Christmas Holiday Appetizer – Spinach and Goat Cheese Tartlets

Christmas is almost here again; we can feel the holiday season coming.

This is the time of the year that every family gets together for the celebration of love, friendship, blessing, and life.

Christmas is also a time of the year where we appreciate good food. And the first course that we often enjoy is the appetizer. This is a small serving of food or drink that we enjoy at the beginning of a meal to stimulate our desire to eat.

So, before anything else, we present a stylish appetizer which is easy to make yet elegant from Food Network, recipe by Susan Stockton.

Holiday Appetizer Recipe

Spinach and Goat Cheese Tartlets

The preparation time of this appetizer is around 15 minutes with 35 minutes cooking time.

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• Vegetable oil, for brushing
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) mild goat cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1 10 -ounce box (300 grams) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 ºF(180 ºC). Melt 1 tablespoon butter. Place 1 phyllo sheet on a clean surface (cover the other sheets with a damp towel), brush with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon parmesan. Cover with another phyllo sheet, brush with more butter and sprinkle with another teaspoon parmesan. Top with the remaining phyllo sheet and brush with butter. Cut the phyllo stack into 24 squares, about 3 inches (75 mm) each. Brush a 24-cup mini muffin tin with oil, then firmly press a phyllo square, buttered-side down, into each cup. Bake until golden, 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until translucent. Stir in the flour, then add the milk and stir until the mixture is smooth, 1 minute. Add the nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in the goat cheese, lemon zest and vinegar until the cheese melts. Remove from the heat and mix in the egg yolks, then the spinach.
3. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the spinach filling. Spoon about 1 tablespoon filling into each phyllo cup and top with the remaining parmesan. Bake until the filling is set, 15 minutes. Cool slightly in the pan; remove and top with the chives.

Wine Pairing

The appetizer above pairs well with wine such as:

• Chardonnay
  • A favorite white wine with a buttery aroma.
• Fino Sherry
  • The driest and palest variety of Sherries with a delicate flavor.
• Cava
  • A sparkling wine

On the next article, we will talk and give you the recipe for a Fish Course Meal for the Christmas holidays.