Whipped feta with slow-roasted cherry tomatoes

Ingredients

Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

• 2 cups (500 mL) cherry tomatoes
• ¼ cup (60 mL) canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 12 sprigs of fresh thyme or 2 tsp (10 mL) dried thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

Whipped Feta

• 1-1/4 cups (310 mL) light Feta Cheese
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) light sour cream
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
• 2 tsp (10 mL) lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) hot sauce
•  1 whole wheat baguette (350 g), sliced into 20 pieces

 Garnish (optional) 

• 2 tbsp (30 mL) coarsely chopped parsley 
• 1 tsp (5 mL) fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300⁰F (150⁰C).
2. For tomatoes, combine canola oil, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt. Gently mix in tomatoes and place in a 2 L casserole dish or 8-inch (20 cm) pan.
3. Roast for 2 hours, until tomato skins begin to shrivel. Stir halfway. Remove from pan and let cool in pan.
4. In medium bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, beat feta, sour cream, canola oil, garlic, lemon juice, zest and hot sauce until smooth.
5. When ready to serve, remove tomatoes and roasted garlic using a slotted spoon from the oil mixture. Top each baguette slice with 1 tbsp (15 mL) whipped feta, roasted tomatoes and garnish with parsley and pepper (if desired).

"As a registered dietitian and certified mindful eating facilitator, my aim is to help people make peace with food, by helping them develop a healthy relationship with it. Food is more than just nourishment; it creates connections and memories, and promotes creativity and fun. One way to nurture these positive connections is by encouraging food exploration. This includes trying new foods, cooking techniques, and learning new recipes, which can build confidence in the kitchen, and expand personal tastes and preferences. I like to do this by pairing an accepted food with a new cooking technique to bring out new flavours. In this Whipped Feta with Slow Roasted Tomatoes recipe, a simple pint of fresh cherry tomatoes is tossed with canola oil and roasted, being transformed into a sweet and smoky topping for savoury whipped feta. Canola oil is an ideal pantry staple because of its versatility in the kitchen and its neutral flavour, which allows the flavours in the food it’s cooked with to shine through."

    Reah Lewandoski, RD

Notes

Tips:

1. Refrigerate your leftover oil and use within 2-3 days as a marinade for chicken or try it in a homemade salad dressing.
2. The tomatoes should stay in the marinade until serving to gather maximum flavour.
3. Replace fresh thyme with ½ tsp (2 mL) dried.