Goat Cheese, Pesto, Dried Fruits, and Pine Nuts OH MY!

YUM!

This is delicious and the world's easiest and fastest appetizer to put together!  The original recipe came from my sweet friend Janet in North Carolina which she served as a starter before a fabulous dinner at her home(full dinner on  later post).  I switched things up just a bit.  The original recipe called for dried cranberries, to that I also added chopped dried apricots.  This is a winner Janet, thank you!

Goat Cheese, Pesto, Dried Fruits and Pine Nuts

2-4 oz packages soft goat cheese

4 - 6 T. Pesto

1/2 C dried Cranberries

1/4 C dried Apricots, diced

1/3 C Pine Nuts, toasted

Your favorite crackers

Spread goat cheese in the bottom of low profile serving dish or plate.  Spoon pesto on top and spread to cover goat cheese.  Sprinkle mixture of dried fruits on top of pesto.  Sprinkle toasted pine nuts over dried fruits.  Serve with crackers or toasted baguette slices.  

Takes less than 5 minutes to prepare!  Goat cheese is a breeze to spread if you remove it from the refrigerator a few minutes before you assemble this.

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Cream Cheese, Goat Cheese and Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast

Making a pocket in the chicken breast to hold the stuffing is easy! Browning the chicken before baking gives it a beautiful golden color. Finishing it in the oven ensures that it cooks evenly throughout. You will not need to use a baking dish if you have a skillet that can go from the stove to the oven. This was delicious with grilled asparagus and a salad! I would make this for company anytime. 4 boneless chicken breast 1 egg white ½ C breadcrumbs (I love Panko) 2 tsp olive oil 4 T. cream cheese 4 T. goat cheese 2 T. pesto Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Combine cream cheese, goat cheese, pesto and salt & pepper in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit along the thin side of each of the chicken breasts, forming a pocket. Place one-fourth of the filling in the center of each pocket. Close the breasts over the filling and secure with a toothpick. Lightly beat egg white in a medium bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Hold each chicken breast closed and dip in the egg white, then dredge in the breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken breast; cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Place the chicken, browned side up in prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered until the chicken is no longer pink in the center or until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees, about 20 minutes.

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Mediterranean Penne Pasta

Super easy to throw together!  All of these ingredients can be kept on hand for a quick night dinner or surprise dinner guests.  Delicious, fresh tasting, and ready in minutes.  Serve with a crisp Caesar Salad and you have a complete meal.  Italian pasta recipes are the best known by far, but other Mediterranean regions have also developed their own pasta recipes and different types of pasta. Burballes in Majorca, hilofta in Crete, fideus in Catalonia, orzo in Greece, manti in Turkey, couscous in Morocco -they are but a few of the hundreds of different names and shapes of Mediterranean pasta.  So, relax with a great glass of wine and imagine yourself sitting in the warm Mediterranean sun, looking across the beautiful azure sea, dining alfresco with a great bunch of friends.  Let your taste buds take a quick vacation from the cold outside.

  
Mediterranean Penne Pasta

1 large red red bell pepper, roasted, see instructions below
1/2 C Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
4 ounces Prosciutto, broiled to crisp, if desired
1/2 C Sun-dried tomatoes, olive packed, drained and diced
1/3 C Pesto
1-6 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 Tbl Capers, rinsed and drained
8 ounces Penne Pasta
1/2 Cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded and divided
1/4 C Pine Nuts, toasted
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Lay red pepper on it's side on rack of a gas burner and turn flame on high.  Roast pepper, turning with tongs, until skin is blackened, 5 to 8 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and let stand, covered, 15 minutes.  Rub skin off  with paper towels and discard stem and seeds.  Chop the pepper in medium size dice, place in a large bowl.  If desired, place slices of prosciutto on small sheet pan and broil for a few minutes, add to bowl.  Stir in olives, sun-dried tomatoes,  pesto, artichoke hearts, and capers.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and oil, drain.  Add cooked pasta and 1/4  cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to bell pepper mixture and toss gently to combine.

Serve and sprinkle individual servings with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, fresh ground pepper, and toasted pine nuts.

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