Monday, February 10, 2014

Stupendous Blue Stilton Salad Dressing

Nice little block of Blue Stilton
One of my favorite cheeses is Stilton and I love Bleu Cheese Dressing, either on salads or Buffalo Chicken Wings.  I have several Bleu Cheese recipes but I was dabbling last night making some dressing and remembered I had some lovely Stilton in the fridge, so I used half of it to make this wonderful dressing.

What is Stilton?  To say that it's Great Britain's version of a Bleu Cheese like France's Roquefort, or Italy's Gorgonzola would be dismissive.  So I found this little tidbit on the Stilton cheese website.


STILTON

Long known as “The King of Cheeses”, blue Stilton is one a handful of British cheeses granted the status of a “protected designation origin” (PDO) by the European Commission. Only cheese produced in the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire and made according to a strict code may be called Stilton. There are just six dairies licensed to make Stilton.

To be called Stilton, each cheese must:

•be made only in the three counties from local pasteurized milk
•be made only in a traditional cylindrical shape
•be allowed to form its own crust or coat
•be un-pressed
•have delicate blue veins radiating from the center
•have a taste profile typical of Stilton.

Ingredients
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/4 cup Whole Buttermilk
2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Tony Chachere's
4 - 6 oz Stilton Blue Cheese (crumbled)

Preparation
Combine the first 8 ingredients, then add your Stilton. You can add more cheese if you'd like. You can use Maytag Blue, Roquefort, or Gorgonzola for this dressing. For a real treat, substitute Maple extract for the Vanilla extract. Watch everyone's reaction.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Mighty Meatloaf Hash

I was hungry last night and was trying to think of what to fix for dinner.  Leftovers were calling me from the fridge.  Now I LOVE Meatloaf, not the singer, (although I liked him in Rocky Horror) but the dish itself has been a favorite since I was a kid.

I saw I had about 3/4 lb of meatloaf from the day before. I had a fresh, good sized potato, and a medium sized onion in the basket. I thought... hash. Yep, that's the ticket. So here is my Mighty Meatloaf Hash recipe for your entertainment pleasure.

1 lg potato (really small dice)
2 cups meatloaf (chilled and diced)
1 sm - med onion (sliced thin)
1 tbsp garlic (minced)
2 tbs butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's
3 - 4 cups water

Now start off by boiling the potatoes in a pot of 3 - 4 cups of water until nearly done, drain off water and set them aside.  In a large, hopefully non-stick skillet on LO, sautĂ© the onion and garlic in the butter until slightly wilted.  Add the diced potatoes and combine.  Add all your seasonings and spices and turn over several times to make sure the potatoes are nearly done and soft.  Next add your meatloaf.  Stir it well to make sure everything is combined.  Serve with a green vegetable or legume.

Enjoy