Recipe Reviews: New York Times All Feta Edition

Recently I tried two New York Times Cooking recipes. They were both terrific.

First up is Greek Chicken Stew with Cauliflower and Olives. Unsure was to why this was called a stew; I think of it more as a braise. It’s not something I’d just pop in a bowl and eat with a spoon. It’s a thick, tomato-based braise. I’d serve it over rice or some other grain or starch.

Anyway, this is a wonderful, healthy, fuss-free “stew” that starts with a base of caramelized onions and builds layers of flavors with the addition of red wine vinegar, olives (I added a tiny bit of brine along with the olives), cinnamon and parsley. It really is a lovely melange of flavors. Feta cheese is an optional garnish but I wouldn’t leave it out as I think it adds a tangy contrast to the stew’s savory warmth. I served mine over rice.

Next up is Roasted Feta with Honey, which is every bit as off-the-chain as it sounds, in addition to being criminally easy to make. Basically you slap some olive oil on a brick of Feta, bake it for awhile, then slap on some honey (the recipe calls for Greek thyme honey; I used plain and sprinkled on some  thyme), and broil it ’til it becomes brown and bubbly and creamy. Finally, you serve it with freshly-ground cracked black pepper. I served mine with crudite and pita chips. It’s heavenly.