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.

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.