Homemade Fresh Cheese

This isn't a recipe that I developed, it's a variant on a theme that I've seen for cheeses of this type. It's basically Cottage Cheese/ Ricotta, but it's amazing and will ruin you for store-bought for life.

It's very simple- I did this in about an hour, most of that time waiting for the milk to heat. I used white vinegar instead of rennet because I think it's easier to find, lasts longer and is cheaper. It also takes out the element of animal vs vegetable rennet, which could infringe on some meatless diets. White vinegar is also a neutral-tasting vinegar, so it doesn't take away from the milk. But, it's so simple to make and modify- you can use a different vinegar, add herbs and spices, whatever you want. I've seem citrus being used as well, but I like the availability, predictability and stability of the vinegar used in the basic recipe. Although, lemon is quite refreshing. It's worth playing with to be sure! It's made me want to try more cheeses!

Makes about 16oz and is good for a week.

Tools:

• Stainless Steel Pot with a nice, thick bottom.
• Cheesecloth (or some other kind of thin fabric to strain with)
• A colander (you line this with the cheesecloth)
• A thermometer, if desired 

Ingredients

• Half-Gallon Whole Milk
• 4 oz white vinegar
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Line the colander with the cheesecloth.  
2. Slowly bring all of the milk to just below a boil. Make sure the milk does not scorch.
3. Once the milk reaches an almost boil (steaming and frothy. About 190°F if you're using a thermometer) , remove from heat and add the salt and vinegar and stir well. You'll notice that the milk will instantly separate into chunky bits and yellow liquid. This is supposed to happen; the yellow is the whey that will be drained off. If it doesn't separate, then there's not enough vinegar- just add a little more. (Yes, yes- it's scary and weird-looking. Cheese is weird and we're not even dealing with molds.)
4. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
5. Carefully (it will splash a tad) pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined colander and let it drain for 15 minutes.
6. If you choose to add more flavorings (I like fresh black pepper and Italian Seasoning), do so now. The mixture will be very liquid still.
7. Pull the edges of the cheesecloth up and twist to the cheese is in a ball and slowly squeeze out more liquid. 
8. Turn out your newly-formed cheeseball into a bowl, cover and chill

Hail Seitan!

Yes. You read that right: Seitan. Wheat Meat. Fake meat. Mock Duck.

Yes, I eat it. It's good. Yes, I also eat Carnitas.

See, I'm not a vegetarian, but I do have meatless days. I used to cook this a LOT a while back, but got out of the habit. No reason for it, really- you can get a good large batch ready in an hour and let it sit ready in the fridge- once it's cooked, it's nothing but a quick sauté and it's done! And you can sub it for quite a bit. You can also make it taste however you want, so you can make it your own very easily.

This version I made to be beefy and rich; it's the kind of vegetarian food that reminds me that it's not all carrots and lentils. This is stick-to-your-ribs stuff, here!

You can get the vital wheat gluten and nutritional yeast at any health food store. When I lived in the city, you could get both at larger supermarkets.

You'll also notice that I use salt-free broth. I prefer low-sodium/ sodium free ingredients because I can then add the salt how I want. Keep in mind that the broth will also infuse more flavor and salt into the Seitan, so you might find you need less salt than you think. Experiment here.

Recipe updated 8/5/2012 


"Beefy" Seitan

For the Seitan:

• 3.75 cups Wheat Gluten
• 3/8 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons each onion and garlic power
• heavy pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 5 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 oz lemon juice
• 5 tablespoons reduced sodium Soy Sauce

For the broth:

• 4 cups veggie broth
• one cup of soy sauce
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 cloves of garlic
• dash on onion powder

Method:

1. Combine ingredients for the broth and start to heat
2. Combine all dry ingredients for the Seitan in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine all wet ingredients for the Seitan (you should have a full cup of liquid.)
4. Add wet to dry and combine until just mixed. 
5. Knead dough until everything is combined; dough should be mildly dry (if it's too wet, you'll get soggy Seitan. And no one wants soggy Seitan).
6. Separate dough into two logs.
7. Add both logs to simmering broth and cook covered at just a simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, turning occasionally.

And there you go. Take it out, drain, slice, sauté and serve. Or take it out, drain, slice and refrigerate. Whichever.

If you find you want a less-dense product, try adding a little oil to the dough or adding a tad more liquid.

(really, really needs to do something with this...)

Roasted Broccoli

I have yet to find a veggie that doesn't do well in the oven. Things like this are nice because they don't require much skill, attention, preparation or time, but it's hard to mess up and it's always good. And hey- one less thing hogging the stovetop.

I love roasted broccoli because there are so many things that happen to it while roasting- it gets sweeter and richer without being bitter and there's a little bit of texture with the charred bits and the caramelized bottom. It's everything steamed and boiled broccoli want to be but can't.


Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

• One broccoli top, cut into medium-sized pieces.
• Enough Extra Virgin Olive Oil to lightly coat broccoli
• Salt (Kosher or Gray is best here), Fresh-Ground Pepper and garlic powder* to taste
• Juice of half a lemon (or to taste)
• Crumbled goat cheese to top (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Drizzle oil on broccoli and mix to cover evenly
3. Sprinkle on salt, pepper and garlic as desired
4. Roast for 10 minutes or until the tops are just starting to char and the broccoli has just darkened from the super-bright green stage.
5. Drizzle with lemon and cheese
6. Serve and enjoy

Obviously, you can use whatever cheese you want. I like the bright fresh creaminess of the goat cheese, but whatever floats your boat.

*Okay. So, fresh garlic vs powdered. Fresh garlic tastes amazing, but it a situation like this, it will burn and not taste good at all. The dry stands up to the heat better and won't burn. Besides, the dried gives a more subtle flavor without overpowering the food in this circumstance.You'll thank me later.

Simple Sauteed Kale

As requested by Jess and Cristina, this is how I do Kale (and mustard greens). Well, roughly. I do a LOT of things like this by eye, so this is just a general idea.

The trick to leafy greens is not overcooking. They need to be softened, but not cooked to oblivion. Kale is nice because you can do this in 10 minutes from start to finish. It should be just past the uber bright green phase; it will be soft while still having a little bite to it.

I prefer using non-bagged kale for this because I can remove the stem. It's also cheap as all get out (I paid 99 cents for my last bunch and it will last for days)! But, if you like the texture of the stem, rock on! If you buy it fresh, look for stems that aren't bendy and leaves that feel fresh, strong and not slimy. Remove the leaves from the stem and tear the leaves into the size you want. Don't forget to clean the kale!

Also keep in mind that it's going to look like tons of kale- it will wilt down, so don't worry.

So, without further adieu...

Ingredients

• 3-4 whole leaves (leaves on the stem) of kale, either coarsely chopped or de-stemed and cut down. If you use bagged, it's approx two handfuls.
• One shallot (or 1/4 onion), chopped.
• One clove garlic, chopped
• Abt 1-2 tablespoons Dry Vermouth
• Salt and Pepper to taste (I like kosher and fresh ground black, respectively
• Pinch fresh-ground nutmeg (optional, but worth it- greens love nutmeg)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

Method

1. Heat oil in Saute pan or Wok over medium heat
2. Add shallots (with a little salt and pepper) and saute lightly until clear
3. Add garlic and saute 1 more minute
4. Add kale, toss a few times and add the vermouth a little at a time until the kale just starts to wilt
5. Toss the kale for approx 3-5 minutes or until it softens and just darkens from the very bright green.
6. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg as desired.

The nice thing about this is you can add and subtract whatever you want. You can add mushrooms to the onions. You can use veggie stock instead of the Vermouth (you might want to add a little lemon at the end if you do, though.). I'll even stir in a dollop of sour cream or Greek Yogurt. It's really versatile. :)

Roasted Root Veggies

After all the richness of the holiday foods, I needed something lighter! This is an old winter standby for me.

A lot of this is done by eye, which makes putting this into a recipe somewhat of a challenge. Basically what you're looking for is equal parts of the larger veggies cut in to similar-sized bits.

Another way you can handle the garlic, aside from the medium mince in the recipe below, would be to cut the cloves in half or leave them whole. Just add more cloves if you go this route. Remember, the finer the chop, the more garlic flavor that will come out.

Roasted Root Veggies

Ingredients:

• 1-2 large carrots


• 1-2 large parsnips


• 1 large fennel bulb with the fennel leaves removed and reserved


• 1-2 red onions


• 1-4 red potatoes


• 1-3 cloves of garlic


• Herbs de Provance to taste


• Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste (but, don't be shy)


• One teaspoon, finely chopped fennel leaves from the fennel bulb (optional)


• Olive Oil and Vermouth

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400


2. Peel and chop all veggies into 1/2 to 1-inch cubes (everything should be the same size, but remember that the larger the cubes, the longer the cook time, except the garlic, which you should do a medium mince. Chop the potatoes first so they can soak while you prepare the rest of the veggies. Leave the skins on if desired (just wash them first, mkay?). For the fennel, chop the top off and only use the bulb


3. Drain the potatoes and combine all the veggies, including the garlic, in a bowl.


4. Drizzle enough olive oil and vermouth to coat everything, using more oil than vermouth. Add all seasonings.


5. Cover and allow to sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes.


6. After a quick toss, pour out the veggies onto a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for 20-50 minutes (depends on veggie size and your oven.). Root veggies can take a while, so be patient. Turn veggies occasionally.

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Cheesy Potato Shallot Soup

Cream, cheese, potatoes and bacon; there is nothing wrong with this. Unless you're a lactose intolerant, bacon-hating low carber, of course. Or vegan. Then, there's just more for the rest of us. So, party on you lactose intolerant, bacon-hating low carbers and vegans!

Prep time is a little long if you're peeling and chopping your own taters, but it's worth it. But, you can always get a bag of Simply Potatoes if you want to speed the process. Cook time is about a half-hour.

The only trick to this soup is stirring in the cheese. In a normal cheese sauce/ broth situation, you'd use a whisk to incorporate the cheese. Here, the potatoes would get in the way. I used a slotted spoon and the folding method and the cheese blended beautifully.

Cheese Potato Shallot Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 strips thick-sliced bacon, cut into cubes
• 2 shallots, diced
• 4 russet potatoes, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes and soaked
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1-2 cups chicken stock
• 1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
• sprinkle Italian seasoning
• pinch dry mustard
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Cook bacon in saucepan until crispy. Remove from pan and reserve for topping. Leave rendered fat in pan.
2. Lightly saute shallots in bacon drippings and a little salt and pepper for 2-3 minutes until slightly clear. Add garlic and cook for one more minute.
3. Drain potatoes and add to Shallot/ Garlic mix in pan. Add several large pinches of salt, 1-2 more grinds of pepper, the dry mustard, the Italian seasoning and the stock. Stir, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the cream, Worcestershire, and bring to scalded temp (steaming without bubbles). Slowly add the cheese a pinch at a time. Gently fold to combine the cheese, not adding any more cheese until the previous addition is no longer visible.
5. Add more salt and Worcestershire if needed.
6. Top with bacons. Eat. Enter soup coma.

Garlicky Herb Cheese Dip

The trick to any kind of dip is you HAVE to let it sit for a while and steep. Some flavors will mellow while others will come out stronger, but the main thing is the flavors will become more cohesive and blend so much better. Basically, the flavor profile will change dramatically for the better after a 24-hour chill out in the cold box. Same goes for other dips, as well.

This is an easy dip to prepare- no cooking, just a little chopping of the herbs and crushing of the garlic before dumping it all in the food processor.

This dip is also better with fresh herbs, but you can modify it for dry if you want. You might have to up the measurements, though.

And seriously- buy good cheese for this. That pre-grated processed stuff that's been sitting on the shelf for weeks? Please, don't. It won't taste good and it won't function the same way in the dip. If you get pre-grated, get the fresh-grated from the deli.

Garlicky Herb Cheese Dip

Ingredients

• 1 8oz Package cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon Mayo
• 1 cup sour cream (add more if you want a thinner dip)
• 4 oz each Freshly grated Parmesan and Asiago
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• One small handful (Approx a cup) fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
• A couple drops of Tabasco
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• pinch of dry mustard
• fresh-ground pepper to taste (I usually add 1/8 teaspoon)
• Salt to taste, if by some chance the cheese doesn't provide enough.

Method

1. Chop herbs and run garlic through garlic press (or mince it), add to food processor and blend until finely chopped, but not a paste. Use the pulse setting for this.
2. Add Cream cheese to garlic herb mixture and blend until combined.
3. Add the sour cream, mayo and cheese and blend. Add more sour cream by the spoonful if desired for a thinner dip.
4. Add the Tabasco, onion powder, dry mustard and pepper. Blend
5. Put in serving bowl, cover and chill for at least 12 hours. 24 hours is better.

I find that the parsley is very strong at this stage and the garlic hits you at the end. I almost regretted the amount of parsley at first. Don't worry- this will change a lot after sitting. Resist the urge to add more garlic until you let it sit. The parsley/ herbs will mellow and the cheese and garlic will come out more.

Have I mentioned you should let this sit for a while? Because you should. ;)