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Baked Goat Cheese Salad

Serving food to 4 adult children, who all love to cook and are great cooks in their own right, is always an excuse to try a new recipe and hopefully elicit an exclamation of approval. This recipe from Green Cooking did such that. The kids loved the warm goat cheese with strawberries. However, thumbs down on the Dijon Lemon dressing, we preferred a balsamic dressing instead.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 2 large Spanish onions thinly sliced
  • ¾ cup whole-wheat Panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 egg whites
  • 4 oz Chèvre or spreadable goat cheese
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons chopped raw unsalted pecans
  • 2 cups baby arugula
  • 2 cups thinly sliced strawberries

Instructions

  • Caramelize onions: Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high and lightly mist with cooking spray. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. (NOTE: Skillet will be quite full to start, but onions shrink as they cook.) Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, sticky and light caramel in color, about 1 hour. Remove from heat, transfer to a large plate and let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, combine Panko, thyme, salt and pepper. In a separate medium bowl, lightly beat egg whites; set aside. With your hands, gently press goat cheese into 4 1-oz balls and flatten each into 1/2-inch-thick patties. Dip patties in egg, turning to coat, then gently press both sides into Panko mixture; repeat process to coat each patty twice. Transfer to a small tray, cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare dressing: In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, Dijon and additional salt and pepper; set aside.
  • Line a medium baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray. Arrange cheese patties in a single layer on 1 half of sheet and mist tops with cooking spray. Bake for 6 minutes. Flip patties and bake for 6 more minutes, until golden. Turn oven heat off and remove sheet from oven. Add pecans to remaining half of sheet. Return to oven until pecans are warm, about 3 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine arugula, strawberries and dressing. Toss gently to coat and divide among serving plates. Top with onions, pecans and cheese patties, dividing evenly.