Creamy Whipped Feta

This post is sponsored by Nikos Feta.

Have you ever whipped feta cheese? 

If the answer is no, buckle your seat belt and get out your food processor. You are in for quite a ride (or at least, your food processor is in for a quite a workout).

This recipe is super simple, but totally changes the character of feta. The rich and tangy flavor that's usually packaged in chewy little crumbles infuses this smooth, creamy, and versatile dip. I enjoyed this whipped feta with fresh asparagus spears, carrot sticks, and my favorite gluten-free crackers, but the possibilities are limitless. (It MAY have crossed my mind to use this instead of tomato sauce on a pizza, maybe with roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella balls, too. Doesn't that sound amazing?)

Nikos Feta works beautifully in this dip. It's not as overwhelmingly salty as some fetas are, but still has the wonderfully sharp and distinctive flavor that feta is famous for. It's sold in a block or in a tub of crumbles, and either one will work for this recipe! I used their traditional feta, but I bet this would also be great with one of their other flavors (tomato basil, perhaps?). You can see all the different flavors here.

Lighter Lemon Curd (Dairy-Free)

My dad and sister came over for dinner this weekend.  It was so much fun--my sister just turned 15, and she had never been to my apartment before!  I cooked them a belated birthday/father's day celebratory dinner.  We had thai shrimp curry with vegetables and coconut milk (so good--recipe coming soon), a salad my dad brought with a delicious dressing (I'll try to score the recipe and post it--it involves hazelnut oil!) and a berry tart with coconut cream and lemon curd.  My sister can't eat any dairy, so I had to make lemon curd without the butter.  Good news--it's just as delicious as the original, and even more lemony.  

I wanted to share the whole tart recipe with you, but the crust still needs some work.  Anyone have a good dairy-free tart crust recipe?  I'm going to work on getting one ready for the Fourth, because this tart happens to be very patriotic.  For the topping, we just whipped up some coconut cream with powdered sugar and vanilla, then folded it in to the lemon curd.

Anyway, I couldn't wait to share this delicious lightened-up lemon curd with you.  It's a healthier way to enjoy my favorite spread!  Try it on pancakes or a dutch baby, swirl it with some greek yogurt, or pipe it inside some cupcakes.

If you're looking for the original buttery version, it's here.

Ingredients (adapted from food.com; makes about 1 1/2 cups):

4-6 organic lemons
1/2-3/4 cup sugar, to taste
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Wash your lemons really well, and zest two of them.  Mix the zest with the sugar in a small bowl, rubbing the mixture between your fingers to bring out the flavors of the zest (use 1/2 cup of sugar for a very puckery curd, and more if you want things a little sweeter).  Set the lemon sugar aside (if you want to make extra lemon sugar, it's also delicious as a topping for muffins or cookies).

Roll the lemons firmly under the palm of your hand to prime them to release the most juice.  Juice lemons until you have 3/4 cup of lemon juice.  Strain out any seeds.  Add the juice, lemon sugar, and salt to a saucepan.  Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, until all the sugar is dissolved.

Beat the eggs and egg yolk together in a medium bowl.  While whisking constantly, slowly pour the warm lemon mixture into the eggs.  Continue to beat for a minute or so.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla (the vanilla is optional--you won't really taste it, but it rounds out the flavor).

Let the curd cool to room temperature, then transfer to a glass jar or another airtight container.  Store in the refrigerator.  Lemon curd will keep, refrigerated, for at least two weeks.

Chickpea Mushroom Spread

In my last post, I shared a recipe for gambas al ajillo inspired by my meal at Solea.  The other thing I was dying to try at home was Solea's chickpea spread, which they bring at the beginning of the meal with a basket of crusty bread.  It's really delicious!  I could tell it had chickpeas in it (plus, it was adorably garnished with one whole chickpea), but I couldn't tell what made it so much richer, and so different from, hummus.

Luckily, our waiter didn't mind telling us the other key ingredient--porcini mushrooms!  I had never cooked with them before, and they smelled really funky before they were reconstituted.  But, it was worth it.  I was rewarded with this hearty dip, which I think is just as good as what I had at Solea.

Ingredients (makes about 1 1/2 cups):

1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Juice of half a lemon, or to taste
Salt to taste
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for serving
1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
Paprika for serving, optional

Place the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl, and pour in very hot water to cover.  Let sit for 30 minutes.  Drain, reserving the soaking water, rinse, and pat dry.

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, and saute the mushrooms for about five minutes.

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, salt, and mushrooms.  Turn the processor on and add the half cup of olive oil in a steady stream (you can use less oil and more mushroom water if you'd like).  If the spread seems too dry, add the mushroom soaking water a tablespoon at a time and process until smooth.

Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika, if desired.  Serve with crusty bread or vegetables for dipping.