My love of goat cheese manifested eight years ago when I ate my first goat cheese fritter at my favorite restaurant at the time. I went into it expecting not to enjoy it but to my pleasant surprise I loved it! Ever since that moment I can unequivocally proclaim goat cheese as one of my favorite cheeses. 

I recently got a craving for those addicting goat cheese fritters and made it my mission to create a healthier version of them. Instead of frying the fitters in oil, I chose to cook them in an air fryer. They came out crispy and golden on the outside and creamy and gooey on the inside just how I remembered them to be!

The fritters pair perfectly with the blood orange and fennel salad. The fennel provides a slight anise flavor with a refreshing crunch, while the blood orange is sweet and juicy. I also added peppery arugula to provide a nice base to the salad. This dish hits all of the right notes and is so delicious and light. It is full of fiber, vitamin c, and antioxidants so you can really feel good about eating it. 

On top of this salad being delicious it was also very easy to make. From start to finish it only took me about 20 minutes to make which makes it perfect to have as a side dish on a weeknight or at any time really. 

Blood Orange and Fennel Salad with Goat Cheese Fritters

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 3 Cups Arugula 
• 1 Fennel Bulb
• 1 Blood Orange, segmented 
• 2 Tbsp Fennel Fronds

Dressing:

• ¼ Cup Blood Orange Juice
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp Dijon
• ¼ Tsp Garlic Powder
• ¼ Tsp Onion Powder
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Goat Cheese Fritters:

• 4 Oz. Chevre 
• ½ Cup Almond Flour
• ½ Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1 Egg
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

1. Start by making the salad base. Add the arugula to a medium-sized serving bowl. Next, cut off the tops of the fennel and place to the side. Wash and cut the fennel bulb in half lengthwise. Put the fennel half cut side down and slice crosswise about ¼ inch in thickness. Once the fennel is all sliced place it in the bowl with the arugula. Then, add the blood orange segments and fennel fronds. 
2. Next, make the dressing by adding the blood orange juice, olive oil, Dijon, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to a small Tupperware container. Put the cover on and vigorously shake the dressing until all ingredients are combined and place aside.
3. Cut the chevre into 6 one-inch rounds (make sure to do this as soon as you take it out of the fridge). 
4. Set up a dredging station by placing 3 bowls in a row. Fill the first bowl with flour, the second bowl with the egg and the third bowl with panko. Be sure the salt and pepper each bowl. Take a goat cheese round, put it in the flour, then the egg and lastly panko. Repeat the process with all of the goat cheese rounds and place them on the air frying basket, spray with cooking spray and cook for 10 mins. 
5. Once the goat cheese fritters are cooked place them on the salad, drizzle on the dressing, and enjoy!