April 29, 2011

I woke up this morning with souffles on my mind. I took advantage of the leftover feta in my fridge and added chives for a little onion flavor. Paired with a citrusy salad of mixed greens, this was a light and delicious French-inspired lunch.


Feta Cheese & Chive Souffle (adapted from The Delicious Life)
butter for greasing ramekins ¼ cup finely ground walnuts1 cup milk3 tablespoons butter3 tablespoons flour¼ teaspoon salt4 egg yolks, at room temperature, and broken½ cup crumbled feta cheese5 egg whites, at room temperature 2 tbls fresh chives, chopped 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease ramekins with butter and dust with ground walnuts. Tap out excess and place ramekins upside down in the freezer. Warm milk in a sauce pan (do not boil). In a saute pan, melt butter on medium heat and add flour. Whisk for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in warm milk and salt for 3-4 minutes. Slowly whisk in egg yolks (about one at a time). Remove from heat and whisk in feta and chives. Pour into a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whip eggs until they form medium peaks. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into the feta mixture, being careful not to overwork. Repeat until all egg whites are folded in. Remove ramekins from the freezer and place on baking sheet. Divide into four ramekins and bake until the souffles have risen and browned on the top, about 18-20 mins (time will vary depending on your oven).  

Mixed Greens with Grapefruit Dressing and Sugared Walnuts1/2 grapefruit1 shallot, chopped1 clove of garlic, finely choppedsalt & pepper to taste1/4 cup walnuts1 tbls brown sugarsalt3 cups mixed greens, washedFor the dressingJuice the grapefruit and strain out any seeds. In a bowl, whisk with shallots, garlic, salt and pepper. For the walnuts Toast walnuts in a saute pan. Add brown sugar and salt, toss until coated.Add mixed greens to grapefruit dressing bowl and toss to coat. Plate and top with sugared walnuts. 
The souffles were a lot higher when I removed them from the oven, but they fell a bit before I could photograph them (probably needed beat the whites a bit longer).Kasey and I enjoyed this seriously delicious lunch while enjoying the sunshine on my stoop. I can’t believe how quickly the trees have filled out with leaves and flowers. My block has been transformed!