Walnut Crusted Goat Cheese Salad

Hard to believe that tomorrow is March. Spring is around the corner and it will soon be time to start eating lighter and drop the winter pounds. I thought I would add one more recipe to end off the month of February. This is a salad that can be eaten as an appetizer or as a meal. It is crunchy, soft, sweet & savoury all in one.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of bread crumbs
1/3 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 t salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 small log of goat cheese sliced into 6 rounds
1 egg white lightly beaten

salad greens
dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted walnuts broken into pieces
your favourite vinaigrette

In a food processor pulse the bread crumbs, toasted walnuts, paprika, thyme salt and cayenne pepper. Be careful not to over grind as the mixture will get too pasty. Place in a shallow dish. Beat the egg white in a separate shallow dish. Slice the goat cheese into rounds. Using dental floss to do this is a great trick as the cheese crumbles easily and sticks to knives. Dip the cheese into the egg white and then thoroughly coat with the bread crumb/nut mixture. Place on a tray and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

On a lightly greased baking sheet bake the goat cheese for 5 to 10 minutes.

Prepare the greens with vinaigrette. Place on plate and then top with baked goat cheese, toasted walnut and dried cranberries. If it is an appetizer top with one round of cheese, if it's a meal top with 2 rounds of cheese.