Let’s cook!

Tomato with Baked Goat Cheese and Herb Salad

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

4 rounds fresh goat cheese

2 ripe tomatoes

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus a little more for the salad

1 cup lightly packed mixed fresh herbs such as tarragon, basil, Italian parsley, chopped

2 green onions, green part only chopped

red wine vinegar

gray salt and black pepper

In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs with salt and pepper to taste.

In another small bowl, add the egg white. Dip one flat surface of each goat cheese in the egg.

Then place the cheese in with the bread crumbs, patting the crumbs in place.

Repeat on the other side, leaving the sides uncoated. Place on a plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Cut the tomatoes in half and place on a plate. Season with salt and pepper and let rest while you make the herb salad.

In a small bowl, add the chopped herbs and green onions.

Add a splash of red wine vinegar, a light drizzle of olive oil and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the herb salad on top of the tomatoes.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

When the oil is almost smoking, add the cheese rounds, one coated-side down.

Cook until lightly browned, about a minute, then turn and cook on the second side.

Place two cheese rounds on each tomato.

Here is a close-up:

Happy Cooking!

Let’s cook!

Filet Mignon with Toasted Goat Cheese and Chile Sauce

2 filet mignon steaks, 2 inches thick

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper

2 thick slices of goat cheese

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 red chiles, lightly toasted

2 anaheim chiles, light toasted

4 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons honey

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the chiles and chicken stock.

Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender.

Process until smooth, and return back to the sauce pan.

Set heat to medium and cook for 10 more minutes to allow the sauce to get thick.

Preheat the grill to high. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let stand at room tempature for 10 minutes. Combine cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

Liberally season both sides of each filet with the spice mixture.

Grill the filets for 6 minutes for each side for medium rare.

Preheat the broiler. Remove the steak from the grill onto a baking sheet, and top each with a slice of the goat cheese and let rest for 5 minutes.

Go back to the chile sauce and add the sour cream and turn off the heat.

Place the steaks under the broiler until cheese is light gold and semi soft. Time to plate!

Ladle the chile sauce on the bottom of the dish and then place the filets on the sauce.

Here is a close-up:

Happy Cooking!

Let’s cook!

Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon onion, minced

2 Tablespoon butter

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup cold butter, sliced

1 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

2-4 chicken breast, boneless and skinless

Extra virgin olive oil for brushing

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

8 oz Capricho de Cabra or goat cheese

Mince the garlic and onion and add to a skillet with 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.  Cook until garlic and onions are tender–about 3-5 minutes.

Squeeze juice from one whole lemon (which is approximately 1/4 cup of lemon juice as a general rule of thumb) into a measuring cup and then add 1/2 cup white wine.  I used Chardonnay but just realized I forgot to add it to the ingredients picture, so imagine you saw it in the main picture.

Stir the wine and lemon guice into the skillet, increase the heat to medium high, and simmer to reduce the mixture by half.  Then add the cold butter one slice at a time.  I usually split the butter into to tablespoon servings to add them to the mixture.  Here’s what it looks like once you get most of the butter added:

Time to start the chicken now.  Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides, and put on the grill over high heat for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Time to finish the sauce.  Once you have combined all of the butter slices into the sauce, add the chopped sun dried tomatoes, basil, kosher salt and white pepper. 

Stir the ingredients together and remove from heat.  Set aside.

A few minutes before the chicken is finished grilling, place equal amounts of cheese on each breast and allow about 2 minutes for the cheese to melt slightly.

Now it’s time to finish the meal.  I decided to do my plating with mashed potatoes on the bottom, green beans on top of that, the chicken with cheese above that, and everything is topped off with the sun dried tomato sauce.

And the close up:

Thomas absolutely loved this dish and I would really encourage you to try it.  I love it anytime I am able to re-create a dish we have had in a restaurant at the house.  I hope you enjoy and I promise you won’t be disappointed.  The Cooking Husband will return with another recipe tomorrow, and be on the look out for the pictures of the meals from Vegas later this week.

Happy Cooking!