Spinachandgoatcheeseshells Recipes

SPINACH AND GOAT CHEESE SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two 9 x13" oblong pans + a 9" square pan.
• Pour a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan, set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the 2 tbsp of kosher salt.
• Add the pasta and cook 8-9 minutes (it will not be completely done). Drain well.
• In a large bowl, mash the tofu with the ¼ tsp kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic, leeks, oregano, thyme, parsley, half of each cheese, spinach and 1 cup of the marinara sauce.
• Spoon mixture into the shells, placing them in the prepared pan as you go.
• Sprinkle with remaining cheese and pour remaining marinara overtop.
• Bake for 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

SPINACH AND GOAT CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter. Place 1 phyllo sheet on a clean surface (cover the other sheets with a damp towel), brush with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon parmesan. Cover with another phyllo sheet, brush with more butter and sprinkle with another teaspoon parmesan. Top with the remaining phyllo sheet and brush with butter. Cut the phyllo stack into 24 squares, about 3 inches each. Brush a 24-cup mini muffin tin with oil, then firmly press a phyllo square, buttered-side down, into each cup. Bake until golden, 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until translucent. Stir in the flour, then add the milk and stir until the mixture is smooth, 1 minute. Add the nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in the goat cheese, lemon zest and vinegar until the cheese melts. Remove from the heat and mix in the egg yolks, then the spinach.
• Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the spinach filling. Spoon about 1 tablespoon filling into each phyllo cup and top with the remaining parmesan. Bake until the filling is set, 15 minutes. Cool slightly in the pan; remove and top with the chives.

SIDE ESSENTIALS: SAUTéED SPINACH & GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
• 3. Add the butter to a skillet over medium heat.
• 4. When the butter melts, add the shallots and garlic, and cook in for 1 minute.
• 5. Add the defrosted spinach to the skillet, sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper, to taste, and allow to cook for 3 - 5 minutes.
• 6. Evenly dollop on the goat cheese, and then cover and reduce the heat to medium low, for about 3 minutes.
• 7. Chef's Tip: One of the tricks is to not stir the goat cheese into the spinach; leave it in nice soft dollops. When you stir it into the spinach, it really diminishes the distinct flavor notes of the cheese and spinach.
• 8. Chef's Tip: Goat cheese comes in creamy or crumbled; in addition, some have spices infused into them. For this recipe, I choose creamy/plain goat cheese; however, you may wish to experiment with other types... Just for the fun of it.
• 9. Remove the cover, and drizzle on the lemon juice.
• 10. Chef's Note: And if you are feeling particularly randy, sprinkle on some freshly toasted pine nuts.
• 11. PLATE/PRESENT
• 12. Serve as a side with beef, pork, chicken or fish. Enjoy.
• 13. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

SPINACH GOAT CHEESE SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 6-cup soufflé dish or an 8-cup gratin dish and coat it with the Parmesan. Heat the milk with the aromatics until it boils. Set it aside to steep for 15 minutes, then strain.Meanwhile, cook the spinach leaves with water still clinging to them until tender. Strain. (You can use other greens as well; chard and tender kale come to mind.)
• When the spinach is wilted, remove from pan and strain out the moisture and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan. When foamy, stir in the flour and cook over low heat for several minutes. Whisk in the milk all at once and stir vigorously for a minute or so as it thickens, then add 3/4 teaspoon salt, a few twists of pepper, and the cayenne. Remove from heat. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time until well blended, then stir in the cheese. Don't worry about getting it smooth. Finely chop the spinach and and season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Add to the egg base. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
• Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form firm peaks, then stir a quarter of them into the base to lighten the mixture. Fold in the rest, transfer to the prepared dish, then put in the center of the oven and lower the heat to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and just a bit wobbly in the center. Remove, scatter the thyme over the top, and serve immediately.

SPINACH AND GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Use 2 tablespoons of the oil to brush both sides of the bread slices. Arrange on a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake until golden, flipping halfway through, about 7 minutes. While the toasts are hot, rub both sides with the whole garlic clove and return the bread to the baking sheet.
• Toast the pine nuts in a large skillet over medium heat, swirling, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive, minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook, over medium heat and stirring frequently, until the garlic is soft, about 1 minute. Add the spinach, in batches, sprinkling with salt after each new addition, until wilted and tender. Transfer to the bowl with the pine nuts, add the lemon zest and toss well. Drain the mixture in a colander and then roughly chop it.
• Divide the spinach mixture among the toasts and top each with some crumbled goat cheese. Bake just until cheese starts to melt, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with more red pepper flakes if using and serve warm.
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