new Stacy’s Cheese Petites

Hello friends. How was your summer? There is much I have to catch up on with you guys however today I am just going to dive into this amazing charcuterie board and share my little advice on building one. If you have not assembled a charcuterie board before I urge you to do so. It is a great simple way to entertain your guests.

I have prepared several charcuterie boards in the past. What I have found is that it is a great simple way to entertain guests, as you can add an array of items and make each charcuterie board different. You can please everyone in your party with the endless variations you can make.

This charcuterie board, however, it is especial.  I wanted to purposely omit any type of cheese because I wanted to serve it with new Stacy’s Cheese Petites. The number one ingredient for these is cheese. I wanted to experience the real cheese from the new Stacy’s   from the new Stacy’s Cheese Petites and pair it with the cured meats, vegetables, fresh fruits, dried fruits and nuts. It was a great choice, as my friends and family loved the texture, flavor and combination of ingredients which paired very well with the charcuterie board I built.

The great thing about Stacy’s Cheese Petites  is that they are baked, they contain 6 grams of protein per serving and are a good source of calcium. You can find them in two delicious flavors that are light and crispy and full of flavor, Romano with Garlic & Pepper or Parmesan with Rosemary.

They are also the perfect snack for anytime and anywhere that pairs perfectly with your favorite glass of wine or just great on-the-go. These snacks are great for the whole family as well.  I add them to my children’s lunch bags as a delightful surprise. They are truly a must try!

When building a charcuterie board one of my favorite things is that I like to mix textures. I like to pick something hard like salami, but always thinly sliced. I believe the mouth-feel and experience of the meat is different and richer when thinly sliced. I also like to add dried cured meats like prosciutto, soppressata or chorizo.

Having a pickled element on the charcuterie platter is always a good thing. It adds more texture, and flavor. Marinated vegetables I find work really well. You can buy them already prepared or make your own in advance.

An element of sweetness—like fruit or jelly—will pair nicely with the saltiness of the meat and you can play with slice thicknesses, diameter, and color to give the plate more visual variety. In my case I used strawberries, blueberries, figs and peaches which are all in season. Seasoned fruits whenever possible are best but do what you can.

I think that these items are usually my favorite to choose from when building any board just because of the variety of color it adds onto the plate. A mixture of charcuterie, fresh and dried fruits, vegetables and nuts are always a good place to start.

Another thing to keep in mind when preparing a charcuterie board is that charcuterie tastes better when closer to room temperature. If you bring home something pre-sliced from the deli, I recommend leaving it out for a few minutes before serving.

Well, I hoped you enjoyed my little pointers about building a charcuterie board. If you are looking for something impressive, simple, and delicious to serve your guests and family at any gathering a charcuterie board is a great way to start.

Enjoy!

charcuterie board

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 7 1/2 oz pack New Stacy’s Cheese Petites, flavor of choice
• 1 lbs of assorted charcuterie such as chorizo, salami and prosciutto
• 1 handful fresh basil
• 1 handful fresh rosemary
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbs vinegar
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 cup marinated vegetables
• Assorted fresh fruit
• assorted dried fruit
• assorted nuts

Directions:

In a small bowl combine the cherry tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil and oregano. Set aside.

On a big platter arrange the charcuterie of choice, fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, fresh herbs and New Stacy's Cheese Petites. Incorporate the tomatoes and marinated vegetables previously placed in a bowl.

Serve.

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I love the fact that paella can be cooked in one pot and there is not much cleaning to do. While you can make paella with just seafood or chicken and other meats today I opted for just using chorizo to infuse the quinoa and other ingredients with its flavor.

There is not many times that we get to eat meat and chicken but while in Spain anything goes. I have bought chorizo in the USA before at many different grocery stores so I am sure you will be able to purchase it there. If you would like to keep this dish vegan and vegetarian you can use soy chorizo which is also readily available at grocery stores. I have gotten it at Trader Joe’s before.

I like to use quinoa for many of my recipes that calls for rice. I like to add variations and since quinoa is still gluten free and cooks pretty easily as well is a great substitution ingredient for me to use.

For this recipe I use Bob’s Red Mill whole grain quinoa. You can directly buy it from their website or at the grocery store. You can also use any of their line of quinoa instead of the white kind. Bob’s Red Mill has a large variety of flours, cereals, grains, seeds and many products that are also gluten free so make sure you check their products while on their site. They have anything you will need for your baking as well.

Paella is one of the most popular dishes in Spain. Depending on the area that you are in it is made with different ingredients.  All of them equally delicious  but this is my healthier different take on Paella. I hope you like it.

Enjoy!

Quinoa chorizo paella

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups quinoa
• 8 oz chorizo, chopped
• 3 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp celtic salt
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 lemon, juice
• chopped parsley

Directions:

In a large non-stick paella pan or any other round pan of your choice, over medium to high heat, place the chopped chorizo and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the chorizo starts releasing the oil and the onion is starting to become translucent.

Add the chopped tomatoes and salt and cook further for 2 minutes. Add the quinoa and stir. Add 4 cups of hot water and stir. Let the water cook out. When the 4 cups have evaporated, add another cup of hot water and the peas. Let the water cook out. At this stage the quinoa should be cooked.

Turn the heat off and add the juice of 1 lemon and chopped parsley. Serve while still hot.

The post Quinoa chorizo paella appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I am on a quest to start making conventional recipes this year with a healthier take. This barley paella is my starting point. While paella uses white rice, a rice very similar used in risotto, I decided to use barley which is a grain that contains more fiber, minerals and vitamins than plain old white rice.

I actually hardly ever use white rice. Even when making my own sushi I do use brown rice sushi which you can be found at Asian stores.

I actually want to make a seafood paella version perhaps even using a different grain. I have something in mind that I hope it turns out good so stay tuned for that one.

I actually made this dish for Christmas while visiting my brother in Vegas. His kitchen is not very equipped so I had to go out and buy a couple of pots and pans as well as some dishes. He hardly ever cooks at home so even when we spent $300 on groceries he made sure he let me know to finish every single item since he wouldn’t be using none of it. Eating out in Las Vegas is pretty cheap and being a bachelor sometimes cooking is not a priority. Plus he works crazy hours so having a well stocked kitchen is not a must for him.

At home I actually have a real paella pan I brought from Spain. On my next paella recipes I will for sure use my paella pan. Presentation is also important for me so I will be sure to show you my pan. You can buy some here in the US as well so if you ever want to buy the real thing here is the link for it.

The barley is a great alternative to white rice so if you try this recipe you can do either one. Barley is a much healthier option so I hope you will try that.

Enjoy!

Barley paella

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped into small cubes
• 6 oz dried chorizo, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups barley
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 7 oz canned clams, drained
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 oz fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• Lemon wedges, for serving, optional
• Pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

In a 6 qt ducth oven, paella pan,  or any other pan you may have, over medium to high heat add the chopped chorizo and cook until fragrant and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the olive oil and add the onion, carrots, garlic and cook for 5-7 minutes until translucent. Add the barley, tomato paste, chorizo, peas, salt and stir. Add 5 cups of hot water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook adding more liquid as it evaporates doing this until the barley is tender.

With the type of barley I used my cooking time was about 30 minutes until the barley become tender, however, using other varieties may take up to 50 minutes. When the barley is tender add the clams, parsley and pepper flakes if using. Stir and serve while still warm with lemon wedges.

NOTE: I do most of my shopping at Trader Joes. While you can find certain items I used for this recipe on Amazon they are extremely cheaper at the store.

The post Barley paella appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I made these chorizo nachos for football Sunday and they were AWESOME. It was really simple and fast to put together.

While I only had mozzarella cheese using a mixture of cheeses including cheddar, mozzarella, Monterrey etc could be even better.

Also, you may use ground beef or even refried beans instead of the the soy chorizo and include or substitute any other ingredients of your choice. Nachos are a very versatile dish.

I also used some whole grain tortillas chips that I got at Trader Joe’s to make them healthier but you can use any tortillas chips you like. These nachos are perfect for football season….I really don’t know anyone who doesn’t like gooey cheesy nachos!!

Enjoy!!

This is the soy chorizo I got at Trader Joe’s but you can use ground beef, refried beans or whatever you prefer. I just discovered this item not long ago and we love it!! We also use whole grain tortillas chips….much better!

Super easy to do vegetarian nachos and not so bad for you :-)

Chorizo Veggie nachos

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

12 oz, 1 bag Whole grain tortilla chips
1 12 oz package soy chorizo, I got it a Trader Joe's
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 14 oz. can sliced black olives
16 oz shredded skim mozzarella cheese, you can use any other cheeses or combination of them
Spicy sauce, optional
1 cup sour cream, optional
1 cup guacamole, optional
Green chillies, optional

Directions:

Layer whole grain tortilla chips in a lightly greased  9 x 13 baking dish. Top with soy chorizo, green onions, olives, and green chilies if using.

Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until cheese melts. Top with guacamole, sour cream, olives and green onions.

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 8 servings.

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