Tag Archive for 'goat cheese'

Vanilla Honey Goat Cheese

Published by mel on March 3, 2010 in breakfast, recipe and sides & bites.

Vanilla Honey Goat Cheese

Every year I look forward to the last weekend in February. It’s when the big white tents go up on South Beach and chefs and food lovers flock to the beach to eat and drink everything in sight. Last year, I left disappointed and a little hungry. This year was a completely different story. My favorite year by far. Some of the highlights were beer brewed by Florida International University Students (Rye and IPA), Potato and Shrimp Croquettes with pickled red onion from Gia at the Eden Roc Hotel, Ravioli from The Greenhouse Tavern in Cleveland, OH and Steak with horseradish cream from Luma on Park in Winter Park, FL.

The Whole Foods tent also came strong this year. It’s no secret that Whole Foods is one of my favorite places on earth and their hospitality tent was giving away smoked salmon, caviar, plantains stuffed with chorizo and avocado cream and little toasts with vanilla honey goat cheese. The goat cheese was so simple, but such a tasty little bite that I wanted to attempt to recreate the recipe at home.

Vanilla Honey Goat Cheese

This spread is basically just goat cheese whipped with honey and vanilla bean. The honey is a nice contrast to the tangy goat cheese and the vanilla adds a little exotic flavor. It’s a great little snack on crackers or with some strawberries and pretty amazing paired with a fresh mimosa.

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Smoked Salmon, Goat Cheese & Spinach Empanadas

Published by mel on October 16, 2009 in breakfast, entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Smoked Salmon, Goat Cheese & Spinach Empanadas

Around these parts, everyone loves empanadas and you can get them pretty much anywhere. The Cuban kind are usually filled with ground beef picadillo and deep fried. Very tasty, but not exactly light.

Argentine empanadas are usually baked and filled with just about anything: tuna with pepper and onions, corn, Mediterranean-spiced lamb, spinach and ricotta, ham and cheese, chicken fricasse, cheese and onion. The list goes on and on. This is what I love about empanadas – there are endless possibilities.

This morning, I stuffed some store-bought shells with smoked salmon, goat cheese and spinach. It took all of 10 minutes to prepare, then into the oven for a half hour. The result? A delicious snack or light lunch. They’d also make a great addition to a brunch buffet.

A note on ingredients: I’m lucky enough to be able to find frozen, pre-cut empanada shells at any local grocery store. If you’re having trouble finding them, you can order online, substitute frozen pie shell dough or make your own.

Related: Empanadas Three Ways

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Pork Chops with Goat Cheese & Roasted Poblano Sauce

Published by mel on May 7, 2009 in entree and recipe.

Pork Chops with Goat Cheese & Roasted Poblano Sauce

Will I sound like a broken record if I say I don’t have time to write a post today? What I do have is a really delicious pork chop. That pork chop is covered in a Roasted Poblano and Goat Cheese sauce. And next to that pork chop is a fluffy pile of Cajun rice (though that recipe will come another day). Altogether, a surprisingly easy and delicious meal!

The roasted poblanos add a subtle, smoky, spiciness that plays well with the tangy goat cheese (thanks to Ile de France for providing me with such tasty ingredients!) and a seared pork chop is the perfect vehicle for scooping the sauce.

Overall, delicious, delicious pork, cheese and peppers. The perfect meal.

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Potato, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Pizza

Published by mel on April 24, 2009 in entree and recipe.

Potato, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Pizza

Potato pizza? What? Yes. Potato pizza. I had a delicious rosemary and caramelized onion potato pizza at my favorite Car Wash/Pizza Place, Andiamo, a couple of weeks ago and have been craving more ever since. I also saw a potato pizza in this month’s Bon Apetit and knew I’d be making it really soon.

Since I wasn’t really in the mood for rosemary and caramelized onions, I topped my dough with fingerling potatoes, garlic, shallots, asparagus, mozzarella and goat cheese. It was colorful, rich and delicious. I loved the asparagus for this time of year. Next time, I want to try some caramelized onion and hot peppers, and eventually I’d like to make a version with sweet potatoes, pancetta and goat cheese.

I know potato pizza might seem weird. I thought the same thing before I went to Andiamo and realized that potato pizza is just about the tastiest treat I’ve ever eaten. I suggest you give it a try. Your pizza-making will never be the same again.

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Smoked Salmon, Caper & Goat Cheese Pasta

Published by mel on March 13, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Smoked Salmon, Caper & Goat Cheese Pasta

Some people like Pancakes and French Toast powdered with sugar and drenched in maple syrup for breakfast. Me? I can’t handle that much sugar in the morning. Honestly, I can’t ever handle that much sugar. I’m more of an omelet, home fries and hot sauce kind of girl. So, you’d think I’d also be all about bagels with cream cheese, smoked salmon and capers. And I am…just not for breakfast. (Most days, anyway.)

So, here’s my take on a deli breakfast for dinner. Swap the bagel with some linguine and the cream cheese for goat cheese and you’ve got all that smoked salmon goodness at a more appropriate hour. This dish only has 5 ingredients, but tastes just right. If you want to lighten up the carbs, add a few handfuls of baby spinach.

Either way, it’s another tasty, easy weeknight meal.

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Broccoli, Black Olive & Goat Cheese Pasta Sauce

Published by mel on January 22, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Broccoli, Black Olive & Goat Cheese Pasta Sauce

Broccoli, black olives and goat cheese. Do these things go together? Why, yes they do. I’ve always found that fancy, oil-cured black olives lend a nice salty brininess to broccoli. Goat cheese and olive oil give this sauce a sumptuous creaminess to balance out the saltiness.

I was tempted to call this a pesto, but I thought that wouldn’t go over too well with pesto purists. That said, the method is very similar. Steam the broccoli, then blend it with olive oil, black olives, goat cheese and a pinch of salt. What you get looks more like a dip than a sauce, but mixed with some pasta water, you get a velvety, creamy sauce flecked with bright green broccoli that’s a little tangy and really delicious.

I tossed the sauce with whole wheat pasta and some browned Italian Sausage for a wholesome and filling lunch. Serve this with a big, green side salad and you’ve got a delicious weeknight meal. Just make sure your dishwasher’s empty — this bad boy makes loads of dishes. Thank God I’ve got a wonderful hub to take care of those pots and pans for me!

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Thanksgiving Test Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Roulade

Published by mel on November 14, 2008 in entree.

Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Roulade

Some people might say there’s something missing at our Thanksgiving table. They might say that the conspicuous absence of a large, roasted bird means that it’s not Thanksgiving at all. But my family would disagree. I don’t remember the last time my mom roasted a whole turkey. They’re difficult to carve, easily dry out and everyone fights for the white meat. My mom tried a Turkey Roulade one year, and we haven’t looked back since.

Usually, we make a prosciutto and sage-stuffed turkey breast, wrapped in peppered bacon and basted with pear jam. It’s absolutely delicious. The bacon and jam keep the turkey nice and juicy, and the pepper is a perfect contrast to the sweet jam. My mom’s been doing this turkey for years, and we decided to change it up a little this year. We picked our filling ingredients and I volunteered to make a test turkey.

Instead of prosciutto and sage, I stuffed it with caramelized onions and figs, goat cheese, cranberries and chopped toasted pecans. I still wrapped it in bacon — how could I not wrap it in bacon? — but I did skip the pear jam and I couldn’t find peppered bacon.

The new filling was a definite success. It was rich, tart and sweet without being overpowering. I had skipped the pear jam because I thought the filling would be too sweet, but the sweetness actually mellowed out while the turkey roasted and the bacon didn’t caramelize as well as I’d hoped, so the pear jam will be back on Thanksgiving day. I also missed the spicy kick from the peppered bacon to counteract the rich filling, so I’ll redouble my efforts to find before the big day.

It’s not a traditional turkey, but it’s delicious, easy to slice, easy to serve. I already can’t wait to hit up the leftovers in my fridge!

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Goat Cheese Tartlets, 5 Ways

Published by mel on October 7, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

camero_ilefrance-131
Photo Credit: Agustin Sanchez

Vote for this recipe!

Awhile back, the Ile de France cheese company sent me a free wheel of Camembert cheese to blog about. Since one would be insane to turn down free cheese, I accepted and made roasted fig, prosciutto and camembert “sushi” drizzled with honey. Nothing better than creamy cheese, fruit, cured meat and honey. Nothing.

I guess it was a success because Ile de France sent me some more free cheese. This time, a large piece of goat cheese and the chance to submit my recipe for a chance to win $1,000! Free cheese and a chance to win some cash? Yes please. So, I invited my photographer friend and co-worker Augi and his wife Meli (one of my homeys from high school) over for goat cheese tartlets.

camero_ilefrance-161
Photo Credit: Agustin Sanchez

I made a simple tart crust, which I stuffed into mini-muffin tins for appetizer-sized tartlets. Because I couldn’t decide on just one filling, I made five. And it can’t hurt my chances in this contest, right? Here were the 5 finalists:

  • Cracked Pepper Smoked Salmon & Dill (my favorite, I think) – #4 in photo above
  • Dried Apricot, Almond and Honey (Tom’s favorite) – #1 in photo above
  • Roasted Fig – #3 in photo above
  • Cardamom and Mustard Seed-spiked Butternut Squash – sadly, not pictured
  • Caramelized Onion & Pear (my second favorite) – #2 & #5 in photo above

The point here is that you can have fun with the fillings and the possibilities are endless. Each were tasty little bites and my guest photographer snapped away while I cooked and sipped from a Red Hook ESB. A perfectly relaxing Sunday afternoon.

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green salad w/grapes, goat cheese & candied pecans

Published by mel on September 12, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

green salad w/grapes, goat cheese & candied pecans

This week I saw some things at the grocery store that I’d never seen before. They were in the produce department, right next to the cartons of black mission figs (buy one get one free this week! yay!). They were big, round, purple and the label said they were grapes. Muscadine grapes. But, these were unlike any grape I’d ever seen before.

First of all, they were huge. About the size of a big gumball, I’d say. The skin looked more like the skin of a plum than a grape. And they were very, very dark purple — almost black. I bought some because I was intrigued, and because they were half price. I was so intrigued that I ate one as soon as I got home and immediately googled them. According to Wikipedia and the label on the inside of the carton, Muscadine grapes are native to the U.S. and reach their peak during the hottest months of the summer. They thrive in hot and humid places, which explains their appearance at my local grocery store. Muscadines are used to make wine and preserves and are full of healthy goodness.

And the taste? Delicious. Same juicy sweetness of a purple grape, but much meatier, like an apricot. The only downside is their size. Muscadines aren’t very conducive to popping in your mouth like regular grapes. These are definitely 2-bite bad boys, which rules them out for snacking in my book.

green salad w/grapes, goat cheese & candied pecans

I contemplated using them to make a sauce for pork chops, but didn’t have any pork in the fridge. I did have some fresh greens and goat cheese, though. So I candied some pecans and made a salad. A really good salad. The sweet and juicy grapes were a perfect contrast to the tangy goat cheese, and the spiced and candied pecans added just the right amount of sweet crunch. I could eat this salad every day.

Muscadine grapes get an A+ in my book, but this salad would be just as delicious with your standard red or purple grapes. I think the pecans steal the show anyway…

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easy sausage, greens & goat cheese pasta

Published by mel on August 29, 2008 in entree and recipe.

easy sausage, greens & goat cheese pasta

Pasta’s easy. It’s usually the first food you learn to cook, and the food that sustains you throughout your penniless college days. It’s good, fast and cheap, and there’s nothing to not love about that!

So, when I need to make a quick lunch before work it’s often pasta that’s my first thought. The hard part is figuring out how to make a healthy, well-rounded meal with it. As with most things carb, I find that I can sit down and eat at least a 1/2 pound of simple, buttery pasta on my own. But me and my bikini know that it’s probably not a good idea.

So, I try to have as much “stuff” in my bowl as I do pasta. This week, that stuff happened to be spicy Italian sausage, broccoli, rainbow chard, goat cheese and walnuts. A well-rounded meal chock-full of vegetables, protein and those venerated Omega 3’s. Best of all, it traveled well, filled me up and made a very delicious little lunch.

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