Croutons With Goat Cheese Or Olive Caper Spread Food

GOAT'S CHEESE CROûTON SALAD

Steps:

• Quarter the peppers and remove the seeds and membrane. Place skin side up under a grill and cook until the skins are blackened. Cover tightly with a sheet of foil until cool enough to handle, then strip off the skins. Slice the peppers into strips and put in a medium sized bowl.
• Slice 16 slices from the baguette and place on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Cut 16 slices of goat's cheese, putting a slice on each piece of bread. Wrap with cling film and chill until ready to cook.
• Roughly chop the parsley, then finely chop the red onion and halve and stone the olives. Add to the bowl with the red peppers and mix.
• Put the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar with salt and pepper and shake well.
• To serve, preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/Gas 6. Bake the toasts for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the bread is crisp. Meanwhile, scatter salad leaves over a serving platter and sprinkle with the red pepper mix. Drizzle over three quarters of the dressing and toss. Tuck the toasts among the leaves and drizzle with the remaining dressing.

GOAT CHEESE CROUTONS

Steps:

• Brush the sliced baguette with olive oil, toast in a 350 degree oven until crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for several minutes before spreading a thin layer of cheese on each crouton and dust the cheese with black pepper. Place the croutons under a broiler to brown the cheese slightly before serving.;

GARLIC-PARMESAN CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix butter, Parmesan cheese, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, and salt together in a large, flat-bottomed bowl; add bread cubes and turn with a spatula to coat. Spread coated bread cubes onto a baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool croutons completely before storing in an airtight container.

SMOKED SALMON, GOAT CHEESE AND MUSTARD CROUTON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Blend honey and dijon mustards, red onion, capers and dill.
• Arrange bread on baking sheet and lightly brush with olive oil.
• Bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool.
• Spread croutons with goat cheese, then mustard mixture. Top with smoked salmon.
• Garnish with a little more dill.

OLIVE-CAPER SPREAD

Steps:

• Puree olives with oil, basil, capers and garlic in processor.
• Transfer to bowl.
• Can be prepared 4 days ahead; refrigerate.
• Let stand one hour at room temp before serving.
• Croutons: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Arrange bread slices on baking sheet.
• Brush both sides with butter.
• Bake until crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Cool slightly.
• Can be prepared 1 day ahead.
• Cool completely; store in plastic bag at room temperature.

SALAD WITH GOAT-CHEESE CROUTONS

Steps:

• Make croutons: Spread cheese on 4 slices of bread and top with other 4 slices. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute cheese sandwiches in oil about 1 1/2 minutes per side until golden. Cut into small cubes.
• Make dressing: Whisk together vinegar through shallots. Gradually whisk in oil in a steady stream.
• In a large salad bowl, toss mesclun or other greens with croutons and dressing. Pass a pepper grinder at the table.

CROUTONS WITH GOAT CHEESE OR OLIVE-CAPER SPREAD

Steps:

• For Cheese Spread:.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Toss whole garlic cloves with 1 tablespoon oil in heavy small baking dish.
• Bake until soft and brown, about 15 minutes;cool slightly.
• Slip skins off garlic, transfer to medium bowl and mash to paste.
• Mix in goat cheese and tomatoes.
• (Can be prepared 4 days ahead; refrigerate, covered. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature before serving.).
• For Olive Spread:.
• Puree olives with oil, basil,capers and garlic in processor; transfer to bowl.
• (Can be prepared 4 days ahead; refrigerate, covered. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature berfore serving.).
• For Croutons:.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Arrange bread slices on baking sheet.
• Brush both sides with butter.
• Bake until crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool completely and store in sealed plastic bag at room temperature.).