Sloppy Joe Sliders

 

This is a relatively healthy version of sloppy joes, perfect for a mid-week meal.  Not very glamorous, but what do you expect on a Wednesday night?  If desired, you can substitute ground beef, but the sauce is tasty enough that it tastes just as good with turkey (and I think the texture is better!).

Ingredients: 

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste

Buns (your choice!)

Directions:

In a skillet over medium heat, brown the turkey, then drain any grease.  Add tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar and spices; mix thoroughly.  Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, until sauce has thickened.  Season with salt and pepper and taste - add more cayenne or sugar if necessary.  It should be sweet and spicy!

Tips:

Serve on toasted hamburger buns or mini Hawaiian rolls, which have a nice sweetness.  Toasting the buns will stop the sandwiches from getting soggy.  Enjoy!

Citrus Mousse Cloud with Oreo Crumbles

I found this recipe for citrus mousse online.   It's versatile and easy to make, so I've used it many times.   In this instance, I happened to have some Oreo cookies (and some "Oreo Fun Sticks", which I purchased because they looked like they would make a great garnish for a dessert) on hand.   The sweetness of the Oreo paired nicely with the sourness of the mousse.

Ingredients:
2 (12 ounce) containers frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup passion fruit juice
1/4 cup orange juice

Note: You can substitute pretty much any type of juice, just be sure to use the same quantities. I've made this more tropical, more sour or sweet, etc, it's really up to you!

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat together whipped topping and condensed milk. Gradually beat in juices until evenly blended. Taste and add a little sugar if necessary (depends on which juice you decide to use).

At this point, the mousse is ready to serve, if so desired. You can serve it plain, with berries or other toppings. Or, you can make my version!

Oreo Version:

1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs
1 package fresh raspberries
1 box Oreo Fun Sticks

Directions:
Crush Oreos and place several teaspoons (or tablespoons, if you're serving in larger portions) at the bottom of a small dish. Spoon prepared mousse over Oreo crumbs. Garnish with a whole or half Oreo Fun Stick, and a raspberry. Enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Bacon

I saw this recipe in a magazine, and being the hedonist I am, how could I resist?

Ingredients:

12 thick-sliced bacon strips (about 1 pound)
12 wooden skewers

1 cup vanilla almond bark

1 cup chocolate almond bark

Optional toppings: crystallized ginger, finely chopped nuts, toasted coconut, kosher salt, brown sugar, heath bar, caramel, cayenne pepper, the list goes on and on!

Directions:
Thread each bacon strip onto a wooden skewer. Place on a rack in a large baking pan.  Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until crisp. Cool completely.
 

In a microwave, melt candy coating; stir until smooth.
 

With pastry brushes, coat bacon on both sides with melted coatings (choose one type of chocolate for each strip). Sprinkle each piece of bacon with toppings as desired while candy coating is still warm.  Place on waxed paper and refrigerate until firm.

Tips: For the white chocolate, you may need to apply more than one coat to cover the bacon completely.  These actually look quite pretty when finished.  Bacon wrapped chocolate is a bit odd, I won't lie to you.  I thought the white chocolate covered ones were best, with the heath bar or caramel, which seemed to pair quite nicely with the flavor of the bacon.  It was also quite crunchy, which I liked.  It's a fun experiment, at the very least!  Enjoy!

Texas Caviar

This was my first encounter with Texas Caviar.  I had planned to serve it as a dip, but after I prepared it, I realized it is better as a salad.  The vinegar makes it taste kind of weird with chips, in my opinion, but it's delicious as a chilled side dish or salad.  The only change I made to the original recipe was that I grilled the corn, for a more smoky flavor, and added a few extra spices.

Ingredients:

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 ears grilled corn

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 red bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped

1 green bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white sugar

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp coriander

Directions:

Grill corn until slightly charred and remove from cob.  Mix the black beans, pinto beans, corn, green chiles, jalapeno pepper, red and green bell peppers, red onion, and cilantro together in a large bowl.

To make the dressing, stir the rice vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and spices together in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, and cool.  Pour dressing over bean mixture, and toss to mix evenly.  Serve chilled.  As you can see, this makes for a lovely presentation, as the colors are so vibrant in the "caviar".  Enjoy!

Pork Tenderloin French Dip Sandwiches

Mmm... sandwich!  The orange zest gives this a really sweet and intense flavor.

Ingredients:

1 14 to 16-ounce pork tenderloin

2 cups chicken stock (use homemade, if you have it!)

1 orange, zested and sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves

3 tbsp honey

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 sprigs thyme leaves, finely chopped
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 sandwich rolls, toasted

Directions:
Heat the oven to 500 degrees.  Drizzle olive oil over the pork and season with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and black pepper.  Place the pork in the oven and roast for about 20-25 minutes.

While pork is cooking, slice the oranges.  In a saucepan, bring the stock, orange slices, bay leaves and honey to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes and strain.

Place rolls in oven on second rack while pork is finishing and toast them for about 5-10 minutes, until slightly brown.

Combine the orange zest, thyme, rosemary and parsley in a small bowl.  Remove pork from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.  Thinly slice the pork on a slight angle.  Dip the slices in the strained orange sauce and pile them onto the bottom bread slices.  Spoon additional orange sauce over the pork and cover with the bread tops. Garnish with orange zest mixture and serve with remaining stock for dipping.  Enjoy!

Leah's Caramel Pecan Tart

One evening, Kyle invited about a dozen guys over unexpectedly, and I searched my fridge for something to make for them on the fly.  I came up with this dessert - proof positive that it's smart to always keep these mini fillo shells in your freezer!  Okay, they had been in there for months, but eventually they did come in handy!

Ingredients:
1 package Athens mini fillo shells (15 per pack)
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
Kraft caramel bits (about 1/2 package)
1 oz pecan chips
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Press about 1 tsp of cream cheese into the bottom of each fillo cup.  In a separate bowl, melt butter.  Set aside about 1 tbsp of brown sugar for sprinkling on top.  Mix the rest of the brown sugar and vanilla in with the butter.  Spoon about 1/2 tsp of the mixture over the cream cheese in each shell.  Drop about 5-6 of the caramel balls on top.  Next, sprinkle pecan chips and reserved brown sugar over the top, and dust each shell lightly with cinnamon.

Cook in oven at 350 for about 5-10 minutes, or until shells have slightly browned and cream cheese has melted.


Tips:  You can actually assemble these in the tray provided in the package, but will need to move them to an oven safe baking sheet before placing in the oven.  These make the house smell really good while cooking and disappear very quickly once served.  Enjoy!

Chorizo Stuffed Sweet Peppers

I saw these vibrantly colored peppers at the store and it seemed like they were just asking to be stuffed with something!

Ingredients:

25-30 sweet peppers (at my local grocer, these are just called sweet peppers and usually come in a package with a few dozen of various color.  They are not hot, just sweet and tasty!)

1 package chorizo

1 can black beans

2 cups cheddar or monterey jack cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt & pepper to taste

2 tsp olive oil

Directons:

Cover an aluminum baking sheet in foil.  Rinse peppers, then dry, and place on baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until the peppers become soft and slightly charred.

Meanwhile, cook chorizo in a sauce pan until firm and slightly browned.  Sprinkle with garlic powder.  Remove and drain on paper towels.

Once peppers are done cooking, remove from oven and let cool.  Reserve baking sheet.  When the peppers have cooled, carefully slice them once straight down the middle, leaving the pepper intact and enough space for stuffing.  There is no need to remove the interior seeds, as there are very few of them in this size pepper, and they are not spicy.

Drain and rinse the beans and mix in a bowl with the chorizo.  Stuff each pepper with about 1 tablespoon of the mixture (or enough to nearly fill each pepper, leaving a bit of room for cheese).  Fill remaining space with cheese and squeeze peppers to slightly close them back up.  Place back on baking sheet, cheese side up, and cook in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  Remove from pan and serve!

Tips:  You may have to add additional salt after the second baking; taste to verify before serving.  Also, the reason for cooking these before stuffing them is that otherwise, the cheese will get too hot and slide right out.  Another variation is that you can cut the peppers in half and stuff them open faced, such as below.  Enjoy!

French Martini

Oh, the French Martini. So simple, delicious, and divine!

Ingredients:
2 oz dry gin
1 oz raspberry liqueur
1 oz pineapple juice

Directions:

Pour into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with raspberry, if desired (it will drop straight to the bottom!).

I served this as a dessert drink paired with a Chocolate Cranberry Torte - here's the recipe:

Chocolate Cranberry Torte

Chocolate Cranberry Torte

This was delicious, but took forever to make!  It turned out beautifully, but I will definitely find some shortcuts if I attempt to make it again.  The chambord chocolate sauce was the best part!

Sauce
1 cup fresh cranberries

3/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp Chambord (black raspberry liqueur)

Torte
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1/3 cup Chambord

1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cups sugar

6 large eggs, room temperature

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze
1 cup whipping cream

10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet choc, chopped
1/4 cup Chambord

Fresh mint leaves

For sauce: Bring first 3 ingredients to boil in saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium; cook until cranberries burst, about 5 minutes. Transfer to processor; puree. Strain puree into bowl; discard seeds. Mix in Chambord. Cover; chill at least 2 hours (sauce will thicken).

For torte: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom with parchment. Stir 3/4 cup cranberries and Chambord in saucepan over medium heat until liqueur simmers, about 1 minute. Cool, then drain cranberries; reserve liqueur and cranberries separately.

Melt butter in large pan over medium heat, stirring until beginning to bubble at edges. Remove, add chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate is melted & smooth. Add sugar, eggs one at a time (batter will look grainy). Whisk in reserved liqueur. Add flour and salt; whisk until blended. Stir in reserved cranberries; transfer to prepared pan.

Bake torte until top is puffed and cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with moist (not wet) batter attached, about 1 hour. Cool in pan on rack. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.)

For glaze: Bring cream to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in Chambord. Let stand until glaze is thick but still pourable, whisking occasionally, about 2 hours.

Line rimmed baking sheet with foil; place cake rack in center. Cut around torte to loosen; remove pan sides. Place 8-inch-diameter cardboard round or 8-inch tart pan bottom on top of torte. Holding cardboard and springform pan bottom, turn torte over and place on rack. Remove pan bottom; peel off paper. Pour 1 1/2 cups glaze over torte. Smooth glaze over top and sides. 

Freeze torte until glaze is set, about 10 minutes. Pour remaining 1 cup glaze over torte and smooth evenly. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup dried cranberries around top edge. Freeze until glaze is firm, about 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to platter. Cover with cake dome and chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

Arrange fresh mint leaves between cranberries at top edge of torte. Cut into wedges and serve with sauce.

I served this cake with a French Martini.  Here's the recipe:

French Martini 

White Chocolate Creme Brulee

This is basically a sweeter version of traditional Creme Brulee.  Easy to prepare and makes for a beautiful presentation!

Ingredients:
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1/3 cup granulated white sugar

2 cups heavy cream

4 ounces white chocolate, chopped

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 tsp sugar (for top of custards)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with 1/3 cup sugar until smooth.

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat.  Add the white chocolate.  Turn off the heat and whisk until the white chocolate is melted.  Add 2 tablespoons of the white chocolate mixture to the egg yolk mixture, whisking continually to prevent the eggs from scrambling.  Add the remaining white chocolate mixture to the egg yolk mixture.  Whisk until smooth.  Add the vanilla.

Pour into four 6-inch ramekins or custard cups.  Place the cups in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Add enough hot water so the cups sit in 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water.

Bake for about 45 minutes, until set.  Allow to cool, then refrigerate the custards until chilled. Before serving, sprinkle the tops of each ramekin with 1 teaspoon of sugar and place under the broiler until caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes.  Rechill in refrigerator for 5 minutes before serving.

I served this with a dessert drink called Marianne at Midnight.  Here's the recipe:  Marianne at Midnight

Marianne at Midnight

 

How could I resist a drink that has a floating flower petal in it?  Such showmanship...  Besides, as unlikely as it seems, I already had a bottle of Crème de Violette on hand, from a different recipe.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounces Scotch
1 ounce Crème de Violette
1/4 ounce Tuaca
pansy, or other edible flower, for garnish

Directions:
Stir for 30 seconds in an ice-filled shaker. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Float flower on top for drama!  Enjoy!

I served this as a dessert drink, with a White Chocolate Crème Brulee.  Here's the recipe:


White Chocolate Creme Brulee

Dancing Belly

I served this as a shot.  I liked the name, and it does sort of tickle your tummy when you drink it!

Ingredients:

2 oz Ketel One Citron Vodka

1 oz Midori Melon Liqueur

1 oz white grape juice

1/2 oz Malibu Rum

juice of 1 lime wedge

juice of 1 lemon wedge

Directions:

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake well.  Strain into a cocktail glass or shot glasses.  Enjoy!

I served this for my cocktail appetizer party, with Lobster Passion Fruit Ceviche.  Here's the recipe:

Lobster Passion Fruit Ceviche

Watermelon Mint Mojito

Ahhh... A mojito!  Refreshing, sweet, tangy, and it gives you good breath!  This recipe makes about 4 drinks, so multiply for larger servings.

Ingredients:
20 mint leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup light rum
6 ounces seedless watermelon, pureed

Directions:
In the bottom of a large shaker, muddle the mint, sugar and 1/4 cup of the lime juice. Fill the shaker with ice. Add the rum, watermelon and remaining 1/4 cup of lime juice; shake well. Strain into glasses over ice.

I served this drink with the following recipe:

Flank Steak Crostini with Chimichurri Sauce

Flank Steak Crostini with Chimichurri Sauce

A fun take on the classic steak with chimichurri sauce.  The pics are a little blurry, as my camera was acting up that evening. No surprise there, I usually seem to destroy about one digital camera per year, by some reckless combination of loss, falls from great heights, or water damage.  Whoops!

Ingredients:  

1 (2 to 3-pound) flank steak
3 cloves garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

Chimichurri Sauce:
1 1/2 cups cilantro leaves
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crostini:
1 baguette
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Begin by mincing garlic cloves.  Season steak with salt and pepper, smother with minced garlic, and bring to room temperature.  Preheat grill to high.

To make crostini, slice bread at an angle.  Place slices on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Repeat on other side.  Cook in the oven at 450 degrees for about 5-7 minutes, or until slightly brown and toasted.

To make the chimichurri, combine the sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside in serving bowl.

For steak, grill until nicely charred and medium rare, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing across the grain.

To assemble, take a crostini and place a slice of flank steak on top.  Drizzle with chimichurri sauce.  Serve warm.  Yum!

I made this recipe for my appetizer and cocktail pairing party, and served it with a watermelon mint mojito.  Click below for the drink recipe!  Enjoy!

Watermelon Mint Mojito

Lava Lamp Cocktail

I love the idea of this cocktail.  The champagne creates bubbles which move the pomegranate seeds up and down like a lava lamp (at least until the carbonation starts to lessen...!).  Pretty, and delicious!  I served this at an appetizer cocktail pairing party, with a modification (shrimp instead of lobster) of this recipe:

Garlic Black Pepper Lobster with Lemongrass Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 ounce Pama pomegranate liqueur
5 ounces champagne or sparkling wine
5 or 6 pomegranate seeds

Directions:

Add pomegranate liqueur to a champagne flute. Fill the glass with champagne or sparkling wine. Drop in the pomegranate seeds and watch them rise!  Cheers!

El Zete

I served this as a shooter, with a lime wedge.  I paired it with Chorizo Sobres, for my appetizer cocktail pairing party.  I don't have to tell you that tequila goes great with chorizo!

Chorizo Sobres with Smoky Paprika Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

3 ounces reposado tequila

1/2 ounce Lillet Blanc or white wine

3 dashes orange bitters

1/4 ounce fresh lime juice

lime wedge, for garnish

Shake for 30 seconds in an ice-filled shaker. Strain into shot glass. Rub lime wedge around edge of glass, then add as garnish.  Cheers!

Chorizo Sobres with Smoky Paprika Dipping Sauce

This is an interesting recipe - the peaches give the chorizo a bit of sweetness, and the dipping sauce is a nice complement.  I served this with a drink called El Zete, for my appetizer cocktail pairing party.


El Zete Shooter

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked and drained chorizo sausage

1 cup diced peaches

2 scallions, diced

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

generous splash of tequila

1 package of wonton wrappers

vegetable oil (enough for deep frying)

Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream

1 lime

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Directions:

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients (except the wonton wrappers and oil). Mix thoroughly. Begin making the sobres by wetting the outside of a wonton wrapper with your finger dipped in water. Dollop about a tablespoon of the chorizo mixture onto the wrapper. Take one corner of the wrapper and fold triangularly to the opposite corner. Lift the sobre with both hands and crimp the edges with your fingers, making sure the mixture stays inside. Pinch together to secure. Continue to make more sobres until the mixture is all used.

Heat oil in a deep pot for about 5 minutes on medium high heat, or until it reaches 350°F. Drop several sobres in, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. They will start cooking immediately. Stir them in the oil to avoid clumping; this will also allow them to cook more evenly. After a minute they should turn a dark golden brown.  Remove from oil and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Once the sobres have cooled for a few minutes, transfer to a platter and serve with sauce

Smoky Paprika Dipping Sauce:

In a small bowl, combine sour cream with the juice of a lime, a minced garlic clove, salt and pepper to taste, and a 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika. Mix thoroughly serve with sobres.  Enjoy!

Champagne Sangria

This was a little less sweet than I would have liked, but my guests disagreed and polished off two pitchers of it.  It's a light and very summery concoction.


I paired this with Bacon Wrapped Scallops for an appetizer cocktail pairing party.


Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Jalapeno Papaya Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup triple sec
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup sliced strawberries, pureed

1 cup diced peaches, pureed
1 (750-ml.) bottle Champagne

Directions:

Puree fruit.  Stir together juices, triple sec, and sugar until sugar has dissolved. Add pureed fruit.

Place all ingredients, except champagne, in a pitcher or jug and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, add champagne. Garnish with an orange slice.  Enjoy!

Anticipation Punch

As you can see, I served this punch in  large glass trifle bowl.  I paired it with Shanghai Chicken Drummettes, for my appetizer cocktail pairing party.

Ingredients:

5 cups white grape juice

5 cups ginger ale

2 cups citrus vodka

1 cup grenadine

Garnish: halved strawberries, lime and orange slices, and any other fruit that strikes your fancy!  If you look closely at the photo, you'll see that I added some cherries, which immediately sunk to the bottom like stones, never to be seen again...

Directions:

Mix grape juice and ginger ale in a bowl or pitcher. Add vodka. Serve in cups over ice with added strawberries and/or citrus slices.  Cheers!

Shanghai Chicken Drummettes Recipe

The Stiletto Cocktail

As a woman who enjoys sexy shoes, I must admit I chose this cocktail primarily based on the name. Luckily, it was delicious and refreshing! This was from my appetizer cocktail pairing party, and was paired with Posh Popcorn.

Ingredients:

1/2 ounce Grand Marnier

1/2 ounce cognac

4 ounces champagne

3 drops Angostura bitters

spiral of orange zest, for garnish

Directions:

Pour the Grand Marnier and cognac into a champagne flute. Top with champagne. Add the bitters. Garnish with the zest.  Cheers!

Mushroom Boursin Bruschetta on Parmesan Toast

This is an appetizer I had at a local restaurant.  Thought I would try to duplicate it at home!  Not sure mine turned out exactly like theirs, since I had to Columbo the herbs and spices, but it tasted delicious regardless.

Ingredients:

1 lb mushrooms, quartered

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, removed from stems and chopped

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp sherry

1 cup Boursin cheese

salt & pepper to taste

Parmesan Toasts:

1 loaf french bread

1 cup freshly grated parmesan

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper, sprinkled

Directions:

Wash mushrooms and quarter them.  Melt butter in sautee pan on medium heat and add sliced onions.  Cook until slightly brown, then add the mushrooms, bell peppers and garlic.  Add herbs and season with salt and pepper.  Once the pan is hot and the liquid has begun to disappear, add the sherry to the bottom of the pan.  The pan will sizzle.  Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan and stir any browned bits into the bruschetta.  Turn heat to low.  

While the vegetable mushroom is cooking, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice loaf of bread diagonally in thin slices.  Place sliced pieces of french bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, salt, and freshly ground pepper.  Place in oven and cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until toasts are beginning to brown and cheese on top has melted.

Meanwhile, remove mushroom mixture from pan and taste, then add additional seasonings if necessary.  Mix in about half of the boursin cheese.  Spoon a bit of the mushroom bruschetta onto each prepared toast, then sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.  Serve while hot.

Tips:  If you cannot find Boursin cheese, you can substitute goat cheese - the flavor and texture is quite similar.