Goat Cheese And Herb Stuffed Radicchio Leaves Food

FRESH HERB AND GOAT CHEESE STUFFED GRILLED PORTOBELLOS

Steps:

• Clean the dark black gills from the mushrooms, then drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place over medium heat on an open barbecue grill, face down. After a few minutes, turn them over and continue to cook.
• In a mixing bowl combine the goat cheese with minced garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, and the mixture of fresh herbs torn by hand.
• Mix the cheese until all of the ingredients have been incorporated and a nice creamy texture is achieved.
• When the mushrooms begin to get soft and give off a little of their juice, add a nice spoonful of the goat cheese mixture right into the center of each portobello.
• Close the lid of the barbecue and let cook until the cheese gets bubbly and the mushrooms are nice and soft.

HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Find a small, wide-mouth canning jar or small glass vase (3 1/2 inches in diameter by 4 inches high), just large enough to hold the two goat cheeses on top of each other with a little room to spare. Cut each cheese in half horizontally, making 2 rounds from each. (A piece of dental floss makes this easier.)
• Place half of the first disk flat in the jar, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then with 1/2 teaspoon dill, 1 teaspoon basil, and a few red pepper flakes, and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Place another disk of cheese on top and repeat the seasonings, herbs, and oil. Continue with the remaining cheese disks, piling one on top of the other with oil and seasonings in between. When all the disks are stacked and seasoned, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top. Cover and set aside at room temperature for one hour or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Serve at room temperature with bread or crackers for people to help themselves.

HERB COATED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Arrange the bread slices on 2 heavy baking sheets. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the bread slices. Bake until the crostini are pale golden and crisp, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir the herbs, lemon zest, pepper, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using about 2 teaspoons of cheese for each, form the goat cheese into 1-inch diameter balls. 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. Garnish with herb sprigs.
• The crostini and cheese balls can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store the crostini in an airtight container at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the cheese balls.

GOAT CHEESE AND HERB STUFFED CHICKEN ROULADE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the spinach, goat cheese, almonds, breadcrumbs and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In another bowl, combine the butter, parsley, rosemary, thyme and lemon zest. Set aside.
• Lay the chicken breast-side down. Slice through the skin along the backbone of the chicken, cutting through the skin. Using your boning knife and fingers, release the skin from the chicken, angling the knife towards the meat of the chicken. Once you have loosened the skin from the back side, turn the chicken over so it is breast-side up and slice down the center of the breast. Using your boning knife and fingers, pull back the skin from each side. Once you get to the legs and wings, cut around each piece to release the skin from the joint. Take your time, this takes practice, and it doesn't have to be perfect, we just want as much skin as possible. Once you have removed the skin from each side of the chicken, set them aside.
• Remove each breast from the chickens by taking your boning knife and following the breast bone down each side. Use the bones as your natural guide, follow it all the way down to remove the breast.
• Once the breasts are removed, butterfly each breast by cutting into the thickest part of the breast horizontally, creating a pocket, like opening up a book. Once butterflied, place each breast in between 2 layers of plastic wrap and, using a meat mallet, pound until it is 1/4-inch thick.
• Lay the chicken breasts flat and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Divide the herbed goat cheese stuffing between the 4 breasts, placing the stuffing mixture towards the bottom third of the breast, closest to its narrowest point. Roll the breast around the stuffing, tucking in the ends as you roll, like you would a burrito.
• Lay the chicken skins out and divide the herb butter between them, placing the butter just below the center point of the skin. Place the rolled breast directly on top of the butter and then wrap the skin around the chicken, tucking in the ends, repeating the same process you did to roll the breasts. Once rolled, secure the skin with 3 toothpicks, one in the middle and one on each end.
• Heat the oil in a nonstick, oven-safe saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the roulades and sear on all sides until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F and the juices run clear, about 10 minutes.
• Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Remove the toothpicks, slice and serve.

GOAT CHEESE WRAPPED IN VINE LEAVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Overlap 3 grape leaves, vein side facing up, to form a solid circle (see Cook's Note*). Place the goat cheese round in the center of the circle. Use 2 roasted pepper strips to wrap around the cheese. Carefully wrap the leaves snugly around the cheese. Repeat with remaining leaves, cheese and pepper strips.
• Over high heat, cook the leaf bundles in olive oil for 1 minute on 1 side in an oven-safe skillet. Turn the bundles and cook for 1 minute more. Place the pan in the oven for approximately 3 minutes.
• To serve, place vine leaf bundle in the center of a large plate. Open up the leaves and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with crackers or bread.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the red peppers on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven on the top rack for 35 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until the skin is blistered and charred. Immediately transfer the hot peppers to a small bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and remove the stem and seeds. Cut into 1-inch wide strips.

BAKED RADICCHIO AND HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place radicchio in large shallow baking dish. Arrange goat cheese over. Heat oil in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden, about 1 minute. Discard garlic. Add basil, marjoram and rosemary to oil. Season with pepper. Drizzle over goat cheese and radicchio. Bake until cheese begins to melt, about 15 minutes. Serve with bread slices.