Marinated Feta

Marinated Feta

Marinated Feta with Garlic, Chilli and Fresh Herbs

I love this Marinated Feta recipe. For me, it is the perfect example of how by adding a few flavouring elements – garlic, chilli and fresh herbs – you can transform simple feta cheese into a truly memorable dish. It is so easy to make and it keeps for up to a month in the refridgerator. This is food preparation that anyone can do. It does not require any level of culinary skill but allows you to be creative with flavours and produce something that is tailored to your individual taste. Marinated Feta is also really versatile and is great as a nibble with drinks or on bread as a light lunch. It is also excellent for picnics as it can be transported easily in its own jar.

A cultural mix-up….

Clearly, Marinated Feta is not a traditional English dish but, using herbs from my garden, it brings a bit of sunny Greece to cooler northern Europe. One of the wonderful things about modern English cooking is the way it is influenced by cuisines from other countries which are absorbed and adapted. I think that this is what cooking and developing recipes is all about. In a strange way, this dish is actually inspired by memories of my rural English childhood when, not so long ago, access to foods from other countries was not so common as it is now. When I was about ten, a wonderful Greek delicatessen opened in my local town, bringing olives, dolmades, taramasalata and wonderful Marinated Feta to greedy locals! I loved the garlicky, herby feta and, many years later, tried to recreate it in this recipe.

Marinated Feta

… and the perfect recipe for experimentation!

I have made this recipe using garlic, chilli and have chosen to use bay leaves, rosemary and thyme as my fresh herbs. However, you can change the flavour combinations according to what you have to hand and what you think tastes good. Don’t like chilli? Leave it out. Love garlic? Put more in! If you have other favourite herbs, why not try them instead?

Other easy snack recipes

I love savoury snacks. Whether I am box-set watching in front of the television or having a party, my evening is not complete without them. I will sometimes open a packet of crisps or a jar of olives. However, if I am thinking ahead, I will try and make some home-made nibbles.

Making your own snacks is often healthier and cheaper than buying ready-made snacks. They are also really delicious.   I try and keep them fairly healthy, without compromising on taste. Therefore, I aim to keep them relatively low fat and with low salt levels compared to shop-bought snacks.

All my snack recipes can be made in advance and most of them will store for a few days.  If you are a big fan of cheese, like me, you might like my crisp Cheese Biscuits.  If nuts are your thing, you should try my sweet and spicy Spiced Nuts.  My Moroccan-style Dukkah is a seed mix which can be eaten as a snack or sprinkled on hummus or salads. Most of my snack recipes are vegetarian. However, I have a few others such as my quick and easy Smoked Salmon pate recipe.

Marinated Feta with Garlic, Chilli and Fresh Herbs

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Marinated Feta

Marinated Feta

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  • Author: Tastebotanical
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 500 ml jar 1x
  • Category: Cheese
  • Cuisine: English

Description

Feta Cheese, marinated with garlic, chilli and fresh herbs, takes minutes to prepare and keeps for up to a month.  It is fantastic as a nibble with drinks or spread on bread for a light lunch.  It is also great for a picnic as it is easily transportable. 

Herbs and garlic


Ingredients

Scale
  • 150 g feta cheese
  • 3 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
  • 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • Fresh thyme (to provide 2 tablespoons of leaves)
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried  chilli flakes (optional)
  • 300 ml good quality olive oil

Marinated Feta


Instructions

  1. Sterilise a 500 ml capacity jar by washing it in soapy water and then putting it in an oven at 120 C for 15 minutes.
  2. Chop the feta into cubes of approximately 1 cm square and place them in the jar.
  3. Tuck the rosemary sprigs and the bay leaves around the cheese.   Strip the leaves off the thyme stems and add them to the jar.
  4. Peel and slice the garlic cloves and add them to the jar.
  5. If using, scatter the chilli flakes over the top of the cheese.
  6.  Fill the jar with the olive oil making sure that all the cheese is covered.
  7. Put the lid on the jar and leave in the fridge for at least 24 hours, ideally several days, for the cheese to absorb the flavours of the garlic and herbs.
  8. The marinated cheese will last for up to a month.
  9. When you wish to eat the cheese, remove the jar from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature.  This will mean the oil is liquid and the flavours are fully developed.

Notes

  • Marinated feta is great on its own as a nibble with drinks.   It can also be spread on bread as a light lunch.  It is a good option for picnics as it can be easily transported in its jar.
  • Use this recipe as a basis and experiment with flavours that you like.  If you don’t like chilli, leave it out.  If you love garlic, put more in.  You can alter the quantity and type of herbs used.   

Feta Quiche with Roasted Peppers

Easy Feta Quiche with Roasted Peppers

Feta Quiche with Roasted Peppers is the perfect easy lunch or supper dish. The peppers are roasted to bring out their sweetness and combined with salty feta and anchovies which provide a big punch of flavour. If you are a vegetarian, or simply don’t like anchovies, salted capers are very good alternative.

I love roasted peppers! I roast my peppers by cutting them in half and putting them cut side down on a sheet of silver foil under a hot grill. Once the skin has blackened and charred, I wrap them up in the foil and leave them to cool. The steam from the hot peppers will loosen the skins making it easy to remove them. The process of roasting intensifies the flavour and sweetness of the peppers and adds an extra smoky taste dimension. I often use this method to produce a simple Roasted Pepper Salad but the it is also a great way of preparing peppers for use in other dishes.

So many peppers…

There are many types of sweet peppers available in stores and in farmers markets today. I particularly like the long, pointed Ramiro Peppers or Romano Peppers. These come in red, orange and yellow and are sweeter and, in my opinion, more flavoursome than the more common Bell Peppers. However, any type of pepper can be used in this recipe and any colour – red, orange or yellow. Just make sure you don’t use green peppers as they do not have the natural sweetness you need in this Feta Quiche.

….and so many quiches!

I make a lot of quiches and savoury tarts. In my view, they are one of the most versatile and useful dishes. They are easy to make and easy to divide into portions, they can be made in advance, they can be served hot or cold, there are a lot of vegetarian options which still seem to please meat-eaters and there are lots and lots of possible flavour combinations. Some of my favourites from this blog include Asparagus Quiche (early summer on a plate), Caramelised Onion Tart (a classic), Carrot Tart (a successful experiment), Garlic Tart (double garlic, what’s not to like?) and Beetroot Tart (love it or hate it!).

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Feta Quiche with Roasted Peppers

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  • Author: Tastebotanical
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 35
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
  • Category: Quiche
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: English

Description

This Feta Quiche with Roasted Peppers and Anchovies is an easy lunch or supper recipe  which can be made in advance and served hot or cold.    You can use salted capers instead of anchovies if you are a vegetarian.


Ingredients

Scale

For the pastry:

  • 275 g plain flour
  • 125 g fat (I use a mix of half butter and half Trex as I think this makes the lightest pastry)
  • Salt
  • A little water

For the filling:

  • 4 red peppers
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tin anchovies or 1 tablespoon of capers
  • 100 g feta cheese
  • 100 ml double cream
  • 2 eggs


Instructions

  1. Set your oven to 180 C, 350 F or Gas Mark 4.
  2. Make the pastry. Put the flour in a bowl.  Add the fat and combine –  either by “rubbing in” by hand or processing – until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add a little cold water (2-3 tbsp) and shape the mixture into a dough.
  3. Roll out your pastry and use it to line a 25 cm quiche or flan dish.   Bake for 15 minutes in the oven to allow the pastry to “set”.  This will stop the filling making it soggy and ensure that the base is crisp.
  4. Next prepare the peppers.  Cut them in half lengthwise.  Remove the stalks and seeds.   Place the pepper halves skin-side up on a grill pan covered in foil. 
  5. Place the pan under a hot grill for around 10 minutes until the peppers are black and charred.  Wrap the silver foil that you used to line the pan around the peppers and leave to cool.  The foil will form an envelope around the hot peppers and the steam that they give off will help to loosen their charred skins.
  6. When the peppers are cool enough to handle you should be able to peel off the charred skins.   
  7. Roughly chop the skinned peppers and scatter them over your pastry case. Finely chop the anchovies and crumble the feta cheese and add these to the pastry case as well.   If you are vegetarian, or just do not like anchovies,  capers are a good substitute. 
  8. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, add the cream, and beat until combined.  Pour into the pastry case.  
  9. Place your quiche or flan dish in the oven and cook for 25 minutes.


Notes

  • This Feta Quiche can be served hot, warm or at room temperature.

Loved this recipe? You may also like the following recipes. Or checkout the Recipe Index.

Spinach Tart

Spinach Tart with Peas, Feta and Pine Nuts

This Spinach Tart is an easy, vegetarian lunch or supper dish. The filling consists of fresh spinach combined with peas which add a note of sweetness plus nuggets of salty feta cheese. The tart is topped with toasted pine nuts which add a crunchy texture as well as their delicious, nutty flavour.

Nutmeg

Pretty much all of my recipes use some kind of herb or spice. I love the way that they transform simple ingredients. If you choose flavourings that really work with your ingredients, adding herbs and spices is a way to make your recipes extra-special with very little additional effort.

In this Spinach Tart recipe, I have used nutmeg as the main flavouring as I think it goes particularly well with spinach. If you have only used ready-powdered nutmeg, I really recommend that you buy a jar of whole nutmegs, which can be found in every supermarket. When you have done this, use an ordinary kitchen grater to grate a little piece off one of the nutmegs. Hold the shavings in your hand and inhale. That is the real scent of nutmeg! You can shave a little nutmeg into your dishes whenever you need it and it will have that wonderful, spicy aroma and taste.

Although nutmeg is often associated with sweet dishes and desserts, such as Bread and Butter Pudding or Baked Custard, I think it works very well in savoury dishes. I think it is particularly good in savoury dishes with a hint of sweetness such as Caramelised Onion Tart which uses slow-cooked onions.

Other savoury tarts and quiches

Savoury tarts and quiches are a fantastic, cook-ahead simple supper or lunch. They are easy to make and are great either hot or at room temperature. They can also be easily divided into portions if you are feeding a large number of people. Easily transportable, they also make a good addition to lunch-boxes or basis for a picnic. Some of my favourites are listed below.

Recipe for Spinach Tart with Peas, Feta and Pinenuts

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Spinach Tart with Nutmeg

Spinach Tart

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  • Author: Tastebotanical
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 35
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 1 tart 1x
  • Category: Savoury tart
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: English

Description

This Spinach Tart combines fresh, green spinach with the sweetness of peas, salty feta and crunchy pine nuts.  It is perfect for a vegetarian light lunch or supper.


Ingredients

Scale

For the pastry:

  • 275 g plain flour
  • 125 g fat (I use a mix of half butter and half Trex as I think this makes the lightest pastry)
  • Salt
  • A little water

For the filling:

  • 1 onion
  • 300 g fresh spinach
  • 100 g frozen peas (defrosted)
  • 125 g ricotta
  • 100 ml double cream
  • 2 eggs (beaten)
  • Grated nutmeg to taste
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 50 g feta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts

Instructions

  1. Set your oven to 180 C, 350 F or Gas Mark 4.
  2. Make the pastry. Put the flour in a bowl.  Add the fat and combine –  either by “rubbing in” by hand or processing – until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add a little cold water (2-3 tbsp) and shape the mixture into a dough. 
  3. Roll out your pastry and use it to line your quiche or flan dish.   Bake for 10  minutes in the oven to allow the pastry to “set”.  This will stop the filling making it soggy.  
  4. Peel and chop the onion.  Heat the butter and oil in your frying pan.   It helps if the pan is good quality with a thick bottom as this will disseminate the heat evenly and prevent burning.  Add the onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper,  and cook at a very low heat for about 10 minutes until soft.
  5. Place the spinach in a saucepan with a little water and cook gently, with the lid on, for about 5 minutes until the leaves are wilted.  Remove the spinach leaves from the pan and, as soon as they are cool enough, squeeze to remove excess moisture and then roughly chop them.
  6. Put the softened onion, chopped spinach and defrosted peas into a large mixing bowl.  Mix in the ricotta, cream and eggs.   Season with salt and pepper and nutmeg.   
  7. Spread the mixture in the pastry case.   
  8. Crumble the feta cheese and sprinkle on top of the mixture.
  9. Place your quiche or flan dish in the oven and cook for 25 minutes.  After it has been cooking for 15 minutes, sprinkle the pine nuts on top and return it to the oven.

Filo Triangles with two fillings – “Feta Cheese and Mixed Herb” and “Roasted Butternut Squash, Chilli and Pinenut”

Filo and edible flowers
Filo Triangles and edible flower salad

Filo Triangles with two fillings –  “Feta Cheese and Mixed Herb” and “Roasted Butternut Squash, Chilli and Pinenut”

These filo triangles are really easy to make and can be served hot or cold.  I generally make a batch of 14 filo Triangles – half with each filling as they complement each other.    The “Feta Cheese and Mixed Herb” filling is creamy, salty and allows the flavour of your chosen herbs to sing out.  The “Roasted Butternut Squash, Chilli and Pinenut” filling is rich and sweet with a buzz of heat with texture provided by the pinenuts.

Both versions make a great lunch or supper, and are really good in lunch boxes and on picnics.   They are also fancy enough to be served for dinner parties or more formal occasions.   If I am trying to impress,  I serve them with a  Green Salad with Edible Flowers.   This is easy (and beautiful!).  Just take salad leaves such as lambs lettuce, maybe add additional bits such as cucumber or avocado – I tend to stick to green things so flowers are obvious – and dress with vinaigrette.  Scatter edible flowers, such as violas or primroses, on top.

Ingredients for Filo Triangles
Butternut Squash, Red Onion, Feta and Chilli

Equipment

Baking tray,  Pastry brush, Bowls

Filling for Filo Triangles
Mixed herbs – Parsley, Chives, Basil and Fennel

 

Filo triangles

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Butternut Squash Filo Triangles

Filo Triangles with two fillings – “Feta Cheese and Mixed Herb” and “Roasted Butternut Squash, Chilli and Pinenut”

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  • Author: Tastebotanical
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 55
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 14 triangles 1x
  • Category: Tart
  • Cuisine: English

Description

These crispy filo triangles, filled with tasty vegetarian fillings, make a great lunch or supper.


Ingredients

Scale
Ingredients: Filo Triangles 
  • 1 packet of filo pastry (270 g or 7 sheets)
  • 100 g butter (melted)
Filling:  Roasted Butternut Squash, Chilli and Pinenut
  • Half a butternut squash
  • 1 red onion
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 75 g feta cheese
  • Half a fresh red chilli (finely chopped)
  • 1 clove of garlic (crushed)
  • 50 g pinenuts (roasted)
Filling:  Feta Cheese and Mixed Herb
  • 75 g feta cheese
  • 75 g cream cheese
  • A large bunch of mixed, fresh herbs to taste (parsley, basil, chives, fennel fronds)
  • I spring onion
  • Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Method – Feta Cheese and Mixed Herb filling

  1. Crumble the feta into a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and mix thoroughly.
  2. Finely chop the mixed herbs and spring onion and add to the cheese mixture. Season with black pepper (no need for salt as feta is very salty).

Method – Roasted Butternut Squash, Chilli and Pinenut filling

  1. Set your oven to 180 C, 350 F or Gas Mark 4.
  2. Peel your butternut squash and chop into small chunks (around 2 cm). (You will only need half of the squash for the filling but I generally roast it all and serve the other half of the chunks as an accompaniment.)   Cut the red onion into quarters leaving the skin on.  Put the squash chunks and onion pieces on a baking tray,  sprinkle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast the vegetables in the oven for 30 minutes until soft and slightly browned.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
  3. Roughly mash the butternut squash. Remove the skin from the onion and roughly chop and combine with the butternut squash in a mixing bowl.  Crumble the feta cheese into the bowl with the vegetables. Add the finely chopped red chilli, the crushed garlic and the roasted pinenuts.

Method – Assembling the Filo Triangles

  1. Cut each filo sheet in half lengthways and brush all over with melted butter. Put a spoonful of the filling at one end of the filo strip, and fold into triangles so that it is encased in several layers of filo.
  2. Put the filled filo triangles on a baking sheet and brush the top of each with melted butter.
  3. When you have made all your filo triangles, return the baking tray to the oven and cook at 180 C, 350 F or Gas Mark 4 for 25 minutes.
  4. Remove the filo triangles from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.  They can be eaten hot, warm or  at room temperature.

 

Filo triangles, feta cheese and butternut squash
Filo Triangles and edible flower salad

 

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