Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Goat Cheese and Herb - A Tart Goes Light

Light Goat Cheese and Herb Tart

The desire to order a rich delectable goat cheese tart as an appetizer in a restaurant is usually tempered by the rueful realization that we can no longer have dessert. But a little experimentation on a lazy Sunday afternoon produced this far lighter version that keeps the mouth watering flavor while removing some of the fat, calories and cholesterol.

Light Goat Cheese and Herb Tart
They 're still not light enough to qualify as an everyday recipe but at least they can be enjoyed a bit more often. And they're quite filling so, paired with a mesculin or roasted beet salad, they make an amazing lunch or light dinner...with dessert, of course!


Ingredients:
Crust
1 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling out dough
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
4 Tablespoons low-fat butter, chilled
1 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup ice water

Filling
1 Shallot, diced
2 Cloves garlic, minced
6 oz. Low-fat goat cheese
1/4 Cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 Tablespoons fat-free half and half
2 Tablespoons low-fat milk
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Light Goat Cheese and Herb Tart
To form the crust, combine the flour, salt and butter in a food processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture resembles course crumbs. With the machine running, slowly pour in the water until a dough ball forms. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

When ready, remove the dough ball from the plastic and cut into four equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll out each dough ball and place in individual tart pans. You can also make one large tart or fun shapes and toppers.

To make the filling, sauté the shallot and garlic in the olive oil until soft and translucent. Allow to cool. Combine the goat cheese, ricotta, half and half, milk, herbs and seasoning in a bowl and mix well. Add the cooled shallot/garlic mixture and combine.

Pour the mixture evenly into the tart shells and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned and the mixture has set. Makes 4 individual tarts.

17 comments:

  1. These look delicious! I love goat cheese tarts, and I'm delighted to see a more guilt-free version. Thank you so much for sharing! :)

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  2. i wish i could eat one right now! love goat cheese tarts and yours look absolutely delish.

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  3. Oh my gosh, these are so beautiful! I am absolutely crazy about anything goat cheese, probably my favorite cheese out there. I can't wait to try these, they look soooo tasty!

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  4. These sound great i love the ones with the cute stars on them too. Goat cheese is one of my favs, I will have to try this soon!

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  5. Delicious! I'm making these for dinner tonight!

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  6. Yum! I love goat cheese and these look so tasty!

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  7. These sound fantastic. I totally agree - with a roasted beet salad this would be a heavenly dinner!

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  8. Ah, my boyfriend loves goat cheese. I should totally test this out when he comes over for dinner. Thanks so much for sharing! :D

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  9. These look so good that it's hard to believe they're lightened up! I adore goat cheese and it looks amazing in these!

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  10. Thanks a lot for sharing I will try to make it..

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  11. Mmm. Those look so yummy. I would love to eat them with a beet salad. Beets go so well with goat cheese and honey!!!

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  12. I like your healthful attempt and modifications. I absolutely love goat cheese and these tarts have gotta be special. Nice presentation too! ;)

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  13. Tarts and cheese...two of my favorite things combined into one. And without all the guilt! Must make these.

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  14. These look so elegant and perfect for a dinner party =)

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  15. Such cute little tarts, these look delicious! :)

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  16. These look so pretty! Perfect for a small get together. Plus goat cheese is my favorite so anything made with it is amazing.

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