Cooking with cheese

Cheeses are so good—and so delicious! But did you know they are also amazingly versatile cooking ingredients? Your IGA offers endless ways to use them in oh-so-delectable ways.

Did you know?

A healthy diet including a sufficient amount of calcium and vitamin D and regular exercise promotes the formation of solid bones and can reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Cheese is a good source of calcium. Include it on your menu more often!

What to do with firm cheeses?

Gourmet muffins:
Add grated old cheddar to a muffin mix. Cheese goes great with apple, pineapple, carrot, or ham.

Summer salad:
Combine spinach with pieces of cheese such as Chèvre Noir, along with pears, strawberries, kiwis and walnuts. Drizzle with your favourite dressing.

Quick Tips

Add cubed cheese to pasta with vegetables and tomato sauce.
Garnish hamburgers and paninis with cheese.

What to do with semi-soft cheeses?

This category features the widest variety of cheeses and flavours. Enjoy the fine, mild flavour of Havarti or the fruity, milky aromas of Saint-Paulin. Here are two easy-to-make appetizers:

Tuna-stuffed pears:
Cut ripe pears in half and core. Stuff with a mixture of tuna, grated provolone cheese, green onion, lime juice and pepper. This combination can also be used to stuff avocados.

Mediterranean-style zucchini:
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and core. Stuff with chopped tomatoes, garlic and black olives. Top with grated Mont-Gleason cheese and bake until cheese is golden.

Quick Tips

Place slices of semi-soft cheese on warm apple pie.
Top an English muffin with cheese and a dab of jam, and broil several minutes.

What to do with soft cheeses?

Their slightly downy, white rind is what gives soft cheeses their distinctive flavour. Camembert and Brie are popular favourites. Discover these two new suggestions to serve with before-dinner drinks:

Cheese with cranberries and maple syrup:
Completely cover a wheel of Brie Chevalier Triple Crème with nuts, dried cranberries and maple syrup. Place on a cookie sheet and oven broil several minutes. Serve immediately with chunks of bread.

Cocktail cheese balls:
Process leftover Brie Double Crème in a mixer. Shape into small balls and coat with breadcrumbs. Fry several minutes. Makes a great cocktail snack!

Quick Tips

Stuff chicken breasts or veal cutlets with a wedge of soft cheese.
Enjoy a delicious crepe stuffed with berries and cheese.

What to do with blue cheeses?

Not all blue cheeses have a strong flavour. The taste and intensity of each depends on the type of mould and milk used, the amount of veining and the ripening time. Certain blue cheeses are as mild as Brie and perfect for the first course of a wine and cheese reception. You can also try the following gourmet tips—they offer a gentle introduction to blue cheeses!

Grilled portobellos:
Top portobello mushroom caps with a combination of blue cheese (e.g., Bleu Ermite), toasted pine nuts and fresh basil. Bake for several minutes and finish by broiling. This mixture is also great for stuffing tomatoes!

Dressing:
Crumble some Roquefort cheese with a fork and combine with oil, cream, white wine vinegar and garlic. Salt and pepper. Combine thoroughly using a whisk.

Quick Tips

Place a little blue cheese on fish filets at the end of cooking.
Add blue cheese to piping hot soup.

What to do with light cheeses?

Numerous cheeses are now available in light varieties, which contain less than 20% M.F. Although fat gives food a lot of flavour, considerable progress has been made in recent years to give light cheeses more personality and taste. Try the following suggestions and try out the uncompromising flavour for yourself:

Scalloped potatoes:
Alternate layers of sliced onions and potato slices. Top with light cheese, a little milk and a dash of nutmeg.

Hors d’oeuvres:
Coat pieces of light cheese with pesto and serve each with a basil leaf and a little prosciutto on a toothpick.

Quick tips

Add grated light cheese to traditional vegetarian pizza.
Include light cheese in white sauce with tuna and serve with pasta.

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