Salad with Warm Goat Cheese

Salads are so much better with a crunch! This is one of my favorite light lunches/dinners. The goat cheese is so creamy and lemony - it tastes so much better this way than simply crumbled. This recipe is originally from Barefoot Contessa, so I included her dressing recipe. When I make it, I just put a salad together with whatever vinaigrette I have on hand or I'll dress it with just olive oil, salt and pepper.



Salad with Warm Goat Cheese

1 (11-ounce) log plain or herbed Montrachet
4 extra-large egg whites, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Panko bread crumbs

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons good cider vinegar
2 tablespoons good Champagne vinegar
Pinch sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 extra-large egg yolk
1 cup good olive oil

Enough mixed salad greens for 6 servings

Olive oil and unsalted butter, for frying

Slice the Montrachet into 12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices. (The easiest way to slice goat cheese is to use a length of dental floss.) Dip each slice into the beaten egg whites, then the bread crumbs, being sure the cheese is thoroughly coated. Place the slices on a plate and chill them for at least 15 minutes in the fridge.

For the dressing, place the vinegars, sugar, salt, pepper, and egg yolk in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and blend for 1 minute. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube until the vinaigrette is thickened. Season, to taste.

Toss the salad greens with enough dressing to moisten, then divide them among 6 plates.

Melt 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat until just under smoking. Cook the goat cheese rounds quickly on both sides until browned on the outside but not melted inside. Top each salad with 2 warm rounds and serve.

Honey and Goat Cheese-Filled Date Muffins

Sweet dates and tangy goat cheese give a surprising twist to these hearty breakfast muffins. I made a batch of these on Sunday so we could enjoy them for breakfast all week long. The recipe originally called for figs, so use what you have or can find at the store. If you’re not a fan of goat cheese, try them with cream cheese instead.

I thought these muffins were pretty good but Christian said they were the best muffins ever.



Honey & Goat Cheese-Filled Date Muffins
Adapted from EatingWell, January/February 2010

3/4 cup crumbled soft goat cheese or reduced-fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
3/4 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
1 cup low-fat or nonfat buttermilk
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups chopped dates or dried figs
3 tablespoons turbinado or granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.

Thoroughly combine goat cheese (or cream cheese), honey, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Lightly beat eggs and egg white in a medium bowl; add brown sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and whisk until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in buttermilk and oil until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in figs.

Spoon half the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Add 1 generous teaspoon of the reserved cheese filling to the center of each muffin, and cover with the remaining batter. (The filling should not be visible.) Sprinkle the muffins with sugar.

Bake the muffins until the edges start to brown and the tops spring back when gently pressed, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Nutrition Information (per muffin): 272 Calories; 9 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 6 g Mono; 39 mg Cholesterol; 6 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 239 mg Sodium; 184 mg Potassium

Make Ahead Tip: Individually wrap the muffins and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic wrap, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30-45 seconds.

Ingredient notes: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. It is available in large supermarkets and at natural-foods stores. (Or find it online from bobsredmill.com or kingarthurflour.com.) Store it in the freezer.

Pea Salad with Mint and Goat Cheese

I do most of my experimentation on Sundays. I try to make a nice Sunday meal. Most of the time I have a tough time deciding on interesting side dishes.

This pea salad is so delicious. I adapted the recipe from a great cookbook called Earth to Table. Peas and mint are a refreshing combination. This is a perfect spring meal with a nice fish or lamb. I made it with roast chicken and used a creamy goat cheese. You can substitute feta cheese or any other crumbly cheese you like. Also, I used apple cider vinegar but you can use red wine vinegar or champagne vinegar or whatever you have on hand. The recipe makes a lot of vinaigrette, so taste as you add so it does not overpower the peas.



Pea Salad with Mint and Goat Cheese

2 cups shucked fresh sweet peas
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon local honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 radishes, finely sliced
1 red onion, finely sliced
½ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

In a medium pot of boiling salted water, blanch peas until just tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. Refresh under cold water.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add peas, radishes and onion; toss to coat. Add mint and gently toss. Sprinkle with feta and serve.

Makes 6 servings