The Versatility of Cheese Makes it a Natural Choice for any Meal

Canadians love their cheese. Consumption has risen steadily since the 1980s, and in 2004 there were 459 million kilos of cheese sold in this country, an average of almost 12 kilos per person. That’s a lot of cheese!

The fastest growth has come in the area of ‘specialty’ or ‘fine’ cheeses – basically cheeses outside the stalwarts of cheddar, mozzarella and processed cheese. Not surprising really, when you consider that Tre Stelle alone now manufactures or imports 250 different varieties of fine cheeses.

As Canadian tastes have broadened, so has our willingness to experiment with different foods at different times of day. Where once an omelette with a melted processed cheese slice was about as close as you’d get to cheese at breakfast time – even a BLT with cheddar seemed daring – we’re now creating multi-cheese frittatas, baking cheddar apple muffins and adding asparagus and feta to our scrambled eggs.

With well over 250 featured recipes and a smart search tool that offers ideas by eating occasion, preparation time and regional cuisine types, the Recipe Gallery at www.trestelle.ca is the place to go for ideas on cooking with cheese. Following are a few recipe ideas for those who have cheese dreams – any time of day.

Breakfast:

All-in-One Potato Frittata: Filled with potatoes, peppers and zucchini, bonded together with eggs and topped with shredded Tre Stelle Swiss, this delicious, nutritious recipe is a meal all to itself.

Bagel n’ Egg Melts: Delicious and different, this recipe combines an egg salad of hard-cooked eggs, ham, mayonnaise and green onion spread on a bagel with shredded Tre Stelle Cheddar melted on top.

French Toast Filled With Mascarpone: It won’t be just the kids gobbling up this one. Egg bread sandwiches are spread with sweet, creamy Tre Stelle Mascarpone. Then they’re dipped in egg, milk and vanilla extract, fried until golden and topped with mixed berries and maple syrup. Yum!

Lunch:

Cheesy Santa Fe Submarines: Fried steak and peppers, shredded Tre Stelle Mozzarella and grated Tre Stelle Emmenthal and sliced tomatoes and shredded lettuce are all piled on submarine buns with gooey, delicious results.

Bocconcini and Asparagus Pizza: Easy to make, yet sophisticated and tasty, this pizza features Tre Stelle Bocconcini and asparagus along with sliced mushrooms and green onions. It takes a few minutes to make, and 10 to 12 to bake.

Leek and Brie Soup: Comfort food for a Canadian winter day. This savoury soup gets its flavour from leeks and mushrooms made rich with cream. When toasted baguette slices topped with melted Tre Stelle Chateau Versailles Brie Cheese are added, there will be applause around the table.

Dinner:

Borgonzola and Pumpkin Cannelloni:  It sounds exotic, it tastes amazing. Cannelloni tubes are stuffed with a tantalizing mixture of cooked and mashed pumpkin, Tre Stella Borgonzola cheese, pine nuts and spinach leaves, then baked in tomato sauce and vegetable juice. A meatless meal that the most loyal carnivore will love.

Chicken Cutlets with Gouda, Sesame and Sweet Pepper:  Cutlets are stuffed with creamy
Tre Stella Gouda, coated with sesame seeds and fried. They’re served with a roasted red pepper
sauce and topped with shallots and more peppers.

Shrimp and Feta Casserole:  A Mediterranean delight, this dish marries shrimp with olives, feta, tomatoes and oregano. You’ll feel like you’re in a Greek taverna watching the waves roll in.

Space doesn’t permit, but intrepid cheese lovers will find a multitude of other cheese recipes
at www.trestelle.ca to fill in any hungry spots – snacks and desserts anyone? And you don’t have
to be tied to recipes of course, because half the fun of making food is in the experimentation.
But remember, if you’re cooking with cheese, make it right – make it with Tre Stelle.