Peach and Brie Quesadillas with Lime-Honey Dipping Sauce

This intriguing appetizer is savory-sweet. Ripe—but firm—peaches work best; if they're too soft, they'll make the tortillas soggy. Placing the fillings on one side of the tortilla and folding the other half over (like a taco) makes the quesadillas easier to handle. Whole wheat tortillas would also be great, offering a sweet, nutty taste. The lime-honey dipping sauce balances the richness of the buttery filling.

Yield 6 servings (serving size: 2 quesadilla wedges and about 1 teaspoon sauce)

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 
  Quesadillas:
• 1 cup thinly sliced peeled firm ripe peaches (about 2 large)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 3 ounces Brie cheese, thinly sliced
• 4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
• Cooking spray
• Chive strips (optional)

Preparation

To prepare sauce, combine first 3 ingredients, stirring with a whisk; set aside.

To prepare quesadillas, combine peaches, 1 tablespoon chives, and sugar, tossing gently to coat. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange one-fourth of cheese and one-fourth of peach mixture over half of each tortilla; fold tortillas in half. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until tortillas are lightly browned and crisp. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges; serve with sauce. Garnish with chive strips, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 157 (23% from fat)

Fat: 4g (sat 2.5g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.1g)

Protein: 5.3g

Carbohydrate: 25.5g

Fiber: 0.7g

Cholesterol: 14mg

Iron: 0.9mg

Sodium: 316mg

Calcium: 30mg

Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light, JUNE 2005

Green Pepper Poppers

The three-cheese filling is a nice complement for the spicy peppers. You can also use a milder chile, such as a cherry pepper. Shredded cheddar cheese can take the place of Parmesan, if you like.

Yield 16 servings (serving size: 2 pepper halves)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) soft goat cheese
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 16 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Spoon about 2 teaspoons cheese mixture into each pepper half. Place pepper halves, cheese side up, on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill peppers 5 minutes or until bottoms of peppers are charred and cheese mixture is lightly browned. Carefully place peppers on a serving platter. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 84

Fat: 4.8g (sat 3.1g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.2g)

Protein: 7.1g

Carbohydrate: 3.5g

Fiber: 0.9g

Cholesterol: 11mg

Iron: 0.6mg

Sodium: 334mg

Calcium: 117mg

Jill Hough, Cooking Light, JUNE 2009

Three-Cheese Calzones

This recipe serves 4

Hands-On Time 0h20m

Total Time 0h35m

Ingredients

• 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough
• 1 cup fresh ricotta
• 1 cup grated mozzarella (4 ounces)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)
• 1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed and roughly chopped (5 cups)
• black pepper
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced salami
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup jarred marinara sauce, warmed

Directions

• 1Heat oven to 400° F. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll and stretch them into 8-inch rounds.
• 2In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• 3Layer the salami on one side of each round of dough and top with the cheese mixture. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges to seal.
• 4Brush the tops of the calzones with the oil. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with the sauce.

• By Kate Merker, November 2008
  

Quick Tip

If the dough is too elastic and shrinks back when you roll it flat into full rounds, let it rest for 15 minutes before trying again.

From RealSimple.com

White Cheddar Puffs with Green Onions

(Adapted from The Bon Appetit Cookbook: Fast Easy Fresh)

Makes about 18 puffs

1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (packed) extra-sharp white cheddar
1/3 cup green onions, minced

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring the water, butter, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Remove from heat; mix in flour. Stir over medium heat until the mixture becomes slightly shiny and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to form a sticky dough. Mix in the cheese and green onions.

Using two teaspoons, form the dough into 1-1 1/4 inch ovals. Drop onto baking sheet 1 inch apart.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake cheese puffs until golden, about 30 minutes if using room temperature dough and 35 minutes if the dough is chilled or frozen. Serve immediately.

From Dishing Up Delights.

Pandebono

Pandebono is a delicious cheese bread, perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack with coffee. It's a simple recipe made with cheese and two kinds of flour - tapioca flour (cassava or yuca starch) and precooked cornmeal, or masarepa. The cheesiness comes from salty farmer's cheese (queso fresco). The dough is shaped into balls or bagels, which puff up nicely in the oven even though there's no leavening ingredient. They're best when they're warm from the oven, and they reheat very well in the oven.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow masarepa (precooked cornmeal)
• 1/2 cup tapioca (cassava, yuca) flour
• 2 cups grated farmer's cheese, or queso fresco
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
   
   
2. Mix the two flours and the sugar in a bowl.
   
   
3. Stir in the grated cheese and the eggs. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Taste for salt, and add salt as needed. (Some farmer's cheeses are saltier than others).
   
   
4. Knead dough until smooth. If the dough seems too dry, add a few teaspoons of water.
   
   
5. Roll dough into balls that are slightly larger than golf balls. Or shape dough into small bagels. The rolls do not have to be perfectly smooth - they will puff up in the last several minutes of baking.
   
   
6. Place rolls on a greased cookie sheet and bake, about 20 minutes or until golden in color and puffed.
   
   
7. Serve warm.

Makes 15 small rolls

Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pao de Queijo)

PREP TIME	10 Min
COOK TIME	20 Min
READY IN	40 Min
Original recipe yield 6 breads Servings

Servings
US

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil or butter
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup milk or soy milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups tapioca flour
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 beaten eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Pour olive oil, water, milk, and salt into a large saucepan, and place over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat immediately, and stir in tapioca flour and garlic until smooth. Set aside to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Stir the cheese and egg into the tapioca mixture until well combined, the mixture will be chunky like cottage cheese. Drop rounded, 1/4 cup-sized balls of the mixture onto an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until the tops are lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

Hot Artichoke Cheese Dip

This warm dip is just the thing when you hanker for a creamy, cheesy snack. And because you are likely to have the ingredients on hand in the fridge and freezer, it's also great for impromptu entertaining.

Yield 12 servings (serving size: 2 1/2 tablespoons dip and 2 baguette slices)

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 green onion, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained
• Cooking spray
• 24 (1/2-ounce) slices baguette, toasted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Place garlic and onion in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and next 4 ingredients (through pepper); process until almost smooth. Add artichoke hearts; pulse until artichoke hearts are coarsely chopped. Spoon mixture into a 3-cup gratin dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated and bubbly. Serve hot with baguette.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 126 (24% from fat)

Fat: 3.4g (sat 1.3g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.5g)

Protein: 5.1g

Carbohydrate: 20.8g

Fiber: 2.3g

Cholesterol: 7mg

Iron: 1.1mg

Sodium: 334mg

Calcium: 59mg

Jeanne Thiel Kelley, Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2008

Gratin of Belgian Endive with Bacon (Gratin d'Endives Ardennaise)

Serve this dish as a hearty appetizer or side dish. If you prefer, double the serving size to yield four entrée portions. As they're exposed to light and begin to age, the endive leaves curl and turn bitter, so be sure to choose plump, white, firm heads and store them in a dark, cool place. The gratin can be prepared up to two days ahead, refrigerated, and browned just before serving.

8 heads Belgian endive, trimmed and halved
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
1.1 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon butter
Dash of grated fresh nutmeg
Cooking spray
2 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Sprinkle endive evenly with sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Arrange endive halves, cut side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet; cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until endive is tender when pierced with a fork, turning after 15 minutes.

3. Increase oven temperature to 400°.

4. Cook 1 3/4 cups milk in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). To make a slurry, weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Stir flour into remaining 1/4 cup milk, whisking until well blended. Stir slurry, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper into hot milk; bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 2 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat; add butter and nutmeg, stirring until blended. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired.

5. Arrange endive in a 13 x 9–inch shallow casserole dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with bacon. Pour sauce over endive; top with cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 endive halves and about 1/4 cup sauce)

CALORIES 120 ; FAT 5.8g (sat 3.3g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.4g); CHOLESTEROL 18mg; CALCIUM 179mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.2g; SODIUM 263mg; PROTEIN 6.6g; FIBER 3.6g; IRON 0.5mg

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2009

Ham and Cheese Tartines with Cherokee Purple Tomato Salad

Ham and Cheese Tartines with Cherokee Purple Tomato Salad

A tartine is an open-faced sandwich. Manchego, a sheep's-milk cheese, and serrano ham give this tasty salad a Spanish flair.

Tartines:
4 (1 1/2-ounce) slices ciabatta bread, toasted
1 ounce serrano ham, cut into 4 thin slices
3 ounces Manchego cheese, cut into 4 thin slices
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

Salad:
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups torn Boston lettuce
3 cups thinly sliced honeydew melon
3 medium Cherokee Purple tomatoes, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1. Preheat broiler.

2. To prepare tartines, place bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Arrange 1 ham slice and 1 cheese slice on each bread slice. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon oregano.

3. To prepare salad, combine 1 tablespoon oregano and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Arrange 1 cup lettuce on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 3/4 cup honeydew and 1/2 cup tomato slices. Drizzle each serving with about 1 tablespoon dressing. Place 1 tartine on each plate.


Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 269 (34% from fat); FAT 10.3g (sat 3.9g,mono 4.5g,poly 0.8g); IRON 2.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 19mg; CALCIUM 135mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.4g; SODIUM 730mg; PROTEIN 11.2g; FIBER 2.2g

Cooking Light, AUGUST 2008

BAKED RICE, CHEESE AND VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

Serves 6 to 8.
A rich side dish for pork or lamb chops.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1 large tomato, seeded, chopped
3 cups cooked rice (about 1 cup raw)
2 cups grated Swiss cheese (about 6 ounces)
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried


Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add corn and tomato and sauté 3 minutes. Add rice, 1 cup cheese, cream and thyme and stir until cheese melts and mixture is heated through. Transfer mixture to 8-cup soufflé dish.

Preheat broiler. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over rice mixture. Broil until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Bon Appétit
May 1993
Jackie O'Halloran

Cheese Souffle

Serves 1 (or 2 with another dish).

1 1/2 T unsalted butter
1 1/2 T all-purpose flour
2/3 cup milk, warmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, separated, plus 1 egg white
2 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded, or fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1 T minced fresh chives or green onion tops
1 slice bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled, or 1 slice Canadian bacon or ham, diced (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 F. Butter an oval 2-cup gratin dish or small round souffle dish.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir well, reduce the heat to low, and cook, whisking, for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk, bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lightly beat the yolks until blended, then slowly add to the milk mixture, stirring constantly. Transfer to a large bowl.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. To the holk mixture, add half of the cheese, the chives, the bacon, if using, and one-third of the gg whites and stir to combine. Then gently fold in the remaining whites, being careful not to deflate them. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake until top is golden, about 15 minutes. It's all right if the center is a bit creamy and soft, rather than dry thoughout. Eat at once.

From Solo Suppers, by Joyce Godlstein.

Wild Mushroom Ragout on Crispy Polenta with Comte Cheese

10 First-course servings

Polenta
2 cups whole milk
2 low-salt chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
1/2 cup packed coarsely grated Comte cheese
2 T (1/4 stick) butter

Mushroom Ragout
3 T butter, divided
4 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds assorted wild mushrooms (such as oyster, crimini, and stemmed shiitake), thickly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup creme fraiche or whipping cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsely, divided
1/3 cup (packed) coarsely grated Comte cheese

Polenta
Generously butter 13x9x1-inch baking sheet. Bring milk, broth, and bay leaf to simmer in heavy saucepan. Remove saucepan from heat; cover and let steep 20 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Discard bay leaf. Bring liquid to boil. Gradually add polenta, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until polenta is very thick, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Stir in Comte cheese and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer polenta evenly over sheet to edges. Chill until firm, at least 3 hours. Cut polenta into 20 squares.

do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Mushroom Ragout
Melt 2 T butter with 2 T oil in large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add all mushrooms and saute until tender and browned, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add shallots and balsamic vinegar; saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Season lightly to taste with salt and pepper.

do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Rewarm mushrooms in large skillet over medium-high heat until heated through. Add broth and simmer, 1 minute. Stir in creme fraiche and add half of parsley. Season mushroom ragout to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 F. Melt remaining 1 T butter with remaining 2 T olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add polenta squares to skillet and cook until browned, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven while cooking remaining polenta squares.

Arrange 2 polenta squares on each plate. Top each with warm mushroom ragout; sprinkle with grated Comte cheese and remaining parsley and serve.

more info Comte is a semi-firm, Gruyere-style cow's milk cheese made primarily in France's Franche-Comte region. It adds great flavor to this recipe and would also be delicious on a cheese platter. Comte is available at some supermarkets, cheese shops, and specialty food stores.

From Bon Appetit, December 2007.

Cheese Souffle Drunk

3/4 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 tsp grated raw onion
1/2 tsp prepared mustard (French’s)
1/2 tsp chopped, parsley
1/2 tsp chives
Dash of Worcestshire & accent

Mix all together. Add one stiffly beaten egg white just before baking. Fold into cheese mixture.

Bake in dish which it will be served at 350 for 25 to 30 min or until knife comes out clean.
Use strong chips like Fritos.

Cheese Stuffed Jumbo Shells

1 lb (15 oz) ricotta cheese
8 oz. mozarella diced
1 egg
1 pkg shells - 24
Spaghetti Sauce
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
sweet basil
white pepper
nutmeg
parsley

Heat oven to 350.
Mix cheese in large bowl - add spices & eggs.
Have shells cooked al dente (9 mins).
Fill shells w. mixture.
Place shells in 9x13 baking dish.
Pour sauce over shells. Sprinkle top w. parmesan cheese & parsley. Bake 30 mins. Can be made day of but does not freeze well. 2-3 shells is filling.