Figgoatcheesenests Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut goat cheese into 6 thick slices. Line an 8-by 12-inch earthenware baking dish with fig leaves (if using). Arrange goat cheese in center of dish and surround with fig halves. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with thyme. Drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until both cheese and figs are softened. Run under broiler for 1 minute to brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

Steps:

• Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 400°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Stir vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and 1 cup water in a medium pot. Add figs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until figs are softened and liquid has almost evaporated and is a syrupy consistency, 7-10 minutes. Transfer figs to a plate; let cool.
• Beat egg with 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. If using a 14-ounce package with 1 sheet of pastry, roll pastry to an 18x12" rectangle on a lightly floured surface. If using a 17-ounce package with 2 sheets of pastry, roll each sheet to a 12x9" rectangle. Cut pastry along the 12" side into 12 (1-inch-wide) strips. Cut each strip crosswise into pieces about 4 1/2" long. You should have 48 (4 1/2x1") strips pastry.
• Scoop a heaping 1/2 tsp. cheese and press into cut side of 1 fig half. Place fig half in the center of 1 pastry strip. Brush 1 end of pastry with egg wash and roll to enclose. Transfer seam side down to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining cheese, figs, and pastry. Brush top of each pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds, if using. Bake pastries, rotating and switching sheets top to bottom halfway through, until golden brown and puffed, 15-18 minutes.
• Do Ahead
• Figs can be cooked 2 days ahead; cover and chill.

Steps:

• Pre heat oven to 400°.
• In large bowl, combine hash brown, beaten egg, salt and pepper. Stir until potatoes are well coated with egg.
• Spray (2) 24 mini muffin pans with non-stick spray. Spoon in approximately 1 teaspoon of hash brown mixture into each muffin cup, gently pressing bottom and up the sides of cup. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until browned and they start to pull away from muffin cups. Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.
• In sauté pan, cook diced bacon until lightly crisped. Remove bacon and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat.
• In same sauté pan, add chopped spinach to bacon fat and sauté over med. high heat until spinach is wilted. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Begin to assemble nests by adding ¼ tsp fig preserves in bottom of hash brown nest. Next top with approximately ¼ tsp of cooked spinach, then ¼ teaspoons goat cheese. Top goat cheese with another ¼ tsp of fig preserves and sprinkle a little bacon on top. Continue layering process to each hash brown nest.
• Place on baking sheet and return to preheated 400° oven for 2-3 minutes or just until hot. Remove from pan and serve.

Steps:

• Place the orange zest and orange juice in a medium (10-inch) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Add the sugar, vanilla bean, and figs to the pot. Cover and bring to a full boil over medium heat. (Don't worry; it may look dry.) Stir the mixture and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat, and cook uncovered at a full simmer for 50 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the little bubbles to be throughout the pot, not just at the edges. After 45 minutes, refrigerate a small amount of the liquid to see if it becomes syrupy. It should be like a soft fruit preserve. Keep cooking just until the liquid starts to gel when cold. If the liquid is too firm, add a little orange juice or water, cook for a minute, and test it again until it's right. Depending on how ripe the figs are, they will probably keep their shape, but it's fine if they don't. Discard the vanilla bean and serve or refrigerate.
• Before serving, toast or grill the bread and spread with goat cheese. Spoon the fig preserves on, then the grated orange zest if using, and serve.

Steps:

• In a small skillet, combine the vinegar and olive oil and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute, then add the sliced figs. Simmer until the vinegar is reduced and syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes more. In a small bowl, stir together the goat and mascarpone cheeses. Spoon the cheese mixture into the pastry shells, top with a drizzle of honey, a sliced fig, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. Chop up the dried apricots and set on the side of the pastry shells on the plate.

Steps:

• Heat a griddle over medium heat.
• Spread cut sides of bread with fig jam. On the bottom half of the bread, layer 1/2 the cheese, then the ham, the figs, and the remaining cheese. Enclose with the top half of the bread. Brush with rosemary oil. Place on griddle or in a nonstick skillet, and weight top of sandwich with a heavy skillet or a foil-lined brick. Cook until bottom is golden, about 4 minutes. Flip sandwich over, and repeat with opposite side. Cut crosswise into 6 to 8 pieces; serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat cheese, sour cream, honey and thyme until smooth; stir in figs and almonds. Sprinkle with additional thyme if desired. Refrigerate until serving. Serve with crackers, baguette slices or vegetables.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover; cook until onions are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes more (if skillet begins to darken, add cup water).
• Dividing evenly, spread cheese on 4 bread slices. Top with onions and figs; sandwich with remaining bread.