Portobello Bruschetta

Oh yeah! Another bruschetta recipe. :) They make me so happy. This one is pretty unique and has quite the bite to it. I liked it a lot and it is important to use portobello mushrooms if at all possible. They have a meaty-type taste that works well with these ingredients.

Once again, I found this recipe at allrecipes.com, but I changed some things and made it my own. It's a great website if you know what you are looking for...

I have been interested in arugula lately. It's a bitter leaf, but with the right ingredients, it tastes great! It works well with a salty cheese (like goat cheese or feta cheese) and tomatoes.

Ingredients:
*2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or 3 if you love tomatoes like I do)
*1/2 cup of feta cheese
*1.5 - 2 cups of arugula, chopped (I used baby arugula)
*2 -4 cloves of garlic, minced (depends on how much garlic you like)
*5-8 baby portobello mushrooms, diced (or approx. 2 large portobello mushroom caps, diced)
*approx. 2 tbsp. olive oil
*parmesan cheese
*spices of your choice
*slices of cheese (optional) (either provolone, fontina, swiss, or whatever you like!)
*bread loaf of your choice

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange slices of bread on to a cookie sheet. Drizzle the slices with olive oil and sprinkle them with parmesan cheese. Place in oven until slightly toasted. (approx. 2-3 minutes)
2) Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tomatoes, feta, arugula, garlic, mushrooms, spices, and a tiny amount of olive oil (just to keep ingreds. moist and together).
3) Put the tomato mixture on the slightly toasted bread slices. Place in oven for another 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is starting to warm up.
4) If interested, take the slices out of the oven and cover with cheese slices. Place back into the oven until the cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Comments:
*This is another excellent appetizer idea or a meal of it's own. It depends on what you like to eat. Paul and I ate this for dinner and it lasted for two meals.

*The ratio of the ingredients is a loose interpretation. I apologize, but it really depends on your taste buds. I simply added the items into the bowl and made sure that there was a perfect ratio of all of the ingredients. Because I love equality in my meals. But perhaps you like more mushrooms and less arugula, etc. It's up to you.

*The original recipe called for fontina cheese slices on top. I couldn't find that and instead used provolone. It was great with the provolone at least! However, as I was eating it, I thought that it could have tasted just as good (and with less calories) without the cheese slices on top. Since I have a probably-unhealthy-obsession-with-cheese-thing going on, I used the cheese slices. But if you don't care for that much cheese, it most likely tastes great without it! Here's a picture of this fabulous meal without the extra cheese:

Bruschetta with Hummus

I am such a picky eater in the summer. I prefer veggies, pesto, basil, and bruschetta. In fact, I love bruschetta so much that I find tons of alternative recipes so that I can eat some type of bruschetta multiple times a week and never get sick of it.

This bruschetta recipe has quickly become my favorite. It combines hummus, which I love to bits IF it is homemade (grocery store hummus is too tangy), feta (we all know by now how much I love cheese), and tomatoes (YUM) in a wonderful combination. Once again, I found it at allrecipes.com

Paul and I eat this as an actual dinner-meal, but it also makes a great appetizer. Choose any type of bread that you like for this bruschetta. I picked up a loaf of spinach-feta bread from a local farmer's market and it really hit the spot. However, I doubt that I will find a loaf of bread like that again, so next time, I will use french bread or perhaps asiago bread....so many delightful choices ahead of me! :)

Ingredients:
*1 can (14 oz) of garbanzo beans, drained
*lemon juice (approx. 2-3 tbsp.)
*minced garlic (approx. 1 tsp.)
*cumin (add until satisfied)
*olive oil (approx. 2 tsp.)
*spreadable butter
*parmesan cheese
*paprika
*3 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
*1/2 cup (approx.) of feta cheese
*oregano, garlic powder/salt, spices of your choice
*shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
*bread loaf of your choice (ciabatta, french/italian, etc.)

Directions:
1) For the hummus, place the drained garbanzo beans, lemon juice, cumin, garlic, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until well blended. Taste and add ingredients until it tastes just as you like it. (For example, I do not like my hummus to be too lemony, but you might. Perfect the hummus until you are satisfied!)
2) Slice the bread of your choice and spread with butter and parmesan cheese (to your liking). Either place under your broiler or into a preheated (approx. 350 degrees) oven until the bread is golden aka toasted. (approx. 3 minutes)
3) Spread the hummus over the toasted bread slices. Sprinkle with paprika. Top this with the tomatoes, feta cheese, spices, and a very light sprinkling of moz. cheese (optional). Place back into the oven and heat for approx. 3 more minutes or until cheese is melting and tomatoes are warm. Enjoy!

Comments:
*Often, hummus recipes add tahini sauce. I don't like that taste, so I do not add it. However, if you enjoy that taste, simply look up a hummus recipe that uses it. They are EVERYWHERE on the internet. I was excited to find this recipe for a milder tasting hummus. Everyone has different tastes.

*I add a tiny bit of moz. cheese because I really love the taste of melted cheese. It isn't necessary for this recipe, however, if you are trying to cut calories. The feta is the important cheese for this recipe.

Tomato Basil English Muffins

I have always hated the idea of eating the same, boring meal every day. For example, I don't know how people eat cereal for breakfast every day for their whole lives. I also don't understand how people eat sandwiches for lunch every day.

Before discovering this Tomato Basil English Muffin recipe, I always thought that people who ate the same thing every day were boring drones with boring, common personalities. Don't take offense. I have changed my mind. After eating this meal, I have realized that as long as you LOVE eating something, you can eat it every day and not get sick of it!

I have been eating this meal for lunch almost every day for an entire year. That is a record for me! I still can't believe that I can eat this so much and I don't get sick of it. It is the most delicious lunch I have ever had. So I shall share the recipe with you. In the summer, when tomatoes and basil are fresh and meals are light, Paul and I also eat this for dinner. In addition, I found this recipe in a Taste of Home appetizer booklet, so you can also make this as an appetizer for a party. Therefore, not only is it delicious, but it is also a very versatile recipe. :)

What I love: Tomatoes, cheese, and basil = a happy stomach every single day!

Ingredients:
*English muffins, sliced and toasted (2-3 slices per person makes a perfect sized lunch)
*miracle whip
*roma tomatoes, sliced (1 tomato = four slices of english muffin covered)
*fresh basil (preferable) sliced into strips, or dried basil
*garlic salt
*cayenne pepper (optional)
*shredded mozarella cheese

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Toast English muffin slices.
2) Spread miracle whip on each English muffin slice. Sprinkle each slice with fresh basil (or dried), garlic salt, and cayenne pepper (optional).
3) Top each spiced English muffin slice with tomatoes (approx. 3-4 slices of tomato each)
4) Top with cheese and put in over for approx. 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
5) Enjoy!


Comments:
*I put cayenne pepper on mine because I love the spicy addition to this meal. Paul, however, does not care for the spiciness, so I hardly put any cayenne pepper on his muffin slices when we eat this for lunch on the weekends. It is up to you, depending on your enjoyment of spice. It is good both ways.

*Nothing compares to this meal when it comes to using fresh basil. However, since basil is expensive in the winter, I make do with the dried stuff and it tastes fine that way as well. If basil is in season, use the fresh stuff for this meal! I guarantee you will get hooked to this like I did if you use fresh!

*I have a strong preference for sourdough english muffins for this recipe. If you can find them in your local grocery store, try them out!