Spicy Etorki Pizza

*Update: Please vote for my entry in the Ile De France Springlicious Recipe Contest.
**Update #2: Thank you to Robert, Jamie & David for posting my entry on your respective Twitters and FB. Love you guys X D
**Update #3: Shout out to Simon & Jennifer for posting the link on Friendster



One thing I've always enjoyed eating is cheese. After all, nothing is more relaxing & fun than sipping wine & tasting new cheeses with friends. I was really happy when Ile De France sent Etorki sheep's milk cheese to me this month.

Etorki was the first sheep's milk cheese I have ever tasted. The cheese has a soft, smooth feel, with a delicious taste similar to white cheddar. When melted, the Etorki takes on a mellow flavor reminiscent of mozzarella and Parmesan combined. I knew from the first bite that this sophisticated, flavorful cheese would work perfectly with spicy foods.

That is why I decided to bake Spicy Etorki Pizza. The flavors of the Etorki cheese and the spicy adobo sauce balance each other well.

Spicy Etorki Pizza

Two 8 oz packages of crescent rolls
2 2/3 cups Etorki sheep's milk cheese, shredded
One 8 oz can of adobo sauce with whole peppers
6 deli slices of oven roasted, cured turkey breast
1/4 cups frozen white onions
1/3 cup frozen yellow corn
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp thyme
2 Tbsp frozen green pepper
Baking spray

Preheat oven to 365 degrees.

In a small microwavable bowl, mix the corn, onions, green peppers, salt, pepper & thyme. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Set aside.

Put the adobo sauce with whole peppers in a blender or food processor. Blend for 10-12 seconds until peppers are integrated with the sauce. Set aside.

Cover a large baking sheet with a layer of aluminum foil. Give the foil a quick spritz of baking spray.

Remove crescent roll dough from packages. Roll out over the aluminum foil lined tray.

Spread the adobo sauce over the crescent roll dough.

Next, sprinkle 1 1/3 cups Etorki sheep's milk cheese over the sauce layer.

Six overlapping slices of deli turkey go over the Etorki.

Now add another 1 1/3 cups Etorki sheep's milk cheese.

The final layer is the corn, green pepper & onion mixture.

Bake at 365 for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.

Serve immediately.

Ile De France Cheese: Holiday Bash for Cash

*ETA: Please vote for my entry. The contest ends on December 21st.





Cantaloupe-Goat Cheese Bites

Ile De France Goat Cheese (Original recipe: La Buchette), 6 oz, shredded
3 oz bacon bits
3 oz mixed nuts, chopped
1 lb of cantaloupe chunks

Take out two small bowls. Fill one with 1 1/2 oz chopped nuts. Put the bacon bits and the remaining 1 1/2 oz of chopped nuts in the second bowl. Set aside for the moment.

Now shred the goat cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Cut one end of the package, squeeze gently and press the goat cheese against a grater. Shredding the goat cheese will allow it to stick better to the cantaloupe.

Roll a chunk of cantaloupe in the shredded goat cheese. Repeat for the remaining cantaloupe.

One third of the cantaloupe bites will be served as is. The other two thirds of the goat cheese-cantaloupe chunks will be rolled in the nuts or the bacon-nut mixture.

This appetizer serves 6 to 8 people.

Ile De France: Prettiest Platter Contest

You all know how competetive I am. I've entered a photo in the Ile De France Prettiest Platter contest. Remember to vote for me until October 6.

"What ingredients did you use ?"

Ile De France Brie (single serve minis & one large wheel), shredded cheddar, an M&M, salad crunchies, rice and food coloring. I had to keep sticking the brie into the freezer to hold the shapes.

Ile De France Camembert

"Rich and creamy"
"Imported soft ripened cheese"

Today's recipes were inspired by the awesome Eclipse Chocolat and a delicious sample of Ile De France Camembert.





This was my spin on a grilled cheese sandwich. I used pulled pork (without bbq sauce), Ile De France Camembert and English muffins. The bread grilled just as nice as sliced bread. I enjoyed the creamy flavor of the cheese mixed with the smokiness of the pork.





For dessert, I made a fondue to go with the Camembert. I put eight pieces of dark chocolate Hershey's Bliss candy and a dollop of butter in a double boiler over medium heat. Once the butter and chocolate melted, 1/3 cup crushed blackberries were stirred in. I poured the chocolate in a glass and added a ring of gingersnaps. The final step was dipping pieces of Camembert in the chocolate. I loved the contrasting flavors of the Camembert and gingersnaps. They both played off the blackberry chocolate well. I'll definitely serve this for my next dinner party.

Salad Cupcakes

Last night I was reading Cupcakes Take The Cake. I found myself inspired by the mention of "cupcake salad." What I came up with is a simple, fun cupcake you can make for a dinner party.

I started by tweaking a recipe for blueberry buttermilk muffins. This recipe produced enough batter for 12 normal sized cupcakes and 12 mini cupcakes. Also, you don't want guests biting into the cupcakes and having salad toppings spill on the floor. That is why items such as fruit or nuts should be in the cupcake batter instead of sprinkled over the lettuce.

Muffins
2 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup melted butter - The original called for 1/4 lb. Didn't notice that until this morning
1 c. chopped cherries
2 Tbsp olive oil

Mix and sift dry ingredients together in large mixing bowl. Gradually add in buttermilk, eggs & melted butter. Mix in olive oil. Gently fold in cherries into mixture. Pour into greased muffin pan. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before starting the salad layer.

Salad
1 Tbsp Ile De France Goat Cheese (Original recipe: La Buchette)
2-3 pieces of lettuce from a bag of Fresh Express Premium Romaine Mix, torn into smaller bits
1-2 Ile De France Mini Toasts / Le Petit Pain Grille, broken into smaller pieces
1/2 Tsbp Ken's Steak House Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

After cupcakes have cooled completely, cut out the center of the cupcake. I used the round top of a sports bottle in place of a biscuit cutter. Don't push too hard when coring the cupcake, or it will crack on one side like mine did. You can scoop out any extra bits of cupcake with a small spoon if necessary.

Next, press the goat cheese on the hollowed walls and bottom of the cupcake. My first plan had been to use a dip or a ranch dressing. But those would have turned the cupcakes & lettuce soggy right away.

Now sprinkle some of the broken mini toast over the goat cheese. Top with a small amount of the lettuce. Alternate layers that way until the top layer is lettuce. Don't start your layering with the lettuce against the goat cheese. The mini toasts keep the lettuce from becoming mushy next to the cheese. Why mini toasts instead of croutons, you may wonder ? Mini toasts are flat and wide, making them easy to break into pieces smaller than croutons. Square croutons would have taken up too much space in the salad. And breaking croutons would've turned them into crumbs. Mini toasts give the cupcakes thin, jagged pieces that nestle in the lettuce. The result is small, crunchy bites for your guests.

Just before serving, sprinkle 1/2 tbsp or less vinaigrette over the lettuce. Only a tiny amount of dressing is required. Your guests should be able to take a bite and not have dressing splash out on them.

Goat Cheese - Chickpea Rounds

*May 1st update: Please vote for my Goat Cheese-Chick Pea rounds daily in the Ile De France recipe contest.

Goat Cheese-Chickpea Rounds

This recipe is a chic alternative to hush puppies, a Southern favorite. The sweet, creamy Ile De France goat cheese worked well with the sprinkling of tomatoes. Enjoy!

Servings: Twelve to fifteen rounds

Ile De France Goat Cheese (Original recipe: La Buchette), 4 oz, crumbled
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chickpea flour
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tbsp chopped onion
1 cup olive oil

Mix chickpea flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add buttermilk and eggs until thoroughly mixed with dry ingredients. Toss in chopped onions, tomatoes and goat cheese. Roll the batter into two inch balls, then flatten.

Add olive oil to frying pan and set on medium high heat. After oil has heated up, place the goat cheese-chickpea rounds into the pan. Deep fry for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until golden brown on each side. Watch carefully, as these cook quickly. Once the rounds are cooked, place them on a plate covered with a paper towel. Allow to cool one or two minutes before serving.