Latest news with #creamcheese
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Rukmini Iyer's quick and easy recipe for asparagus tart with tapenade and eggs
I love puff pastry tarts. The ease of just unrolling a sheet, scattering it with something delicious and giving it a quick stint in the oven, and dinner has almost cooked itself. This variation, with an olive tapenade-spiked cream cheese base, asparagus and eggs works as well for dinner as it does for a weekend brunch. If you're a chilli fiend, a scattering of hot chilli flakes (or, indeed, sliced fresh chilli) won't go amiss, either. Prep 15 min Cook 20 min Serves 4 320g ready-rolled puff pastry (ideally all butter)150g full-fat cream cheese 3 heaped tsp black olive tapenade – I like Belazu400g asparagus1 tsp olive oilSea salt flakes 4 medium eggs1 tsp aleppo chilli flakes (optional) Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Unroll the pastry on to a baking tray, using the paper it came wrapped in to line the tray. With a sharp knife, score a border all around the pastry 2½cm from the outer edge. Mix the cream cheese and tapenade in a small bowl, then spread this all over the pastry up to the scored border. Snap or cut the woody ends off the asparagus, tip the spears into a bowl, add the olive oil and a half-teaspoon of salt, and toss to coat. Arrange the spears all over the pastry, drizzle over the oil from the bowl, then bake for 15 minutes. Take the tart out of the oven, make four holes and crack in the eggs. Turn down the oven to 200C (180C fan)/350F/gas 4, then bake the tart for six minutes more, until the egg whites are set and the yolks are set on top but still soft to the touch – they should be runny inside (if you prefer your yolks cooked through, give the eggs eight minutes instead, but be aware that oven temperatures vary, so check after six minutes to avoid overcooked, bouncy yolks). Scatter the tart with some flaky sea salt and the chilli flakes, if using, and serve immediately.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The 'Cheap' Lunch My Grandmother Always Made Us, That I Still Make All The Time
Growing up, I spent many lunchtimes at my grandmother's house, usually perched up at the counter stool watching her make me one of her signature lunches. In my mind, she was the queen of lunches. Yet, looking back, all of the meals I remember having often have three things in common: simple, Southern, and 'cheap.' Now, decades later, weekday lunches have become the bane of my existence. Not only do I not want a mess that needs cleaning up, but I also don't want to spend inordinate amounts of money for a semi-healthy, hunger-staving lunch that I have to make myself. Which is why I often find myself turning back to my grandmother's lunches, which look nothing like the delicate salads and fancy wraps that most folks seem to favor today. Perhaps her most controversial—in a child's mind, anyway—but most delectable in my opinion, was her cream-cheese-olive sandwiches. They consisted of her Southerner-approved cream-cheese-and-olive spread on fluffy white bread, sliced diagonally with the crusts cut off, so that they looked fit for a tea party. All in all, it comes out to under-$5 for a more-than-generous serving that I can enjoy at lunch and later. Thanks, grandma!With MyRecipes, your personal recipe box, you can save and organize your Southern Living favorites and thousands more in one Saving Now Cream Cheese and Olive Spread is a Southern classic. It's made simply, starting with just two main ingredients: a block of cream cheese and a jar of olives. While that might seem a bit uninspired to first-timers, give it a taste, and you'll regret ever thinking that. My grandmother's version typically called just for the addition of generous sprinklings of Lawry's garlic salt and black pepper—and that's it. Simple, Southern perfection. Two pieces of sliced bread—or crackers if you prefer—and you're ready to go. As an adult, such an easy and cheap lunch is too good to pass up. Hence, why I've been whipping it up almost weekly like it's my job. It never disappoints as lunch on a sandwich or a snack with Ritz crackers and sliced cucumbers. Related: 30 Sandwich Recipes That Make Lunchtime Anything But Boring Often, I'll make a batch at the beginning of the week and dole it out as I see fit—as a sandwich one day, with crackers the next. Her recipe was simple for a reason, and it's easy to keep all the ingredients on hand, particularly because it calls for so few ingredients that stay good for a while. Don't like olives? Use chopped or shaved cucumbers instead! 1 block of cream cheese, softened (cost: around $2) 1/2 jar of pimiento-stuffed olives, roughly chopped (cost: around $2 for the serving) Worcestershire sauce, a couple dashes Garlic salt, as desired Black pepper, as desired Stir all the ingredients together, season to taste, and you're all set. Related: 40 Easy Party Dips And Spreads To Serve All Year Long There are many possible variations of this recipe that still keep it easy, affordable, and make-ahead-friendly. You can add chopped pecans for crunch, or a spoonful of mayonnaise for extra creaminess. You can double the recipe, which my grandmother often did, giving a jar of the extras to a neighbor. Serve with hot sauce on the side for those who like a kick, which I sometimes favor when eating it with crackers. Sometimes, I'll add chilled smoked salmon (like the affordable Everything Bagel seasoned pack from Trader Joe's) onto the sandwich or crackers for extra protein. Put simply, it pleases me for a quick lunch, and it almost always pleases a crowd. Except for olive haters–bless their hearts. Read the original article on Southern Living
National Post
16-05-2025
- General
- National Post
Cook This: 3 recipes from The Essential Cottage Cookbook, including a 'dill-icious' pickle dip
Article content Article content Makes: about 2 cups Article content 4 1/2 oz (125 g) cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup sour cream 3/4 cup minced dill pickles + extra for garnish 1/4 cup pickle brine 2 tbsp minced fresh dill 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 sprig fresh dill, for garnish Article content Step 1 Article content In a bowl, use a fork to mash the cream cheese until it's nice and smooth. Whisk in half of the sour cream until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous. Mix in the remaining sour cream, pickles, pickle brine, minced dill, onion powder, garlic powder and salt. Article content Step 2 Article content Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight to let the flavours develop. Article content Step 3 Article content Garnish with additional pickles and a sprig of dill. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Article content Tip: If you have a small food processor, add all the ingredients except the dill pickles and dill and blitz until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the pickles and dill. Article content Article content Serves: 4 Article content 3 zucchini, halved lengthwise 2 tsp oil 10 cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 cup pesto Salt and pepper One 7 oz (200 g) ball fresh mozzarella cheese, drained (see Tip) 4 radishes, thinly sliced Torn fresh basil, for garnish Article content Article content Step 1 Article content Preheat a clean barbecue to high heat (425-450F/220-230C). Article content Step 2 Article content To grill: Brush the zucchini with the oil. Grill for about 3 minutes per side or until dark grill marks appear and the zucchini is still tender-crisp. Do not overcook, or it will get soggy as it cools. Transfer the zucchini to a plate to cool. Article content Step 3 Article content Cut the cooled zucchini on the bias into 1-inch pieces. If not preparing the salad immediately, transfer the zucchini to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Article content Step 4 Article content To serve: In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, tomatoes and pesto. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Arrange the salad on a serving plate. Article content Step 5 Article content Rip the cheese into bite-sized pieces and scatter on top of the vegetables. Garnish with the radishes and basil. Serve immediately. Article content Article content Serves: 4-6 Article content For the dressing: 1/4 cup diced red onion 1/4 cup lime juice 2 tbsp liquid honey 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional) Pinch of salt Article content Article content For the vegetables: 3 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch rounds 2 large poblano peppers 2 cobs corn, shucked and silks removed 2 tbsp oil Salt and pepper Chopped fresh cilantro or basil, for garnish Article content Step 1 Article content Preheat a clean barbecue to medium heat (350-375F/177-190C). Article content Step 2 Article content For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the onions, lime juice, honey, chili flakes (if using) and salt until the honey is completely dissolved. Set aside. Article content Step 3 Article content For the vegetables: In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, whole poblano peppers and corn. Add the oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Article content Step 4 Article content To grill: Grill the sweet potatoes, poblanos and corn at the same time. For the poblanos and corn, turn often so that all sides develop some light grill marks and they begin to soften, about 12 minutes. When they're cooked, remove the poblano and corn to a bowl. For the sweet potatoes, turn every so often until they have a lovely char-grilled exterior but don't burn, and they can be easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a platter. Article content Step 5 Article content To serve: Cut the poblanos in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the stem and seeds. If the skin is charred enough, you can tear it away, but it's not necessary. Stack the pepper halves on top of one another and cut into 1/4-inch strips. Scatter the strips over the sweet potatoes.
The Herald
10-05-2025
- General
- The Herald
Treat your mom to a creamy rooibos and chai cake
Leisure Make this Mother's Day special with our decadent dessert 10 May 2025 A recipe to some love on Mother's Day. Image: Supplied From flowers to vouchers, it's never easy to find the perfect gift to celebrate your mother or parental figure who has played that role. Try this easy-to-follow cake recipe to make tea time a soothing delight with rooibos and chai. ROOIBOS CHAI TEA CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING Ingredients Cake 1 cup Rooibos Chai infused milk ¼ cup sour cream 2 ¼ cup flour ¼ cup cornstarch 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp cloves 1 cup white sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 tbsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, cubed 4 large eggs 1 ½ tsp vanilla Chai syrup ¼ cup water ¼ cup brown sugar 2 tsp Rooibos Chai Cream cheese frosting 1 cup cream cheese, softened ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened 4 cups icing sugar, sifted 1 tsp vanilla Method To make the Rooibos Chai infused milk, heat the milk and 2 tsp of Rooibos Chai tea on the stove. Once almost at a simmer, remove from the heat and steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and set aside to cool. To make the Rooibos Chai simple syrup, bring the sugar, water and tisane to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, strain through a fine mesh strainer and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 180°C and line 15cm cake tins with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a bowl and hand mixer) sift together the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. With the mixer running, add in the cubed butter one piece at a time until combined. It will look a little like wet sand. Add in eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is combined before adding another. Stir in the vanilla and sour cream. Slowly pour in the Rooibos Chai infused milk until it's all combined and smooth. Divide batter between the 3 parchment-lined pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool cakes for 10 minutes in the tins/pans, then remove from pans and cool completely. Once cooled, cut off the top of the cake layers to make sure they are smooth for when you assemble the cake. To make the cream cheese frosting, beat the cream cheese and softened butter together until light and fluffy. Add in icing sugar one cup at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Whip the frosting until light and fluffy. Set aside until ready to put cake together. To assemble the cake, start with the first layer on your cake stand/plate. Liberally brush the cake with the Rooibos chai syrup. Spread about ½ cup of the frosting on the cake layer. You want the icing to go all the way to the end. If you use more than ½ a cup, that's OK. Make sure you have enough icing left to cover the outside of the cake. If you put too much icing in the layers, it can also make it harder to stack the other layers on the top. Once icing is spread, add the next layer of cake and repeat. When the final layer of cake is on top, you can start spreading icing on the sides of the cake. You can choose to spread icing very lightly on the outside of the cake, to give it a 'naked' cake look. You can also decorate the top with a sprinkle of cinnamon, some star anise and cinnamon sticks. The cake will last for up to three days. Make sure to cover the exposed cake with plastic wrap to prevent it drying out. Recipe courtesy of Preserve Co and the Rooibos Easter recipe collection.
