Goat’s Cheese and Sage Stuffed Chicken with Caramelized Fennel, Roasted Mushrooms and Pomegranate I’ve been making this style of chicken quite a lot, but am trying to mix up the stuffings. So what’s the #1 way to improve a recipe? Add cheese. It’s the American way. Ingredients (chicken): 1 whole chicken, cut up the backbone and flattened 1/4 cup goats cheese 3 garlic cloves 1/2 bunch of sage, chopped 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves Juice of half a lemon Salt, pepper and olive oil Mash the ingredients, starting with the garlic, and add a few tablespoons of oil.  Season with salt and pepper, add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well.  Stuff under the skin of a flattened whole chicken, and the brown skin side down in a skillet for 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 5 minutes more before putting in the oven for about 30 minutes at 220C / 400F. This side, on it’s own, is a lovely vegetarian dish and would have been very sufficient as dinner. The caramelized fennel I got from the book Plenty I’ve been raving about, and served with oven roasted mushrooms and fresh pomegranate.  Buy this book. High-res

Goat’s Cheese and Sage Stuffed Chicken with Caramelized Fennel, Roasted Mushrooms and Pomegranate

I’ve been making this style of chicken quite a lot, but am trying to mix up the stuffings. So what’s the #1 way to improve a recipe? Add cheese. It’s the American way.

Ingredients (chicken):

  • 1 whole chicken, cut up the backbone and flattened
  • 1/4 cup goats cheese
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 bunch of sage, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Salt, pepper and olive oil

Mash the ingredients, starting with the garlic, and add a few tablespoons of oil.  Season with salt and pepper, add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well.  Stuff under the skin of a flattened whole chicken, and the brown skin side down in a skillet for 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 5 minutes more before putting in the oven for about 30 minutes at 220C / 400F.

This side, on it’s own, is a lovely vegetarian dish and would have been very sufficient as dinner. The caramelized fennel I got from the book Plenty I’ve been raving about, and served with oven roasted mushrooms and fresh pomegranate.  Buy this book.

Dukkah Crusted Chicken Stuffed with Goat’s Cheese and Basil Served with a side of green beans, you could also make this by tying the chicken or wrapping it with pancetta, but it works out fine the “lazy” way.  Takes about 30 minutes total. Ingredients (serves 4): 6 pieces of boneless chicken thighs 6 tbsp goat’s cheese 6 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil 4 tbsp dukkah 1/2 onion, sliced 4 tomatoes Salt, pepper, olive oil Get an ovenproof skillet warm on the stove and saute onions in a bit of olive oil.  Mash up the goat’s cheese and basil and season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper.  Split the cheese mixture between the 6 pieces of chicken, and wrap it so it’s on the inside (it will probably come apart a bit while cooking).  Place the chicken in the pan with the tomatoes and sprinkle the whole dish with dukkah, and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes at 200C / 375F. High-res

Dukkah Crusted Chicken Stuffed with Goat’s Cheese and Basil

Served with a side of green beans, you could also make this by tying the chicken or wrapping it with pancetta, but it works out fine the “lazy” way.  Takes about 30 minutes total.

Ingredients (serves 4):

  • 6 pieces of boneless chicken thighs
  • 6 tbsp goat’s cheese
  • 6 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
  • 4 tbsp dukkah
  • 1/2 onion, sliced
  • 4 tomatoes
  • Salt, pepper, olive oil

Get an ovenproof skillet warm on the stove and saute onions in a bit of olive oil.  Mash up the goat’s cheese and basil and season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper.  Split the cheese mixture between the 6 pieces of chicken, and wrap it so it’s on the inside (it will probably come apart a bit while cooking).  Place the chicken in the pan with the tomatoes and sprinkle the whole dish with dukkah, and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes at 200C / 375F.

Beetroot, Goat’s Cheese and Mint Salad Quarter washed, raw beetroot and roast, tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper, for 30 minutes.  Refrigerate, and once cool, toss with 1/4 cup chopped mint.  Top with goat’s cheese, and serve on witlof leaves. High-res

Beetroot, Goat’s Cheese and Mint Salad

Quarter washed, raw beetroot and roast, tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper, for 30 minutes.  Refrigerate, and once cool, toss with 1/4 cup chopped mint.  Top with goat’s cheese, and serve on witlof leaves.

Scrambled Eggs with Chili Prawns and Goat’s Cheese and Mint Ingredients (serves 2): 4 eggs 1/2 cup skim milk 2 prawns, cooked or uncooked, sliced in half lengthwise 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 4 tbsp goat’s cheese 1 tomato, sliced 1 cup baby spinach 2 slices of bread 1/4 cup chopped Vietnamese mint Salt, pepper and oil Mix the eggs and milk, and set aside.  Saute the prawns with the chili, and season with salt and pepper.  In a pan on medium heat, pour in the eggs, whipping constantly, until they change in color and start to set.  Once they’re quite thick, stop stirring and flip to finish cooking on the other side. Layer spinach and tomato on the bread, top with eggs, season with salt and pepper, and add the cheese, prawns, and finish with mint. High-res

Scrambled Eggs with Chili Prawns and Goat’s Cheese and Mint

Ingredients (serves 2):

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 2 prawns, cooked or uncooked, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 4 tbsp goat’s cheese
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 2 slices of bread
  • 1/4 cup chopped Vietnamese mint
  • Salt, pepper and oil

Mix the eggs and milk, and set aside.  Saute the prawns with the chili, and season with salt and pepper.  In a pan on medium heat, pour in the eggs, whipping constantly, until they change in color and start to set.  Once they’re quite thick, stop stirring and flip to finish cooking on the other side.

Layer spinach and tomato on the bread, top with eggs, season with salt and pepper, and add the cheese, prawns, and finish with mint.

Pear and Goat’s Cheese Bruschetta I made this as a snack but probably just could have eaten it for dinner; pear and goat’s cheese is just such a good combination! Ingredients: 2 slices of bread 1 pear, thinly sliced 1/4 cup crumbled goat’s cheese Olive oil, salt and pepper Top the bread with the pear and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 10-15 minutes at 200C / 375F, until the pear has started to get brown.  Add goat’s cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, and serve. High-res

Pear and Goat’s Cheese Bruschetta

I made this as a snack but probably just could have eaten it for dinner; pear and goat’s cheese is just such a good combination!

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of bread
  • 1 pear, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup crumbled goat’s cheese
  • Olive oil, salt and pepper

Top the bread with the pear and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 10-15 minutes at 200C / 375F, until the pear has started to get brown.  Add goat’s cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Pistachio and Basil Crusted Salmon with Roasted Beetroot, Goat’s Cheese and Spinach Salad Really easy way to dress up some salmon, only takes a minute to put together and really delicious! Ingredients: 2 pieces of salmon 1/2 cup of white wine 1/4 cup shelled pistachios 1/2 cup fresh basil 2 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves of garlic Salt and pepper 4 beetroots, quartered 2 tbsp butter 1/2 cup fresh chopped herbs (sage is great, but basil or thyme will do) Spinach, tomatoes, green onion, goat’s cheese.. whatever you want to put in the salad Marinate the salmon in wine for an hour while you put the beetroots together.  Melt the butter and toss with the sage and beetroots.  Season with salt and pepper and bake, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes. In a food processor, puree the pistachio, basil, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Remove the salmon from the wine and put in a baking dish.  Top with the pistachio mixture and put the remaining wine in the pan.  Bake under the grill for 15-20 minutes and serve with the salad and beetroot. High-res

Pistachio and Basil Crusted Salmon with Roasted Beetroot, Goat’s Cheese and Spinach Salad

Really easy way to dress up some salmon, only takes a minute to put together and really delicious!

Ingredients:

  • 2 pieces of salmon
  • 1/2 cup of white wine
  • 1/4 cup shelled pistachios
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 beetroots, quartered
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup fresh chopped herbs (sage is great, but basil or thyme will do)
  • Spinach, tomatoes, green onion, goat’s cheese.. whatever you want to put in the salad

Marinate the salmon in wine for an hour while you put the beetroots together.  Melt the butter and toss with the sage and beetroots.  Season with salt and pepper and bake, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes.

In a food processor, puree the pistachio, basil, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Remove the salmon from the wine and put in a baking dish.  Top with the pistachio mixture and put the remaining wine in the pan.  Bake under the grill for 15-20 minutes and serve with the salad and beetroot.