Goat Cheese Wontons With Tomato Herb Salsa Food

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.

AVOCADO-HERB SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice in a large bowl. Halve and pit the avocados, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces; add to the bowl and toss. Add the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, chives and 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper. Gently toss until well combined.
• Place the lettuce in a large serving bowl. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt; toss to coat. Spoon the avocado salad over the lettuce, top with the goat cheese and season with more sea salt. Serve with lemon wedges.

GOAT CHEESE WONTONS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the cheese, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Beat egg and water., Place 1 tablespoon cheese mixture in the center of a wonton wrapper. (Keep remaining wrappers covered with a damp paper towel until ready to use.) Fold bottom corner over filling. Fold sides toward center over filling. Moisten remaining corner with egg; roll up tightly to seal., In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry wontons, a few at a time, for 30-60 seconds on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

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.

SALSA-BAKED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the nuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until lightly browned and very fragrant, 7 or 8 minutes (the pine nuts will brown quicker than either of the others). Remove and slide them off into a medium-size bowl.
• 2. Add the cheeses to the bowl and combine thoroughly with the nuts. Scoop it in the center of a baking dish (I like to use a decorative 9-inch pie pan) and form it into a 5-inch-diameter disk. Spoon the salsa over and around the cheese. Place the dish in the oven and bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle on the cilantro and set it out for your guests to enjoy as a dip or a spread.

TOMATO SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Cover each plate with a layer of mesclun or mixed greens. Place sliced tomatoes on top. Salt generously.
• Mix the dressing ingredients into an emulsion.
• Crumble the goat cheese onto the tomato slices.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour dressing on top lightly and add the chopped parsley or basil.

GOAT CHEESE WONTONS WITH TOMATO-HERB SALSA

Steps:

• 1. TO MAKE THE SALSA: In a food processor, pulse all of the ingredients until pureed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours. 2. TO MAKE THE WONTONS: Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. In a medium bowl, mash the goat cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, and pepper with a rubber spatula until combined. Place a wonton wrapper on a work surface, with the points at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock. Brush the edges of a wonton wrapper with cold water. Place 1 teaspoon goat cheese mixture on the bottom third of the wrapper. Fold over the top point of the wrapper to meet the bottom point, enclosing the filling in a triangle shape. Press the edges of the wrapper to seal. Place on the waxed paper. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers. (The wontons can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated.) 3. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a deep Dutch oven, melt vegetable shortening to a depth of 2 to 3 inches and heat it to 365°F. In batches, without crowding, deep-fry the wontons, turning once, until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Keep the wontons warm in the oven while frying the rest. Using a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer to the paper towels to drain. Serve warm, with the salsa.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO GOAT CHEESE SPREAD

Steps:

• Drain tomatoes, reserving 2 teaspoons oil. In a small food processor, combine the garlic, basil and parsley. Cover and process until blended., Add the goat cheese and reserved sun-dried tomatoes and oil. Cover and process until smooth. Chill until serving.

GOAT CHEESE QUESADILLAS WITH TOMATO AND CORN SALSA

Steps:

• Grill Method:
• Spray one side of a tortilla with oil and place it, oiled side down, on the grill over medium-high heat. Top with one-quarter (about 3 ounces) of the cheese and one-quarter of the salsa. Spray one side of a second tortilla with oil, and place it on top of the first, oiled side up. Cook, about 3 minutes, until the bottom tortilla is golden brown. Turn the quesadilla over and continue cooking, about 3 minutes more, until the bottom is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill and cut into wedges. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and salsa. Serve immediately.
• Camp Stove Method:
• Spray a large skillet with oil and warm over medium-high heat on the stove. Place 1 tortilla in the hot skillet, and top with one-quarter (about 3 ounces) of the cheese and one-quarter of the salsa. Top with a second tortilla. Cook, about 3 minutes, until the bottom tortilla is golden brown. Turn the quesadilla over and continue cooking, about 3 minutes more, until the bottom is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from the skillet and cut into wedges. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and salsa. Serve immediately.
• Make It at Home:
• Make it a meal by adding broiled shrimp. Preheat the broiler. Spread 1 pound of peeled shrimp in a single layer on a baking sheet, spray with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Broil, about 2 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked through. Split each shrimp in half lengthwise. Continue with preparation per the camp-stove method. Add 1/4 cup of the shrimp to each quesadilla along with the cheese and salsa.