aged cheddar cheese – Goboroot.com

Hi all. Before I post Japan trip Vol. 2 Tokyo, I wanted to introduce you to these yummy recipes I cooked up in my kitchen. I got inspiration when I enjoyed the generously salty and crispy chicken wings at a nice little place called Pivo near Chinatown in Vancouver. I used drumettes instead of wings and home grown coriander seeds for the rub to give it personality. This is a recipe where I can showcase the whole circle of life of my cilantro plants! If you grow cilantro, make sure to harvest seeds in autumn and leave some on the plant, as later they fall, sprout and grow again, providing you with a key ingredient for winter finger foods. What is your favourite finger food?

On that note, I’m not so much of a hockey, soccer, football or curling fan, but enjoy serving ultimate nibbles for those who get so excited watching the games that they hop up and down on the couch! I got carried away with these drumettes, and wanted to find out what might go with them in our household. It turns out that aged cheddar crackers and bean dip fit the bill perfectly, so here they are. Try these for your next gathering, whatever sport you fancy!

Coriander and Chipotle Drumettes –The Ultimate Finger Food-

For this recipe, you need whole coriander seeds that are ground with a coffee grinder or blender for the best texture.

Serves 4

20 drumettes

1 teaspoon freshly ground ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Dash of roasted sesame oil

For the rub

4 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground chipotle

2 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds

1 lime, wedged

Fresh cilantro leaves

Rinse the drumettes under cold water and pat dry. Combine the ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl. In a rimmed large tray, lay the drumettes and pour over the soy mixture. Coat well all around, cover and marinate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425C. Lay the drumettes on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the rub. Grind the coriander seeds in a coffee grinder or blender, leaving some coarse texture, and combine with the rest of the rub ingredients in a large bowl.

Take the baking sheet with the drumettes out of the oven. Using a pair of tongs, dunk each drumette in the bowl of rub and coat all around. Remove excess rub and place it back on the rack. Repeat for the rest of drumettes.

Bake another 20 minutes or until done. If drumettes become too dark, cover them with a piece of foil.

Serve hot with wedges of lime and sprinkle cilantro leaves on top.

Aged Cheddar Crackers with Two Flavours

Makes 2 x 500ml jars

½ cup unbleached all purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling

2 tablespoons butter

1 heaped cup aged cheddar cheese, grated

2 eggs

1 tablespoon Aonori (type of Japanese seaweed), plus extra for sprinkling

1 tablespoon poppy seeds, plus extra for sprinkling

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using your fingers, incorporate the mixture until flaky. Add the cheese and eggs, and incorporate with the flour mixture. Divide in two. Add Aonori to one half and poppy seeds to the other. Form each piece of dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for half an hour or until the dough is firm.

Preheat the oven to 375C. Flour the work surface and roll the dough into 1/16 inch thickness or as thin as you can. The thinner the crispier. Scatter the extra salt and Aonori (or poppy seeds) over the top and lightly press them into the dough with the rolling pin. Cut into diamond shapes or use your choice of cookie cutters. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely. Serve as is or with dip.

Adapted from Deborah Madison’s seed cracker recipe

Great Northern Bean and Rosemary Dip

Makes 1 x 350ml jar

1 cup Great Northern beans

1 onion, peeled

3 garlic cloves

Juice of ½ lemon

3 tablespoons tahini

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Soak the beans in cold water and leave overnight at room temperature. Rinse the beans next day and cover with cold water in a large pot. Do not add salt at this point.

Bring to a boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Skim occasionally. Add the whole onion and 2 garlic cloves. Continue simmering until the beans are tender, for about 1 hour. Add hot water as necessary to keep the beans well covered during cooking.

Drain the beans, RESERVING some liquid, and discard the onion and garlic. Combine the beans, 1 garlic clove, lemon juice, tahini, 3 tablespoons reserved liquid and rosemary in a food processor. Add the olive oil in a slow and steady drip while pulsing the bean mixture until smooth. Adjust the flavour with salt and pepper and add more liquid if you prefer a looser texture. Transfer to a serving container and cover the surface with some olive oil to prevent it from drying.

Serve with crackers, slices of baguette or toasted pita bread. Refrigerate any leftover for up to a few days.

Years ago when I encountered a cheese and dill scone at one of my favourite cafes, Savary Island Pie Co. in West Vancouver, I fell in love with dill. The combination of a hint of buttery sweetness and the sharp edge from the cheese with the fresh distinctive aromatic greenness of the dill, had just created a delightful ménage à trois, the food kind. I picked up the scones on the way to Lighthouse Park, quickly photographed them in a moving car before we ate them and jotted down in a wish list in my journal about growing dill in my future garden. Then, we went off hiking at the park and years passed until I finally brought dill to my own little garden.

Now, I’m proud that my simple food daydreaming has become true and I can serve the special scones to my dear friends at a summer cabin trip. When I was delegated to be in charge of cooking at the cabin for friends who were arriving late at night, I had only this meal in mind. There is something sentimental about welcoming late arriving guests with a pot of warm chili and just-out-of-the-oven scones.

Chili with Ground Beef and Lentils

Serves 5-6

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces

2 large carrots, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 ½ pounds ground beef

1 pound dried lentils, rinsed

1/3 cup tomato paste

2 cans (30-ounce) or freshly cooked red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes

1/3 cup chili powder, mild or hot according to your taste

4 teaspoons ground cumin

¼ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium high. Add the onions, green and red peppers, carrot, jalapeno, pepper and garlic, and cook until the vegetables are half way cooked.

Add the ground beef and cook with the vegetables until the meat changes colour.

Stir in 7 cups water, the lentils, tomato paste, and kidney beans. Stir to blend, adding the stewed tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and crushed red-pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and skim occasionally.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Or if time allows, set the oven to bake at 250F, place the pot inside and cook until slightly thickened for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Reserve in the oven until serving time. Just make sure to stir occasionally and add hot water as needed. I like cooking this chili recipe ahead of time in this way to enhance the flavour to its maximum.

Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Adapted from marthastewart.com.

Aged Cheddar Cheese Dill Scones

Makes about 15 pieces

3 cups unbleached white flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes

3 eggs

¾ cup whipping cream

A bunch of fresh dill, stalks removed and torn in pieces

1 cup aged cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

Using a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter until the pieces become the size of small peas.

Beat the eggs in a small bowl and stir in the cream. Add the egg mixture, dill and cheese to the dry ingredients and combine until the mixture forms dough.

Dust a work surface with some flour and roll the dough into a 2-inch diameter log. Using a well sharpened knife, slice into 1 inch thick pieces.

Place them on a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper 2 inch apart. Bake for about 12- 15 minutes or until the tops are golden.

Serve immediately with a bowl of chili.

Adapted from Whitewater Cooks cookbook.

Tag: aged cheddar cheese

Coriander and Chipotle Drumettes plus Some Nibbles

Chili and Aged Cheddar Cheese Dill Scones