Cheese and Vegetable Tart

I had bought a bag of mixed frozen vegetables for another recipe in this book so decided to try this one next to use them up..

I was making two mini tarts so only made 2oz of shortcrust pastry, and the recipe says 1 packet of veg which is rather a lot going by the packet I’ve bought, so I opted for a large cupful..

I rolled out the pastry and covered each of the tins with just a slight overlap..

I pricked the base lightly with a fork and filled each one with some ceramic baking beans to bake blind, not sure if I need to do both but erring on the side of caution!!

After 15 minutes they were looking lightly golden.

While they had been in the oven I made the white sauce, mixed in the cooked vegetables and most of the cheese, then piled into the pastry cases..

The rest of the cheese was sprinkled on top..

After only about 5-10 minutes under the grill they were nicely browned and bubbling on top..

Thankfully they came out of the tin easily..

I do think my pastry could be a bit neater but I guess the really important thing is how it tastes! Well the pastry is good, really nice and crisp and the filling is great too. It’s perhaps a bit runnier than I thought which could easily be fixed by cooking the white sauce for a few minutes longer. Overall it’s a decent enough tart and I quite happily ate the lot!

Would I make this again? Yes..

Cheese and Rice Souffle

I can’t really see the point in putting rice in a souffle but I suppose it makes it a bit more substantial!

I think for all the other souffle recipes I have made individual ones but for this I decided to make as one big one. I was also very organised with my ingredients and had them all weighed out ready to go…

I just used a regular sized can of tomatoes and that was emptied into the base of the greased dish..

Then I made the white sauce part and was initially thinking it was too much flour to butter but once it had been cooked and the milk added slowly it all worked out fine. First I added the rice..

Then the egg and cheese. I used Red Leicester which I love! I know it’s got colour added and probably not far off a processed cheese but it’s my comfort cheese and I love it!!

Once that’s all mixed together I whisked the egg whites..

The egg whites are slowly folded into the cheesy mix..

The mix is then poured carefully over the tomatoes..

After about 35 minutes in the oven it’s golden brown and well risen..

So this was dinner for the three of us! I think at first it looks quite appetising and does smell good but when I spooned it out into a plate it looked a bit of a sloppy mess!! The top bit of the souffle was a nice fluffy texture but I think the bit sitting just on top of the wet tomatoes was perhaps not cooked enough!

It looked so awful that both my husband and daughter were put right off! They did eat some but did not love it and had to make something else! I did really like it!! It’s cheesy and actually quite light with a slighty weird tomato layer but I enjoyed my portion! The rice in the souffle is also quite weird but pleasant! I think I’ll be the only one having leftovers..

Would I make this again? Possibly, I’d perhaps make individual ones another time..

Pizza with Tomatoes and Cheese

This is another recipe that comes with a photo, and have to say it’s probably one I could do without one!! I didn’t think this recipe could go wrong…

We do quite often make our pizza dough and my daughter does love decorating her own! So I was thinking that this was going to be a very successful recipe! The dough is easy to make, although it is a rather wet dough..

After a bit of kneading it does become nice and smooth..

While that’s left to rise I started on the sauce. It worked out as 5 regular sized tomatoes that were skinned by simmering in boiling water for a few minutes..

Recipe says a small bit of onion so I just cut off about a quarter of an onion and that’s left to cook with the tomatoes and herbs..

While the dough was proving and the sauce cooling I looked out the toppings. I was using Port Salut cheese, which is really soft. Am not sure if it’s essential that you use stuffed olives but I did happen to have some garlic stuffed ones! Then there’s the anchovies! Possibly not a popular topping but I quite like them so they’re going on..

The dough did rise pretty quickly..

So the recipe says to put into a well oiled 8 inch cake tin, which I didn’t think seemed very big! I now know this is where I made a crucial mistake!! I gave the base of the tin a good layer of oil and only gave the sides a quick wipe. Then I pressed the dough into the tin..

Next I drained the tomato sauce and spread that over..

Then the cheese..

Finally the olives and anchovies! I opted not to use the full tin of anchovies as it seemed like a lot for this wee pizza!!

After a 15 minute prove I transferred to the oven. So I checked on this after about 15 minutes and it’s risen massively! I left it for another 15 and kind of hoped it would sink back a touch!!

After 30 minutes it was looking cooked and still pretty puffed up!!

So it was at this point that I realised the error of my ways! Could I get the damn thing out of the tin?? It’s a loose bottom cake tin but I couldn’t push the bottom up without running the risk of tearing the whole pizza. So I had to take a knife down the sides of the tin which wrecked the pizza..

Anyway I now know I should’ve well oiled the sides as well!! The recipe says this is very filling and enough for 4-6, but we were having this between the three of us. It is very soft and is more like a bread than a pizza. In fact I think this is the perfect example of a pizza pie!!

So how did it taste? It was good! It is very soft and all the toppings are good. I liked the anchovies but think I was the only one! The tomato sauce is really good but I think a bit more cheese is required!!

Would I make this again? Yes but I’d put it in a 9 inch tin at least and oil the sides..

Fluffy Cheese Flan

I made these the other day for dinner, it’s another flan that’s more of a tart recipe!!

I was just making two individual ones so halved the ingredients and made 2oz of shortcrust pastry. That was rolled out and tart cases lined..

These were baked for about 15 minutes..

While they had been baking I made the filling, which is just a cheese sauce with an egg yolk thrown in! I was using a Red Leicester cheese, so think that’s added to the colour..

Then I whisked the egg whites and spooned that on top. It didn’t seem like enough for a covering, but am assuming it will puff up a bit when cooking.

More cheese is then sprinkled on top and then into the oven..

After about 15 minutes it has puffed up and is a nice golden colour..

They came out of the tins fine, but the egg sank a bit as they cooled so don’t look as appetising once I finally transferred to a plate!

The pastry looks a bit pale but it is nicely cooked and no soggy bottom. The cheesy filling and the meringue topping are both good, I do think I would maybe have preferred the meringue cooked even more. It was very soft so am thinking maybe a few more minutes in the oven would’ve been a good idea.

Would I make this again? Yes..

Cheese Dreams

I remember my gran used to makes this for us when we were young and I loved it’s! It’s not really a recipe, it’s just more of a suggestion…

When my gran made these should would dip the cheese sandwich in a mix of egg and milk and then fry, so was a french toasted cheese sandwich! This is more a fried cheese sandwich!

I didn’t bother to cut the crusts off, mainly because I was using tiger bread and one of the best things about that is the crust!

I also didn’t put any butter in the actual sandwich, thought I was using enough butter to fry them..

So after about 5 minutes on each side and about 2 ounces of butter they were ready..

So this was lunch, a fried cheese sandwich!!

Well I rather enjoyed this!! Perfect sort of hangover food!!!

Would I make these again? Yes, but my grans version is better!

Welsh Rarebit

I fancied cheese on toast for lunch today but decided to fancy it up and make this instead!!

I’d never heard of buck rarebit before, I guess if you like poached eggs it would be a nice addition on top. I didn’t fancy having the egg on top so kept it just the regular rarebit!

I started by putting the cheese, mustard, seasoning and ale into a pan to melt..

Once it had all melted together it seemd a bit runny! I was picturing it all pouring off the sides of the toast, but thankfully seemed ok, only a few drips down the sides!

After only about 3 minutes under the grill it was golden and bubbling..

So this was lunch. I think it’s the kind of cheese on toast that you need to eat with a knife and fork! Really not much to say about this expect that it was good! You could taste the mustard and the ale which was nice, the only criticism is that I didn’t make enough..

Would I make this again? Yes, I obviously had to finish off the ale with my slice….

Savoury Cheese Slice

This probably isn’t a dinner dish but having forgotten to defrost what really was for dinner meant that I decided to make this instead!!

I started with the pastry first and that’s all very straightforward..

I had used the coarse side of the grater so when I had mixed my dough together you could still really see the lumps of cheese. I did wonder if I should’ve kneaded more but then decided it wouldn’t matter once cooked.

I got the bacon and onion on while I rolled out the pastry. Bacon looks so processed in my photos but I do love bacon so nevermind!!

I had used a measuring tape to make sure the squares were both 8 inches.

Am sure the size isn’t terrible crucial, but once rolled out and cut into squares I did have a few scraps left.

So then it was topped with the milk and cheese before going in the oven..

With the scraps left over I cut out some wee snowman shapes to make some cheesy snacks for my daughter.

After just over 20 minutes it was looking ready and smelling rather good..

I opted to cut into slices..

Well this may seem like a rubbish dinner but sometimes food like this for dinner is just what you need! This really was great with a cup of tea! The pastry is softer in the centre bits which I quite like. The filling is good, can’t really go wrong with bacon and onion. Then the cheese on top is a good finish.

I am actually really glad I forget to defrost the chicken as this was just great! Have half leftover that will be lunch tomorrow!

Would I make this again? Definitely, and the wee snowmen taste good too!!

Cheese and Potato Cakes

I had a originally planned to make cheese dreams for lunch today, but last night I made a mound of mashed potato and had loads leftover. I’ve said this a few times but I hate waste, so I found this recipe instead which uses up the leftover mash

Ingredients

1 lb mashed potatoes
1 oz butter
4 oz grated cheese
1 tbsp chopped chives or grated onion
Salt and pepper
Beaten egg
Breadcrumbs

Mix the potatoes with the butter, cheese, chives or onion and seasoning and beat until smooth, adding a little flour if necessary to make a firm mixture. Turn on to a floured board and form into a roll. Cut into 1 inch slices and shape into cakes. Coat with egg and breadcrumbs, place on a baking sheet and bake at 190 for 20 minutes, alternatively you can fry them.

The recipe suggest serving these with bacon and tomatoes.

Like I said I was using up last nights leftover mashed potatoes, and I used a cheddar cheese and chives. This was also an opportunity for me to use one of the many bags of breadcrumbs I have in the freezer!

Really easy to make these, my 6 year old helped and she enjoyed the egg and breadcrumb stage! There wasn’t too much of a mess!

I didn’t need to add any flour to my mixture, it was light yet holding together well. I baked these rather than fry, think I’ve been doing a lot of frying recently! After 20 minutes they are lovely and golden, with a nice crispy coat. They have started to ooze a little but I think that adds to the charm!

We had these with some bacon and were great. They are really quite light and the cheese and chive flavour is really brilliant. They are nice and crisp and then the bits of cheese that have oozed out add a sort of extra stickiness which I quite liked!

Would I make these again? Yes we all loved them and I do quite often have left over mash!

Cheese Fondue

I’ve never had a cheese fondue and after reading a post about fondue on Fromage Homage I felt I had to give it a go. I knew there was a fondue recipe in the book so here goes

Ingredients

1 clove of garlic
Quarter pint of white wine
Squeeze of lemon juice
8oz cheese cut into strips ( half emmental and half gruyere)
2 level tsp cornflour
1 liquer glass of kirsch
A little pepper and grated nutmeg

Rub the inside of a flameproof dish with the garlic, place the dish over a gently heat and warm the wine and lemon juice in it. Add the cheese and continue to heat gently, stirring well until the cheese has melted and started to cook. Add the cornflour and seasonings, blended to a smooth cream with the kirsch, and continue cooking for a further 2-3 minutes; when the mixture is of a thick creamy consistency it is ready to serve.
Traditionally fondue is served at the table in the dish in which it was cooked, kept warm over a small spirit lamp or dish warmer. To eat it, provide cubes of crusty bread which are speared on a fork and dipped in.
An anglicised version of fondue can be made using a strong cheddar cheese, cider instead of wine and brandy instead of kirsch.

So these are the classic cheeses used for a fondue but I refer you back to Fromage Homage who made some British versions that sound amazing which I will be trying at a later date.

I am also entering this into another Fromage Homage Cheese Please challenge as a comfort food and winter warmer, pretty sure this ticks both those boxes!

I really like gruyere on its own but not a massive fan of emmental just as it is. I had to just make in my cast iron pot. I was given a fondue set 2 years agin but I exchanged it for something else as I didn’t think I’d use it. I was wishing now I had it! To keep it warm at the table I used an electric dish warmer thing I was given from one of my friends parents.

This is pretty easy to make, the only thing that threw me was the volume of kirsch. I had no idea what size a liquer glass was, so did a bit if research and it varies from 2oz to 5oz. After opening the bottle and getting a whiff of the alcohol I opted for 2 oz.

As the cheese was melting it did look great and I was having high hopes. The smell was mainly of the kirsch so I was hoping that would burn off a bit.

I made the full quantity of this. It should be enough for 4 but I was offering this as an actual dinner; well I was including the main food groups!!

So the recipe says to serve with bread which I did, but it also threw in a few other things; cooked chicken, chorizo, crackers and gherkins! No idea if these don’t quite meet with fondue etiquette but I wanted to try them!

So how did this taste? Honestly it was a bit heavy on the alcohol! Just as well my husband wasn’t having to go to work after this! The first few dips are pretty clean, but then after that it does start to turn into a cheesy stringy mess, which actually was quite fun! The bread was the best dipper followed closely by the gherkin. The meat wasn’t quite right; it was ok but quite a strange combination of cold meat and melted cheese!

Excuse the dated looking photo!

Would I make this again? Yes but would cut back on the kirsch.

Cheese Aigrettes

This recipe actually features in two chapters; cheese and appetisers. We are having these as an appetiser with some champagne, well it is our wedding anniversary so why not!

I’m also adding these to the Cheese Please feature from a fellow blogger. Fromage Homage is a blog entirely about cheese! So being a lover of cheese it’s a blog I enjoy very much and since reading it I have been introduced to some new and wonderful cheeses. So Cheese Please is like cheese recipe blog challenge and you can see the details here

The idea is each month there is a featured cheese but in Decembers it’s a bit of a free for all and any cheese recipe can be included. I thought this sounded like a good cheese recipe to share via Cheese Please!

So here’s the recipe..

Ingredients

1.5oz butter
Quarter pint of water
2.5oz plain flour
2 eggs
2oz strong cheese
Salt, pepper and cayenne pepper
Oil for frying

Heat the butter and water in a saucepan until the fat dissolves and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the flour all at once and beat well until the paste is smooth and leaves the sides of the pan. Allow to cool slightly, then beat in the eggs gradually. Add the cheese and season well. Heat the oil and drop in teaspoonfuls of the mixture. Fry until golden.

These are basically little deep fried balls of cheese choux pastry! Not the healthiest but who cares! It says strong cheese so I felt it had to be Stilton. If you don’t like Stilton you could just use a cheddar. I think you could use any hard cheese really depending in what you like or what you have leftover from the Christmas cheeseboard.

I’ve made choux pastry a few times and always worked well, but that’s when I’ve been making something sweet and baking in the oven. I was worried at first about frying but after first batch I was pretty happy as they worked out really well.

These are just little golden, puffed up balls of cheesy wonderfullness!! Perfect with a glass of champagne! I had made the full quantity and between the two of us we managed to finish them. They were light and fluffy and really delicious. My only comment would be that I couldn’t taste any cayenne, bit sure if that was overpowered by the Stilton or I just didn’t add enough.

Would I make these again! Yes! Brilliant little appetiser, or snack or lunch or supper…..