Today I debut my new featured weekly posts in which I will share a recipe that I discovered in the glorious land of Pinterest! Seriously I will admit I am addicted to Pinterest, we have a love/hate relationship. I have so many new "projects" that I never knew I needed/wanted to do until I discovered this site. Today's recipe I had this weekend at a cocktail party. My sister-in-law, who threw the party had these adorable little things as one of her appetizers. I was so intrigued and when I asked her where she got the recipe it was none other than, you guessed it, Pinterest! This was where the inspiration came for making my featured Pinterest posts. Thank you Stace :)

With that being said these little lasagna's are perfect! They are great for kids or even to make in bulk then wrap and freeze for an easy reheat-able snack. As a bite size party appetizer, I suggest using the mini cupcake pans as they are easier to pick up and pop in your mouth, but for dinner I would use the regular size (pictured above) and serve with a salad or veggie on the side. The best part, is that they are easy, easy, easy! Without further ado, I give you Lasagna Cupcakes....

Lasagna Cupcakes Adapted from Pinterest via quick-dish.tablespoon.com Ingredients 1 lb Ground Beef, turkey or Italian sausage 36 Wonton wrappers 8oz Ricotta Cheese (I use fat free) 2 cups shredded mozzarella 1 cup shredded parmesan 1 cup marinara or favorite pasta sauce Italian seasonings: dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic salt, pepper etc Fresh Basil leaves Directions Preheat oven to 375. Brown ground beef  (or meat) and season with Italian seasonings. Drain fat and set aside. Spray 12- cupcake tin with cooking spray. Using a glass or biscuit cutter, cut wontons into circles. Leave the first 12 wontons uncut. Press into the cupcake tins one of the uncut square wontons. Sprinkle in a little of the mozzarella and parmesan into each cut, spoon in a little scoop of ricotta, meat and then sauce (The amount varies on how many layers you want to do but I would say about a teaspoon or so of each.). Cover layer with a wonton circle then repeat the layering process with cheeses, meat, sauce and another wonton. You can do as many layers as you like. I prefer to do 3-4 layers but its up to you and how much filling you put in each layer. Leave the top layer uncovered (no wonton on top) and sprinkle the remaining tops with the shredded cheeses. Bake in oven uncovered for about 20 minutes. The outside of the wontons should be crispy and the part in the cupcake pan should still be soft. Let cool for 3 minutes. The lasagna cupcakes should pop right out of cupcake pan. If they feel like the layers are coming apart, they need to cook a little longer. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Makes 12 lasagna cupcakes

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

The past few years I didnt really get to enjoy the holidays in the traditional sense. I lived in Hawaii, I was away from family and of course we never got that chilly weather which to me is a big part of Christmas. Not saying I don't miss the 70 degrees and sunshine all year long but I was really excited to spend this Christmas the way I used to growing up. I forgot was how hectic this time of year can be (especially while working on my masters degree). Yikes! With all the holidays gatherings at home, school, or with friends I share with you a recipe that is surely to please!
Crab stuffed Mushroom, elegant yet simple and of course delicious! Who doesn't love the succulent flavor of crab? This recipe combines smooth cream cheese and Parmesan (use fresh grated!) and is stuffed into a juicy little mushroom for a bite size piece of crab heaven!

Make these ahead of time and then pop them in the oven when ready to serve!

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms Ingredients 20-25 small white mushrooms 1 cup crab meat ½ cup cream cheese ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped ½ green onions, chopped ¼ teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne (can be omitted) 5 tablespoons shredded Parmesan Cheese ½ cup Panko bread crumbs Cooking Spray Salt & Pepper to taste Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375° F 2. Pop out the stems of mushrooms and then spoon out the gills and base of the stem to make deep bowls. Set mushroom caps on lined baking sheet 3. Combine crabmeat, cream cheese, parsley, green onions, cheese, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 4. Stuff mushroom caps with crabmeat mixture. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of each mushroom. Spray tops with non-stick cooking spray (to help them brown) 5. Bake in oven for 20 minutes

Fried Green Tomatoes

With the weather here in Seattle deciding to skip fall and head striaght into winter our little garden has suffered the affects. The heirloom tomatoes we planted late this spring were well on their way to becoming big and juicy but once the cold front hit this past week we realized they were not going to make it much longer. My husband (who secretly is a great cook) decided to salvage the big green tomatoes and do what he does best, whip up something from nothing. So a few ingredients later out from our kitchen emerged these. When I bit into it is was crispy and juicy with a little bit of a kick, so delicious! I knew instantly this recipe had to be shared. The tricky part was getting him to write down an actual recipe as he just likes to throw things together. So I had him walk me back through it step by step and I was able to get something down in writing. Enjoy these little bites of golden crispy goodness (I know I did).

Tomatoes dredged in flour, eggs, then flour ready for the deep fryer

Fried for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy

Fried Green Tomatoes Serves 4 Ingredients 4 green tomatoes cut into ¼ inch rings 1 cup all purpose flour 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper Pinch of dried cilantro Kosher salt and pepper to taste 3 eggs 3 tablespoons of milk Ranch Dressing (for dipping sauce) Directions 1. Preheat deep fryer oil to 350 degrees F. 2. Combine flour, breadcrumbs, and seasonings together and place in a shallow dish. 3. Beat together eggs and milk and place in another shallow dish. 4. Dredge tomatoes through flour mixture, then through the eggs, then back into the flour mixture until well coated. Repeat with the other slices. 5. Add a few pieces to the deep fryer at a time and cook for about 2-3 minutes.