Whipped feta with slow-roasted cherry tomatoes

Ingredients

Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
2 cups (500 mL) cherry tomatoes
½ cup (125 mL) canola oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
12 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
10 whole black peppercorns
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

Whipped Feta
1 container (200 g) feta cheese, drained
¼ cup (60 mL) sour cream
2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil
1 small clove garlic
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
2 tsp (10 mL) lemon zest
½ tsp  (2 mL) hot sauce
 
 
 Garnish (optional)
 2 tbsp (30 mL) coarsely chopped parsley
 1 tsp (5 mL) fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275°F (140°C).
 2. In 8-inch (20 cm) pan or casserole dish, add tomatoes.
 3. In a small bowl, mix ½ cup (125 mL) canola oil, sliced garlic, thyme, bay leaves, whole peppercorns and salt. Pour over the tomatoes and toss gently to coat.
 4. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until tomato skins begin to shrivel. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan.
 5. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the feta into small pieces. Add sour cream, 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil, 1 clove garlic, lemon juice and zest and hot sauce. Purée until smooth.
 6. When ready to serve, add whipped feta to a serving dish. With a slotted spoon, remove tomatoes and roasted garlic from the oil and arrange on top of the whipped feta.
 7. Garnish with parsley and fresh cracked pepper.

"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.