Recipes for your weekend
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in South Florida Family Events and Recipes
Tomorrow is moldy cheese day! But fear not, we have some recipes that incorporate well-known moldy cheeses to make yummy recipes. So get your cooking gear and supplies ready for our weekend recipe guide.
Chicken Quesadillas with Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onions (courtesy of foodandwine.com)
Ingredients
8 skinless chicken thighs on the bone (about 4 pounds)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Pinch of sugar
Freshly ground pepper
Twelve 6-inch flour tortillas
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
Directions
In a bowl, toss the chicken thighs with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the rosemary, garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cover and let the chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, melt the butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sliced onions, thyme, vinegar, sugar and a generous pinch of pepper. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 30 minutes; add a few tablespoons of water from time to time to keep the onions moist.
Light a grill and preheat the oven to 500°. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill over moderately high heat, turning, until lightly charred and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Let the chicken cool, then pull the meat from the bones and tear into shreds.
Arrange 6 tortillas on 2 large baking sheets. Spoon the onions onto the tortillas and top with the shredded chicken and blue cheese. Cover with the remaining tortillas, pressing to flatten slightly. Bake for about 6 minutes, until the quesadillas are golden and toasted. Transfer the quesadillas to plates and serve right away.
Blue Cheese-Stuffed Strawberries (courtesy of tasteofhome.com)
Ingredients
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 ounces fat-free cream cheese
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
16 large fresh strawberries
3 tablespoons finely chopped pecans, toasted
Directions
Place vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in blue cheese. Remove stems and scoop out centers from strawberries; fill each with about 2 teaspoons cheese mixture. Sprinkle pecans over filling, pressing lightly. Chill until serving. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Risotto-Style Pasta with Caramelized Onions (courtesy of myrecipes.com)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 ½ cups minced white onion
1 ¼ cups uncooked acini di pepe pasta (about 8.4 ounces)
3 cups unsalted chicken stock, divided
½ cup unoaked white wine
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces Gorgonzola piccante or other hard, salty blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Directions
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes or until onion is light brown, creamy, and caramelized, stirring occasionally. (The longer it cooks, the sweeter the caramelization, but watch for hot spots and burning. If liquid cooks off too quickly, add a bit of water.) Remove pan from heat; set aside.
Heat a heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Add dry pasta; cook 5 minutes or until the pasta is a nice toasty color, stirring constantly. Add onion and 1 cup stock, stirring frequently until stock is absorbed. As the pasta absorbs the stock and liquid bubbles away, add wine and then more stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next. You want the pasta to be al dente and "together" but not mushy. When it's done, stir in salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and add cheese; stir gently to mostly melt the cheese, but you still want chunks. Transfer to serving plates, and garnish with thyme. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!