Tortellini with Spinach, Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen tortellini (You could use fresh too if you are near a good market- either works. But this is a nice meal to make since you can have the frozen tortellini on hand anytime!)
5 cups of baby spinach spinach (sounds like a lot but trust me, it cooks down to nothing)
1 small, 8 oz. log of goat cheese
2 containers of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté until translucent. Add butter until melted. Add mushrooms until tender and slightly browned. Add the spinach in handfuls, adding more to the pan as it begins to wilt and shrink.
2. While the spinach is wilting in the sauté pan, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions (mine only took 3 minutes hence making the pasta at the end instead of the beginning like most recipes).
3. Drain tortellini and add to the sauté pan with the spinach and mushrooms. Crumble up the whole log of goat cheese on top and toss lightly. Season with salt and pepper and Balsamic vinegar

Strawberry Bruschetta

Yield: 4 - 6 servings

1 cup strawberries, hulled and diced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 French baguette, sliced on a bias
4 ounces goat cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup minced basil leaves
freshly ground black pepper

Combine the strawberries and sugar in a small bowl; toss to combine. Let the berried macerate for about 30 minutes so that they begin to release their juices. Spread a thin layer of goat cheese on top of each baguette slice. Top each slice with spoonfuls of the strawberry mixture. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Top each slice with the basil leaves and cracked pepper, to taste.

Open-Faced Caprese Sandwich

Ciabatta bread or Baguette

Roma Tomato

Basil

fresh Mozzarella cheese

Oil/Balsamic Vinegar mixture

 

Spread basil on bread (if using fresh basil leaves, wait). Top with cheese and broil until melted. Remove and top with fresh tomato, (this is where you add fresh basil leaves) then brush with oil/vinegar mixture

Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

Salt
1/2 pound orzo pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6 ounces
Pepper
2 tablespoons butter
12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
12 white mushrooms, sliced
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, eyeball it
3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half, a couple turns of the pan
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful

Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add orzo pasta. Cook to al dente.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
Return the skillet to the heat, turn heat back a bit, and add the butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the mushrooms are brown season with salt and pepper then add the garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until the shallots are wilted. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice the chicken on an angle. Add the parsley and the chicken back to the skillet to heat up, about 1 minute.
To serve, pile orzo on dinner plates and top with the sliced chicken and sauce.
photo by: Food Network