An ode to cheese

Hi, I am Rashika, and I am a cheesaholic. And I have no shame in my gluttony.

I love cheese. Cheese in all forms — hard cheese, soft cheese, cheese slices, melted cheese, goat cheese, gourmet cheese…you name it, I love it. Cheese is comfort food for me and there is nothing like a bowl of hot steaming tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich on a cold winter evening.

So, today I am sharing a few recipes with cheese which I love to make at home.

DESHI CHEESE MELT SANDWICH

I have a great love for our local cheese – Oshtogram cheese or commonly known as Dhaka Paneer. And this version of a cheese melt sandwich is heavenly.

Ingredients

2 pieces of bread

Dhaka Cheese

Butter

1 chilli

4 thin slices of tomato

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Toast bread and lightly butter both sides. Cut 10 to 12 thin slices of cheese. Deseed and finely chop the chilli. If you like the heat, then keep the seeds. Take a good non-stick pan and place the cheese; spread and layer the slices into the shape of the bread.

Put on high heat, when the cheese starts to melt, lower the heat to medium. Sprinkle the chopped chilli and place the slices of tomato on top. Sprinkle some ground pepper.

Place one piece of bread on top of the cheese. Press it down with a spatula so that it sticks to the bread, after ½ a minute, flip the cheese and bread over. Now place the second piece of bread on top of the cheese and again press it down. Keep for 1 minute to make the bread crispy. Flip it over and fry the bread for another 1 minute on the other side. Cut into triangles and serve hot.

CHEESE SAUCE DIP FOR CHEESY FRIES

This yummy dip is very versatile. I use it as a dip, as a sauce over French fries or even for chips and nachos.

Ingredients

1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp milk

¾ tsp chilli powder, or smoked paprika powder

Frozen fries

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat oil and fry the French fries according to the directions given in the package. Alternatively, you can make homemade fries.

While frying, start to prepare the sauce. Place a saucepan on the stove. Add butter. As it melts start to slowly add the flour, teaspoon by teaspoon. Constantly stir the flour. The flour will turn into a thick paste or roux.

Take the saucepan off the stove and pour in the milk. Take a whisk and keep stirring while you add the milk. Put the pan back on the flame and keep stirring till the flour and milk is mixed and there are no lumps. The sauce will start to thicken. At this point, add the cheese and stir to melt and mix.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt, the paprika or chilli powder and fresh ground pepper. The sauce will become thick — the consistency will be spreadable and pourable. Take it off the flame.

Arrange the fries in a serving dish and pour the sauce over it.

If serving as a dip, just serve it in a separate bowl. Steamed broccoli goes really well with this.

CHEESY STUFFED CAPSICUM

Stuffed capsicum is easy, and you can innovate the stuffing to any flavours you like. This one is a great meal when you are trying to stay off carbs but craving a meaty Bolognese pasta or pizza. And baked capsicums also look very pretty when served at dinner parties, especially if you use different coloured ones — red, yellow, or green.

Ingredients

4 medium sized capsicums

½ kg ground beef

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 tin tomato paste

2 tbsp tomato puree

2 tbsp garlic, diced and chopped

1 large onion, sliced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for cooking

Extra olive oil to coat capsicum

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

1 tsp dried basil

2 cups cheddar, grated

1 cup mozzarella, grated

2 cups fresh bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cut the capsicums lengthwise in halves; cut from the stem to the base. Scoop out the seeds and try to make it as clean as possible. In a pan, add olive oil, onion and garlic. Sweat the onions and garlic, when the onions turn translucent add the ground beef and fry. When it starts to release water, add the tomato paste and puree and stir to mix. Add a cup of water and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat to a low flame and let it stew for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add the mushrooms, oregano, basil and seasonings. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. Take it off the flame.

Now take the capsicum cups and place them on an oven proof platter. Brush them well with olive oil. Mix the two cheeses together.

Fill three fourths of the cups with meat mixture. Top the cups with cheese and sprinkle bread crumbs over them. Sprinkle some oregano to finish.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. Serve hot with a salad.