Warm Pancetta Goat Cheese And Spinach Salad Recipes

SPINACH SALAD WITH HOMEMADE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE RECIPE

Steps:

• Place spinach, goat cheese, craisins, and nuts in a salad bowl.
• Whisk dressing ingredients together and drizzle over greens.
• Season to taste with fresh ground black pepper.

SPINACH SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil to make a creamy dressing.
• Put all but a large handful of the spinach in a large bowl. Toss with most of the dressing. Add remaining spinach and continue tossing until well coated.
• Serve immediately topped with goat cheese and walnuts.

WARM PANCETTA, GOAT CHEESE AND SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• Put the spinach in a large bowl. Crumble the cheese over the spinach. Cook the pancetta in a medium skillet over medium heat until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pancetta in a sieve set over a heatproof measuring cup, reserving the rendered fat. You will need 1/4 cup for the dressing. If necessary, add enough olive oil to make 1/4 cup. Pour the fat back into the pan and add the pancetta. When the pancetta is warm again, add the garlic and cook until light brown, about 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add the thyme and let it crackle in the fat for about 10 seconds. Add the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for about 30 seconds to lower the acidity of the vinegar. You should see tiny drops of vinegar dispersed throughout the fat. Add the dried cranberries and stir. Pour the dressing over the spinach and cheese. Toss to coat the leaves evenly and melt the cheese a little. Serve immediately.

WARM SPINACH SALAD WITH PANCETTA DRESSING

Steps:

• Combine the spinach and red onions in a large bowl.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Add the mushrooms and salt to taste, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until they start to release their moisture and begin to shrink, 2 to 3 minutes. Now let the mushrooms cook undisturbed until their liquid evaporates and they have turned deep golden brown on one side, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until nicely browned on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes more. With a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms from the pan and toss with the spinach and onions.
• In a separate, heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook the pancetta over medium-low heat until dark and crispy, about 15 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and reserve.
• To the rendered fat in the pan, add the vinegar, honey and mustard. Bring to a boil and whisk to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste and then pour the warm dressing over the spinach, mushrooms and onions. Add the reserved pancetta and toss to distribute the heat and dressing.
• Serve in a salad bowl, garnished with pine nuts.

GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH PANCETTA, DRIED CHERRY AND PORT DRESSING

Steps:

• Combine cherries and Port in heavy small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; let stand until cherries swell, about 15 minutes. Sauté pancetta in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add shallots and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add oil, then vinegar and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Stir in cherry mixture. Season with salt and pepper. (Dressing can be made 2 hours ahead. Set aside in skillet at room temperature.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place goat cheese slices on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until warm, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine salad greens and pine nuts in bowl. Rewarm dressing and pour over salad; toss to blend. Top with warm goat cheese and serve.

SPINACH SALAD WITH ORANGES AND WARM GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Cut peel and white pith from oranges with a sharp small knife. Working over a sieve set over a bowl, cut orange sections free from membranes, letting sections drop into sieve.
• Cut goat cheese into fourths and pat each portion between your hands to form a disk. Pat pecans all over each disk to coat. Bake on a small baking sheet in middle of oven until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Measure out 1 tablespoon orange juice from bowl and whisk together with mustard, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add oil and whisk until blended.
• Add spinach, onion, and orange sections to dressing and toss well. Season with pepper. Divide among 4 salad plates and carefully transfer 1 goat-cheese disk to each salad.

GOAT CHEESE AND SPINACH SALAD WITH WARM VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Several hours before serving, remove the Bucheron from the refrigerator (it should be very cold); pull off the skin that encircles the cheese.
• With a sharp knife, cut the Bucheron into 6 thin slices and place on a large plate.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until ready to assemble the salad. (If the edges crumble a bit, don't worry--put the crumbled cheese aside with the slices.).
• Wash the spinach in a sink filled with cold water, pulling the stems off the leaves.
• Drain in a colander and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Tear the leaves into pieces and set aside in a salad bowl.
• Combine the shallot, mustard, basil, sugar, salt, pepper to taste, vinegar, and oil in a small bowl and reserve.
• When ready to serve, toss the spinach with 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette--enough to barely coat the leaves.
• Arrange the spinach on 6 salad plates and arrange a slice of cheese on top of each bed of spinach.
• In a small saucepan, warm the remaining vinaigrette over moderate heat.
• As it comes just to a simmer, drizzle it in equal portions over the cheese and spinach.
• Serve immediately.