Cuisine: Cheese

Tomato-Lemon Tart

This Tomato-Lemon Tart is something my daughter Zoe made for brunch with her friends. Using frozen puff pastry makes this very easy. I think I could retire soon if she keeps this up!

By Leslie Blythe

Tomato, Bacon Tart with Blue Cheese & Gruyère

While rummaging through my kitchen to make something for dinner, I came up with this Tomato, Bacon Tart with Blue Cheese & Gruyère. It is kind of like a pizza, except the crust is flaky, buttery, crumbly puff pastry that you can serve as a meal with a green salad or as an appetizer cut into smaller pieces. Also, you can substitute any kind of cheeses and fresh herbs you like.

By Leslie Blythe

Meyer Lemon, Goat Cheese Naan Pizza with Arugula

This super simple Meyer Lemon, Goat Cheese Naan Pizza with Arugula recipe is a breeze to make. The flavors are fresh and oh so delicious! Serve for lunch, dinner, or as a party appetizer!

By Leslie Blythe

Watermelon Shrimp Salad

Watermelon means summer. This Watermelon Shrimp Salad is marinated in a lime dressing before getting topped with shrimp, avocados, tomatoes, spicy jalapeños, and tart crumbles of queso fresco or feta. Perfect on a hot summer's day.

By Leslie Blythe

Cheesy Spicy Zucchini and Corn Pie

I drove from Elkhart Indiana to Ann Arbor Michigan and took the back roads through Amish farm country and corn fields. I realized how much I love it and yet I would be bored out of my mind if I still lived here. All that corn reminded me of this Cheesy Spicy Zucchini and Corn Pie that I made a few weeks ago.

By Leslie Blythe

Asparagus and Brie Puff Pastry with Thyme Honey

This Asparagus and Brie Puff Pastry with Thyme Honey recipe is probably one of the easiest things I have made in a long time. I made it ahead and put it in the refrigerator covered in a damp paper towel, then brush it with an egg and bake it. Oh, and did I mention there is brie?! 

By Leslie Blythe

Steak with Blue Cheese Compound Butter

This wonderful Blue Cheese Compound Butter takes a grilled steak to a whole other level. Compound butter is a mixture of butter and other ingredients to enhance flavor in various dishes. It can be made by whipping additional elements, such as herbs, spices or aromatic liquids, into butter. The butter is then reformed, usually in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and chilled until it is firm enough to be sliced. These butters can be melted on top of meats and vegetables, used as a spread or used to finish various sauces.

By Leslie Blythe

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

A cordon bleu is a dish of meat, usually chicken that is wrapped around cheese (or with cheese filling), then breaded and deep-fried. This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is an easier version, that has bite-size pieces of chicken, ham, in a cheesy cream sauce and top with buttery panko breadcrumbs. You can make all in a pressure cooker / Instant Pot or on the stovetop. I have included both methods.

By Leslie Blythe

Tortilla Soup

WARNING: This is gonna be hot!

There are hundreds of recipes for tortilla soup. I found on in the Los Angeles Times years ago and have been making ever since. The first time I made this soup, I made a very big mistake. Instead of putting one chipotle chile packed in adobo sauce, I put the whole 4 ounce can of chiles in! This is REALLY not a good idea. We manage to eat it anyway…. I won’t go into details!

The reason that I like this recipe is that it is not roux* based, which makes it lower in fat. When I open a can of chipotle chiles packed in adobo sauce, I put one in the recipe. The rest I wrap individually in plastic wrap and put them in a zip-lock bag and freeze them for the next time I make soup.

*Roux is a cooked mixture of flour and a cooking fat, like butter, that is used to thicken sauces and gravies.

By Leslie Blythe

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

"Squash blossoms" generally refers to zucchini blossoms, though almost every member of the squash genus produces edible flowers. They are very delicate and highly perishable, and because of that are rarely stocked in supermarkets. You can find them at farmers markets when in season. These Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms is the most popular way to make them. They are stuffed with ricotta and battered and fried to crispy perfection.

By Leslie Blythe