Little Goats Cheese Souffle's with a Tomato and Cucumber Salad

 
♪.♪.♪ We're having a heat wave . . . a Tropical Heat Wave . . .  ♪.♪.♪  YES!  We are finally having the summer we have been waiting for for three years!  And we are loving it . . . well, so far at any rate.   It seems to always be feast and famine over here, with not a lot of moderation involved.  I guess it is an all or nothing kind of climate . . .



Anyways staying cool is the order of the day, which means turning on the oven as little as possible and using the convection oven or grill when I can.  (Thank goodness I have one!)  To be perfectly honest, neither one of us has much of an appetite anyways . . . light and fresh suppers are about as much as we are up for.



Deliciously light little suppers like these Little Goat's Cheese Souffle's!  Well . . . it's a bit of a cheat really, as you use soft bread crumbs instead of going to all the faff of making a white sauce, but who cares.   We're all feeling a bit lazy, and these taste just wonderful anyways! 



To keep the calories down I use un-diluted evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed!  This is the milk that you would normally add an equal amount of water to to reconstitute it.)   There is no after taste from this and I used the *light* one so they are a lot lower in calories than if you used cream.



I LOVE LOVE LOVE Goat's Cheese.  You get a lot of flavour without having to use an awful lot of cheese.   It's not to everyone's taste . . . I suppose.  But . . . we quite like the tang.  Use the soft one.  I used a soft French Goat's cheese. 



I accompanied it with a quick and easy tomato and cucumber salad that I have been making for yonks.  I first tasted this at my sister's ex in laws out at their cottage on the shores of Lake Erie.  I fell in love with it then, and have been making it ever since.  It's easy and quick . . . just like the souffle's.

In short . . . the perfect light supper.  Enjoy!



 *Little Goat's Cheese Souffle's*

Serves 4

Printable Recipe  

These are a bit of a cheat, but you'd never know it.   They taste divine.

150g soft goat's cheese (2/3 cup)

375ml of single cream (pouring, 1 1/2 cups.  You can use un-diluted
evaporated milk.  I use the non fat one)

fine sea salt

2 large free range eggs, separated

140g soft white bread crumbs (2 cups, about 3 slices)

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.   Lightly butter 4 375ml ramekins (1 1/2 cup).  Place on a baking tray  and set aside.

Beat together the goats cheese, cream, egg yolks, bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk the egg whites until stiff in a clean bowl with clean beaters.  Fold lightly into the cheese mixture.  Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins, dividing it equally amongst the four of them.   Blake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.   Serve immediately.

*Tomato and Cucumber Salad*
Serves 4 to 6  

Printable Recipe

I've been making this refreshing summer salad for years. It's easy and it's delicious.

1 small english cucumber, trimmed, scored, cut in half and then sliced
into half moons

6 medium tomatoes, quartered and cut into eights

1 small red onion, peeled and chopped finely

350ml of low fat creme fraiche (1 1/2 cups)

2 TBS caster sugar

1 1/2 TBS white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp freeze dried dill tops

fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
a small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Place your cucumber, tomatoes and onions into a bowl.  Whisk together the remaining ingredients until smooth.  Stir this dressing gently into the vegetables.  Cover and chill for about half an hour before serving.