Baked feta with cherry tomatoes

February 5, 2023February 5, 2023 Belinda

This recipe is superb and is an adaptation of a viral TikTok video used with pasta. Serve with warm focaccia bread.

4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1lb sweet cherry tomatoes
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 good-sized shallot or 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1-2 small red chillies (sliced) or a good pinch or dried red chili flakes
Flaky sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
10 oz block Greek feta or a couple of smaller ones. (It doesn’t have to be exactly 10 oz)
A good handful fresh basil
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp chili honey, to drizzle
Good bread for serving

Heat the oven to 400F. Place one rack in the middle of the oven and one near the top, under the broiler.

Put 2 tbsp olive oil into an 8″ or 9″ oven-proof baking dish that is presentable.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, chopped thyme, shallots and chillies. Sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Toss to coat, then add the blocks of feta. Drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil over the feta and tomatoes, crack more pepper and gently toss without breaking the feta blocks.

Transfer the pan to the middle rack of the oven for 20-30 minutes. After that, transfer to the broiler rack and change the setting to the BROIL, watching carefully incase it burns. Broil on high for 5-8 mins or until the tomatoes are starting to char and blister.
Meanwhile, heat up the bread in a toaster oven or another oven.
When the tomato/feta dish is ready, pull out the dish and add the torn basil leaves, gently stirring to combine so the feta “smooshes” into the tomatoes and it becomes a gooey mess!
Drizzle with the chili honey and serve

Baked feta with honey & dukkah

May 18, 2022May 18, 2022 Belinda

Move over camembert, baked feta is in town. Martha Collison’s delicious recipe is soft and squidgy, with a sweet, crunchy topping. Serve with warm pitta or flatbreads and a crisp, dressed salad.

Serves 4

7oz/200g pack feta
2 tbsp clear acacia honey
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp Dukkah spice
Pita or flatbread or something similar, to serve

Preheat the oven to 400F/200ºC.
Place the feta block in a small roasting tin. Drizzle with the honey and olive oil until the whole block is coated, then sprinkle with the dukkah and season well.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the feta is soft and the top is crisp. When the cheese is almost ready, sprinkle the flatbreads or pita breads with water, place on a baking tray and bake for 2-3 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Accompaniments · Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead

Marinated feta cheese in jar

May 27, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

This is fabulous to have hanging out maturing in your pantry and it just gets better and better with time.
Super served with lovely French bread or pita bread.
It doesn’t really need measurements as you can change up the flavors according to your taste.My list of flavors is just a guide.

8 oz Greek feta cut into large cubes
Dried red chili flakes
4 tsp fennel seeds
Olive oil
2 lemons juiced and zested
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 garlic cloves minced
4 tbsp parsley leaves
Sundried tomatoes
peppercorns
allspice berries

Add everything to the jar and keep for days!
Serve with good bread or pita bread

Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead

Marinated Feta With Herbs and Peppercorns

August 28, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe by Alexa Weibel from the New York Times.

The best recipes often make a good ingredient great through minimal effort. For this easy appetizer, start with good-quality feta, preferably in brine, which is creamier than the squeaky supermarket varieties. Many commercial fetas use only cow’s milk and can taste somewhat one-note, so look for one that contains both sheep’s and goat’s milk, which provide the cheese’s signature tang. Dice the feta, toss it with preserved lemon, peppercorns and chili, and refrigerate overnight.
Spoon it onto crostini, or serve it alongside eggs, fish, salad, grilled or roasted vegetables or atop a bowl of pasta.

Screen Shot 2019-08-28 at 8.27.27 AM

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp finely chopped preserved lemon, or 4 strips fresh orange zest plus 1 tbsp juice (from 1 orange)
1 red Serrano chili, very thinly sliced (optional)
4 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp any combination of whole pink, green, white and black peppercorns, crushed or coarsely chopped
8 oz firm Greek feta, in brine
Crostini or crackers, for serving

In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, parsley, preserved lemon, chili, oregano and peppercorns.
Cut the feta into 1/2-inch cubes and add them to the olive oil mixture. Gently fold together until feta is evenly coated. Transfer to a jar or lidded container and drizzle with more olive oil, if needed to immerse the feta. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
Remove from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving to allow solidified olive oil to return to liquid form.
Serve with crackers or crostini, or spoon on top of seared fish, grilled or roasted vegetables, pasta or salad.