Goat Cheese Salad with Lemon Vinaigarette

Photo and Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

This goat cheese salad is a recipe that I found in Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food Cook Book. I had picked up the book for my husbands birthday recently and I was thumbing through it to find something to make for dinner. I came across this recipe and I knew it was the one we were having that night. My sister and brother in law were coming for dinner and we all have an affinity for goat cheese, especially them. Don’t ask me why it is just delicious, creaminess that we could eat every night.

This recipe can be located in the Everyday Food Cook Book or you can locate it on-line at Martha Stewart.com.

I will have to say this recipe turned out perfect. The goat cheese was nice and crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. The potatoes were cooked perfectly and really added to the salad. This was the first time I had ever added potatoes to a salad and I will do it again. The one thing that my husband and I changed is the vinaigrette. We are not big fans of the mustard vinaigrette in the recipe so we just made a lemon vinaigrette on the fly and it turned out just as tasty. I think the reason we did not like it was I did not have the right mustard. So I would try it again in the future with the correct mustard.

In case you don’t already know the Everyday Food Cook book is based on Martha Stewart’s  monthly Everyday Food Magazine. My husband and I go through this magazine and devour it. All the recipes are so simple (hence the title) and they take no time at all. Which is great because I have a 7 month old who gets mad when I am in the kitchen for to long and not paying attention to him. A majority of my shopping list is from this magazine and we love it.

Here is the recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart:

• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
• 3 large red potatoes (about 1 pound)
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 12 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 8 ounces mixed salad greens, or mesclun mix

1. Preheat broiler. Brush a baking sheet with oil; set side. Place the potatoes and 1/4 cup water in a microwaveable dish, cover with plastic wrap, and cook on high until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 8 to 10 minutes. (Alternatively, place potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil; simmer until fork tender, about 20 minutes.) Rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle. Cut into 1-inch chunks, and place in a medium bowl.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon each, salt and pepper. Slowly add 1/4 cup oil, whisking to emulsify. Pour dressing over potatoes, toss to combine and set aside.
3. In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place the breadcrumbs in a second shallow bowl. Slice the cheese into 8 rounds, and pat each into a disk about 1/2-inch-thick. Cover with wax paper to prevent sticking. Using two forks, dip disks first in egg, and then in the breadcrumbs, coating evenly. Place on prepared baking sheet.
4. Brush disks lightly with the remaining 1/4 cup oil, and broil until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.
5. Toss the lettuce with the dressed potatoes. To serve, spoon salads onto plates, and top each with cheese disks.