Let's Do Lunch: Mushroom Toasts

I know this little blog of mine is a baking blog, but even bakers have to eat things that aren't just sweets.  Since I also have to cook for myself and come up with creative lunches so I don't get tempted to just pick up something pre-made, I thought I would start a little lunch series on the blog. It's a win-win situation. I'm forced to try and cook for myself, and then if you're also looking for quick lunches or something that can last you the week, you can find that here. And then you can totally justify baking a batch of cookies or

I've made these a couple of times in the past two weeks. Not to mention the fact that every time I go to Trader Joe's, I'm always picking up a bag of pre-sliced mushrooms. I put them in pasta, in eggs, and on toast. Though I strangely never thought to top them with cheese and place them under the broiler. I don't know why it took me so long to do that. It's delicious.

Anyway, my problem with cooking is that I tend to be hungry and want to eat right away. I don't want to wait for chicken to roast in the oven, a potato to bake, or really any sort of dish that takes more than 10 minutes to make. I get impatient, hungry, and then frustrated that there's just no food to eat. Trust me, you don't want to see me when I get hangry (hungry + angry, for those of you that have somehow never heard of the term). Seriously. I either get snippy or the littlest things will make me cry. I can never tell which one it'll be. Poor Ryan. I've already told him though that he needs to (slash I need to) keep a stash of granola bars or something on hand so he can just shove one in my face when I start acting ridiculous.

Anyway, that's what's so great about these toasts. They're fast. You sauté some vegetables, toast some bread, cover it in cheese, and then broil it. Honestly? Maybe only 10 minutes to get some start to stomach.

These toasts are also so great because you can customize them. I wanted the toast to almost be like garlic bread, so I buttered the toast and then rubbed some garlic on top. I also wanted a little kick in the mushrooms so I added some red pepper flakes at the last minute. If you want some other herbs, like thyme or basil, go for it. If you don't like spice, don't add the flakes. If you want more garlic flavor, saute garlic with the mushrooms. If you have an open bottle of wine, feel free to add a splash. If you don't like fontina and would rather mozzarella or gruyere? Go for it! These are just a jumping off point for you. Feel free to get crazy.

Mushroom Toasts

makes 1 serving

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onions
1 cup mushrooms (I used cremini)
1 large handful spinach
1/2 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
2 slices thick bread
1 clove garlic, grated
Salt & Pepper
Butter, for bread
Red Pepper Flakes, optional

Place oven rack near top of oven. Set oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

In a frying pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add in onions and mushrooms. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the top and cook until tender, roughly 5-7 minutes. Add in spinach and cook until wilted down. Sprinkle some more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes over the top and mix.

Toast bread and then butter it. If desired, spread freshly grated garlic over the toasts (I used the crushed garlic in a jar from Trader Joe's). Top each toast with the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of fontina on top of each slice.

Place under broiler until cheese is nice and melted. Enjoy!

[source: Confectionary Tales of a Bakeaholic original]