In Case of Emergency, Add Cheese
Springtime lockdown was all about the sourdough starter, but now that summer is here, it’s time to apply those finely tuned kitchen skills toward dishes featuring everyone’s favourite ingredient - cheese!
Cue the brand new, all-cheese cookbook, courtesy of Tre Stelle. This stunning 144 page book is loaded, filled, stuffed, and smothered with cheese recipes that pay homage to fromage.
And the best part….it’s absolutely free!
To celebrate their 60th anniversary as Canada’s cheese (yes, Tre Stelle is only available in Canada), Tre Stelle is giving Canadians access to this book at no charge - ideal timing considering how many of us are cooking from home right now.
Filled with treasured family recipes from home cooks and several notable professional chefs, “Say Cheese” features dishes made with Tre Stelle’s Feta, Bocconcini, Mozzarella, Mascarpone, Ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, Halloumi, and Paneer. Each one is given its cheesy due in the book, which is beautifully presented with mouth-watering, eat-your-heart-out-Instagram photography.
Beyond the sixty delicious recipes selected by Tre Stelle from more-than 3,000 online submissions, the book is loaded with useful cooking tips from celebrated chefs too. There are also tasting notes for nearly every cheese (who knew there were so many?), historical information to boost one’s international cheese IQ(ueso) – and even tips on how to achieve that most-coveted of food shots: the stringy grilled cheese pull-apart photo.
To access your free copy, visit www.TreStelle.ca/cookbook and if you prefer a hard copy, you can order one for $39.95 with all profits donated to Canada’s front-line workers in the fight against COVID-19.
RECIPE: TATER TOT CHEESEBURGER BITES
454 g ground beef
1⁄2 tsp garlic powder
1⁄2 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp beef bouillon
1⁄2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1⁄2 cup water
1 1⁄2 cups Tre Stelle Mozzarella Cheddar Shredded Blend, divided
1 800-g pkg frozen tater tots Salt and pepper, to taste
Ketchup, mustard, relish - or your favourite burger condiments
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
2. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, garlic and onion powders. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Stir in the flour and beef bouillon for 1 min. Stir in the oregano, Worcestershire sauce and water to mixture.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue stirring until everything is cooked well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir 1⁄2 cup cheese into the mixture.
4. Spray a 6-cup muffin tin with oil spray. Divide mixture between cups, filling each cup 3⁄4 up the sides. Top each cup with remaining shredded cheese.
5. Cut the tater tots in half and place them over the cheese, making sure to cover it completely. 6. Bake for 25 min, or until the top is lightly browned and the cheese has melted. Serve topped
with your favourite burger condiments.
TIP: You can also make this in a casserole dish instead of a muffin tin. Spread the beef mixture in a small baking dish, then lay tater tots (no need to cut them) over the beef. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top. Bake as per directed above.
RECIPE: MARINATED MOZZARELLA AND BOCCONCINI
1 340-g ball Tre Stelle Mozzarella
6 sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
1 200-g tub Tre Stelle Bocconcini Pearls 6 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp thyme leaves
2 tsp fresh oregano
2 tsp fresh basil, finely sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1⁄2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Toasted baguette slices for serving
1. Cut the mozzarella into small pieces. Cut half the sun-dried tomatoes into slivers, and roughly chop the other half.
2. In a large bowl, combine the mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, Bocconcini pearls, oil, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Toss to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours or longer. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve with toasted baguette slices.
RECIPE: CANNOLI COOKIES
2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup butter, room temperature
1⁄3 cup Tre Stelle Extra Smooth Ricotta
1 cup granulated sugar
zest from 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3⁄4 cup chocolate chips
Filling
1 cup Tre Stelle Extra Smooth Ricotta
3⁄4 cup Tre Stelle Mascarpone
1 cup icing sugar
zest from one orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
1⁄2 teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips, plus more for decorating
1. For the cookies, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, ricotta, sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy then add the vanilla and egg - continue to beat until smooth.
3. Add the flour mixture in thirds and continue to beat on low until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour or until ready to bake.
5. Preheat oven to 350oF and line a baking tray with parchment paper
6. Shape cookie dough into rounds of 2 tablespoons each and place two inches apart on the lined tray. Flatten each ball slightly with the back of a spoon.
7. Bake for approximately 12 minutes and allow to cool before filling.
8. For the filling, place all of the filling ingredients except for the chocolate chips in a bowl and beat until smooth, stir in approximately 3 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
9. For the assembly, add a heaping teaspoon of filling onto the bottom of half of the baked cookies, top with a top half to make a ‘sandwich’. Roll the sides in mini chocolate chips and serve.