• Any Greek salad would be incomplete without the inclusion of Feta. Crumbled or cut into cubes, grilled or had as it, Feta is a popular snacking option, not just in the Mediterranean.
• Use generously in soups and sauces, in sandwiches, with toasted bread, in omelettes, on pizzas, soufflés, au gratins, fondues, shepherd's pie, macaroni and cheese, casseroles, etc.
etc.
• Feta cheese balls and poppers are also popular snacks.
How to store feta cheese
• Feta cheese is best when eaten fresh, so always check the expiry and manufacturing dates.
• If you are not consuming it immediately, store Feta cheese in a brine or milk bath. The milk bath will reduce the saltiness and help keep the cheese moist and mild in flavour. Properly stored in brine or milk and refrigerated, feta cheese will last up to 3 months.
• Feta cheese is built for freezing. All cheeses, regardless of variety, should be well wrapped and kept in the warmest section of the refrigerator. (The refrigerator door is often one of the warmest spots).
Health benefits of feta cheese
Regardless of the type of milk used to create it, Feta cheese is a concentrated source of the nutrients naturally found in milk, including
calcium and
phosphorus and thus good for bone health. Feta cheese also contains small amount of other essential nutrients such as
zinc, riboflavin and
potassium. Feta cheese is also easier to digest. It is a dense source of high quality
protein and low in fat, thus suitable for
weight watchers. However, one nutritional drawback of this reduced-fat cheeses is that they are usually higher in sodium than other full-fat natural cheese. So people with
hypertension and
heart disease need to monitor its consumption very closely.
Chopped feta cheese
To make chopped feta, place it on a chopping board and using a sharp knife, cut lengthwise along the centre of the feta cheese block to get two equal halves. Cut both halves vertically into equal strips, and then hold all the strips together and chop breadth-wise at regular intervals, to make chopped feta.
Feta cheese cubes
To make feta cheese cubes, place it on a chopping board and using a sharp knife, cut lengthwise along the centre of the feta cheese block to get two equal halves. Cut both halves vertically into equal strips (of approximately 1" in diameter), and then hold all the strips together and chop breadth-wise at regular intervals (of approximately 1" in diameter).