Tomato Zucchini and Goat Cheese Tart

I just had my first day of new teacher training!  It was a really great day and it made me feel less overwhelmed about school starting.  I was able to meet my mentor and talk with her and another math teacher.  I had tons of questions and they probably think I'm slightly silly, but it was great to be able to ask those questions.  I also listened to some great advice about classroom management and the first day of school.  Both of these topics gave me some confidence in that I know about them and have a sense of what I believe and they made me nervous because I am going to need to adjust based on my classes!  I wish I could know my students, but I know that will come soon enough.  We also took a tour in a school bus of the entire district and I was amazed at how much land is encompassed!  Finally, I got my school ID!  I am officially official!  I still have two more days of training and I am just grateful to have so much time in the school and around more of the teachers.

Today I have a yummy vegetarian recipe that I made the other day to use up some fresh veggies!  I saw this tart recipe on Recipe Girl and adapted it slightly based on my taste.  The dough is almost exact and it was great.  The veggies and cheese are what I was in the mood for!

Tomato Zucchini and Goat Cheese Tart

Ingredients:
For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk
For the Filling:
1/2 onion, cut into thin strips
8 oz herbed goat cheese
1/2 zucchini, sliced
1/2 squash, sliced
1 large tomato, sliced
fresh basil
salt and pepper
olive oil

Directions:
1. In a food processor, process the flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar.  Continue to process as you add in the butter.  Slowly pour in the buttermilk and continue to process until dough forms into a ball.
2. On a piece of parchment paper, roll out the ball of dough until you have a round piece about 11 inches in diameter.  Carefully, place the rolled out dough into your tart pan and trim the sides.
3. Preheat oven to 350
4. Placed sliced onion into a pan with olive oil and sautee until onions become translucent and soften.  Sprinkle onions on the tart.
5.  Crumble the goat cheese over the onions and then top with sliced zucchini, squash, and tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper and top with fresh basil.
6. Place in oven and let bake for 45 minutes.  Cheese will be melted and crust will become slightly browned

Enjoy :)

Baby Blueberry Tarts and another Foodie Friends Friday!

I didn't have enough time to go out to get Daiya cheese and actually make something this week, but I did just make these adorable Whole Wheat Coconut Oil Tarts! There isn't any butter or eggs needed! Then, I saw a recipe over at A Couple Cooks, and I decided to do something similar.  I filled those cute pre-baked tarts with greek yogurt and blueberries!  To make it vegan, just use vegan yogurt!  Check it out:

Baby Blueberry Tarts

Ingredients:
4 pre-baked mini tarts (These are mine)
1/2 cup non-fat greek yogurt
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp vanilla
blueberries

Directions:
1. Mix together the yogurt, honey, and vanilla.  Divide among the 4 tarts.  Top with fresh blueberries!

Enjoy!


It's time for another Foodie Friends Friday! Last week this lucky winner won an adorable spoon ring from Miss Macie:

Cinnamon Rolls from Baker Becky

And here are the winners from last week!

This week is sponsored by Daiya and there will be 6 winners!!! Four randomly picked posts and 2 randomly picked readers will win coupons!

But first, here are this week's co-hosts:

Foodie Friends Friday http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom http://www.busyvegetarianmom.com

Robyn's View http://www.robynsviewathome.blogspot.com

Marlys at This and That  http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Lois at  Walking on Sunshine http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/

Lindsey at Family Food Finds  http://www.familyfoodfinds.com

Cindy at Cindys Recipes and Writings  http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade  http://www.spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

Ericka at Chef Picky Kid  http://www.chefpickykid.com

Michelle at  From Calculus to Cupcakes http://www.fromcalculustocupcakes.blogspot.com

Cynthia at Feeding Big  http://www.feedingbig.blogspot.com

Jodie at Binomial Baker http://www.binomialbaker.blogspot.com

Amber at http://www.mamasblissfulbites.com/
Skye at http://www.avirtualessence.blogspot.com/

One more thing: The Rules

Step 1: Make sure that anything you link up is:

• A recipe that is made and photographed by you
• Not part of a sponsorship/sales/giveaway or other promotions/linky parties
• Linked to a specific page of your recipe, not your homepage
• Please limit your link-ups to 3 per party

Step 2:

• Show some love and link back to my blog and Foodie Friends Friday (http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com)  on the post of the recipe you are submitting. For example: This recipe is featured on "Host Blog Link" and  http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com Linky Party

If you want to be the very best Foodie Friend Ever...

• Grab our button at  http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com and put it on your page and share Foodie Friends Friday! 
• Take some time and check out other submitted links and the blogs of all our gracious hosts
• Come on over and "like" us on Facebook www.facebook.com/foodiefriendsfriday

Step 3: Come back on Sunday and vote for your favorite recipes by clicking on the star  under the recipe.  You only get 3 Votes so use them wisely!

***Please note that by linking up your recipe you are agreeing to allow Foodie Friends Friday and any of it's affiliated websites or publications to use photos/links/recipes for any reprint, republishing and distribution without monetary compensation to you.  If photos/recipes are used, proper credit and link backs will be included. 

Coconut Oil Whole Wheat Crust and a Giveaway!

This weekend I did something pretty crazy.  I made mini tarts for absolutely no reason.

Well, I sort of had a reason.  I really wanted to use coconut oil to make pie crust, and then I was also craving dessert.

I used Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.  This stuff is fantastic and if you've never cooked or baked with coconut oil you need to change that.  It is great as a butter substitute and it is way better for you than all that butter! I used it to make a great crust for tarts! If you want to make a pie, you can double this recipe to get enough dough for 1 9 inch pie crust.

I made this super yummy, flaky pie crust and it was perfect!!!

Coconut Oil Whole Wheat Crust
(makes enough for 4 mini tarts)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp white whole wheat flour
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of cinnamon
1/4 cup cold coconut oil (it should be solid)
up to 2 tbsp cold water

Directions:
1. Place the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
2. Add in the coconut oil and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand.
3.  Slowly add in water, 1/2 tbsp at a time, until mixture forms into a ball.
4. Roll the dough into a rounded disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.
5.  Now, either use to make a pre-baked mini tart or pie.  For a pre-baked tart, divide dough into 4 and press into your mini tart pans. You may need to add a little water if the dough breaks apart.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, let cool and fill with your tart filling!

Enjoy :)

Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

To enter to win: subscribe to http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/subscribe_for_special_sales.cfm, let me know in a comment below! 

For additional entries:

• Follow BinomialBaker and leave a comment.
• Like BinomialBaker on Facebook and leave a comment.
• Subscribe to this Blog and let me know.
• Follow me on twitter: @JodieBerman21 and leave a comment.
• Tweet about the Giveaway: I just entered the giveaway for Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil at @JodieBerman21! And leave a comment!
• If you already follow/like/subscribe, just let me know in separate comments bellow :)

This giveaway will close in one week! 

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Daring Cooks' August 2012 Challenge: Cornmeal

Bri's and my road trip is finally over.  After a quick trip to Niagara Falls in the morning, we made the 9ish hour drive back to Chicago.

There was even a rainbow! 

Niagara Falls was absolutely stunning.  We did the Maid of the Mists boat ride and got to actually see the falls by going through the mists! It was just amazing.  Then, we had a quick breakfast at a local diner and headed out to make our way back to Chicago.

It feels just amazing to be home! Plus, I got home just in time for the Daring Cooks' August challenge!  This month's host was Rachael of pizzarossa.  She challenged us to broaden our knowledge of cornmeal and make something fantastic.  She provided a bunch of different examples of recipes using cornmeal and suggested doing something we love with a little twist: use cornmeal!

Well, I love desserts and Bri loves tomatoes.  Then, when I arrived home, I discovered some gorgeous garden tomatoes that our friends had brought over to our house.  So, I decided to use a cornmeal pie crust recipe that Rachael provided, but make a tart, and use up those gorgeous tomatoes.  So, we have a dessert like thing, using cornmeal, and incorporating tomatoes.  It sounds like a fantastic plan to me!

Tomato Tart
(crust adapted from Rachael Thew)

Ingredients:
For the crust:
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 2/3 cups water
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
dash of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
For the filling:
5-6 medium tomatoes, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
1 1/2 cups shredded gruyere (I had a cheddar-gruyere blend)
2 tbsp dried basil
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Bring the water for the crust to a simmer over medium heat.  Stir in the cornmeal and cook over low until smooth.  Stir in the olive oil, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.
2. Spread the crust mixture in an oiled tart pan and using wet fingers, spread the dough out to cover the bottom and the sides.  Set aside to cool for about 15-20 minutes.  Then, broil on high in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
3.  Spread the gruyere in the tart, place tomatoes on top, sprinkle basil over everything, and finally, top with the parmesan.  Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy :)