Coles Lake Dairy

Cleanin' Out the Cabinets Pasta

So I was making dinner the other night and didn’t have a lot to choose from except a few odds-and-ends.  There never seems to be time to grocery shop when there’s always something goat-related to do  Anyway, I threw together a bit of this and that and the result was amazing.  So as Mark and I were enjoying dinner, we got to talking about it and figured that if I, with limited culinary experience, could come up with something as good as I did,  (thanks in no small part to the Coles Lake Dairy Plain Chevre I used as a main ingredient) what are other people coming up with?  So was born our Monthly Featured Recipe & Contest.

The rules are simple.  Send us your favorite recipe (to jenny@chazberrylane.com) using any of the Coles Lake Dairy products, and you’re automatically entered in the contest.  We’d appreciate pictures, too, even if they’re kinda out of focus and taken with a cell phone like mine was.  When the month is over, we’ll post the recipes to our Web site and pick our favorite.  If your recipe is selected as our Featured Recipe, you’ll win valuable cash and prizes.  Ok, maybe not cash.  And maybe not prizes.  But a selection of  fresh Coles Lake Dairy products, shipped right to your door.

To get the ball rolling, I’ll share what I did to make the yummy dish pictured above.  Don’t laugh.  My cooking style is a bit unorthodox  ~Jenny

Cleanin’ Out the Cabinets Pasta

Cooked angel hair pasta

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

Coles Lake Dairy Plain Chevre

Fresh tomatoes, cubed

Fresh spinach

Fresh garlic, to taste

Butter

Grated Parmesean cheese

In one pan, sautee garlic in butter.  Add chicken and cook until, well…cooked  While chicken is cooking, sautee more butter (healthy I know) with garlic and add spinach.  Cook until tender.  Add Coles Lake Dairy Plain Chevre to spinach/butter/garlic combination.  Stir frequently until chevre is fully melted and ingredients are well blended.  Add chicken/garlic mixture.  Spoon over angel hair pasta, top with fresh tomatoes and add a dash of Parmesean cheese.  It would have taken me about 10 minutes to make had I not been making it up as I went along

World's Best Pimento Cheese Sandwich - photo by Bonnie Heath

Ingredients:

1 (6 oz) Coles Lake Dairy garlic chevre
1 (7-oz.) jar diced pimiento, drained
1/2 cup  low fat Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3 cups (12 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1. Mix the chevre and Greek yogurt until creamy. Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix until fully combined.

2. Spread cheese on Magnolia Bread’s olive loaf. Grill with a teaspoon of butter over medium heat until cheese is melted.

Goat cheese and shrimp stuffed peppers - photo by Bonnie Heath

Ingredients:

8 large poblano chilies
16 ounces peeled deveined cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped
6 ounces Coles Lake Dairy chevre at room temperature
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped shallot
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1. Char poblano chilies in broiler, turning every few minutes until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag 10 minutes. Peel chilies. Using small sharp knife, carefully slit chilies open along 1 side. Remove seeds, leaving stems attached.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix shrimp and next 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill chilies with shrimp mixture, dividing equally. Place stuffed chilies on baking sheet.

3. Bake chilies uncovered until heated through and cheeses melt, about 15 minutes. Serve with red pepper sauce and yellow rice.

Red Pepper sauce
4 roasted red peppers
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Puree in blender.

Bacon, tomato and goat cheese pasta - photo by Bonnie Heath

Ingredients:

2 pints of grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 medium shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 box wheat fettuccine
6 oz Coles Lake Dairy herb cheese
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine tomatoes and vinegar in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand until tomatoes release their juice, about 15 minutes.
2. Heat heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon; cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Drain most of the bacon grease, but keep a about 2 tablespoons in the pan.
3. Add shallots to same skillet and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; sauté 1 minute. Add tomato mixture and cooked bacon. Simmer until tomatoes are heated through, about 4 minutes. Add bas1l and simmer until wilted, about 1 minute.
4. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain.
Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add goat cheese,  and tomato mixture. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topping with parmesan.

Mediterranean Goat Cheese Risotto

Yield:  8

Ingredients-

2 quarts chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1.5 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chopped basil leaves
6 oz Coles Lake Dairy Mediterranean goat cheese
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer. Add the shrimp, cover and simmer over moderate heat until just cooked, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate to cool. Cover the stock and keep it at barely a simmer.

2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and cook over low heat, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until it is coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1 scant cup of the simmering stock and cook, stirring constantly, until it is absorbed. Continue to add the stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly until it is absorbed. The risotto is done when the rice is tender but still slightly firm and creamy, about 25 minutes total.

3. Stir in the shrimp. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the basil, goat cheese. Season the risotto with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan cheese on top

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Apple and Goat Cheese Appetizer

Ingredients:

12 slices of pancetta (about 1/3 pound)
1 tart apple
6 ounces crumbled plain Coles Lake Dairy Chevre
Fresh cracked pepper
Honey

1. Bake pancetta slices at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes until brown. Transfer to a paper towel and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Cut apple into thin slices. Place slices on a serving tray and top each with a piece of crispy pancetta. Top with goat cheese and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Moroccan Carrot and Feta Salad

Ingredients:
5 large carrots, coarsely grated
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 cup crumbled Coles Lake feta
1 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin

Preparation
1. In a medium bowl, toss together the grated carrots, cilantro, feta, and raisins.

2. Pour the lemon juice into a small bowl and add cumin; slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking to blend.

3. Pour dressing over carrot mixture, toss to combine.

4. Chill for 30 minutes until flavors are blended.

Ingredients for spicy eggplant pasta

Ingredients:
4 1/2  cups  cubed peeled eggplant (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4  garlic cloves, minced
2  tablespoons  tomato paste
1  teaspoon  dried oregano
1  teaspoon  dried parsley
1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
6  cups  hot cooked whole wheat pasta
6 ounces Coles Lake Dairy seven pepper chevre

Spicy eggplant pasta with red wine

1. Add olive oil and cook eggplant and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Add tomato paste and the next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes); cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Place pasta in a large bowl. Add tomato mixture, half of the goat cheese, toss well.

3. Sprinkle remaining goat cheese on the top of the pasta and serve.