Grape and Goat Cheese Pine Nut Balls with Spicy Bacon Cranberry Sauce
Grape and Goat Cheese Pine Nut Balls with Spicy Bacon Cranberry Sauce

A bite to remember begins with a tart and creamy cheese enveloping a bright and juicy grape. Then coat each one in toasted pine nuts and dip it into a bacon Jalapeno cranberry sauce! Delicious!

theingredients

8 strips of smoked bacon, chopped

2 shallots, sliced

1 Jalapeno, sliced (remove seeds if you want to reduce heat)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 Tbsps brown Sugar

1 can  (8oz) cranberry sauce

16 oz goat’s cheese

20 grapes

1 cup pine nuts, toasted

Arugula Micro-greens for garnish

 

themethod

  1. Place the bacon into a heavy bottomed pot and render out the fat.
  2. Add the sliced Jalapenos and shallots and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.
  3. Add cranberry sauce and leave to cook over low heat for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  4. While the sauce chills, chop the pine nuts.
  5. Roll each fresh grape in approximately 1/2 ounce of goat cheese by flattening out the cheese and wrapping around the grape.  Roll between your hands until grape is completely covered and you have a nice round ball.  Roll in the chopped pine nuts and set aside.
  6. Serve with arugula micro-greens and the spicy bacon cranberry sauce.