Almond Crusted Fried Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

Melty, gooey...oh, it's love.

To say that fried cheese was my favorite restaurant stand by growing up is probably an understatement. I could easily polish off an order on my own, and frequently did so. Sometimes I ordered it as my meal, sometimes I ordered it with my meal, but I always ordered it.

There’s something so attractive about fried cheese. The crunchy coating? The gooey, melty center? The beautiful melding of flavors as you bite into a marinara-drenched morsel? I’m not sure, but it may be a combination of all of those factors that makes it so appealing to not only myself, but the young and young-at-heart all over the nation.

Although the whole idea of fried does imply a certain amount of unhealthiness, there are a few things you can do to improve this favorite snack and feel less guilty serving it up, all the while earning major brownie points with the kids or your guests. I hope the tips below will help you to enjoy a guilt-free snacking session with the whole family!

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Ingredients:

 

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

Marinara Sauce

Almonds
Garlic Powder

Basil

Eggs

Olive Oil

 

Step One: Slice The Cheese

Now, when we talk about mozzarella cheese, we aren’t talking about string cheese or shredded. We’re talking those delightful little balls you see near the deli section, wrapped up tight in saran. You’re going to need about a half a pound, so look for one around that size. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, make your own! It doesn’t take much time (about half an hour) and it doesn’t take many ingredients. We’ve got a recipe for it available here. It’s a fun activity with the kids, and you can really impress your friends when you tell them you’ve made your own cheese. Not to mention that’s about the only way you’re going to be able to get fresh, grass-fed, raw milk mozz. All other kinds will be pasteurized already, most likely grain fed, and most likely made from skim instead of whole milk. It just lacks the flavor and fulfillment of a real cheese!

So take your cheese ball, and slice it into whatever size you find aesthetically pleasing. Try not to go too thick, or you’ll end up with fried cheese that’s cold in the middle. 1/3 of an inch is a great size!

Step Two: Dip and Coat

Now you’ll need to do an egg wash. Just crack an egg in a bowl and whisk it lightly. Then take your food processor, blender, or Ninja (I love my Ninja!) and pour in some almonds (1 cup) and some garlic powder (1 tsp) Cover and pulse until you have a pretty fine almond meal. Pour part of it on a plate. You never want to put all of it on the plate at once, because if you’ve made too much, you will contaminate the whole lot with raw egg and you’ll have to throw out the left overs.

Take your slices of mozzarella and dip them in the eggs, then coat them with almond meal, pressing firmly on both sides to ensure it sticks. Arrange them all in one layer on a plae and continue until you’ve coated them all.

 

Step Three: Repeat! Repeat!

That’s right, you have to do it again! If your egg is running a little low, whisk up another. Then dip and coat all of your cheese slices a second time. This step is critical: given the gooey nature of hot cheese, if they aren’t well sealed, you’re going to have a pan full of icky gooey mess instead of beautiful individual cheese sticks. Once you’ve done all of your slices a second time, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for ½ hour to chill. This is a good time to clean up your mess! Yes, I can tell you made one. Go ahead, clean it up. You’ll feel better later.

Step Four: Fry it up!

About 5 minutes before you want to start cooking, put a small layer of oil (regular olive oil, not extra virgin, or you can use coconut oil or palm oil.) into a pan with high sides. Just enough to coat the bottom is fine, we aren’t going to deep fry these! Let it heat on medium low.

Grab your cheese and gently place several into your oiled pan, being careful to avoid oil splatter! I know you’re excited to try them, but do several small batches even if you can fit all of them in the pan at once. Every time you put a new slice in you make the temperature of the oil go down. So you’re going to have to cook them longer if you put too many, and they won’t cook evenly or brown as nicely.

After a minute or two, flip all of them over and cook for another minute. They don’t take long! If you leave them for too long, all the coating in the world won’t save you- you’re going to have a big blob of greasy cheese in your pan. Take one out and slice in half just to make sure it’s heated through, then repeat with the rest of your batches, adding more oil if necessary.

Serve immediately with warm marinara on the side. Yuuuum-my!





The Hummus Among Us

For some, hummus comes naturally. They take a taste, and their eyes grow wide with joy, their tongue freezes in pure bliss. It’s a combination of simple taste and creamy texture that can be explained as nothing less than perfection. To others, it’s an acquired taste. A hesitant hand dips a pita chip into the beige unknown and then brings it to a waiting mouth. The verdict? Not much to say about it either way. And yet everytime the strange substance presents itself at a party or among snacks that your spouse sets out for the guests, you find yourself inexplicably drawn to it. You taste it again. And again. By the fourth or fifth time, you sincerely enjoy it. After that, it becomes somewhat of a favorite in your weekly palette.

Wherever you’re at, Hummus can meet you there.  I hope you enjoy this recipe. Hummus is simple to make and much cheaper (and more tasty) when you make it yourself.



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Ingredients (All organic, as always!)

Chick peas (AKA Garbanzo Beans)

1 Lemon or Lime

Tahini (sesame paste)

Salt

Olive Oil

Roasted Red Peppers (optional)

Garlic

Step One: A Good, Long Soak

You’re going to start with two cups of dried garbanzo beans. Place these in a large mixing bowl and fill it with filtered water. Then relax- you have to let them soak for 12 hours. When they’re done, they’ll have expanded to about five cups worth!

Why is it important to use filtered water, you ask? There are, as usual, a myriad of reasons. First, there’s chloride. Now, many filters that claim to filter chlorine (like a Brita) really only remove the chlorine odor. If you leave water out long enough, the chlorine will evaporate. (Incidentally, did you know that taking a ten minute shower allows your skin to absorb 8 glasses’ worth of chlorine? Icky thought for the day.)

Same beans, different day!

The second reason is fluoride. Not all water is fluoridated (thank goodness!) but many sources are. Please, I beg you, do not drink fluoridated water. If your water is fluoridated, purchase a reverse osmosis filter to remove it. Fluoride is a POISON. It may help you get less cavities, yes. But it’s a poison. It is doing terrible things to your brain and your childrens’ brains. If you have an infant or toddler, do not give them fluoride supplements to help their teeth! There is a reason you are supposed to call poison control if you swallow too much toothpaste. Fluoride…is…poison. If you don’t believe me, at least do the research yourself. *End rant.*

The third is that there is all kinds of other unpleasant nonsense in the water, not the least of which is more pharmaceuticals than you could shake a stick at.  Prozac, birth control, pain pills. You name it, it’s in measurable amounts in our water sources.

If anyone has ever said to you “There must be something in the water.” He was right. I highly, HIGHLY suggest you invest in a reverse osmosis water filter. I like reverse osmosis because it gets rid of fluoride and pharmaceuticals. Do some research and find out what kind of filter is right for you, but please, get one!

Step Two: Boil, boil, and boil some more!

So in the morning, take your nicely hydrated chick peas and strain them, then place them in a large, heavy pot (I love my ceramic coated cast iron pot)and once again, fill with water. Now here is the important part! You’re going to have to have them at a hard boil for two hours. That’s right, two hours. Stir occasionally and keep covered to minimize your evaporation loss. Keep an eye on them- if you have to add more water, make sure it’s boiling when you add it. These things are important because if you don’t do this step properly, you won’t have nice, soft chick peas. You’ll have yucky hard ones.

After your two hours of boiling is up, strain the chick peas again, this time reserving the water.

Step Three: Put it all together, and what have you got?

Now you’re going to put all your ingredients (well, most of them, don’t rush me.) in your desired crushing device. I, as usual, will use my Ninja! Put all the chick peas in, then 8 tablespoons of Tahini.

Tahini Note: When you open up your Tahini for the first time, it’s going to be pretty soupy on top from settling, gently stir it all back together, until it becomes more of a peanut butter texture.

Next, add 1 tablespoon of salt, 10 cloves of garlic (you can mix it up between fresh cloves and garlic powder, but fresh is always better.) and the juice of one lemon or one lime. Puree this mix, using short pulses, until you reach the desired consistence. Hummus consistency is hard to explain in words. You’re going to have to figure it out on your own. When you stick your finger in and it’s pretty smooth and it’s pleasing to eat, then by Jove! You’ve got it!

Step Four: Extras, Extras

Here you can add in pretty much anything your heart desires. For this recipe we added scallions and roasted red peppers. I chopped the peppers up really small and added about ½ cup to the mix. For the scallions, we did about 4 tablespoons. If you taste it and you like it, then stop here! If not, get imaginative. Try adding different spices, more garlic, whatever you’d like. To ours we added some pepper, a little rosemary, and some Kirkland no-salt seasoning. Parsley or basil would also be a nice addition.

Step Five: Serve

Serve with a garnish of whatever you’ve added, such as a nice pile of red peppers or some fresh sprigs of parsley. Right before serving, drizzle with olive oil. There you have it! Lovely with flat bread, pita chips, and of course, veggies! Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip

This recipe is simple, yet satisfying, and so rich. It goes great on bagels, crackers, veggies (especially broccoli, that’s our personal favorite!) and it’s very likely that a number of other items in the food world would benefit from its presence as well. The salmon provides a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which we don’t get enough of in today’s average diet. And it’s an easy sell with kids. It’s meant as a treat or to be used sparingly because it does have a high fat content, but don’t fret too much. It ages you prematurely. J Be aware that besides the oil, cream cheese, and salmon, all of the other ingredients are really optional. You can tweak it to taste. This is the recipe that we like best in our family!

Ingredients



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8 oz Cream Cheese or Neufchatel Cheese

4 oz smoked Salmon

1 TBSP butter

2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ tsp Celery Leaf

¼ tsp Garlic Powder

½ tsp Parsley

½ tsp Kirkland No-Salt Seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

Step One: Put it All Together!

Like I said before, this recipe is very simple. Add all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. If you prefer to ease the work a bit, you can soften the cheese and butter beforehand. Try to get pastured butter if you can. During the fall, Organic Valley makes a special pastured butter. Why? It’s the same concept as with grass fed beef. When cows eat grass, they produce milk, and therefore milk by-products like cheese and butter, that are far superior to the average grocery store product. These products are shockingly good for you, high in CLAs and other important nutrients. Pastured raw milk and butter actually can help prevent disease and heal the body, whereas pasteurized, grain fed milk and butter are virtually useless and/or harmful to you. Yeah, the Got Milk campaign? That is a total scam, unless that milk is raw. Sorry I had to be the one to break it to you. If you’re skeptical, I highly encourage you to do the research yourself. If your brainwashing says (as mine once did, I’m not judging!) “RAW! That’s horrible! It needs to be pasteurized or you could die!” then please review the facts. In the disgusting factory farm model of today, where manure and other unsavory things are flying into the meat and products we drink every minute of every day, of course pasteurization is needed. It kills everything-good and bad-in the milk. In a small farm with a clean operation, so long as basic precautions are taken, its not nearly such a risk. (Did you know that a grain fed cow that is given grass for only 5 days will have the ecoli in its gut reduced by 80 percent?) When they get the right food, the right amount of space, and the right care, disease is really not an issue anymore. If you are STILL concerned, be aware that a farm must be licensed and inspected to sell raw milk. Way to go, government regulation! Putting minds at ease every day.

Now where was I? Oh yeah. Cream cheese.

Neufchatel cheese, at least in America, is basically exactly the same in taste and texture as cream cheese. Instead of being made with just cream, it is made with whole mik and cream, therefore reducing the fat content by 30 percent. 365, Whole Food’s store brand, sells both cheeses in an organic variety.

Step Two: Mix it in!

Mix this concoction together thoroughly with a bamboo spoon (or other utensil of your choice. I like the bamboo spoon because it doesn’t slip over the cheese, it has more grip, and helps get the job done faster. That’s just my humble opinion!)

Step Three: Find something to dip in it!

That’s it, you’re done. Serve it up and dip whatever your heart desires in it, or else spread it on toast, or a bagel. You get the idea, the possibilities are endless.

Wholly Guacamole!

Guacamole is an enigma. It is both insanely good for you- full of fresh, raw, powerfully healing veggies- and disgustingly delicious. So where can you go wrong? Here’s a simple and easily doubled recipe for making your own guacamole in the comfort of your kitchen. Everything’s better fresh, right? And the best part is, it’s fast and easy, so you can whip it up with a moment’s notice to impress unexpected (uninvited?) guests or for a great snack anytime. Serve it with chips (I like blue corn chips or Yucca chips, both of which are almost always easy to find at my local Ocean State Job Lot!) or veggie sticks.

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Ingredients (serves 2)

1 avocado

¼ small onion

2 cloves garlic

Cilantro

½ Lime

½ small Tomato

Salt and Pepper to taste

Step One: Know Your Enemy!

To some, the avocado can be intimidating when you are first getting to know it. Is it ripe? How do you cut it? You can relax- it's simple, and you, too, can be an avocado slicing expert!

If you aren't planning to make this recipe right away, pick an avocado that is still very firm. It will ripen in a day or two just left out on the counter. The avocado is ripe and ready to slice when it is slightly soft when squeezed. Too soft, and you're likely to discover that the inside is is brown and mushy- undesirable! Use it on the day it's first soft to spare yourself this disappointment. Another tip: If the little brown stem pops off easily, the avocado is likely ready. If you have a local Trader Joe's, they have a great deal on 4 packs of organic avocados.

To slice, cut into the top (where the stem is and slice down until you hit resistance (that's the pit!) then simply work your knife around that pit to finish halving the fruit. Pull it apart, and then remove the pit by smacking it with your knife and twisting slightly to loosen. Voila! Two beautiful avocado halves. If for any reason you need to stop after this step, place the avocados cut side down on a plate in the fridge to stop them from browning.

Note: A great 'recipe' for a quick and delicious healthy snack: Cut an avocado in half, then pour some soy sauce into the hole from the pit. Eat with a spoon, dipping each bite in a little soy sauce! It's FANTASTIC!

Step Two: Chop it up!

Grab your chopping board and dice up your tomato and onion very fine. I personally can’t stand chopping onions, and nothing ever comes out as fine as I’d like, so I use my uber-handy Ninja. It’s awesome for a lot of things around the kitchen, and has 3 different sized containers to process in, so whatever the job, the is ready! Plus, it’s easy to clean- a must with two little ones expecting mommy to be at their beck and call! I used to use a Magic Bullet, and I did like it, but the small size of the cups made it pretty restrictive, I couldn’t use it for things like pureeing a large soup recipe, for instance. In any case, a food processor will also work if you  have one, but chopping them the good old fashioned way is just fine too! You may or may not, at your option, chop up the avocado as well. Some people enjoy smashing it whole. To each their own!

Note: You know all those bamboo chopping boards you’ve been seeing just about everywhere? You might want to snag one if you haven’t already! Bamboo is naturally anti-bacterial, which is awesome when it comes to something as important as food prep. If you’re using a plastic one, I can’t stress enough that you NEED to keep it VERY clean. Bacteria and other undesirables can easily hide it the deep grooves created by your knife when you’re chopping and cooking. If possible, keep separate boards for meat and veggies.

Step Three: Mix it up!

Put all ingredients except the lime into a bowl. If you’ve never tried cilantro before this moment, I suggest you do so before putting it in that bowl. Cilantro is a very love-hate relationship, though some would argue that guacamole is not guacamole without it. You can skip it without much consequence if you discover you utterly abhor it!

Squeeze the lime over your mixture and then stir, mash, and otherwise incorporate the ingredients until it reaches your desired consistency. A classic guacamole is a little lumpy. Some enjoy it with a bit of a smoother mix. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

Step Four: There is no step four. You are now ready to eat! Serve it with chips, and enjoy!

Helpful Hint: If you have made more guacamole than you can finish in one sitting, there is no need to despair. Stick the avocado pit into the mix and cover with plastic wrap. The pit will keep it from browning!