Asparagus Mushroom & Goat Cheese Triangles

This "recipe" was another experiment. I love goat cheese. I love asparagus & mushrooms. I love appetizers. I have been meaning to try cooking with Puff Pastry for a while now. So I decided to try & put it all together and come up with an awesome appetizer. I really like "fake out" recipes, that look like you put in a lot more effort than you did. This is one of them!

Ingredients:
Asparagus
Mushrooms
Dried thyme
Goat Cheese
Frozen Puff Pastry (thawed)
Olive Oil
S & P

Defrost a sheet of Puff Pastry for about an hour or until pliable. You will need to be able to unfold it without breaking it. Also preheat your oven to 425, or whatever the box of pastry recommends.

While Puff Pastry is defrosting, trim some asparagus into 1 inch pieces. Slice mushrooms into quarters. Thinly slice a few cloves of garlic. Heat about a tablespoon or so of Olive Oil in a pan. Sautee mushrooms, asparagus, and garlic until tender and garlic becomes "nutty" and is no longer raw (You don't want to overcook the veggies because they will cook more when you bake them in the oven on the pastry). Salt & pepper to taste, and add a palmful of dried thyme (or whatever herb blend you have on hand). Cook another minute or two. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.




Unfold the puff pastry sheet on a baking sheet and score lightly with a knife, making a 1/2 inch or so border around the edges, without cutting completely through. This will allow the pastry to rise into a "crust" on the outer edge. Crumble some goat cheese on the sheet, add your veggie mixture, and top with more goat cheese. Be sure to leave the 1/2 inch border free & clear of toppings.

Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and have risen. Let cool slightly and cut into triangles.

Pan Seared Pork Chops with Mustard-Sherry-Cream reduction

This was a last minute decision for dinner tonight. I got home at 6:15, walked the dog for a half hour, then realized "oh man... what's for dinner?" So, ransacking the fridge at 6:45 at night, knowing full well that American Idol comes on in just over an hour... I came up with this quick fix. Sorry for the lack of pictures... use your imagination!

All you need is some thin-cut pork chops (or one thicker chop cut in half lengthwise), brown mustard, cooking sherry (or chicken broth & a splash of lemon juice), half & half or milk, and salt & pepper. Seriously!

Heat a pan with a little olive oil & butter over med-med.high heat. The olive oil will allow a higher cooking temperature & the butter gives extra flavor. While the oil & butter are heating, season each side of the pork chop with salt & pepper. Place in the pan and allow to sear for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown, before flipping to the other side. When both sides have cooked, place the pork on serving platter or plate to rest.

The pan you cooked the pork chops in has all kinds of "crispy goodness" at the bottom from the seasonings & meat. This will make the super tasty sauce that gets poured over the pork. To the pan, add a few tablespoons of spicy brown or dijon mustard and about 1/4 cup (a few splashes) of cooking sherry. If you prefer, you can use broth and a splash of lemon juice. Whisk these together and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer for a minute or two, or until slightly thickened. Add a few splashes of cream, half & half, or milk... whatever you have on hand. Simmer for another minute, stirring or whisking constantly so the cream doesn't burn.

Pour the tasty goodness over the pork chops & enjoy! Tonight I cut corners and we had this with bagged salad & Stove Top stuffing... but hey... a working girl's gotta do what a working girl's gotta do!

Curried Lentil & Veggie Stew

I live in Portland, Oregon and the weather here is often dreary, cold, and rainy.... much like it is today. On days like this, I crave a bowl of some kind of warm comfort food, which often translates into soups and stews. Today, I decided to make Curried Lentil Stew. I came across a recipe for a lentil soup, and thought that it would be great with an Indian flair, and served as a heartier, main-dish stew. So, I improvised. Added a bit of this, a bit of that, and voila! A delicious vegetarian dish that even satisfies meat eaters.

Start off by heating about a tablespoon of olive oil (a few turns worth) in a large pot over medium-med. high heat. Dice an onion and a few carrots. Sautee them in the oil for about 6-8 minutes or until the carrots are tender, but still with a bit of "bite."

Add some cumin & a good amount of curry powder (we are talking 2-3 tablespoons) to the carrots & onions and allow to cook for another minute or two. This will allow the curry flavor to develop and penetrate into the veggies.

Add about 2 cups of water, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can veggie broth, 1 cup red lentils, 1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach (thawed & drained), and salt & pepper to taste. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Let the goodness simmer for about 15 minutes or until the lentils are cooked. Lentils have a nutty texture to begin with, so if you haven't ever worked with lentils, don't expect them to get really soft.

Stir in some sour cream or plain yogurt.... and voila!

Add a dollop of sour cream or yogurt on each bowlful for presentation. You can serve this with rice, couscous, flatbread, or my favorite way... straight up with hot sauce & a spoon!