cheese – Cooking Therapy

nachos

28 Mar 2021Leave a comment

Got any leftover chili or some cans of beans laying around? Then make this delicious, but messy, tray of nachos. Very simple to make and can be done in minutes. Nachos are not just for an appetiter or for parties; they can be a full-on meal. This recipe is very decadent and can be shared or eaten solo!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 1-4

Ingredients:
Tortilla or nacho chips (I used jalapeño-lime chips)
Leftover chili or one can of red kidney beans, drained and cooked to can instructions
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of spredded pepper jack cheese
either a jar of or homemade nacho cheese sauce
1 large tomato, diced
1 romaine lettuce shredded
1 scallion thinly chopped
1 avocado, pitted and diced
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
a few cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Instructions:
-layer a baking tray with wax paper
– mix the veggies together in a bowl and sprinkle a bit of salt to make some salsa
-add a layer of tortilla chips to the tray; add a scoop of chili or beans evenly across; drizzle some nacho cheese sauce and add some of both sprinkled cheeses; continue to layer this way to make as much nachos as you would like
-once the desire amount is made, top with an extra sprinkle of cheese, then turn your oven broiler on high. Cook the nachos until the cheese has melted.
-Once they are done, top with the salsa
-Enjoy!

CHEESESTEAKS

14 Mar 2021Leave a comment

Back when I used to work at an Italian Pizza and Sub shop, I could attest majority of my weight gain to the cheesesteaks and not the pizza. Something about the melted cheese and salty steak combined with the crunchy bread was more enticing to me than the pizzas. While the cheesesteaks at my old job were delicious, I did not enjoy using the think, processed steak meat. For this recipe, I used what I learned at the pizzeria but with better cuts of meat, with garlic bread as its place holder. The result was a filling meal that did not allow me to leave not even one crumb. Try yours today!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds of strip steak, sliced into ½ inch strips

2 large green, orange, or yellow peppers thinly sliced

1 cup of mushrooms thinly sliced

1 small onion, diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons of butter

1 cup of cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup of asiago cheese, grated

Salt

Black pepper

Red chili flakes

Sandwich rolls

*Note: This recipe can also be made vegetarian by substituting the meat with Portobello mushrooms sliced the same size*

Instructions

First, generously season the meat with salt and pepper; then add a sprinkle of red chili flakes. If you enjoy it spicy, add more chili flakes

In a small saucepan, sauté the garlic. Once it becomes fragrant, add the butter, and let it melt. Once melted, give it a swirl to incorporate the two flavors. Set aside
In a large pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onions. Once the onions become fragrant and begin to soften, add the peppers
Once the peppers begin to soften, add the meat and the mushrooms. Cook until the meat has browned, and the peppers and mushrooms have fully softened. Once that is done, set aside briefly

If they are not already sliced open, using a bread or serrated knife, carefully slice open the bread rolls. Using a brush, generously brush both sides of the bread with the garlic butter
Sprinkle some of the cheese on both buttered sides of the bread. Evenly divide the cooked steak and veggies amongst the rolls. Sprinkle some more cheese on top of the steak

Turn your oven broiler on high and place the sandwiches below it. Cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the bread has toasted
Serve and enjoy!

BAKED TORTELLINI

26 Apr 2020Leave a comment

What can be a more comforting meal than a big, saucy, CHEESY, plate of pasta. In this dish, I am showing you how to make a delicious tangy tomato sauce from scratch that will make any Italian nona proud. The dish is baked and the cheese becomes this beautiful, gooey, stringy companion to the sauce. This is a big hearty meal that should be enjoyed with a nap afterwards. Try yours today!

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Bake Time: 35 Minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 package of tortellini

1 can of diced tomatoes

2 plump Roma or plum tomatoes, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of black pepper

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 tablespoon of pesto

2 tablespoons of roasted red pepper paste

¼ cup of chopped parsley

1-pound ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼ thick or crumbled, based on your preference

½ cup grated parmesan cheese or pecorino romano

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Cook the tortellini to package instructions and strain. Set aside until it is time to bake
Time to make the sauce!
In a medium saucepan, sauté the garlic in olive oil until it becomes fragrant. Then add the diced tomatoes and continue to sauté until both the tomatoes and garlic soften

Add the can of diced tomatoes and stir
Add the salt, pepper, red chili flakes, and sugar and stir until they are blended into the sauce. Bring to boil, and then lower the heat to bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes
Add the pesto and roasted red pepper paste and stir until it is blended. Then add the parsley and stir one last time. Shut the heat off and set the sauce aside.

In a baking pan or dish, cover the base with a thin layer of sauce. Add half the tortellini amount and cover with sauce. Sprinkle some of the grated parmesan or pecorino romano across the sauce covered tortellini. Evenly place mozzarella slices across the top of the tortellini. Cover with sauce again and sprinkle more of the grated cheese

Add the remaining tortellini and repeat the sauce and cheese cover process

Place in the oven and cook for 35 minutes or until the cheese has become golden brown and the sauce is bubbling
Let it cool for 5 minutes
Serve and enjoy!

CACIO E PEPE MAC AND CHEESE

11 Jul 201912 Apr 20201 Comment

Mac and Cheese has got to be, if not already, one of the best and most favorite comfort foods (the homemade kind, not the boxed kind). It is stick-to-your-ribs good and makes anyone who eats it happy. I have yet to come across a mac and cheese plate that I did not enjoy. My recipe combines my take of a classic mac and cheese recipe with another one of my favorites, Cacio e Pepe. Cacio e Pepe is a traditional Italian dish which can be considered the original mac and cheese. It made with pasta, cheese, and fresh ground black pepper. It is simply decadent. Try this recipe today!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 box of medium shell pasta

3 tbsps of butter

3 tsps of black pepper

1 cup of heavy cream

½ cup of whole milk

2 oz pepperjack cheese

2 oz smoked gouda cheese

3 oz pecorino romano

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water with a pinch of salt to boil and cook the pasta to box directions for al dente. Set aside
In a food processor, add the cheeses and blend to make your cheese mix. This will make it easier to melt than having large chunks. See below

In a medium saucepot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and add the black pepper. Sprinkle a little flour to the butter and mix to make a roux
Add the heavy cream and milk and bring to a boil. Once it boils, add the cheese and stir. Once it melts and mixture begins to thicken, add the pasta and stir
Add some more pepper depending on your taste and stir one last time

Serve and enjoy!

Enchiladas Verdes

6 Apr 20175 May 2020Leave a comment

Back when I worked at a Tex-Mex restaurant, I loved making the enchiladas the most, especially the salsa verde ones. They pack so much flavor, it’s unbelievable. The cheesiness of the dish will have you hop in joy. Try yours today.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed and cleaned, cut into thin, ½ inch strips or cubed

1 12-pack of flour, burrito size tortillas

2 large poblano peppers, cut in half and seeded

3 jalapeno peppers, cut in half and seeded

1 pound of tomatillos

1 large white onion, quartered

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

¼ cup of cilantro, diced

Juice from half a lime

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Adobo seasoning

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Season the chicken with the salt, adobo, and black pepper. Cook it over a medium low heat until fully cooked. Set it to the side in a bowl to cool
While the chicken is cooling, roast the vegetables, not including the beans as it is a legume. This makes for a tastier sauce. It can be done either on an open stove top flame, the grill, or, what I did, in a square, indoor grill pan over a high heat until roasted. You do not have to do this step if you do not wish to and can go straight to blending the vegetables
After the vegetables are roasted, or raw if you chose not to roast them, add them, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and the lime juice in a food processor and blend until just slightly chunky. Sprinkle some cilantro into the sauce and stir
Once the salsa verde is blended, add half of it, half of the pepperjack cheese, and half of the cheddar cheese with the chicken and mix
Now it’s time to roll the enchiladas. In a baking tray, coat the bottom with a quarter of the remaining salsa. Add a decent amount of filling to the tortilla, and roll. Line the tray up with the enchiladas with the roll seam facing down. Coat them with the remaining salsa and afterwards the remaining cheese
Place them in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes
Once done, remove them and garnish with the leftover cilantro
Serve and enjoy!

ITALIAN STUFFED CHICKEN

31 Mar 201718 Apr 2020Leave a comment

This is a dish using a few number of ingredients that combined pack such an intense flavor, it will make you feel you are in Italy! The sweetness of the sundried tomatoes compliment the saltiness of the prosciutto. Add melted fresh mozzarella into the mix and you have a symphony of flavors brewing! This dish is versatile and can be sided with pasta, rice, or a crisp, fresh salad.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

6 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cleaned and trimmed

1 1 pound ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced into equal round ¼ inch slices and then into half moons

1 cup of sundried tomatoes

4oz of Prosciutto Di Parma

4 cloves of garlic, minced

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Pepper

1 ½ teaspoons of oregano

Crushed red pepper flakes

Wooden/bamboo skewers or baking string

Instructions

Cut the chicken breast horizontally through the middle of one side, about halfway through the chicken. Open the butterflied chicken breast like a book
Season with salt and pepper and add one or two prosciutto pieces (depending on size of chicken), a layer of fresh mozzarella, and a layer of the sundried tomatoes
Close the chicken up and it will look like sandwich. Season both sides with salt and pepper and rub a thin layer of olive oil with your hands across it. Now, using either wooden skewers or baker’s string, hold the chicken together so that the stuffing remains inside
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan and start cooking the garlic. Add the chicken and cook over a medium heat until each side browns, about 10-15 minutes. Season with the red pepper flakes and oregano as each side is cooking. Do not constantly flip the chicken while cooking, instead let it cook thoroughly on each side and flip only once
Once ready you can eat as a meal or pairing it with a plate of pasta. If you want to be healthy, it pairs well with a fresh, crisp salad. I used tagliatelle pasta
Enjoy!

Breakfast Popovers

26 Feb 201718 Apr 2020Leave a comment

An alternative to your usual breakfast, this ready to go bite is perfect not just for anyone who is in a rush, but also for people casually eating before work. What makes this popover great is that it can be baked in a variety of ways, or fillings, and is can be refrigerated to be eaten the next morning or prepped the night before, ready to be reheated as you are getting dressed for work.

Makes 12

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients

4 large eggs at room temperature

1 ½ cups of all purpose, unbleached flour

2 cups of milk at room temperature

1 tablespoon butter, for greasing up tray

3 breakfast sausage links (you can use any meat you like or make it completely vegetarian)

1 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar, gouda, Monterey, or any cheese of your choice)

1 ½ teaspoons of sea salt

½ teaspoon of pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a muffin or popover tray in the middle rack and let it heat up with the oven
While the oven is preheating, in a frying pan, cook the sausage or the filling you are going to use for the popovers. Once cooked, let it cook and dice up into kernel sized pieces
Once you have the filling ready, take out the tray from the oven carefully and grease it up with the butter. Add the filling and the cheese into the tray cups
In a separate large bowl, using a blender, blend the eggs until they become frothy. Add the flour, milk, salt and pepper and blend until mixed
Pour the batter into each tray cup until just below the rim
Place into oven and bake. Once the popovers are puffed and hold their shape, about 25 minutes, open the oven door and sprinkle a bit more cheese on top and cook until golden brown, about 10 more minutes.
Let them cool before serving. You can eat them straight or if you’d like, add some jam or drizzle a little maple syrup on top
Enjoy!