Posts tagged ‘goat cheese’
Recipe of the Week – Roasted Seckel Pears
From the Appetizer Collection at emealsforyou.com
Roasted Seckel Pears
Our old neighbors from Chicago came for the weekend to catch up on all that has happened in the past couple of years. We were joined by the other Chicago neighbors who live down here in Cincinnati now. As travel timing issues had to be taken into account; we opted for “small plates” for dinner. Pan-seared tuna in a ginger dipping sauce, steelhead trout on cucumber slices with hollandaise sauce, mushroom caps stuffed with blue cheese and a few more were rounded out with the roasted seckel pears.
These pears are smaller than the normal size pears. Usually only available in late October and November, they are the perfect size to add a fruit to our small plate offerings. Sweet pears join with a smooth, tasty goat cheese fondant to give a punch to any dinner. They may be served as an appetizer or even a dessert. Especially good with my goat cheese ice cream.
Roasted Seckel Pears with Goat Cheese
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Appetizer |
| Meal: | N/A |
| 16 | medium | seckel pears |
| 3 | oz | cheese, goat |
| 2 | Tb | honey |
| 0.5 | tsp | pepper, fresh ground |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut pears in half, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Place cut side down on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Place in oven for 6 -8 minutes, until the pears are tender. Remove to a serving platter, cut side up, spoon a dollop of goat cheese in the center, dust with fresh cracked black pepper and drizzle with honey.
More small plate ideas at emealsforyou.com
Recipe of the Week – Roasted Fig and Goat Cheese Raviolis
From the Starch and Pasta Collection at emealsforyou.com
Roasted Fig and Goat Cheese Raviolis
I usually opt for the store-bought raviolis when making your typical ravioli and sauce meal. The four-cheese raviolis have a good flavor and are very easy to prepare for a fast dinner. On occasion I get creative in the kitchen and decide to make my own raviolis from scratch. While this sounds crazy to most it really isn’t that hard, and the results are really worth the exercise.
Making your own pasta for the raviolis involves a very quick combining of eggs and flour in your food processor, allowing the dough to rest and then deciding on the filling for your raviolis. A pasta machine is good to have but not required if you have a rolling pin and don’t mind a little work.
Roasted Fig and Goat Cheese Raviolis
| Complexity: | Medium |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | Starch/ Pasta |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 3 | recipe | Quick Homemade Pasta |
| 4 | medium | figs, fresh |
| 4 | oz | cheese, goat |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
| 1 | Tb | honey |
| 1 | medium | egg, whites |
| 1 | recipe | Fresh Ginger Sauce |
Make 3 batches of Quick Homemade Pasta recipe. Roll or use a pasta machine out to the thinness setting. Cut into strips the size of the raviolis you wish to make. Keep the pasta under a damp towel to avoid it drying out. Cut figs in half and roast on a parchment covered cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Allow figs to cool and then chop into ½ inch pieces. Mix goat cheese, salt and pepper and the figs in a small bowl. Add a Tb of water to the egg white.
To assemble the ravioli: place pasta on a cutting board; with a top piece and a bottom piece. Paint the bottom strip with the egg white. Decide how big your raviolis will be and add a heaping tsp of the cheese mixture into the middle of each section. Place a piece of the fig in the middle of the cheese and drizzle with a drop or two of the honey. Carefully place the other strip on top and push to seal the edges and across and down the middle. Cut into individual raviolis and pinch the edges with a fork to further seal. Place the finished ravioli on a piece of parchment, allow to dry and freeze until needed. This should make about 28 large ravioli.
To serve: Add the raviolis to boiling, salted water. When they float to the top they are done. Make the Fresh Ginger Sauce; place some in the bottom of a plate and add the raviolis.
Note: Add additional fig pieces, golden raisins or dried cranberries to the sauce. Sprinkle some grated Romano cheese on top. Any pieces of pasta leftover may be frozen and used as noodles.
Here is the recipe for the Fresh Ginger Sauce
More Homemade pasta recipes including Lobster Raviolis at emealsforyou.com
To Foodie or Not to Foodie – A Rant and a Recipe
We are always torn when writing on this blog and more importantly when adding recipes to our website at emealsforyou.com how far down the Foodie Road we go. It has been our intention from the start to provide you with recipes and meal plans that are easy to make, use common ingredients and most important, interesting. With this in mind I sometimes think you might take a look at the title and decide the recipe is not for you.
I enjoy cooking, and thinking about cooking. We do have a rule around here that you can’t talk about the next meal while eating the current meal. Cooking is all about confidence. Confidence is about trying new recipes and having them turn out great; or sometimes making them a few times to get it right. The important thought here is to try. Don’t be put off by something new or a “fancy” name. Our readership is composed of all levels of cooks; from chefs to the newly wed preparing her or his first meal for the in-laws.
So here we go! This sounds crazy but it will take a store-bought carrot cake to a new level of dessert. Give it a try and let us know what you think.
Goat Cheese Ice Cream
Goat Cheese Ice Cream
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 12 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | N/A |
| 2 | cups | cream, heavy |
| 0.5 | cup | milk, whole |
| 4 | large | egg, yolks |
| 0.25 | cup | sugar, granulated |
| 3 | Tb | corn syrup, light |
| 4 | oz | cheese, goat |
Bring the cream and the milk to a boil. Whisk egg yolks and sugar together and slowly add some of the hot cream into the yolks, stirring constantly. Add the yolk mixture to the cream and cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly. Whisk the corn syrup and the goat cheese together and add to the cream mixture. Remove from heat and whisk until fully blended. Cool in a water bath and then process in an ice cream maker. Freeze until needed.
Note: This is very rich and should be used in conjunction with other desserts.
Shown over carrot cake.
From the Dessert Collection at emealsforyou.com.
Recipe of the Week – Seared Scallop Small Plates
From the Fish Entrée Collection at emealsforyou.com
Seared Scallops
My sister-in-law dropped in for a weekend visit on her way home after a visit to the East Coast. As she doesn’t eat meat but enjoys seafood; we had to come up with a menu plan that fit our schedule as well as provide an interesting and palate pleasing treat. We decided on small plates; our version of several great recipes prepared as partial recipes. We usually make about 4- 5 different entrées to choose from.
To make sure the scallops are fresh, buy only those from a vendor who moves a lot of product daily. The scallops should be off-white to creamy in color and not sitting in the white milky substance you sometimes see them sitting in. Avoid those that are “swimming” in this fluid. As we were having 5 small plate entrees I made 2 large (10 -20 count) scallops per person. I also added a few golden raisins to the brown butter sauce for an added touch.
Our other small plate entrées included Grilled Steelhead Trout on Cucumber Slices with Hollandase Sauce, Cantaloupe with Crab Salad, Individual Yellow Tomato Caprese Salad, and Toast Points with Goat Cheese and Fig Jam.
Pan-roasted Sea Scallops
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 2 |
| Category: | Fish Entrée |
| Meal: | Dinner in the Round (Distinctive Dinners) |
| 8 | large | scallops, sea |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
| 4 | Tb | Panko breadcrumbs |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
| 1 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 1 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 8 | leaves | sage, fresh |
| 2 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 0.5 | medium | lemons |
Note: This recipe takes very little time to make and therefore be sure to have the rest of the meal ready to go before starting the scallops.
Dry scallops thoroughly on a paper towel. Salt and pepper both sides of the scallops. Place Panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish, salt and pepper breadcrumbs. Dip one side of scallop in breadcrumbs. Place butter and olive oil in pan; heat pan until oil begins to smoke. Place scallops, breadcrumb side down in pan and cook until light brown (about 3 minutes); flip scallops and cook for three minutes on reverse side. Remove scallops to a side plate. Lower heat to medium, place sage leaves and butter in pan and swirl, cooking for three minutes. Plate scallops and drizzle brown butter sauce over scallops, serve with a lemon wedge on the side.
Shown here with baby Yukon Gold potatoes and peas.
More small plate ideas at emealsforyou.com.
Recipe of the Week – Fresh Tomato Pesto
(From the Vegetarian Entree Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Fresh Tomato Pesto on Angel Hair Pasta
It’s November and we still have tomatoes on the vine, what a treat. As I look out at the garden even the basil hasn’t given it up for the season. Not wanting this gift from Mother Nature to go to waste I decided on making a fresh tomato pesto. Talk about fast prep, the whole thing took just about 5 minutes; not counting cooking the pasta. It’s important not to rinse your pasta and to put it back into the hot pot. Pour the pesto on top and mix thoroughly; the heat from the pasta will melt the cheese.
I made this dish to celebrate the bonus from the garden but also to use up some goat cheese I had in the fridge; got the first part right; forgot to put the goat cheese on top. Either way, with or without the goat cheese this is a great and quick dinner.
Fresh Tomato Pesto on Angel Hair Pasta
| Recipe Summary | |
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Vegetarian Entrée |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 0.5 | cup | basil leaves, whole |
| 3 | cloves | garlic, chopped |
| 1 | cup | tomatoes, cherry |
| 0.75 | cup | cheese, Romano, grated |
| 0.5 | cup | oil, olive |
| 0.5 | tsp | salt, kosher |
| 2 | Tb | capers |
| 1 | lb | pasta, angelhair, cooked |
Place the basil, garlic and tomatoes in a food processor. Pulse until a course chop. Add cheese, reserving 2 Tb, oil and salt and pulse until blended. Mix in capers but don’t pulse. Serve over hot pasta and sprinkle with reserved cheese.
Add dollops of goat cheese to make this a special meal.
More recipes like this at emealsforyou.com
Recipe of the Week – Stuffed Seckel Pears
(From the Appetizer Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Seckel Pears
Stuffed Seckel Pears
I wanted to show you the raw seckel pears as many of you are unfamiliar with them. They are available for only a few weeks at this time of the year and look like miniature versions of regular pears; think golf ball size. Anyway they are tarter and usually firmer than their larger cousins. I love fruit and cheese as an appetizer. It is usually a surprise to my guests and always a good choice when you want something a little different. If you don’t like blue cheese you can use cream cheese.
“Pair” this appetizer with a crisp white wine and enjoy the change of seasons.
Stuffed Seckel Pears
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Appetizer |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 12 | medium | seckel pears |
| 2 | oz | cheese, goat |
| 2 | oz | cheese, blue |
| 1 | Tb | honey |
| 0.125 | tsp | pepper, fresh cracked |
Cut seckel pears in half, scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Place cut side down on a parchment papered baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until a knife easily slides into it. Cool the pears. Mix the blue and goat cheeses together. Spoon mixture into the cavity in center of pears; drizzle with honey and pepper. Serve at room temperature.
See more like this at emealsforyou.com
Recipe of the Week – Keeping it Simple – Easy Appertizers
(From the Appetizer Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Dates and Goat Cheese
Melon and Ham
I seem to be on a mission to find easy but good food; maybe it is the unbelievable heat we have been having. Simple seems to have a special appeal when the thermometer reads in the high 90′s. The neighbors came over last night for dinner and I was scratching my head to come up with some quick and easy appetizers. I had a ripe cantaloupe, some excellent Polish ham, some dates and a little goat cheese. Add a few drops of honey and you have pretty good summer appetizers. They must have hit the spot as they disappeared from the plate just about as quickly as they took to assemble.
Melon and Ham
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Appetizer |
| Meal: | N/A |
| 0.25 | small | cantaloupe |
| 2 | slices | prosciutto, sliced |
Cut melon into small chunks. Wrap a small piece of the prosciutto around the melon, secure with a toothpick and serve.
Note: You may use any ham you have available.
Dates with Goat Cheese
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Appetizer |
| Meal: | N/A |
| 1 | cup | dates, whole |
| 2 | Tb | cheese, goat |
| 1 | tsp | honey |
Cut dates in half and remove the pit. Place a small dollop of the goat cheese in each half and drip a drop or two of honey on the top. Serve at room temperature.
See more quick, easy and good appetizers at emealsforyou.com
Recipe of the Week – Roasted Seckel Pears with Goat Cheese
(From the Appetizer Collection at emealsforyou.com)
In line with a recent post Why We Cook – A Rant I wanted to add surprise to the equation. Sometimes it’s fun to add something to the meal that is unexpected, something that appears to be one thing and winds up being a totally unexpected treat. One night in New Jersey I made seckel pears. These are small pears that are only available in the early fall, roasted with goat cheese, black pepper and honey as an appetizer for a group of macho cops, EMT’s and RN’s. The unexpected taste of the tart pears with the smooth goat cheese and sweet honey was a huge hit. The fresh cracked pepper added to the visual. These are similar to the full size pears I make for dessert but the small size makes them ideal as a quick and unexpected appetizer.
Another visual trick is my watermelon salad. Served in a large bowl with other various salads on a buffet, the guest assume that it is a tomato salad. Watching the look on their faces as they popped the watermelon into their mouths was very satisfying. The combination of crisp sweet watermelon with the salty feta cheese, pinenuts and red onion makes a wonderful surprise addition to any meal. Now that watermelon is available all year long; this is not just a summer treat. Once the word got around about the watermelon salad it completely disappeared in a matter of minutes.
So, mix it up a little, try something different and surprise your guest.
Roasted Seckel Pears with Goat Cheese
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Appetizer |
| Meal: | N/A |
| 16 | medium | seckel pears |
| 3 | oz | cheese, goat |
| 2 | Tb | honey |
| 0.5 | tsp | pepper, fresh ground |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut pears in half, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Place cut side down on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Place in oven for 6 -8 minutes, until the pears are tender. Remove to a serving platter, cut side up, spoon a dollop of goat cheese in the center, dust with fresh cracked black pepper and drizzle with honey.
Recipe of the Week – Dressing Up an Old Favorite
(From The Salad Collection at emealsforyou.com)
French Vinaigrette Salad
I have posted on making recipes your own; adding or subtracting ingredients to make the finished product more to your taste and liking. This salad is the one I served this past weekend for the Neighborhood Dinner Party. The French Vinaigrette salad dressing is ridiculously simple, and spectacularly tasty. My wife suggested I “dress it up” a little by adding a baked goat cheese medallion.
The medallion took a good salad to the next level. It added a touch of class visually, a contrast in texture from the leafy lettuce to the smooth and silky cheese, and a wonderful taste treat as the warm cheese blended its sweet taste to the tart dressing.
To make the goat cheese medallions cut a roll of goat cheese into 1 inch pieces. Roll these in panko bread crumbs, place in the frig for 20 minutes or so; then bake in a 350 degree oven until they just start to color. Carefully remove each one with a flat spatula and place, centered on the salad. Serve immediately, then sit back and listen to the mmmmmmmmmmmmm’s.
French Vinaigrette Salad
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Salad |
| Meal: | September Book Club (Celebration Meal Plans) |
| 2 | Tb | vinegar, red wine |
| 1 | Tb | mustard, dijon |
| 0.5 | cup | oil, olive |
| 1 | small | shallots, sliced |
| 0.75 | tsp | salt, table |
| 1 | dash | pepper, fresh ground |
| 1 | lb | lettuce, mixed |
Whisk vinegar,shallot and mustard together in a small glass bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.Toss with mixed lettuce and serve.
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