Mean Green Pasta, with Goat Cheese!

 

I didn’t want to go to the store yesterday so I whipped up this pasta with all stuff we had in the fridge/freezer/pantry. I like this frozen Kale/Spinach mix from Costco, it’s great for smoothies and cooking! Soft goat cheese is a great base for sauces. It’s melts down so easily and pairs well with just about anything.

{serves 3-4}

  • 1 box Banza penne (or pasta of your choice)
  • 3 oz goat cheese
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 white onion
  • 5 cups frozen greens
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 10 green beans
  • 1/4 cup pistachios
  • olive oil
  • parmesan and red pepper flakes for garnish
  1. mince garlic and chop onion, heat oven to 350º F
  2. heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok and add garlic, onion and mustard seeds
  3. when the onion has turned opaque add the greens, you can use any frozen greens you’d like, squeeze in lemon juice
  4. meanwhile bring salted water to a boil for pasta (according to box instructions)
  5. when greens are heated add goat cheese and stir until it’s well incorporated
  6. cook pasta, toast pistachios for 5-7 minutes or until smelling toasty
  7. once the goat cheese is melted and stirred in, turn off heat and cover the sauce
  8. chop green beans removing ends, chop pistachios roughly and set aside
  9. serve green sauce over pasta, top with green beans, pistachios, red pepper flakes and parmesan

© 2018, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Beet and Herbed Goat’s Cheese Terrine

My cousin brought a Hemsley & Hemsley cookbook over to my grandparents for me to look at and I was very excited by a lot of the recipes and gorgeous photos but this one really jumped out. It’s so striking and also all ingredients that I love. We mixed up the herbs and quantities a bit.

{makes 8 servings, as a side dish}

  • 2 red beets
  • 2 golden beets
  • 1 log of goat’s cheese
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 tbsp chives
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • parsley (for garnish)
  1. pre-heat oven to 350° F
  2. roast beets in foil on a baking sheet for about an hour (unless they are super big you might need more time)
  3. remove from oven and let cool
  4. soften goat cheese and chop herbs finely and mix herbs into the goat cheese in a large bowl
  5. when beets are cooled, peel them and slice them in varied thicknesses (on the thinner side)
  6. line a 9″ by 4″ loaf pan with parchment then start layering beets and goat cheese mixture starting w/ a layer of beets, we did all red first then gold then red and so on; use less goat cheese than you think you need, I rolled it into small balls placed each one on top of a beet round then smoothed it out to cover w/ my fingers
  7. when finished layering all the ingredients, place a weight on top (we used a rubber banded down beer can and a small brick) but whatever works you know
  8. then leave it in the refrigerator for a few hours

~original recipe from Hemsley & Hemsley~

© 2017, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Creamy Goat Cheese Mushroom Sauce over Spaghetti Squash

I was always kind of wary of the whole spaghetti squash as a replacement for pasta thing but once you get over the fact that it’s not going to taste like pasta you start to appreciate how much lighter a vehicle it is. Another little trick that I’ve grown to love is using a tad bit of goat cheese to make a creamy sauce without the heaviness of cream or sour cream. Goat cheese also goes great with mushrooms and spinach and these things all cook quickly so this sauce comes together very easily. The only thing that is time consuming is baking the squash but if you throw it in the oven while you’re doing other things, it’ll just heat up the house and make it smell good to boot. Another cool thing about this recipe is everything is very cheap; mushrooms, onions, squash and spinach (especially when you buy it at costco).

  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 1/2 cup broth (turkey, chicken or veggie)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pat butter
  • 2 or 3 oz goat cheese
  • 16 cremini mushrooms
  • 1/2 onion white
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 handfuls spinach
  • zest of one meyer lemon
  • juice of 1/2 of a meyer lemon
  • a dot of truffle oil (optional)
  • red pepper flakes (optional)
  • parmesan cheese (optional)

{serves 5}

  1. pre-heat oven to 350º F
  2. bake spaghetti squash whole on a lined baking sheet for 1 hour and 15 minutes
  3. dice onion and mince garlic
  4. heat oil and butter in a wok or large skillet
  5. clean mushrooms and quarter them
  6. add the garlic and onions to the skillet over medium low heat and let cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally
  7. then add mushrooms and continue sautéing until they are cooked through (4 or 5 minutes), zest the lemon into the pan then squeeze the juice of half of it in
  8. cut or crumble the goat cheese into a couple of pieces and add to the pan and stir in until melted
  9. when the squash is finished, let cool and cut in half lengthwise, then discard seeds and scoop out the flesh with a fork
  10. move the spaghetti squash “spaghetti” into a heat safe container and pour the broth over and keep covered in the oven
  11. slice spinach roughly, move the mushroom-goat cheese mixture to one side of the pan and add the spinach on the other side to steam
  12. then incorporate the spinach into the rest of the stuff and serve over the spaghetti squash, top with grated parmesan and red pepper flakes and enjoy!

© 2017, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Pappardelle with Artichokes, Prosciutto and Baked Goat Cheese

14682168_10209959434759917_7818650900762295411_o
I got my mom this truffle artichoke sauce from World Market a while ago and we were waiting for the perfect recipe to use it in then we got a bunch of truffle swag when we went to Italy so we put together this truffle-centric recipe.
{serves 3}

  • 1 shallot
  • 6 slices prosciutto (1 1/2 oz)
  • 5 artichoke hearts (canned)
  • a few sprigs of thyme
  • drizzle truffle oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 pat butter
  • 7 crimini mushrooms
  • 3 goat cheese ‘medallions
  • panko bread crumbs
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 lb (8.8 oz) pappardelle
  • truffle artichoke sauce *

*not necessarily necessary, you could use a basic alfredo or a little cream or even go without…I found this one at world market

  1. pre-heat oven to 350º F
  2. on a baking sheet drizzle artichokes with truffle oil and insert the thyme sprigs between the leaves
  3. in a small bowl make a kind of paste out of a bit of olive oil, panko breadcrumbs, thyme leaves and a minced clove of garlic and roll goat cheese medallions in it
  4. throw those onto the baking sheet also and put the goat cheese and artichokes in the oven
  5. remove the goat cheese medallions after 30 minutes or once the outsides start to brown
  6. continue baking the artichokes for about 5 more minutes
  7. slice shallot and mushrooms
  8. in a small saute pan heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 pat butter, caramelize shallots over low heat, stirring occasionally until they turn a caramel color
  9. remove from pan, add more olive oil as needed (not much), then lay prosciutto strips in pan until they crisp up, then remove those and add the mushrooms
  10. stir occasionally until mushrooms are fragrant and look cooked through
  11. bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pappardelle according to package instructions
  12. pour truffle artichoke sauce (or whatever you choose to use, not if you’re using cream)  into a glass bowl and once pasta is just about done cooking, add 1/2 cup of the pasta water into the sauce to thin and stir to incorporate
  13. drain pasta and add thinned sauce, mushrooms and shallots, prosciutto, artichokes and goat cheese and garnish with more thyme

© 2016, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

BLT-rritos

img_0976

Do you ever crave a BLT but don’t want the bread? Yeah, me neither but I’m trying to do this low carb thing and really wanted a BLT before super ripe summer tomatoes are a thing of the past so we decided to do BLT wraps and they were pretty good.

{serves 2}

  • 1 tbsp black truffle oil- you can also use plain old olive oil
  • 3 slices bacon
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/2 large heirloom tomato
  • a couple handfuls lettuce
  • 1/2 enoki mushroom
  • splash white wine
  • 2 oz truffle goat cheese- you can also use plain old goat cheese
  • 2 medium sized tortilla or wrap
  1. in a large sauté pan heat 1 tbsp black truffle olive oil over medium heat
  2. cut bacon in 1/4 inch pieces and add to the pan, stirring occasionally
  3. cut mushrooms into roughly same size and add to the pan, turn heat to low and continue cooking
  4. meanwhile slice tomato and avocado
  5. toast tortilla over burner (optional, but you definitely should), then spread avocado and goat cheese on the tortilla/wrap and fill with lettuce, tomatoes
  6. remove the mushroom/bacon concoction from the pan once it’s done, let cool a bit and add to the wrap and you’ve got a BLT-rrito!

© 2016, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Goat Ricotta with Fresh Caramelized Figs

IMG_4715

for the caramelized figs:

  • 7 figs
  • 1 pat butter
  • 2 tsp honey
  • splash balsamic
  1. cut tops off figs and cut them into 1/4 inch pieces (or somewhere around there)
  2. in a small sauce pan over medium temp melt butter then add figs, honey and balsamic
  3. stir occasionally and gently, taking care not to break down the figs
  4. when figs have absorbed the honey and balsamic and are are looking glazed, remove from heat

for the ricotta:

  • 4 cups goat milk
  • 3/4 kosher salt
  • 2 1/2 tbsp distilled white vinegar or lemon juice
  • 4 sprigs thyme (optional)
  1. bring milk and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice or vinegar; stir gently until mixture starts to curdle. let stand 5 minutes.
  2. pour mixture into a fine-mesh sieve lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth set over a medium bowl. chill until cheese is spreadable, at least 20 minutes and up to 12 hours (the longer it strains, the thicker it will be).
  3. mix thyme in later if desired
    Original recipe: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/fresh-ricotta*you can also make ricotta with plain old cows milk and it’s delicious

© 2016, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Tomates Farcies (Stuffed Tomatoes)

IMG_4706

{serves 8 as a hearty side}

  • 8 large tomatoes
  • salt/pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter (or 2 tbsp olive oil if you’re not feelin it)
  • 1 large shallots
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 16 oz spinach (fresh)
  • 1 grilled (or baked) and chopped sausage (spicy Italian preferably)
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers (jarred/canned works fine)
  • 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
  • 5 oz fresh goat cheese
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup chopped basil
  • 1 tbsp chopped thyme and rosemary (plus more (not chopped) for pretty garnishes)
  • 8 dollops kalamata olive tapenade
  • 3 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese

IMG_4708

  1. pre-heat oven to 350ºF; cut tops off of tomatoes and scoop out the insides with a melon scooper (leaving a 1/4 inch or so thick wall so they don’t completely collapse (reserve the insides)) ; then lightly salt the insides
  2. heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat; meanhwile chop garlic and shallot
  3. once butter has melted add the garlic and shallot and sauté until they’re opaque then add the spinach and sauté until slightly wilted then take off heat and let cool
  4. at this point the salt in the tomato bowls will have probably brought out some water, add that to the tomato insides bowl
  5. in a large mixing bowl combine the goat cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach concoction, 3/4 cups of the tomato insides, pistachios, roasted red peppers, red pepper flakes, breadcrumbs, sausage and herbs
  6. then bake at 350º F for 20 minutes, remove from oven, top with the tapenade dollops and put the tomato hat/lids back on and bake for another 10 minutes

IMG_4709

© 2016, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Farro with Goat Cheese, Arugula and Blistered Tomatoes

IMG_3929

I love farro. My mom is pretty on top of food trends and caught on to this one early on..Not that I’d say it’s become a “craze” per se, but it’s definitely more common and popular since it first appeared on our dinner table. It’s nutty and chewy and called “the mother of all wheat” by some. According to bob’s red mill, it nourished the Roman legions and was even used as a form of currency. Trader Joe’s has a 10 minute version that is a life saver- or at least a huge time saver. Also it’s less than $2.

I used a beautiful aged goat cheese for this but you can use fresh goat cheese too.

{serves 1}

  • 2 handfuls arugula
  • 1 egg
  • 5 mini heirloom tomatoes
  • 2 spoon fulls capers
  • 2 tsps black pepper corns
  • 1 clove garlic
  • generous dollop dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup farro (uncooked)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 3 mini bell peppers
  • dollop goat cheese
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • salt/pepper
  1. heat a medium sized sauce pan and add pine nuts, dry toast them, stirring them occasionally until they smell nutty and are golden brown
  2. meanwhile bring the chicken broth and pepper corns to a boil and cook the farro in it (according to directions)
  3. mince garlic and slice the bell peppers
  4. remove the pine nuts from the pan and add the olive oil
  5. cook the garlic for a minute then add the bell peppers, capers and whole tomatoes and cover
  6. let tomatoes blister then remove from heat
  7. poach or fry your egg
  8. fluff the farro then stir mustard into it and add arugula (you may (probably will) have leftover farro and veggies…depending on your appetite)
  9. serve the farro mixture into a bowl, top it with the tomato- bell pepper saute, chunks of goat cheese and the egg

© 2016, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Persimmon Goat Cheese Toasts

      I adapted this recipe from the Persimmon Bruschetta on Food52. I decided to use a tangier cheese to juxtapose the sweet persimmons we got in our CSA box this week. My parents were on their way up to visit so I made this as an appetizer to have when they arrived. Not surprisingly, they had stopped at a winery and were toting a chilled white that went perfectly with the toasts. They were a hit, I’m probably going to have to make more tonight.

      • 1 persimmon
      • 1 cup goat cheese/bleu cheese (i made half with goat cheese and half with bleu cheese.
      • 3 sprigs rosemary
      • 2 sprigs thyme
      • 2 tbsp honey
      • slivered almonds
      • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
      • 8 slices of nice crusty bread
      1. slice persimmon, bread and rosemary
      2. spread goat cheese or bleu cheese on each piece of bread
      3. put persimmon slices on top of cheese then sprinkle herbs and almonds over
      4. drizzle balsamic vinegar and honey over top and put under the broiler until bread turns golden and cheese starts to melt

© 2014, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Plum Goat Cheese Tart

A couple of weeks ago we went to the swap meet and thought it was a good idea to buy five pounds of plums before trying them. They were chalky and gross and never ripened. Luckily, I am quite the problem solver especially when it comes to all things food related. In one of the most magical transformations I’ve ever participated in, plum jam was created.

plum jam:

  • 10 plums (don’t worry if they’re unripe and tasteless, it’ll be better if they are tasty but it’s not absolutely necessary as evidenced by the swap meet fiasco)
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  1. Slice plums and heat, covered, on medium-low heat with lemon juice.
  2. Let cook undisturbed for 10 minutes, then stir in honey and cinnamon
  3. tilt lid up to let out some moisture and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until desired consistency is reached

This jam is great on toast, yogurt or cottage cheese as well. I think I am going to make baked brie w/ it tomorrow night. This tart was a wonderful and easy dinner/dessert. Puff pastry is a great pantry (er freezer) staple to have on hand because of its’ versatility and scrumptious-ness.

plum jam, goat cheese tart:

  • 1 sheet puff pastry
  • 1 cup plum jam (link)
  • 1/2 cup goat cheese

  1. pre-heat oven to 400°F, thaw puff pastry and roll out on lined baking sheet
  2. poke middle with a fork, leaving a 1 inch border, sprinkle with 1/2 the goat cheese and bake at 400° F for 10 minutes or until it starts to turn gold
  3. remove and spread the jam in an even layer over the middle part then sprinkle the rest of the goat cheese on top, continue baking, about 1o minutes, or until cheese melts and crust turns golden

© 2014, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...