Goat Cheese Wontons With Tomato Herb Salsa Recipes

GOAT CHEESE WONTONS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the cheese, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Beat egg and water., Place 1 tablespoon cheese mixture in the center of a wonton wrapper. (Keep remaining wrappers covered with a damp paper towel until ready to use.) Fold bottom corner over filling. Fold sides toward center over filling. Moisten remaining corner with egg; roll up tightly to seal., In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry wontons, a few at a time, for 30-60 seconds on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

BAKED TOMATOES WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Slice off the tops of 4 large beefsteak tomatoes; scoop out the seeds and some of the flesh. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Fill each tomato with 1 ounce crumbled goat cheese. Combine 1/2 cup panko, 2 tablespoons each olive oil, grated Parmesan and chopped parsley, 1 grated garlic clove, 1 teaspoon each fresh thyme and grated lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; sprinkle on the tomatoes. Bake at 450˚ F until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

SALSA-BAKED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the nuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until lightly browned and very fragrant, 7 or 8 minutes (the pine nuts will brown quicker than either of the others). Remove and slide them off into a medium-size bowl.
• 2. Add the cheeses to the bowl and combine thoroughly with the nuts. Scoop it in the center of a baking dish (I like to use a decorative 9-inch pie pan) and form it into a 5-inch-diameter disk. Spoon the salsa over and around the cheese. Place the dish in the oven and bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle on the cilantro and set it out for your guests to enjoy as a dip or a spread.

GOAT CHEESE-ARUGULA RAVIOLI WITH TOMATO-PANCETTA BUTTER

Steps:

• Make ravioli:
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté 10 minutes. Add arugula; toss until wilted but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Transfer arugula mixture to large bowl and cool. Mix in goat cheese and Parmesan cheese. Season filling with salt and pepper.
• Line 2 baking sheets with heavy-duty foil; spray foil with nonstick spray. Place 4 wonton wrappers on work surface; cover remaining wrappers with plastic to prevent drying. Lightly brush entire surface of each wrapper with egg white. Spoon 1 generous teaspoon filling into center of each wrapper. Fold wrappers diagonally in half, forming triangles. Press edges firmly to seal. Arrange ravioli on prepared sheets. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. (Can be made ahead. Cover with plastic and chill up to 1 day; or cover with plastic, then heavy-duty foil, and freeze up to 1 week. If frozen, do not thaw before cooking.)
• Make tomato-pancetta butter:
• Cook chopped pancetta in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel; drain. Set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add butter to drippings in skillet; melt over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and thyme; sauté until tomatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Cook and serve ravioli:
• Place melted butter in large bowl. Cook half of ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 4 minutes for fresh or 5 minutes for frozen. Using large strainer, transfer ravioli to colander and drain; place in bowl with butter and toss to coat. Cover to keep warm. Cook remaining ravioli in same pot of boiling water. Drain and add to bowl of buttered ravioli. Toss gently to coat. Divide ravioli among bowls. Rewarm tomato butter over medium heat. Add reserved pancetta and basil; sauté 1 minute. Spoon sauce over ravioli; garnish with thyme.
• *Pancetta, Italian bacon cured in salt, is available at Italian markets and in the deli case at many supermarkets.

CHICKEN AND GOAT CHEESE WONTONS

Steps:

• Chop all ingredients, except the wonton wrappers, into a very fine mince. This is a good one for your food processor.
• Fold small amount into center of wonton wrapper. Seal all edges with water.
• Fry, a few at a time, at 350 degrees, approx 3 minutes. Drain on paper towel.

GOAT CHEESE WONTONS WITH TOMATO-HERB SALSA

Steps:

• 1. TO MAKE THE SALSA: In a food processor, pulse all of the ingredients until pureed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours. 2. TO MAKE THE WONTONS: Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. In a medium bowl, mash the goat cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, and pepper with a rubber spatula until combined. Place a wonton wrapper on a work surface, with the points at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock. Brush the edges of a wonton wrapper with cold water. Place 1 teaspoon goat cheese mixture on the bottom third of the wrapper. Fold over the top point of the wrapper to meet the bottom point, enclosing the filling in a triangle shape. Press the edges of the wrapper to seal. Place on the waxed paper. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers. (The wontons can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated.) 3. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a deep Dutch oven, melt vegetable shortening to a depth of 2 to 3 inches and heat it to 365°F. In batches, without crowding, deep-fry the wontons, turning once, until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Keep the wontons warm in the oven while frying the rest. Using a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer to the paper towels to drain. Serve warm, with the salsa.