smooth. Add butter and stir again until smooth. Add eggs and yolk, stir to incorporate and until smooth. Add sweetener and vanilla. Beat until well combined and smooth. Pour filling into crust and gently smooth surface. Place in oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until filling sets. Turn off heat without opening oven door. Leave cake in oven until oven and cake are completely cooled, about two hours. Remove from oven and chill for at least an hour. Serve plain or with fresh berries.

Posted in baked, cheese, chocolate, cinnamon, Douglas Kitchen, eggs, nuts, wheat free

20 Sep 2014

Limey Cheesecake

Of all the desserts in all the homes and restaurants and coffee shops I have visited, I am likely to pick cheesecake last. I actually like smooth, flavorful cheesecake, but I have found over time that I am picky and end up finding them icky. I tend not to pick it as my treat of choice because it is easy to make icky cheesecake. For me icky has a specific definition when it comes to cheesecake – that slightly rough, bumpy texture that tastes like something vague, usually plastic or paper, and is far from convincing me to think, ‘hmm, I like this’. Enter Big D. He loooooves cheesecake. I actually have not discussed the ‘icky’ version I tend to experience, but he got a sad little look the other day when we saw some cheesecake in the dessert display of a restaurant. ‘Can you make some?’ he asks hopefully. I say ‘yes, of course’, and his face lights up like a kid with a new bike. Don’t even ask me how many bikes he owns; needless to say, I have seen the look on him plenty of times before. Here is my attempt at cheesecake, with no wheat or sugar. I think it turned out pretty smooth and flavorful. No ‘icky’ factor for me this time! I would really disappoint myself if I contributed an icky cheesecake. There is enough of it in the world. And based on Big D’s reaction to eating it, I scored big on getting a repeat of the new bike face.

Limey Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In 9″ pie dish cut a round of parchment paper that fits the bottom of the dish. In medium bowl stir together all dry crust ingredients. Add the butter and stir until the ingredients clump. Add the egg white mix until well combined. Crust will still be crumbly. Press crust into dish until bottom and sides are covered. Filling: in large bowl combine cream cheese and sour cream. Whisk together until completely smooth. Add butter and stir again until smooth. Add eggs and yolk, stir to incorporate and until smooth. Add sweetener, lime zest, lime juice and vanilla. Beat until well combined and smooth (see a pattern?). Pour filling into crust and gently smooth surface. Place in oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until filling sets. Turn off heat without opening oven door. Leave cake in oven until oven and cake are completely cooled, about two hours. Remove from oven and chill for at least an hour. Serve plain or with fresh berries.

Posted in baked, cheese, Douglas Kitchen, eggs, lime, nuts, Uncategorized, wheat free | Leave a Comment

Any Kitchen Will Do

Give me a kitchen and I will cook.

Archive for the category “cheese”

Vegetable Cheese Soup

Mustard Parmesean Wings

Bacon Muffins

King Cheesecake

Fennel and Olives

Parmesean Crisps

Mediterranean Meatloaf

Cheesy Burger Bombs

Chocolate Cheesecake

Limey Cheesecake

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