Leek Goat Cheese Stuffing Food

BACON AND GOAT CHEESE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• If your mushrooms caps are very rounded, trim a very thin slice from the top of the caps to help them sit upright for baking. Toss the mushroom caps with the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
• Heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems, celery and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until just soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl, season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and set aside to cool.
• Add the bacon, goat cheese and chives to the cooled mushroom stem mixture. Stir in the breadcrumbs until well moistened.
• Pack each mushroom with an equal amount of filling and transfer the filled mushrooms to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is brown and crispy on top, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.

PANCETTA, LEEK AND MUSHROOM STUFFING WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the celery and leeks and cook, stirring, until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, sage, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are soft, 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom of the skillet, cooking for an additional minute. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, combine the stuffing and cooled mixture. Add the pancetta and eggs and mix well. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top evenly with the goat cheese.
• Bake until golden brown on top, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

BACON, EGG AND CHEESE STUFFED CREPES WITH LEEKS AND TOMATO

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Add the milk, water, and 3 eggs and mix well. Refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.
• Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook it until brown and crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Pour out half of the grease. Return the pan to the heat and add the leeks, cooking for 1 minute.
• In a small bowl, whisk the remaining eggs and add them to the pan, stirring until they start to set but are still a bit runny. Add the tomato, goat cheese and stir until the eggs are cooked but not dry. Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile, preheat a crepe pan or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and coat the pan with vegetable oil or nonstick spray. Remove the batter from the refrigerator. Coat the pan with about 1/4 cup of batter, cook until the edges start to brown, then flip the crepe. Cook for 10 more seconds and remove from the pan. Keep warm while cooking the remaining crepes.
• Place 2 large spoonfuls of the egg mixture in each crepe and roll them. Place 2 crepes on each plate and serve immediately.

GRIDDLED LEEKS & GOAT'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Brush the cut side of the leeks with 1 tbsp of the oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Heat a griddle pan over a medium heat and place the leeks, cut-side down, in the pan. Griddle for 5 mins until the leeks have distinctive char marks and are tender.
• Use the remaining oil to brush the top of the leeks, then turn over and cook for 5 mins more. Scatter over the pine nuts and goat's cheese. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar to serve.

LEEK & GOAT'S CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Wash the leeks in a colander but don't worry about drying them as you want a bit of water clinging on. Heat the butter in a wide saucepan until sizzling, then add the wet leeks and thyme leaves plus salt and pepper. Sweat the leeks really gently for 20-25 mins until they have practically melted but not coloured, adding a little more butter if needed. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out 4 saucer-size circles and place on a baking sheet. Spread the leeks over the circles leaving a slight border around the edge. Put a slice of goat's cheese in the middle of each tart and top with a thyme sprig. Pinch the pastry edge together to slightly encase the leeks, then bake the tarts for 25 mins until puffed up and golden. Serve hot and drizzled with flavoured oil if you have it.

BAKED APPLES STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Place 1 tablespoon butter and leeks in heavy pan; cook, shaking pan and stirring, until leeks begin to turn transparent.
• Add 1 tablespoon water, stir and cover pan.
• Continue cooking until leeks are tender, 10 minutes, adding more water if necessary to prevent leeks from sticking.
• When leeks are cooked, transfer them to bowl and blend inches Add goat cheese and cream.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Gently stuff each apple with an equal amount of the goat-cheese-and-leek mixture, pressing it into cavity and mounding on top.
• Core the apples and remove strip of peel from circumference of each apple (lemon juice will keeping them from oxidizing and discoloring); place apples in baking dish.
• Pour wine around apples, put bay leaf in wine and lightly salt interior of each apple.
• Top each apple with 1/4 of the remaining tablespoon of butter.
• Bake apples in center of oven until tender and cheese is dark golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.
• Transfer to plates, garnish with parsley and serve immediately as appetizer or side dish.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEEK, TARRAGON & GOAT'S CHEESE STUFFING

Steps:

• Chop the leeks and onion fairly finely: use the pulse button if chopping them in a food processor, so they don't turn to mush. Melt 25g/1oz butter in a large frying pan placed over a lowish heat and fry the vegetables gently for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft. Set the pan aside to cool.
• Strip off all the herb leaves and put them in a food processor with the remaining butter, the cheeses, breadcrumbs and the cooled vegetables. Season, then pulse until the mixture is a rough, sticky, dough-like mass.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Place the chicken with the large cavity facing towards you. Remove and discard any fat remaining inside the opening. Now gently separate the skin over the breast area from the flesh beneath: use the tip of a small knife to get going, then gently ease your fingers in between and work them to the far end on both sides of the breast bone.
• Without tearing the skin, push in dollops of stuffing, massaging them right down and over the flesh. (Put any leftover stuffing into the small neck cavity.) Pull the skin back into place and seal in the stuffing by stitching 2-3 wooden toothpicks through the edges of the opening, like a needle in a tapestry. You can make the stuffing up to 24 hours ahead, keeping it cling-filmed in the fridge.
• Put the chicken in a snug-fitting roasting tin, smear the skin with oil and season. Roast the chicken, breast-side up, for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken on its side, basting with any juices, and roast for a further 30 minutes, then roast for an equal period on the other side. Now turn the chicken breast-side up again, and continue to roast for 10-30 minutes, or until the juices run clear when a skewer is poked into the thickest part of the thigh.
• Leave the chicken to rest in the tin for 15-20 minutes, loosely draped with foil. To serve, first remove the toothpicks, then carve the chicken, spooning some of the soft stuffing onto each serving.

LEEK & GOAT'S CHEESE TRAYBAKE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200/180C fan/gas 6. Line a non-stick tin (24cm x 20cm x 3cm deep) with baking parchment. Unravel the pastry and use it to line the tin. It should fit almost perfectly except for a slight overhang at the ends. If there are any cracks in the pastry, gently press them together with your fingers, then prick the base. Line with more baking parchment, fill with baking beans and bake for 15 mins. Remove the paper and beans and bake 5 mins more to dry the base.
• Meanwhile, in a large non-stick frying pan, fry the leeks in the butter with most of the thyme until soft - about 8 mins. Tip into a bowl and pour in the milk, then add the nutmeg, some seasoning and the eggs. Beat until well mixed, then stir in the chopped goat's cheese.
• When the pastry case comes out of the oven, tip in the leek mixture, arrange the sliced cheese on top and scatter over the hazelnuts and the remaining thyme. Return to the oven for 25-30 mins until the filling is set. Trim away the excess pastry at the ends if you like and serve warm or at room temperature with a tomato salad.

GOAT CHEESE STUFFED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• heat 2 oil and butter over medium-high heat in a skillet.
• insert paring knife into chop at end away from bone & open a 2 inch hole almost to bone.
• Work knife back & forth until the pocket is almost the full size of chop. Set aside.
• Saute celery in melted oil/butter mixture for 3-4 minute. Add chopped onion and saute for 5-6 minutes more.
• Remove onions & celery with slotted spoon, reserving as much oil/butter combination as possible. Remove skillet from heat.
• Mix 1/2 of the goat cheese and the stripped leaves from 2 sprigs of the thyme with the celery & onion in a bowl & allow cheese to slightly melt from the heat of the vegetables.
• When mixture is cool enough to work with (3-5 minutes) divide stuffing evenly and stuff chops. Do not be afraid of over stuffing. Season both sides with salt & pepper.
• Return skillet to a medium-high heat and bring to temperature.
• Sear stuffed chops, turning once until browned on each side. About 2-3 minutes per side.
• Once chops are browned add the 1/2 cup of wine (adjust as necessary. the liquid should reach 1/2 way up the sides of the chops) and the remaining sprig of thyme.
• Immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cover.
• Cook at simmer 30 minutes or until internal temp is 160.
• Once chops are done, remove & keep warm.
• Discard thyme sprig.
• Increase heat to high & add remaining goat cheese.
• Stir pan sauce constantly until reduced by half.
• Plate with kluski or egg noodles & green beans. Pour a generous amount of sauce over chops and reserve the rest for you and your partner.