Herbed Baked Goat Cheese Salad

First of all, sorry for the shadow in the picture. I have never been good with a camera.

As you know, I am a fan of America's Test Kitchen. If you don't watch it, you should. It is awesome and full of great ideas and recipes. I have recently spotted their magazines when checking out at the grocery store and I simply can not resist.  I found this recipe in the "best of" addition and I have been wanting to make it for a while. It's very easy but you just have to plan ahead since preparing the cheese will take you 3 hours.

Herbed Baked Goat Cheese Salad
Courtsey of The Best of America's Test Kitchen 


Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/8 teaspoon of salt

Salad
1 1/2 cups pecans
12 ounces goat cheese, softened
2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 large eggs
12 cups hearty salad greens (i used spring mix)
vegetable oil spray

Directions:

For the vinaigrette, combime all ingredients in a jar, seal lid and shake until combined

Salad:

Pulse pecans in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to bowl. Add cheese, chives, and thyme to the food processor and process until smooth ( i chopped the herbs in the food processor then added the cheese). Refrigerate the cheese mixture in a covered bowl until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Using your hands, take 2 tablespoons of the chilled cheese mixture at a time and roll into twelve 1 1/2 inch balls. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. One at a time, dip the balls in the egg, allow the excess to run off, then roll them in the nuts, pressing gently to adhere. Place the balls 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Press the balls into 2 inch disks with a greased measuring cup. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until completely firm, at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.

Heat the oven to 475 degrees. Remove the plastic and spray the cheese lightly with the vegetable oil spray. Bake until the nuts are golden brown and the cheese is warmed through, 7-10 minutes.  Toss the greens with the vinaigrette and serve the warm cheese rounds over the dressed salad.

Tomato Stuffed with Chicken Salad

I decided to save some time in the morning and make my lunch tonight. I haven't made chicken salad in forever and for some reason it has been on my mind for the last two weeks! Needless to say, I was excited to finally get around to making it and will be even more excited around lunch time tomorrow. I got this recipe a few years ago from my good friend, Susannah. It was so different and I fell in love with it immediately. I love chicken salad and I always like to look for unique ways to make it so if you have a recipe send it my way. This is one of my favorites. The white pepper is such a nice surprise! I eyeballed the measurements so just taste as you go.

Chicken Salad:
2 cups of diced cooked chicken (I use white)
1/2 cup of fat free mayonnaise  
1 medium red onion
1/2 cup sliced almonds
white pepper to taste
a few dashes of hot sauce

Stuffing the Tomato:
Slice the tomato to remove top. Cut and spoon out inside of the tomato until clean.

*The original recipe calls for celery as most traditional chicken salad recipes do. I don't like celery so I left it out.

Tuna Steaks with Fresh Greens

Well, I have to admit that I did not make these but I just had to share these beauties. I came home last night to these delicious tuna steaks that my boyfriend made. I haven't mentioned that he is an excellent cook and inspires me to become one as well. I have a long ways to go before I reach his level though! These tuna steaks are covered in a peppercorn mix and he made a homemade dressing for the salad. It was a yummy light meal and the flavors blended together perfectly. I don't have the recipe for his creation but if you would like it I can get it from him. This is the perfect meal to make before summer comes to an end.

Pesto Chicken Salad

Lunch is usually my most unsatisfying meal of the day. I am guaranteed to pack a turkey sandwich, a lean cuisine, or grab a sandwich from Subway if I happen to forget to pack a lunch. So as you can see, I need to make some serious changes. I am looking for ways to spice it up a little this week and make something that is delicious, affordable, and interesting. I absolutely love chicken salad but clearly the idea of having a traditional chicken salad isn't exactly "spicing it up." I started to search for different recipes and I found a pesto chicken salad. I completely understand if the picture doesn't make you want to try it.. but hopefully the recipe will. It is a bit salty so if you don't enjoy salty things just cut out the kosher salt and I think you will be fine. I tried a spoonful after I made it and it was so refreshing! I plan to stuff a pita pocket with the mixture and add a few slices of tomato for lunch today. Next time I make this I think I will leave out the mayo, substitute basil for the arugula, and use the mixture to make a hearty chicken pesto pasta.

Pesto Chicken Salad
Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

1/4 cup low-fat or fat free mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup Arugula Pesto, recipe follows
1 store-bought rotisserie chicken diced
Arugula pesto (recipe below)


For the pesto, blend the arugula and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil until well blended. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in Parmesan and salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest and Arugula Pesto. Stir in the diced chicken.


Arugula Pesto:
2 cups packed arugula
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper