Caramelized Onion, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Tarts

caramelized onion mushroom goat cheese tart

We had our good friends, Mike, Christa and their baby Paige, over for lunch this weekend.  Christa is a vegetarian and   in the past I would often prepare two meals, vegetarian and non-vegetarian.  Lately,  I’ve been finding new ways to keep vegetarian dishes satisfying for both parties which helps me spend less time in the kitchen and more time with our guests.   I decided to make caramelized onion, mushroom and goat cheese tarts served with a salad dressed with balsamic vinaigretteand for dessert, vanilla ice cream with strawberry and blueberry flambe.  I love caramelized onions…they are so tender and sweet.  Add meaty crimini mushrooms,  mild goat cheese and aromatic pine nuts and you have perfection.  It’s hard to resist all those savory flavors especially when it’s sitting on a crispy and flaky piece of puff pasty.  These tarts are such a great dish to serve for a brunch, light lunch or even as an appetizer.  The best part is the recipe is super easy. 

caramelized onion mushroom goat cheese tart

The caramelized onions are sweet & have almost a jam like consistency. I love the addition of the crunchy pine nuts.

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Californian Flat Bread Pizza

flat bread pizza

When I think of Californian cuisine, the words fresh, clean and healthy immediately come to mind.  I love goat cheese, Roma tomatoes and basil.  The vibrant colors are beautiful and I think these ingredients exude California.  I recently was out with a girl friend for happy hour at Claim Jumper.  We ordered the Tomato Flat Bread as part of our meal.  It was a simple piece of lavash bread, covered with lots of cheese and tomatoes.  An arugula salad with a refreshing lemon vinaigrette topped the whole  appetizer.  I thought to myself…I can make this at home for a fraction of the price….so I did!

This Californian style flat bread pizza is full of fresh flavors, healthy and is so quick to assemble and bake.  I made this dish for my siblings for lunch one day and they loved it.   I was actually surprised because as you may know my sister is not a big fan of tomatoes.   I like how the goat cheese just softens, but doesn’t become rubbery or hard as other cheeses tend to when baked.  The fresh basil is such a great compliment to the tomatoes.  I even made it for dinner for my husband and he was skeptical since it didn’t have any meat on it.  He was wrong, he thoroughly enjoyed his vegetarian flat bread pizza.  This is a no fuss recipe, so there are no exact measurements.  Use what you have on hand for the toppings and be creative.

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Eat My Blog June 2010

eat my blog june 2010 

I participated in the Eat My Blog charity bake sale this month.  It’s a bake sale organized by Cathy of Gastronomy and the planning committe  Diana Takes a Bite, G-Ma’s Bakery, Delicious Coma.  All baked goods are donated by local Los Angeles and Orange County food bloggers and all proceeds are donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.  It was such a fun experience and I can’t wait to participate in future Eat My Blog bake sales.  With the help of over 70 bloggers, generous donations from restaurants and chefs, volunteers and of course buyers over $5,400 was raised.   Unfortunately, I forgot to charge my battery before heading up to the bake sale at Tender Greens in West Hollywood and my camera died after taking a few pictures during set up.  Needless to say, I was sad that I couldn’t fully document all of the goodies to share with you.  The selection was amazing….it was hard to not buy one of each sweet!  This definitely was not your typical bake sale.  There was a vast selection of sweet & savory treats such as Bacon Coffee Cake with Almond Butterscotch Drizzle from Chef Debbie Lee,  Bacon Chocolate Chip cookies, My Life as a Foodie & My Last Bite’s  Bacon wrapped Breadsticks, Domestic Divas’  Bacon Brownies with Bourbon Caramel Sauce…bacon was a big seller.    

 Here’s what I was able to capture before my battery gave out….   

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Veal Scaloppine with Mushrooms & Marsala

veal scaloppine with mushrooms and marsala

Veal Scaloppine with Mushrooms and Marsala sounds fancy but in reality, it’s an easy recipe to make.  This delectable dish will definitely add a touch of elegance to your dinner.  The veal is tender, the Marsala sauce is savory and rich, and the aroma of the thyme and meatiness of the mushrooms add another layer of flavor and texture to the dish.

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Herb Roasted Potatoes

herb roasted potatoes

We have two dear friends, Vivian and Andy,  that live down the street from us.  Derrick has known Vivian since college and over the years, the four of us have become very close friends.  Derrick and Andy golf practically every Saturday, we have gone on vacations together and spent many nights making last minute plans for sushi, frozen yogurt or boba runs.  They are moving to San Francisco in a couple of weeks and we are going to miss them so much.  But, we are also very happy for them as they are moving on to bigger and better opportunities.   I wanted to cook dinner for them one last time before they leave and get a chance to enjoy each other’s company.

Menu:  Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, Veal Scaloppine with Mushrooms and Marsala and Herb Roasted Potatoes and of course red wine.

I know it’s summer time and most summer menus revolve around the grill and not the oven, but I actually like using the oven to cook.  Well, I like the idea of popping something in the oven and not really worrying about it until the timer goes off.  I especially like the idea of divide and conquer.  I can prepare the veal scaloppine and salad while the side dish is cooking without much attention from me.

These herb roasted potatoes are so easy to make and have such wonderful flavor from the olive oil, rosemary, garlic and thyme.  It’s a hearty side that would go great with many dishes, such as grilled chicken or steak.  The skins roast up beautifully while the inside is nice and soft.   Continue reading →

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