Mushroom, Leek and Goat Cheese Tart

A vegetable based tart may be the best option for those unexpected vegetarian guests at holiday dinners. Instead of serving disgusting and tasteless tofurkey for the vegetarian guest, it's far more appetizing to serve something filling and tasty.

As usual, I don't like making tart or pie doughs, especially for week night meals. So I suggest using boxed pie crust mix. Both mixes will make one 11 inch tart.

This tart is a definite repeat for me. Adjust the pepper to your own tastes, but I like a lot of it.

Mushroom, Leek and Goat Cheese Tart

Ingredients:

1 box pie crust mix (for 2 crusts)
3 tablespoons butter
1 lb mixed mushrooms, sliced and washed
1 large leek, washed, trimmed and sliced into rounds
1/8 cup milk
8 ounces goat cheese (herbed or regular), at room temperature
1 egg
1 handful of chopped parsley
3 sprigs of thyme, plus 1 chopped tablespoon
Fresh ground black pepper

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees and prepare crust per directions on box, and set in 11 inch greased tart shell
Step 2: Dock dough (or use knife to puncture holes all over dough) and place parchment paper and a cup of dry beans on dough as a weight
Step 3: Bake dough for 10 minutes, then decrease temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 15 minutes and allow crust to cool
Step 4: Place large skillet on medium high heat on stove and melt 2 tbsp. of butter.  Add mushrooms, black pepper and thyme sprigs to pan, and cook for ten minutes, discard thyme
Step 5: On a new skillet, melt remaining butter on medium high heat and cook leeks for 8 minutes, discarding thyme again
Step 6: Mix goat cheese, milk, egg and black pepper and spread evenly on base of tart shell
Step 7: Add leeks to tart then top with mushrooms
Step 8: Top tart with chopped thyme and parsley, and serve warm or at room temperature

Whole Wheat Pasta With Pesto and Roasted Squash

My husband is really hung up on whole wheat pastas. He loves pasta in general, but tries to make it healthier. As it's still squash season, I decided to try yet another squash pasta recipe.

As an aside, my husband has spent months trying to grow basil in an herb box on the window sill without any luck. We recently noticed the same basil growing in the courtyard in front of our window. We can only assume the seeds flew outdoors somehow. I suppose herbs really do need fresh air, sun and some good soil. I used the basil in this mixed herb pesto. It was quite delicious.

Whole Wheat Pasta With Pesto and Roasted Squash

Ingredients:

8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
10 ounces cubed butternut squash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Nutmeg
1/2 cup packed mixed herbs, such as basil, cilantro and parsley
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 handful toasted pine nuts
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded
2 cloves garlic
1/2 juiced lime
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450 and place squash on baking sheet. Sprinkle with oil, salt, pepper and nutmeg and bake for 18 minutes
Step 2: Meanwhile, boil water and cook pasta to al dente
Step 3: Meanwhile, stick herbs, parmesan, peppers, nuts, garlic, lime, salt, pepper and oil in food processor. Slowly add oil until it is a smooth consistency
Step 4: Drain pasta, and mix with pesto and squash and eat (salt and pepper more if necessary)!

Zucchini Fritters

As much as I love autumn foods, I can't help but crave light summery dishes every so often. I looked around the internet for some inspiration, and hit on a recipe for courgette fritters on BBC Good Food's website. FYI: courgette is a fancy French word for zucchini. It's just like what aubergine is to eggplant.

I completely changed the original recipe to suit my tastes. My husband was rather impressed with this recipe, and it paired well with a spinach and tomato salad. Yet another great meatless weeknight meal. I don't think you need any sauce with this, but sour cream is always an option.

I will definitely be making this again when I have an extra zucchini lying around. This serves two and makes 6 fritters.

Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:

1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 cup egg beater or 1/2 egg beaten
1/3 cup low fat milk
1 ounce sharp shredded cheddar
1 small bunch of chopped chives
1 zucchini, grated
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon olive oil

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Step 2: Mix flour, spices, salt, eggs and milk until the batter is smooth
Step 3: Stir in cheese and chives and set aside
Step 4: Place non-stick pan on high heat and cook zucchini for 4 minutes, then drain with paper towels
Step 5: Stir zucchini into batter
Step 6: Oil non-stick pan, reducing heat to medium high. Drop spoon fulls of batter onto pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until 6 fritters have been made. Place each fritter on a baking sheet
Step 7: Bake fritters for 8 minutes in oven

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

I once posted a quickie version of Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese a while back, but I did have issues with ingredient dispersement. I decided to try a slower recipe and use my food processor to puree the squash so it could mix in and taste less like chunks of squash and pasta mixed together.

This recipe is as healthy as a cheesy pasta dish can get. It uses a protein packed whole wheat penne that most grocery stores stock at the moment. If you like a chunkier pasta, then don't puree the squash mix, only mash it.

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 ounces butternut squash pieces/chunks
8 ounces whole wheat pasta
3/4 cups skim milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth
Pinch of nutmeg
1/4 tsp. or more of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded low fat extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray
Step 2: Cook pasta until al dente and drain and place in big mixing bowl
Step 3: Place squash, milk and broth in pan on medium high heat, once it boils, lower temperature and cook squash until fork tender
Step 4: Once squash mix is cooked, place in food processor and add nutmeg, cayenne, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano and black pepper. Then puree until blended
Step 5: Add squash mix to bowl with pasta and mix with 3/4 of the cheddar cheese
Step 6: Place pasta and squash mix in baking pan and top with remaining cheeses and cover pan in foil
Step 7: Cook for 20 minutes covered in foil, then take off foil and cook for 20 more minutes

Squash Ricotta Pasta Bake

It's autumn! That means it's time to feast on freshly harvested root vegetables. My personal favorite is butternut squash. It's sweet, but goes very well in savory dishes.  I found a recipe in a BBC Good Food magazine and decided to completely change it to make it more palatable and healthier.

This dish turned out very well. The English do know how to make a great pasta bake that isn't necessarily Italian in taste. We ate this with a nice little side salad as a fall weeknight meal.  I personally loved it.

Squash Ricotta Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

10 ounces butternut squash pre-cubed
6 ounces light sour cream mixed with three tablespoons of milk
2 ounces grated parmesan cheese
8 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese, mixed with three tablespoons of milk
Small bunch of sage leaves, half of them chopped
2 lightly sauteed shallots
6 fresh lasagna sheets (or boiled dry ones)
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash of grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Method:

Step 1: Microwave squash for 5 minutes, allow to cool and preheat oven to 425 degrees
Step 2: Mix sour cream and half of parmesan and set aside
Step 3: Mix ricotta, chopped sage, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, nutmeg, paprika, shallots and cayenne, and remaining parmesan, then fold in squash until mixed together
Step 4: Cover bottom of 8 x 8 pan with just enough sour cream mix, then top with 2 lasagna sheets, and add half of ricotta and squash mix, then add more sour cream, repeat once more and keep a bit of sour cream mix reserved
Step 5: Top last 2 lasagna sheets with sour cream mix, then top with sage leaves and bake in oven for 25 minutes

French Tomato and Mustard Pie

Summer is coming to an end in New York. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's already over. In California, September would buy me at least two more months of warm weather. As a send off to summer, I decided to try making a summery French tart.

This traditional French tomato and mustard pie, otherwise known as a Tarte aux Moutarde, makes a great brunch/lunch/dinner for a weeknight. You can make your own pie crust, but I opted to use a regular pre-made 9 inch deep dish crust instead.

French Tomato and Mustard Pie

Ingredients:

1 9 inch deep dish pie crust
A mixture of grainy brown mustard and yellow English mustard (use a mix of mustards you like most) enough to make a thin layer that completely covers the bottom of the pie crust
3 very large ripe tomatoes thinly sliced
6 slices Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
Black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons herbs de Provence

Method:

Step 1: Dry out tomato slices on paper towels for 30 minutes. Blot with paper towels if neccessary. You do not want a watery tart.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake pie crust for 10 minutes and cool
Step 3: Cover bottom of pie shell with a layer of mustard and top with cheese slices, then top with tomato slices overlapping each other in a circular pattern
Step 4: Top tomatoes with olive oil, black pepper and herbs de Provence
Step 5: Bake for 20 minutes

Caramelized Onion and White Bean Flatbread

I will eat almost anything that looks like a pizza. Even if it's called a flatbread. Today I hit a near home run with yet another Eating Well recipe tweaked to my tastes. The pictured version is slightly different from my recipe, as I did not have plum tomatoes or green olives, but it was almost as tasty.

This recipe is rather easy to put together. Pair it with a salad, and you have a great meatless weeknight dinner.

Caramelized Onion and White Bean Flatbread

Ingredients:

20 ounces of whole wheat prepared pizza dough
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 15 ounce can of white beans, rinsed and drained
4 plum tomatoes, sliced thin
1 cup light shredded sharp cheddar
1 handful of sliced green olives

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450 degrees and grease a large baking sheet
Step 2: Combine oil, onion and and salt in a pan. Cover and stir often while on a medium high heat stove. Let cook for 7 minutes.
Step 3: Reduce heat to low and uncover pan and cook for 8 more minutes while stirring occasionally
Step 4: Roll out dough on floured surface and place on sheet pan, then bake for 8-10 minutes in oven
Step 5: Stir in oregano and black and red peppers into onion
Step 6: Transfer half of the onion mixture into another bowl.
Step 7: Add beans to remaining onion mixture in pan and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring often
Step 8: Put bean and onion mixture, garlic powder, vinegar and water in food processor and pulse until it forms a coarse paste
Step 9: Spread bean paste onto flatbread, then top with cheese, olives, tomatoes and remaining onions.
Step 10: Bake in oven for 12 minutes

Caprese Lasagna

Finding new vegetarian lasagna (or lasagne as they spell it in the UK) recipes can be difficult. Every recipe I find seems to add a great deal of ground meat into the lasagna.  To get around that, I've tried different types of sauces and vegetables to vary my lasagnas. I've used mushrooms, squash and spinach. All usually turn out well.

This time, I decided to try the simplest lasagna recipe I could find--caprese lasagna.  It turned out really tasty, and if you're a fan of sandwiches or salads comprised of tomato, basil and mozzarella, you will love this.

Caprese Lasagna

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
A few grates of fresh nutmeg
A pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1 box no boil lasagna noodles
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Half bunch chopped basil
4 thinly sliced roma tomatoes

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Step 2: Take large saucepan and melt butter over medium heat.
Step 3: Add garlic to pan and mix for one minute
Step 4: Add flour and cook for another minute
Step 5: Whisk in milk and bring to a bubble
Step 6: Add nutmeg, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and let thicken via simmering for 4 minutes
Step 7: Start assembling the lasagna with ingredients in thirds: Sauce, noodles, tomatoes, basil (reserve a bit of basil for garnish) and cheese.
Step 8: Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes with foil, and another 15 without foil
Step 9: Top cooked lasagna with remaining basil.

Spinach, Tofu, and Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Pizza

I love pizza. In fact, I'm one of those freaks who loves vegetables on my pizza. Cheese, bread, and vegetables are a delightful combination to me!  I decided to experiment and combined a few recipes I found online for a healthy stuffed pizza.

My husband and I really enjoyed this pizza, but I highly recommend dipping it in marinara sauce. The tofu is not noticeable and quite filling.

Spinach, Tofu and Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Pizza

Ingredients:

1 14 ounce package of firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 10 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch dried red pepper flakes
1 pound prepared pizza dough

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees and coat pan with cooking spray
Step 2: Mix tofu, spinach, tomatoes, cheeses, and spices in a bowl with hands
Step 3: Roll dough out on lightly floured surface
Step 4: Place dough on baking sheet and place mixture in middle of dough, leaving 1 inch border all around
Step 5: Take dough edges and close pizza. Crimp top with fork and lightly spray with cooking spray, then use knife to make slits all over the top.
Step 6: Bake in oven for 30 minutes

Chickpea Mediterranean Style Burgers

I'm still on a healthy dinner kick. Thanks to finally having a tiny food processor, I feel I can cook a lot more now. I really recommend purchasing a small food processor if you're only cooking dinners for two on a regular basis.

I recently decided to veer into Mediterranean territory and made a vegetarian burger using chickpeas. Instead of using a hamburger bun, which adds too many calories, I used half of a whole wheat pita pocket. For the sauce, I used non-fat greek yogurt. This ended up being a tasty and easy recipe. Seriously, how did vegetarians get by without non-fat greek yogurt?

Chickpea Mediterranean Style Burgers

Ingredients:

Burgers:
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 egg
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tbsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 1/2 whole wheat pita pockets
1/2 cup lettuce or greens, chopped
1 tomato, cut into slices

Sauce:
1/2 cup fat free greek yogurt
2 tbsp. tahini
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika

Method:

Step 1: Blend chickpeas, scallions, egg, flour, and burger spices in food processor until just smooth
Step 2: Form mixture into 3 round patties with wet hands and place in refrigerator for a few hours to make easier to handle.
Step 3: Blend all sauce ingredients together
Step 4: Heat pan on stove on medium high heat and add olive oil
Step 5: Add patties to pan and cook 4 minutes on each side
Step 6: Place one patty, tomatoes and lettuce in a pita, then add sauce and enjoy!

Italian White Bean Dip

The final recipe I'm sharing from my fall dinner party is a fabulous Italian white bean dip. I wanted something easily blended together served with pita chips, but I did not want to make the same old hummus.  That's when I found this recipe from Giada.  This dip is dangerously addictive, may be the easiest thing I've ever made.

Italian White Bean Dip


Ingredients:

1 15 ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup loosely packed Italian parsley leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Step 1: Dump the first 5 ingredients in a blender, and pulse until blended
Step 2: Stir in salt and pepper to taste

Sherried Squash Soup

I love a good fall vegetable--like butternut squash soup.  As a starter for my fall dinner party, I decided to make a squash soup, with a kick--sherry.

Sherried Squash Soup


Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion chopped in chunks
4 tbsp. dry sherry
3 packages of pre-cubed butternut squash
2.5 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 of a fresh grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream or croutons for garnish

Method:

Step 1: Fry onions in oiled pan for 5 minutes, then add sherry and squash, and cook for 2 minutes
Step 2: Add vegetable stock and cover and simmer for 20 minutes
Step 3: Use an immersion blender to blend the squash mix, or mix in food processor
Step 4: Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste and garnish as you like

Brussels Sprouts with Cashews and Orange Butter

Brussels sprouts get a bad rap, and I'm not sure why.  I was so turned off by negative portrayals of the vegetable on television, that I never bothered to taste them until college.  Once I tried them, I couldn't figure out why people hated them. Granted, I don't eat them often since it's not the first vegetable people think of cooking, I do like them, especially in the fall.

I recently had a successful dinner party, and these brussels sprouts were a hit. They take very little time and effort to make, but turn out fantastically delicious. This recipe is perfect for 8-10 people

Brussels Sprouts with Cashews and Orange Butter


Ingredients:

4 tbsp. softened butter
1.5 lbs. brussels sprouts (halve the large ones)
3 ounces toasted cashews, chopped into pieces
8 ounces frozen peas
1 small orange (zest the peel and keep it separate)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Step 1: Boil Salted Water in a Pot
Step 2: While boiling water, mix orange zest, butter and cashews together in a bowl
Step 3: Boil sprouts in salted water for 5 minutes, with the pot covered
Step 4: Add peas to boiling water and boil for 2 minutes
Step 5: Drain water from vegetables and add orange butter to sprouts and mix together, then squeeze orange into vegetables and mix together
Step 6: Season with salt and pepper

Stuffed Shells with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

After making low calorie muffins using pumpkin puree, I had quite a bit of puree left over.  I saw a recipe for stuffed shells with pumpkin sauce in Rachael Ray's latest magazine issue, and got some inspiration.  I decided to make two versions of these shells--one vegetarian and one with meat.  I obviously ate the vegetarian version, but I think this is quite healthy both ways.

Pumpkin Shells 2 ways


Ingredients:
8 ounces pumpkin puree
salt and pepper
olive oil
20 jumbo pasta shells
1 lb. frozen chopped spinach
1 small yellow onion
2 tbsp. butter
8 ounces very lean ground beef
8 ounces low fat cottage cheese
1 cup low fat cheddar cheese
2 cups low fat milk
1/4 cup flour
3 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
4 sprigs fresh thyme
5 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
1/8 tsp. fresh nutmeg
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Method:
Step 1: Boil water in large pot with salt and some olive oil, and cook shells according to directions on box
Step 2: In the meantime, defrost spinach in the microwave and then drain water out with paper towels and preheat oven to 400 degrees
Step 3: Chop onion and add to skillet with olive oil. Cook for 7 minutes with salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs
Step 4: Drain pasta and cover with damp paper towels
Step 5: Take out thyme sprigs and add ground beef to onion mixture and cook for 3 minutes until the pink is gone, then take off heat
Step 6: Add half of the spinach, 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes and 1/6 cup of cheese to the beef mix and let cool
Step 7: Mix cottage cheese, remaining red pepper, 1/6 cup cheddar, 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a bowl
Step 8: Heat milk in microwave for 2 minutes while heating butter in saucepan
Step 9: Add flour to butter and whisk for a minute
Step 10: Add milk to flour mix and whisk until it boils and thickens a bit, then take off heat
Step 11: Add more salt, pepper,basil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, remaining cheese, nutmeg and pumpkin to milk mixture and mix in
Step 12: Add 1/2 cup of the pumpkin and milk mix to 2 8x8 greased baking dishes
Step 13: Fill half the shells with beef mix and half with cottage cheese mix and lay open side down into sauce
Step 14: Top shells with remaining sauce, cover pans with foil and cook pans for 20-25 minutes

Feel free to adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes. This turned out well and is very adaptable. It's a great fall pasta dish!

Crispy Potato Roast

Unless you have a severe fear of carbohydrates (which I should have), you can't hate a warm potato roast.  I'm going to host an all vegetarian dinner party soon, and I thought a gorgeous potato side dish would be the perfect accompaniment to any vegetarian main dish.  So I adapted a Martha Stewart recipe, and it turned out amazingly simple, yet delicious. I highly recommend this recipe, but I don't think it is worth it without a mandolin. The mandolin made it a snap, whereas trying to make thinly sliced potatoes with just me and a knife would be a joke. 

I got the following photo from Martha's site, and my smaller version pretty much looked exactly like the photo from the site.  It will impress anyone!

Crispy Potato Roast

Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled

3 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. butter

4 shallots, thinly sliced (I used the mandolin too)

8 sprigs thyme

1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

2 pinches dried red pepper flakes

coarse salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Step 2: Spray a deep dish 10 inch pan with pam

Step 3: Slice potatoes with mandolin

Step 4: Melt butter and oil together, and add red pepper flakes to the mix

Step 5: Pour a tablespoon of the butter mix in the bottom of the dish and add a dash of salt

Step 6: Place potatoes vertically together, like an accordion in the pan

Step 7: Shove shallots in between potato slices

Step 8: Add remaining butter mixture and salt and pepper to the top of the potatoes

Step 9: Bake covered in foil for 75 minutes

Step 10: Uncover potatoes and add all herbs on top and bake for another 35 minutes until just crisped

Onion Tart

Oh how I love a good quiche, especially in the summer.  Actually, make that winter, spring and fall as well! Aside from a frittata, it occurred to me that I've never actually made a proper quiche. After a quick little stop by the local Bed and Bath store, I found a tart tin on sale, and decided to try a quiche once and for all. Naturally, I took a recipe and altered it to my preferences.  This time, I took an onion tart recipe from BBC's good food as it required very few ingredients, and used very few eggs.

Onion Tart


Ingredients:

1 11 ounce box of pie crust mix (this is perfect for one 11 1/4 inch tart tin)
1 ounce of butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs. onions sliced
2 eggs
8 ounces of non-fat evaporated milk
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. yellow mustard powder
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Step 1: Prepare pie crust as instructed on box. After spreading the dough onto a greased pan, cover in foil, spread a few dry beans on top, and bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes
Step 2: Place a large skillet on medium low heat and place oil and butter in pan, then add onions and let cook until very light brown for about 30 minutes. Add thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg while cooking.
Step 3: Beat eggs, milk,salt, pepper, and mustard together, then add parmesan
Step 4: Take out thyme from cooked onions, and add onions to egg and milk mixture and pour into crust
Step 5: Cook in 375 degree for 30 minutes until top is a nice light brown color (I recommend placing the tart pan on top of a baking sheet to prevent oven spillage)
Step 6: Eat this hot, warm or cold. It's great any way!

Butternut Squash Pizza With Caramelized Onions And Blue Cheese

Pizza may be my favorite food of all time.  As a child, my eyes widened at the sight of a simple cheese pizza from Chuck E Cheese. But thankfully, as I've grown older my palette has become a bit more sophisticated.  So I decided to combine my favorite things into pizza form, and thanks to the help of my trusty assistant/fiance, I made a gourmet pizza rather effortlessly.

Butternut Squash Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese


Ingredients:

1 blob of pizza dough (I just bought a bag of Trader Joe's ready made dough)
12 ounces of cubed butternut squash (Again, Trader Joe's makes this easy)
3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese (I used low-fat, and it still turned out well)
1 ounce crumbled blue cheese
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 sprigs of thyme
5 sage leaves
1 tsp. of chopped oregano
1 onion, sliced
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
salt, pepper and oil as needed

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450 degrees and let pizza dough rest out on the counter
Step 2: Place sliced onions in a slightly oiled pan on medium low heat and season with salt and pepper and add in thyme. Let cook until caramel in color and stir occasionally, add garlic for the last 5 minutes, since this process takes about 30 minutes
Step 3: While the onions are cooking, heat the squash in the microwave for 10 minutes, cutting a hole in the bag
Step 4: Take the squash out, and mash up, adding the nutmeg in
Step 5: Roll or toss the dough into a manageable shape (flour and oil may be needed), and place on a cookie sheet or pizza stone
Step 6: Take the thyme springs out of onions, and place onions on dough, allowing a border for a crust
Step 7: Spread the butternut squash onto the onions, and top with both cheeses, sage, oregano and fresh black pepper
Step 8: Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes depending on your preference. Take out and enjoy!

Exotic Mushroom Pizza

I rarely make the same meal over and over again...unless you count boxed mac and cheese.  However, this exotic mushroom pizza may be my favorite vegetarian pizza recipe of all time.  I have yet to try a butternut squash pizza, but I doubt that will top mushrooms drenched in red wine combined with cheese.

I recommend buying 2 to 3 packs of mushrooms from Trader Joe's for this recipe--1 crimini, and 1 portobello, maybe even throw in some shitakes.  I also suggest buying pre-sliced fontina from TJ's, as a pack covers 1 pizza, and a container of crumbled gorgonzola cheese.

Exotic Mushroom Pizza

Ingredients:
1 12 inch ready made pizza crust (like boboli)
3 tbsp. olive oil
5 cloves chopped garlic
3 shallots, minced
12-15 ounces of assorted sliced of mushrooms (yes, this is the weight after taking off the stems)
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 ounce crumbled gorgonzola cheese
8 ounces of fontina (sliced or grated)
salt and pepper to taste
You will also need a pizza stone, or some kind of baking stone

Method:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees and add the pizza stone to the center rack
Step 2: While the stone is heating, brush the pizza crust with olive oil and add to heated stone and let bake for 5 minutes
Step 3: Heat a frying pan to high and add oil, garlic and shallots and stir for 30 seconds
Step 4: Add mushrooms to pan and stir fast, letting all of the moisture evaporate from the mushrooms
Step 5: Add wine, and cook until the wine evaporates, and take the pan off the heat
Step 6: Remove pizza crust from oven, leaving stone in oven.
Step 7: Spread the gorgonzola onto the crust with your fingers
Step 8: Add the majority of the mushrooms onto the crust (leaving the pretty ones out)
Step 9: Add the fontina onto the mushrooms, then add the remaining mushrooms on top in a pretty pattern.
Then add salt, pepper, and maybe even dried red pepper flakes to taste
Step 10: Bake for another 12-15 minutes

Fresh Start

Don't let the title fool you. I haven't drastically changed anything in my life. Well...except for the fact that I got engaged--as of October 30, 2010. But that doesn't mean I've stopped eating/baking/cooking.  So I thought I would start new, and share some recipes or great eats.

I've been trying to eat healthier in an effort to look great in my wedding photos, as the wedding is set for January. As a part of healthy eating, I'm trying to eat more raw veggies.  But everyone knows vegetables can be boring without a nice dip.  Since I love hummus so much, I thought I would try to tackle making a healthier hummus, and I think I succeeded. You can obviously alter to taste.

Lightened Up Hummus


Ingredients:

1/2 can garbanzo beans (15.5 oz can)
1 6 ounce container of fat free greek yogurt
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp. onion powder
4 minced cloves of garlic
1 tsp. tahini (sesame paste. If you don't have this, you can leave it out, or add some peanut butter)
1/4 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
A few leaves of cilantro or parsley

Method:
Dump everything into a blender, and blend. Alter to taste.

New Oven, New Recipes

We finally got a new oven, and a convection one no less.  So I can no longer complain about my baking no longer turning out well.

I decided to christen to oven with two new recipes: a mushroom lasagna, and rum cake.  Both were definite keepers.  Again, it was eaten before it could be photographed :(

Rum Cake


Ingredients:
1 bundt pan greased and floured well
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 box yellow cake mix with pudding in it
1/2 box instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup water, and some more
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup rum, divided into 2
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar

Method:
Step 1: preheat oven to 325 degrees and cover bottom of bundt pan with pecans and a sprinkle of sugar
Step 2: Mix cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, 1/2 cup rum, and blend well
Step 3: Pour batter in pan, and bake for 60 minutes
Step 4: When cake is baked, take it out, and mix 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in saucepan, and add butter
Step 5: Boil sugar mixture, and take off of burner, then add remaining rum
Step 6: Use a wooden bamboo skewer and poke holes in bottom of cake (it shouldn't be flipped over yet), and drizzle 3/4 of the syrup into the holes
Step 7: Allow cake to cool down for at least two hours, and flip over
Step 8: Add remaining syrup to top of cake, and enjoy!


Mushroom Lasagna


Ingredients:

6 ounces portobello mushrooms
6 ounces crimini mushrooms pre-sliced
1 cup Italian cheese blend (fontina, provolone, parmesan, asiago)
2 tbsp. chopped thyme
2 shallots, chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 minced garlic clove
8 oz. low-fat ricotta
2 cups milk
3/4 stick butter
Olive Oil
8 lasagna noodles
1/8 tsp fresh nutmeg
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Step 1: Soak noodles in boiled water while preparing the rest of the dish, and preheat oven to 375 degrees
Step 2:  Bring milk to simmer in saucepan, and set aside
Step 3: Melt 2/3 of the butter in a sauce pan, add flour, and cook for 1 minute on low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon
Step 4: Add hot milk into flour mix, and add salt, pepper, garlic powder, 1 tbsp. thyme, and nutmeg while whisking for 5 minutes on medium low heat
Step 5: Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil and remaining butter in large skillet on medium heat
Step 6: Add shallots, garlic clove, remaining thyme in skillet and cook until light golden brown
Step 7: Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.  Add more oil if needed, as well as salt and pepper
Step 8: Take out lasagna pan, and arrange sauce first, 4 noodles, ricotta cheese, 1/2 grated cheese, and 1/2 mushrooms, then repeat again, and top with black pepper if you like
Step 9: Put lasagna in oven, bake for 45 minutes, and let cool for 15 minutes prior to eating