Tag: Cheese

Goat Cheese Souffle | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

Goat Cheese Souffle

Renee Leave a comment

This Goat Cheese Souffle is delicate, but packed with flavor. Topped with a creamy sauce and a hit of extra cheese, it’s practically foolproof and definitely delicious. Don’t worry. You totally got this.

Goat Cheese Souffle | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

How are we, friends? Do we even know where we’re going or what we’re doing? As I write this, so much is uncertain here in my part of the world. We’re still allowed to go out but strongly encouraged to limit gatherings. Schools are closing soon, but I think I still have to go in to work because the building is still open and one of my kids might show up for lunch or something. I’m not really sure. I just know I’m tired.

Getting into my kitchen at the end of each day has been a welcome escape. It might be the only thing keeping me sane at the moment. At the moment, I’m still able to get everything I need, and I hope that lasts. It feels so comforting to be able to rely on the simple magic of ingredients plus heat transmuting into a delicious meal. It keeps me going.

My store is short on eggs, so I’m hoping that means you already have plenty in your kitchen, and you want to eat them before they go bad. Souffle might seems too fussy to some people, but I find it heavenly. This Goat Cheese Souffle is both light and earthy with plenty of cheese. I just love it.

Goat Cheese Souffle | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

How to make Goat Cheese Souffle

I love this recipe, but it is a bit of a project. It will use several pots and create a lot of dirty dishes. You don’t have anywhere to go at the moment, though, so you might as well just get into it. We first need to steep some onion, bay leaf, and pepper in milk that we gently heat on the stove. While that’s going on, we’re cooking together butter and flour in another pan, then stirring in our warm milk, straining out the onion and bay leaf to create a thick cream sauce. Stir in some fresh parsley, egg yolk, and lots of goat cheese, then let that hang out.

Don’t freak out, but we’re gonna whip some egg whites to stiff peaks. Use an electric mixer. You’re not a superhero. Then comes the sort of tricky but also not really a big deal part of the process. Ever so gently bring together the egg whites and the cheese mixture to create a light and airy batter. Divide that amongst three ramekins and baking until golden and puffy.

Sorry, but we’re not done yet because while that’s baking, we’re going to mix together some cream and more goat cheese over a gentle heat. When the souffles come out of the oven the first time, we spoon over this sauce, top each one with a fat pinch of grated Swiss cheese, then put the whole thing back in the oven again to puff up.

Look, souffles are always going to look their best the moment they come out of the oven, but they’ll tastes amazing always. Serve these with a green salad and a glass of wine for a fancy lunch.

Goat Cheese Souffle | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

We’re all gonna be fine, kids. We’ve got each other’s backs, and we’ve got Goat Cheese Souffle. What else do we need? It’s gonna be awesome.

Love souffle? Try this White Cheddar Polenta Souffle.

Also, let’s hang out on Instagram and help keep the world awesome.

Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits

Renee Leave a comment

These Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits are light and fluffy, but also filled with awesome flavor. They’ve got a bit of heat from red jalapeno, and they’re deeply savory from the addition of cheddar and fresh chives. Bake them up for breakfast with a fried egg and bacon, or serve them alongside your favorite soup or chili. Get baking, kids.

Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

I hate wasting. I keep ill-fitting clothes and unflattering makeup for ages because I can’t bear to throw things away when they’re perfectly usable. There are probably some very out of date condiments in my fridge. Oh, and lots of half-empty bottles of flavored spirits used in a few cocktails and forgotten. None of it is going anywhere until it gets used. Otherwise, you might as well throw your money in the garbage.

This refusal to waste is exactly why I usually make square biscuits. It’s so much more practical. When you cut biscuits into a round shape, there’s always scraps of dough left behind. Yes, you can reform and cut again, but you can never use it all. If you want to use up all your biscuit dough, simply pat the dough into a rectangle and instead of using a round cutter, use a pizza cutter to cut it into square or rectangles. Nothing gets left behind. You get to eat every last bit. There are probably some minor scientific flaws in this plan. It’s never held me back.

Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

These particular Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits bake up light and fluffy with lots of layers and a crisp outer texture. The heat from the jalapeno is subtle and builds as you get through your biscuit. They’re at their best when eaten fresh out of the oven with plenty of salted butter. My husband likes to take the heat to another level with a drizzle of honey habanero sauce. You do you.

This recipe comes from that genius Joy Wilson’s first book, The Joy the Baker Cookbook. She really knows her way around a biscuit, and these ones turned out beautifully. We start by mixing dry ingredients together in a big bowl, squishing in lots of cold butter with our bare hands, tossing in the jalapenos, cheddar, and chives, then finally stirring in some buttermilk to bring it all together. Lightly knead the shaggy dough together on the counter. Then we cut it into delicious squares, and bake it in a super hot oven until fluffy and golden. Biscuits take a little practice, but we’ll all get there.

Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits are where it’s at. Make them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Never stop. It’s gonna be awesome.

Love biscuits? Try these Self-Rising Biscuits. For something a little extra, go for Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits. They’re both super awesome.

Spinach & Cheese Baked Eggs | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

Spinach & Cheese Baked Eggs

Renee Leave a comment

We’re making Meatless Monday awesome with Spinach & Cheese Baked Eggs. A bed of fresh spinach is topped with a layer of cheese and two eggs. Then it’s all baked to perfection. Add an extra layer of flavor with garlic herb breadcrumbs. Finally, a pile of toasted ciabatta brings it all together. Get into it.

Spinach & Cheese Baked Eggs | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

Can you believe it? I ate a vegetable and actually enjoyed it. My life-long struggle with veggies has been well-documented on this blog. It’s a struggle and a source of shame. I definitely feel like there’s something wrong with me. I’m a freak, but I don’t know how to change it. It probably holds me back professionally as well. As an aspiring food blogger, this a big hole in my experience.

People often ask me if I can post more healthy recipes or ways to make indulgent food more healthy. The short answer is no. Mostly because that’s not the kind of food I like. I only put recipes on my blog that I believe are truly awesome. I use this site for my own dinner planning, and if I’m not excited to eat something again, I don’t think it’s worth sharing.

Moreover, I don’t believe in taking great food and making it gross because someone told us we should feel guilty about eating it. If you want cheese or sugar, eat it. If you want to be more healthy, just eat less of that stuff. Don’t try to make your brownies healthy. They’ll never be as good. Just cut them smaller and share them with more people. I know some people have serious medical issues, and they can’t eat certain things. Trust me, there are plenty of other bloggers out there serving what you need. I share the food I love, and I hope you like it. If you don’t, that’s fine. To each their own. I still love you.

Spinach & Cheese Baked Eggs | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

This recipe, though, is something I didn’t expect to like. These Spinach & Cheese Baked Eggs with Garlic Herb Breadcrumbs were actually delicious. As I weighed out the spinach, I was like, “Yeah, that’s a lot of green stuff. This can’t be good.” I was so wrong. Served with fingers of toasted ciabatta, the mix of flavors and textures was awesome.

I adapted this recipe from the first book by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet Eats. Seriously Delish is filled with recipes that bring a great balance of healthy and indulgent. I show up for the latter, but she’s starting to win me over with the former. Her original recipe uses fontina cheese, which is difficult to source and expensive in Glasgow, so I opted for mild cheddar. I also added a little extra cream because it felt right. Finally, I switched out fresh herbs for dried ones in the breadcrumb mixture because I’m lazy. It’s super simple and super tasty.

Spinach & Cheese Baked Eggs | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

We’re always growing and changing. That’s the way it was meant to be. Spinach & Cheese Baked Eggs today. Next, world domination. It’s gonna be awesome.

Are you looking for more Meatless Monday recipes? This this Egg & Mango Chutney Flatbread.

Spam Mac & Cheese | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

Spam Mac & Cheese

Renee Leave a comment

Spam Mac & Cheese is a cheap and easy week night dinner. It feels nostalgic and a little bit naughty. Try it with your favorite Spam flavor tonight.

Spam Mac & Cheese | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

February is definitely when I miss Hawaii the most. Though the crocuses are emerging and signs of life are returning, we’re still firmly in winter. The wind is harsh, the rain is endless, and the sun barely penetrates. When I see my friends on the beach, my heart aches for our tiny house in Honolulu.

That’s not to say that Scotland doesn’t have its own charm. Stepping into a cozy pub to escape the storm never gets boring. Lighting a fire in the fireplace and snuggling up under a blanket to watch a movie is something we never would have done in Hawaii. And I can cook and bake whenever I want without sweating to death.

Spam Mac & Cheese | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

This Spam Mac & Cheese is the perfect mash up of my life in Hawaii and my life in Scotland. It features the salty weird but somehow delicious canned ham that Hawaiians adore mixed with the coziest comfort food of all time, mac and cheese. I didn’t realize that mac and cheese was a pub food staple here. It’s so amazing. I never have to worry that there won’t be anything I like on the menu.

We’re making a simple mac and cheese sauce here with evaporated milk that thickens and sets in the oven. First, the Spam gets cubed up and cooked until crisp in a skillet to change up the texture. Then sprinkle the crispy Spam bits over the creamy mac and cheese, and dig in.

Spam Mac & Cheese | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

No place is perfect. Everything has beauty. Spam Mac and Cheese is awesome. Some things are just universally true.

If you love mac and cheese, check out this Chorizo Mac & Cheese recipe.

Are we hanging out on Instagram? Follow me for more awesome food and lots of love.

Chorizo Mac & Cheese | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

Chorizo Mac & Cheese

Renee Leave a comment

Chorizo Mac & Cheese is spicy and gooey and so satisfying. Take a little help from the store to easily get this on the table on a week night. Dinner is gonna be awesome.

Chorizo Mac & Cheese | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

Can we be done with our January diets yet? You know I don’t let anything get in the way of me and cheese. A couple of years ago I tried to take a week long cheese hiatus, and it was super sad. Let’s not even think about it.

For me, cutting specific foods out of my diet has never worked. I give up so easily. I personally find it much easier to just not eat for a day once or twice a week than to give up dairy or gluten for a month. Maybe this isn’t the best long-term solution, but I don’t think anybody comes here for nutritional advice. I’m delivering comfort, friends, and today is no different.

Chorizo Mac & Cheese | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

My husband randomly requested Chorizo Mac & Cheese one day, and Pinterest led me to this. I’ve adapted my recipe from this one at Simply Recipes. Translating recipes from American to British almost always requires a bit of adjustment. We have about a third less choice at the grocery store. I never realized how spoiled I was as an American grocery shopper until I came here.

Chorizo is very popular here, though. Perhaps because we’re that much closer to Spain. What I love is that I can buy pre-chopped chunks of chorizo which saves me tons of time. We’re using a blend of regular cheddar (which is white by default here) and cheddar with chilies. In the US, you should be able to get your hands on some pepper jack no problem, but UK friends might have to go to the specialty cheeses. If you want a little less heat in your mac and cheese, use all plain cheddar.

Chorizo Mac & Cheese | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

If you’ve made mac and cheese from scratch before, there’s nothing revelatory here. The flavor, however, is worth getting excited about. Chorizo Mac & Cheese makes bacon mac seem boring. I hope you give it a try.

Chorizo Mac & Cheese | How to Be Awesome on $20 a Day

Go after what you want in life, friends. And if it’s Chorizo Mac & Cheese, now you know exactly how to get it.

Looking for more mac and cheese awesomeness? Try this Potato & Pancetta Mac & Cheese.

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