Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes and Mushroom Hummus

It's party time! With all the talk of football parties, holiday parties, and back-to-school parties, I thought I'd post a couple of stand-by favorites to such occasions. Of course no party is complete without hummus, and posted here I have a variation on my Basic Hummus Recipe. Stuffed tomatoes make an appearance at most my functions; if I find myself function-less, then there is nothing wrong with using this as a side dish.

Speaking of parties, my vegetarian sister has kindly granted me permission to throw her a baby shower. It's not until the end of November, but rest assured there will be more party-friendly foods to come!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

8 medium tomatoes

2 tbs olive oil

4 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 c diced zucchini

4 oz goat cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tbs fresh oregano, chopped

1 tbs fresh thyme, stem removed

1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/3 c Parmesan cheese, grated

additional salt and pepper, if desired

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Cut across the stem end of each tomato to create a flat surface. Using a melon baller, scoop out the pulp each tomato. Chop the pulp and then set aside on paper towels to drain.

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until mushrooms begin to soften (about 5 minutes). Add shallots and saute 2 mote minutes; add garlic and saute until shallots are translucent.

In a medium bowl, combine mushroom mixture, salt, zucchini, goat cheese, parsley, oregano, thyme, and drained tomato pulp. Gradually stir in bread crumbs, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan until mixture starts to come together.

With a paper towel, pat dry the inside of each tomato shell. Season inside of tomatoes with salt and pepper, if desired, then fill each tomato cavity with the goat cheese mixture. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top of the stuffed tomatoes and bake in preheated oven for 20 m inutes, or until tops are golden brown. Serves 8 as a side dish, or 4 as a main course.

Hummus with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1/4 c + 1 tbs olive oil

8 oz mushrooms of choice, sliced, dark ribs removed

2 cloves garlic, halved

1/4 tsp salt

1 can (15.5oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 tbs tahini

1/4 c water

zest and juice from 1 lemon

pinch cayenne pepper

additional olive oil, water

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat 1 tbs olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are soft. Add garlic and 1/4 tsp of salt and saute another 2-3 minutes, or until garlic starts to soften.

In food processor, puree mushrooms, garlic, beans, tahini, 1/4 c olive oil, 1/4 c water, lemon zest, juice, cumin, and cayenne to a medium-fine texture. Add about half a tsp each of salt and pepper to start.

While blending on medium speed, slowly add equal parts oil and water until paste smooths to desired consistency.

Transfer to a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Makes about 2 cups.

Cantonese Style Spare Ribs with Veggie Spring Rolls

My youngest daughter brought home a Chinese cook book from the school library, and kindly demanded the ribs. That was the jumping off point of this recipe. I simplified the preparation to accommodate my odd sleep schedule and paired it with spring rolls to help cool us off on this hot, sticky day.

The spring rolls are prepared in the fresh style--that is, no deep-fat frying. I left the filling undressed to facilitate dipping (love plum sauce!). To increase portability, combine the filling with the dressing before rolling.

I apologize for the quality of the photos. I didn't realize the batteries on my camera were on their last electron prior to chowing down, hence the weird focus.

Cantonese Style BBQ Spareribs

Ingredients:

1 tbs ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 c soy sauce

1/3 c hoisin sauce

1/3 c plum sauce

1 tbs whole peppercorns

2 lb pork spareribs, cut apart

2 tbs honey

Directions:

Combine ginger, garlic, sauces, and pepper in a large bowl; add ribs and toss to coat. Place ribs and sauce in crock pot and allow to cook on low for 6 hours.

Set oven to broil and place the rack on the highest level. Remove ribs from the sauce and place on a baking sheet. Brush the ribs with the honey and broil for about 3 minutes, or until the ribs have a glazed appearance. Flip ribs, brush with honey, and broil another 3 minutes. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

Veggie Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

1 tbs sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

8oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

8 spring roll wrappers, soaked according to directions

1 c carrots, matchstick cut

1/4 red bell pepper, matchstick cut

2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced lengthwise and cut into 5" lengths

1 jalapeno, matchstick cut (optional)

1 c alfalfa sprouts

Directions:

In a small skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and saute until just soft. Stir in mushrooms and cook until tender (about 4 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Lay out a softened spring roll wrapper. At about one-third up from the edge closest to you, arrange a 5" layer of carrot using about 2 tablespoons of carrot per roll. Top with several slices of bell pepper, green onion, and jalapeno (if desired). Add 2 tablespoons of alfalfa sprouts. Bring the end of the wrapper closest to you over the fillings, and roll tightly until half the wrapper is aroung the filling. Bring in the left and right sides of the wrapper over the center, and then roll the rest of the way. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling ingredients.

Bias slice each roll in half and serve with plum dipping sauce. Makes 8 rolls.

Plum Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 c plum sauce

3 tbs rice vinegar

1/4 c water

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tbs sunflower seeds

Directions:

Blend all iingredients until smooth. Refridgerate at least 30 minutes before use. Makes about 3/4 cups of dipping sauce.

Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Enchiladas

I've been craving enchiladas for quite awhile. My mostly vegetarian and very pregnant friend Stephanie mentioned making sweet potato and black bean enchiladas while we were wandering around the farmers market this past weekend, and that pushed me over the edge. I had to make enchiladas.

I have issues with making enchiladas, in that I don't like doing it. Between making the separate pieces and then assembling the enchiladas, it just takes too long for me to do often. I made these all in one evening, but I speculate that you could easily make the filling and sauce ahead of time, leaving just the tortillas to prepare before assembly. I will probably do that next time. Baking time would need to be increased to 30 or 40 minutes.

These enchiladas are filled with spiced sweet potato, goat cheese, and asparagus for crunch. The sauce is an old stand-by of mine that I like on burritos, quesadillas, and--of course--enchiladas. I feel the tang of the sauce nicely compliments the starch of the potatoes and creaminess of the goat cheese. For extra spice, add some fresh jalapeño to the filling.

Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes

2 tbs light olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp chili powder

1/3 c red onion, diced

1/4 c red bell pepper, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tbs lime juice

12 7" corn tortillas

canola oil for frying

4 oz goat cheese

12 stalks medium thickness asparagus, trimmed, uncooked

2 c verde enchilada sauce (recipe below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Toss sweet potato with 1 tbs olive oil, cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven 15-20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350F.

Saute onion, pepper, and garlic in remaining oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and lime juice. Stir in sweet potato cubes to combine and remove from heat.

To prepare the tortillas, fill a skillet to 1" deep with canola oil. Heat oil over medium heat. One at a time, place tortilla in oil, fry 15 seconds on each side, and place on paper towel to drain.

To assemble enchiladas:

Dip tortilla in verde sauce. Place one asparagus stalk on lower third of tortilla. Top with 1/2 tbs goat cheese and 2 tbs of sweet potato filling. Roll tortilla around filling and place seam side down in a lightly greased 9"x13" baking dish. Repeat until all tortillas are filled.

Top enchiladas with remaining verde sauce and goat cheese. If desired, garnish with additional red bell pepper and/or onion. Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

Enchilada Verde Sauce

Ingredients:

6 tomatillos, husked and rinsed

1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 tbs rice vinegar

Water

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 c fresh cilantro

1 tbs lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Place tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, and vinegar in a medium saucepan. Add water to cover ingredients. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes, or until tomatillos are tender.

Remove from heat and drain liquid off. Place the fruits and vegetables in a blender with cumin, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Blend until all ingredients are well combined. Makes about 2 cups.

Black Bean Burgers, Grilled Pineapple Salsa, Homemade Ketchup, and Bacon-Flavored Potato Chips

....a.k.a., the All-American Meal: anti-Chef-style.

I tagged this as vegetarian, but no one get up in arms over the bacon-flavored chips. I'm not forcing you to make them! The chips came about as an epiphany after the oldest spawn complained about me making veggie burgers. Because her step-mom is a vegetarian, my poor deprived teenage daughter looks to me to satisfy those cravings (for, while I do make a lot of vegetarian items, I am most definitely not a vegetarian. I just like vegetables!).

I suggested topping the burgers with bacon, which the offspring was agreeable to. Then the inspiration started flowing, and I decided bacon chips were the way to go. For the meat-abstainers out there, these homemade potato chips work just fine without the bacon fat. Just use an additional tablespoon of oil and some fresh herbs.

I apologize for the photo....we were one hungry family last night, so I was lucky to even get this picture taken. For the burger buns, I really like the multi-grain sandwich thins. You can see a bit of the fire-roasted tomato ketchup on the bottom bun, followed by the burger topped with grilled pineapple salsa and the top half of the bread. The potato chips have bacon bits on them, and I also served them with a little of my garlic aioli. Had I been thinking with my blog rather than with my stomach, each item would've had a higher chance of individual photo shoots!

Hey, a girl's gotta eat.

Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

2 15oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 med red onion, finely chopped

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 - 2 c panko (I used 1 2/3 c, but it will vary depending on how wet your ingredients are)

1 tsp each salt/pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 c red pepper, finely chopped

1 4oz can chopped green chilis

4 green onions, chopped

1 tbs fresh cilantro, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp lime zest

1 tsp pepper sauce (more if you like it hot!)

Directions:

In a large bowl, mash beans. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined. Shape into 5 1/2" patties and allow to rest about half an hour at room temperature.

Heat grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Place patties in pan, cover, and cook 5 minutes on each side. Serve on toasted whole wheat buns. Makes 6-8 burgers.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1 15oz cans sliced pineapple rings

1 jalapeno pepper, sliced in half

1 med ripe avocado, sliced

1/3 c red onion, finely chopped

1 tbs cilantro, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh lime zest

lime juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 tbs)

salt to taste (about 1/4 tsp)

Directions:

Heat grill pan over med-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Grill pineapple rings, jalapeno, and avocado about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and allow to cool slightly.

Chop pineapple and avocado; remove seeds from jalapeno and finely chop. Combine grilled fruits with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate half an hour before serving. Make about 2 cups of salsa.

Fire-Roasted Tomato Ketchup

Ingredients:

1/2 tbs light olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 15oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained

1 tbs pineapple juice

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Place oil and garlic in a cold small saucepan. Turn stop-top on medium and heat about 2 minutes (including warm up time). Add remaining ingredients, bring to simmer, and reduce heat to med-low. Allow to simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, and mashing the chunks of tomato. When mixture is the desired consistency (about 15-20 minutes), remove from heat. If a smooth ketchup is desired, blend until pureed. Makes about 3/4 cup ketchup.

Bacon-flavored Potato Chips

Ingredients:

2 strips thick cut bacon (or 4 regular strips), diced

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 tbs celery greens, finely chopped

3 med potatoes, sliced into 1/8" thick rounds

1 tbs light olive oil

sea salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F.

Fry bacon in pan over medium heat 3-5 minutes, until starting to brown. Add onion and celery greens; saute about 2 more minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the contents of the pan (including bacon grease) with the olive oil. Toss mixture with potatoes and place in a large ziplock bag to marinate for 15 minutes.

Reserving the bacon bits, arrange potato slices in a single layer (very important!) on baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes. Flip potato slices over and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, until potatos are golden brown. Remove from oven, immediately toss with bacon bits and salt, and serve. Makes about 4 servings.

Hummus....Just the Basics

Today is one of those days I'm just not meant to sleep. I'm not entirely sure what is happening in the apartments around me, but there is a ridiculous amount of hammering and drilling happening. Work tonight will be a real bitch....

Since I'm not sleeping, I decided to whip up a batch of hummus. This is a very basic recipe that can have almost anything added to it. For instance, stir in chopped basil or roasted red pepper to add some color and extra flavor. I typically eat this with fresh veggies (you can see my snack in the picture!), but it's also good with pita or flatbread. I've even used it as sauce on a Mediterranean-style pizza.

Tip: To roast such a small amount of garlic, I don't bother with heating the oven. My faster method is to toss the garlic cloves (with the skin on!) in a small skillet over med heat. Cover the pan, and give the garlic about 5 minutes on each side to thoroughly roast.

I may be working on little to no sleep tonight, but at least I have my 2:00am snack all set to go!

Basic Hummus

Ingredients:

1 can (15.5oz) chickpeas, drained/rinsed

3 tbs tahini

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

zest and juice from 1 lemon, or 2 tbs vinegar of choice

3 cloves garlic, roasted and peeled

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

additional olive oil, water

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

In food processor, puree beans, tahini, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of water, lemon zest, juice, garlic, cumin, and cayenne to a medium-fine texture. Add about half a teaspoon each of salt and pepper to start.

While blending on medium speed, slowly add equal parts oil and water until paste smooths to desired consistency.

Transfer to a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Makes about 2 cups.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Creamy Garlic Dipping Sauce

Here is one of my favorite side dishes. I created them after having a deep-fried version at the local Renaissance Festival. Instead of breaded and fried, these "fries" are baked. They are good with or without the creamy garlic dip. A Thai peanut sauce would go well with these for someone of the vegan persuasion.

The dipping sauce is a tart, cool contrast to the sweet potato. My original recipe used sour cream as a base, but this last time I subbed in plain yogurt in an effort to cut down on the calories. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference; hence the final recipe is made with non-fat plain yogurt. This sauce is also very good on fish and chicken. I've dipped both proteins in it before baking with rave reviews.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes

1 tbp rice (or white) vinegar

2 tbs light olive oil

1 tsp fresh thyme, very finely minced

1 tsp fresh basil, very finely minced

2 tsp fresh parsley, very finely minced

1 tsp cumin

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice potatoes into strips about 1/4" around. In a large bowl whisk oil, herbs, and cumin together. Toss potato strips with oil mixture until thoroughly coated.

Arrange evenly on baking sheet, not touching. Bake 15 minutes, flip, and bake another 18-20 minutes (or under caramel brown and crisp on the outside).

Remove from the oven and salt/pepper to taste. Makes 6 servings.

Creamy Garlic Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

1 c low fat plain yogurt

3 tbs mayo

1 tbs horseradish

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

2 tbs light or extra virgin olive oil

2 clove garlic, very finely minced

3 tbs parsley, very finely minced

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk together all ingredients until well-combined. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Serve chilled. Makes 1 1/2 cups.