Dinner for two - part 1.

   A couple of months ago, as an early New Year resolution (why wait till January), me and Justin started a new tradition - a fancy dinner for two at home! We still love to go out to a restaurant and have a nice dinner, but why not have a "date night" at home? I need some new and exciting dishes for my blog anyway, so why not stay at home, dress up, set up a nice table, open a bottle of wine (or two) and enjoy our date without crowds and noise (and without spending hundreds of dollars!). We turn off the TV, crank up our favorite music, light up few candles and enjoy our meal for as long as we want... and if we want to unbutton our pants after a huge meal... nothing stops us from doing so!
I decided to divide our recent date-night dinner into three posts: appetizer, main course and dessert, and today I present you with a mushroom and parsley roulade - this delicious appetizer that will win over your heart!

Ingredients:

*  rectangular thin pizza dough
*  8 oz baby portabella mushrooms, finely chopped
*  1 medium onion, finely chopped
*  1/2 cup cream cheese
*  1 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
*  3 scallions, chopped
*  2 tbs olive oil
*  salt and pepper (lots of pepper)

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and saute onions and mushrooms with some salt and black pepper (I use at least a teaspoon of pepper).
2. When mushrooms are soft, transfer them into a bowl and add cream cheese, parsley and scallions. Mix well to combine.
3. Roll the pizza crust, cover with a remaining 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and spread the mushroom and parsley mixture, leaving 1 inch border on one side (the longer one).
4. Roll the dough wrapping the filling inside. Cut into 1-inch slices, place on parchment paper covered baking sheet (cut side down) and bake at 425F for 10-13 minutes until edges are golden brown.

   Crunchy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside... delicious. One of my favorite culinary combinations is mushroom and parsley... they are just perfect for each other! It could be a meal on itself, but don't forget to leave some space for a main dish... which I will post in a few days! Do you want a hint what it can be? Did you notice the steak knives on a table? I'm not saying anything else...

See you in a few days,
Magda