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As I mentioned in my last blog post, I have given up cheese for Lent. At first it was incredibly difficult to make it through lunch - there is cheese in just about everything you can imagine!
Fridays have been especially difficult as the meatless options tend to revolve around mac n'cheese, quiche, and pizza. Not only are these options full of cheese but none of them are going to help me work on keeping this girlish figure.
Since Lent began I've figured out numerous cheese substitutes and, while most days I think I could potentially give up dairy products completely, there are some instances where I really do crave a little cheese.
This Saturday was one of those days. Some of my very best girlfriends came over for an entire day of cooking, eating and girl talk. By the end of the day we were so stuffed to the gills that we sat staring at each other blankly across the dining room table, too full and tired to speak.
Believe me when I tell you that I ate more than my fair share this weekend, so you really shouldn't feel at all bad for me when I say that there was one dish - my favorite salad - that I was unable to eat and it made me so sad I'd have given up all the rest of the meals just for this one.
Please make this recipe and enjoy it, for me.
Fried Goat Cheese Salad
This quick and easy salad is perfect as an appetizer or as a light lunch.
To make this salad, I start with a bed of mixed herb salad.
I then prepare the goat cheese.
Note that because goat cheese is so soft and prone to falling apart, I use dental floss to "cut" it into small medallions.
Meanwhile, I preheat a nonstick skillet to medium heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil. You'll know your pan is hot when you can easily swish the oil in the pan and it moves quickly.
Next, I bread the goat cheese medallions. You will need only bread crumbs, no egg or milk, as the goat cheese is moist enough that the bread crumbs will stick without help.
In this case I used panko because I like the texture they add but you could just as easily use regular bread crumbs.
Once all of the medallions are coated, place them into the pan. Do not touch them for at least one minute, lest you mush them. (I hope I don't need to tell you what happens when you fry cheese directly on a hot surface, without a bread crumb barrier.)
After about one minute or when the medallions have become golden and crispy and the goat cheese has begun to melt, flip the goat cheese medallions to cook on the other side.
While those crisp up, slice your tomato, making sure that each slice is the same width as the goat cheese medallions.
Plate your tomato slices on top of your herb salad and follow with the warm, gooey, crispy goat cheese medallions.
I generally serve this salad without dressing but I have tried it with balsamic vinaigrette and it is delicious that way as well.
I recommend you plan serve two or three half-inch medallions to each person.
Happy eating!
This quick and easy salad is perfect as an appetizer or as a light lunch.
To make this salad, I start with a bed of mixed herb salad.
I then prepare the goat cheese.
Note that because goat cheese is so soft and prone to falling apart, I use dental floss to "cut" it into small medallions.
Meanwhile, I preheat a nonstick skillet to medium heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil. You'll know your pan is hot when you can easily swish the oil in the pan and it moves quickly.
Next, I bread the goat cheese medallions. You will need only bread crumbs, no egg or milk, as the goat cheese is moist enough that the bread crumbs will stick without help.
In this case I used panko because I like the texture they add but you could just as easily use regular bread crumbs.
Once all of the medallions are coated, place them into the pan. Do not touch them for at least one minute, lest you mush them. (I hope I don't need to tell you what happens when you fry cheese directly on a hot surface, without a bread crumb barrier.)
After about one minute or when the medallions have become golden and crispy and the goat cheese has begun to melt, flip the goat cheese medallions to cook on the other side.
While those crisp up, slice your tomato, making sure that each slice is the same width as the goat cheese medallions.
Plate your tomato slices on top of your herb salad and follow with the warm, gooey, crispy goat cheese medallions.
I generally serve this salad without dressing but I have tried it with balsamic vinaigrette and it is delicious that way as well.
I recommend you plan serve two or three half-inch medallions to each person.
Happy eating!
