In Season: Very cheesy

Either for the holiday dinner or any other summer night, these easy-breezy dairy recipes are perfect in warm weather.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Spinich lasagne 311 (photo credit: Kfir Harrabi)
Spinich lasagne 311
(photo credit: Kfir Harrabi)
BROCCOLI SOUP WITH GOAT CHEESEMakes 4-6
Avery tasty soup that can be made with other green vegetables such as spinach or squash.
Courtesy of Shay lee-Lifa, Sunfrost.
✔ 1 package (800 gr.) frozen broccoli florets ✔ 50 gr. butter ✔ 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped ✔ 3 cloves garlic, chopped ✔ 1 roll goat cheese (Fromez) cut into 2 cm cubes ✔ 5 cups water (1.2 liters) ✔ Salt, coarse ground black pepper
Melt butter in a mediumsize pan. Add onion and sauté for two minutes. Add garlic and continue frying until softened, about 3 minutes. Add water, broccoli, cheese, salt and pepper and bring to boil.
Lower heat, cover and cook about 15 minutes. Using a hand blender or a food processor, process the soup until smooth and creamy. Correct seasoning and serve. For garnish use either chopped parsley or chives.
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CREPES
Chef Ram Antabi of Café Joe and the chef Tal Cohen from the Gad Dairy farm, offer an array of cheese filled crepes, both savory and sweet, all based on the same crepe mixture.
Mix together 11⁄2 cups milk, 2 eggs, 3 Tbsp. oil, 1 cup flour and 1⁄4 tsp. salt.
Spoon mixture on a skillet enough to create the disired size. Fry until ready and flip.
Fill with one of the below recipes or make your own
GREEK STYLE Makes 2 (4 crepes)
✔ 200 gr. sheep feta cheese ✔ 100 gr. labane ✔ 10 kalamata olives, stoned and sliced ✔ 20 moist tomatoes, sliced ✔ 1⁄2 cup roasted peppers, sliced ✔ 2 Tbsp. scallions, sliced ✔ Green hot pepper to taste
Prepare sauce: ✔ 1⁄2 cup thin sheep yogurt ✔ 1⁄2 Tbsp. minced garlic ✔ 1⁄2 tomato, chopped ✔ 10 mint leaves, chopped ✔ Juice of 1⁄2 lemon.
Mix all filling ingredients in a bowl.
Mix sauce in a different bowl.
heat 4 crepes in a small toaster-oven or an oven. Fill all four crepes. Roll folding the sides in. Place two crepes on each plate, seam side down. Spoon a little sauce on the crepes and serve the rest on the side. Serve with green salad.
WARM RICOTTA CREPES WITH TOMATO SAUCE
✔ 4 crepes ✔ 2 cups ready tomato sauce ✔ 50 gr. ground mozzarella
For the filling: ✔ 250 gr. ricotta with peppers ✔ 1 cup roasted peppers, chopped ✔ 50 gr. ground mozzarella ✔ 7 basil leaves, torn
Mix all filling ingredients together. Fill crepes and roll. Pour tomato sauce into an oven proof dish. Place rolled crepes on sauce seam side down.
Sprinkle ground mozzarella on top and place in a heated 180 oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. Serve with fresh vegetable salad.
SPINACH LASAGNA WITH CHEESES Makes 8
This lasagna has a few different white cheeses and cream.
Courtesy of Tnuva.
Spinach mixture:
✔ 400 gr. frozen spinach ✔ 100 gr. butter ✔ 250 gr. 24% Bulgarian feta (Piraeus) crumbled
Cheese mixture: ✔ 250 gr. 5% cottage cheese ✔ 250 gr. 9% white cheese ✔ 3⁄4 package (150 gr.) Emek flakes for baking ✔ 1 egg
Cream mixture: ✔ 250 gr. 10% cooking cream (“White Chef”) ✔ 1 egg yolk ✔ 1 tsp. salt ✔ 1⁄4 tsp. black pepper ✔ 1 Tbsp. thyme, chopped ✔ 12 lasagna sheets ✔ 2 fresh tomatoes, sliced
Prepare spinach: melt butter in a pan, add spinach, mix and cook for 8 minutes, until thawed completely.
Remove from heat. Add feta and mix gently.
Prepare cheese mixture: place ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
In a separate bowl mix cream with egg yolk, salt, pepper and thyme.
Make one layer of lasagna. Spread spinach mixture on top. Place another layer of lasagna over the spinach. Arrange tomato slices over the lasagna. Pour cream mixture on top. Bake at 170º about 50 minutes until golden. Serve hot.
COUSCOUS AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD
Tom Kabalo of Deca restaurant suggests using “Mishpaa Hama” couscous for an easy and filling salad.
✔ 200 gr. couscous ✔ 2 tomatoes ✔ 3 cucumbers ✔ 1 red pepper ✔ 1 carrot ✔ 1⁄2 celery root ✔ 1 fennel ✔ 1⁄2 purple onion ✔ Chili ✔ Whole cooked chickpeas (it is easy to use frozen or canned) ✔ Parsley ✔ Olive oil ✔ Lemon juice ✔ Salt and pepper ✔ Labaneh balls store bought or home made (recipe below)
Prepare couscous as directed on the package. Cook chickpeas in salt water, strain. Chop all the vegetables when cold and season. Mix with chilled couscous and chickpeas. Place in a serving bowl and arrange labaneh cheese balls around.
Make your own labaneh
Pour into a jug 3 liters of goat or cow yogurt. Add 2 Tbsp. salt and mix well. Pour the yogurt into a clean cotton pillowcase, tie the end of the pillowcase and place in a strainer over a large bowl and leave. The yogurt will produce a lot of cheese-water in the first few hours. Empty the bowl from time to time. You may also place the strainer directly in a sink but do not use water near it. The labaneh will be ready to use as a spread after 1 day.
Leaving it another day will make the labaneh dry enough to create balls. Make cheese balls using your hands and place in a glass jar filled with olive oil. The labaneh will keep a long time.
TUNA PIE WITH CHEESE
You may vary the flavor by using peppered tuna or one with added lemon or herbs. Courtesy of Starkist Tuna.
✔ 2 cans tuna ✔ 250 gr. 5% cottage cheese ✔ 250 gr. 5% white cheese ✔ 3 beaten eggs ✔ 1⁄2 cup bread crumbs ✔ Salt and pepper ✔ 2 medium onions ✔ 100 gr. yellow cheese, grated
Heat oven to 180 degrees.
Mix all ingredients except onion and yellow cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a well greased baking dish. Slice onions and fry rings in a little olive oil. Spread fried onions on the pie evenly. Sprinkle cheese over the onions. Bake 40 minutes or until golden.
Shavuot is fast approaching, and as well as spending time with family and eating cheesecake, the festival is traditionally associated with the mitzva of “bikkurim” – to represent the time when farmers brought the first fruits to the Temple.
Please send us a short description of a "first" which has been significant to you. We also want to see your pictures from the event so please send them in too.
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