Havarti, Denmark's Versatile Cheese

Havarti is semi-soft Danish cow's milk cheese named after the experimental farm where it was first made in the 1800s. Havarti has a buttery aroma and can be somewhat sharp in the stronger varieties. The taste is also buttery, and from somewhat sweet to very sweet, and it is slightly acidic. It is typically aged about three months, though when it is older it gets more salty and has a hazelnut flavor. When left at room temperature, the cheese tends to soften quickly. Flavored variants of Havarti include: cranberry, caraway, dill, peppered, jalapeno and garlic.

Havarti is a favorite match with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or light-bodied Pinot Noir wine. Great food accompaniments are: smoked turkey, figs, raisins, walnuts, whole grain breads, pears and apples.

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Nutrition: 1 slice of Havarti equals 1 oz., Calories: 120, Protein: 6.0 g, Carbohydrates: 0.0 g, Total Fat: 11.0 g, Fiber: 0.0 g, Calcium: 150 mg.

Recipes:

Havarti-Feta Cheese Ball

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup shredded Havarti cheese

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon marsala wine

3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (1/4 tsp dry)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

2 medium green onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell peppers

crackers for serving

Beat cheeses, wine, oregano and green onion in medium bowl with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl frequently, until fluffy. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm enough to shape. Shape cheese combination into a ball; roll in parsley and bell pepper. Serve with crackers. Makes 1 and 3/4 cups. Can frost up to 2 months wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. To serve from freezer, unwrap cheese ball and let stand at room temp to thaw, or thaw loosely wrapped in refrigerator at least 8 hours. Refrigerate tightly covered up to 1 week.

Greek Baked Havarti Chicken

*Baked chicken breasts marinated in Italian dressing and Greek seasoning, topped with Havarti cheese, green chili pepper, and sautéed mushrooms. Pairs beautifully with long grain rice and steamed vegetables.

Ingredients

o 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

o 1 (8 ounce) box sliced fresh mushrooms

o 2 (4 ounce) cans whole green chili peppers, drained and sliced lengthwise

o 4 ounces sliced Havarti cheese

o Greek Dressing

o Greek Seasoning

o 1 tablespoon butter

o ½ teaspoon dill

o 1 tablespoon white cooking wine

o 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

o ½ teaspoon fresh, chopped, garlic

o salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Marinate chicken in Italian Dressing and Greek Seasoning, if using, for a minimum of 30 minutes.

3. Place chicken in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with additional Greek seasoning, if desired, and bake in preheated oven for almost 25 minutes, or until no longer pink in center and juices run clear.

4. Shortly before chicken is done, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling. Pour in wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and dill, and bring to a boil. Stir in mushrooms. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt as needed.

5. Remove chicken from the oven. Lay green chili slices on top of each breast, then top each chili with a slice of cheese. Return to the oven until cheese has melted.

6. Remove chicken from the oven, top with mushrooms and their pan juices, and serve.

Havarti, Denmark's Versatile Cheese

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Cooking With Cream Cheese

First created in the United Stated in the late 1800s, cream cheese has come to be a popular dairy food throughout North American and other parts of the world. Cream cheese with its rich taste and soft creamy texture is a rather versatile ingredient and it can be used for making everything from appetizers to casseroles to sweet desserts.

When cooking with cream cheese keep in mind eight ounces equals one cup while a three ounce block is about six tablespoons. Most recipes will call for softened cream cheese whether by putting it in the microwave or allowing it sit at room temperature. Room climatic characteristic cream cheese will be needed for making any type of cheesecake to accomplish smooth and creamy results.

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

For most recipes, you can substitute Neufchatel cheese for commonplace cream cheese. Neufchatel cheese is the French version of the American cheese also made from cow's milk but unripened and containing emulsifiers which help to lengthen shelf life.

Although there are several varieties of cream cheese ready flavored with fruits or seasonings you can as a matter of fact make your own by adding your popular fruit jellies or herbs. There are also low and non-fat versions of cream cheese any way because of the lower fat article they will not melt as well.

For making a quick and easy party dip mix together a jar of salsa and a holder of cream cheese then serve with crackers or cut vegetables.

Banana Pistachio Pie Recipe

What You Need

Nonstick cooking spray 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 7 cups granulated sugar 2 eggs 2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 ripe bananas, mashed 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups pistachio nuts, finely chopped, divided 5 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips, melted 8 ounce holder cream cheese, softened 5 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

How to Make It

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lightly coat the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate with the nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the vegetable shortening and the granulated sugar using an galvanic mixer until the combination is light and fluffy.

Add the eggs to the combination and beat well.

Gradually add in the flour followed by the baking soda and salt.

Add in the mashed bananas with the vanilla citation and beat the combination until smooth.

Add in 1 cup of the chopped pistachio nuts then spread the combination into the coated pie plate.

Bake the pie for 20 minutes or until done. You can as a matter of fact check for doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center, if it comes out clean the pie is done, otherwise bake for someone else 5 to 7 minutes.

Allow the pie to cool on the countertop for 30 minutes.

Heat the chocolate chips in the microwave until all are melted.

In someone else mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until the combination is fluffy. Spread the combination evenly around the pie and then drizzle the melted chocolate on top.

Sprinkle the remaining cup of chopped nuts on top of the banana pistachio pie and serve.

Serves 4.

Cooking With Cream Cheese

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Re-Canning Cheddar Cheese Sauce

My wife and I frequently pick up the gallon size cans of cheddar cheese sauce from SAMs club for use on Nacho Chips or in Macaroni and cheese meals for my grandson. We see the idea of purchasing the sauce this way is both economical and cost-effective however it is usually more than what we can use within a reasonable amount of time. Often the product will be opened for use in a couple of meals and then go bad while sitting idly by in the refrigeration.

After considerable thought we feel that we have a solution to this problem. We decided that canning the remainder of the cheese for some future time would resolve this issue completely. I must make mention at this time that the procedure I am about to present is not recommended by the USDA nor is it mentioned in the Ball Blue Book of Canning. According to the USDA, it is considered potentially unsafe to can products of this nature. In fact they often discourage the canning of homemade dairy products completely. It will be up to you to make your own decision as to what risks you are willing to take in order to can cheese products.

12 OUNCES EQUALS

The procedure I will describe is for the regular cheese sauce and not the nacho flavored sauce commonly sold. We have as yet not tried canning the Nacho Cheese. I will need to see the complete ingredient list in order to determine the safe pH levels involved with the product. You can use either pint jars or the 12 ounce Ball Jars frequently sold at most popular department stores such as Wal-Mart. The 12 ounce jars are taller however I believe that they conduct heat a bit better than their pint size cousins.

To begin the process take the gallon can of Cheddar cheese and then pour it into a large pot. Place the pot in the oven on the lowest setting until it is fluid like in consistency. Add it to the sterilized jars and adjust the lids accordingly leaving one half-inch head space in each container. Process the pints in a boiling water bath canner for at least 60 minutes.

These can readily be used for macaroni and cheese, placed on baked potatoes or even used to make scalloped potatoes. Isn't it time you prepared for those upcoming emergencies that we all see coming in our not to far future?

Joseph Parish

Re-Canning Cheddar Cheese Sauce

12 OUNCES EQUALS

How to Make Some yummy Cherry Cheese Bars

Just the title of this sweetmeat is adequate to make one's mouth water! Cherry and Cheese, wow! whether for dessert, a coffee klatch, church potluck, etc, these Cherry Cheese Bars will be a big hit! These bars will satisfy everybody from the youngsters to the grandparents. Treat your family and/or friends soon! We have also included directions for making this recipe diabetic friendly, if desired.

Cherry Cheese Bars
Crust:
1 cup walnut pieces, divided
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1/2 cup flaked coconut

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan and set aside.

Coarsely chop 1/2 cup of the nuts for topping; set aside.

Finely chop the remaining walnuts.

In a medium bowl, merge the flour and brown sugar. Cut in the butter flavored shortening until mixture forms fine crumbs. Stir in the finely chopped walnuts and the coconut; mix well. Remove 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture and set aside. Press the remaining mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

Filling:
2 pkgs (8-oz each) cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla
1 can (21-oz) cherry pie filling

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla at medium speed until smooth. Spread over the hot baked crust and return pan to the oven. Bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spread the cherry pie filling over the cream cheese layer. merge the reserved coarsely chopped walnuts and the reserved crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the cherries. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate for some hours before serving. To serve, cut into 36 bars.

Note: You can make this recipe diabetic cordial by substituting 1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend for the brown sugar in the crust. For the filling, substitute an equal estimate of Splenda granular for the granulated sugar. Substitute "No sugar added", Splenda sweetened cherry pie filling.

Enjoy!

How to Make Some yummy Cherry Cheese Bars

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

cottage Cheese Recipes - 2 Easy Baked Pasta Dishes With cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese has a lot less fat and fat than many other kinds of cheese. It is also a great source of protein and lends a creamy lusciousness to baked pasta recipes. Here are two of my beloved recipes for easy main dish recipes that include cottage cheese - Baked Ziti and Easy Lasagna. Ziti is a tube shaped pasta. If you can't find it, replace it with penne, shells, bow-ties, or your beloved shape. You can make them a day or two ahead and refrigerate until you are ready to bake them for dinner. While they bake, you can make toss together a simple salad. What could be simpler?

Baked Ziti
Makes 4 servings

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

8 ounces ziti, uncooked
1/2 pound extra lean ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups cottage cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook ziti agreeing to holder directions. Drain, and set aside.

Meanwhile, crumble meat in a large skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Add onions. Sauté until meat is fully cooked. Add spaghetti sauce.

In large bowl, consolidate cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly. Add cooked ziti and mix well. Spread about 1/3 of the meat, onion, and spaghetti sauce aggregate in lowest of ready pan. Spoon ziti and cheese aggregate into pan. Pour the remaining sauce aggregate over the top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes.

Easy Lasagna with cottage Cheese
Makes 12 servings

Mom all the time made lasagna with cottage cheese instead of ricotta and this is how I still prefer it. (Turn up your nose if you must but it is lighter and less rich.) For texture closer to ricotta, buzz in blender or food processor for a few seconds

1 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 28 ounce jars ready marinara sauce
2 beaten eggs
24 ounces cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
12 no-boil lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Add salt and marinara sauce. Stir to consolidate and then set aside.

In a medium bowl mix beaten eggs, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Starting with the sauce, layer the sauce, noodles, and cheese aggregate in a 9×13 inch baking dish. (Noodles will not thoroughly cover sauce - they swell as they cook.) Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving so that it firms up and is easier to cut.

cottage Cheese Recipes - 2 Easy Baked Pasta Dishes With cottage Cheese

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Eggplant and Smoked Mozzarella Cheese Panini Sandwich

Panini sandwiches are grilled on both sides to give the bread a nice toasty taste, flavor and texture, and to melt cheeses and heat ingredients through. These hearty sandwiches are perfect for any brunch, lunch or dinner engagement. Eggplant brushed with olive oil and grilled until browned on the outside and tender on the inside starts this sandwich. Sun dried tomato spread livens up the bread slices, while topping the eggplant with smoked Mozzarella cheese adds a chewy texture and unique flavor.

Cooks Notes:
Specialty sandwich grills are available for the purpose of creating Panini sandwiches. While a skillet or grill pan works well, the sandwich makers are ideal. Substitute hard sandwich rolls for the Ciabatta bread, if necessary or desired.

12 OUNCES EQUALS

Eggplant And Smoked Mozzarella Cheese Panini Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 Large Purple Eggplant, sliced 1/4" thick, lightly salted, placed in colander 20 minutes to drain
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 loaf Ciabatta Bread
1/3 cup Sun-Dried Tomato Spread
6 ounces Smoked Mozzarella Cheese, sliced

Preparation:
1. Heat grill pan over medium heat.

2. Brush eggplant slices with 1-tablespoon olive oil.

3. Season eggplant slices with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Grill until grill marks start, turning only once.

5. Cut loaf into 4 pieces. Cut each half lengthwise to create sandwich tops and bottoms.

6. Cover bottom halves of sandwich bread with sun-dried tomato spread.

7. Place equal number of grilled eggplant slices over tomato spread.

8. Top eggplant with smoked mozzarella slices. Place sandwich tops over cheese.

9. Brush sandwich tops with remaining 1-tablespoon olive oil.

10. Place sandwiches on grill. Place heavy skillet on top of each sandwich to press down.

11. Grill until cheese is melted.

Eggplant and Smoked Mozzarella Cheese Panini Sandwich

12 OUNCES EQUALS