We love goat cheese, and especially when it is warmed up. To beat the cloudy evening, I made this bright summer salad with goat cheese. It presents well with many different vibrant colours, and egg adds that extra protein. You could also server this with grilled chicken.
Serves 2 - me and my hungry husband with a big appetite! Could serve three people.
Prep Time: 10 mins
Hands on cook time: 25 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Ingredients
1 egg, whole uncooked
2 eggs, hard boiled (I used this method), crumbled
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
4 oz log of goat cheese
handful of blueberries
8 strawberries
4 cups of spring mix or mache blend
1 bell pepper, I used orange...you could also use jarred roasted red peppers
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp roasted garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic, I use jarred
For dressing:
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp mustard
splash lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
balsamic glaze (optional)
Directions
- Cut cheese into six 1/2 inch slices (roughly). If you have dental floss, use that to slice. I didn't so I put the cheese in the freezer for a few minutes and then cut with a very sharp knife. Once cut put back in the fridge to keep cool. If any cheese crumbles off while you are cutting, just add to salad bowl.
- Heat grill (my trusty Breville) and slice pepper into pieces to be grilled. When grill is hot, grill peppers until soft and set aside to cool down. Once cool, finely slice the peppers.
- While peppers are cooking, use a small bowl or dressing jar to make dressing by mixing: balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mustard, garlic and lime juice. Set aside.
- Slice the end off of 6 strawberries and slice berries, add to salad bowl. With the remaining two, keep end on and slice, then fan out for garnish.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil with brown sugar and minced garlic in small fry pan over medium-high heat, when warm add onion and cook until soft and caramelized. Remove onions from pan
- While onions are cooking, set up three small bowls with:
- Flour
- Egg, beaten
- Breadcrumbs, rosemary, salt and basil
- Dip each slice of goat cheese in flour, then egg, then breadcrumb mixture.
- When onions are cooked and removed from pan, add 2 additional tsp of oil (don't wash out pan) and then add breaded cheese once the oil is hot. Cook until browned on one side, then flip and brown the other side.
- While cheese is cooking, add spring mix, blueberries, sliced grilled peppers, caramelized onion and crumbled egg to salad bowl and toss with dressing.
- Plate salad and place goat cheese patties on top with fanned out strawberries for garnish.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze (optional).
This is one of my favourite recipes! It is not hard to make, and will make you look like a pro! Be sure to bring some patience, phyllo is very thin and can tear easily. A few little tears won't matter as you layer three sheets of phyllo in each roll. The key is lots of butter that you use as "glue" to keep it all together. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, I welcome any comments and suggestions to make it even better!
Prep Time: 20 mins
Hands on Cooking: 20 mins
Baking Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 60 mins
Ingredients
Balsamic Chicken Phyllo Rollups
6 sheets of phyllo pastry, thawed in refrigerator for 4 hours
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar plus one splash
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (I used half yellow, 1/2 orange)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/3 onion, thinly sliced
3 tsp minced garlic (I use jarred)
1 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp dried thyme
4 slices bacon, cooked
salt
pepper
balsamic glaze (optional), I use Unico
Salad with Balsamic Garlic Dressing
3 cups spring mix
1 cup arugula
1/2 bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cucumber, skin removed and sliced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp bacon bits
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 tsp garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp honey mustard, I use French's Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, heat grill (or bbq) to medium heat.
- Add 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, peppers, shallot, onion, thyme, 1 tsp garlic and bacon to fry pan over medium heat.
- Cook mixture until vegetables are soft. When cooked remove from heat and set aside and add splash of balsamic vinegar.
- Put chicken breast inside ziplock bag and pound with a meat pounder until 1/2 inch thick.
- Remove chicken from bag and put in a large shallow bowl. Add remaining balsamic vinegar (2 tbsp), remaining garlic (2 tsp) and turn to coat.
- When grill is heated, add chicken and cook until no longer pink.
- Remove chicken from grill and cut into thin slices, then cut into smaller sections.
- Spread out phyllo on work surface (I do it directly on the clean counter)
- Tear sheets of phyllo in half as you go, and lay one sheet down, brush on butter, add second sheet on top, brush with butter, add third sheet and brush with butter. Cover remaining phyllo with damp towel to keep from drying out.
- Starting 1 inch from one of the short edges, add 1/4 each of grated old cheddar, vegetable mix and sliced chicken.
- Fold long edges over, then start rolling from edge you added the cheese, vegetables and chicken.
- Brush on butter to help close the roll, then place edge side down on a backing sheet.
- Repeat for three more rolls.
- Pour remaining butter over top of rolls and drizzle balsamic glaze over top (optional).
- Put in the oven until phyllo is crisp and golden brown, about 20 minutes
- While chicken rolls are cooking, add balsamic, garlic, mustard and lemon juice to salad bowl. Whisk together until mixed.
- Add remaining salad ingredients to salad bowl and toss with dressing. Serve on plates
- When chicken is done, cut on the diagonal and add four halves to plates with salad.
- Enjoy!
Notes:
- If you forgot to thaw phyllo don't worry, you can wrap it in a damp towel and put in microwave in 2 minute intervals until thawed.
- You can make the chicken rolls ahead of time and cover with plastic wrap in the fridge up to 24 hours.
