Balsamic Bruschetta

Inspiration:
Book Club
Kathy Bias's recipe at www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 8 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 loaf French bread, toasted and sliced

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, toss together the tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Mix in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper.
   
2. Serve on toasted bread slices.

Notes: This makes a LOT of the tomato mixture. I would make less next time.

Tim's Rating: ?/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Stuffed Mushrooms

Inspiration:
Book Club
Giada De Laurentiis' recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stemmed

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Stir the bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, garlic, parsley, mint, salt and pepper, to taste, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl to blend.

3. Drizzle a heavy large baking sheet with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, to coat. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle remaining oil over the filling in each mushroom.

4. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes.
   

Notes: These tasted good, but didn't look that great. Next time I would use grated Romano instead of shredded, and work better at getting the stuffing inside the mushrooms before baking.

Tim's Rating: ?/10
Liz's Rating: 7.5/10

Roasted Asparagus

Inspiration:
Spring asparagus finally in the stores!


Ingredients:

• 1-2 lbs asparagus (look for thin spears)
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly-cracked pepper
• Lemon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Snap bottoms off of spears and lay spears in one layer on a jelly roll pan.
3. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Roast for 10-15 minutes, or until a sharp knife easily slides into the thickest part of a spear.
5. Lightly squeeze lemon juice over asparagus and serve.

Tim's Rating: 9/10 ("I love the lemon.")
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Product Rave: Cilantro Lime Tortilla Triangles

Mission Foods Cilantro Lime Tortilla Triangles.
I first tried these on Super Bowl Weekend. I almost ate the entire bag myself. Then I couldn't find them again for awhile-- but today at Rainbow Foods, I saw them and bought two bags. Yum.

Caldo de Res

Inspiration:
2 pounds of beef shank, purchased as part of a larger order from Batalden Farms
and
Alex Trejo's recipe found at www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds beef shank, including bone
  
• 2 tomatoes, quartered
• 1 1/2 potatoes, cubed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 small head cabbage, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 fluid ounces fresh lime juice

Instructions:

1. Cut meat into 1-inch chunks. Do not discard bones. In a large pot over low heat combine the beef, bones, tomato, potatoes, onion, carrots, cabbage, garlic, 5 teaspoons cilantro, salt and cumin. Add water to cover and stir well.
   
2. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.
3. Remove lid, stir, and simmer for another hour with lid off.
4. Remove bones.
   
5. Serve hot. Just before eating, squeeze in fresh lime juice to taste and sprinkle with remaining cilantro.

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 7/10

Black Beans with Garlic, Cumin, and Cilantro

Inspiration:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/101154

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup tomato juice or water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1. Rinse and drain black beans.
   
2. Cook onion and garlic in oil in a small heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, then stir in beans, cumin, cilantro, salt, and water and simmer, stirring, until beans are heated through.

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Product Rave: Izzy Pops

Lollipops of Izzy's coffee ice cream, dipped in dark chocolate. Pure deliciousness.

Available at Kowalski's Markets.