Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles!

Wow.  After many ignored and forgotten requests, I'm finally going to write down a recipe for something I've created!  Look at me, being all productive!  Maybe this can be the impetus for putting together a family cookbook at last.  Hint, hint, Dad!!  

I just really love to cook...actually, I can't decide which I like better....cooking, or eating what I cook....how do I choose???   Some people daydream about tropical islands and palm trees, or Brad Pitt, or a combination of the two....well, I daydream about food.  It's a common occurrence that I find myself musing on possible combinations of the random contents of my fridge and pantry, limited as they are.  I usually don't go to the store with a menu in mind...I just buy whatever seems interesting and enticing, and yesterday, that was shallots, baby portabellas, fresh spinach, and parmesan.  I know...sounds good, right?!  Put that together with garlic, walnuts, whole wheat tortillas, and some herbs and spices, and you've got Jenny's Casa Italiana Veggie Wraps!

Here it is....what you've all been waiting for...the recipe!  Oh, and I never really measure ingredients unless I'm baking, so this is just an approximation...feel free to modify!

Casa Italia Veggie Wraps

1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

2 cups baby portabella mushrooms, sliced (AKA brown mushrooms/creminis)

1 medium-sized shallot, thinly sliced

3-5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (I love garlic!)

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/8 cup chicken broth, to add flavor and steam the veggies

1 tsp. vinegar (balsamic or apple cider are tasty!)

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. parsley

1/4 tsp. rosemary

whole wheat tortilla (I used the uncooked variety)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not that yucky powder!)

1 handful spinach

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium/large frying pan on medium-high.  When the oil is hot, add the shallots and cook until translucent.  Add the mushrooms and cook until the shallots and mushrooms begin to get some color, then add the garlic.  I always wait to add the garlic because it cooks faster than onions and shallots and burns easily.  Burnt garlic does not = good eats!  I just used what I had on hand, but asparagus or zucchini would probably be lovely additions!  Or whatever vegetable you like...I just make stuff up as I go along, you know!

Cook the veggies until they get golden brown, adding salt and pepper to taste, oregano, parsley, rosemary, vinegar, and splashes of chicken broth to steam the mushrooms.  Add the walnuts and cook for 1-2 minutes.  If you are using uncooked tortillas, cook them while the walnuts are toasting.  While the tortillas are still hot, cover them with a layer of spinach leaves. Add the parmesan cheese to the veggies, stirring until the cheese melts, then scoop on top of the spinach.  Roll, slicing in half on a diagonal, serve, and enjoy!  

Hmm...for some reason now I'm daydreaming of Summer in the Italian countryside... :)