ROASTED BEETS WITH CREAMY GOAT CHEESE AND TOASTED SEEDS.

Beets are like candy.  Deliciously sweet, leaking juicy red colour, and easy to gobble down, beets are nature's best treat. Roasting brings out that sweet flavour even more, creating a tender, juicy bulb that is hard to call a vegetable.  But vegetable it is, and when it's in season I just can't get enough.  Especially when it's paired with a nice soft cheese and crunchy, browned pumpkin seeds.

Beetroot is not the most attractive plant out there.  It comes out of the ground with stubborn dirt clinging to its brown coloured beets and tough looking stalks.  It's an unfriendly looking vegetable.  But get inside those rough brown skins, and you'll find one of the brightest colours in nature, and an incredibly smooth, almost buttery texture.  Like your mom used to tell you, don't judge a book by its cover.

Also, don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.  Well, I'm not sure my mom ever said that one, but you catch my drift.  It's hard not to let the beets steal the show at this veggie parade, but those green stalks are actually worth some of your time too. Treat them just like you would another hearty green like kale or swiss chard and saute in a little olive oil and garlic, or throw them into a salad or soup.

Beets are also amazing nutrition wise.  They are known to have excellent antioxidants, fight inflammation in the body, high in folate and potassium, and despite their addictive sweetness, they are still low in calories.  You can also find beets in a pale golden yellow colour too.  These have a beautiful light, mild flavour and are amazing grated into salads, or just cut in slices to nibble on raw.

Roasted Beets with Creamy Goat Cheese and Toasted Seeds
8-10 large fresh beets
1/2 cup goat cheese
1/4 cup 0% plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds
Coarse sea salt & fresh cracked pepper

To roast the beets, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and start by chopping off the stems and the tails, but leaving the skins on. Wash the beets thoroughly, and without drying them, place them in a double layer foil packet, sealing tightly at the top.  You may need to make two or three packets to hold all your beets.  Place the foil packets on a baking sheet and roast for about one hour.  The time will depend on the size of your beets, but you'll know they are ready when you can easily pierce the beets with a fork.  Let the beets cool until they are easy to handle, then use your fingers to slide the skins right off.

While the beets are cooling, spread the pumpkin seeds out on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 5 minutes. Watch these carefully, as they will burn quickly.

Using a hand blender or a food processor blend together the goat cheese and yogurt until smooth and creamy.  Slice the cooled and skinned beets into halves or quarters, depending on their size.

On a serving plate, spread out the beets on the bottom.  Scatter dollops of the cheese and yogurt mixture over the beets. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top.  Season with salt and pepper generously, as this will bring out all the flavours in the dish. Serve as is for a clean look, or give it one or two stirs to swirl the beet juices in with the cheese and create a bright pink colour.

BAKED EGGS. SERIOUSLY UNDERRATED.

I've only seen baked eggs on a brunch menu once or twice, but I'm not sure why more people aren't taking advantage of this versatile dish.  Served up hot, straight from the oven, baked eggs are soft and tender, surrounded by flavourful sauce and lots of warm crusty bread on the side to scoop everything up with.  Very simple to make, and very easy to cater to specific flavours or tastes, this makes a great Sunday brunch dish or even a good weeknight dinner option.

The most common style of baked eggs is to cook them in a tomato based sauce with a few herbs.  In this case, you can also throw in chunks of cooked sausage to really beef things up if that's the way you like it.  Today, I actually wanted to make a creamy, fresh baked eggs dish.  I wanted something light, yet flavourful, that would melt together with the eggs creating a smooth, comforting, brunch dish.

Brunch itself is my all time, absolute favourite, uncontested meal, ever.  You get the best of everything at brunch.  You can have eggs, bacon, sliced tomatoes, pancakes, waffles, and all of the yummy breakfast dishes that exist out there.  But then, you can also have a plate of delectable cheeses, savoury sliced deli meats, crisp salads, and warm dips.  To top things off, it is perfectly acceptable to drink at brunch.  Caesars, or mimosas, a cold beer, or a glass of white wine, these things are all okay!  Finally, it is not frowned upon to have dessert at brunch.  Yes, after you have indulged in many of the above items, you can then follow it with dessert.  Brunch is the best.

In my family, we do brunch in style.  We lay out plates and plates of food, so that everyone can have their favorites, or simply just try a little bit of everything.  My style is to fill up my plate with a bite or two from everything that I can get my hands on, and then just to sit there nibbling away, while drinking and talking, for as long as it takes.  This is supreme food pleasure for me.  I love a great dinner, but due to these fantastic family brunches, I'm always holding out for the next morning.

This baked eggs dish doesn't need to be part of a big feast.  You can use a small ramekin to make a single serving, like I've done here, if it's just for you, or if you want to served individual plates to a small group.  Or you can make this in a large baking dish too and just scoop out the servings for everyone to enjoy.  I'll be experimenting with a few more baked eggs dishes over the coming months.  But first up, let's enjoy Baked Eggs in Ricotta and Boursin.

Baked Eggs in Ricotta & Boursin 
*This is for a single serving in a small ramekin.  Simply double for each additional ramekin if you are serving a small group, or in a large baking dish if you are serving a large group.

2 eggs
1/2 cup ricotta
2-4 tablespoons herb and garlic boursin
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh herbs to garnish (I used chives, but basil or whatever your favourite is will work too)
Olive Oil

Spray the ramekin lightly with oil, and the cover the bottom of the dish in ricotta cheese, making two shallow indentations for your eggs.  Carefully break the eggs and gently pour them into the ricotta.  Scatter a few scoops of boursin over and around the eggs, being careful not to break the yolks or mix everything up too much.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.  You are looking for the whites to be set, and the yolks to be thickened, but not hard.  Serve immediately with a few pieces of warm or toasted bread.

GLUTEN FREE PROVO/MOZZA/GOUDA/PARMA CHEESE BISCUITS.

Cheese bread, cheese buns, cheese sticks, basically any cheese/bread combo is always amazing.  Yes, this may have something to do with my cheese obsession, but mostly I think it's just because both bread and cheese and awesome.  Everyone loves them both, right?  So put them together and it's like an ultimate power couple.  They throw the best parties.  They have the best relationship.  They always bring you to the coolest events.  And they make the best gluten free cheese biscuits.

I'm not going to say that these taste just like a non-gluten-free biscuit, because they don't.  Let's face it, gluten free food will never, ever, taste just like the real thing.  But hey, when the top of a biscuit is covered in golden crispy melted cheese, I'm not going to complain.

That's what makes these biscuits for me.  I used a blend of mozzarella, provolone, gouda, and parmesan, which is a kick ass cheese blend.  The provolone and gouda are strong, and make a statement, and the mozzarella is stretchy in the best possible cheesy way.  It makes for a powerful quatro of cheese in every bite.

Provo/Mozza/Gouda/Parma Cheese Biscuits
Adapted from Honey and Brie Recipe
1 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour
1/2 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into small chunks
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 1/2 cups grated cheese (mix of provolone, mozzarella, gouda, parmesan)
1/2 cup plain 0% greek yogurt
2 tablespoons water

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Use your fingers to mix in the chunks of butter (I freeze them for a few minutes beforehand to make sure they are good and cold) until it becomes pea sized chunks.  Mix in the green onion and 1 cup of the grated cheese.  In another bowl, mix together the yogurt and water, and then add to the dough.  Form the dough into a large ball and roll out on a floured surface to be about 1 inch thick.  Make sure your rolling pin is floured as well to avoid a sticky situation (har har).  Cut the dough into squares, and transfer to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Sprinkle to tops with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese, and place in the freezer.  Preheat the over to 450 degrees.  Once ready, remove the biscuits from the freezer and bake for 15 minutes.

I find these are best when heated up.  Warm them in the oven, toaster, or microwave to reheat, and then enjoy with a bit of butter, or use for an ultra-super-sandwich.  Yum!

GRILLED CHEESE, ALL JAZZED UP.

Grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food.  It's been around since childhood, toasty warm from the pan with crisp crusts and gooey middles.  It's also made a big appearance in the restaurant scene, with gourmet ingredients like brie cheese, specialty chutneys, and artisan breads.  Either way, it's always irrefutably delicious.

Now that I'm gluten free it's more difficult to get gourmet grilled cheese out on the town, so I brought it back into my kitchen with a few of my own tricks.  This grilled cheese is intensely melty on the inside, finely crispy on the outside, and bursting with flavour from all angles.

I did two sandwiches, each with it's own extra pop of flavour, spread liberally on the inside of the bread, right beside the slices of cheese.  The first is a standard pesto sauce.  This nutty, herb sauce is packed full of taste, and will really kick the sandwich up a notch.  

On the other sandwich, I used a roasted red pepper puree, called ajver (pronounced like 'iver').  I luckily snagged one of these little jars of homemade heaven from my boyfriend's mother's kitchen.  I've used it mixed with goat cheese for a dip, or mixed into scrambled eggs, or in this case, as a sandwich spread.  It adds a ton of flavour to the grilled cheese, without taking over the taste of the cheese itself.  You can usually find a jar of ajver in the ethnic section of the grocery store (or you could make your own too!).

The cheese I used was a spiced gouda, party because I knew it would taste good, and partly because that's what I had in the fridge at the time!  My favourite option is a strong gouda or sharp white cheddar, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

The next way to trick out your grilled cheese is to do a parmesan crust on the outside of the bread slices.  Start by softening about 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave, and then mix in about 2 tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Once you have a good, cheesy paste mixed together, spread that over the outside of the bread slices.  Then pop the sandwiches onto a hot pan, and cover with a lid to make sure the cheese inside gets fully melted.  The sandwiches only need about 1-2 minutes on each side, as the parmesan crust gets crispy pretty quickly.

Dig in quickly!  You'll love the extra bite of sharp cheese on the outside, the unique flavours inside, and the crunch these jazzed up grilled cheeses have.  It's comfort food, at a whole new level - no ketchup required.

HOW CAULIFLOWER AND PIZZA CRUST MET, FELL IN LOVE, AND MADE A DELICIOUS DELICIOUS BABY.

Sometimes, true love is unexpected.  It can strike when you are least prepared, pairing together two that you thought, could never be paired.  They are too different, you might say.  They will never make it, you whisper.  Today's post, my friends, is about a love story that prevailed.  A love story of fresh, florets of cauliflower, and crispy, golden pizza crust.

Cauliflower pizza crust is not one of those foods that the gluten free community suffers through, while wishing fervently that they were eating a real traditional pizza crust.  No, it's not like that at all.  It's one of those things, that a some genius person out there thought up, that happens to be gluten free, and also happens to be one of the best new foods right now.  It's easy to make, it's lower in carbs and calories than regular pizza crust, and it will fill your house with a warm, toasty, cheesy smell that will have all the neighbours running in your direction.

This match made in heaven has been flying across many of the best food blogs over the last couple of months, so there are lots of recipe options.  I made mine by taking a little from two separate recipes on Eat, Drink, Smile and Knead to Cook.  Just click the links to check them out.

The basic recipe is pretty simple.  All you have to do is put some cauliflower in a blender to make it resemble coarse crumbs. Then you cook it in the microwave for a few minutes, draining it very well after to remove the liquid.  After that, you mix it up with some shredded cheese, a beaten egg, some spices, and dump it onto a greased baking tray.  Smush it all down with your fingers in the shape of a circle, and bake it.  At this point, you will begin to realize how amazing this is going to taste.  Make sure the crust is cooked all the way through, then top it and bake again.  What comes out after that is pure heaven.  I do not believe that anyone could resist this dish.  It's not trying to be a traditional pizza crust.  It's just an incredible new way to eat warm and bubbly cheese, veggies, and meat.  Which is a pretty awesome baby indeed.

FOR THE LOVE OF CHEESE.

If I had to pick one thing that I could not live without, it would be cheese.  I love cheese.  I mean I really, really love it. All you cheese crazed fanatics out there know what I'm talking about.  The smell, the texture, the ooey gooey melting properties.  If there is a heaven, it must be full of cheese.  And I don't discriminate either - young, old, stinky, tough exteriors, I will take them and find them a good home on a cracker, sandwich, pasta, or just enjoy them naked and delicious. 

My point is, we could all use a bit more cheese in our life, right? Well, how about a variety of fresh artisanal cheese delivered right to your door?  I'm talking about the Cheese Gourmand, and their amazing 'Cheese to your door!' service that I recently had the pleasure of experiencing.  This company is an artisanal cheese caterer, that definitely shares my passion.  What's even better, is that they are situated right in my neighbourhood, so when they expanded their catering business to include a new cheese tasting delivery in the Leslieville/Riverside area, I couldn't resist. 

From a selection of five cheeses, I was asked to choose the three that looked the tastiest, to be delivered to my door.  Full written descriptions about the origins of the cheese, its flavours, and its age, accompanied by pictures were provided to help me decide.  I choose the first three on the list.  The 14 Arpents promised a creamy, flavourful cheese made from a brown Swiss cow in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean.  The Compton Peppercorn Raclette, had been ripened for a minimum of 90 days and featured a subtly fruity aroma of butter crab apples.  Finally, the Rassembleu was described as tasting of fresh mushroom and caramel and was also made with organic cow's milk.  A few clicks through PayPal, and I was left excitedly waiting for my delivery date, which was planned for two days later.

Sure enough, on Friday afternoon I was presented with my box of cheese.  Happily unwrapping it, I found three solid chunks of labelled cheese, a piece of quality stock paper reminding me of my choices and their descriptions, as well as a small pack of melba toast crackers.  There was about 3/4 of a pound of cheese in total, and it's meant to feed 2-6 people.  Since we had neither anyone coming over that night to join us, or a meal planned for ourselves, Matt and I decided to go with the '2 person serving size'.  In case I'm not being clear, that means we made a lovely presentation for ourselves on a wooden board with our fancy cheese knives, and then promptly sat down with a bottle of wine to eat all of the cheese.  It was delicious.  We did as the Cheese Gourmand had instructed us, and patiently waited for it to come to room temperature before digging in.  But once we dug in, that cheese was done for.  Soft and full of flavour, the cheeses were all excellent in both taste and texture. 

I don't know about you, but I think that's a pretty fantastic way to spend a Friday evening.  And at $17.50 for the box and delivery, I would also say it's a deal.  I will definitely be checking out www.thecheesegourmand.ca regularly now so that I don't miss the next 'Cheese to your door!'.