Macadamia Goat Cheese Harvest Salad Fabulous Fermentation Week
Macadamia "Goat Cheese" Harvest Salad
Along the journey to a healthy diet and lifestyle, there always seems to be a few things that we feel we need to “give up” or let go. For me that was goat cheese. There is something about goat cheese in salads; particularly roasted beet salads that has always made me inspired to eat. But with the unrelenting message from my body that dairy no longer suits me, yes, even goat’s dairy, that menu item quickly became a memory of the past. But since I am a girl who does not believe in restriction, limitation and deprivation, I was quick to come up with an alternative. Therefore, I found it quite fortuitous that I receive a happy little note from my soul friends Sarah from My New Roots and Elenore from Earthsprout on the cusp of this new year. They purposed that in light of the infamous 2013 and the celebration of the re-ignition of our zeal for health and happiness, we do a “Fabulous Fermentation Week,” which in fact got my wheels turning…
Goat Cheese… God, I miss you….
Fermented Foods…. Oh, I really love you too…
Kimchi, Kombucha, Kefir, Sauerkraut, Yogurt… Cheese!! Cheese is fermented!
Goat Cheese…Goat Cheese without dairy…
Macadamia Tarragon Goat Cheese!!!
Now this really IS FABULOUS!
Tarragon Macadamia Goat Cheese
Fabulous Fermentation Week is a week dedicated to one of our health ROCKSTARS, fermented foods. While we here in the U.S. do not even come close to adoring these foods as much as our bodies would desire, there is no time like the present to start.
Fermented foods come in all shapes and sizes, and fortunately for you, and me actually, a host of some of the most health inspired food bloggers has come together to create a series of outrageously delicious fermented food recipes. Think tempeh, kimchi and avocado nori rolls, purple sauerkraut with horseradish, banana kimchi and warm sprouted homemade sourdough bread. Now I will share with you all these delicious recipes, ONLY if you PROMISE to start including fermented foods into your daily diet.
I know, pretty tough request huh?
Well no one got anywhere with out a little dedication, zeal, inspiration and tough love. So if you agree – make The Holy Kale promise, and scroll down to the bottom.
Okay, now that we are all committed and sworn into the fermented foods alliance, I will share with you my personal contribution to our Fabulous Fermentation Club -
Pomegranate - Sweet yet Tart Addition
Macadamia “Goat Cheese” Harvest Salad
by The Holy Kale
Serving: 1
Ingredients
Salad:
2 cups Arugula
1/2 Asian Pear, sliced
1/4 c Pomegranate seeds
2 tbs Pistachios, shelled and unsalted
1/4 c Beets, roasted*
1/2 head Radicchio, chopped
*Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice beets and coat in coconut oil. Place on baking sheet and roast for 30-40 min, or until soft.
Goat Cheese:
2 c Macadamia Nuts, raw and soaked
1 cap Probiotic
1/2 c Water, filtered
2-3 tbs Tarragon, finely chopped
* Makes enough for 6 + servings
Dressing:
1 tbs Truffle Oil
1 tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp Honey, raw
1 /2 tsp Meyer Lemon Juice
1/8 tsp Unheated Sea Salt
Pepper to taste
Directions
Goat Cheese:
1. Add water, macadamia nuts and probiotic to a high-speed blender or Cuisinart. If you are using a blender, you must have a tamper/twister or something to turn the cheese.
2. Blend until completely smooth.
3. Transfer mixture to a nutmilk bag. Close bag tightly.
4. Place nutmilk bag in a strainer and place into a bowl or container. Place a weight on top to allow for excess water to drain.
5. Store for 1-2 days. Do not refrigerate.
6. After 1-2 days, or until cheese has fermented, remove from nutmilk bag.
7. Place on a cutting board and roll into a log.
8. Add tarragon to the cutting board, evenly spread so that you can then roll the cheese into the tarragon.
9. Once the cheese is evenly covered around the outside, set aside. *You can store this for later use in the refrigerator.
Dressing:
1. Combine ingredients in a blender and spin until mixed.
Salad:
1. Combine ingredients and toss with dressing. Add two 1-inch goat cheese medallions.
Enjoy!
Radicchio
Now before you go running off to make this delicious meal, let me just capture your attention for a few more seconds to let you know WHY we are so IN LOVE with fermented foods.
You know how probiotics and eating yogurt have been all the rage lately? This is because the healthy bacteria that reside in our gut are paramount to our overall health and wellness. And guess what? fermented foods, like yogurt and my macadamia goat cheese, contains these healthy bacteria.
The Who, What, When and Why of Fermented (Cultured) Foods
Who: Kefir, kombucha, cheese, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled vegetables, sourdough bread, miso, nama shoyu, apple cider vinegar, yogurt and kvass. *must all be RAW, not pasteurized. Pasteurization kills the healthy bacteria.
What: Fermented foods are partially predigested, making them easily digested and assimilated. The fermentation or culturing process further adds invaluable enzymes back into the food, which provide nutrients and assist digestion. Not only are fermented foods easy to digest, they also contain powerful healthy bacteria, also known as probiotics. Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms like Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria, and Streptococcus in your intestinal tract.
When: It is ideal to include these into your diet everyday. They are especially important to include if you have undergone a round of antibiotics, or have any digestive, immune or skin issues. In most traditional cultures these foods are an integral part of their diet. For example, yogurt is traditionally eaten in India, sauerkraut in Germany, kimchi in Korea, cultured dairy in Scandinavia, miso and umeboshi plums in Japan, and kvass in Russia.
Why: A healthy gut ecology is essential to proper digestion and immune health. And based on the myriad of studies on the importance of digestive health, it is also safe to say it is imperative to the health and functioning of the whole body system, including mental health and mood.
These healthy bacteria manufacture vitamins, especially B vitamins like biotin, folic acid, niacin and B-6, which detoxify chemicals and metabolize hormones. They also compete with bad bacteria such as candida and the bacteria that cause vaginal yeast infections.
The Rundown:
- Boosts the immune response by inhibiting growth of pathogenic organisms (virus, bacteria, fungus etc.)
- Detoxify the intestinal tract by protecting intestinal mucosa levels
- Develop a barrier to food-borne allergies
- Neutralize antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria
- Reduce cancer risk
- Reduce the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBS) and diverticulosis
- Synthesize vitamins
- Prevent diarrhea by improving digestion of proteins and fats
- Prevent osteoporosis by producing vitamin K
The Fabulous Fermentation Week Club
Check out the following links for more amazing recipes to get you started!
Earthsprout: Purple Sauerkraut
Ola Domowa: Bok Choy and Kale Banana Kimchi
Golubka: Sprouted Sourdough Bread
Eat It: Tempeh with greens, Goats Cheese and Fresh Strawberries
Coconut and Quinoa: Kimchi, Tempeh and Avocado Nori Rolls
Green Kitchen Stories: Korean Kimchi Wraps
Whole Promise: Fermented Beets with Orange & Thyme, Tzatziki and Chickpea Cakes
Two Blue Lemons: Fermented Jalapenos and Carrots
The First Mess: Za’atar Roasted Carrot Salad with Cashew Labneh, Avocado and Frisee
The Natural Foodie: Mango Coghurt
My Wholefood Romance: Fermented Heirloom Beetroot and Carrot Sticks
Mince and Type: Ginger Carrots
≈ For more healthy living tips, recipes and inspiration please subscribe to this blog on the top left of the homepage, follow me on Twitter, on Pinterest, on Instagram and Join the THK health conversation on Facebook!
♥,
THK
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Hi Kale Enthusiasts! My name is Lauren and I am a certified nutritionist but more importantly a nutrition nerd. My favorite things are farmer's markets, the ocean, my vitamix, stopping to smell the roses and most anything that comes straight from the ground. Welcome to my quest! 
Join me in my quest to find "The Holy Kale" of the health and wellness world. On this journey I will share with you the best way to feed your mind, body and soul so that you can be inspired to express your ultimate health! 
Lauren seriously! Dying over this macadamia goat cheese. I’m gonna try my hand at it next week, holy kale promise!
)) Loving your concise + super informative rundown on fermented goodies too.
xo Laura
Laura recently posted..{fabulous fermentation week!} za’atar roasted carrot salad with cashew labneh, avocado + frisée
Oh thank you!!! I was just looking over your recipe and was ready to promote and make!!! It will make the perfect Instagram picture
Hugs!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the goat cheese recipe! I’m with you–goat cheese was a tough one to give up! There’s just something about it that makes everything taste amazing. I can’t wait to give this a try!
Epicurean Vegan recently posted..Soy Yogurt Covered Blueberries with an Unexpected Ending
Absolutely! So many options now…
Love it Lauren!! Thanks so much for sharing this awesome looking recipe, can’t wait to try. Love your work in general by the way!
Meg recently posted..Easy Pickled Veg for Fabulous Fermentation Week
Hi Meg! Thanks so much!
Wow, macadamia cheese. It looks divine. Will have to track down some NZ grown macadamias to give this a try. Thanks for sharing
Nicola Galloway recently posted..Dinner… Oat-Crusted Burgers in Lettuce Cups
I bet they have some amazing macadamias there!
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It never ceases to amaze me how versatile and awesome cashews are. What a brilliant idea for goats cheese, thanks for sharing, I can’t wait to try this.
Kirsty @ The Natural Foodie recently posted..Mango Coghurt and a Fabulous Week of Fermentation
Oh, I think I would die if I had to give up goat cheese!
Sorry, that didn’t help did it? 
I love how you came up w this healthy alternative, it certainly looks and sounds divine!
I adore miso and kefir.
Haha, yes it is not always the easiest, but to be honest, now I don’t miss it! Happy replacement. And yes, LOVE miso!
Lauren,
LOVE this recipe and am so excited to try it! (BTW, I’m eating a big veggie salad with tons of sauerkraut strewn throughout it right now!)
I have been a bit intimidated by making fermented seed/nut cheese for some reason. I have a question: what does 1 cap of probiotics mean exactly? What do you use? I have Rejuvelac, does that work? OMG…as I’m typing this I just figured out you mean 1 capsule of probiotics, LOL!!! Am I right?!!!
I probably have more questions but perhaps I should just stop being nervous and DO IT!! I’ll let you know how it goes
As a fellow member of the fermentation alliance i salute you. Working to develop the numbers on this side of the Atlantic, thank you for so much inspiration. mx
Thank you Mark!! Glad to know the movement is shared by many!!
Wow, interesting! I also make a vegan ‘goat cheese’ using macadamia nuts (also pine nuts) and a probiotic (I use yogurt starter) but I can’t bring myself to do a fermentation step– just don’t know about the food safety of it. I know it works fine for things like yogurt but I don’t know whether it makes good bacteria when you use nuts. Not questioning that it works for you, just not ready yet to do it myself. I have seen other folks with a similar recipe (Spabettie) so I know the idea is going around.
Mary @ Fit and Fed recently posted..Vegan goat cheese