Crab & Avocado Quesadillas with Mango Salsa

I am so thankful that we've had such a mild winter, but even so, I'm getting antsy for spring and summer.  And more specifically, I'm getting antsy for a tropical vacation.  Alas, this dinner is as close as I'll be getting for a while, but it will have to do.

I've made a lot of quesadillas in my day, but these rank up there as some of my favorites.  The crab and avocado go really well together, and the sweet-spicy mango salsa is a perfect complement.  The avocado is mashed up, then the crab, some Monterey Jack cheese, and a few herbs and spices are mixed in.  So you basically make a "crab guacamole."  Which sounds kind of weird and maybe a little disgusting, but when I tasted it to adjust the seasonings, I pretty much wanted to just grab a bag of tortilla chips and go to town.  The mango salsa comes together really quickly, and this recipe makes more than you'll need - I trust that you can find something to do with the leftovers though (see above comment re: tortilla chips).  These are quick and easy, relatively healthy, and go perfectly with a margarita.  I'm not sure what else you could possibly want?

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Crab & Avocado Quesadillas with Mango Salsa
adapted from Fine Cooking
makes 4 quesadillas


Mango Salsa

• 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped small
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
• 2 scallions, minced
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• kosher salt

Quesadillas

• 1 avocado
• 2 scallions, minced
• 2 Tbs minced cilantro
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup crabmeat, picked over
• 1/4-1/2 tsp hot sauce (I prefer Choula)
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 8-inch flour tortillas
• oil, for the tortillas.

 To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl.  Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.  Set aside while you make the quesadillas.

In a medium bowl, mash the avocado with a fork until it's almost completely smooth.  Fold in the scallions, cilantro, lime juice, cheese, hot sauce, crab meat, and salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings with additional lime juice, hot sauce, and/or salt.

Prehat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Fold the tortillas in half and brush one side with canola oil.  On the un-oiled side, scoop about 1/2 cup of the avocado-crab mixture onto the bottom halves of each of the tortillas. Cook a few minutes per side in the skillet, until the tortilla is golden-brown and the filling is heated through.  Slice into wedges and serve with the mango salsa.

Lasagna-Stuffed Portabellos

I'm of the mentality that you can pretty much stuff a mushroom with any combination of meat, cheese, and herbs and have it be delicious.  So one day I was thinking about making a layered casserole/lasagna of sorts, using roasted portabellos instead of noodles, and the idea to just use the mushrooms as a vessel for the filling popped into my head.  And lasagna-stuffed mushrooms were born.  I suppose I could tout these as a low-carb alternative to lasagna, but truth be told, I'm not into low carb at all, these are actually just a vessel for lots of cheese.

While I absolutely love lasagna and it definitely ranks as one of my favorite foods, the biggest drawback is that I find it to be pretty time and labor intensive.  These stuffed mushrooms are the solution to that - quick, easy, and just as satisfying.  If you really want to go the extra mile, you could serve the mushrooms over a bed of noodles and get carb-crazy.  I also had some filling left over, and I spooned it into some button mushrooms.  They were just as good served as a smaller portion, and would make a great appetizer or addition to a spread of Italian food.


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Lasagna-Stuffed Portabellos
Pink Parsley Original

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, divided
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3-4 portabello mushroom caps
• 1 cup ricotta (part-skim or full -fat)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan, plus 2-3 Tbs for sprinkling over mushrooms
• 4 oz. fresh mozzarella, divided
• 2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• about 1 cup marinara sauce

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Use a butter knife to scrape the gills out of the mushroom caps.

In a small bowl, combine half the garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.  Brush the inside and outside of the caps with the mixture, and roast cap-side down for about 10 minutes.  If the mushroom gives off water, blot it up with a paper towel.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together the ricotta, remaining garlic and Italian seasoning, Parmesan, 3 ounces of mozzarella, basil, and breadcrumbs.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the marinara into each mushroom cap, then stuff with the ricotta mixture.  Spoon about 1-2 teaspoons of sauce over the ricotta, then sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella over the sauce.

Bake 10-15 minutes, or until the filling is heated through and the cheese has melted.  Serve with additional marinara.

Salted Caramel Brownies

There are people in the world who don't like sweet and salty together.  I just don't understand.  That's like saying you don't like kittens.  But I guess these people do exist, and in my opinion, they just don't know what they're missing.  For those of you who do like sweet and salty, then these brownies are for you.  They are the ultimate sweet and salty treat.  You have two main components to this dessert - a thick, fudgy, dense and chewy brownie, and a homemade salted caramel sauce.  Unlike these caramel brownies, these aren't so much caramel filled as they are caramel enhanced.  It's not its own distinct layer - it just kind of melts in the rest of the brownie, leaving them incredibly moist and chewy, with that wonderful sweet and rich taste from the caramel.  Sprinkle the tops of the brownies with a combination of fleur de sel  and coarse sugar, and the sweet/salty combo is reinforced.  And you're in heaven.

I actually made these on a whim one rainy Sunday, and because the temptation to eat the entire pan was just too great, I sent them to work with Joey.  He reported back that they were all gone by lunch, and a few people emailed him to tell him how delicious they were.  I'd definitely call that a success!

The recipe for the salted caramel makes more than you need for the brownies, but I trust that you can find something to do with it:  eat it by spoonful, drizzle it over a brownie for extra caramel goodness, serve it with some ice cream.... or for the ultimate treat:  Brownie - ice cream - caramel- whipped cream.  Yes, yes, yes, and yes.


Salted Caramel Brownies
barely adapted from Baked:  Explorations


For the Salted Caramel Sauce:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbs light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp fleur de sel
• 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

For the Brownies:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 Tbs Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
•  11 oz good quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (preferably 60 to 72%), coarsely chopped
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• splash of Kahlua (optional)
• 1 tsp fleur de sel
• 1 tsp coarse sugar

To make the caramel, combine the sugar and corn syrup with 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan.  Carefully stir them together, trying not to splash the sides of the pan.  Cook over high heat, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 350 degrees, about 6 to 8 minutes.  It should be dark amber in color, but keep a close eye on it, as caramel goes from perfect to burnt and ruined in no time flat.  Remove the caramel from heat, and carefully stir in the salt and cream.  It will bubble up, so be ready!  Whisk in the sour cream or Greek yogurt, and set aside to cool.

To make the brownies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.

Combine the butter and chocolate in a large microwave safe bowl and cook at 30 second intervals, stirring well in between, until the chocolate and butter have melted.  Add both sugars and whisk until combined.  Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Add three of the eggs and whisk until just combined.  Whisk in the remaining two eggs, vanilla, and Kahlua, and whisk just until combined.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the brownies and use a spatula to fold it into the wet ingredients, until there are just small traces of the flour visible

To assemble the brownies, pour half the batter into the prepared baking dish.  Drizzle 3/4 cup of the caramel over the brownie batter, being careful not to let the sauce come into contact with the edge of dish.  Use and offset spatula to gently spread the caramel evenly over the brownie layer, then drop the remaining brownie batter over the caramel.  Again, use the offset spatula to gently spread it in an even layer.

Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.  The brownies are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached.

Remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle with the salt and sugar  Cool completely before cutting and serving.


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Surprise Weekend in Richmond

As I mentioned in the post last week for Courtney's Virtual Shower, a few of us surprised her with an actual-real-life-in-person visit.  To put it succinctly, it was pretty much the most awesome weekend ever. 

Courtney from Cook Like a Champion, Annie of Annie's Eats, Tara of Smells Like Home, Elly from Elly Says Opa, and I have an email chain, and we've been emailing pretty much daily for almost a year now.  These ladies are truly some of my best friends.  We have seen each other through some pretty awesome times and events, and unfortunately some devastating events as well.  Through it all, these girls make me so happy, and I feel so so fortunate and blessed to have them as friends.

At the end of 2011, we got the idea to fly to Richmond, Virginia and surprise Courtney with a visit before she welcomes her sweet baby girl into the world.  I contacted her husband, Eric, and he was all for it.  The hardest part was most definitely keeping it a secret from her.  She knew he was planning a surprise for her, so it was really funny to hear her speculate and guess what was going on.   But we pulled it off!  Sadly, Elly wasn't able to join us for the weekend, and we missed her terribly.  

Annie connected through Atlanta, and we were able to take the same flight to Richmond.  We both absolutely hate flying, but being able to chat the whole time definitely made it much easier.   Basically from the time I met Annie at the gate until we said good-bye on Sunday afternoon, it was a nonstop gab-fest.  I'm pretty sure the only silence the entire trip was when we were all eating! 

So Eric made dinner reservations at one of Courtney's favorite restaurants for Friday night, and Tara, Annie, and I were waiting at the restaurant when they showed up.  She actually walked right past us, and it wasn't until the hostess was showing them to the table that she noticed us.  We expected her to go nuts and scream, cry, laugh, etc, but I think she was just in shock.  It was still pretty hilarious though.  She was pretty much just like "Hiiiii guys..."  Sadly we didn't take any pictures at dinner - we were too busy running our mouths and stuffing our faces!

So after an amazing dinner, we headed to the hotel.  And then proceeded to stay up way too late talking and laughing.  The next morning, we threw Courtney a mini-shower at a local restaurant, LuLu's.  The brunch was absolutely incredible.  Tara, Annie, and I all ordered the shrimp and grits, which was pimiento cheese grits, shrimp, a spicy tomato-etouffe-style sauce, two poached eggs, and hollandaise.  Seriously so delicious.  And pimento cheese grits:  what a revelation!

After showering Courtney with adorable baby girl gifts and chatting for way too long (notice a pattern here?), Courtney took us out to explore Richmond a little bit.   I had my first Penzey's experience, and it was all I had hoped it would be and more.  We walked around the store, sniffing spices, talking about food and cooking... and I managed not to completely buy out the entire store ;-)

We then meandered over to a chocolate store that Courtney had been wanting to visit.  And Oh.  My.  Goodness.  It was quite literally, chocolate heaven.  Every kind of chocolate, candy, truffle, or fudge that you can imagine was there.  I have no idea how long we stayed there, but it wasn't long enough.  Again, I somehow managed not to buy one of everything, but I definitely did some damage with truffles, chocolate covered espresso beans (I bought raspberry-chocolate, vanilla latte, and Irish cream varieties), peanut butter cups the size of my hand, some caramels, and a cute little Valentine's Day box of chocolates for Caroline.

And then came the part we'd all been looking forward to:  cooking together!  We actually didn't even discuss what we'd like to make beforehand, or even at all up until that point.  So we headed to Courtney's to peruse our iPads, magazines, and Courtney's cookbooks.  It was really cold, and actually started snowing, so we decided on comfort food.  We eventually decided on my Baked Tex-Mex Pimento Cheese Dip, Chicken Pot Pie with a Savory Crumble Topping, and a fancy pound cake for dessert.

After a quick trip to Starbuck's and Whole Foods, the fun really started, and we got to work!  Joey had jokingly asked that if we all cooked together would there be "too many cooks in the kitchen?"  But that wasn't the case at all!  We just all took turns chopping, sauteeing, cooking, etc.  One of two of us would work while the rest of us chatted and took pictures, and before we knew it we were chowing down!

So how ironic is it that when four food bloggers get together, we'd have a massive kitchen fail?  The aforementioned pound cake was exactly that.  As we dissected the situation afterward, we realized that the recipe was pretty flawed, and I'm pretty sure we are all making it our mission to recreate it with success sometime in the very near future.  But we all had a good laugh at the irony of the situation, and luckily Courtney had some Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake on hand so we didn't have to go without dessert.  What a travesty that would have been!  Courtney to the rescue!

After dinner we just sat around for a few more hours talking.  We all knew the weekend was coming to an end, but none of us wanted to acknowledge it.  We stayed up so late, that at one point I wondered if we were going to even go to bed at all.  But finally, we made our way back to the hotel, where Annie and I ended up staying up even later chatting.

The next morning we said our teary good-byes and headed home.  I have been thinking of a way I could describe the awesomeness of the weekend, but I just can't seem to put it into words.  I keep thinking of things to mention, and there's so much more that I want to tell you about this weekend, but I feel like this post is already way too long.  So I'll just say this.  You know how when you hang out with a good friend who you haven't seen in a while, and it feels like no time has passed?  That's kind of how it was.  We literally talked and laughed the entire weekend.  These girls just "get" me.  And I love them all so so much.  We decided that this WILL be a yearly occurrence, and that Elly WILL be joining us next time.  Now to just pick the time and place....

Thanks again to Courtney and Eric for their hospitality.  Congratulations again on Baby C, and we can't wait to see you guys again!!

Braised Balsamic Chicken with Tomatoes and Swiss Chard

We've had a fairly mild winter this year (yay!), so I haven't really been craving all the wintery comfort foods that I typically do.  We've eaten a surprising number of salads and seafood dishes, and overall haven't been eating as many soups, stews, and braises as usual.  However, this meal was definitely one that we thoroughly enjoyed (on a 60 degree day in January, at that).

Chicken thighs are braised in a flavorful liquid of red wine, chicken broth, tomatoes, and thyme.  Anchovies are also used, and while that may seem like a turn-off, I'd definitely discourage you from omitting them.  They give the dish a great depth of flavor.  After the chicken is cooked, the swiss chard is cooked in the braising liquid, and a balsamic reduction is added to the sauce just before serving.

I absolutely loved the combination of flavors going on.  The tomatoes and balsamic vinegar create such a great sauce for the mild Swiss chard and the tender chicken.  It was hearty, comforting, and filling, without being overly rich and heavy.  I served this over Parmesan cheese grits, but I think it would also be great with mashed potatoes, polenta, or rice - really anything to soak up the sauce.

Braised Balsamic Chicken with Swiss Chard and Tomatoes
barely adapted from Cook's Illustrated

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and skin
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 large onion , halved and sliced about 1/4 inch thick (about 2 cups)
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 3cloves garlic , minced 
• 1 tsp anchovy paste
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 Tbs chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 12 oz Swiss chard , washed and dried
•   3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering; add chicken thighs skin-side down and cook without moving them until skin is crisped and well browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer.  Transfer thighs to large plate.

Pour off all but 1 teaspoon fat from pot. Add the onion and tomato paste and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon, until tomato paste begins to darken, about 3-4 minutes (if bottom of pot becomes very dark and sticky, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water). Add garlic and anchovy and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, and wine, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon. Add red pepper flakes, thyme, and bay. Remove and discard skin from chicken thighs, then submerge chicken bone-side up in liquid, adding any chicken juices accumulated on plate. Increase heat to high, bring to simmer, cover, then place pot in oven. Cook until chicken offers no resistance when poked with tip of paring knife but meat still clings to bone, 40 to 55 minutes

While chicken cooks, trim stems from Swiss chard.  Roughly chop the leaves.

 Also while chicken cooks, simmer balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until thick, syrupy, and reduced to 1/3 cup, 3 to 5 minutes (begin measuring volume when vinegar begins to cling to sides of saucepan). Set aside.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to plate and tent with foil; discard bay leaf. Bring liquid in Dutch oven to simmer over medium-high heat.  Add chard greens and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir about 1/3 cup sauce into balsamic reduction to loosen, then stir the mixture into the sauce.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to sauce, cook until heated through, about 2 minutes, turning chicken once or twice. Use a slotted spoon to transfer chard to serving dish or individual bowls; place c
chicken thighs on chard, then spoon sauce over. Serve immediately.

Note:  I halved this recipe with no problems.

Creamy Stovetop Mac & Cheese - Italian Style

When I was a kid, I used to love going to my friends' houses for dinner. Since I was a vegetarian, their moms never knew what to feed me, and inevitably ended up making the blue box of macaroni and cheese. This was particularly exciting for me because my mom NEVER made it. She always made mac and cheese from scratch, and me being a bratty kid, of course wanted it from the box. Obviously I now see the error of my ways, and I am no longer a fan of the blue box, but Velveeta Shells and Cheese remains as my biggest guilty pleasure. Which is why I've never been tempted to try a stove top version of macaroni and cheese. If I had an emergency craving, I would just turn to the box. But this homemade version comes together in just about the same amount of time, and while it's certainly not healthy, at least it's not full of additives, chemicals, preservatives, and artificial ingredients.

And can one ever have too many macaroni and cheese recipes? I think not. There are just so many varieties, you see. So even if you have a really really good classic variation, it's always nice to have other options as well. You know, just in case you have a specific cheese craving. This particular dinner was born out of necessity. I am usually pretty good about sticking to my menu plan, but one night for some reason or another my planned dinner fell through. So as I surveyed the pantry and fridge, I noticed that I had everything I needed for macaroni and cheese, but we were all hungry, and didn't want to wait long to eat.

Enter stove-top mac and cheese. It's embarrassingly quick and easy, and as I'm about to tell you, this recipe is open to so many variations. I got this recipe from Annie, who used called for a combination of Gouda and Parmesan, and also called for Greek yogurt. She got the recipe from Shanon, who used Emmenthal and creme fraiche. And I used Fontina, Parmesan, and Ricotta. I'd imagine you could make more variations as well: Gruyere, cheddar,Swiss, Monterey Jack, maybe even Brie... the possibilities really are endless.

More Mac & Cheese Love
 Classic Macaroni and Cheese

Fonitina, Mushroom, and Prosciutto Shells and Cheese

Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese
Shrimp and Feta Macaroni and Cheese

Fontina Shells and Cheese

Italian-Style Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese 
significantly adapted from Macaroni and Cheese, via Annie's Eats and The Curvy Carrot 

• 12 oz. dried pasta shapes (smaller shapes work best)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs minced shallot
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp dried mustard
• 8 oz shredded fontina or mozzarella cheese
• 2 oz shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup milk, half-and-half, or cream
• 4 oz. Ricotta cheese (full-fat or part-skim are both fine)
• 2 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta to al dente, according to the directions on the package.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water (I used to always forget to save the water, so now I put a measuring cup in the strainer while the pasta is cooking, so I don't forget).

Return the pasta to the pot and stir in the garlic, shallot, mustard, and nutmeg.  Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring well between each addition.  Stir in the ricotta, butter, and milk, and stir until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy and smooth, adding the reserved pasta water if needed.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Crab and Brie Stuffed Mushrooms for Courtney's Virtual Shower

I don't even really know how to start this post about my good friend Courtney.  I'm afraid that no matter what I say, it will sound trite and won't convey how much I adore her.  She is truly one of the sweetest, most genuine, adorable, and all-around-awesome girls I've ever met.  When you have really great friends like Courtney, the distance doesn't really matter so much.  We talk almost every day via email and/or text, so it feels like she's right here in Atlanta sometimes.  But it's extra awesome when you actually get to hang out in real life.  And lucky me, I've gotten to hang out with her three times!

We were roomies at Blog Her Food in Atlanta last year, and of course we stayed up way too late all weekend talking and laughing.  Then, I was able to randomly meet her for lunch one day as she was passing through Atlanta with her husband and adorable dog.  And finally, last weekend, a few of our blogging friends turned real life friends surprised her with a visit to Richmond!  It was a virtual-shower turned real-life-shower, and was awesome to say the least. I'll be posting more about our adventures next week.

Courtney is expecting a baby girl in just a few weeks, so today I am excited to host a virtual shower for my sweet friend.  Below are all the dishes that her friends and blogging-buddies contributed, so be sure to visit their blogs for the recipes.  And stop by Cook Like a Champion to congratulate Courtney and Eric on their impending bundle of joy!  They are going to make the best parents, and I can't wait for them to welcome their little girl into the world!

Amy of Sing for Your Supper has a brand new baby girl herself, so she knows exactly what Courtney has to look forward to!  She mixed up a Virgin Peach Sangria to enjoy.  This looks so fruity and refreshing, and perfect for a baby shower.  I loved drinking mocktails when I was pregnant, and I still do.  I can't wait to try this!

Nikki of Pennies on a Platter made these adorable Cream Puffs with Strawberry-Mascarpone Filling.  I love this play on strawberry shortcake, and I never would have thought to serve cream puffs this way.  So cute!

Annie from Annie's Eats knew that the way to Courtney's heart is through southern food, so she made a sophisticated take on fried okra:  Okra-Cornmeal Cakes with Chevre and Roasted Tomatoes.  I absolutely love everything about this dish, and I definitely plan on making it myself soon!

Cate from Cate's World Kitchen made these pretty Pink Lemonade Cupcakes.  I know the mom-to-be loves lemonade, so what better way to serve it than in a cupcake?  Am I right?

Karin of This Wife Bakes is the cake queen, and she baked up this Blood Orange Marmalade Cake  I have never heard of blood orange marmalade, but I'm pretty sure I need it in my life stat.

Elly of Elly Says Opa made these absolutely awesome looking Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Meatball Crostini.  Seriously, how amazing does that sound?? 

Our friend Branny from Branny Boils Over made Nutella Swirl Blondies.  Courtney, Branny, and I were out for breakfast at Blog Her Food in May when Branny tasted Nutella for the first time.  Obviously that is a milestone worth remembering in one's life, so these blondies are a perfect contribution.  And how cute are they?  I love individual-sized desserts!

Tara of Smells Like Home went all out with these Sweet and Salty Cupcakes.  I love the combination, and I'm pretty sure I could eat my weight in these.  I also happen to know that Courtney is a big fan of salted caramel, so these are right up her alley.  Great job, Tara!!

Shannon of The Curvy Carrot contributed these gorgeous Mushroom and Mascarpone Tarts  I absolutely adore mascarpone cheese, and anything with mushrooms is always going to be a winner.  Love them!

 

The lovely Shawnda from Confections of a Foodie Bride made these sweet little Pink Grapefruit Cookies.  They are perfect for a baby shower, especially for a baby girl with their pretty pink filling!

These Strawberry Shortcake Sliders from Ryan of Ryan Bakes are so adorable!  Miniature food is always more fun, isn't it?!  How cute!

 Amy from The Gastronome Tart put together these Savory Apple Galettes with a side salad.  I love savory baking, and these look insanely delicious! 

Kelsey from Apple a Day baked up these gorgeous Raspberry White Chocolate Tartlets.  White chocolate and raspberry go so well together, and I know our sweet mom-to-be would absolutely love these pretty little desserts!

And finally, for my contribution.  When we visiting Courtney last weekend and were walking around Whole Foods, she let it slip that she'd never tried Brie before.  We promptly threw two wheels in her cart, and told her she needed to try it ASAP.  So I knew I wanted to incorporate the delicious and creamy cheese into my dish for her virtual shower.  These crab and brie stuffed musrooms are pretty much the bomb.  Stuffed mushrooms of any sort are always a winner in my book, but stuff them with sweet crab and creamy brie, and you pretty much have the best thing ever.  I know that Courtney would love these, and my only regret is that we can't enjoy them together.  I miss you, friend!  I can't wait to see you again, and I really can't wait to meet that sweet baby girl!!


Crab and Brie Stuffed Mushrooms
Pink Parsley Original

• 12-16 mushrooms
• 3 Tbs olive oil, divided
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup minced shallot
• 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese (cream cheese can be substituted)
• 2 Tbs minced fresh parsley
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cubed brie (brie, rind removed, cut into 1/4-inch cubes)
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup lump crabmeat, picked through for shells
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms, chop them finely, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss the mushroom caps with 2 tablespoons of oil, salt, and pepper.  Arrange in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet, open-side up.  Set the bowl aside to use for the filling.

In a medium skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat.  Saute the shallot and reserved mushroom stems until softened, 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in the mascarpone cheese, and transfer the mixture to the bowl.

Mix in the parsley, lemon zest, Parmesan, brie, and panko.  Lightly fold in the crabmeat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps, and bake 15-20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are browned and the filling is hot and bubbly.  Remove from oven and squeeze the lemon juice over the mushrooms before serving.


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