Archive for the ‘Italian Cheese’ Category

Bufala Mozzarella Salad: A Quick Vegetarian Fix

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

More and more people are going vegetarian these days mainly because of health reasons, I am presupposing. I can’t see any reason aside from what I just mentioned, why these health freaks steer away from juicy steaks, crispy chicken and cholesterolific hamburgers. On second thought, it might be also a belief, but, who knows?

What is more perplexing is when vegetarians go a step further and become vegan, which means that not only do they not eat animals, but they don’t eat animal products as well such as dairy or eggs.

What? No Dairy which means no cheese? Well, how can I live without cheese– the essence of my existence? Well almost. Didn’t I have my first food from my mother’s milk, just like the bull’s had theirs from their mother’s milk as well. And if there is more than enough milk from the bull, they make it into Bufala Mozzarella which by the way, I have a recipe to share and it’s called: Bufala Mozzarella Salad.

  • ¼ c. olive oil
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tbsp. Dried basil
  • ½ tsp. Pepper
  • ¼ tsp. Dried oregano
  • 1 round ball buffalla cut into cubes or crumbled

Mix the above and marinade the Bufala Mozzarella in the mixture for an hour or more. Then mix it with the following veggies.

  • 20 pcs. Grape tomatoes or 6 Roma tomatoes quartered
  • 1 small cucumber sliced
  • 1 small red pepper sliced
  • 1 small green pepper, sliced
  • 1 small red onion, sliced
  • Greek olives (optional)

Prepare the vegetables and place in a serving bowl. Add the marinated Bufala Mozzarella Cheese to the vegetables above. Toss well and serve.

Vegetarians or vegans can do away with cheese substitutions in the form of other plant products derived from grains which processed, could be made to look like cheese. Thus even with the above recipe, this can be modified and if one is vegan, they just do away with the cheese component. Crumbled tofu could be a substitute for the above recipe. However every original recipe is always best with original ingredients.

Anyway, back for as long as I can remember, vegans didn’t become such the moment they were born. Can you imagine giving a newborn baby carrot juice or soy milk. It’s possible though, but generally, we all started with mother’s milk, which to every infant is the best food ever. And speaking about the best cheese, it’s found in only in the gourmet cheese shop online, the Ideal Cheese Shop. And you don’t want to miss that.

A Quick Bufala Mozzarella Fix For A Busy Shopper

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

When the going gets tough, the shopping gets tougher. This is particularly true during this time of the year. With Christmas around the corner, and last minute shopping is a must, what else can we do but make ourselves quick and easy meals on the go. Whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner, nothing can go wrong with having a grilled or pan fried quesadilla. It’s easy to prepare, it’s nutritious and very delicious as well.

Here’s what you will need:

  • 8 flour tortillas
  • 1 14 oz, refried beans
  • 2 green roma tomatoes, diced
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp. Chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp. Chopped basil
  • 2 tbsp. Olive oil divided
  • 1 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup grated Bufala Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

1. spread half of the tortilla with the refried beans. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onions garlic, parsley and basil, 1 tbsp. Olive oil, vinegar, and then add salt and pepper.

2. Spread mixture evenly over refried beans. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold uncovered half of tortilla over filling and press edges together. Brush both sides with remaining oil.

3. Grill or pan fry over medium heat, 2 to 4 minutes on each side or until the filling is heated through and quesadillas are lightly browned.

During days like this, it is always handy to pre chop onions, garlic and tomatoes and place them in individual containers. So when the tough shopper comes home after a day of stressful shopping, it’s easier to just whip up a quick meal.

And of course, nothing is complete if you don’t get your cheese fixes from the only reliable cheese shop online, the Ideal Cheese Shop. The store that has all the cheese you need and more. Enjoy the season. It is the time to be jolly, and for all of you out there, Merry Cheesemas! Or better yet, you can say: Fe-cheese Navidad! And to all, say CHEESE!!! (camera click! Click! Click!)

Hangover Bufala Mozzarella Ball Tartlets

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

How was your Thanksgiving weekend? Mine was a blast but I wasn’t that much enthusiastic proceeding those days. And I’m talking about cleaning up the mess, putting away the dishes and reorganizing the furniture back to where they should be. Moreover, I can’t seem to find my brain right now, after all those margaritas and manhattans that went around during the holidays with family and friends.

And so my mood today is multi tasking. I need to clean up, write something and cook so that by the end of the day, I can start planning again for Christmas. This is going to be another celebration in the making.

First let me gather some leftovers for my meal and those Bufala Mozzarella balls look like they can use some loving. Aha, Pesto dip! And some puff pastry which I can use as base. And those left over chopped red onions intended for salads need not stay another day longer in the fridge. So today, I will be making this:

HANGOVER MOZZARELLA BALL TARTLETS

  • 1 ½ cup Bufala Mozzarella balls
  • 1 cup pesto
  • 4 tbsp. Chopped red onions
  • 1 ready puff pastry

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Go check the dishwasher if your glasses and appetizer plates are dry. Put them all back to their respective glass cases. Go back to the kitchen and take your puff pastry.

Roll out the dough to half of the original thickness.

Cut 24 rounds of 1 ½ inch. Fit the rounds into the mini muffin cups.

Prick with a fork a couple of times on the bottom.

Bake until golden brown about 15 minutes.

Meantime, check to see if you have left over wine or liquor. If you have half a bottle of opened red wine, pour yourself a glass, or two. Heck, finish the contents of that unopened bottle. No use throwing good wine. That’s hard earned money you bought it with. But if there’s more than one open bottle, pour the rest in an ice cube tray and freeze it. You can use the frozen cubes of wine in your dishes when making stew or braised meats.

Go back to kitchen. Check your tartlets. If it’s not yet brown, leave it until it does. In the meantime, mix the pesto and the chopped red onions. Pinch the mozzarella balls into the pesto onion mixture.

Check your tartlets and when brown remove it from oven. Go back to the living room with a trash bag and throw away all cigarette butts from ashtrays, used paper napkins and wipe away stains from wine glass, food bits and crumbs. Go back to kitchen.

Distribute evenly the pesto, mozzarella and onion mix into the muffin cups. Bake for about 15 minutes. Go back to the living room with a broom. Sweep away anything that doesn’t belong to your space. Now go back to the kitchen and check on those tarts again to see if the cheese has melted. Am sure with the extra wine plus the tart you just made, pat yourself on the back and say, “great weekend!” If you have no mozzarella cheese at home, you can always order it online through the best cheese shop in town, the Ideal Cheese Shop. And so, with tart on one hand and wine on the other, time to process yourself for that Christmas Spirit!