Tag: goat cheese

Appetizer Vegetarian · Holiday Food

Whipped Goat Cheese with Bacon & Dates

Belinda

Creamy whipped goat cheese topped with crispy bacon, sweet dates, caramelized shallots, and fried rosemary…served with toasted bread for dipping

Serves 8-10
6 oz raw bacon slices
12 oz crumbled goat cheese, at room temperature
½ cup greek yogurt
4 tbsp honey, split
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tbsp water
¼ tsp kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
12 medjool dates, pitted + roughly chopped (about 6 oz chopped)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
toasted bread or crackers, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Lay the bacon in one, even layer in a 12” cast-iron skillet. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until crisp.
Meanwhile, combine the goat cheese, greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of honey, olive oil, water, salt, and a few cracks of black pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Spoon the whipped goat cheese out onto a large plate or into a shallow bowl. Set aside.
Transfer the bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Place the skillet (with all of the bacon drippings) over medium heat. Add the rosemary sprigs. Allow the rosemary to fry on both sides until crisp. Transfer it to the plate of bacon to drain.
Add the shallots to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes until caramelized and tender. Stir in the dates, apple cider vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons of honey. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for just about a minute until reduced and sticky.
Spoon the date mixture over the goat cheese. Crumble the bacon and rosemary leaves over top. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and a few more cracks of black pepper. Serve with toasted bread or crackers alongside for dipping.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Nuts

Whipped goat’s cheese & roasted grape toasts

Belinda

Sweet roasted grapes and creamy goat’s cheese come together superbly in this fabulous vegetarian lunch or starter

Serves 2 but can be augmented

6oz sweet red seedless grapes
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 oz walnuts
5oz soft goat’s cheese
3 tbsp goat’s milk yogurt (or Greek yogurt)
½ unwaxed lemon, zest
4 thick slices sourdough or another good quality bread, toasted
3 lemon thyme sprigs, leaves picked

Preheat the oven to 350F/180 °C, gas mark 4.
Toss the grapes, oil, vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a small roasting tin and roast for 8 minutes. Shake the tin to turn the grapes, then put the walnuts on a separate baking tray and add to the oven with the grapes for a further 8 minutes, until the grapes are soft and juicy, and the walnuts toasted. Set both aside to cool.

Use a wooden spoon to beat together the goat’s cheese, yogurt and lemon zest; season. Spread over the toasted bread and top with the grapes and any roasting juices, the broken walnuts and the thyme leaves.

Cook’s tip
The roasted grapes work in both savory and sweet dishes (omit the salt if serving as a dessert). Try them in a feta salad or spooned over vanilla ice cream.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Vegetable-related

Bruschetta with goat cheese, basil and tomato

Belinda

This adapted recipe from Delia Smith is simplicity itself, but it has a wonderful combination of flavors and a very crunchy texture.
These measurements are easily changed according to taste.

Makes 12, to serve 4-6

1 small French loaf
Approx 4 oz (50 g) mild, creamy goats’ cheese (the spreadable kind that comes in tubs is fine)
6-7 fresh basil leaves
4 firm, medium-sized tomatoes
4 tbsp good-quality olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tbsp Italian pesto
sea salt and freshly milled black pepper

Set oven to 350F
First combine the olive oil with the crushed garlic and some seasoning and spread over the baking sheet, then slice the bread into thinnish rounds; you won’t need all the loaf.

Now arrange the slices on the baking sheet, press them into the oil then turn them the other way up so that each surface has a slight coating of garlicky oil. Bake them in the centre of the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they have turned a golden brown and become very crisp. Do watch the timing on this as they burn easily.

Cool them on a wire rack and store in an airtight tin until you need them (they will be okay for up to 2 weeks, which is very helpful).
When you’re ready to serve, skin the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them, leave for 1 minute, then halve them, scoop out the pips, slip off the skins and chop the flesh into tiny dice.
Now simply spread each crisp bread slice first with a thin layer of pesto, then with a generous layer of goats’ cheese, and sprinkle on the diced tomato together with a little crushed sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper.
Finally, using a small teaspoon, add a few droplets of olive oil – though be careful not to overdo this.
Scatter a few fresh basil leaves over the bruschettas to serve.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Holiday Food

Easy warm beet and goat cheese cups

Belinda

These great-tasting, no-cook canapés are quick to assemble at the last minute, suitable for veggies and they look gorgeous.
The perfect party food from Delicious Magazine

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Makes 24

4 cooked beets
1 garlic clove
2oz (50g) Greek yogurt
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1.5oz (40g) fresh breadcrumbs
1.5oz (40g) chopped toasted hazelnuts
5.5oz (150g) very soft, fresh rindless goat’s cheese
24 mini croustade cups
Fresh cilantro leaves, to garnish

In a food processor, whizz the beets with the garlic clove, Greek yogurt, pomegranate molasses, fresh breadcrumbs, hazelnuts and seasoning to form a coarse paste.
Put the goat’s cheese in a piping bag, then half-fill the croustade cups.
Top with spoonfuls of the beetroot paste, then garnish each with a fresh cilantro leaf.
Serve straightaway, or keep the beetroot paste in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days, then assemble at the last minute.

Baking · Do-ahead · Grains

Goat cheese, bacon and olive quick bread

Belinda

This recipe is from David Lebovitz and is very easy to make. The flavors are divine and your guests will love it.

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6 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 to 2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp kosher salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
6 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 red serrano chile, seeded and minced
2 tsp minced thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Coat a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; line the bottom with parchment paper. In a skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

In a bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, cayenne and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk, olive oil and mustard. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the egg mixture until just combined. Fold in the goat cheese, Parmigiano, olives, bacon, scallions, chile and thyme. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface.


Bake the bread until golden on top and a toothpick or metal skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the loaf to loosen it from the pan. Invert onto a plate and let cool completely. Cut the loaf into thick slices and serve.

Make Ahead

The bread can be wrapped well in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 1 week.