Food, Food, Food

This Week I made...

A mushroom Tart

I infused olive oil for the first time to use in my mushroom tart.

This was fun and the whole house smelled lovely.  I just warmed the olive oil (1/4 cup) with the rosemary sprigs and red pepper flakes in it, and then let it cool.  Done and done.

I took puff pastry dough, shaped it into a 8"x8" square and baked it for 15 minutes.  Then i mixed up some heavy cream (about 2 Tbsp.) and feta cheese and spread that mixture on top of my dough.  I baked the portabello's for about 15 minutes until i could smell them.  I sauteed the rest of my mushrooms in the oil ( i wouldn't recommend using all of the oil.)  I placed all of my mushrooms on top of the dough and feta and sliced her up!  yum!  I didn't flavor the portabello's at all because i love their nutty flavor.

Greek Chicken Salad

Olives, Cherry tomatoes, Feta, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Chicken and some homemade dressing.  Easy.  Although i wasn't a big fan of the dressing.  It was greek nonfat yogurt, lemon, and salt and pepper.  I added chopped cucumber but i would recommend trying a different recipe.  Bummer.

Rosemary Potatoes Au Gratin

Just for me... Nick doesn't like carbs, but i love em.  I made it about a 1/4 through the pan before i hit my coma.  But it was worth it.

PLUMS!

My friend Kari had mass plums and i came over to steal some.  I had never cooked with plums but Nick loves them so i gave it a whirl.  I had two recipes for things with plums in my house.  Plum Bounce (stewed BOOZED plums) and a plum cake.  Neither were sounding especially good so i tried to make something up.  I poured vodka on the plums (for you Grandma) and then added sugar, cinnamon and flour.  I placed some on a pie sheet and made these guys, which Nick enjoyed and i thought were cute, and then i made a pie.  I then realized i didn't know the difference between a pie and a tart.  Is it just the pan? Because if so, i made a tart.  Here is what Wikipedia had to say.

A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough shell that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients. Pies can be either "filled", where a dish is covered by pastry and the filling is placed on top of that, "top-crust," where the filling is placed in a dish and covered with a pastry/potato mash top before baking, or "two-crust," with the filling completely enclosed in the pastry shell. Pies can be a variety of sizes, ranging from bite-size to ones designed for multiple servings.

A tart is a pastry dish, usually sweet, that is a type of pie with an open top not covered with pastry. Sweetened fruit is arranged on pastry, often puff pastry, with or without custard, after which the tart is baked in an oven. The Tarte Tatin is a particular kind of "upside-down" tart, of apples, other fruit, or onions. Savoury varieties include German Zwiebelkuchen (Onion tart), or Swiss cheese tart made from Gruyere.

I guess i am still confused.  A tart is a pie.  But what did i make?  hmm... 

Thanks for the Plums Kari!

Chili 

2 Tbsp. oil

2 cups chopped onions 

salt & cayenne to taste

2 lbs. stew meat cut into cubes

1 Tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

crushed red pepper

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 cups crushed tomatoes

1 can tomato paste (about a cup)

6 cups beef stock

2 lbs. ground turkey

2 Tbsp. cornstarch (mixed with water)

1 cup red kidney beans

Add onions to hot oil and saute until tender.  Season with salt and cayenne.  Stir in the meat, chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper and oregano.  Brown the meat 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef stock.  Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Add the turkey, cornstarch mixture and beans and continue to cook for 30 minutes.  Reseason with salt and cayenne.  

I placed Blue corn tortilla chips in the bowl, then the chili, cheese, sour cream and jalepenos.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffins

Muffin:

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. freshly ground nutmeg

2 tsp. cloves

4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

Filling:

8oz. package cream cheese

1 cube butter

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

walnuts or pumpkin seeds

For the Filling, beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a mixture until light and fluffy.  Pour onto a piece of tin foil and shape into a log.  Place in freezer until firm (about 15 minutes.)  When ready cut into chunks about 1/2 in thick.

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix muffin ingredients together.  Fill muffin tins half full with mixture.  Put a chunk of your cream cheese frosting into the middle, pressing down.  Sprinkle with nuts.  Bake for 20 minutes.