Fresh, novel mushroom tartlets destined to be star appetizers at a buffet table

I must have been a tartlet-a-phobe. Something kept me apprehensive about trying a new recipe for Mushroom Tartlets. Intriguing, but I didn’t see how they possibly could work. The recipe, which I kept shoving further and further back into my file, called for wonton wrappers as the base of the tartlet. Other than my Asian Spring Salad that I blogged about some days ago, I’d hardly ever cooked Asian. Where would I go in a grocery store to find the wrappers? How would a mixture such as this not stick to the muffin tins and make a huge mess?

The egg was on my face when I finally mustered my courage and decided to tackle this dish, with the recipe provided by the Chickasaw Nutrition Services. They’ve never suggested a dud yet, I assured myself as I negotiated grocery aisles to look for the wontons. Not in the Oriental foods section; not in the frozen foods either. Then as I dug further, I spotted them: in the produce department near the bagged carrots and the slaw mixtures. Well, of course. They’d be near the ingredients to make spring rolls. I was thankful I had undertaken this errand myself and hadn’t sent Hubby on this expedition, or he’d be searching around the store even yet.

Making the tartlets involved preparing a simple mixture of mushrooms, onions, garlic, spices, and cream cheese. Into each sprayed muffin tin cup goes a wonton wrapper, which houses the mushroom mixture spooned into it. You simply bake the tartlets for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are brown. Once done the baked wonton is crisp but firm and slides right out of the nonstick muffin cup. The tartlets can cool on the tray on which you plan to serve them.

These make a wonderfully tasty appetizer that is so imaginative, you can feature it being the talk of a buffet table at a party. Everyone would wonder what it was and how it was made; one bite of the mixture encased within and these tartlets would be gone in a flash. Personally I’m thinkin’ upcoming Easter luncheon myself; these would be a great side served along a chicken dish or Easter ham.

What took me so long? Why’d I wait? These fresh little bites were astounding.

Mushroom Tartlets

Cooking spray

2 cups chopped mushrooms

1/3 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons green onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon fat-free cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchatel)

12 wonton wrappers

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl mix mushrooms, onions, garlic, and spices. Add cream cheese; mix well Spray each muffin cup with cooking spray. In each muffin cup place one wonton wrapper. Spoon 2 tablespoons of mushroom mixture into wonton cups. If you have any mixture left over, evenly divide it among the 12 tartlets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until edges are brown. Makes 12 servings.

With luck Cranberry-Chocolate Chip treats will inspire us to be quilt-finishers

At last I'm learning to quilt. Even though I spent the vast preponderance of my life surrounded by expert quilters and picked up bucketloads of tips from them—and even though I've already stitched numerous quilt projects on my own—I'd never previously had someone meticulously teach me the basics—all the little tricks of the trade that prodigious quilters know. I knew I needed some "aha" moments that would explain why my finished work always looked a little . . . uh . . . different, shall we say, than the Great Ones’ quilts that I have hanging in my home.

In December I got that opportunity when I signed up for a beginners class at Suzy's Quilt Shop, that renowned emporium of beauty and knowledge on the square in Downtown Garland. Teacher Paula patiently sat by all us stumbling newcomers to watch us sew our crooked seams and with great longsuffering helped us get back on track.

I emerged with what had the potential to become a lovely blue-and-white, machine-quilted tabletopper made with the Bear Paw pattern. Long hours were spent under Paula's tutelage as I put my tabletopper together and ripped out seams and re-sewed until I got it right.

Only problem was, I didn't get finished. Neither, thankfully, did the others in my class. Time ran out in our class session before we acquired all the techniques for the finishing touches. So I suggested our group get together for a "Quilt-Finishing" party and offered my spacious sewing room that Hubby had installed for me in the ground-level of our outdoor storage facility in our back yard.

This weekend my classmates and their unfinished quilts, along with Teacher Paula, will arrive for her show us how to finish well. I promised to feed them a light lunch and a little snack, so before we get those sewing machines churning, I will offer them a plate of Cranberry-Chocolate Chip Treats, which I have made for the occasion. These turned out to be a delicious use of some leftover cranberries and had healthy oatmeal stirred in.

I hope my group will like them and that they'll spur us on to get those tabletoppers completed and ready to be displayed!

Cranberry-Chocolate Chip Treats

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1/2 cup light brown sugar (or 1/4 cup brown-sugar substitute)

2 eggs beaten (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup fresh cranberries (each berry cut in half)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugars together until all is whipped and fluffy. Beat eggs; add to sugar mixture along with flour, oatmeal, and chocolate chips. Gently fold in cranberries. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet about 2-inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges; cool on a wire rack.

"MMM" definitely response to these surprise-middle muffins

Another Saturday needed for errand running—this one in the rain. The object: getting Hubby to accompany me. (After all, one of the errands was to exchange a Christmas gift that fit him wrong. Didn't that require his presence?) Some kind of special breakfast was in order to effect my bribe.

The title of this recipe intrigued me. What in the middle would evoke an "MMM" response? Two of Hubby's favorite food substances—peanut butter and banana—were wedged in the middle of the muffin. Had to give it a try and see whether it had persuasive powers.

The assemblage was easy, even though I erred on the side of conservatism (wouldn't my mother get a hoot out of that statement? She never believed anyone could err on the side of conservatism, especially the political variety.) where the banana slice was concerned. For fear the muffin batter wouldn't effectively cover it up as it baked, I made my banana slices a tad too skinny. Therefore the full-flavor idea of the hidden banana got shortchanged a little bit. Next time I'll insert a healthy-sized chunk—maybe up to one-inch in width. The 1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter as the recipe stated turned out to be just the right amount.

When the muffins popped out of the oven, they looked nondescript enough—with only the merest hint of the surprise contained within. But when Hubby bit into one, wow! Was he intrigued!

Yup, after a breakfast of MMM . . . in the Middle Muffins, Hubby morphed into a compliant, willing, errand-running companion—for tasks that lasted most of the day Saturday. (And on a midday trip back to the house to drop off our belongings before the afternoon errand-run, he dove into the leftover muffin container for a replenishment.) The MMM factor worked, indeed.

MMM . . . in the Middle Muffins

3/4 cup milk, skim

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/3 cup margarine

2 tablespoons honey

2/3 cup sugar substitute

2 eggs (or 1/2 cup egg beaters)

1 banana, large, cut into 12 slices

2 tablespoons lowfat peanut butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin tin. In small bowl combine milk and lemon juice. Set aside. In another small bowl combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this bowl aside also. In a large bowl mix margarine, honey, and sugar substitute. Add eggs (brought to room temperature) to the margarine mixture. To the margarine mixture add the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Fill each muffin tin about 1/3 full. Place banana slice onto the batter in each cup with 1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter. (Make sure the banana slice is fairly sizable.) Press down slightlly. Continue to fill each muffin cup with batter until it is 2/3 full and covers the banana. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Easy-to-fix spinach and ricotta muffin cups make great "sides" for December meals

Baking and freezing the emergency meals for the crazed month of December was one thing. But now that December's here and we're frantically popping those meals out for our dinner table, they still need sides to accompany them.

So to go with our meatloaf, packed away in November for these fast-moving December nights, here's a wonderful, unusual side dish that utilized the remainder of my fresh spinach from my previous blog. Baked Ricotta and Spinach Cups! Who knew? The Chickasaw Nutrition Services office had this trick up its sleeve. I couldn't believe it when I read the recipe. Grease eight muffin tins, wilt some spinach in a hot skillet, mix ricotta cheese with egg and Cheddar. Fold in the spinach. Bake as you would muffins in a 375-degree oven for 20 minutes.

We served 'em for dinner (diehard ketchup lovers like Hubby just can't resist adding a few drops of the salt-free red stuff) and then had 'em for breakfast the next day. I even smoothed out half a spinach cup onto a warm meatloaf sandwich the next day for lunch. Freeze some for Christmas-morning breakfast to accompany a breakfast casserole? Serve some for a Christmas covered-dish event? The possibilities are endless—you'll have a conversation-piece recipe, to be sure!

Baked Ricotta and Spinach Cups

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

8 ounces (6 cups) baby spinach leaves

1 1/2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten lightly

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 cup shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease eight muffin tins. Cook oil and garlic over medium heat until lightly browned. Add baby spinach leaves and heat until leaves wilt. In a separate bowl mix ricotta cheese, egg, salt, pepper, and cheddar cheese. Fold in spinach and garlic mixture. Pour ricotta mixture into the eight muffins tins equally. Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of a muffin round emerges nearly clean. Makes 5 servings.

Spaghetti Sauce Excellente assures that family will dine healthfully during packed holiday month ahead

As exciting and amazing as is the thought that Christmas Month is right around the corner, one thing intimidates--trying to deal with family meals during December. My Christmas diary that I keep each year during the holidays always ends with the same caveat for the next year--"Always cook and freeze during November. Put food aside. You CAN'T cook and get ready for Christmas at the same time!"

As my journal illustrates, I've learned this lesson through some trials and tears. Meal prep gets lost in the middle of gift-wrapping, card-sending, decorating, and party-attending. Despite the best intentions, this important home-maintenance aspect gets lost. In our family, dining at home and consuming foods in which we control ingredients is highly important. "Just grab something" in a fast-food line on the way to a Christmas event is not a viable option when sodium content, carb content, and proper nutrition is vital to our health. So meal planning must be done carefully and adhered to.

Things work well when we start building a December stockpile in the weeks before the rush hits. When I can, I cook double portions in advance, label them, and freeze them. Last night began the first of such efforts--as I prepared our spaghetti sauce for the evening meal, I tripled the recipe. From that I derived four portions--one to serve that very night, three others to assign to small casserole dishes which I then wrapped securely to prevent freezer burn, and stored in the deep freeze. From past occasions I know what a welcome blessing these already-prepared meals will be in just a few short weeks.

Spaghetti Sauce Excellente contains healthful onions, fresh tomatoes, and green peppers (the latter from our garden that right now is awash in the delightful green orbs). Over some whole-grain pasta it makes a grand meal for right now and a reassuring promise that we'll eat well and wisely during that Month of Months ahead!

Spaghetti Sauce Excellente

1 pound ground turkey, browned and drained

1/4 cup onion, browned with meat

1/4 cup green pepper, chopped, and browned with meat

6 ounces tomato paste

10 ounces, tomato sauce (no salt)

1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped and drained before adding

1 teaspoon salt substitute

1/2 teaspoon each oregano, basil, rosemary, pepper

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

spaghetti

Brown turkey, onion, and green pepper together. Drain. Add remaining ingredients. Cook covered for 30 minutes. Serve with cooked spaghetti and Parmesan cheese. Freezes well.