Recipe: Lemon Goat Cheese Spread

Recipe: Lemon Goat Cheese Spread
I based this recipe on one I found on-line and served it as part of our Mediterranean dinner in Holland, MI plus at a Swope event the following weekend. It was a hit at both. It's delicious on thinly sliced French bread, but it would be equally good with some special crackers.

8 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 tsp lemon juice
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 garlic clove, minced
9 teaspoons olive oil
White pepper

Place goat cheese and butter in small yellow bowl, mix with spoon until it begins to combine. Add the lemon juice to the cheese mixture and continue to mix until it is combined, smooth and creamy. Mix thyme, lemon peel and garlic in another small yellow bowl; season with white pepper. Mix half of thyme mixture into goat cheese. Add olive oil to remaining half of thyme mixture. Form cheese into 2, 2 1/2-inch round; flatten slightly. Place in center of plate. Spoon oil-thyme mixture over top of cheese. I used the extra thyme to make the cute little bird's nests around the spread. Garnish with a couple of lemon slices also, if you wish.

Quick and Easy Dinner

This recipe was inspired by one from Everyday Food, the miniscule publication from Martha Stewart and PBS television program. I think both the magazine and TV show present simple ways to use whole foods in innovative ways. The portabello mushroom is delicious, easily assembled and simply popped in the oven. I came up with the bean mash after watching Nigella Lawson do something similar to cannellini beans last week. I brightened mine up with an olive oil flavored with lemon that really complements the deep mushroom flavor. The garbanzo beans also add a little protein to the plate. If I were stranded on a dessert island, garbanzo beans would be my food of choice!

Recipe: Portabello Mushrooms with Leeks and Goat Cheese
2 leeks
4 portobello mushroom caps
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon olive oil
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cups chopped fresh spinach (about 2 ounces)
8 oz fresh goat cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Trim the dark-green parts from leeks and slice into disks. Often I find leeks which don't have a speck of dirt in them, but its always best to wash them a bit. Place them in a bowl with cold water and move them around with your hand to loosen any dirt. Drain and repeat with fresh water until all of the grit is removed. Lift leek slices out of water, leaving grit behind; drain them thoroughly on paper towels and place in a bowl. Toss the leeks with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Lightly oil a foil-lined baked sheet. Place mushroom caps, gill sides up, on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with lemon olive oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Dived the leeks among the caps and bake until caps are just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the and top with spinach and cheese; season again with salt and pepper. Bake until spinach wilts and cheese starts to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Recipe: Lemony Garbanzo Mash
1 16-oz can of garbanzo beans
2 tablespoons lemon olive oil
1 tsp lemon pepper
Salt to taste

Rinse and drain the beans and place them in a microwave-safe dish. Add the olive oil and microwave on high for two minutes until both are warmed. Use a fork or potato masher and smash around until they are coarsely mashed. You may want to add a little water until you reach a desirable, slightly creamy consistency. Add the lemon pepper and salt to taste. Mix and rewarm before serving.

Shopping list:
2 leeks
4 portobello mushroom caps
Olive oil
Lemon olive oil
Rice wine vinegar (I really like the ginger rice vinegar from O.)
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
8 oz fresh goat cheese
1 16-oz can of garbanzo beans
Lemon pepper