Celebrating a food holiday is, as you've probably noticed, one of my favorite things ever. National Donut Day last week was lots of fun but, to be honest, the best kind of holiday involves cheese. Oh, glorious cheese… one of my favorite ingredients because it can be perfect for breakfast (like with queso frito), great for lunch (like with shredded chicken and tomatillo tacos with queso fresco) or dinner (like with poblanos with potato and oaxaca cheese), and can even be a great afternoon snack (like with honey glazed fried manchego cheese) or as an excellent as an end-of-the-day treat (like with fried dessert bananas with cheese). That's why celebrating National Cheese Day has never been so good, so take a look (and try!) these recipes today.
Readmore ¿Qué más? Celebrate National Donut Day with 5 Latin-style doughnuts (RECIPES)
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What is your favorite Latin cheese? Will you be making one of these delicious recipes? Share with us in the comments below!
Honey Glazed Fried Manchego Cheese
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 egg (lightly beaten), 1 cup panko bread crumbs, 1/2 pound Machego cheese (cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes), canola oil (for frying), honey (for drizzling), smoked paprika (for sprinkling)
Directions: Place the flour, egg, and panko bread crumbs in 3 separate dishes. Dip the cheese cubes into each ingredient to coat, starting with the flour and ending with the panko. Preheat the canola oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F, (or in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F.) If you don't have a thermometer, a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes. Add the breaded cheese to the hot oil, in batches, and deep fry until the cubes are crisp and golden. Remove the cheese from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to absorb the excess oil. Transfer the cheese to a serving platter, drizzle with the honey, and dust with the paprika.
recipe courtesy of Cooking Channel TV
Queso Frito, a.k.a. fried cheese
Ingredients: 12 slices of queso de freir (cut into 2” x 3”, 1/4” thick), 3 tablespoons of oil for frying, 1/2 cup of corn starch
Directions: Heat the oil in a frying pan. Cover the slices with corn starch and shake off the excess. Fry in the hot oil on one side until it turns golden brown. Turn and repeat. Do not add many slices at the same time as the oil must remain very hot to prevent the cheese from staying in the oil for too long. Serve hot with mangu.
recipe courtesy of Dominican Cooking
Shredded Chicken and Tomatillo Tacos with Queso Fresco
Ingredients: 6 tomatillos (husked, washed, and grilled until blackened), 1 serrano (grilled until blackened), olive oil, 1/2 small red onion (coarsely chopped), 2 cloves garlic (coarsely chopped), 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1 lime (juiced), 2 tablespoons honey, 1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, 8 blue corn tortillas, 1 cup crumbled queso fresco
Directions: Preheat the grill to medium. Add the blackened tomatillos and serrano to a small saute pan and briefly saute in a little olive oil on the grates of the grill. Place the tomatillos, serrano, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and honey in a blender and blend until smooth. Place the tomatillo mixture in a large saute pan and place on the grates of the grill. Bring the mixture to a simmer, add the chicken, and heat through. Place the tortillas on the grill, and grill for 20 seconds on each side. Spoon the chicken mixture into the tortillas and top with a few tablespoons of queso fresco. Fold the tortillas in half serve immediately.
recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay/Food Network
Poblanos with Potato and Oaxaca Cheese
Ingredients: 1/2 pound red potatoes (sliced), 2 cloves garlic, 2 poblano peppers, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 ounces Oaxacan cheese, salt
Directions:
1. Char the poblanos under the broiler, turning them every three minutes or so, until they have blackened on all sides. Remove the peppers, turn off the broiler, and place the peppers in a plastic bag. Let them steam for 15 minutes. Remove the skin and seeds, and roughly chop.
2. Meanwhile, place the sliced red potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water, a tablespoon of salt, and turn the heat to medium. Cook until the potatoes can be easily punctured with a fork. This will take about 15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the water the potatoes cook in.
3. Pour the reserved water into a blender. Also add the garlic and poblanos. Process the mixture until chunky.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Pour in the pepper mixture and let cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the potatoes to the mixture. Let cook for seven minutes, stirring to cover the potatoes in the sauce.
5. Shred the cheese and toss it in the skillet. Cover and continue to cook until it has melted, about a minute or so.
recipe courtesy of Serious Eats
Guineitos Fritos con Queso, a.k.a. fried dessert bananas with cheese
Ingredients: 6 small ripe dessert bananas (baby bananas, red bananas, pineapple bananas, etc.), 4 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Directions: Peel the bananas and cut in half cross wise. Cut the crosswise pieces in half lengthwise. Melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the banana pieces for about two minutes per side. They should be golden, not burned. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and serve warm.
recipe courtesy of Latin Food/About.com
