Zucchini Ribbons With Pesto Goat Cheese Food

BAKED ZUCCHINI ROLL UPS WITH PESTO GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Chop the ends off the zucchini. Use a mandolin or a sharp knife to slice to zucchini lengthwise into +/- 1/3" thick slices.
• In a small bowl, mix together the goat cheese, pesto, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Use a fork to stir until well-combined.
• One at a time, lay out the zucchini slices and spread the goat cheese mixture evenly across them. Just a thin layer!
• Lay spinach over top of the goat cheese, then place a cherry tomato at one end and being rolling.
• Once you finish rolling each pinwheel, place them on a skewer or use a toothpick to keep them in tact.
• Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread marinara sauce on the foil - and add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if desired! ;) Then place the pinwheels on the marinara sauce and move the baking sheet into the oven.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until goat cheese begins to melt and some of the zucchini is browning.
• Allow to cool, then garnish with fresh basil! (If you garnish with basil while the roll ups are still hot, the basil will brown and look burnt.)

FRIED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND ZUCCHINI PESTO

Steps:

• For the Blossoms: Carefully stuff each zucchini blossom with 1 teaspoon of the goat cheese. Fold over the petals to form an envelope. In a deep skillet or deep fryer, heat the oil to 375 degrees. Meanwhile put the flour in a mixing bowl. Pour in the seltzer a little at a time, whisking constantly to ensure a smooth batter. Season with salt and cayenne. When the oil is properly heated, dip a stuffed blossom into the batter to coat it evenly, scraping off any excess. Fry until crisp and golden, about 30 seconds per side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Repeat process with all blossoms, being careful not to overcrowd the skillet and maintaining the proper oil temperature. For the Pesto: Quarter zucchini and cut into 1 inch pieces. Blanch zucchini for 2 minutes in salted boiling water, and then shock in ice bath to preserve color. Drain well and pat dry with cloth. Place blanched zucchini, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, basil leaves, garlic, in food processor and start to puree. With the motor running, pour the olive oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream until the pesto emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper taste.;

ZUCCHINI RIBBONS WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter melts; cook and stir the shallot until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until the garlic softens and releases its fragrance, about 3 more minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and zucchini ribbons, and cook, lightly stirring, until the chicken broth has come to a boil and the zucchini strips are cooked through but not mushy, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with finely sliced basil leaves and crumbled goat cheese.

ZUCCHINI RIBBONS WITH PESTO & GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Slice the ends off the zucchini and discard. Using a mandoline or carefully with a sharp knife, slice the zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. I did 1/8 and it was too thick. Little thinner would be good. Stack the slices and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons. Combine Pesto and butter well. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the zucchini ribbons, cover, stirring occasionally, and cook until the zucchini is just tender, about 3-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Cook linguine and drain. While it is draining combine goat cheese and pesto in the warm pot until smooth. Add the linguine and zucchini and toss. Serve immediately.