cause i'm a fatty

Vegetarian Dish of the Week:
Sweet Tomato & Goat Cheese Salad

The picture is blurrier than I would like, but this is one of those refreshing takes on a summer salad that is a little cool and a little sweet on the tongue. This would be perfect paired with spicy bbq food or a hickory smoked bacon pizza, which Mike made for dinner tonight. 

Ingredients:

2 cups of plump cherry tomatoes, quartered 
2 tbsps chopped (fresh) rosemary 
2 tbsps chopped (fresh) mint 
honey
crushed brazil nuts (almonds or walnuts would be perfect too)
goat cheese, crumbled (plain or herb)

Mix all of the items above, starting with the tomatoes and goat cheese, then the nuts, a generous drizzle of honey, and herbs.  This is best chilled in the fridge for a little while, and the sweet tomato nectar that collects at the bottom is delicious when soaked up by crackers. 

I want to go to there.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Sausage, & a Little Slice of Heaven 

The picture doesn’t do this hors d’œuvre justice. But I can assure you,

you’re going to want to make these.

Michael first slit 8 jalapenos in half and deseeded them. We wanted a self-indulgent filling, so we mixed all of our favorite things, including, 3/4 a stick of cream cheese, 1/2 a log of goat cheese, sauted onions and garlic, and 1 hot sausage that was decased and cooked.  

We stuffed the jalapenos, wrapped them in 1/3 a piece of center cut bacon (the fatty ends are trimmed from these particular slices), and stuck them in the oven at 350 degrees, for 15 minutes or so (or until the bacon looked crispy, and the cheese was starting to ooze) 

These stuffed jalapenos didn’t stand a chance at the dinner table. Luckily we invited friends, because a dish like this cannot be had alone. 

Cornbread muffins fresh out of the oven are delicious. And you know what’s even better? Cornbread muffins slathered with silky goat cheese. Chavrie is integral to my mid-afternoon snack sessions. 

I cheated a little by using Jiffy’s Corn Muffin Mix but all you need is 1 egg and some milk, and in 12 minutes you have delicious, pippin’ hot cornbread. Jiffy also comes at an astoundingly reasonably price, many times 3 boxes are $1. For 18 muffins, that’s quite the bargain! 

Crimini Mushroom & Drunken Goat Cheese Naan Pizza. With Thyme. 

This may sound a little strange, but naans make the best pizzas. Naan is simply a flat bread (like a pita) that is a staple at Indian/Pakistani restaurants. They are cooked in a tandoori oven and covered with ghee, or stuffed with minced meat/potatoes/onions, etc. My mother sent me a pack of masala naans from Jersey and in my effort to be creative with them, I decided to make pizzas. 

Directions:

1. Chop up some yellow onions finely, along with one clove of crushed garlic. 
2. In a saute pan on medium heat, melt some butter and add in the diced mushrooms   of your choice, the garlic, and onions. Cook until the mushrooms have absorbed the butter and are tender.
3. Grate/chop up some cheese. I have to tell you, goat cheese and mushrooms are   soulmates, a ridiculous perfect paring that is earthy and subdued at the same time. 
4. In a preheated oven at 400 degrees, place the plain naan in for 4-5 minutes, or until thoroughly warmed.
5. Take the naan out, and place the mushrooms/onions.garlic on top. Cover with goat cheese. Sprinkle some thyme, crushed red pepper, and salt & pepper to taste.
6. Place in the oven until the cheese is melted and started to become golden and bubbly.   

This pizza was perfect without any marinara sauce, the acidity of which I felt would throw off the earthy balance of the mushrooms and goat cheese. While thyme did it’s job in flavoring the pizza, freshly chopped basil leaves or rosemary would have been fantastic with this pairing. 

Chicken Breast Stuffed with Broccoli, Turkey Bacon, Scallions, Red Onions, Garlic, Manchego & Goat Cheeses. 

I love how creative you can get in making stuffing, two of my staple dishes being empanadas and and the dish you see above.

In the past I’ve stuffed chicken breasts with:

Brie & Apples (along with a Panko crust) 
Chorizo, Spinach, Feta, Onions, Cilantro
Prosciutto & Provolone. 

And variations along those lines. I always use onions, garlic, some type of a meat that is salty and a cheese. The cheese is what helps the dish remain tender without going dry, so I’ll never skimp out on it no matter how health conscious I’m trying to be.

Directions:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. 
  Saute your ingredients in a pan and keep on the side.
• Put the chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper and pound until they are slightly thinner, and more tender.
• Use a very sharp knife and carefully slit the breast so you carve out a pocket.
• Stuff the breasts. If you have extra stuffing save it! 
• Heat some oil up in a pan and cook the chicken breasts on both sides until they are a golden brown color (do not cook all the way!)
• Nestle the breasts into a tray and top with remaining stuffing, and add some extra cheese if necessary.
• Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
• Garnish with some more cilantro, scallions (if you wish).

Every time I’ve made this dish it’s always been juicy, tender, and tasty, it’s really a no fail situation. In the past we’ve also grilled the chicken breasts which gave them a natural smoky flavor.