WE would sooner give up chocolate than go without our favourite cheese, research has found.
On average we eat 135g a week, and there are 2,000 types.
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Jassy Davis’s book Unbrielievable has over 60 recipes, using all sorts, from fresh curds to cheeses ripened in caves.
She says: “Whether you like light and lemony, salty and tangy, or rich and stinky, there’s cheese, and a dish, for you.”
Natasha Harding brings you three of Jassy’s recipes . . .
- Extracted from Unbrielievable by Jassy Davis (HarperNonFiction, £12.99) out on Thursday.
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Mini cheese frittatas (Makes 6)
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
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YOU NEED:
- Olive oil, for greasing
- 200g cherry tomatoes
- 150g kale
- 50g Parmesan cheese
- 6 medium eggs
- A handful of fresh basil leaves
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease a six-hole muffin pan with olive oil. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Halve the tomatoes then tip them on to the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened and are a little charred.
Meanwhile, wash the kale then strip the leaves off the woody cores and roughly chop them.
Bring a small pan of water to the boil, add the kale and simmer for two minutes or until just wilted.
Drain, rinse under cold water then leave to drain.
Finely grate the Parmesan. Crack the eggs into a bowl then add the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Whisk together until well combined.
Tear in a few basil leaves and stir to mix. Tip the kale on to paper towels and pat dry to get rid of any remaining water.
Divide the kale and roasted tomatoes between the muffin pan holes.
Pour the egg mixture over the veg, filling each hole almost to the top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the frittatas are set and golden brown on top.
Let the mini frittatas cool in the tin for a few minutes before carefully removing them.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Cheese scones (Makes 12)
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
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YOU NEED:
- 600g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 250g mature Cheddar cheese
- 2 medium eggs
- 300ml buttermilk
- Milk, to glaze
- Sea salt, to taste
METHOD: Preheat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Dust a baking tray with a little flour.
Sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder into a large bowl.
Add a pinch of salt. Whisk together to mix.
Coarsely grate cheese and add it to the bowl, keeping back about 50g for sprinkling. Stir to mix.
Beat eggs and buttermilk together. Pour buttermilk mix into the flour.
Stir the dry and liquid ingredients together with your hand to bring it together and make a soft, dryish dough.
Dust work surface with a little flour and turn out the dough. Knead briefly to bring together.
Pat it into a round approximately 2½ cm high. Stamp out 12 rounds using a 7cm fluted cutter.
Place scones on the tray. Brush tops with milk, and top with remaining cheese.
Bake for ten minutes or until scones lift easily off the tray and feel light.
Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving warm with butter.
Cottage cheese pancakes (Serves 4)
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
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YOU NEED:
- 300g cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 120g all-purpose (plain) flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 50g superfine (caster) sugar
- Sea salt, to taste
- Rapeseed oil or butter, for frying
- Fresh fruit and honey, to serve
METHOD: Tip the cottage cheese into a blender, crack in the eggs and add the vanilla extract. Blend at high speed until smooth.
Add the flour, baking powder, sugar and a pinch of salt then blitz again to combine.
Grease a frying pan with a little oil or butter and set over medium-high heat.
Use a small ladle or scoop to pour in enough batter to make three to four pancakes. Keep them small – 6-7cm across is perfect.
Fry for one to two minutes or until the top of the pancake is dry and the bubbles have burst. Flip over and fry for another minute.
Transfer to a plate and keep warm in an oven set to its lowest temperature while you cook the rest of the pancakes.
Regrease the pan as needed. You should be able to make approximately 30 pancakes.
Serve the pancakes warm with fresh fruit and honey.