BSI: Goat Cheese ~ Beet & Goat Cheese Napoleons

What an honor! My new sweet blogging friend Natasha at 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures asked me to host Week 73 of BSI (Bloggers Secret Ingredient). Let me first mention how challenging it is to come up with an ingredient no one has chosen before. But I like a good challenge! I toyed around with a number of ideas and brainstormed with my sister for about an hour. A few we talked about but didn't chose: Poblano Peppers, Mascarpone Cheese, and Couscous. Really for no good reason other than I had just made this fabulous recipe of Wolfgang Puck's from my March issue of Saveur Magazine, I chose Goat Cheese. I still can't get over the flavors! My recent discovery of beets(a staring ingredient in this recipe) has been enlightening. Sadly, my previous experiences were from the dreaded canned variety. Admit it, you just scrunched up your nose. I know, me too! These beets, will change all of that and you will do just what I have done. As soon as the word "beet" is out of your mouth, you will quickly explain the HUGE difference of a canned beet (yuck!) and a fresh roasted beet followed with the addition of cooking the slices in a scrumptious bath of equal parts of Rice Vinegar and Sugar until they practically turn into candy. Wolfgang is one of my culinary idols and I will be making this dish again and again! Oh yes, the goat cheese...You will love the fresh herbs infused in it and the delicious fresh orange vinaigrette drizzled over the entire masterpiece! Look for the BSI instructions after the recipe! I look forward to all of your creations with one of my favorite ingredients ~ Goat Cheese!

Beet & Goat Cheese Napoleons, Wolfgang Puck

5 large red beets, roasted, peeled, and cut 1/4"-thick slices

1 C Rice Vinegar 1 C Sugar 9 oz. Goat Cheese, softened 4 tsp minced fresh chives 4 tsp minced fresh parsley 2-1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3/4 C fresh orange juice

1 T balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp orange zest

1 small shallot, minced

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

3 T Hazelnut oil

Kosher salt, to taste

3 T chopped hazelnuts

1-To roast the beets, place them whole and unpeeled in a baking dish, adding about 1 inch of water. Cover tightly with foil and roast about 1 -1/2 hours on 425 degrees until a knife easily slides into the beets. Allow to cool. Using gloves unless you want to be "beet red", slide the skins off. Using a 2-5/8" inch round cookie cutter (I used a can and removed both ends that was close to the same size), cut out 20 of the beet slices, reserve scraps for another use (like borscht or a salad). In a 12" skillet, bring rice vinegar and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low and, working in batches, cook beet slices, turning once, about 2 minutes. Transfer slices to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Pat dry and chill.

2-Stir goat cheese together with the chives, parsley, 2 tsp of the thyme, and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

3-Bring orange juice to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over med-high heat. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup, 4-5 minutes. Let cool. Transfer juice to a bowl along with the remaining thyme, balsamic vinegar, zest, and shallots. while whisking, drizzle olive oil and hazelnut oil; whisk until smooth. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper; let chill.

4-To serve: Put 1 beet slice on a work surface, spread about 1 T cheese mixture over beet. Top cheese with another beet slice, pressing down so cheese oozes to edge. Repeat to create a stack with 4 layers of cheese between 5 beet slices. Makes 4 stacks in all. Slice each stack into 4 wedges(clean knife between slices); transfer to 4 plates. Drizzle vinaigrette over each plate; garnish with nuts. Serve with mixed greens, if you like.

Now for the BSI scoop!

Please submit your recipes that feature Goat Cheese to me by Sunday Evening, March 28th, 2010 to michele@gvtc.com or leave a comment with a link to your post.

Thanks again to Natasha at 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures for passing the Bloggers Secret Ingredient (BSI) torch to me. Check our her site for last week's secret ingredient and winner!

So what exactly is Bloggers Secret Ingredient, and how does it work?

• The host picks an ingredient, preferably one that is in season, readily available and not too expensive.
• The host links back to all the other previous week's posts.
• Participants create a unique recipe using the host's BSI and email the host their recipes.
• You do not need to have a blog to participate, and you do not have to submit a photograph to participate (though, it is preferred so I can show everyone your creative creation).
• If you don't have a blog, you can email the host(me!) michele@gvtc.com directly and it will be posted on the blog.
• The host reviews recipes Sunday evening each week and picks a favorite.
• I will hand select a winner based on what looks the yummiest, choose the next week's host and a prize will be awarded!

Be sure to check out the previous hosts and winners!!!

Week 72: 5 Star Foodie Asparagus

Week 71: Eats Well With Others Carrots

Week 70: Burp and Slurp Brussels Sprouts

Week 69: Fun Fearless Foodie Parmesan Cheese

Week 68: Natalie’s Killer Cuisine Cocoa Powder

Week 67: Eat. Live. Travel Write. Lemon Zest

Week 66: Travel Eat Love Coconut milk

Week 65: Run Beans Run Tofu

Week 64: Chicago Marathon Val - Mushrooms

Week 63: Biggest Diabetic Loser Cheddar Cheese

Week 62: A Fit and Spicy Life Balsamic Vinegar

Week 61: Peanut Butter Fingers - Nutmeg

Week 60: Jenn Eats Nutritiously Now - Garlic

Week 59: Home Cooked Em Cinnamon

Week 58: The Balanced Broad Flax

Week 57: Cookin Fanatic - Blue Cheese

Week 56: Foodie in the City - Ricotta Cheese

Week 55: Savvy Eats - Maple Syrup

Week 54: Sound Eats - Dried Fruit

Week 53: Mega Nerd Runs - Acorn Squash

Week 52: Healthy Tipping Point - Pancake Mix

Week 51: Live, Laugh Eat - Almond Butter

Week 50: Balance, Joy and Delicias! Cauliflower

Week 49: Healthy San Diego Living - Chickpeas

Week 48: Thought 4 Food - Yogurt

Week 47: London Foodie in New York - Chocolate

Week 46: Johnstone’s Vin Blanc - Oats

Week 45: Guilty Kitchen - Figs

Week 44: Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet - Peanut Butter

Week 43: The Sophisticated Gourmet - Brown Sugar

Week 42: My Kitchen Addiction Lime

Week 41: Nutmeg Nanny Coffee

Week 40: Chayaís Comfy Cook Broccoli

Week 39: Healthy Delicious Plums

Week 38: Zoe - Feta

Week 37: ChezWhat- Potatoes

Week 36: Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice Blueberries

Week 35: Girlichef -Greens

Week 34: The Ungourmet Watermelon

Week 33: Bread + Butter Bell Pepper

Week 32: Burp and Slurp -Corn

Week 31: Say Yes to Salad Kabocha

Week 31 1/2: Simply Fabulous Now Cherries

Week 30: Thinspired Bananas

Week 29: To Be The Whole Package Almonds

Week 28: Kristas Kravings Lemon

Week 27: From French Fries To Flax Seeds Coconut

Week 26: Plentiful Plants Avocado

Week 25: Training Fuel Eggs

Week 24: Dinner at Christinaís Cabbage

Week 23: Hey What’s for Dinner, Mom? Strawberries

Week 22: One Bite at a Time Basil

Week 21: Just Sweet Enough Black Beans

Week 20: What I Ate Yesterday Kale

Week 19: What’s for Dinner Orange

Week 18: BranAppetit! Spinach

Week 17: Tales of Expansion Dates

Week 16: Biggest Diabetic Loser Zucchini

Week 15: Sweet & Natural Peppermint

Week 14: bella eats [and runs] Ginger

Week 13: Coffee Talk Walnuts

Week 12: For the Love of Oats Pumpkin

Week 11: Trying to Heal Sweet Potatoes

Week 10: The Inner Workings of a College Graduate Eggplant

Week 9: Itzy’s Kitchen Pears

Week 8: The Fitnessista Cranberries

Week 7: Tri to Cook Lentils

Week 6: Rhodey Girl Tests Polenta

Week 5: Eating Bender Butternut Squash

Week 4: Care to Eat Apples

Week 3: On a Lobster Placemat Mushrooms

Week 2: Hangry Pants Tomatoes

Week 1: sportsnutritionliving Quinoa