Among the foods consumed by humans for food, there are cheeses. They can be included in the menu every day, buying different types, used as an independent dish or as an ingredient of some recipe. The article will focus on feta cheese: what is it, how to use it.
Variety of cheeses
Cheeses entered the human diet in ancient times. They were made from milk from cows and goats. The finished product was dried in the sun.
Today in the world 800 varieties of cheese are known. Are made in such countries of Europe as Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy.
In Russia, cheese appeared under Peter I, later founded their own cheese-making cooperatives, where cheese was made from cow's milk.
Traditionally, cheeses are made from milk by fermenting it with various enzymes and sour-milk bacteria. Depending on the cooking technology, cheeses are divided into the following types:
- soft
- solid;
- sour milk;
- brine.
Among this variety, feta cheese is interesting: what is it, how useful, what is the calorie content of the product. In addition, we will see what dishes it includes.
Chees Feta
What is feta? The word is translated into Russian as a “piece”. Sheep (acceptable 30% goat) milk is used as raw material. This is cheese that is produced in Greece, and nothing more! There are a lot of feta varieties in Greece: from cheese with a soft creamy taste to salty with an intense and lasting aroma. Belongs to a group of brine cheeses.
So feta: what is it, how is it stored, what is it best combined with?
Ready cheese is stored in saline in wooden barrels or in metal cans in large pieces. In this case, the shelf life of the cheese is very large.
The cheese has a white or cream color and looks like a well-pressed cottage cheese, but more salty and sour. The consistency is very solid, and the more goat milk is added, the denser it will be. It is impossible to spread on a piece of bread. This is the main sign of cheese quality.
Before eating, cheese must first be soaked for several minutes in milk or mineral water, so it will not be so salty.
Feta goes well with vegetables, various herbs and herbs, with bread and fruits, for example, with pears.
Composition and calorie content
A feature of feta cheese is that it does not have a hard shell. It is unique in its selection of nutrients. Its main advantage is sour milk bacteria, which normalize the activity of the gastrointestinal tract and help in the fight against parasites living in the spleen and liver. It is also rich in calcium, therefore it strengthens bones, normalizes the activity of the nervous system due to the high content of B vitamins.
Feta cheese, the composition of which is simple, but at the same time very high in calories. This is because it is aged for about three months. Its fat content can be different: from 30 to 60 percent. Depending on this, calorie content will be different, but on average it is 264 kcal.
When buying feta cheese, the calorie content of which is high enough, we must remember that it is not suitable for diets. For the same reason, it is recommended to eat it with caution in overweight people.
Dish recipes
Consider dishes with feta cheese: what is special can be cooked so that all its taste is fully revealed.
The best-known recipe for this cheese is Greek Salad. The dish is liked by many people precisely because it contains feta cheese, the calorie content of which makes this salad very satisfying. The recipe includes the following ingredients: feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, green salad, olives, onions and olive oil. Method of preparation: lettuce leaves are laid out on a plate, and on them are all the components, cut into large cubes, watered with oil and lemon juice on top.
Tender and original chicken cutlets with greens and feta cheese are obtained. For minced meat, grind 400 g chicken fillet, 200 g spinach, 150 g feta cheese and 2 tablespoons flour in a blender at a low speed. It turns out gentle stuffing. We spread the spoon into flour, form balls and fry them in oil. Such cutlets will be a good addition to any side dish.
Barley with feta. Separately, cook pearl barley porridge. When it is infused, add the dressing. It is prepared from the following ingredients: 350 grams of cherry tomatoes, a bunch of dill, a teaspoon of lemon peel, salt, pepper to taste, 180 grams of feta cheese, 3 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil. Mix everything and let it brew.
Also, cheese can be consumed as an independent dish. In this case, it is served with wine, bread and grapes.