Tag Archives: cheese

Mini Caprese Frittatas

Posted on by

0

A few weeks ago, I brought these homemade mini caprese frittatas to a brunch with some coworkers. They went over so well that I thought I’d share the recipe with you here! These frittatas are perfect for this time of year, with fresh basil and cherry tomatoes quickly coming into season. They’re delicious served hot or at room temperature.

Mini Caprese Frittatas

Prep time: 15 minutes | Bake time: 22 minutes | Yields: 12 mini frittatas

Ingredients:

  • 6 eggs
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbs pesto
  • 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
  • 12 cherry tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a standard 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside. Cut cherry tomatoes into thin coins and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and pesto. Whisk until fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Pour the egg mixture into the muffin pan, filling each cup approximately 1/3 full.

Bake for 10 minutes. At the 10-minute mark, sprinkle mozzarella evenly over each muffin cup. Put back in the oven and bake for 10 more minutes.

When the frittatas have cooked for a total of 20 minutes, place cherry tomatoes on top of each frittata. (The frittatas might be puffed up, but that is okay.) Once the cherry tomatoes are added, turn the oven to broil for the remaining two minutes.

Let muffin pan cool for five minutes before transferring frittatas to a cooling rack. Eat promptly, or at room temperature. Enjoy!

From Scissors & Sage

Creamy Garlic Linguine

Posted on by

5

If pasta is involved, sign me up.  It doesn’t matter the size, texture, or sauce  — I will probably love it (unless it involves mushrooms).  I could eat pasta a few times a week if you really twisted my arm about it.  It’s like a blank canvas, just screaming for culinary magic to happen on it.

I was so happy when I stumbled upon this recipe by Lil’ Luna for creamy garlic (penne) pasta.  I gave it a whirl soon after discovering it, and was not disappointed.  This recipe is a fantastic twist on a classic pasta dish.  It’s subtle, but means business.

Creamy Garlic Linguine (via Lil' Luna)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb linguine pasta
  • 3 tbs butter
  • 2 tsp fresh minced garlic
  • 3 tbs flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tsp fresh minced parsley
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

To begin, cook linguine according to package instructions (or if you’ve got some Italian flare in you, don’t read the instructions and go by taste to determine done-ness).

While the pasta water is boiling and the pasta is being cooked, melt butter in a medium sauce pan (I used a wok).  Add garlic and cook for one minute.  Add flour and cook for 30 seconds, making sure to stir constantly with a whisk.  Don’t go grab that glass of wine!

Add milk and chicken broth, again stirring constantly.  Cook until sauce boils and thickens.  Add parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.  Continue stirring until the parmesan has melted.  Have faith, it will work.

Once the linguine is cooked to al dente perfection and is strained, combine pasta and sauce in either the pasta pot or the wok (whichever one is larger).  Use a pasta scooper to blend the two together.

Serve linguine, with a garnish of fresh parsley, immediately and enjoy!

From Scissors & Sage

Tag your own culinary creations (especially if you try this one at home) with #scissorsandsage on Instagram or Twitter!

How To Make Pimento Cheese

Posted on by

2

When Anne and I took our Southern U.S. road trip in March, we ate a whole slew of fantastic foods.  Southern comfort seriously lived up to its name in all four of our destinations (Durham, NC; Charleston, SC; Savannah, GA; and Asheville, NC).  One of our favorite eats that kept popping up was pimento cheese.

Pimento, we learned, is a sweet, heart-shaped chili pepper.  This cheese spread is popularly known as “the caviar of the South.”  The beauty of pimento cheese is its versatility.  It can be served on crackers, with celery, deviled eggs, grits, or even hamburgers.  Mmm, hamburgers.

Last weekend, Anne and I hosted a cocktail party for some of our friends.  I decided to make pimento cheese for the occasion, and served it with honey-wheat pretzel sticks.  Boy, was it delicious!  This recipe, via Plain Chicken, was quick and simple — just what I needed during our party preparations!

Pimento Cheese (via Plain Chicken)

Prep time: 10 minutes | Chill time: 30+ minutes | Yields: 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp minced dried onion
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup diced pimentos

In a medium bowl, whip cream cheese with a fork until smooth (i.e. no clumps).  Add in mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, and minced dried onion.  Whip again with a fork until smooth.  Fold in shredded cheeses and diced pimentos, and stir until fully blended in.

Transfer pimento cheese to an appropriately-sized serving bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for 30+ minutes, or until ready to serve.

It’s that simple!  And while you may seem skeptical of this odd-sounding or odd-looking cheese, you’ve got to try it before you knock it.  It might just be the wow factor you’ve been looking for!  My pimento cheese was a big success at our cocktail party.  I only wish I doubled the batch so that it didn’t vanish so quickly!

From Scissors & Sage

PS) I snapped these pictures on my phone right before our friends arrived.  Apologies for quickly taken photographs!