For as long as I can remember I have been a fan of the indulgent salad. Growing up, my mom referred to herself as the Queen of Salads, but I was always inclined to disagree. She made super veggie-heavy salads and we were lucky if there was some crumbled feta on top! My favorite was a pecan crusted goat cheese salad from Stephanie’s in Boston– a rare treat when I’d go into the city with my Dad. I’ll admit that is undoubtably the inspiration behind this one!
Moving to the suburbs in 2020 was difficult for approximately a million reasons, but something that I immediately knew I’d miss about the city was the plethora of fast-casual salad joints. There are few things in life I have felt more loyal to than Just Salad’s Modern Greek Crunch and I nearly cried when I found out Sweetgreen’s Buffalo Chicken Salad was seasonal. If I was going to avoid spiraling further into depression, I knew I better learn how to make a great lunch.
At risk of continuing and sounding like Every Ranting Food Blogger Ever– here is my pistachio crusted hot goat cheese recipe. It is delicious and indulgent and would be perfect for a dinner party or just a treat yourself lunch.
Ingredients:
For the goat cheese balls:
- 5oz honey goat cheese (I like Trader Joe’s best)
- 1.5 cups of crushed raw pistachios (I crush them in my food processor)
- 2 eggs
For the salad:
- Arugula
- Shredded carrots
- Mini cucumber
- Pomegranate seeds
- Ken’s Italian Dressing
How to make the goat cheese balls:
- Crush pistachios and place in a bowl
- Beat 2 eggs and place in a bowl
- Cut goat cheese into one inch pieces and roll into balls
- Dip the goat cheese balls into the egg
- Roll the goat cheese balls in the pistachio mixture
- Place in a tupperware container
- Freeze overnight (or at least 6 hours)
- Put in the airfryer at 375 for 7 minutes (might need an extra min for big balls)
- Place on top of the salad
- Enjoy!
