Mache salad with goat cheese purses

This past weekend, Paul and I celebrated our pre-Christmas. It's a little tradition we've been doing for the past three years where we cook a fabulous dinner, unwrap gifts, and toast with a good amount of champagne. This year felt extra special since it will be our first holiday season as a married couple, so the dinner had to reflect the sentiment. Sometimes the simplest ingredients can give the best restaurant quality meal and these phyllo purses of goat cheese, lemon zest, and chives were quick to make and tasted pretty special next to a bed of simple greens. They can even be made ahead, frozen, and baked as needed, perfect for a little impromptu entertaining when a bagged salad just doesn't seem special enough.





Mache salad with goat cheese purses

For salad:
1 bag mache lettuce leaves
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tblsp olive oil
salt and pepper

For goat cheese purses:
3 sheets phyllo dough
1 small log of goat cheese
1-2 tblsp chopped chives
zest of 1 lemon
1 tblsp butter melted
salt and pepper

- Unroll package of phyllo dough and separate 3 pieces. Roll remaining dough and place back in fridge or frreezer.
- Lay 1 sheet of dough on baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Lay second sheet over and repeat. Continue until the 3 sheets are stacked and brushed with butter.
- In a small bowl combine goat cheese, lemon zest, chives, salt and pepper.
- Divide mixture into 4 mounds on the phyllo dough, cut into 4 squares.
- Gather the squares around the mixture, gently twisting at the top to form a closed pouch.
-Bake according to package (about 15 min.)

- While purses are baking, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl, whisking to create an emulsion.
- Pour over mache and toss to combine.
- When purses are ready, plate salad and top with warm goat cheese pouch.