Belgian Cafe Salad with Fried Goat Cheese

Time to use up all those cans and jars of veggies in your pantry and fridge that you have been staring at, wondering why you bought them in the first place.  This is a salad where anything goes!  While living in Belgium we grew to love the salads that many of the little cafes sprinkled throughout the countryside would serve.  Belgians have a way of making the most delicious salads on the planet by adding so many yummy ingredients that you forget it's just a "salad". Belgians waste nothing and this is a great way to use up left overs of whatever you have, meat, veggies, beans, nuts, seeds, hard boiled eggs, you name it!  The possibilities are endless.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy this salad is with fried goat cheese.  I make the salad and have it ready and then I bread and fry up some goat cheese and place it on top.  If you have never had goat cheese before, this is a delicious way to try it.  The crunchy outside of the fried goat cheese and warm creamy inside paired with the cool refreshing salad is such a good combination!  For the dressing it is a basic balsamic vinaigrette, very easy.  Serve it with some bakery fresh multi grain bread and you have a meal!

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey or 1/2 tsp sugar if you don't have honey
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt (optional)

Whisk together in a small bowl or shake together in a jar with a lid.  You may not use all of this, unless you like a lot of dressing on your salad.  Store any extra in  the fridge for up to 2 weeks, tightly covered.

Salad

6 to 7 cups or so of fresh greens i.e. spinach, romaine, arugula, field greens--whatever
* You can use whatever add ins you like here is what I used
1 small can sweet summer corn
1 small red onion diced
1 large tomato
1 small can beets
1 small jar of artichoke hearts
1 small pack of raisins
In a large bowl place all of the above ingredients or whichever combination of ingredients you are using for your salad.  Make fried cheese, recipe below. Drizzle on as much dressing as you like right before adding fried cheese on top.

Fried Goat Cheese

1 small log of goat cheese cold, cut into 4 equal slices
1/2 cup panko or plain bread crumbs (panko is better if you have it-I had ran out so I did not have them)
1 egg slightly beaten in a small dish
sprinkle of salt and pepper
enough olive or canola oil to generously coat the bottom of a small to medium skillet

Sprinkle the salt and pepper into the panko and toss to distribute.  Dip each piece of cheese into the egg and then into the panko.  If the cheese is still pretty cold you can fry right away.  If not, chill for 5 minutes in the freezer.  These can be made a few hours ahead and chilled in the fridge until ready to use.  Put oil in skillet and heat on medium high for about 5 minutes until nearly smoking.  When pan is good and hot add in cheese disks and cook about 1 minute to 90 seconds per side, just until golden, remove to paper towel to drain.  Place on top of dressed salad and serve.