Tag: goat cheese

Celeriac slaw with goat’s cheese "croutons"

Every so often, I like to remind my husband exactly who is boss in this little domestic disaster we call home. I think he thinks it’s him. And that’s fine. Most of the time, I like to encourage him to think that it’s him. I don’t like to tell him exactly how long it would take him to die of starvation, unhappiness and the inability to locate his shoes, or keys, or wallet, should I suddenly vanish.

But once in a while, I like him to see things plainly.

Like the other day, he asked me what we were having for dinner. And I said, as cheerfully as I could (because it is one of my slight cop-out dinners) “A spanish OMELETTE!!!” I said it in the exact manner that Kitty suggests that we all go and watch Peppa Pig. (“I know! I know! Less WATS PEPPA PIIIIIIIIIIG!?!?!”)

“Oh,” he said, “can I not have any potato in my half? I mean, I like potato, but it’s not much use to me steamed and then hidden in egg.”

“I see,” I said. And then that evening as a punishment, almost worthy of Mrs Twit, I set about making him a dinner containing all the things I know hates – celery, walnuts, dill – a recipe for which I just happened to have handily torn out of a magazine, although I’m afraid I don’t know which one. I thought it was delicious.

So here we go –

Beetroot and celeriac coleslaw with goat’s cheese “croutons”
Serves 4 as a light lunch.

(Sorry I have added that assholish “croutons” thing because it’s actually just cheese on toast, but whenever I see that sort of ludicrous marketing caper on a menu it makes me laugh so much that I have vowed to use it here at least once.)

This is an awful lot easier if you have a food processor with a grating attachment, but I did it all by hand and it was perfectly okay and I am pregnant and in a terrible mood so you’ve got no excuse really.

for the slaw
1 small celeriac
2 sticks celery, de-strung and chopped
2 apples, skin on
2 small raw beetroot, peeled
handful walnuts, chopped

for the dressing
1 large tbsp greek yoghurt
small bunch dill, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp white or red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
the juice and zest of 1 lemon

for the croutons
1 stick baguette or a petit parisienne
2 packs rindless goat’s cheese

1 Grate the celeriac and apple and put in a bowlful of cold water with half the lemon juice, to stop it from going brown.

2 Grate the beets and mix with the chopped celery. Then drain the apple and celeriac well and add.

3 Mix together the dressing ingredients and mix into the veg – scatter over some dill leaves and walnuts to serve.

4 Slice the bread on a dramatic vertical and lightly toast one side under the grill, then load the other side with goat’s cheese and grill for a few minutes

To his credit, my husband took it all like a man and has not made specific requests about dinner since.

Incoming search terms:

https://gordon-ramsay-recipe com/tag/celeriac-mash-gordon-ramsay

Sausage Stuffed Piquillo Peppers – Not So Rare Spanish Beauty

There’s nothing quite like the piquillo pepper. They’re sweet, fruity, slightly smoky, and just bitter enough. For me, they’re the San Marzano tomatoes of peppers. And while I enjoy them in literally anything, these delicate, triangular beauties are just made for stuffing.

I don’t think I’ve ever filled them the same way twice, and while this most recent exploration was quite amazing, who knows what the future will bring. Having said that, this one may be worth repeating. I loved this Spanish-inspired combination of flavors.

The thing to keep in mind is that since you’re only cooking these for about 20 minutes, you’ll want to stay away from things that take longer than that. Things like raw rice, or larger chunks of vegetables just won’t work well here. Thankfully that leaves like a thousand other possible ingredients, so you have that going for you.

These are surprisingly easy to find, and any high-end grocery store should stock them. Gourmet cheese shops almost always have them, and you can find them all over the Internet. If all else fails, ask any Spanish person living near you, and they will know. I hope you give these beautiful peppers a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 Stuffed Piquillo Peppers:

12 Piquillo Peppers

olive oil, as needed

4 oz chorizo, Merguez sausage, or any spicy sausage meat

1/2 cup diced green onions

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup cooked white long grain rice

2 oz goat cheese

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 tbsp parsley, plus more to garnish

cayenne to taste

1 tsp cumin

2 tbsp sliced or chopped almonds

1 tsp blood orange zest

1 tbsp blood orange juice

400 F. for 15-20 minutes

Incoming search terms:

“Local” Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese and Walnuts – Kill Once, Cook Twice

They say if you video blog long enough, you’ll eventually
post a snuff film. Okay, so no one says that, but that’s what this roasted
beets with goat cheese and walnuts kind of felt like, as I harvested my
homegrown, and completely defenseless beet.

I was obviously kidding about vegetables being able to sense
pain, but the more I think about it, who knows? Anyway, until I find out
otherwise, I’ll assume the bloody root didn’t suffer for my pleasure, and just
enjoy its incredible goodness. It’s the same assumption I use when eating
chicken wings.

There are very few things that pair as perfectly as roasted
beets and goat cheese. Simply a match made in occasional-vegetarian heaven.
When you toss in some crunchy walnuts, foraged greens, and a simple walnut
oil/vinegar dressing, you have something that’s way beyond the sum of the
parts.

I really can’t think of a more perfect fall lunch. By the way, in addition to making a great mid-day meal, this would also work nicely as a fancy side dish come holiday time, and you have plenty of time to practice. I hope you give this a try
soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 portions:

1 or 2 tbsp walnut oil

1 roasted beet (*about 8 oz)

2 oz goat cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup roasted chopped walnuts

2 tbsp champagne or sherry vinegar

thinly sliced beet greens and fresh chives to top

toasted walnut bread to serve with

*Note: Since beets come in all sorts of sizes, you’ll just
have to go by feel. Roast a beet or two, slice it up, see how much you have,
pick a baking dish that large enough for one layer, cover the bottom with
walnut oil, toss in the beets, fill in between with goat cheese, season, bake
and dress as you see fit.