cheese Archives - A Calculated Whisk

Building an Easy Winter Cheeseboard + Beaujolais Wine

December 10, 2018 By Becky Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by Discover Beaujolais.

An Easy Winter Cheeseboard + Beaujolais Wine

This easy winter cheeseboard paired with Beaujolais wine makes holiday entertaining a snap. Plus, there’s a recipe for a five-minute pomegranate chèvre cheeseball!

Want to know the secret to super easy holiday entertaining that looks and tastes fancy and will impress all your guests? Here its is: wine and an epic cheeseboard. This is so simple to put together, but everyone loves it. Best of all, there’s no cooking required! I’ve teamed up with Discover Beaujolais to bring you this easy winter cheeseboard that pairs perfectly with their Moulin-à-Vent red wine.

Beaujolais is a region of France north of Lyon that produces red and white wines as well as rosé. The soil there has pink granite in it with streaks of manganese, which gives the grapes and thus the wine a special flavor. I would love to go see this gorgeous region for myself, but for now, I’ll be imagining it while I snack on this cheeseboard and sip on glass of Moulin-à-Vent red.

Stuffed Lamb Burgers + Paleo Burger Buns

July 1, 2015 By Becky 12 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Stuffed Lamb Burgers + Paleo Burger Buns | acalculatedwhisk.com

Lamb burgers are stuffed with manchego cheese and cherry jam for an elegant twist, and served on easy-to-make yeasted paleo burger buns!

Last year, my fiancé Ben asked me to make stuffed lamb burgers for his birthday dinner. At that point I had never made a stuffed burger or even cooked with lamb, which I didn’t think I liked. Since it was his birthday, though, I went for it.

Can you see where this story is going? Spoiler alert: the burgers were delicious (and they’re especially delicious on paleo burger buns!). Stuffed burgers are not hard to make, and it turns out I DO like lamb!

Paleo Burger Buns | acalculatedwhisk.com

I make burgers all the time because they are such an easy, simple dinner, but I usually make them with beef and use butter lettuce for the buns. Upgrading to a lamb burger (and a stuffed one at that!) and making my own paleo burger buns definitely kicked my burger night game up several notches.

These burgers are stuffed with manchego cheese and cherry jam, so you end up with the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and meaty tastes. The strong flavors of lamb pair really well with fruit preserves, and I chose manchego because it’s one of my very favorite cheeses. If you’re avoiding dairy, you can stuff the burgers with just jam and they’ll still be delicious. You could even add some avocado slices on top for extra creaminess. Or, if adding jam to a burger freaks you out, you can stuff them with only the cheese (but I do hope you’ll try the jam at least once!).

Cape Cod Food Photography & Cheesemaking Workshop

June 6, 2015 By Becky 10 Comments

Are you ready for a bunch of photographs of gorgeous cheese?

Over Memorial Day weekend, I went to an amazing food photography, food styling, and cheesemaking workshop hosted by Carey Nershi and Eva Kosmas Flores in a beautiful house on Long Pond in Plymouth, MA. It was also my 30th birthday on Sunday, and I had the best time celebrating and learning with Eva, Carey, Brandy, Jennifer, Renee, Jenn, Olga, Camaron, C.J., and Leslie. When I first thought of signing up for the workshop as a birthday present for myself, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel ringing in a new decade amongst virtual strangers, but everyone was so wonderful that by the time Sunday rolled around I felt like I was surrounded by a group of close friends.

Cape Cod Food Photography & Cheesemaking Workshop | acalculatedwhisk.com

Eva taught us how to make ricotta, fresh mozzarella, and goat cheese, and Carey taught us how to dip hard cheeses like cheddar in wax to keep them well-preserved as they age. Above you can see Eva stretching the mozzarella and then forming it into a ball, which has to be done quickly before the cheese begins to harden. We sliced up that ball of fresh mozzarella and ate it while it was still warm with a tiny sprinkling of sea salt, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.

Creamy Whipped Feta

June 2, 2015 By Becky 14 Comments

This post is sponsored by Nikos Feta.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Creamy Whipped Feta made with Nikos | Get more feta recipes & enter to win a trip to Hawaii here: https://ooh.li/1cd7e02 #sp

Have you ever whipped feta cheese?

If the answer is no, buckle your seat belt and get out your food processor. You are in for quite a ride (or at least, your food processor is in for a quite a workout).

This recipe is super simple, but totally changes the character of feta. The rich and tangy flavor that’s usually packaged in chewy little crumbles infuses this smooth, creamy, and versatile dip. I enjoyed this whipped feta with fresh asparagus spears, carrot sticks, and my favorite gluten-free crackers, but the possibilities are limitless. (It MAY have crossed my mind to use this instead of tomato sauce on a pizza, maybe with roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella balls, too. Doesn’t that sound amazing?)

Nikos Feta works beautifully in this dip. It’s not as overwhelmingly salty as some fetas are, but still has the wonderfully sharp and distinctive flavor that feta is famous for. It’s sold in a block or in a tub of crumbles, and either one will work for this recipe! I used their traditional feta, but I bet this would also be great with one of their other flavors (tomato basil, perhaps?). You can see all the different flavors here.

Easy French Frittata

March 8, 2014 By Becky Leave a Comment

This omelette is inspired by the best breakfast I ever had, which was at a little French cafe in Montreal two summers ago. Ben and I drove up there and stayed for about a week, and this meal has been stuck in my head ever since. The whole trip was pretty great (it was our first vacation together), but this omelette was a definite highlight, and I’ve been trying to recreate it ever since. I’m really mad at myself because I can’t remember the name of the cafe–I didn’t have a blog back then, so there wasn’t an easy place to store my restaurant ramblings. If it comes to me, I’ll be sure to update this post with a link.

Here’s a picture of our breakfasts that day: my omelette had Brie and spinach, and Ben’s had duck confit and gruyere. Both were deliciously creamy, with eggs cooked to perfection and thick slices of cheese that were barely melted in the middle. They were amazing. The sides of hash browns, buttery baguette, and breakfast beans were also ridiculously tasty.

Saag Paneer

February 10, 2014 By Becky 12 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

It’s easy and fun to make your own saag paneer at home! It’s especially delicious with rice or paleo flatbread.

Have you ever made your own cheese? I made some ricotta last year, and wanted to try my hand at paneer. Fresh cheeses like paneer and ricotta are easy to make at home, and totally worth it. All you need is milk, a lemon, some cheesecloth, and a little patience.

Saag paneer has been my favorite Indian dish for years, and I’m so glad I finally made it myself. The creamy spiced spinach studded with chewy bits of paneer is totally addictive, and my major Indian takeout/delivery habit is all saag paneer’s fault (oh, and Eat24–you guys didn’t help, either). This homemade version is just as good as my local restaurant’s, and the paneer is far superior: it’s meltingly tender, with a wonderfully creamy flavor. It’s a little labor intensive to make the paneer and the saag on the same day, but it was a perfect project for a Sunday afternoon. Next time I might try making a big batch of paneer, stashing some in the fridge, and freezing the rest. That way I can make saag paneer happen on weeknights!

Pumpkin & Pecorino Soufflé (Gluten-free)

October 30, 2013 By Becky 6 Comments

Me and pumpkin–it’s not over! Whenever I have leftover pumpkin in the fridge, I can’t stop myself from adding it to almost all things. This past weekend, I went to see my little sister, who’s 15, cheer at her high school’s last home game of the regular season. The game fell on my dad’s birthday, so I wanted to bring a little something sweet for the post-game celebration. Unfortunately, in addition to her dairy and soy allergies, my sister is also currently avoiding nuts, citrus, and chocolate as part of an anti-migraine diet. And, of course, I wanted whatever I made to be gluten-free.

Well, what was left that COULD go in these treats? Pretty much just pumpkin (and a few coconut products). I ended up making gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free pumpkin cupcakes, and while I didn’t think they were good enough to share with all of you, my sister really liked them.

The cupcakes only used a cup or so of pumpkin, so I was left with some extra, which was burning a hole in my pocket/fridge… Can that expression apply to food you really want to use up? Or is it only for money you’re dying to spend?

Blackberry, Almond, and Rocket Salad with Fresh Mozzarella

July 17, 2013 By Becky 4 Comments

Did you know that arugula is called rocket in the UK? Arugula is a pretty fun word, but rocket is even better. This salad has rocket in it, along with all the other delicious things listed in the title. After making blackberry cupcakes for this month’s Get Your Chef On challenge, I wanted to do something else fabulous with the rest of my juicy blackberries. I dreamed up this salad, and thought about it all day during class.

I was happy to find that it was even better than I had imagined! The spicy arugula, sweet blackberries, creamy mozzarella, and toasty almonds are the perfect combination. This is my new favorite summer salad. Ben loved it, too! When I served it he said it looked fancy (secret–any salad with blackberries looks fancy!), and then he asked for seconds. Usually he’s a one plate of salad kind of guy.

So, here’s what I would recommend. Go buy a lot of blackberries, make these cupcakes, then make this salad. A light dinner with a decadent dessert is the perfect thing to have on a summer evening.

Ingredients (serves 2):

1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 cups arugula
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
1 heaping cup blackberries
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, roughly cubed

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often to make sure they don’t burn, until golden brown (less than five minutes). Set aside to cool.

Toss the arugula with the oil, vinegar, and salt and adjust seasonings to taste.

To serve, line plate with arugula. Top with blackberries, fresh mozzarella, and toasted almonds. Enjoy!

Brie Omelette with Roasted Red Pepper, Corn, and Fresh Basil

July 5, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

We grow a few herbs on the porch, including basil. It’s so much fun to go out there and grab a few leaves of something for whatever I’m cooking. Today, I was inspired by the leftover brie and roasted red pepper and decided to make them into an omelette with a little corn. How could I make this omelette even better? I wondered.

Fresh basil! I was right. I think the fresh basil is what takes this from good to great.

A note about omelettes (mine, at least): they are not photogenic. First of all, I broke my favorite square white plate while getting ready to photograph this. All the rest of my big plates are yellow, which isn’t the best background for eggs. But also, I struggle to make my omelettes fold right and look pretty. Any tips?

I think part of the problem is the fact that I’m too lazy to make one omelette for me and one for my boyfriend, so I insist on making one gargantuan omelette for us to share. It’s just too BIG to be pretty.

At least it’s not too big to be delicious!

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/3 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 roasted red pepper*, peeled, trimmed, deseeded, and chopped
4 eggs
Splash of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
3 ounces brie, cut into thick slices
Handful of fresh basil leaves, julienned**

Heat one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the corn with a little salt and pepper until heated through. Add the red pepper and cook for another minute or so. Put the vegetables in a bowl and set aside.

Wipe out the skillet and heat the rest of the butter over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk with some salt and pepper. When the skillet is hot, pour in the egg mixture.

Let the omelette set for a couple of minutes, then add the vegetables (reserving some for the garnish if desired), brie, and basil. When the eggs are almost set, fold the two sides of the omelette into the middle (I have no tips on doing this elegantly. Don’t worry, it will taste good even if it turns into a scramble). Cook for another minute or so, then flip onto a plate, garnish with reserved vegetables and more basil, and enjoy hot.

Share this omelette with someone special! Or, decide you need the lumberjack special and eat it all yourself :).

*If you have a gas stove, you can roast peppers stovetop! Place the pepper directly on the burner with the flame on high. Turn frequently with tongs until it’s collapsed and charred on all sides. If you don’t have a gas stove, preheat your oven to 500 or your broiler, put a little oil on the pepper, and roast on a cookie sheet, turning frequently, until it’s deflated and well-charred. Place the pepper in a bowl and cover. Steaming the pepper like this makes it easier to peel. When it’s cool enough to handle, peel the pepper under cold running water. Use in this omelette, or for pasta, pizza, or a topping for cheese and crackers.

**To julienne basil, stack the leaves on top of each other. Roll them up, and slice into thin strips on the diagonal using a sharp knife.

Creamy Beer & Black Bean Queso

May 19, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

We had a party last night! The main feature was the decorate-your-own cupcake station (more on that later). However, we did have one delicious thing from the savory side–this queso! I highly recommend it.

This is adapted from a recipe on How Sweet It Is, one of my very favorite food blogs. I was so excited that Jessica posted this just in time for me to make it for my party! All the recipes I’ve tried from her site have been fabulous. Plus, her blog is really fun to read. I had to take out the chorizo because of all my vegetarian friends. I’m sure it would be fabulous with sausage, but it’s hard to imagine it being more fabulous than it already is!

This morning, I used the leftover queso to make delicious chilaquiles. I fried up some onions and garlic, added two eggs and a handful of crushed tortilla chips, and stirred in a few big dollops of this queso. I served it with sliced avocado, cilantro, and scallions with a squeeze of lime. Most delicious hangover cure ever!

Ingredients (serves 8 as an appetizer):

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 jalapeños, deseeded and diced (I used 1, but the dip was not very hot. Try 2 for more spice, or use the seeds.)
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups beer (your favorite kind–or use a Mexican beer)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 ounces freshly grated white cheddar cheese
Chopped scallions and cilantro for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallot, jalapeño and garlic and saute until fragrant. Stir in the black beans, and raise the heat to medium. Add the beer and cumin and stir to combine. Cook for five more minutes, until some of the beer has bubbled away.

Add the cream cheese, and stir until melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the cheddar and stir until smooth and creamy.

Serve with scallions and cilantro on top, and a big basket of chips for dipping.

If the queso hardens up, you can microwave it for a minute or so with a bit of water and stir until it’s creamy again.

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Cheese-Bellied Arepas with Guacamole

May 13, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

This is it! My favorite arepas recipe so far : ). When Ben and I went to Orinoco for his birthday, we ordered an arepa stuffed with queso de mano. I realized two things: first, Orinoco makes their arepas with white cornmeal, which makes them look really elegant, and second, the CHEESE is the most amazing part. They serve the arepas hot with a big slice of fresh cheese, still cool in the middle. Amazing!

The arepa we had at Orinoco featured homemade Venezuelan cheese, which I couldn’t find. But, I thought fresh mozzarella would be the closest thing. And at the store, I saw burrata, which I’d never tried before. I got it and it was delicious! It’s basically fresh mozzarella with creamy curds in the middle. I tried a piece plain and had to exercise resistance in order to save the rest for the arepas.

See all that cheese? How can anyone resist? With a little guacamole on the side (or stuffed inside), these arepas make a great dinner.

Ingredients (makes 6 arepas; serves 2 for dinner or 6 as an appetizer):

1 cup white corn masarepa

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

Butter for cooking

8 ounces burrata or fresh mozzarella

For the guacamole:

1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

Juice of half a lemon, or to taste

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

2 scallions, sliced

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

To make the guacamole, combine all the ingredients and mash with a fork. Add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

To make the arepas, mix the masarepa, salt, and water in a bowl and let it sit for five minutes. Heat the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

Form the dough into patties about four inches across and half an inch thick. When the skillet is very hot, add the arepas and cook until golden brown and blistered on both sides, about 8 minutes per side.

Let the arepas cool for a minute, then slice in half with a sharp knife. Put a thick slice of burrata in between the two halves, and serve hot with guacamole.

Spinach and Parmesan Soufflé

April 6, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

This is my first attempt at making soufflé. I like to cook breakfast pretty much every weekend morning, and was in the mood for blueberry muffins. Unfortunately, I was out of frozen blueberries and too lazy to go to the store. I had baby spinach, lots of eggs, and a hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano. Also, I had two four-cup soufflé dishes that had only held lemon mousse so far. Right now, they’re living up to their name since they’re filled with spinach parmesan soufflé. This recipe is adapted from Bon Appétit.

I was so paranoid that the soufflés would fall that I started snapping pictures while they were still in the oven. But, they actually held up really well!

Ingredients (serves 2-3):

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for greasing dishes

6 tablespoons flour

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

3 cups baby spinach

6 egg yolks

8 egg whites, at room temperature

1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375. Place two four-cup soufflé dishes (or eight one-cup dishes for mini soufflés) on a cookie sheet. Grease the bottom and sides of the dishes with butter.

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for a minute. Add the buttermilk and whisk until combined and almost smooth. Add the spinach, parmesan cheese, egg yolks, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine and remove from the heat.

In a non-reactive bowl, place the room-temperature egg whites and lemon juice, if using (this just makes it a little easier to whip the whites). Beat until the whites hold medium peaks.

Fold the egg whites into the other mixture a little bit at a time. Divide mixture among the dishes, and bake for 30 minutes for one-cup dishes or 40 minutes for four-cup dishes, or until puffy and golden brown. Serve immediately.