Mushroom Tartlets

Katie, a dear co-worker, has decided to go onto greener pastures...ie grad school. In pure foodie fashion, we celebrated with lots and lots of food and goodies. Everything was finger food, with the exception of the chocolate covered homemade cheesecake, served with chocolate dipped strawberries....yes, we go all out at my job. Here is one of the appetizers. (*Note, I used premade frozen pastry dough due to time constraints.)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 ounces portobello mushrooms, diced
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, diced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 cup milk (I used fat free)
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons flour
Pastry dough

Cut the pastry dough into small rounds (I used a small cookie cutter). Place on a greased cookie sheet. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and onion over medium heat. Cook until translucent, but not browned. Add in the mushrooms. Cook until the juices begin to be released. Add in the spices. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Add in the milk and flour. Stir well. It will become thickened. Take off heat and cool for a few minutes.

Then, using a teaspoon, put the mixture on top of each round. I was worried that the mixture would spread and melt off the rounds once in the oven; however, it did not. So don't be afraid!

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned. Enjoy warm!

"Grilled" Veggies

Recently my father gave me a grill skillet (let's say it was a 4th of July present...On a side note, I think everyone should celebrate America by giving cookware to each other). I finally busted it out tonight for dinner. I got all different types of veggies and did what other apartment dwellers do. Pretend I have a home with a backyard and in that yard a grill. I marinated the veggies in baggies and everything. Very exciting for me! Yes, it may say something considering I find using new cookware the highlight of my week. :-)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping teaspoons honey (I used raw blossom honey)
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons balsalmic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove minced
Assorted veggies (I used carrots, green and red bell peppers, red onions, asparagus, Japanese eggplant, and zucchini), chopped in large pieces

Combine all the ingredients together in ziplock baggies. Close well and make sure the marinade coats the veggies well. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. Then over medium to high heat, cook the veggies on a grill skillet for a few minutes on each side. Serve while hot.

Slow Cooker Cheese Enchiladas

Last month I made cheese enchiladas. Totally hooked (not a surprise since I've loved them FOREVER!). I got the idea to do cheese enchilads in a slow cooker. I'm trying to actually use my slow cooker other than just during the winter time. And since classes will be starting up soon and my schedule will once again be insane, it would be nice to have easy meals ready to go. Not to mention that I, along with every other person, is trying to save money. So, limiting the eating out if at all possible. (I am determined to get credit card debt free in just under two years...it will be a birthday present to me. Ha! I spoil myself.) Anywho, this is my attempt at a cheese enchilada casserole.

Shredded cheese (I used Trader Joe's shredded soy cheese)
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, chopped
1 package corn tortillas
1 bottle enchilada sauce (again, I love Trader Joe's)

Coat the bottom of the slow cooker with enchilada sauce and then layer in the following order:

Tortillas, green pepper and onion, beans, cheese, sauce, tortillas....

Cook on high for 2 hours and then lower the heat to low and cook for another 2 hours.

Banana and Oat Pancakes

I have had two breakfasts today. Eggs after my bikram workout and now banana pancakes (and english muffins are rising...it's a breakfast for dinner kind of day). Yum! I love homemade pancakes (restaurants aren't the same!). Since I had an awesome workout this morning, I decided to make it a little more healthy.

1 cup uncooked rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly whisked
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 banana, mashed
1 tablespoon cinnamon

In a food processor, grind the oats until they resemeble a coarse flour. Add the oats, flours, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt together in a large bowl. while whisking, add the egg, milk, oil, and extract. Lastly, add the mashed banana and cinnamon. Mix well. Heat a medium saute pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cook until lightly golden on each side.

Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Rosemary

I am quite impressed with myself today. I sat down and made a menu plan for the week. AND THEN I went grocery shopping based on that menu plan. Man, I'm good. Actually, last week was kind of insane and ate out way too often.


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 sprigs of rosemary, leaves minced
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (less or more depending on your taste)
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon parsely
Salt to taste

In a medium saucepan, combine the olive oil and garlic. Cook for about a minute, do not let the garlic get too brown. Then add the rosemary and pepper. Cook for another minute, then add the tomatoes and salt. Simmer for about five minutes. Add the chickpeas and parsely. Cook for about five minutes and add salt to taste. Serve with saffron rice (yummy!).

Cheese Enchiladas

To celebrate being "American" on the 4th of July, I made a dish more commonly known as a Mexican and Aztec dish...cheese enchiladas. We're a melting pot, right?! I love enchiladas...something so decadent about them. This morning, while shopping at Trader Joe's, I was asking for taco seasoning for another dish, and the lovely sales person directed me to enchilada sauce. Did you know Trader Joe's has enchilada sauce???? I didn't, but now I feel I must enlighten the world. It's seriously good stuff. Not just oh, that's enchilada sauce, but wow, now THAT's enchilada sauce.

Corn torillas
Vegetable oil
1 medium 0nion, chopped
1 cup shredded chedder cheese
1 bottle enchilada sauce from Trader Joe's

In a large bowl, add the enchilada sauce. Then in a small pan, add oil until it's about half inch deep and heat under medium heat. Add one corn tortilla and cook only for about 20 seconds. Do not over cook or they will get too crisp! You only want it long enough to warm and become pliable. Then immediately, using tongs, remove them and put the tortilla into the enchilada sauce to coat. Then place on a plate to cool for about a minute. Add the shredded cheese and onion to the center of the tortilla. Fold one side over the other and place seam side down in a large glass baking dish. Repeat for all the tortillas (until you either run out of tortillas or run out of room in the baking dish).

Pour the remainder of the sauce over top the enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until bubbling. Serve while hot. Mmmmm

Blueberry and Banana Bread

Happy Fourth of July! My father came into town this weekend, along with one of my brothers who is in town for work. So, I got to spend the weekend with almost all the men in my family (miss you Uncle Louie!). With my father being retired and being the little charmer that he is, he has made friends with all of his neighborhood ladies. He mentioned to one of them that I love to make bread. She in turn gave him a recipe to give to me to try out. It is amazing! I made it this morning and then brought it over to my (other) brother's house. It didn't last long. True, I was eating quite a bit myself, but it was yummy! The original recipe called for double, which makes to bread loaves. Here is the reduced version.

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 small bananas, mashed
2 cups of flour + a tablespoons of flour)
1 1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon baking power
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used fresh from the farmer's market)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease and flour a loaf pan.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Fold in the flour. Add the allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate small bowl, sprinkle the tablespoon flour onto the blueberries and toss to coat. Fold into the batter.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 50 minuets until a toothpick comes out clean.*

*Check in a couple of places. I made the mistake of only checking in one place and thinking it was done, flipped it over out of the pan...got the impression it wasn't quite done yet when some of the batter came out. Had to (very) quickly replace the loaf in the pan and back in the oven. Oops.