Dale and I celebrated Mother's Day at his mom's house a few weeks back. For an appetizer, his step-dad made crostini topped with a ricotta spread and a dollop of a ricotta-pea mixture. It was so good! When my sister and I were in Portland a few days later to celebrate with our parents, I wanted to do a similar appetizer. I found a recipe in my "Giada's Family Dinners" cookbook for Herb-Coated Goat Cheese. This sounded like the perfect spring-time treat. Oh, and I forgot to mention, I adore goat cheese! Two summers ago my mom and I would frequently go to the farmers market on the PSU campus. I loved the downtown atmosphere and the food vendors were great! One in particular sold the most scrumptious goat cheese! My mom would give in every once in a while and we would enjoy goat cheese on crackers as an appetizer before dinner. Mmmm... So yes, the goat cheese won me over on this recipe.
Make sure you use fresh herbs for this recipe. You will definitely taste the difference. The cheese balls can be made one day ahead of time and stored in the fridge. To serve, just place a cheese ball on a crostini and spread it with a knife. The goat cheese has such a warm, creamy flavor that goes great with the freshness of the herbs. This is a perfect recipe if you have company over for dinner. It would pair really well with a white wine.
Herb-Coated Goat Cheese
Makes around 35
Giada de Laurentiis
35 (1/2-inch thick) slices of baguette
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. chopped lemon zest
1 tsp. coarsely cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (11-oz.) log soft fresh goat cheese
1 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Fresh herb sprigs, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on two heavy large baking sheets. Brush the bread slices with olive oil and bake until the crostini are pale golden and crisp, about 15 minutes (don't cook for much longer or they'll be super crunchy).
Meanwhile, stir the herbs, lemon zest, pepper, and salt together in a medium bowl to blend. Form the goat cheese into 1-inch-diameter balls, using about 2 teaspoons of cheese for each. Roll the cheese balls in the herb mixture to coat completely. Arrange the cheese balls on a platter. Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil over and around the cheese balls. Serve with the crostini.
Note: Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store crostini in an airtight container at room temp. Cover and refrigerate the cheese balls.
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Over the past year I have been subscribing to fewer and fewer food magazines. I end up with piles stacking up on dining room chairs or next to my desk in the bedroom. Every once in a while I go through and cut out the recipes I want to keep and recycle the rest. Right now I am receiving Cooks Illustrated and Cooks Country (my fave!) and get most of the rest off the internet. One extra treat is the little Relish magazine that comes in the newspaper on the first Monday of each month. While flipping through the April issue, I stopped on an article called "The Art of Salad". Three salad dressing recipes accompany it: Homemade Ranch, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Lime Honey Mustard. The last two sounded intriguing and have healthy ingredients.
I made the Lime Honey Mustard dressing for the first time a few weeks back, then again this morning. I get bored with some of the standard dressings and vinaigrettes, so this one really appealed to me. I have come to love cilantro over the past year; it has an almost citrus taste and just makes you feel like it's summer. When I pick up a bunch of cilantro I always put my face right next ot it and inhale deeply, it smells so good!! Combined with the lime, ginger and mustard, the cilantro adds a great kick of flavor to your dressing. I use green-leaf lettuce and some veggies in my salad. Arugula and spinach would work great too. Usually salads are so ho-hum, but this dressing had me looking forward to my lunch!
Lime Honey Mustard Dressing
Makes about 3/4 cup
Relish Magazine
1/4 cup rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon
1 1/2 tsp. honey
Grated rind of 1 lime
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Whisk well.
As I mentioned in my last post, making pesto in big batches and freezing it is a great way to ensure you have it on hand throughout the year. I had quite a few basil plants last summer and used them all up in September to make my regular pesto. I had one batch left in the freezer (a 1-cup portion) and knew it was perfect for this recipe. I ran across it in my Rachael Ray magazine. It calls for you to cook the packets on an outdoor grill... which I lack. Luckily Rach tells you how to cook it in the oven.
The grill packets include a nice selection of veggies: zucchini, tomatoes and scallions. Because these packets are rolled up tight, the moisture from the chicken is trapped and helps cook the veggies. Dale must have thought I was crazy when I pulled the packets out of the oven and started murmuring, "They're so beautiful! They're perfect!!" I believe I've mentioned before how frustrating cooking chicken can be. Due to health concerns you have to make sure it's cooked enough, which can lead to the outside getting overcooked, especially on the stove top. When I opened the first (and largest) packet I quickly stuck it with my thermometer and it was the perfect temp! Happy Alli! The veggies were perfectly cooked. Dale avoided his zucchini, he just doesn't know that he likes it yet :-) The chicken had just the right amount of moisture and paired with the home-made pesto... oh my mouth is watering just remembering it!
I made Giada de Laurentiis' Basic Risotto. My sister made it a few weeks ago and it was perfect! I had a few other things going on so I wasn't as diligent about stirring and it seemed to change the end result slightly, but it was still yummy. I'm going to have to make my sis my risotto girl. I also sauteed some asparagus. Just chop each asparagus into 3 pieces (approximately 2" long each) and saute in some olive oil, tossing the pan every minute or so. Dale shocked me while we were eating by telling me how much he loves asparagus. It was a revelation a few months ago when I learned that asparagus can taste good when it isn't steamed to death! By cooking it on the stove top it's easier to poke or sample pieces to test the doneness. Finish with a little salt and pepper and you're set!
This chicken recipe is super easy and will be perfect this summer for those of you who have an outdoor grill!
Pesto Chicken Grill Packets
Recipe: Victoria Spencer, Rachael Ray Magazine
4 Servings
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper
1 cup pesto
2 zucchini, thinly sliced crosswise into circles
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
8 scallions, trimmed (I sliced into pieces about 2-3" long)
1. Preheat grill to medium (or preheat oven to 355-degrees). Cut four 12-inch long sheets of heavy-duty foil. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. olive oil into the center of each sheet.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 piece of chicken in the center of each sheet and spread 1 Tbsp. pesto on top of each piece.
3. Mound a quarter of the zucchini, tomatoes and scallions over each chicken breast. Dollop 3 Tbsp. pesto over each mound. Fold the foil over the chicken and vegetables; pinch the edges to seal (I try to have the seam along the top so the juices can't leak out).
4. Cover and grill the packets over indirect heat for 25 minutes. Remove from the grill and open carefully (the steam is hot!). (If using oven, place packets on a pan and bake for 35 minutes).
Over the past year and a half I have come to adore sun-dried tomatoes. I'm sure it has to do with my tastes developing as I explore new foods. When I was younger I despised all raw tomatoes. The texture is definitely what weirds out most kids. The juicy tomato guts in the middle? Come on, ew! Sun-dried tomatoes I could tolerate, but I knew they started off as raw tomatoes.
Last year my sister and I would frequently visit the Noah's Bagels in downtown Corvallis for breakfast. I saw the sun-dried tomato bagel and was intrigued. Toasted and spread with schmear... oh baby, it was delicous! Suddenly I knew: sun-dried tomatoes are awesome! They're sweet, yet packed with flavor and taste like summer!
I was talking to my mom the other week and revealed my idea for doing a roast stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. She mentioned a recipe she had seen on a Food Network show for sun-dried tomato pesto stuffed pork tenderloin. Um... YES! The great thing about pesto is that it keeps really well in the fridge and can be made in a big batch, then frozen. I usually measure out 1-cup servings to freeze.
When I made the tenderloin, I only used 1 loin (there are 2 in the package) and used 1/2-cup of the pesto. To help keep the roast together, I tied it a few times with kitchen twine. The balsamic honey mustard mixture brushed on top of the roast could even be used as a dressing for salad or roasted veggies. Next time I may try it without this mixture. The pesto in the center packs in so much flavor for the dish, I'm not sure you need the extra flavor on the outside. I served it with mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives (a healthier option than the normal mashed potatoes packed with butter and cream) and sugar snap peas. Whipping up the pesto ahead of time makes this recipe a breeze.
Note: The Noah's in Corvallis no longer makes sun-dried tomato bagels (I know, how dare they?!). I may start experimenting with sun-dried tomato focaccia bread though...
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Everyday Italian, Giada de Laurentiis
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
1 (8.5-oz) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
In the bowl of a food processor, blend sun-dried tomatoes and their oil with the basil and garlic, just until tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer pesto to a medium bowl, and stir in the cheese and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper to taste. (Lasts 1 week in airtight container in fridge, or freeze to keep longer)
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto-Stuffed Pork
Robin Miller
4 servings
Cooking spray
2 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin
1 cup prepared sun-dried tomato pesto
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. prepared honey mustard
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 cups quick cooking rice (optional for side dish)
1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut pork lengthwise 3/4 of the way through. Place in the prepared pan and spread sun-dried tomato pesto in the incision. Fold pork back over and use a metal or wooden skewer to close the seam (I tied it with kitchen twine). Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, honey mustard and thyme. Spoon mixture over pork.
4. Roast 45-minutes, until an instant-read thermometer reads 155-degrees (pork may still be pink in the center and that's ok).
5. Let pork rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing crosswise into 1-inch thick slices. Serve with rice. Enjoy!
