Easy Cheesy Queso Dip

Ok, so this recipe is not paleo-friendly at all.  But this is a super easy appetizer to throw together if some friends show up at your door to hang out for a bit unexpectedly, or you decide to head over to a get together last-minute and have nothing planned or prepped to contribute.  Bottom line, it's super fast to throw together and is always a hit.  I've been making this dip for many years, I think since high school, or shortly thereafter.  My friend Destiny made it many, many years ago for a get together at her house and I've loved it ever since. 

Easy Cheesy Queso Dip

8 oz organic cream cheese, or homemade soft cheese
1/2 - 3/4 cup homemade salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar or co-jack cheese

Leave cream cheese out of refrigerator to soften a little.  Once it has softened, mix all ingredients together.  Serve immediately, or place back in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.  This is great with tortilla chips and fresh veggies! 

Broccoli-Chicken Bake

I made this for dinner one night last week. I found the recipe on Joyful Abode. This was very quick and easy to prep and it tasted great! It was a tasty grain-free dinner. All three of us really enjoyed it. It's a great meal to prep and freeze if you do OAMC or just like to plan ahead, too.

Broccoli Chicken Bake

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3-4 cups chopped broccoli
1/2 -1 cup diced onions
4 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
3 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Cook the chicken. I just stuck mine in the oven at 350 and baked it for 15-20 minutes until it was done. You can boil it or grill it if you'd prefer. Once cooked, cut your chicken into bite-sized chunks.

If your broccoli is fresh/raw, you should steam it for about 5 minutes. I used broccoli that I had frozen last summer, so I just used it still frozen.

Next, melt butter in a saucepan. Add the diced onions and saute for a few minutes. Then add the arrowroot powder and stir. Next, add the milk. Bring to a soft boil, stirring. Add the cheese and stir. Stir in the seasonings. Taste it to make sure the flavors are good.

Now put the chicken and broccoli in a casserole dish. Pour the cheese sauce over top.

You can now pop this in the freezer for later, pop it in the fridge for tomorrow's dinner like I did, or pop it in the oven to cook at 350 for about 20 minutes.

This post is linked to:
Foodie's Follow Fridays at Hella Delicious
Monday Mania at the Healthy Home Economist

Marbled Brownies

We visited some friends for dinner last night.  I was responsible for dessert.  I debated about what to bring, from fancy, complicated desserts to very simple, yet tasty.  I decided to go for the latter since I knew we'd end up being a little pressed for time yesterday.  I decided to just make some marbled brownies.  I used the chocolate chip brownie recipe from Heavenly Homemakers as my base and then just added some cream cheese batter to swirl through.  I haven't made marbled brownies in a long time, but I used to make them quite regularly, so I just went off memory for the cream cheese mixture... and I used my own homemade soft cheese in place of the store-bought cream cheese brick.  I did modify Laura's recipe slightly by adding in about 1/2 cup of milk and an extra egg since the mixture just seemed too thick for brownies (I like fudgy brownies :).  I also doubled the recipe for a larger pan.  I've posted the recipe adjusted for the larger pan and with the extra egg and milk below. 

I think they turned out pretty well and they seemed to go over quite well with everyone.  My parents had one today and even they liked them (they normally aren't too crazy about made-from-scratch goodies that use whole wheat flour).  They were quite thick and dense, not necessarily fudgy, but definitely not dry like I feel like they would have been without the extra egg and milk.

These were also super easy to throw together.  They were just as easy as throwing together a boxed brownie mix... only these are much better for you, made with good, quality ingredients.  And I almost always have all the ingredients on hand.  I'll definitely make these again sometime. 

Marbled Brownies

Chocolate brownie mixture:
2 sticks butter, melted
2 cups rapadura/sucanat
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream cheese mixture:
1 cup/8 oz cream cheese, softened (either use a brick from the store, or homemade)
1 egg
1/4 cup sucanat/rapadura
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, stir together butter, rapadura/sucanat, and cocoa. Mix in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Stir in flour and mix until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together softened cream cheese, egg, sucanat/rapadura, and vanilla.  Stir until combined.  Set aside. 

Grease a 9x13 baking pan with coconut oil.  Spread about 3/4 of the chocolate mixture on the bottom of the pan.  Spoon the cream cheese mixture on top of the chocolate batter in dollups.  Then spoon the remaining chocolate batter in dollups between the cream cheese dollups.  Cut through the mixtures with a knife to create the marble design. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


This post is linked to Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist and Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

Cheese Crisps (Grain-Free Cheese Crackers)

I've actually had these several times in the past, but I've just never made them myself.  My aunt made them for a few different family parties during her different low-carb diet phases.  They were always very tasty!  I always thought that I should make some of my own at some point, but just never have gotten around to it.  Then I saw the recipe posted on Joyful Abode and figured I'd make some this afternoon.  I used some local, organic co-jack cheese for these.  I want to make some with parmesan soon (which my aunt has made and they are sooo good!), but figured I'd just make one kind today.  I made some plain, some I sprinkled with garlic powder, some I sprinkled with a tomato-basil spice mix, and some I sprinkled with my homemade ranch dressing mix.  All of them are great! 

These will be nice to have on hand for snacks and lunches.  All three of us really like these a lot, too.  And they're a great way to cut some grains out of your diet. 

Cheese Crisps

your favorite block of cheese OR your favorite shredded cheese
seasonings of your choice (optional)
parchment paper

Preheat your oven to 350.  Put some parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

I used a block of cheese, but you can use shredded cheese if that's what you have, or what you prefer.  If you’re using shredded cheese, toss it together in a bowl with any seasonings you feel like using.  You can try lots of different seasoning options.  Just don't use salt... cheese is already salty enough on its own. Once you have the shredded cheese and seasoings mixed, place about a teaspoonful of cheese in little mounds all over the parchment-lined cookie sheet, spaced out because they will spread.

If you’re using a block of cheese, slice it thinly and cut it into little squares. About an inch square is good. Again, they will spread out, so place these on the parchment-lined cookie sheet with some space between them.

Bake for 5-7 minutes. Then take a peek. The cheese will be all bubbly. 

If the edges are starting to crisp up or brown a little, take them out.  If you’re not sure, leave it in for another minute or two.  I had to leave mine in for about 10 minutes.  If you take them out too soon, you won't get crisps... you'll just have rubbery melted cheese. 

When you remove them from the oven, you’ll need to let them cool. I just pulled the parchment off the cookie sheet and placed it on my cool, granite counters.  If you don't have cool to the touch counters, then place the crisps on a cool plate.  After a few minutes, they’ll be crisp.

This post is linked to Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist, Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, and Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFGLINS. 

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Here is yet another recipe that I made for Christmas this year. I first had this when a colleague of mine brought it into work. It was soooo good! She just uses a recipe found on AllRecipes. I wanted to try making it with my own healthier ingredients... and I wanted to do it all in the crockpot. So I made some modifications and voila! Buffalo chicken dip... and I have to say I think it tastes even better than my colleague's! :) It was a hit at both Christmas parties that I took it to. It doesn't look too appealing, but once you taste it (and if you like buffalo wings), you'll be hooked!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 cups shredded chicken (I used some that I had shredded and frozen... and I just dumped it in still frozen)

2 cups soft cheese (or you could use organic cream cheese)

1 cup Ranch dressing

3/4 cup hot sauce (like Frank's Red Hot, Tabasco, etc.)

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Dump all ingredients into a 2 or 3 quart crockpot. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours. Stir before serving. Serve with celery sticks, crackers, or tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Traditional Ricotta Cheese

I really try to get the most out of everything when it comes to cooking and food.  So when I saw a recipe on the Fias Co Farm site for making ricotta cheese out of the whey that is leftover when you make a lactic acid or rennet precipitated cheese, I was all about trying it.  So the last few times I've made my soft cheese, I've done just that.  This is extremely easy.  The downside is that you really don't get a lot of ricotta out of a quart of whey.  But this is too simple of a process not to still make the ricotta... plus the resulting ricotta tastes awesome!  I've just been adding it to a container that I've been keeping in my freezer until I get enough to use in a recipe.  I've finally got enough to use and cannot wait to try it next week in a recipe! 

Traditional Ricotta Cheese (made from whey)

You will need:
whey leftover from making a lactic acid or rennet precipitated cheese
vinegar, optional
stainless steel saucepan
thermometer
colander
large bowl or pot into which the colander fits
2 pieces of 90-count cheesecloth or butter muslin

Pour the whey into a saucepan and heat to 200 degrees.  Once you reach this temperature, you should see very tiny white particles (the albumin protein) floating in the whey.  You may add a little vinegar at this point if you'd like (1/4 cup per 2 gallons of whey).  It's up to you, some people do and some people don't.  I've done it both ways and have not really noticed much of a difference.  Adding the vinegar supposedly makes the texture of the ricotta a little more grainy, but I really haven't noticed it.

Line a colander with very fine cheesecloth/butter muslin.  I fold mine in quarters so I have 8 layers (between the 2 pieces) of cloth.  You really need a really fine cloth because the cheese will pass right through if you don't.  Place the colander over a big bowl or pot so you can save the whey for soups or baking bread.  Carefully pour the hot whey through the cheesecloth lined colander.

Tie the ends of the cheesecloth together and hang the ricotta to drain for 2-4 hours.

When it has finished draining, put the ricotta in a bowl and add salt to taste.  Ricotta will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge, or you can freeze it until you have enough to use in a recipe. 

This post is participating in Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

Soft Cheese (like Chevre/Goat Cheese)

I've been dabbling in the world of cheese making for the last month or so now. I have tried a couple different cheeses, first of which was soft cheese. I followed Wardeh from GNOWFGLINS' instructions in her guest post on Edible Aria, as well as some guidance received via email and facebook. Wardeh has been a tremendous resource to me - in more areas than cheese-making, but I especially appreciate her guidance with cheese. I'm not sure I'd have tackled the cheeses I have so far, nor plan to do the cheeses that I want to try very soon, if it was not for her. So, thank you, Wardeh!

Soft cheese would be called chevre or goat cheese if I used goat's milk, but since I use raw cow's milk, its just soft cheese. It is one of the easiest cheeses to make... hence why I chose to start with it. :) You don't need any fancy molds or presses. Just your ingredients, a jar, some cheesecloth, a large bowl, and a way to hang the cheese. I've now made soft cheese three times and will be making it again this weekend. Its great to use plain (spread on toast, sourdough english muffins, sweet muffins, as fruit dip, etc.), mixed with herbs for a delicious spread on crackers or veggies, as sour cream, salad dressing, or in dishes. We've really enjoyed the results when using it in cooked dishes. Its such a nice, mild, creamy cheese.

The recipe I follow makes about 3 cups of soft cheese. It will keep for about a week in the fridge and it freezes well. Depending on my meal plan for the week, I will keep 1-2 cups of it fresh in the fridge and freeze the remainder for use the following week or whenever. Here is what I do... it may sound like a long process, but the active time is very minimal and does not take much skill at all.

Soft Cheese

1/2 gallon of raw goat or raw cow milk
1/8 teaspoon all-purpose mesophilic culture (MA or MM)
1/4 cup clean, filtered water
double strength organic liquid vegetable rennet
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

You will also need:
cloth napkin and rubber band
stainless steel or other non-reactive colander
stainless steel pot or other non-reactive large bowl into which the colander fits
2 pieces of 90-count cheesecloth or butter muslin

DAY ONE:

On day one, pour the milk into a half-gallon mason jar. Then, sprinkle the mesophilic culture on top of the milk and stir with a wooden spoon (do not use metal).

In a separate jar or cup, put the 1/4 cup of water. Add one drop of the double-strength liquid rennet and stir well. Take one tablespoon of this solution and add it to the jar of milk. Stir the milk well with your wooden spoon. (If you are using regular strength liquid rennet, mix one drop with the water, but add 2 tablespoons of the solution to the milk and stir well... I just use the double strength since that's what I bought after seeing what Wardeh uses... maybe someday I'll try the regular strength.) If you think you will be making more soft cheese within a week or two, keep the rennet solution in the refrigerator. Otherwise just throw it away.

Cover the jar of milk with a cloth napkin and secure with a rubber band. Let sit out at room temperature to culture for 24 hours.

DAY TWO:

Once the milk has cultured for 24 hours, it should resemble the consistency of a thick yogurt. Put your colander inside your pot or bowl. Layer the two pieces of cheesecloth or butter muslin in the colander. Gently pour the cultured milk into the cheesecloth. Tie up the cheesecloth, making a sort of bag to enclose the curds. You can just leave this in the colander as is, or hang it above the colander/bowl setup. I hang mine after I've let it drip in the colander for about an hour. Leave this at room temperature for 24 hours, during which time the whey will drip out and the curds will thicken.

DAY THREE:

Untie the cheesecloth and check the consistency of the cheese. It should be thick, but spreadable and not dry. You may let it hang longer if you wish the cheese to thicken more.

Once your cheese has reached your desired thickness, transfer to a clean bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Stir. Adjust amount of salt to taste. Pop the cheese into the refrigerator to chill. You may freeze some if you don't think you'll use it within a week or two.

Make sure you save the whey that has collected in the pot/bowl. Keep this in the refrigerator for up to 6 months to use in lacto-fermentation or add to soups. 

I end up with a quart of whey, plus three cups of cheese from this recipe.


This post is shared as part of the GNOWFGLINS Tuesday Twister.

Crockpot Corn and Spinach Enchiladas

I tried another recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking a few weeks back. I've had this recipe marked for ages, but just never got around to trying it. I can't believe it took me this long. These are great! We all really liked them a lot. This is a versatile recipe, too, you could add or subtract different ingredients to make it to your liking. I made it as is for the first try and it was delicious.

The pictures don't look the best, but it honestly was really good!

Crockpot Creamy Corn and Spinach Enchiladas

1 can creamed corn
1 cup shredded already-cooked meat (I used pork tenderloin)
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons chopped, sliced jalapenos (I skipped this since I didn't have any and just added a pinch of crushed red pepper)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheeses
1 can (28 oz) green enchilada sauce
2/3 cup sour cream
corn or flour tortillas (I used flour since that's what I had, but corn would be awesome, I think)
more shredded cheese for topping

I used a 4-quart crockpot for this and made this in layers. You could also fill each tortilla with the filling and later the rolled enchiladas in the bottom of a bigger crock.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat, corn, cilantro, spinach, peppers, and cheese. Mix well. This is your enchilada filling

In another bowl, combine the green enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Spray your pot with cooking spray or rub with butter. Layer tortillas with your filling in several layers and top it all with the sauce mixture. I think I had 4 layers of tortillas and 3 layers of filling - tortillas, filling, tortillas, filling, tortillas, filling, tortillas, sauce. I also sprinkled some shredded cheese on top.

Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours, or on low for 5-7 hours. Let stand for 20 minutes with the lid off before cutting into it.

Whey and Labneh/Yogurt Cheese

A few weeks ago, I made whey and labneh/yogurt cheese. This is also out of Nourishing Traditions. The labneh is very similar to a whipped cream cheese that you buy at the store and can be used as such (and is how we're using ours). I needed to make this so that I would have some whey to use in some lacto-fermentation recipes that I've been wanting to try. So I gave it a go. This has to be about the easies thing I've ever done. All you do is drain the yogurt, then string it up to drip some more. It only takes a few hours and voila! You have whey and what you can use for cream cheese! Brilliant! :) I have made some spreads out of my labneh. I chopped up some chives and mixed them in. I also mixed in some chopped garlic scapes into another small amount of cheese. Both were delicious spread on crackers! I'm going to try mixing in some strawberries for some strawberry cream cheese this week. There are so many possibilities!

Whey and Labneh/Yogurt Cheese/Cream Cheese

Cheesecloth or towel for straining (I used a floursack towel)
Glass bowl
2 qts. piima milk, whole milk buttermilk, yogurt or raw milk (I used whole milk yogurt)

If you are using piima milk or buttermilk, let stand at room temp 1-2 days until the milk visibly separates into white curds and yellowish whey. If you are using yogurt no advance preparation is needed. If you are using raw milk, place the milk in a clean glass container and allow to stand at room temp 1-4 days, until it separates.

Line a large strainer set over a bowl with a clean dish towel. Pour in the yogurt or separated milk. Cover. Let stand a room temp for several hours. The whey will run into the bowl and the milk solids will stay in the strainer. Tie up the towel with the milk solids inside, being careful not to squeeze. Let drain. When the bag stops dripping, the cheese is ready.

Store whey in a mason jar and cream cheese in a covered glass container. Refrigerated, the labneh keeps for about 1 month and the whey for about 6 months.