Ingredients

The following ingredients have 15 Servings
  • 8 oz (225g) goat cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 8 oz (225g) neufchâtel cheese (or low-fat cream cheese), softened at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 TBS chopped chives
  • 3 TBS furikake (seaweed rice seasoning)
  • 1 tsp black sesame seeds
  • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice)
  • pinch of salt (if necessary)
  • 2/3 cup (90g) shelled roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
  • 1 TBS black sesame seeds
  • 1 TBS furikake

Instruction

  • Mix the goat cheese and neufchâtel cheese in a bowl. Stir in chives, furikake, sesame seeds, and shichimi togarashi. Use 1/4 teaspoon of the shichimi togarashi if you want only a faint trace of heat in the cheese. I used 1/2 teaspoon. Add a pinch of salt, if you like. Scrape cheese onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Wrap cheese ball tightly and refrigerate for an hour.
  • Mix chopped pistachios, sesame seeds and furikake on a plate. Roll chilled cheese ball on the chopped nuts. Sprinkle more chives and shichimi togarashi on the cheese ball, if you like. Use leftover chopped pistachios for your salad or soup.
  • Serve immediately. Store leftover cheese in an airtight container for up to 5 days.