Mini Sweet Peppers w/ Chorizo and Goat Cheese

Cinco de Mayo is almost here!   I don’t know what it is about this day but I just love it!  I think it’s probably because I am one of those people who love a good themed holiday and with Cinco de Mayo you can really go all the way with it -- from the food to the drink, all the way down to sporting a fake ridiculous mustache.  Themed parties just make things so much more fun!  Last year, ChowGals’ first featured party was for the 5th of May and we had an awesome time.  Check out the link HERE and get some great recipes, decorations, party favors and planning tips!  

Last year I got all traditional with you -- salsa, bean dip, guacamole, carnitas and tres leches cake -- this year I’m vowing to show you some Mexican food that’s a little bit out of the box.  This week’s recipes will take your party to the next level.  

Today’s recipe is a delish appetizer that is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy!  These peppers might look hot but they are just mini sweet peppers {kind of like the mini version of bell peppers}.  Stuff these babies with spicy chorizo and goat cheese and your mouth will be in heaven. 

Mini Sweet Peppers w/ Chorizo and Goat Cheese (makes 12)

12 mini sweet peppers, in assorted colors

1/2 small Spanish onion, minced

2 links soft spicy chorizo (I found mine in Walmart in the refrigerated Latin section)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 oz. goat cheese

3 tbsp panko 

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Prepare the peppers by cutting a long flap out of the top to create a “boat”.  Reserve the removed pepper pieces and mince.  
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil.  Add onion and minced pepper and saute about 3 minutes.  Add chorizo to pan and break up, cooking until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.  Add panko to the pan and stir to combine.  Remove pan from heat and crumble in goat cheese.  Allow goat cheese to soften and melt for a minute then stir to combine.  
3. Spoon chorizo mixture into each pepper “boat” and place in an oven safe pan.  Bake peppers for 10-12 minutes, until peppers soften.  Serve. 

Tomato Bruschetta w/ Herb Goat Cheese

Many, many things have been going on in my life lately -- winning a cooking contest at our local ballpark, running in the Cooper River Bridge Run, hosting my husband’s friend for a weekend and a cute little kitten showing up at our door.  {If anyone knows how to get their dogs used to a cat, please let me know b/c my Beagle thinks it’s lunch!}  This kitten has been ruling my life at the moment -- trying to spend time with her and my dogs while keeping them separate is exhausting!  But my other little baby, my blog, has been severely neglected.  So I’m bringing it back with Crostini Week!  

Right now I am loving crostini -- I mean anything on top of a little crispy, chewy, buttery piece of bread is amazing.  So this week I’m going to show you three special recipes starting with a classic with a twist!  Tomato Bruschetta with Herb Goat Cheese  --  this is made even more special by using large slice of ciabatta -- it makes such a beautiful presentation!  I also like to serve this without toasting the bread --  the soft bread really lets the tomatoes and fresh basil shine!

Tomato Bruschetta w/ Herb Goat Cheese (makes 24 crostini)

1 loaf ciabatta bread slice into 24 pieces

For the herb cheese:

1 (4oz) log goat cheese, room temperature

2 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 small garlic clove, minced or grated

fresh ground black pepper

1 small handful fresh basil, minced

1 small handful fresh flat leaf parsley, minced

For the tomato bruschetta:

4 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 large handful fresh basil, torn

salt and pepper, to taste

balsamic syrup to taste

1. For the herb cheese, combine all ingredients and set aside.
2. For the tomato bruschetta, combine all ingredients and set aside.
3. To assemble, spread each slice of bread with herb cheese and top with tomato bruschetta.  Drizzle with additional balsamic syrup if desired.

Arugula Pesto-Goat Cheese Crostini

Today is our 100th Blog Post!!!!!!!!!!!  I am so excited to have made it to this milestone and hope you all have been enjoying ChowGals as much as I have!  I’m in the process of putting together a special giveaway to mark the occasion but have been feeling a little under the weather lately so I just couldn’t get my act together in time.  So look for a giveaway next week!  And keep reading and enjoying the blog -- tell your friends and send us pictures of any recipes you make -- we love to see our stuff in action!  

For today’s post, a festive little snack -- Arugula Pesto-Goat Cheese Crostini -- the colors are perfect for a Christmas/Holiday party.  This appetizer really is simple - and don’t be worried about making homemade pesto -- throw all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and you’re done!  Easy as can be!  Pesto is traditionally made with basil leaves, which I love, but a few years ago I had a hankering for pesto and had a big pile of arugula in the fridge.  I substituted it and I loved it!  It was so peppery and really packed a punch flavor-wise.  Don’t be afraid to experiment in the kitchen -- I find some of my favorites that way!

Arugula Pesto-Goat Cheese Crostini

1 loaf ciabatta bread, sliced and each slice halved

cooking spray

1 large package or bag baby arugula

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/3 c. fresh grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 c. chopped walnuts

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

1 log soft goat cheese, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Spray each side of bread slices with cooking spray and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden, flipping bread slices halfway through baking time.  Remove from oven and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine arugula, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and walnuts.  Process until ingredients resemble a paste.  With the processor running, stream in the olive oil.  Taste and adjust seasonings.
3. Smear goat cheese on each slice of ciabatta bread and top with prepared pesto.  Serve immediately.

SkinnyChow Butternut Squash and Kale Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

You know when you wake up in the morning and look around and think to yourself, “wow, I need to organize my life...” ??  Well, that’s what happened to me yesterday and I went on a cleaning frenzy.  Not only cleaning my kitchen but cleaning out my closets, organizing boxes obsessively and generally working on de-cluttering.  The problem with all of this is this....things always get worse before they get better.  So as I sit here writing this blog and drowning in clothes that I don’t want or need any longer, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.  I seriously wonder how those Super-Mom’s out there keep a tidy home, raise their children, cook dinner for their families every night and work a full time job.  I mean, I’m not living in squaller over here but there are definitely some rooms that I do not allow guests in -- as they are the rooms that I shovel all my crap in before anyone arrives.  I think I need to start pinning organizational and cleaning pins instead of food............ {definitely not as fun though!}

So today I thought I’d end the week with something vegetarian and healthy {and full of fall flavor}.  I’m not an overwhelming kale fan but when it’s wilted and dressed with this tangy cranberry vinaigrette it just works!  Give kale a try!  And if you want to add an extra kick of flavor then toss in some crumbled bacon! Mmmm!

Butternut Squash & Kale Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette 

makes 2 dinner sized salads or 4 side salads

Vinaigrette:

1/3 c. apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. dried cranberries

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 clove garlic, minced

6 c. kale, chopped into bite sized pieces and thick stems removed

2 c. butternut squash, diced

1/4 to 1/3 c. chopped walnuts

4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

1. For the vinaigrette: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine vinegar and dried cranberries.  Allow cranberries to plump up in liquid and bring to a light simmer, about 5 minutes.  Remove saucepan from heat and set aside.  Cool about 5 minutes then add mixture to blender along with mustard, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.  Blend until throughly combined.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and garlic.  Cook about 1 minute, until just fragrant.  Add kale to the pan with a little water and toss with garlic and oil.  Saute until beginning to wilt, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set kale aside.
3. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and diced butternut squash.  Season with salt and pepper and cook squash until beginning to crisp, around 7 - 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.
4. Transfer kale to salad plates and top with squash.  Sprinkle salads with walnuts and goat cheese and drizzle with cranberry vinaigrette.  Serve immediately.

Spaghetti with Peas and Pancetta

Tyler Florence is one of my favorite chefs, in fact, his cookbook, Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen, was one of the first books I bought that made me think... “Holy cow...I love food in a crazy way, and I love to make it look beautiful, and I love to cook for anyone that will sit down at my table.”   This epiphany came while pouring over the pages for hours, staring at the photos and, also, I had a little crush on him {it was 2003 -- don’t tell my husband}.  Anyhow, if you guys haven’t discovered Tyler Florence, check his books out.  His mantra is all about taking the ingredients that you have and making them glorious in a simple, unfussy way.  There’s even a sushi section in the book, which led me to try out sushi at home for the first time....something that is truly scary for any cook.

Another thing I especially love about this book is his section of recipes specifically designed for 2 people... Steve can be a little picky when it comes to leftovers {um, and I also like to cook so much that a new day calls for new food, don’t you think??} so we are constantly letting food go to waste.  A recipe for two is perfect simple.  Today I’m showing you a pasta recipe from his book that I love so much, filled with peas, pancetta, goat cheese and lemon.  I hope you guys love this easy to make recipe as much as I do...it’s become a staple in our home!

Spaghetti with Peas and Pancetta

from Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen

1/2 pound spaghetti

extra virgin olive oil

6 oz pancetta or thick cut bacon, diced

1 onion, minced

1 bay leaf

1 c. sweet peas, frozen or fresh

1 oz goat cheese

1/2 c. fresh grated parmigiano-regiano

1/4 c. fresh flat leaf parsley

juice of 1 lemon

fresh ground black pepper

1/4 c. fresh basil, hand torn

1. In a large stockpot, cook spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes, pasta should still be a little firm.
2. At the same time, heat a 2-count drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the pancetta or bacon and stir.  When fat starts to render, after about 3 minutes, add the onion and bay leaf.  Cook and stir until the onion caramelizes, about 10 minutes.  Now add the peas and cook for 2 minutes just to heat them through.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the starchy water for the sauce.  Ford the goat cheese into the hot pasta and give it a toss so it melts.  Scrape the pancetta {bacon}, onions and peas into the pasta pot {toss out the bay leaf}.  Add the parmigiano, parsley and lemon juice.  Slowly pour in the reserved pasta water to dissolve the cheese and thin it out to a sauce consistency.  Hit it with a healthy dose of olive oil and a few turns of fresh ground black pepper to give it bite.  Return noodles to the pot and gently toss to coat in the sauce.  Split the pasta between two large bowls and shower it with shredded basil.

Goat Cheese and Black Bean Dip

I guess my lazy weekend has turned into a lazy week!  I’ve been MIA from my blog!!!  Well last night I made a bunch of food to get back into it and now I’m packed with content that I’m super excited to share with you all!  I also watched Julie and Julia and my blogging spirit has been renewed!  

So today I have a fantastic and flavorful dip for you.  During the fall {also known to many as “football season”}, dips are a-plenty.  Most of these dips are clogged with fat in the form of sour cream, cream cheese or mayo...{and I’m not saying these dips aren’t the most amazing and flavorful dips out there....fat makes the stuff fantastic!}  Here’s a dip that doesn’t have one teeny drop of mayo or sour cream or cream cheese!  The only cheese in it is a sprinkling of creamy goat cheese -- which is a flavor bomb in and of itself.  I also used eggroll wrappers and sliced them into strips then baked them to use as dippers.  This is a much more healthy alternative to tortilla chips.

Goat Cheese and Black Bean Dip

from O Magazine

1 tbsp EVOO

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp cumin

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 c. chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

2 large poblano peppers

1 bunch scallions, sliced

1/2 c. chopped cilantro

10 eggroll wrappers, each sliced into 4 strips

cooking spray

1. First start with the eggroll wrappers.  Preheat the oven to 450.  Spray cooking spray on a large cookie sheet and lay eggroll strips on sheet.  Then, spray each strip with cooking spray.  Bake 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
2. Heat EVOO and cook onions and garlic about 5 minutes.  Stir in cumin.  Add 1 can beans and mash using a potato masher.  Stir in stock and other can of beans.  Simmer 5 to 7 minutes and season with salt and pepper.  Let cool.
3. Broil poblanos and blacken skin.  Place in paper bag to cool.  Peel skin, seed and chop.  Toss with scallions and cilantro. 
4. Decrease oven temp to 375.  In a 1 to 1 1/2 qt baking dish, spread half of bean mixture in bottom.  Top with half of cheese, crumbled, and half of pepper mixture.  Repeat layers.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Serve.