Recipe: Baked manchego cheese with toasted almonds

PORTLAND, Maine — Anyone interested can find more of Chef Annie Mahle's recipes in her cookbook, The Tiny Kitchen Cookbook

Baked Manchego with Toasted Almonds and Warm Sherry Vinaigrette

Serves 2

Baked Manchego

• 6 ounces manchego cheese, wax edges removed, sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Toasted Almonds

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
• Tiny pinch of kosher salt

Sherry Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 1/4 cup piquillos or roasted red peppers,
• thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Crusty bread, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Lay a paper towel on a plate.
2. To make the baked Manchego, lightly brush the cheese slices with the oil. Put the bread crumbs on a plate, and press the cheese slices into them, coating both sides. Place on an ovenproof platter, and bake for seven to eight minutes, until the cheese starts to melt.
3. To toast the almonds, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently, for one to two minutes, until the almonds have become golden brown. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the towel-lined plate, and sprinkle with the salt.
4. To make the vinaigrette, add the oil to the pan you used to toast the almonds and set it over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds to one minute. Add the piquillos, parsley, vinegar, and salt, and stir to heat everything thoroughly. Then, remove from the heat.
5. Spoon the warm vinaigrette over the baked cheese slices, and top with the toasted almonds. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

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