Quinoa Cakes with Eggplant-Tomato Ragu and Goat Cheese

Oh goat cheese, how I love thee.

Since I stopped eating dairy almost a year ago, I have managed to adapt pretty well. I don’t miss much, not the ice cream (the soy stuff is surprisingly good), nor the milk chocolate (give me dark any day), or even creamy pasta sauces (hey, it’s much healthier without them). I do eat Parmesan on occasion, or, actually, quite often on pasta, but it’s aged and I don’t eat enough to do any harm.

But the one thing that I really miss, that I constantly crave, that sets my mouth a’droolin’… well, that thing is goat cheese.

And sometimes, when I find a recipe like this, that just screams for the addition of goat cheese, I’m willing to suffer the consequences. You see, the recipe originally called for smoked mozzarella. Yes, I loved mozzarella… but not enough to deal with the painful after-effects. But substitute goat cheese instead… yup. I’ll eat me some of that. And I’ll like it, no matter how I feel afterword.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad. I’ve heard that goat’s milk is easier to digest than cow’s milk, and it just might be true. In that case, you might be seeing more of it in our everyday recipes.

When I first found this recipe, Taylor gave me one of those looks… the look that says, “oh please don’t make me eat that cardboard hippie crap… unless I can add italian sausage.” And quinoa does have that stereotype. However, when we sat down and took the first bite of these crispy cakes, even I was surprised. There was flavor there that I never expected. And it was good. Worth the trouble of struggling to flip a fragile paddy of quinoa good.

Especially with the addition of the goat cheese. :)

Quinoa Cakes with Eggplant-Tomato Ragu and Goat Cheese

Makes 2 servings. Recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
For quinoa cakes
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

For topping
1 1/2 lb eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup drained bottled roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped
3/4 cup water or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS
Make quinoa cakes:
Bring water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan.

Meanwhile, wash quinoa in 3 changes of water in a bowl, then drain well in a fine-mesh sieve.

Stir quinoa into boiling water and return to a boil, then simmer, covered, until quinoa is dry and water is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, then stir in egg.

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and lightly brush with oil. Lightly oil a 1-cup dry-ingredient measure. Pack enough quinoa into measure with a rubber spatula to fill it two-thirds full. (If spatula becomes sticky, dip in water.) Unmold onto baking sheet and gently pat quinoa into a 4-inch-wide patty with spatula. Make 3 more quinoa cakes, brushing measure with oil each time. Chill cakes, uncovered, at least 15 minutes.

Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in a colander and drain 30 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of eggplant to extract liquid, then pat dry.

Cook eggplant, onion, garlic, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, roasted peppers, and water or broth and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very tender and mixture is thick (if dry, thin with a little water), about 10 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Carefully add quinoa cakes and cook, turning once carefully and adding remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons oil, until crisp and golden, about 3-5 minutes per side (pat cakes to reshape with cleaned rubber spatula while cooking if necessary). Transfer to plates.

To serve, spoon ragù over quinoa cakes, then sprinkle with chopped parsley and crumbled goat cheese.

TIP: Really pack in the quinoa when forming the cakes. The firmer they are to begin with, the easier they are to cook. I’d also recommend making smaller cakes than described, maybe 1/3 cup full rather than 2/3. The smaller cakes, I found, were much easier to flip once in the pan. And hey, even if they crumble a bit, let them keep cooking. Even a badly mutilated cake will still be crispy and delicious!

Poached Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans

I’m the plan ahead type when it comes to groceries. I like to buy a week’s worth of food at a time, knowing exactly what we’ll be cooking each night of the week.

And doing this every single week, I’ve learned a few things.

Namely, make the list when you’re hungry. And go shopping when you’re not.

It makes the final bill much more tolerable.

I found this recipe in one of my rushed and hunger-crazed list making sessions, which are easier if I’m browsing a site like tastespotting.com with my stomach growling. It’s like eating with your eyes. I can easily find a week’s worth of new and unique recipes there in 15 minutes. Then I wipe the drool off of my chin, slam a granola bar, and head off to the store.

Poached Pear, Pecan, and Goat Cheese Salad

Makes 3-4 servings. Adapted from Laylita’s Recipes.

INGREDIENTS
Poached Pears:
3 firm pears (we used Bosc)
3 cups white wine
¾ cup of sugar
1 cinnamon stick
4 strips orange peel

Herbed Goat Cheese:
6oz goat cheese, room temperature
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme or basil

Vinaigrette:
4 tablespoons white wine, sherry, or pear vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium sized shallots, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Candied Pecans:
1 cup whole, shelled pecans
1 teaspoon water
1 egg white
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup granulated sugar

About 6 cups of mixed greens

DIRECTIONS
Heat the wine, sugar, cinnamon and orange peel in a large saucepan, stir occasionally. Meanwhile, peel the pears, cut them in half and core them; add them to the wine mix once it boils. Cook until the pears are tender but still slightly firm, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

With a fork, thoroughly combine goat cheese, garlic, and herbs. You can also use a food processor if you’d like.

To prepare the vinaigrette combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until emulsified.

To make candied pecans, pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees F. Separate one large egg. Add the egg white to one teaspoon of cold water to form an egg wash. Toss the pecans in the egg wash. Combine sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix this with the pecans. Distribute the pecans in one layer on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. Let them cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring every so often. Remove pecans from oven and let cool.

To serve, toss the salad greens with the vinaigrette and arrange on a plate. Place each ½ pear on top of the salad greens or slice and arrange on top of the mixed greens. Top with crumbled herb goat cheese and cooled pecans. Serve immediately.

Bruschetta with Goat Cheese and Olive Tapenade

Sometimes we like to eat bites. Not full meals, but rather a series of appetizers in place of a single dish. “Morsels” as Taylor likes to call them. These crispy and tart little toasts are just that, morsels. You’ve got to like olives though – as the tapenade definitely tastes like olives. Strong olives. Though, that could partially be amplified by the fact that I *forgot* to add the olive oil, all 1/4 cup of it, at the end. I guess my mind started thinking about goat cheese and I was a goner…

Mmm… goat cheese…

Bruschetta with Goat Cheese and Olive Tapenade

Makes 1 heaping cup (we made half the recipe and it was more than enough for appetizer sized servings for 3-4 people). Recipe from Wolfgang Puck.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Niçoise olives, pitted
1 cup small green French olives (Picholine), pitted
1/4 cup Oven-Dried Tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon capers
1 garlic clove
1 anchovy fillet
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 baguette, sliced on a bias into 1/3″ thick slices
4 oz. goat cheese, room temperature

DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil. Using the pulse button, process until coarsely chopped and well blended. Continue to process, slowly adding the olive oil. Refrigerate in a covered container. Use as needed. Will keep up to 1 week, refrigerated, in a covered container.

Brush bread slices with olive oil, and broil for 1-2 minutes until golden. Spread with goat cheese, and top with a dollop of tapenade.

Lentil, Goat Cheese, and Asparagus Salad

A nice, fresh, summery salad.

It would have helped if we had remembered to buy sundried tomatoes (I think I went into sticker shock and mentally blocked them – even though they were on my list I mysteriously crossed them off when we hadn’t really bought them)… though we used some sliced grape tomatoes instead and it was still delicious.

I have to say that tomatoes are growing on me. I used to hate them – with a passion – and would only eat tomato sauce (in moderation) on pizza and in lasagna—don’t you dare get it near my pasta. Sliced tomato on a burger? Ew. I’d wipe the tomato puss off the lettuce before I’d even touch it.

But they’re growing on me… especially the little ones. To Taylor’s surprise, I actually popped a few in my mouth while we were making this. Something that, if you knew me a few years ago, would surprise you too.

Don’t go overboard though – I still don’t like tomatoes contaminating my burgers.

Lentil, Goat Cheese, and Asparagus Salad

Makes 2 servings. Recipe from Not-So-Typical Grub.

INGREDIENTS
4oz green lentils
3oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 Bunch of asparagus
Handful of sundried tomatoes or fresh grape tomatoes, sliced/diced
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tsp sunflower or other oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Drain, rinse, and cook the lentils according to the package instructions.

Mix the vinegars, oil and lemon juice together. Season to taste.

As the lentils near the end of their cooking time, boil the asparagus for around 3-4 minutes, until just tender. You can also roast the asparagus, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, in a 350 degree oven for 7-10 minutes, until tender. Drain the lentils and refresh under cold water. Drain the asparagus as well.

Return the lentils to the pan, and mix with 1/2 of the dressing. Stir in tomatoes. Toss the asparagus in the remaining dressing, and arrange on the plate. Garnish with the goat cheese.

Goat Cheese-Arugula Ravioli with Tomato-Pancetta Butter

If you follow this blog, you’ll know that despite my issues with dairy I have a strong affinity for goat cheese. I’ll gladly risk any upset feeling I might have to enjoy its creamy goodness. And so, when I stumbled across this recipe (ok, so maybe I was actively searching for a goat cheese ravioli recipe, but I found this one nonetheless), it was a no brainier that it would be on the menu that week.

The raviolis were perfect. The goat cheese and arugula are a perfect combination, and need no modifications whatsoever. Next time we make this, however, and there WILL BE a next time, we might mix it up a bit with the sauce. It was far too buttery (if you believe there is such a thing). Keep the tomatoes, keep the bacon/pancetta, but use some olive oil and maybe some white wine in place of the butter. Yes, THAT would be just divine.

You know you’ve had a good meal when you begin to crave it at 9:00 on a Sunday morning…

Goat Cheese-Arugula Ravioli with Tomato-Pancetta Butter

Makes 4-6 servings. Recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
Ravioli
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large shallots, minced
8 ounces arugula, chopped (about 8 cups)
6 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), crumbled
1/2 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
42 (about) wonton wrappers (from one 12-ounce package)
2 large egg whites, whisked just until foamy

Tomato-Pancetta butter
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta or bacon, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
6 large plum tomatoes, quartered, seeds and membranes discarded, tomatoes diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

For serving
5 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil)
12 fresh basil leaves
Fresh thyme sprigs

DIRECTIONS
Make ravioli:
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté 10 minutes. Add arugula; toss until wilted but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Transfer arugula mixture to large bowl and cool. Mix in goat cheese and Parmesan cheese. Season filling with salt and pepper.

Line 2 baking sheets with heavy-duty foil; spray foil with nonstick spray. Place 4 wonton wrappers on work surface; cover remaining wrappers with plastic to prevent drying. Lightly brush entire surface of each wrapper with egg white. Spoon 1 generous teaspoon filling into center of each wrapper. Fold wrappers diagonally in half, forming triangles. Press edges firmly to seal. Arrange ravioli on prepared sheets. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. (Can be made ahead. Cover with plastic and chill up to 1 day; or cover with plastic, then heavy-duty foil, and freeze up to 1 week. If frozen, do not thaw before cooking.)

Make tomato-pancetta butter:
Cook chopped pancetta in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel; drain. Set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add butter to drippings in skillet; melt over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and thyme; sauté until tomatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Cook and serve ravioli:
Place melted butter in large bowl. Cook half of ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 4 minutes for fresh or 5 minutes for frozen. Using large strainer, transfer ravioli to colander and drain; place in bowl with butter and toss to coat. Cover to keep warm. Cook remaining ravioli in same pot of boiling water. Drain and add to bowl of buttered ravioli. Toss gently to coat. Divide ravioli among bowls. Rewarm tomato butter over medium heat. Add reserved pancetta and basil; sauté 1 minute. Spoon sauce over ravioli; garnish with thyme.

Bell Pepper Red Onion and Goat Cheese Pizza

Pizza again! We’ve definitely been exploring the nearly-cheeseless pizzas lately, as they satisfy both of our constant cravings for pizza. My cravings because pizza is something I can’t have unless it has very little or no cheese (rare), and Taylor craves it because I can’t have it he doesn’t get it often and goes through withdrawal. Poor guy. All he wants is his pizza. Lucky for him, I found this recipe, which is mozzarella free, only boasting a sprinkling of my favorite, goat cheese. And while there are no eggs on this one, it’s still a feast for the eyes and the stomach.

My favorite pizza of all time just might be Pizza Bianca from this recipe. Seriously, the best pizza ever. But it has slightly too much cheese for me, the mozzarella really puts it over my cheese tolerance level. But, I did steal one thing from that recipe and have adapted and claimed it as my own: the crust. It’s perfect. Delicious. Crisp. And with the addition of some fennel and thyme, this is not your plain old pizza crust. If you’ve got the time, definitely give the from-scratch crust a go. It’s well worth the extra effort.

Bell Pepper, Red Onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Makes 2-4 servings (depending on how hungry you are and how big you roll it). Recipe adapted from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
Crust:
3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (from 1 envelope)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Topping:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves (1 1/2 to 2 ounces)
1 1/2 cups thickly sliced mushrooms (5 to 6 ounces)
1/2 cup drained roasted red peppers from jar, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup paper-thin red onion slices
8 large fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
5-ounce package soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

DIRECTIONS
For crust:
Pour 3/4 cup water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Add oil, salt, and herbs, then 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until well blended (dough will be sticky). Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft). Shape dough into ball; place in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise at cool room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; form into ball. Return to bowl; cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Punch down dough. Form into ball; place on floured work surface. Cover with kitchen towel; let rest 30 minutes. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet.

Mix olive oil, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic in small bowl, and set aside.

Bake crust for 5-7 minutes or until just set. Remove from oven and brush 2 tablespoons garlic oil evenly over crust. Top with spinach leaves, then sprinkle with sliced mushrooms, roasted red peppers, red onion slices, fresh basil, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle pizza evenly with remaining garlic oil.

Bake pizza until crust is crisp and cheese begins to brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer pizza to board. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Goat Cheese Crostini with Blood Orange and Black Pepper Marmalade

I managed to score a bag of blood oranges at Trader Joe’s a few weeks back, something I absolutely love but haven’t been able to find since we left the produce-laden hills of California. Hooray for Trader Joe’s! After my find, I immediately scoured the internet for the perfect way to use these ruby red gems. And you know my affinity for goat cheese, so when I stumbled upon this recipe, well, how could I not make it?

The marmalade is surprisingly tart. I wouldn’t eat a spoonful of it on it’s own. But paired with the creamy goat cheese and toasty bread, well, it’s perfect. Can’t say much more about it than that.

Goat Cheese Crostini with Blood Orange and Black Pepper Marmalade

Makes 6 servings. Recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, room temperature
4 blood oranges, divided
1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Fresh lemon juice (optional)
18 1/2-inch-thick slices French or raisin baguette, toasted

DIRECTIONS
Place goat cheese in small bowl. Finely grate 1 teaspoon peel from 1 blood orange; stir peel into cheese.

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) in strips from remaining 3 oranges. Cut peel into 1/8- to 1/4-inch pieces and place in medium saucepan.

Using small sharp knife, cut white pith from all 4 oranges. Working over another small bowl to catch juices, cut between orange membranes to release segments. Squeeze any remaining juice from membranes into bowl. Discard membranes. Coarsely chop orange segments and add to saucepan along with any juices. Add juices from bowl to saucepan. Stir in honey and 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.

Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook uncovered until thick and reduced to 1/2 cup, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Cool. Season with more ground black pepper to taste and with fresh lemon juice, if desired.

DO AHEAD: Cheese and marmalade can be made 1 day ahead; cover separately and chill. Bring to room temperature before assembling crostini. Top toasted baguette slices with goat cheese, then marmalade. Place crostini on platter and serve.

Artichoke Heart, Olive, and Goat Cheese Pizza

When you have a good foundation, you can build just about anything. Like cupcakes. Once you have your fail-safe vanilla/chocolate cupcake base, you can experiment with flavors to your heart’s content.

Same is true for pizza. I’m in love with this crust. It’s crisp, flavorful, and complex. It could practically pass as focaccia, delicious without any toppings at all. Granted, it requires most of the day as far as planning ahead, but the results are well worth it.

This time, we topped the crust with some artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, and as always, goat cheese.

Quite the tasty treat! And while it doesn’t quite satisfy Taylor’s constant craving for greasy pepperoni pizza, it sure hit the spot for me. I’d never been one for red sauce pizzas, so for me, this is the pizza of my dreams.

Artichoke Heart, Olive, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Makes 2-4 servings (depending on how hungry you are and how big you roll it).
INGREDIENTS
Crust:
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (from 1 envelope)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Topping:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, drained
3 slices oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2-1/2 ounces soft goat cheese, sliced or crumbled
10 kalamata olives, pitted and halved (about 1/4 cup)

DIRECTIONS
For crust:
Pour 3/4 cup water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Add oil, salt, and herbs, then 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until well blended (dough will be sticky). Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft). Shape dough into ball; place in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise at cool room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; form into ball. Return to bowl; cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Punch down dough. Form into ball; place on floured work surface. Cover with kitchen towel; let rest 30 minutes. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet.

Mix olive oil, rosemary, and garlic in small bowl, and set aside.

Bake crust for 5-7 minutes or until just set. Remove from oven and brush 2 tablespoons garlic oil evenly over crust. Sprinkle with artichoke hearts, olives, sundried tomatoes, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle pizza evenly with remaining garlic oil.

Bake pizza until crust is crisp and cheese begins to brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer pizza to board. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Strawberry, Arugula, and Goat Cheese Pizza

I was going to post this earlier this week but thought if I did two pizza posts in a row it’d look like that was all we eat. Though honestly, it’s a stretch to call this a pizza. More like a flatbread with strawberry salad on top. Either way, it’s delicious and refreshing, and a perfect way to make the most of the beautiful strawberries that are now in season.

Sometimes I wonder where these recipes come up with their serving sizes. Sure, it’s from Cooking Light, but 6? I’m a light eater and I ate half this pizza with ease. I’ll be generous and say 3-4 servings if you have a side dish of some sort (but what? you’ve already got your salad!), but just know that if you’re hungry, you’re going to be left wanting more with more than 2 people eating this. Just a heads up. :)

Strawberry, Arugula, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Makes 3-4 servings. Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

INGREDIENTS
Crust:
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (from 1 envelope)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Topping:
1/3 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup trimmed watercress, arugula, or other leafy green
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Dash of salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons toasted almonds or pistachios, chopped

DIRECTIONS
For crust:
Pour 3/4 cup water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Add oil, salt, and herbs, then 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until well blended (dough will be sticky). Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft). Shape dough into ball; place in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise at cool room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; form into ball. Return to bowl; cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Punch down dough. Form into ball; place on floured work surface. Cover with kitchen towel; let rest 30 minutes. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet.

Bake crust for 10-12 minutes or until just set. Remove from oven and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese. Combine strawberries, greens, olive oil, juice, salt, and black pepper; toss gently to coat. Arrange strawberry mixture evenly over goat crust. Sprinkle pizza with Parmigiano-Reggiano and nuts. Cut into wedges. Serve immediately.

Farfalle with Chicken, Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese

It’s been two and half years since we started this here blog. In that time I’ve posted nearly 300 recipes. Some good, some great, but what about the so-so dishes? The dishes that are perfectly satisfying and edible, but don’t necessarily make you say, “Wow.” I feel as if every post I write has to be something special, something I know you all would enjoy eating as much as we did, and so these mediocre meals often times fall by the wayside.

In recent months I’ve realized just how much this blog affects our eating habits. This blog has become my virtual cookbook, my food diary, where we can revisit our past through our palettes (can you remember what you ate last Wednesday? I sure can’t.) I can re-read whatever coy comments I wrote about such and such a pasta, what suggestions Taylor had for improving the hum-drum flavor of that fish. I can remember, relive, and reprint these recipes again and again and again.

And I’ve also realized that if a recipe is not posted here, for whatever reason, that recipe might as well have fallen off the face of this earth, because no way is it ever going to be made again. Why? Well, laziness, usually. The light is not good, or I’m too hungry, or we’ve just been cooking too darn long and I don’t want to take a picture. “It’s ok,” we say, “We’ll make this again next week and I’ll photograph it then.” Yeah. Right.

We have a fairly predictable eating pattern. We’ll usually try 3-4 brand new recipes a week, sometimes more if I happen upon a wealth of new deliciousness on the world wide web. I then fill the rest of the week with things we’ve already made before, usually browsing the ‘quick’ or ‘healthy’ recipes that I’ve categorized. But never do I flip back through the three-inch-high stack of paper that sit in the kitchen, our recipe ‘inbox’ for lack of a better word. It’s where the printed pages of recipes go after dinner, complete with grease stains and smeared sauces. To be honest, it’s out of control. I need to reign it in and get it manageable again, and maybe there won’t be any more forgotten recipes.

It is also for that reason that I’m making an effort to post it all. Even the mediocre recipes. Because I want to remember these dishes, even if it’s just for the things we’d change about it next time. Because I want there to be a next time. And my memory sucks.

On to the food!

Give me pasta. Give me goat cheese. Throw in some cherry tomatoes. And you know what? I’ll be happy. Even better if you get a nice rotisserie chicken on sale to add to the mix. All on a bed of fresh baby spinach, and I’d say you have yourself a pretty darn good dinner.

Farfalle with Chicken, Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese

Makes 4-6 servings. Recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
8 ounces farfalle
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
6 heirloom tomatoes, cored, chopped (about 5 cups)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (from 1/2 rotisserie chicken)
1/2 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
3 cups baby spinach
3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add onions; sprinkle with salt and cook until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in vinegar and sugar; cook until onions are browned, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Transfer caramelized onions to bowl; reserve skillet.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain.

Add wine to reserved skillet. Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, 3 minutes. Add pasta, onions, broth, and next 4 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Stir over medium heat to warm through, about 3 minutes.

Divide spinach among plates. Spoon pasta over spinach. Top with crumbled goat cheese.

Prosciuto, Pear, and Goat Cheese Panini

We ate lunch at a local coffee and sandwich shop a few weeks back, and ordered one of their paninis. It was filled with goat cheese (my favorite), and slices of fresh pear and prosciutto. Delicious. And we thought, hey, we have a panini maker we haven’t used in maybe 8 months, why not dig it out and try our hand at making these ourselves?

So we did.

And it was good.

We had some gorgonzola cheese leftover in the fridge as well, so we ended up making one sandwich with goat cheese and another with gorgonzola. I prefer the goat cheese, myself. While the gorgonzola had a wonderful flavor that went really well with the other ingredients, it almost overpowered them it was so strong. So if you make these with gorgonzola, take it easy on the cheese.

Prosciutto, Pear, and Goat Cheese Panini

Makes 2 servings.

INGREDIENTS
4 slices country style bread, sliced
3 oz. prosciutto
1 ripe pear, thinly sliced
4 oz. goat cheese, room temperature (or Gorgonzola if you like)
2 tsp. olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Prepare panini maker or grill pan.

To assemble sandwiches, spread a thin layer of goat cheese on bread slices. Top with single layer of prosciutto, followed by a layer of pear. Top with another slice of bread. Lightly brush top with olive oil.

Place oil side down on panini press and brush other side with olive oil. Close the lid and cook according until indicator light says it’s done. Alternatively, if you do not have a panini press, you can use a grill pan and place a weighted object on top of the sandwich (like a brick wrapped in foil). Flip sandwiches mid-way and grill on other side. Sandwiches are done when bread is crisp with golden grill lines, and cheese is warm and melted.

Slice in half and enjoy!