Tag Archives: Cheese

Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Posted on September 17, 2012 | 2 Comments

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It’s been quite the whirlwind around here at Foodie Central! School, sports, Scouts and pure craziness hasn’t left a lot of time for cooking, much less blogging!

This sandwich is for Mr. Foodie. He’s a jalapeño popper junkie and I thought this would be right up his alley. This was a yummy sandwich and we both enjoyed it. I made this both with fresh diced jalapeños and with the canned roasted diced jalapeños. Our personal take was that the canned was much better and gave a more authentic popper taste. The fresh diced did not work well for us. I do believe if you took the time to roast your own fresh ones, that would be the best bet though, so if you have the time, definitely go that route!

The ingredient list is general, do as you see fit for with the amounts per your personal taste!

JALAPEÑO POPPER GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

Ingredients:

-Sliced French Bread
-Butter
-Cream Cheese
-Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
-Canned Roasted Dice Jalapeños

Directions:

1. Butter one side of each slice of bread, and spread cream cheese on the other side.

2. Place butter side down on a non-stick pan over medium heat.

3. Spread a bit of the jalapeños on one slice of bread and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

4. Continue to cook until cheddar cheese melts and then top it with the other slice, cream cheese side down.

5. Once the outside of the bread is crisp and browned to your liking, you are ready to eat!

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Grilled Grilled Cheese

Posted on October 7, 2011 | 3 Comments

Fall is here and grilling season is coming to an end.  So, I thought I’d squeeze in just one more grill recipe before we head toward all things pumpkin and soup!  A friend hit the tomato jackpot in her garden and I got to inherit a whole lotta tomatoes!  We were grilling so I decided to do a little open face grilled cheese appetizer for us to chomp on while the meat cooked.  They are kind of funny looking but, they were tasty!

GRILLED GRILLED CHEESE

Ingredients:

16 Cherry Tomatoes, halved

4 Ciabatta Rolls, halved

8 Slices Havarti Cheese

1-2 Fresh Garlic Cloves

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1.  Fire up the grill and get those coals ready to cook!

2.  Scrape each piece of bread with the garlic clove and sprinkle with salt and pepper for flavoring.

3.  Brush top side of bread with olive oil and place top side down on the grill for a few minutes to brown and get some nice grill marks going.

4.  Flip bread pieces over and top with tomato halves (about 4 on each piece depending on the size of your tomatoes.)

5.  Top tomatoes with a slice of cheese.

6.  Heat until cheese is melted to your liking.

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Elote

Posted on September 3, 2011 | Leave a comment

Elote is a Mexican street food – basically corn on the cob.  You may see it frequently being sold in some neighborhoods by people pushing little metal carts.  I really liked having my grilled corn like this, it gave it a nice creamy flavor with a little punch.  (Mr. Foodie said it was a little too creamy for his taste.)    It would be a little bit rich to have your corn this way all the time, but it was a nice addition to our little weekend BBQ feast.

ELOTE

Ingredients:

4 Ears of corn, still in husks but silk removed

1/4 Cup Melted Butter

1/4 Cup Mayonaise

Juice of 1/2 Lime

Crumbled Cotija Cheese

Hot Mexican Chile Powder

Lime Wedges

Directions:

1.  Grill corn in husks about 15-20 minutes, turning at least once during cooking time.

2.  While corn is grilling, mix melted butter, mayonaise and lime juice until well blended.

3.  Remove corn from grill, remove or pull back husks and spread butter mixture onto corn.

4.  Sprinkle with desired amount of chile powder and cotija cheese before serving with lime wedges.

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Mexi-Dog

Posted on July 11, 2011 | 2 Comments

With the summer upon us and everyone out there grillin’ and chillin’, I’ve noticed a lot of hoopla surrounding hot dogs.  I subscribe to a good amount of foodie magazines and hot dogs seem like a big summer topic.  Not just what brand of hot dog is the best but what kind of toppings to put on your dog.  I have to admit, the first time I saw all the topics on a Chicago style hot dog, I was repulsed.  There was just too much going on for me.  But that was years ago and I’ve gotten more adventurous with my hot dogs since then!  Mr. Foodie and I decided to fire up the grill for lunch and do hot dogs.  He chose to go with a BBQ Bacon Cheese Dog, which is topped with exactly what it sounds like – bacon, bbq sauce and cheese.  I decided to get my creative juices flowing and came up with this Mexi-Dog.  I actually enjoyed it a lot.  It was definitely a step in a more interesting direction than my usual hot dog, which usually has some ketchup on it…maybe.

MEXI-DOG

Ingredients:

Your favorite type of hot dog, grilled

Bun (I suppose you could go really Mexican and use a tortilla but I didn’t.)

Toppings:

Avocado, diced

Onion, diced

Bacon Pieces

Jalapenos (seeded), grilled then diced

Mexican Crema

Cotija Cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1.  Place hot dog in bun (or tortilla) and top with as much or as little of the topping ingredients as you like.

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Gnudi

Posted on July 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

I had seen this recipe floating around several blogs recently but had never heard of it, or eaten it.  Gnudi, is basically a naked ravioli.  A dumpling of traditional ricotta/spinach filling served in a marinara sauce.  I used this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis.  I was puzzled at how the dumplings would stay together so I thought it best to follow the recipe as-is before I started making my own changes.  I recommend this recipe – it’s easy and tasty.  It’s also good if you are watching your carbs a bit.  Two things I think that are very important to this recipe are 1)  make sure your dumplings are well coated in the flour and 2)  use a low, rolling boil as a fast one will destroy the dumplings.  Happy Eating!

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Ricotta Gnocchi with Avocado Cream Sauce

Posted on June 7, 2011 | 1 Comment

I was lucky enough to be chosen to participate in Foodbuzz’ Tastemaker program for California Avocados.  We love avocados here in the Foodie household.  Foodie Jr. has loved them since he was a baby and they still serve as a go-to food for him.  Baby Foodie’s very first ‘real’ meal was a fresh avocado, which he just devoured!  I was very excited when my box of beautiful California Avocados arrived.  They were absolutely perfect – beautiful and perfectly ripe!

Like many people, we use avocados primarily for guacamole, in salads and on sandwiches, or we simply just eat them plain.  I have never really ventured into cooking them as part of a hot dish before so I definitely wanted to take the challenge.  I came up with this recipe.  Both Mr. Foodie and I enjoyed it. It was really rich and filling but I do think that gnocchi was the perfect fit for this type of cream sauce.   (If you don’t want to go through the step of making gnocchi, a store bought version would be fine to use as well.)

If you have not tried an avocado, I definitely urge you to get some California Avocados!  Not only are they delicious but they are good for you too.  They pack a heavy punch of Vitamin E and are a good source of potassium.  Get yours today and enjoy!

RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Ingredients:

16 oz. container Ricotta cheese, well drained

3 eggs

¼ Tsp salt

1 TBS Butter

1-2 TBS Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Flour for coating

Directions:

1.  Beat all ingredients together in a medium bowl, I usually use a hand mixture to get it blended really well.

2.  Scoop dough by tablespoon and form into small dumpling, coat lightly in flour.

3.  Drop in boiling water, they should sink to the bottom and are done when they float to the top.

AVOCADO CREAM SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 California Avocado, seeded and skinned

1 cup heavy cream

1 anaheim pepper, minced

1 tbs garlic paste

1 tbs fresh basil

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 TBS White wine vinegar

¼ tsp paprika

water

1/8 to 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, per your taste

Directions:

1.  Put  avocado meat, ¾ cup cream and all other ingredients except parmesan into a blend and blend until smooth.  This may be a bit thick so thin a bit with water to get a thinner consistency.

2.  Transfer mixture to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring in remaining heavy cream and parmesan cheese.  Heat through.  Serve over gnocchi.

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Baked Red Pepper Eggs

Posted on March 10, 2011 | 1 Comment

I needed to bring a hot dish to a gathering recently and was in a pinch for time.  No time to run to the store, so I had to make due with what I had on hand.  This was really easy and came out tasty.  Great way to use up my extra eggs before they expired too!  (Darn those buy one get one free 18 pack sales!)  You could easily use the base ingredients for this and add anything – a different vegetable, a breakfast meat, change the spices..  Very versatile!

BAKED RED PEPPER EGGS

Ingredients:

1 Dozen Large Eggs

1 Large Red Bell Pepper (or 2 small), seeded and diced

1 Can of Evaporated Milk (Small, 15 0z.)

1 Tsp Salt (you can alter to your taste)

1 Tsp Brown Mustard

1 Tsp Black Pepper (you can alter to your taste)

1 TBS Dried Parsley

1 1/2 Cup Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Directions:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees and spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, evaporated mil, salt, pepper and mustard.  Stir in red peppers.

3.  Spread cheese to cover the bottom of the baking dish.

4.  Pour egg mixture over the cheese and then sprinkle with parsley.

5.  Bake about 45-50 minutes until eggs are set (ovens will vary.)

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Caramelized Onion Bruschetta

Posted on March 4, 2011 | Leave a comment
I was going to make a traditional bruschetta as an appetizer for a recent baby shower and then remembered this caramelized onion (not recognizable as onions, more of a paste,) tomato and feta focaccia dish that Mr. Foodie and I used to order at Fuzio.  I had originally planned to try to re-create that dish but then came across an old Betty Crocker recipe for these.  I adapted the recipe a bit for my needs and what I found in the grocery store and the results were GREAT.  I really enjoyed this appetizer and Mr. Foodie, who hates onions, even liked them.  If you are ever in a pinch and need to bring an appetizer to a party, this is a really easy one that is also delicious.
CARAMELIZED ONION BRUSCHETTA
Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Butter

2 Large Sweet Onions, peeled and diced small

1/4 Cup Sugar

3 TBS Balsamic Vinegar

1 Package Garlic and Herb Crostini

1 8 oz. Tub Onion and Chive Cream Cheese

Directions:

1.  Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat.

2.  Add onions to skillet and cook about 5 minutes, until softened.  Stir frequently.

3.  Stir in sugar and balsamic vinegar and continue to cook until the onions are very soft and browned, 10-15 minutes.

4.  Allow onion mixture to cool about ten minutes.

5.  Spread cream cheese on crostini and top with a bit of the caramelized onion mixture.

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Yogurt Cheese

Posted on February 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

This is sort of a non-recipe, really.  I started making my own yogurt a while ago because I am a little turned off by the amount of sugar in a small cup of store-bought yogurt, even the ‘light’ ones contain way too much sugar.  To make my yogurt, I use a bit of plain, store-bought yogurt as a starter which leaves me with a whole bunch leftover – especially when the grocery store only has a quart of the plain stuff available!  Yogurt cheese is basically strained yogurt.  The straining process yields very creamy ‘curds’.  I use yogurt cheese in many recipes, including this one, as well as eat it plain with granola a la Greek yogurt.  It’s a good replacement for sour cream or even cream cheese.  This ‘recipe’ is nothing earth shattering but for those of you who have never done it, I recommend it.

YOGURT CHEESE

Ingredients:

1 Quart Plain Yogurt

Cheesecloth (while not an ingredient, you’ll still need some!)

Directions:

1.  Line a colander with cheesecloth.

2.  Put yogurt in lined colander.

3.  You can either place the colander in the sink and let it sit overnight to drain OR place the colander in a larger bowl and let it drain overnight in the refrigerator.

4.  Once all the liquid is drained out, you will have your yogurt cheese to use any way you wish.  A quart of yogurt yields just over a cup of yogurt cheese, in my experience.

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