Potato Dauphine and Pesto cheese and Crostini alla Mozzarella

[Guest guest]

I've noticed I have quite a few vegetarian recipes,all include cheese,

but they are all great.

 

Potato Dauphine

Sliced potatoes with cream and Parmesan cheese. They go quite nicely

with white rice, cooked vegetables or even as a main course.

 

Ingredients

> 1 1/2 kg of white potatoes

> 1/2 lt. of milk

> 1/2 lt. of milk cream

> 2 garlic cloves, minced

> Nutmeg, grated

> 100 grs. of Parmesan or Gruyere cheese, grated

> Sal and black pepper

> 1/3 cup of butter

 

Preparation

Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. In a pot cook the

garlic in butter until golden, at the grated nutmeg, the milk and the

cream and heat to a low boil. Add the potato slices and cook well.

With a pasta spoon (spoon with holes) carefully remove the potatoes

and place in a buttered glass oven proof pan. Cook the remaining

cream a bit longer, until it acquires a thicker consistency. Add the

cheese, add salt and pepper to taste and pour the cream over the

potato slices. Spread a few bits of butter on top and cook in the oven

at 350 degree for approximately 40-45 minutes.

 

(I also have the Dauphine potato balls recipe. Comment if you're

interested)

 

 

 

Pesto cheese

This is an excellent snack for those dinners. Serve with crackers and

watch it disappear.

 

Ingredients

For the Pesto

> 1 clove of garlic

> 1 1/2 cup of basil

> ½ cup of pine nuts (chopped pecans or nuts into small pieces)

> ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese

> 1.3 cup of olive oil

 

Cheese mold

> 1 ½ packages of Philadelphia cream cheese (normal or light variety)

> ¾ cup of Ricotta Cheese

> ¾ cup of butter

> ½ cup of pine nuts (chopped pecans or nuts into small pieces)

> Small rectangular mold (Slightly bigger than a Philadelphia Cheese box)

> Plastic Film

 

> Garlic crackers or normal crackers

 

Preparation

 

Pesto :

Blend all the ingredients together in a blender into a rough paste.

Season with salt.

Cheese Mold:

Stir the butter until creamy, add the cheeses and mix well. Moisten a

rectangular mold, cover with plastic film. Carefully place a layer of

pine nuts, then carefully spread a layer of the cheese mix with a

spatula on top, follow with a half the pesto mix. Place a few more

pine nuts and add another layer of cheese, add the remaining pesto

sauce and place a few more pine nuts on top, add the rest of the

cheese. Refrigerate approximately 4 hours, until the cheese is firm.

 

Turn over on a serving dish, remove the plastic film and surround with

the crackers.

 

 

Crostini Alla Mozarrella (Baguette filled with melted morazella

cheese)My mom usually makes it, but my friend and I once tried our

skills at it. At the beginning, she wanted to save some for her mom ,

but 15 minutes later she insisted her mom could make her own,and

happily ate the last slice.

 

Ingredients

> 1 baguette bread, about the size of your forearm. Don't buy the

thin variety, or else it'll break when you fill it with the cheese.

 

Filling

> 1 ½ large Mozzarella balls, diced

> 1/3 cup of olive oil (don't use it all)

> 1 spoonful of garlic paste

> 1 ½ spoonful of oregano (wild marjoram)

> Salt, pepper

> 1 Spoonful of minced olives (optional)

 

Preparation

Cut each end of the Baguette and set aside. (Each end has to be aprox.

4 fingers in width). Remove the crumbs with the aid of a long knife.

I used a bread knife and a fork to carefully remove the interior.

Leave ½ inch of bread on the edges and be very careful not to break

the bread.

 

In a bowl mix the mozzarella, the oregano, the olive oil, salt paper

to taste and (optional) mince olives). Fill the baguette with the

cheese mix with a spoon, DON'T overfill or press the mozzarella in too

hard. Leave Use the baguette ends to seal the bread. (the pointy ends

go inside the bread. Remove any mozzarella if the fit is too tight).

 

If you have any left over mozzarella, you can fill a smaller bread

using the same technique.

 

Place the baguette on a greased (with olive oil) metal sheet

 

Moments before serving: Preheat the oven at 350 degrees, place the

bread inside until slightly golden and cheese has just started to

melt(if you touch it, it should be softer. Don't user a fork to test

it, otherwise the melted cheese will pop out). Place on serving dish

with a bread knife. Cut diagonally into 1 ½ inch wide slices.

 

If anyone is interested, I also have:

> Cherry chutney

> Warm Spinach Salad (with cheese)

> Brown Rice with veggies

> Provenzal Leek Tart

> Tomato and mushroom sauce (for anyting from white rice, tofu, or

potatos)

> Green Bean Christmas tree

> Glazed Carrots 9one of my favorites)

> Italian Dip (made with cheese and basil) for mozzarella balls

> Humus

> Spinach Quiche

> Broccoli Quiche

> Eggplants with cheese

> Spinach a la Creme

> Dauphine potato balls