Showing posts with label Cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cheese. Show all posts

Friday, May 7, 2010

Locatelli Cheese Crisps- Foodgitive's Frugal Friday Fare

(Yeah, I definately used my hand towel as a background for this pic alongside a bottle of red wine in hopes to create an authentic Italian feel.)

I have an affinity for cheese. Aged, smoked, nacho, cottage, creamed, sliced, diced, minced- you name it, I have a close, bonded attraction to it.

Locatelli Romano Cheese is hard and dense, bearing a pale yellow color and a black paper rind. Tradtionally, Locatelli cheese is served over pasta. But can one create a snack on locatelli cheese alone?

This recipe is simple to replicate, impossible to resist and easy on your wallet. You can purchase an entire pound of Locatelli cheese and keep it in your fridge for what seems an eternity, or until you are finished with the block. I store my block of Locatelli cheese in wax paper, which is wrapped in paper towels and stored in a paper bag.

(Check out my mound of cheese)

Since I purchased the cheese a vey long time ago, I am unable to give you an exact cost to make these little fritters, but I will take a stab at the cost and say these cheese crisps are $0.35 for approximately 30 crisps.

Locatelli Cheese Crisps
What You'll Need:

*1 cup grated Locatelli Cheese
*Freshly cracked grains of paradise or black pepper
*Old Bay Seasoning
*Wax Paper

Directions:

*Heat oven to 400 degrees
*Place a piece of wax paper on a baking sheet
*Separate cheese into bowls (1/2 cup in each)
*Add approx. 1 tsp. grains of paradise or black pepper into each bowl and mix together
*To make Old Bay Cheese Crisps: Add approx. 1 tsp. old bay seasoning into one of the bowls and mix together
*Scoop a heaping teaspoon of mixture onto wax paper, pressing down lightly to form a thin circle (making sure it is not too thin)
*Cook for exactly 3 minutes and remove from oven
*Wait 10 minutes to cool and scrape off with a spatula



These little guys taste great inside a burger, alongside a salad, topped with your favorite salsa and will even taste great when paired with your favorite ice cream-- Trust me- Delicious!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Beer Tasting Party (Recipe for Brie & Apricot Egg Rolls)


Some of my best friends and their boyfriends were in attendance last night, so my sister and I wanted to ensure a party with delicious foods and great fun. The great fun came in the shape of an elaborate beer spread, which my sister and her business partner received for FREE from various beer distributors to sell in their store, The Bottle Shop, soon to be located at 1941 E. Passyunk Avenue in Philadelphia. So they thought, "Why not have a beer tasting party?" How could I argue? Since they were offering various types of beer, everything from Wheat Beer to Malts, we tried to create a spread that would compliment just about every type of beer.

The spread:

1. Apples doused with lemon juice to ensure color
2. Strawberries
3. Dehydrated banana slices
4. Figs
5. Apricot preserves
6. Various Crackers
7. Reduced Fat White Cheddar Cheese-Its (for my boyfriend)
8. Tostito Scoops
9. Homemade Spicy Salsa
10. Jalapeno Roasted Pepper Jelly
11. Apricot Preserve & Brie Cheese Egg Rolls (Recipe to Follow)
12. Muenster Cheese
13. Cheddar Cheese with Almond Slices
14. Port Wine Cheese
15. Grapes
16. Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Balls
17. Popcorn
18. Wine
19. And of course, Beer!

I am completely obsessed with egg roll wrappers. After realizing that just about anything could enter the egg roll galaxy for dinner treats, I had to take my ideas to the dessert world. And what is better than cheese for dessert at a wine and beer tasting party? I absolutely adore Brie cheese. I always have it out when people come over, and last night was no exception.

If you are a novice at egg roll wrapping, check out my previous post for a quick tutorial before you start. If you are a battle scarred veteran, check out my recipe below to get started.

Brie & Apricot Egg Rolls
Serving Size: 10

What You'll Need:
*10 Egg Roll Wrappers
*1 Egg Beaten
*10 Tablespoons Apricot Preserves
*1 Wedge Brie Cheese
*Pam Cooking Spray
*An Open Mind

Directions:
*After prepping the edges of the egg roll wrapper with the egg wash, add 1 tbsp. of the apricot preserves to the center
*Add a 1/4" thick x 2" long slice of Brie cheese on top of the preserves (approximate sizes)
*Fold bottom up, then sides, then roll away from you, tucking in the edges as necessary
*Place on sheet pan sprayed with Pam cooking spray
*Brush top with egg wash
*Cook for 22 minutes at 350 degrees
*Serve warm

I'm taking a sneak peek at the egg rolls while cooking. The anticipation is killing me!