Chilean Sea Bass on Bed of Roasted Potatoes, Chorizo, Fennel, Onion and Tomato - Plate to Impress!

Here's an impressive meal to serve the next time you have dinner guests - assuming Chilean Sea Bass is south of $40 a pound!

Really any seafood would do...I imagine it would be equally delicious with the likes of halibut, salmon or shrimp.



What I love about the dish is how beautiful it looks when all plated up, yet couldn't be easier to make!

The chorizo in the recipe allows you to go a little lighter on the fish portion (something you'll appreciate while standing in the seafood store reading sticker prices so high ...you begin formulating ways you'll remortgage your house!)



It's how I know I'm a woman obsessed with food and not shoes...I passed a COACH, a MACY'S and an Ann Taylor Loft...all before arriving upon my final destination...a small boutique seafood store with first rate fish at exorbitant prices! Nevertheless...I was a kid in a candy store!

The fussiest thing you'll have to do is make this aluminum foil ring (about 5-6 inches in diameter)...



After you remove the ring you will have created this tidy little bed for your fish...



Just add some fresh herbs of your choice....



Then place your seafood on top! Voila!  Beautiful presentation and over the top delicious!

Chilean Sea Bass on Bed of Roasted Potatoes, Chorizo, Fennel, Onion and Tomato

Ingredients:
1-2 fennel bulbs, top stalks removed and discarded, the rest trimmed into one inch pieces
1 large red onion, cut into one inch pieces
2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, left whole
4 chorizo sausage links, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
10-12 tri-colored fingerling potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (regular potatoes are fine too)
Olive oil for roasting
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. of your favorite fish, cooked perfectly!

Directions:

In a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil, toss fennel, red onion and cherry tomatoes with a few tablespoons olive oil and roast in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

If there's room in the oven, in a separate pan also lined with aluminum foil, toss your potatoes and chorizo with just a touch a olive oil and also roast for 20-25 minutes.

The roasting can all be done ahead of time and reheated before plating - simple!

When you're ready to plate, place the aluminum ring in the center of the dish.

Place a steady layer of potatoes and chorizo at the base of the ring.

Next, pile your roasted vegetables on top.

Carefully remove ring.

Top with fresh herbs and then your favorite fish!

Steak and Eggs - It's How We Roll

When we were young, in love and living in New York City, sometimes on the weekends we would roll out of bed and head to brunch at Cilantro, a colorful Mexican restaurant right around the corner from our tiny walk-up apartment.

I remember one day sitting there at the restaurant, all the windows were open and there was a touch of spring in the air. My husband ordered the Steak and Eggs and we both had frozen margaritas. While we sat there enjoying our food and people watching on Second Avenue, my husband turned to me and dead serious exclaimed, "You know, we live like rock stars!"  I smiled and shook my head in complete agreement.

Fast forward ten years...here we are in suburbia, a house, a mortgage, two cars, and two little ones who HAVE NO IDEA HOW MOMMY AND DADDY USED TO ROLL! 

I thought about that day this morning while making the kids breakfast...then I made this Steak and Eggs for my husband with some fresh bruschetta and toast points with homemade honey butter.

I like to think we're still living large! :)

Linguini with Sardines, Fennel, Onion and Lemon - Those Are Some BIG Anchovies?!

Can I tell you something I did today?

I went through the whole process of making this dish...the entire time thinking I was using ANCHOVIES.

When I opened the SARDINE can (clear as day mind you along the side and top of the tin in BIG BOLD LETTERS) I said to myself...

"Hmmm? These anchovies seem unusually large? Oh well."  and on I went...



I chopped an anchovy a sardine up and added it to olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes simmering away in a pan on the stove...

I made sure to press the anchovy sardine pieces into the oil with the back of a spoon so the fish would all but dissolve into the oil... thus infusing the oil with just a subtle hint of that anchovy sardine flavor. 



Then I added some thinly sliced fennel, onion and just about eight cherry tomatoes...



I added a splash of white wine and cooked down the entire sauce for 12-15 minutes...



I cut up crustless French bread and flat leaf parsley...and made some buttered breadcrumbs.



In the end, I tossed everything together with 8 oz. perfectly cooked Linguini.... a touch of sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, shaved Parmesan cheese, a hefty squeeze of lemon juice and grated lemon zest....

For a delicious Mediterranean inspired pasta dish with just a subtle hint of ...WHAT?!   SARDINES!  DEEEEELICIOUS!!!!

Yogurt Marinated Indian Spiced Shrimp - Who's In Charge Now?

It was time to take back what was rightfully mine.

After days of tea and toast...Tylenol and tissues...I was craving a meal that would remind my body WHO was in charge!

A "blow your doors off" sort of dinner that would send a direct message to those lingering aches and pains, "...your time ...is up!"

A dinner that before I even took one bite, its aroma would clear my senses....



So it was with still foggy head, that I raided my spice drawer and pulled out 30 different spices (then settled down and focused on six) to come up with the following spicy, yet well balanced combination...

~ for a quick and easy Indian Spiced Shrimp dish...that was just what the doctor ordered!

Yogurt Marinated Indian Spiced Shrimp

Ingredients:
1 lb. Shrimp, shelled and deveined, uncooked
3/4 cup Plain Low fat Greek Yogurt
2 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
1 teaspoon Hot Paprika (or regular if you do not want that much heat)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/8 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Directions:
Set uncooked shrimp aside.

Mix the rest of the ingredients above in a medium size bowl.

Take a few spoonfuls of the yogurt spice sauce and mix it in with the shrimp (be sure to reserve some of the sauce) use just enough to cover/coat the shrimp (see second photo above). Let marinate at least 20 minutes.

Cook shrimp over a lightly oiled smoking hot grill pan about 1.5 minutes per side (varies with the size of the shrimp). Do not overcook!

Serve with side of fluffy Basmati Rice. Garnish with fresh coriander. Hot Naan and a small bowl of the reserved yogurt sauce takes it up a notch!

Would be excellent on chicken too (just marinate MUCH longer)! ENJOY!

Fingerling Potatoes with Lemony, Dill Cream Sauce ~ Weekend Misery

It began as a sniffle...turned into a chesty cough and the next morning....a full fledged fever of 102! First my daughter...then my husband...then me. The little guy seemed spared. Two days later his temperature hit 104! It was the first weekend in a LONG time...no computer, no running, no playing, no cooking, no wine...no fun!  Misery.

The kind of cold/flu you think you'll never recover from...where you look at your ailing young and you yourself sick...feel helpless.  Assuming this is the "new normal" you begin formulating ways you'll survive.

You blame people. Dream up conspiracy theories. You dislike anyone and anything you came into contact with within the last ten days. You plot ways you'll seek your revenge.

The bright sun and soaring winter temperatures piss you off.

You resent the whole world for moving on and going about their daily routine....while you and your family are left sequestered...not at home...but rather in a germ infested house you don't even recognize!  A house with walls (that desperately need painting) closing in on you...getting tighter and tighter by the second with - NO - WAY - OUT!

So that about sums up our weekend. How did you spend yours?

Please excuse the somewhat simple and inexact recipe that follows...I'm still not feeling great today but wanted to slowly attempt getting back to normal.

I really enjoy eating potatoes this way...maybe you will too....

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Lemony, Dill Cream Sauce

Mix together 3.1 ratio quality mayonnaise to sour cream.

Add diced dill pickle, fresh chopped parsley, fresh lemon juice, touch of Worcestershire Sauce and pinch of cayenne to taste.

Drizzle over roasted potatoes and enjoy hot or cold!

Spicy Lentil Soup with Ham

Yesterday, while making up a batch of this Spicy Lentil Soup with Ham, I was reminded of three things:

1. Using a homemade stock and dry lentils is always better - both lend a richness and depth to the soup impossible to attain using boxed or canned varieties.



2. Improvise - while prudent to take inventory and assemble ingredients prior to cooking a specific dish - when you hit a glitch (in this case no celery) make adjustments and move on... it's how so many great things are created in the kitchen!

3. Pork - it has the uncanny ability to enhance the flavor of anything it touches...(I was not really reminded of this...I knew it all along...just seems worth repeating :)

Spicy Lentil Soup with Ham

Ingredients:

2 Ham Steaks, diced (about 1/2 lb)
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb dry, small green lentils, rinsed and picked over
8 cups Homemade Chicken Stock
1 scant tablespoon *Celery Salt
1 scant tablespoon *Moroccan Spice Blend (recipe follows)
Olive oil for sauteing...

Directions:

In a large stockpot with lid, over medium-high heat, add olive oil and ham and cook until ham begins to "sweat" and slightly render down (about 4 minutes). Add onion, carrot and garlic and continue cooking until vegetables begin to soften, about 5-8 minutes.

Add *celery salt (I opted to use celery salt because I was out of celery and knew my homemade chicken stock was NOT salty; therefor adding celery salt would not over salt the soup. If using boxed or canned broth, I would NOT use celery salt, rather 2 diced celery stalks, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed if (like me) you're out of celery or simply omit.)

Add Moroccan Spice blend (recipe follows) and lentils, stirring together until lentils are well coated with the spice.

Add homemade broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling turn down heat to a simmer, cover the pot and continue cooking until lentils are soft, about 45 minutes to an hour.

(Note: I stopped short of naming this soup Moroccan Spiced Lentil Soup with Ham because - if what I read online is correct - the people of Morocco who are mostly Muslim do not eat pork.)

A little spicy...a whole lot delicious!!!!

Moroccan Spice Blend
Gourmet, April 2004

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix all together and store in an air tight container - great spice to have on hand for meats, seafood, soups and stews.

Broccoli, Corn, Ham and Cheese Pockets-MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Seems I don't have much to say recently ~ a far cry from my early blogging days when I'd tend to go on for hours. I guess I just go through phases, some where I feel like I have something to say and others, not so much. 

Plus...I get tired of talking! I have a two and a four year old...most of my day is filled with talking...usually answering the question, "Why?"  It's amazing how much you know in your 30's...or how good you can get at making stuff up!

The rest of the time I'm issuing commands like, "No!" "Stop!" and/or "Don't even think about it!"

Anyway, I'm spending more time taking pictures of the food ~ something I enjoy almost as much as the cooking ~ and an obsession I know many of you share. (If there's a support group my husband would love to know where to sign me up...)

So at the risk of boring you all (who's still reading???) what follows is another post meant more for inspiration than an actual recipe ~ it's a series of photos that depicts one of the only ways I can get vegetables into my children.

The great thing is ~ adults love them too!  (Turns out I had more to say than I thought...)



Diced ham and fresh broccoli...



Broccoli and corn sauteed up in a cast iron skillet until soft. Then I pulse the vegetables in a food processor...



Whole wheat store bought pizza dough ($0.99) (I need to start making my own...)



Roll out the dough, cut into rounds about 3.5 inches in diameter. Top with vegetable puree, ham and some of their favorite cheese...



Fold over to close, pinching edges to secure...

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 9 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving....



So, you know what's in there...and I know what's in there...



They just think they taste good and are super fun to eat!

{MISSION ACCOMPLISHED}

Mini Heirloom Tomatoes Stuffed with Pesto Goat Cheese ~ Instant Appetizer

I picked up these beautiful mini heirloom tomatoes on a recent trip to Trader Joe's. I also grabbed some prepared pesto and package of crumbled goat cheese...

Mix the pesto and cheese together in a bowl, cut the tomatoes in half horizontally and scoop out their pulp, stuff the tomatoes with the pesto goat cheese, top with touch of bread crumbs, drizzle with olive oil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.  Bring to room temperature and serve...

Instant Appetizer...

Orecchiette with Garlic Infused Olive Oil, Spicy Italian Sausage, Roasted Peppers and Spinach

I don't make pasta very often....for the exact same reason I don't keep potato chips hidden in the pantry in the house...I am not to be trusted anywhere near the stuff!

Don't get me wrong...I am not suggesting pasta is junk food.  I know when you are the one controlling what goes into your pasta...it's difficult to find a healthier ~ more soul fulfilling meal!



So when I do make pasta...that's what I do...I control the ingredients.

In this case we have Orecchiette (small ear shaped pasta), homemade roasted red peppers...



Sauteed spinach, fresh Italian sausage, garlic infused olive oil and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

So while there's nothing groundbreaking about the ingredients in this dish....there is no cup of salt or pound of butter...no processed cheese or sugar laced sauce...

Just rustic, wholesome goodness...with lots and lots of bread!

Orecchiette with Garlic Infused Olive Oil, Spicy Italian Sausage, Roasted Peppers and Spinach

8 oz. Orecchiette Pasta
2 Roasted red peppers, sliced
2 Spicy Italian Sausages, removed from casing and browned until cooked
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 large cloves (plus 1 small clove) of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked pepper to taste
Freshly Grated Parmesan cheese (mixed into the pasta and for garnish on top)

Prepare Oil:
In a small pan, place first 3 Tlbs. minced garlic, red pepper flakes and pinch of salt in room temperature Olive Oil. Turn on heat and cook over medium-low heat until the garlic begins to sizzle and slightly brown. (You want the garlic cooked - not raw - but you also want to avoid burning) Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Prepare Spinach:
In large frying pan, place 1 tablespoon olive oil and the 1 small minced garlic clove. Place spinach in pan and over medium heat saute up until heated through, stirring often about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Prepare pasta and bring dish together:
Cook Pasta according to package instructions. Drain, do not rinse! Place pasta back in the same pot.

Pour prepared garlic infused olive oil over top.

Fold in prepared spinach, peppers, sausage and cheese. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Garnish with more cheese and serve with crusty bread!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake ~ A Husband's Redemption

I'm feeling a little bad about my last post and rubbing in my "Pork Tenderloin Throwdown" victory against my husband.

My husband is in fact an excellent cook ~ one who spends a lot of his spare time fine-tuning technique in the kitchen.  For instance... his knife skills are superb and his pies from scratch - spectacular!  His sauces at times resemble those of a 'Master Saucier' and when he grills outside...it's a perfectly choreographed show!

So WHAT pray tell went wrong the other day? There's a perfectly good explanation...

You know in Bravo's Top Chef when one of the contestants gets overzealous and decides (though not expected to) they're going to make TWO dishes as oppose to ONE. The contestant thinks that by offering two plates to the judges, they're exhibiting an unmatched courage and confidence in the kitchen that will certainly seal their win!

What usually happens? You guessed it...one...if not not both dishes....leave something to be desired...creating the exact opposite reaction than what the contestant intended...



I can hear the Top Chef  judges now (in all their distinct voices)...

Padma: "Why two dishes?"
Tom: "He was clearly trying to bring it tonight...but his plan...backfired."
Gail: "I want to give him credit for attempting two dishes, but tonight, it just didn't work."
Eric: "You do one dish and you do it right, no excuse."
Anthony: "What the hell is this crap?! I've eaten better food off the underside of a snake's testicles!"

So that explains it. While I concentrated on one dish (the Pork Satay Skewers) my husband prepared two - his "throwdown dish" AND this Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Clearly his pork succumbed to the mercy of this delectable dessert that is baked in a cast iron skillet and calls for cardamom  - a pricey somewhat unexpected ingredient.

Had my husband challenged me to a "Cake Throwdown"...this Pineapple Upside-Down Cake clearly would have taken home the blue ribbon!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Gourmet, February 2000

For topping:
1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored
3/4 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

For batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 to 3 teaspoons ground cardamom (see cooks' note below. He did 1 tsp cardamom and 1 tsp cinnamon -perfect!)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tablespoons dark rum for sprinkling over cake

Special equipment:
a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make topping:
Cut pineapple crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick pieces. Melt butter in skillet. Add brown sugar and simmer over moderate heat, stirring, 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Arrange pineapple on top of sugar mixture in concentric circles, overlapping pieces slightly.

Make batter:
Sift together flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in granulated sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and rum. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. Beat in pineapple juice, then add remaining flour mixture, beating just until blended. (Batter may appear slightly curdled.)

Spoon batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly. Bake cake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cake stand in skillet 5 minutes. Invert a plate over skillet and invert cake onto plate (keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together). Replace any pineapple stuck to bottom of skillet. Sprinkle rum over cake and cool on plate on a rack.

Serve cake just warm or at room temperature.

Cooks' notes:
•Some of the food editors found 3 teaspoons of cardamom to be too much, but others loved the intense flavor.
•Cake may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Grilled Pork Satay and Pineapple Skewers ~ Restoring Domestic Balance

Yesterday my husband challenged me to a Pork Tenderloin throwdown.

"But of course...!"

I was envisioning marinated pork satay skewers...a little spicy...a little sweet ...and super jam packed with flavor! A marinade that stuck to the meat and when charcoal grilled... its flavors were sealed and intensified!

My husband went with a dry rub that consisted of numerous spices from the pantry. (I'll possibly feature his recipe in my next post...we'll see)

Like the Dictionary rule in SCRABBLE...cookbooks were not permitted. (No big deal...I've made satay before.)

He was cocky...I was reserved.
He was looking over my shoulder...I kept to my station.
He questioned things I was doing...I spoke not a word.
He was confident...I was confident too.

In the end ...all agreed mine won.

My husband conceded and domestic balance ~ was restored.

Grilled Pork Satay and Pineapple Skewers

Ingredients:

2 medium sized pork tenderloins, cut into 2 inch medallions (I had 25 pieces of pork)
Can of pineapple chunks, or fresh pineapple cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup Creamy Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Brown sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon Chili Garlic Sauce
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tablespoon honey
Fresh ground pepper

Garnish:
Crushed Unsalted Peanuts
Scallion, chopped on a bias, sliced in strips
Lime wedges (not shown)
Cilantro (not shown)

Directions:

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, olive oil, chili garlic sauce, garlic and honey. (Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking but this worked for me!)

Place pork medallions in a large Ziploc storage bag and pour your marinade into the bag over top of the pork. Mix together well in the bag.

Refrigerate and let marinate at least two hours ~ this marinated six.

If using wooden skewers, make sure to keep them submerged in water for a few hours before cooking to prevent them from burning.

When ready to skewer, carefully place on one piece of pork followed by pineapple chunk ~ I did 5 pieces pork to 3 pineapple, beginning and ending with pork.

We cooked the skewers over a hot charcoal grill, turning occasionally for approximately 10 minutes. Gas grill or oven would work too. Just be sure to turn skewers at least once while cooking.

Edamame Spread with Garlic Parmesan Toasts ~ Beautiful Wholesome Food

For today, I'm simply sharing another way to enjoy soybeans...

This Edamame Spread would be lovely served along side a soft goat cheese and/or roasted red pepper spread...

Beautiful wholesome food.

Edamame Spread with Garlic Parmesan Toasts

Ingredients:

1 package edamame (soybeans) steamed according to package instructions, removed from pods
1/4 cup heavy cream, warmed (more if you want a smoother consistency)
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (to taste)
French baguette
Olive Oil for brushing on bread
1 clove of garlic peeled
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Place first 4 ingredients in a blender and blend to desired consistency.

Garlic Parmesan Toast

Preheat Broiler

Slice a French baguette into 1/4 inch slices on a bias

Brush both sides with olive oil

Broil on both side until beginning to crisp

Remove from broiler, brush bread a few times with fresh clove of garlic

Place bread back on pan, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese

Place back under the broiler, until cheese is melted and crisp

Kielbasa Sandwiches with Grilled Sweet Onions and Sauerkraut, Melted Cheese and Mustard Jalapeno Spread

It's torture taking pictures of a sandwich like this ~ I tried to come up with a witty analogy to explain why ~ but none seemed appropriate.

Anyway...I'm pretty sure YOU KNOW WHY. (Unless you can't stand Sauerkraut or keep Kosher or Vegetarian...then you have your own whole set of reasons....) 

So enough small talk,  let's get down to The Playbook...

There are three things men need to SEE the night of the BIG GAME to consider the evening a memorable football extravaganza!

Depicted Below (not necessarily in order of importance):  Sausage.  Cheese.  Beer.



Some might argue Bikinis too...but I disagree.

A tray of these, Mini Kielbasa Sandwiches with Grilled Sweet Onions and Sauerkraut, melted Gruyere Cheese, Whole Grain Dijon Mustard and a Sweet-n-Spicy Jalapeno Spread....

...is about as SEXY as the classic American sporting event should EVER...EVER GET!

Kielbasa Sandwiches with Grilled Sweet Onions, Sauerkraut, Melted Cheese and Mustard Jalapeno Spread

Ingredients:

Quality Polish Kielbasa, sliced into 1/4 inch circles
12 oz Sauerkraut
1 large sweet onion, sliced in thin rounds
Equal parts Whole Grain Dijon Mustard and a Spicy Jalapeno Jelly
Gruyere Cheese
Small Crusty Rolls

Directions:

Mix together your mustard and jelly until well combine. Your condiment is now ready.

In a cast iron skillet, brown up the kielbasa. Once slightly darkened around edges, remove from the pan and set aside.

Preheat broiler.

In the same pan, add your sweet onions and grill up until just beginning to brown and soften. Add sauerkraut to the pan with the onions and cook together about 8 minutes, until most juices evaporate.

Slice your rolls and scoop out a bit of the inside bread if desired.

Next, assemble the sandwiches (in a pan preferably with sides if making many). First, spread some of the mustard/jelly condiment on the bottom.

Next, pile on some kielbasa rounds (about 8 Don't Skimp!) then the onion/sauerkraut mixture and then top with a good slice of Gruyere Cheese.

Place the pan under the broiler  - along with the top of the rolls (facing inside up) to slightly crisp its edges

Once cheese has melted, remove from the oven. PAY ATTENTION WHEN IN BROILER.

Spread some more mustard/jelly condiment on the inside top of the roll and close the sandwich.

Serve with BEER and CHIPS!

Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta Toasts

There's a restaurant in town well known for its superb food and cozy atmosphere. Those fortunate enough to frequent the establishment, RAVE about the Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta.

Last night, I finally had an opportunity to taste the famous appetizer and while indulging made certain to dissect its ingredients, flavor and presentation.



This afternoon I reconstructed the mushroom bruschetta in my head. I knew it was kept simple on purpose ~ few ingredients ~ loads of flavor! After my second attempt...I believe this recipe is about as close as it gets!

Rustic, comfort food with a touch of elegance - it doesn't get much better than this!

Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta Toasts

1 small-medium French baguette, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Olive oil for brushing bread
2 cloves garlic, both peeled, one left whole, one finely diced
6 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
Equal parts Cream Cheese, Grated Parmesan Cheese (about 2 tablespoon each) plus 1 tablespoon Goat Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Dried Parsley
White Truffle Oil (about teaspoon total or enough to drizzle just a tiny bit on top of prepared bruschetta toasts) Optional but I am certain the restaurant included the truffle oil
Pinch of Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Shaved Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat boiler. Lightly brush bread slices with olive oil on both sides. Broil on each side (about 2-3 minutes per side) until lightly browned and crisp on the edges and slightly so in the middle.

Brush one side of bread with peeled garlic clove - do not over do it - just one or two strokes over the bread will do. Set aside for later.

Combine cream cheese, parmesan and goat cheese in a bowl until well mixed and creamy. Set aside.

Melt butter over medium heat in skillet. Once melted, add mushrooms and saute about 5 minutes or until mushroom begin releasing their juices.

Add diced garlic and continue cooking about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper and parsley flakes, cook 1 more minute. Remove from heat.

Spread a thin (even thinner that what is pictured) layer of cheese over one side of bread, top with the sauteed mushrooms and garlic, drizzle with just a touch of the truffle oil.

Add shaved Parmesan cheese on top. Garnish with baby arugula and/or micro greens.

Delicious warm or room temperature so PERFECT for a PARTY!