Baked Goat Cheese, a love story

I know I've fallen in love before, and I'm sorry to all the other tapas style appetizers that I may have lead on in the past; if I somehow implied that they were the only ones, I apologize ... but all I can say is, it's not my fault, who could resist these little patties of molten goat cheese, fresh from the oven, oozing under a sizzling crust of nuts and herbs?  Not me, and I bet you can't either.

Because I couldn't decide, I made two different kinds, one with a crust of pistachio and fresh mint, and the other with Marcona almonds and rosemary.  I love combining nuts and herbs, and they make an interesting pairing with the soft cheese.

See what I mean--- they're irresistible, even before they're baked.

You just cut a slice of the cheese, or, depending on the kind of goat cheese you have, you may need to form it into a little flat patty.  Then brush on some olive oil so the crust will adhere.

Pat on a coating of the nut/herb mixture and that's all there is to it.  With your mini food processor doing the chopping, you could come up with a million variations on this, using your favorite nuts and herbs.  I want to try pine nuts with thyme or oregano, and then maybe walnuts with parsley.  Troll the nut aisle at Trader Joe's and you'll get lots of ideas, how about using their Sweet and Spicy Pecans, or Chili Lime Cashews?

After a few minutes in the oven they emerge all molten and delicious. 

Pile a salad plate with some fresh greens, (I used baby Swiss chard), drizzle with some olive oil and fruity vinegar, and top it with the cheese.  I had one of each and still can't decide which I like best.

I had this for lunch, but it could be an appetizer with crackers or bread, too.  You can make the little crusted disks of cheese ahead and bake them off just before company arrives.

Baked Goat Cheese with Nut and Herb Crust
serves 4
oven to 350
For Pistachio/Mint
1 cup raw or roasted pistachios
2 heaping Tbsp fresh mint leaves
dash of salt (if using raw nuts)
For Marcona Almond/Rosemary
 Marcona almonds, I like the roasted, salted, skin on variety
 2 heaping Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves

• Put the nuts and herbs in a mini food processor and process until the mixture is  finely chopped.

approx 8 oz goat cheese, you will need approx 2 oz per person
olive oil for brushing

• Slice or form 4 round patties of cheese.  Brush the patty with oil and pat the crust on the top, sides, and bottom, making sure to cover it all.
• Set the patties on a lightly oiled baking sheet or dish.  I recommend a rimless baking sheet for easy removal since the cheese is very delicate when hot.
• Bake for about 15 minutes.  I ran mine under the broiler briefly just to get them sizzling, but be careful, if they get too hot they can start to melt.  If you have difficulty removing the hot cheese without it falling apart, let it cool briefly.

Minimal Monday: Pasta with Fresh Corn, Tomatoes and Basil

Here's another way to use all that summer corn that's flooding into the markets.  

Saute some fresh corn kernels in olive oil until just tender.  Throw in some chopped tomato, salt and pepper.

Add a bunch of torn basil leaves.

Add your favorite pasta, cooked al dente, straight from the hot water into the pan.

Toss with a little Parmesan or Asiago cheese.

Have a great Monday!

how to cut a mango

All of a sudden I'm seeing lots of cheap ripe mangoes out there.   But they're no use unless you know how to cut them.  If you try to attack them with your vegetable peeler you'll end up with a slippery slimy mess, and probably a skinned knuckle.

But if you slice off the two sides of the mango, along either side of the pit, and then score the flesh with a sharp knife, cutting down to, but not through, the peel, you can then flip the whole thing inside out and voila, you have perfectly cut little squares.

Just scrape off the fruit and you're halfway there to an easy salsa.  Recipe here.

Have a great Sunday!

Chile Verde with Chicken, and Masa Harina Biscuits

Let's cut to the chase---this chile is outstanding.  I loved it, it's going in my recipe hall of fame, and as far as I'm concerned, it won the gold medal.  Just wanted to get that out of the way first.

I love the color green.  And sometimes I just like to amass as many shades of green as I can in a dish.  These emerald green heirloom tomatoes inspired this chile. 

And then these tomatillos, they're such a pretty softer green, they give the chile a really nice tart tang. 

 

The tomatoes and tomatillos get char-broiled for really great roasted flavor.  Just halve them and put them under the broiler for about 15 minutes until they get a little blackened.

Chile Verde is often made with pork, but I think the chicken, corn and white beans makes this a really delicious variation. 

Chicken Chile Verde
serves 6

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts  (or about 3 cups of leftover chicken, shredded) 

• Put the chicken breasts in a small saucepan and just cover with water.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and let them simmer for a few minutes.  Then turn off the heat, cover, and let the pan sit for 20 minutes.

about 5 tomatillos
6  medium green tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled

• Halve the tomatoes and tomatillos and place on a baking sheet.  Add the unpeeled garlic, and put under the broiler for about 15 minutes, checking regularly, until they just begin to char.
• Put the tomatoes and tomatillos in a food processor.  Squeeze out the cloves of roasted garlic, and put them in too.  Process until blended, and set aside

olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper, sliced, seeds and all
1 poblano pepper, chopped

• Cover the bottom of a large, heavy bottomed pot with olive oil.  Saute the onion for about 10 minutes, then add the peppers and saute for another 10 minutes.

1 10-oz can green chile enchilada sauce 
1 7-oz bottle of Corona beer
2 cups water
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt

• Add in the enchilada sauce, beer, water, cumin and salt.  Bring up to a simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes. 
• Shred the cooked chicken with two forks, pulling the meat apart along the grain.  Add to the Chile, along with:

1 ear of white corn, kernels removed
1 14-oz can of white beans, drained and rinsed 

•  Simmer for another 10 minutes.  

4 Tbsp masa harina dissolved in 1/4 cup water 

• Stir in the masa harina/water mixture into the chilie.  The chile will thicken.  Add more masa harina mixed with water if it's not as thick as you like it.  Simmer for a few more minutes, then add:

1 large handful fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime

• Taste it to check the seasoning and then serve it up hot in bowls, with Masa Harina Biscuits, recipe below.

Notes:  This chile was perfect, and I wouldn't change a thing.  The flavors are bright and fresh, the chicken is tender, and the corn lends a little crispness to the stew.  The chile is quick cooking, so the peppers aren't simmered into oblivion.  The last minute douse of cilantro and lime finishes it off so well.  I'm going to dub this the perfect summertime chile, partly because it's so light fresh, but also because I think you need the fresh tomatoes and tomatillos to pull it off.  Love love love, hope you try it!
Oh, and don't forget the biscuits, they are my absolute favorite for chilis of all kinds.  The delicate masa harina flour makes them almost creamy inside, they are really great. 
Oh, and if I had some green chile powder, I might have used it, but I didn't.  It's rather hard to find, but if and when I do, I will try adding it.

Masa Harina Biscuits
oven to 425

1 1/4 cup cold buttermilk
1 Tbsp honey

• Mix the buttermilk and honey and set aside.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup Masa Harina
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

• Put the dry ingredients in the bowl of the food processor and pulse to combine.  

 12 Tbsp (1 and 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter cut in pieces

• Pulse in the cold butter, about 10-15 pulses, to combine and create a coarse crumbly mixture.
• Slowly add in the buttermilk, while pulsing, until the dough comes together.  You might not need all the buttermilk.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and bring the dough together, adding a little flour if it's too wet. Pat into a 9 inch round and cut into biscuits.  I used a 2 3/4 inch round biscuit cutter.  You'll get 6 to 8 biscuits.  I like them big!
• Place them on parchment paper or a silpat liner and bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.  They don't get brown, so don't overcook waiting for them to take on color.
• Cool on a rack, or eat hot out of the oven.

 
Other chilies to try---

Filet Mignon Chili

Spicy Chili

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

I'm skeptical of no-bake desserts.  Maybe it was all those jello and cool whip concoctions I grew up with, but I just think a good dessert needs to put in a little time in the oven, even during the summer months.  So while I'm not offering you a no-bake dessert today, what I can offer you is a one bowl, one measuring cup deal that, like my Cold Chocolate Snacking Cake, is meant to be eaten chilled, straight from the fridge.

That's a pretty good deal.  I'd take it if I were you. 
 

The base of these bars is a chewy oatmeal that's slightly sticky, almost like a cross between a sweet granola and a Rice Krispie Treat.  The frosting is a perfect hybrid of milk chocolate and creamy peanut butter. 

Use a microwave safe bowl to mix up the base of these bars, and then use the same bowl for melting the frosting later. A half-cup measure takes care of the rest.  Don't bother with a teaspoon for the vanilla, just eyeball it, and there you have it---no-hassle summer baking.

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars    ~~~slightly adapted from Bakingblonde
 oven to 350

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

• Cream the butter, sugars and vanilla in a bowl.  Add in the egg and beat well.

2 cups old fashioned oats

• Add in the oats and mix with a spatula until well blended.

• Spread out evenly in an 8x8 baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes, until just golden.  Let cool slightly before frosting.

1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

• Wipe out the oatmeal bowl and add the chocolate chips and peanut butter.  Microwave on  short bursts, stirring until the chocolate just melts and the mix is smooth and creamy.
• Spread over the partially cooled base. 
• Refrigerate until completely firm, several hours.  Enjoy straight from the refrigerator. 

Enjoy!

Apricot Salsa (on pork tenderloin)

Take it from me, don't walk into a Whole Foods in the middle of summer thinking you're just going to pick up something quick for dinner, not without a plan and a list and a whole lotta self control.

You're going to get ambushed, I'm just telling you.

And don't think grabbing one of those little hand baskets instead of a big old cart is going to save you, you'll be shoving it around the aisles of the produce section with your foot before you know it.

Your head's going to spin and your eyes'll glaze over.  It's no use trying to remember what you came in for, the details of any recipe you've ever made, what you already have at home, or what day it is, for that matter.

These little apricots, with their unusual peachy blush, got to me first.  I couldn't stop dropping them into my green plastic bag.   

It's only after you reach the checkout line with your organic baby radishes, pea shoots, rainbow chard, and bulging bag of apricots that you'll realize what you've done.  And by then it's too late to rush back and grab something, anything, that vaguely resembles dinner.

I'm soooo glad I had a pork tenderloin in the freezer...

Apricot Salsa
2 ripe apricots, diced in small paces (no need to peel)
juice of 1 lime
handful of cilantro, minced
1/4 red onion, finely minced
salt and fresh cracked pepper

• Mix everything in a bowl and taste to adjust the seasoning.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Beer Battered Mushrooms with Herbed Ranch

My husband and I have always lived near water, along one coast or the other.  And, at least along the East coast, summer means multiple visits to eating establishments that dot the shoreline, with words like Cap'n, Barnacle, Shanty, Shack or Hut somewhere in their name. When we were first married we used to go to Cap'n Franks. The Cap'n served up all the regular stuff like fried clams, shrimp, scallops and onion rings, but they also made amazing little baskets of fried mixed vegetables.  We loved them.  The small grease stained cardboard box came with onions, zucchini, eggplant, and these golden nuggets.  The mushrooms were the prizes inside every order; just biting down through the crunchy batter into the chewy juicy mushroom still puts me in a seaside mood.

What you crave during the summer months is a very personal thing, and the taste carries along with it the happy relaxed memories of the season.  Cap'n Frank's closed years ago, and since then we've moved away.  But luckily I've recently discovered that making the occasional fried food doesn't have to be a huge project. Just a few inches of vegetable oil in a small or medium saucepan works fine.  A thermometer helps, but even that's not a necessity. When you have your oil at the proper temperature, it doesn't soak into your food, and anyway, come on, you can't put a calorie count on pure bliss.

I can't get enough of this simple beer batter.  It's just flour, salt, with beer.  I love that you can really taste the beer in every crunchy bite.

When vegetable oil is on sale, I grab a couple of bottles and stash them away so I can make these on a whim.

 
Beer Battered Mushrooms
serves 4
vegetable oil for frying

• In a saucepan, add the oil to a depth of 3-4 inches.  Heat on medium heat until the temperature reaches about 350-360.

small button mushrooms, about 2 1/2 to 3 dozen

• Dust off the dirt from the mushrooms with a damp cloth.  Trim the stems, leaving a little behind.

1 cup flour
salt and fresh cracked pepper
beer

• Whisk together the flour, salt and pepper.  Add enough beer to make a batter, not too thick, not too thin, about like pancake batter.
• Drop the mushrooms in the batter and then into the hot oil.  Fry several at a time so as not to crowd the pan  or lower the temperature of the oil.
• When the mushrooms are golden, about 2-3 minutes, remove them and drain on paper towels or newspaper.

Herbed Ranch Dip
makes 1 cup
1 cup loosely packed mixed herbs (I used parsley, thyme, dill and basil)

• Finely mince the herbs either with a knife or in a small processor.  

1/4 cup yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
1/4 cup buttermilk
juice of 1 lime (or lemon)
salt and fresh cracked black pepper

• Process or mix with the yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, and lime juice.
• Season with salt and pepper and taste to adjust.   Refrigerate until needed.

Notes:  Be sure you use smallish mushrooms, otherwise they won't cook through in the oil.  If you have large ones, halve them.  These reheat beautifully in the oven, just heat them through in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes, they'll crisp up nicely.

I admit it, I've made a few other fried goodies recently, here's a few:

Fried Green Beans with Lime Aioli Dipping Sauce   

Chicken Pakora with Plum Chutney 

Spinach and Onion Pakora with Green Chutney