Cooking with a Wallflower - Page 138 of 139 -

Mini Frittatas with Bacon, Spinach and Mushrooms

Mini frittatas filled with crispy bacon, spinach, mushrooms, onions, red peppers, and peas and topped with fresh parsley. Great as a mini breakfast or as an appetizer with little guilt!

A few months ago, my friends and I got together for brunch at a restaurant called Scramblz in San Jose. I had ordered one of their specials, a broccoli bacon frittata. It was the first time I’ve ever had a frittata, and I’ve been in love with them since. So, I decided I wanted to try my hand at making them. I love bite size foods. They’re portion controlled and easy to eat with no need for forks or plates.

Mini Apple Pie Tartlets

Warm diced apples covered in cinnamon brown sugar in a buttery croissant crust, perfect as a snack or a dessert.

I hope you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving. There’s been so much to be thankful for even though 2013 has been a difficult year for me. I hope you had a lot of yummy foods on your table. I know we did. But we ended up with so much leftover, I think we have enough to last us another week! Here’s a peek at our Thanksgiving dinner table. There was so much food that we didn’t know where to put the turkey! Or the brownies!

No Bake Baked Apples

Warm cinnamon-y apples filled to the top with oats and walnuts, tasting like apple pie but without the crust. Quick and easy, healthy, and delicious, a perfect snack to chase away late afternoon hunger.

Whenever it hits mid to late afternoon, I start to get a little hungry. It’s too late for a small meal since it’s close to dinner time, but I’m not sure I can wait that long. A no bake baked apple is exactly the type of snack I’m looking for. It doesn’t take long to make, and there’s not much of a mess either. It’s sweet and cinnamon-y like apple pie yet still healthy. I originally saw a recipe for a no bake baked apple on a cooking show called The Chew. The recipe was called Daphne Oz’s Dorm Room Apple Snack. But I didn’t have all the ingredients needed to make that exact recipe. So I improvised and created my own.

Stir-Fry Julienned Summer Vegetables

Colorful thinly sliced vegetables that are lightly seasoned, healthy, and refreshing.

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Appetizers Quick and Easy Vegetarian

Baked Mushrooms Stuffed with Summer Vegetables

Large mushrooms stuffed with julienned zucchini, yellow squash, and carrots topped with Italian breadcrumbs for a slight crunch. They’re quick and easy to prepare yet delicious and healthy.

I love mushrooms, and I think they’re even better stuffed with all of your favorite ingredients. I wanted to create a healthy appetizer that I could make and serve relatively quickly so I came up with the idea of stuffing mushrooms with julienned vegetables. These veggies are seasoned with garlic powder, crushed red peppers, and a little bit of salt topped with parmesan cheese and Italian style breadcrumbs. It’s simple and healthy but still delicious. It has the earthy taste of mushrooms, refreshing taste of zucchini and yellow squash, sweetness of carrots, and crunchiness of the breadcrumbs. A little garlicky and a little spicy, all in one mushroom.

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Desserts

Mini Vanilla Cheesecake with Sprinkles on a Graham Cracker Crust

Mini vanilla cheesecake on a moist graham cracker crust topped with sprinkles. A great dessert to make and bring for Thanksgiving dinner.

I admit it. I can eat cheesecake every single day if I didn’t have to worry about the calories or the cost. What’s not to love? It’s rich, it’s creamy, it’s decadent, and it’s addictive.

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Appetizers Quick and Easy

Baked Shrimp with Mushrooms, Basil, and Cheese

Warm cheesy shrimp baked with chopped mushroom, fresh basil, and Italian seasoning, a simple but delicious appetizer that tastes just like pizza.

This is a great appetizer for Thanksgiving, but you’ll have to make several batches if you want it to last. No matter how much I make, they’re always gone in a few minutes. My recipe is only for a dozen shrimp, but it can easily be doubled or more to fit the number of guests.

Spicy Spinach Artichoke Dip

A warm creamy dip made of spinach, artichoke, and cream cheese with a slightly spicy kick from jalapeno. Perfect as an appetizer or snack with chips and slices of bread.

As Thanksgiving Day looms closer, I’m searching for perfect dishes to make for the entire family. Something that is quick and simple because with so many dishes to make I don’t have a lot of time to spend on just one dish. And what can be easier than making a dip? It’s a great starter. Guests can munch on chips or slices of bread with a warm creamy dip until the rest of the food is ready. And it only takes 10-15 minutes to prepare and serve.

Pasta Marsala with Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms

Delicious pasta with fresh shiitake mushrooms in a rich warm marsala wine sauce. Perfect for a quick dinner.

I love pasta. I don’t think I can ever get tired of it. Why? Because it comes in various shapes and sizes and textures. You can eat them in so many ways. If you add different ingredients and use another sauce, you get a brand new dish. It’s simple. It’s fast. It’s delicious.

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Bread Fall Cravings

Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Walnuts

Warm moist pumpkin bread with cinnamon sugar swirls and chopped walnuts in every bite. Mm. Perfect with milk or coffee on an early fall morning.

It’s November, which means it’s the perfect time to whip out your favorite fall recipes! And nothing, at least to me, represents fall better than pumpkin.

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