Classic cheese feta, or feta cheese, belongs to the category of soft brine products, made on the basis of sheep, goat or cow's milk. It has a crumbly texture, soft creamy taste, can be moderately or very salty, always with a persistent pronounced aroma. Feta is used to make appetizers, salads and main dishes.
What is feta
In Russian, the name feta is translated as "piece". This Greek cheese produced only in Greece from sheep's milk with an admixture of goat (but not more than 30%). The brine product after curdling is stored in brine big chunks immersed in wooden or metal barrels. Due to this, the shelf life of feta increases, and the taste and aroma ripen.
The cheese has a white-cream hue, its consistency is similar to pressed cottage cheese, a little more salty and sour. The more goat milk is added to the fetax, the denser it is, it can even be difficult to spread on bread. Before using feta, it is better to soak it for a couple of minutes in milk or mineral water to remove increased content salt and improve the taste.
How to cook at home
The product is expensive, so you can try making feta cheese at home. It will not differ in any way from the store, it will come out cheaper and will not contain components that are harmful to the body. There are several options for making feta at home:
- Simple - from milk and salt. Leave a liter of liquid overnight in heat, let it sour until light curdling. In the morning, milk is placed in a cold oven, the temperature is turned on at 180 degrees and for an hour. It is necessary to strictly monitor that the liquid does not boil. After obtaining the cheese mass, it is discarded in a colander to drain the whey, after 15 minutes, put it in a mold, level the surface and cool. After that, put the cheese in the refrigerator overnight so that the next morning you can bring to life a variety of feta recipes.
- Complex - with the addition of sour cream and pepsin. For two liters of milk, a sour cream jar, 8 tablets of curdling agent and 50 ml of boiled water are taken. Dissolve pepsin in warm water beforehand. AT a small amount dilute sour cream with milk, heat the rest to 36 degrees, pour in the diluted mass, stirring vigorously. It remains to add pepsin, set aside the contents of the pan for five hours or all night, drain the whey from the fetax the next morning. Strain through a sieve, let the mass brew for another two hours, cover with a load overnight. Feta will be ready the next day.
- From milk powder - in 1.5 l warm water dissolve 1 kg of powdered milk, stirring with a whisk. Pour in 150 ml of sour cream, stir quickly, send a little rennet and half a teaspoon of vinegar. While the liquid is warm, wrap it in a blanket, after 12 hours drain the serum, strain through cheesecloth. Place a press on top and leave the cheese for eight hours.
- From yogurt - you get the lowest calorie feta with 57 kcal per 100 grams. You will need to grind the zest of one lemon, salt, pour a tablespoon olive oil and a liter of natural yogurt drink. The mixture is put in the refrigerator for two days, seasoned with a mixture of roasted fennel and cumin seeds, a couple of chili peppers and mint. This filling will give the cheese spicy taste.
- From cottage cheese - the cheese obtained according to the recipe can be safely used by those who follow the Dukan diet. A simple process involves sprinkling salt on all sides of the curd, wrapping cling film and infusion in the refrigerator for three days.
- From kefir - you need to mix two liters of kefir with salt, bring to a boil over low heat, wait for the whey to separate. Let the liquid drain with a colander, put the fetax under the press at night, spread it on bread in the morning or eat it in salads.
Recipes with feta cheese
Today you can find the most variety of dishes with feta cheese, which will delight guests and members of your family. The most common option is the manufacture of salads - Caesar, Greek, warm with beets. The second most popular method of using cheese is the preparation of snacks - pita rolls, cakes, pastries. There are also main dishes with feta - chicken stew, baked tomatoes or eggplant. It is optimal to combine fetax with dry white wine, herbs, bread and pears.
Greek salad
- Time: half an hour.
- Number of servings: 6 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 51 kcal.
- Purpose: for a snack.
- Cuisine: Greek.
- Difficulty of preparation: simple.
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Sometimes, when we read recipes and compare them with the available products, we throw up our hands in disappointment. To reduce such cases, use our list of interchangeable products for cooking various dishes and you will succeed!
Brown sugar- ordinary granulated sugar.
Baking powder (baking powder) can be successfully replaced with soda quenched with lemon juice.
soy flour- Wheat flour.
Butter 1 kg - melted butter 850 gr - salted butter 1 kg.
Whole milk 1 l - dry milk 0.1 l.
Melange 45 gr - egg (weight with shell) 50 gr
agar agar 100 gr - gelatin 250 gr
Lemon 1 piece - citric acid 6-10 gr
vanilla essence 0.5 gr - vanillin 0.037 gr
Syrup 1 kg - sugar 750 gr
Rum 100 gr - rum essence 10-15 gr - cognac 100 gr
Lime- lemon.
Corn starch- potato starch.
Dijon mustard- it's almost regular mustard with added sugar.
Tofu(bean curd or bean-based cheese) soy protein) can be replaced by milk curd. As such, it has no taste, thanks to which it goes well with any products. It can be fried, marinated, stewed, used as a puree, etc. Although its taste is not too similar to the usual milk curd, it is quite possible to use it.
Maple syrup can easily be replaced with honey.
Balsamic vinegar- wine vinegar. And if you want to get a little closer to original taste balsamic vinegar, try insisting wine vinegar on herbs and spices. This will give it a more refined taste and aroma. Ratio - 1 cup of herbs to 2 cups of vinegar. For example, apple. It is delicious to use wormwood tarragon for making vinegar. To begin, leave the herbs in a dark, warm place overnight to dry. Pour the vinegar over the herbs so that the vinegar completely covers them. Leave to infuse for 6 weeks in the dark, you also need to store the tincture in the dark, remembering to shake it from time to time.
Coconut milk- in sauces coconut milk can be replaced with low-fat (10-15%) cream, in desserts - with regular milk.
Fromage free - thick yogurt or sour cream.
Artichoke Canned artichokes can be substituted for fresh artichokes. And canned artichokes are replaced by canned sweet peppers.
Leek- also can be replaced onions and vice versa - for a milder taste, you can replace onion- leek.
Asparagus- broccoli or any vegetable with delicate taste and consistency - cauliflower, sugar peas.
Quark- cream cheese.
Papaya- melon.
Parsnip- celery root.
Spinach- ordinary sorrel.
Garam masala- a mixture of at least five spices: cardamom, cloves, cumin (zira), cinnamon, coriander. Better ground, but can also be whole.
Chocolate- 3 tbsp. l. cocoa powder and 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil
Buttermilk- is replaced by half milk and half natural yogurt. The second substitute is kefir.
Polenta - corn grits. Grind it in a coffee grinder to get real flour for making polenta.
Radichio - regular salad or red cabbage depending on the recipe.
Sour cream - natural yogurt and vice versa.
whipped cream- 1.5 cups of condensed milk and tsp. lemon juice. Whip like regular cream. Another option for replacing whipped cream is to mash a banana and whip it with egg white. Add a couple of drops of vanilla extract and sugar.
oregano- marjoram.
curdled milk 1 glass - 1 table. a spoonful of lemon juice mixed with a glass
Corn starch- is replaced by any other starch.
capers(unblown buds of the prickly bush of caper) - you can replace them with olives, black olives or gherkins.
Fennel- cumin.
Sesame oil- olive oil.
Chees Feta- cheese, or vice versa.
Mozzarella cheese replaced with suluguni cheese.
natural yogurt- low-fat sour cream.
Mascarpone cheese – fat cottage cheese or a mixture heavy cream and cottage cheese.
ricotta cheese- homemade cottage cheese.
Shallot- onion.
Olive oil- any vegetable oil.
baking powder(baking powder) is a mixture of a quarter teaspoon citric acid, half a teaspoon of soda and one teaspoon of flour.
Corn starch replaced with potato starch.
White wine can replace in any sauce 2 pieces of sugar dissolved in a small amount of vinegar.
pancake flour can be obtained by combining wheat flour and baking powder.
pine seeds- replace walnuts or almonds.
Parmesan cheese - any hard cheese.
Japanese sushi rice- any round grain rice.
Wasabi- sometimes replaced with mustard or a mixture of mustard and horseradish, but the replacement is unequal in taste.
rice vinegar replaced with specially prepared grape vinegar. It can simply be diluted a little with water (because rice vinegar less spicy), or improve according to the following recipe. Mix 4 tbsp. tablespoons of vinegar, 1 tsp. salt and 3 tsp. sugar and heat over low heat, without bringing to a boil, until the salt dissolves.
Japanese soy sauce- other natural soy sauce diluted slightly with water.
Mushrooms with Japanese names- local mushrooms.
Daikon replace with radishes or green radishes.
Mitsuba greens replace with parsley.
shiso leaves replaced with lettuce.
clam juice can be replaced with fish broth.
It is difficult to find a person who has never tried a Greek salad, because for this it is not at all necessary to go to his homeland. It's delicious and healthy dish it is quite possible to cook at home. To do this, you just need to know what kind of vegetables it includes, what it is dressed with and what kind of cheese is in the Greek salad? Now it's up to you to find the right recipe.
The History of Greek Salad
In Greece, the birthplace of this famous salad, it is considered rustic. And all thanks to such an uncomplicated composition. fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, Bell pepper, onions, olives, olive oil and country cheese"Feta" were the same, the main products in the diet of ordinary peasants. But the story of the appearance on the table of the Greeks of the salad itself is connected with one curious case.
The fact is that back in the 19th century, vegetables, for example, tomatoes and even onions, were usually eaten whole, biting off a piece and eating bread or cheese. And only in 1909, one emigrant from Greece, returning from America to his home, decided to chop the usual products and combine them together. The reason for this was a bad tooth, which did not allow the young man to bite off whole vegetables.
Later, his sister, who also liked this dish, decided to treat guests to a village wedding with it. The success was stunning. Thus, the first appeared original lettuce with feta cheese. Now he is famous not only in Greece, but also far beyond the borders of this sunny country.
Cheese for Greek salad: name, description
According to the Greeks themselves, a salad that does not use feta can no longer be called Greek. This cheese has long been the hallmark of Greece. It is made only in this country, exclusively in certain areas, for example, on the island of Crete, in Macedonia and some others.
Feta is a soft, salty, light-colored cheese made from sheep's and goat's milk. For its fermentation, a special renin is used. A prerequisite for making cheese is a certain ratio of milk: 70% sheep and 30% goat. Nothing else is added, no preservatives, dyes.
The technology for making cheese has remained unchanged for many years. First, an enzyme is added to the milk, thanks to which it is fermented to form a mass resembling cottage cheese. Then it is pressed into special pieces. After that, the formed mass is soaked in a special brine in wooden barrels two more months. This is how it turns out the same cheese for Greek which is translated from Italian as "piece". Feta - the most famous and popular soft cheese worldwide.
original salad dressing
According to the classic "rustic" recipe, the Greek salad is dressed only with olive oil. With only a small addition. To create a fragrant bouquet and unique taste Lemon juice and herbes de Provence are added to high-quality cold-pressed olive oil.
Salad dressing should always be prepared in advance so that all its components are connected to each other, and it has time to infuse and soak in their smells. For her you will need: 70 ml of olive oil, juice of half a lemon (can be replaced with a tablespoon of wine or balsamic vinegar), aromatic herbs (oregano, thyme or Provence).
Therefore, not only on what kind of cheese will be present in the Greek salad, but also on the dressing itself, the true taste of the dish depends. Now it remains to collect all the ingredients together and proceed directly to the cooking process.
Classic Greek salad recipe
In preparation Greek salad There are also secrets to keep in mind. It seems that it is difficult here: chop vegetables and soft cheese, season them and mix thoroughly. But it's not like that at all. The original recipe for Greek salad with Feta cheese does not involve mixing the ingredients, but laying them in layers.
To prepare this dish you will need the following ingredients:
- 4 medium-sized tomatoes;
- 2 cucumbers;
- 1 large green bell pepper;
- ½ onion (sweet, purple);
- 150 g of feta;
- 8 pieces of black olives;
- some capers;
- dressing prepared according to the recipe above.
All salad ingredients are cut into large pieces and stacked in layers in a certain sequence.
1. Cut cucumbers: small slices, large ones in half again. Put on the bottom of the salad bowl.
2. Peel the pepper and cut into half rings. Arrange on top of cucumbers.
3. Peel the tomatoes from the stalk and cut into four parts.
4. The onion is cut into half rings. After that, it must be washed in cold water to remove bitterness. Squeeze the onion and put it next, after the tomatoes, in a layer.
5. Decorate the dish with capers and olives, which do not need to be pre-cut.
7. Lay on top whole piece cheese and drizzle with remaining dressing.
8. Immediately before serving, salt, pepper and mix the Greek salad. Cheese "Feta" at the same time carefully breaks into large pieces.
This is how Greek salad is prepared in his homeland. However, many chefs in different countries long gone from traditional recipe, and offer restaurant visitors a dish that includes other types of cheese.
What can replace feta cheese in a Greek salad?
If you can’t find feta before preparing the Greek salad, you can try replacing it with another pickled cheese. Cheese has a similar taste. This cheese is also suitable for Greek salad, since it is also soaked in brine, but, unlike feta, it does not crumble so much and is more compressed, so when added to a dish, it still has to be cut.
Brynza has a more salty taste. For a Greek salad, cheese of this kind is less suitable only in the sense that the dish is very easy to oversalt. To prevent this, cheese must be soaked in cold water for several hours. boiled water. This will make it less salty and more like traditional Greek cheese.
There are other options for replacing feta. Often in recipes, Greek cheeses sirtaki and fetax are used. Both have a pronounced salty taste, so use them in recipes with caution. Otherwise, you can oversalt the dish, which, as a result, spoil it.
Greek salad with Fetax cheese: a step by step recipe
This is no longer the original Greek salad recipe. And it's not just a different kind of cheese. Lettuce leaves are used instead of onions. The rest of the ingredients are similar. The Greek recipe requires the following components: tomatoes (2 pcs.), Cucumbers (2 pcs.), Bulgarian pepper, lettuce, olives, fetax (150 g), olive oil (30 ml), salt.
Step by step cooking recipe:
1. Cucumbers, tomatoes and bell pepper cut into large pieces.
2. Tear lettuce leaves with your hands.
3. Cut the fetax into large cubes. It has a dense structure, so unlike feta, it will not crumble.
4. Olives can be cut in half or added whole to a salad.
5. Mix all the ingredients in one salad bowl, season with olive oil and salt to taste.
The above recipe for Greek salad with Fetax cheese is in no way inferior in terms of palatability classic version. If desired, you can change the salad dressing by adding lemon juice and aromatic spices to the olive oil.
Greek salad with sirtaki
Stepping back from original recipe can cook at least delicious salad but with different cheese. Sirtaki also comes from Greece, but they also learned how to successfully cook it in Russia from cow's milk. It is denser in texture than feta. It cuts well into cubes, does not crumble.
The recipe for Greek salad with Sirtaki cheese involves the use of tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, olives, olive oil and fresh basil. It is customary to chop all the ingredients coarsely so that you can feel the taste of each of them. The salad is dressed with fresh olive oil and basil (½ bunch) or dry (1 teaspoon). Sirtaki - salted cheese, so salt is added at the very last moment when dressing the salad. Otherwise, the dish may be spoiled.
The recipe for Greek salad with Sirtaki cheese is a great alternative traditional version cooking. It can be submitted as festive table as well as for breakfast.
Mozzarella in Greek salad
Delicious and healthy dish fresh vegetables can be cooked with the addition of Italian mozzarella. It has a dense texture, but at the same time it has a delicate salty taste. For Greek salad, mozzarella cheese is no worse than sirtaki or fetax.
This recipe uses the same ingredients as the ones above. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, olives, soft cheese and olive oil are the essential ingredients of the salad. But whether to add onions depends on the excellent preferences of the cook.
The Greek salad is dressed with a traditional dressing of olive oil, lemon juice and Provence herbs.
Greek salad with Adyghe cheese
Real Greek cheese made from sheep's milk can not be found in every store. Of course, they learned how to make it in Russia from cow's milk. But the taste of such cheese (feta, sirtaki or fetax is not the point) is not at all the same, and the price is still high. How to find a way out?
There is another option that is ideal for Greek salad - Adyghe cheese. It is more insipid in taste, but with skillful preparation of the dressing, it may well replace more expensive cheeses. The rest of the Greek salad recipe remains unchanged.
Feta cheese is a pickled white cheese made from sheep's milk with the addition of goat's milk, a traditional Greek product with a characteristic expressive salty taste with a pleasant delicate milky sourness, fat content from 30 to 60%. By appearance this cheese, in some ways, is similar to fresh, fine-grained pressed cottage cheese. The ripening period of cheese in brine is at least 3 months. The technologies for the production of such cheeses were known in ancient times, most likely, they were practiced earlier.
The name "Feta" is protected by EU laws, cheese with this name is produced only in Greece, sold with an indication of the place of origin. Similar cheeses are produced using similar technologies, sometimes with changes in the recipe, and in other countries (Mediterranean, southeastern Europe, etc.). For the production of such cheeses, not only sheep and goat milk, but also cow and buffalo. These products have other trade names.
- an ingredient in many dishes, often appearing in various recipes, but not always and not everywhere we can find this cheese on sale, and this product is not cheap.
What can you substitute for feta cheese?
Answers suggest themselves from simple logical reflections. Feta cheese should be replaced with pickled cheeses. And which ones?
In stores you can find pickled cheeses with the names "Fetaki", "Fetaks". Some successfully replace feta cheese, for example, with Adyghe cheese, suluguni, mozzarella and other similar pickled cheeses.
And yet, what is the best substitute for feta cheese to make it tasty and profitable?
The answer may surprise some, but it is unlikely to surprise those living in Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, other Balkan countries, or Israel.
It is best to replace feta cheese with ordinary cheese - this pickled cheese is most similar to feta in terms of technology and composition. Cheese is produced both industrially and traditionally at home.
Brynza is similar to feta not only in terms of production methods and composition, but also as close as possible in taste and structure. Brynza (as, indeed, other pickled cheeses) is no less useful than feta in its own way. Here is just one “but”... Brynza, especially aged, is quite salty cheese, usually more salty than feta cheese.
Let's reduce salinity
To reduce the salinity of cheese, it is necessary to cut it into pieces (not thin slices of medium size) and place in milk or clean cold water(you can carbonated - it will go faster). Cheese is usually soaked for no more than 12 hours. hot water cheese cannot be poured.
