Ingredients (serves 6)
Zucchini packets with fresh goat cheese
- 2-3 medium size zucchini
- 300g ( 10.25 oz) fresh young spinach leaves, washed and drained
- 100g ( 3.5 oz) baby lettuce leaves for decoration
- 1 roll of fresh goat cheese
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- Fresh grounded lime pepper
- black grounded pepper
- fleur de sel
- some grounded chilli flakes
- Fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 6 tblsp of extra virgin olive oil
- Raspberry flavored Balsamico syrup
Preparation
- Start with the spinach. Use a wide pan and add some olive oil, black grounded pepper and some fleur de sel. Reduce the spinach over medium heat. Take from the heat and pour through a sieve to remove the excess of moisture.
- Cut long slices of zucchini with a peeler. You need 4 nice slices for each packet.
Tip:You cannot cut slices once in the seed part. Turn the zucchini one quart and continue making long slices. Repeat the operation until you have removed all usable slices of the zucchini. Use as many zucchini as needed. - Chop all seed parts of the zucchini unto fine cubes. Put 1 tblsp of olive oil, the garlic gloves, some oregano, lime grounded pepper, fleur de sel and grounded chilli flakes in a pan and bring to medium heat. Add the cubes and cook until tender. Stir gently, the cooking goes fast, you still want a bite. Take from the heat and put aside.
- Start making the packets. Place 2 slices next to each other and 2 others crosswise. Braid them in and gently push them together. Take a bit of the spinach and place it on the braided part. On top of that comes a same amount of the zucchini cubes. Both vegetables should fit the braided part. Put a slice of fresh goat cheese on top of the vegetables. Put some drops of the Raspberry balsamico syrup on top of the goat cheese. Fold the ends of the zucchini over the vegetables and cheese to close the packets. Brush some of the olive oil over the folded ends so the packets remain closed.
- Brush an oven plate with olive oil and place the packets next to each other. Season with some more lime pepper , fleur de sel, oregano and chilli flakes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C ( 350°F). Roast the packets for about 20 minutes.
To serve
- Brush some of the flavoured Raspberry syrup in a nice pattern on a serving plate. Dress one corner with some baby lettuce leaves and sprinkle some more drops of the syrup on the lettuce. Gently put a packet on top of that. Serve with fresh French bread and butter.
Tips
- Originally this recipe was served only with spinach and cubes of bacon. I wanted to use the seeded part of the zucchini and adjusted the recipe in the first place for my vegetarian customers.
- The fresh goat cheese makes it far more creamy. The sweetness of the zucchini cubes goes very well with the spinach. The use of the different herbs adds complexity to the taste sensation.
- If ready made Raspberry balsamico syrup isn’t available, you can make it yourself. Take 6 tblsp of dark balsamico glaze and add 3 tblsp of Rasberry coulis. Let it simmer on a low heat until it becomes syrupy.
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