Cheese Ball With Cumin, Mint And Pistachios

Ingredients

• 1 cup cream cheese (8 ounces), softened
• ½ cup goat cheese (ché,vre), (4 ounces), softened
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano, preferably Fulvi
• 1 teaspoon toasted and ground coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon toasted and ground cumin seeds
• ½ cup finely sliced celery hearts, with leaves
• ⅓ cup chopped mint
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Sea salt
• ⅓ cup salted pistachio nuts, coarsely ground

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

    202 calories; 17 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 8 grams protein; 46 milligrams cholesterol; 294 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
  Powered by DiningAndCooking.com

8 hors d'oeuvres servings

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and goat cheese with a wooden spoon until creamy and light. Beat in lemon juice and lemon zest. Fold in Pecorino Romano, coriander, cumin, celery, mint and pepper. Season to taste with salt.
2. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on counter. Using a spatula, scrape cheese mixture onto center of plastic. Pull up sides of plastic wrap and form cheese into a ball. Wrap tightly, place in a bowl and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
3. Pour ground pistachios into a shallow bowl. Unwrap cheese ball and roll it in nuts until coated. Lay ball on a serving plate, cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. A half hour before serving, unwrap cheese ball and let it come to room temperature. Serve with very thin plain crackers.

20 minutes