Last year around the holidays, I made homemade cheese spreads for the first time - a basic Cheddar Cheese Spread and then a fantastic nutty cheese spread that was inspired by French Onion soup and the store bought Swiss Almond spreads - my Swiss-Almond Cheese Spread with Caramelized Onions. We ate the hell out of them.
This year, I was thinking about a southern classic, Pimiento Cheese Spread...but traditionally, the spread is simply made with cheese, mayo and pimientos. I really like using cream cheese because I wanted it more like a cracker dip than a sandwich spread. I also wanted to boost it up a little with flavour, so I added a lot more than what the traditional spread has - garlic, Worcestershire, jalapeño, wine, etc. It's not hot or spicy at all... so even if you shy away from jalapeños, I say add 'em to this recipe. It just adds a little depth to the spread - more layers of flavour.
So if you're trying to come up with some appetizers to make and/or take to a New Year's party, this is a pretty easy and great one!
I think the Descendents said what we were all thinking. -jen
*I recommend at least half of your shredded cheese being sharp cheddar, and the other half could be any combination of Monterey Jack, Havarti, Gruyere, Gouda, Parmesan, etc. I used what I had, which was some Gouda, Havarti Dill, and Pecorino Romano.
Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth and combined. Refrigerate (but I always have to eat some immediately. The flavours marry nicely if you give it a little time to refrigerate though.)
Serve with crackers or raw veggies, make a grilled cheese with some spread inside, use as a sandwich spread - eat it how you want! It'd probably be good mixed in with some pasta (though I've not tried that!)
I'm not sure what my inspiration was for this recipe. Justin had chicken thighs thawed and we had most of the items on hand. It sounded like a delicious mix of Mexican, Greek, and American influences. I imagine most food critics or trained chefs would be appalled by this combination, but it came out to be a delicious, soul-warming homemade Hot Pocket! I was a little leery about making and using the gravy in this, but after tasting it, I have no regrets! Imagine crossing a chicken pot pie with chicken enchiladas and wrapping it all up in some crispy, Greek phyllo dough! Play list while cooking consisted of the Operation Ivy Pandora station - Some Op Ivy, Rancid, Goldfinger, Descendents, The Slackers. -Jen
MEXICAN CHICKEN PHYLLO ROLLS (HOMEMADE HOT POCKETS) Makes about 6 phyllo rolls
3 teaspoons seasoning mix, divided (see recipe below)
1 can (4oz) chopped green chiles
2 green onions, chopped
2-3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon, plus extra green Tabasco hot sauce
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth, as needed
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg (and 1 tablespoon water)
Seasoning Mix
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground pasilla chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground New Mexico chile powder
1/4 teaspoon ground California chile powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Mix spices together.
Place a small strainer over a bowl and empty can of tomatoes into strainer. Toss with 1 teaspoon of salt and set aside to drain.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil. Place chicken thighs in baking dish and sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons of seasoning mix. Bake at 450 for 25-30 minutes, until juices run clear. Remove from oven and using tongs, place chicken thighs on a plate to cool and set aside. Carefully pour the remaining chicken juice and fat from the baking pan into a bowl and refrigerate.
When chicken is cooled, remove skin and discard. Pull the meat from the bone and place into a bowl. Using two forks, shred chicken meat. Add green chiles, green onions, cilantro, garlic, oregano, cheese, and 2 dashes of Tabasco. Mix together and set aside.
Remove chicken drippings from refrigerator. The fat should have solidified on top. Scoop all the fat solids off the top of the chicken broth, saving 2 tablespoons of fat. Measure out the chicken broth saved from baking and use canned chicken broth to make a total of 1 cup of liquid. Place the 2 tablespoons of chicken fat in a small sauce pan (use olive oil to make up the difference if you didn't have 2 tablespoons worth of fat). Heat on medium and add 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Stir constantly until a paste is formed, making a roux. Quickly add the 1 cup of broth to the roux, turn heat to high, and begin whisking constantly. While whisking, add 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mix. Once the liquid begins to boil, the gravy will begin to thicken. Continue whisking until it's a gravy consistency and remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Since phyllo dough can be a pain to work with because it dries out quickly, it's best to arrange your work station like an assembly line. You'll need your chicken filling and gravy near by, enough room for two working areas for phyllo dough, and a well greased cookie sheet. Make sure your butter is melted and egg wash prepared (by whisking egg and 1 tablespoon of water together) before opening your phyllo dough. Remove one sheet of phyllo dough and keep the rest covered with a clean, damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Brush melted butter over the first sheet of phyllo and cover buttered dough with a second sheet of phyllo dough. Brush second sheet with melted butter. Gently place about 1/2 a cup of filling near the bottom of your phyllo sheets. Top with 2 tablespoons of the gravy. Carefully begin to roll the filled phyllo like a burrito, tucking the sides in as you roll.
Place rolled pouches seam-side down on well greased cookie sheet. Brush tops with egg wash. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for five minutes before serving.
These were recipes Justin came up with for dinner the other night. They're really simple and easy dishes that seem a little more decadent than just "meat and potatoes". His play list consisted of the Descendents' compilation album, "Somery". -jen
PREPARE THE ROASTED GARLIC FOR THE CAULIFLOWER DISH
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare roasted garlic by cutting off stem end, about 1/4" into the garlic cloves. Place garlic, cut side up, in the center of a square of aluminum foil that's about 8"x8". Drizzle the exposed garlic with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Salt and pepper it with a pinch of each. Fold ends of foil to make a pouch that won't leak and roast garlic in 375 oven for 60 minutes. Remove and let cool.
ROASTED PORK LOIN
3 pound pork loin roast
1.5 teaspoons Sate seasoning (Indonesian spice found at Penzeys.com)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground thyme
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all spices in a small dish. Rub outside of entire roast with seasoning mixture.
Place pork in roasting pan, fat-side facing up. Cook in 350 degree oven uncovered for approximately 45 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 148 degrees using a meat thermometer. Remove roast from oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with warmed or chilled Blackberry Barbecue Sauce.
ROASTED GARLIC CREAMED CAULIFLOWER
1 head of roasted garlic
1 head of cauliflower, cut into large chunks
1 cup shredded Gouda cheese
2 tablespoons butter, room temp
1/4 cup milk
3 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon dried marjoram, parsley, or any herb of choice
salt and pepper, to taste
Steam cauliflower in a large pot by placing 1" of water in the bottom of the pan. Put cauliflower in pan, cover and bring to a boil. When water begins boiling, turn heat down to a simmer and keep covered until tender, about 25 minutes. Test cauliflower by poking with a fork. If fork slides in easily, cauliflower is done. Remove from heat and drain thoroughly.
Using a food processor or immersion stick blender, combine drained cauliflower with all other ingredients and blend until smooth. Garnish with chopped green onions.
