Homemade Feta Cheese Recipes

Steps:

• Sterilize all of your equipment before you begin (wash in hot soapy water, rinse well. Spray with a bleach cleanser or soak in water with bleach added, then rinse well again).
• Heat the milk slowly to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. (You will get better results if the temperature changes are always gradual.).
• Add starter culture. A pinch of lipase enzyme may be added for more flavor.
• Stir occasionally for 1 hour, holding the temperature at 90 degrees.
• If using rennet tablet, crush well. Add the rennet to the 1/4 cup of cool water and stir until well mixed (for liquid rennet) or thoroughly dissolved (for rennet tablet). Add the rennet to the milk and stir for one full minute, then do not touch for 40 minutes or until the milk has coagulated, continuing to hold it at 90 degrees. The milk is ready when a finger or thermometer inserted into the curd at a 45 degree angle will separate the curd firmly and cleanly.
• Cut the curd into 1/2 inch cubes. (Using a knife, make cuts all the way through the curd 1/2 inch apart, first in one direction, then perpendicular to the first cuts. Then, holding your knife at a 45 degree angle, do your best to make another series of 1/2 cuts. They need not be perfect - your goal is pieces of fairly uniform size.) Do not stir!
• Let rest for 10 minutes, then stir gently. Cut any large pieces in half. Continue to stir gently about every ten minutes for another 1 to 2 hours, continuing to hold at 90 degrees, until the curds have shrunk to about 1/4 their original size.
• Ladle curds and whey into Feta molds or a colander lined with coarse cheesecloth (which has been sterilized). The whey will drain out and the cheese will stay in the mold.
• Leave overnight in a cool place to drain. The cheese will shrink down.
• Take the cheese out of the mold and cut into 2-3 inch pieces.
• Using coarse salt, generously salt all sides of pieces.
• Leave at room temperature for a full day turning the pieces every once in a while.
• Place the pieces UNCOVERED, on a wooden board in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. They will continue to drain whey.
• Store your cheese in a brine solution made with 1/2 cup salt (Kosher, if possible) per 1/2 gallon of water (boiled and cooled to below room temperature), using just enough to cover the cheese. Let it age 1 to 4 weeks to develop flavor. Stored in brine in the refrigerator it will stay good for months, but the flavor will continue to get sharper.

Steps:

• Combine 1/4 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon calcium chloride in a small bowl; mix well.
• Combine 1/4 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon rennet in another small bowl; mix well.
• Pour milk into a double boiler set over medium-low heat. Heat milk until it registers 86 degrees F (30 degrees C) on an instant-read thermometer. Sprinkle cheese culture on the surface. Allow to dissolve without stirring for a few minutes, then stir well. Cover and keep at 86 degrees F (30 degrees C) for 1 hour.
• Pour calcium chloride mixture into the milk; stir for 1 minute. Add rennet mixture; stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand at room temperature until milk sets into curd, about 1 hour. Press edge of the curd gently with a palette knife or the back of a spoon to check for firmness.
• Cut curd all the way to the bottom of the pot into 1-inch squares. Stir gently with a rubber spatula. Let rest, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stir curds, maintaining temperature at 86 degrees F (30 degrees C), until they sink to the bottom of the pot, about 20 minutes. Scoop out liquid (whey) with a ladle and discard or reserve for another use.
• Line 2 basket-style molds with damp cheesecloth. Ladle curds into the molds with a slotted spoon and cover with ends of cheesecloth. Place one mold on top of the other, pressing lightly. Let drain, switching the molds and stirring curds a few times, until cheese is firm, at least 4 hours.
• Mix 8 cups water, sea salt, 1 teaspoon calcium chloride, and white vinegar together in a large container to make brine. Submerge cheese in brine and let soak, at least 8 hours and up to 3 weeks.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Toss the cherry tomatoes and olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and several grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Transfer to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish, place the feta in the center of the tomatoes and season with a pinch of black pepper. Bake until the tomatoes have burst and the feta has softened, about 30 minutes. Raise the heat to 450 degrees F and continue to cook until the tomatoes and feta are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 13 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then thoroughly drain the pasta.
• As soon as the tomatoes and feta come out of the oven, stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Use the back of a spoon to smash the tomatoes and feta into a smooth and creamy sauce (it's okay if some of the oil isn't fully integrated). Add the pasta and half the basil and toss until evenly coated. If the sauce is too thick, stir in some pasta water a couple tablespoons at a time. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve topped with the remaining basil and a pinch of sea salt.

Steps:

• For the kofta: Add the frozen lamb shoulder and breast cubes to a food processor and pulse until a ground meat mixture is formed. Alternately, use a meat grinder. Place the ground lamb in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with the chili powder, cumin, sumac, salt and pepper. Using wet hands, form into 8 oval patties.
• Add the oil to a Dutch oven fitted with a deep-frying thermometer and bring the temperature of the oil up to 375 degrees F. Place a rack in a sheet pan. Place the patties in the hot oil in batches and fry until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on the rack.
• For the sauce: Combine the sodium citrate with 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan and stir to dissolve. Place over medium heat along with the milk and feta. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat and blend into a sauce using an immersion blender.
• To serve: Place a kofta patty inside half of a pita and top with cucumber slices, a drizzle of some feta sauce and some dill. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 7 more.

Steps:

• Combine the olives, cucumbers, red pepper and onion in a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, a big pinch of salt and some black pepper and toss to combine. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator while you make the feta.
• For the feta, prepare a dredging station. In a rimmed dish, add the flour. In a separate rimmed dish, whisk the egg with a splash of water. In a third separate dish, whisk together the breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few turns of black pepper. Coat each chunk of feta in the flour and tap off the excess. Dunk in the beaten egg and then coat in the breadcrumbs, tapping off the excess.
• Heat a 1/4-inch layer of olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. (Test to see if it is hot enough by sprinkling a bit of breadcrumb in the oil. If it sizzles right away, it's ready.) Carefully place the breaded feta cubes in the oil and fry in batches for 90 seconds to 2 minutes on the first side, undisturbed. Flip and fry on the other side for another minute or so, or until golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet and allow excess oil to drain. Repeat until all pieces are fried.
• To serve, slice open each pita and create a pocket. Schmear a big plop of hummus inside each one, followed by some arugula. Top with a pile of the Greek salad, a few chunks of the warm, fried feta, a dollop of yogurt and a few pieces of mint. Serve with lemon wedges and hot sauce, if desired.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together the water, sugar and yeast just to dissolve. Add the oil and salt and then gradually add the flour. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 7 to 10 minutes, adding just enough additional flour so that the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Do not add too much flour. The dough should be smooth and slightly sticky. Lightly coat a clean large bowl with oil or cooking spray, then place the dough in the bowl and turn it once or twice to coat it in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
• Turn the dough onto a clean work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Mold each piece into a ball by stretching the top and tucking the edges under. Place the balls 1 inch apart on a piece of parchment paper, cover them with plastic wrap and let them rise for 30 minutes.
• Set an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• With a rolling pin, roll out the balls of dough into 6-inch circles. Place them on the baking sheets and bake for about 5 minutes, or until they're puffy and just starting to brown.

Steps:

• Put the warm water in a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir. When it starts to bubble, add the flour and start to stir with a wooden spoon (or by hand). Add the olive oil slowly until the dough is pliable and smooth. Work in the feta cheese, kneading until evenly distributed throughout the dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Place the dough on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and flatten with the palms of the hand. The dough shouldn't be any higher than about 1 1/4 inches. Score the top lightly in squares or diamond shapes. Cover with a towel and allow the dough to rise for one hour.
• Preheat the oven to 340F (170C).
• Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes. It should be done on the bottom and nicely browned on top.

Steps:

• To make the burgers, combine the ground beef, egg, dried basil and oregano, breadcrumbs, ketchup, garlic, onion and feta in a large bowl and shape into 4 burger patties.
• Grill or sauté in a pan lightly coated with cooking spray. Cook on 1 side for 7 minutes, then turn over and cook 3 to 5 minutes or just until beef is done.
• Combine all the sauce ingredients in a food processor and purée until smooth.
• Serve the burgers with the sauce.

Steps:

• Blend the cream cheese and feta cheese. Mix in herbs, salt and pepper. Serve on french bread rounds or crackers. Also great as a sandwich spread, especially with veggies and sprouts.

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
• Blend 5 seconds.