Portobello Mushroom Wraps with Chili Bean Sauce

Sounds weird, I know. This is basically a vegetarian friendly wrap loaded with fiber, protein, and vitamins. It was easy and relatively quick to prepare.

You'll need:

3 or 4 portobello mushrooms, de-stemmed and de-gilled
1/4 c. Italian salad dressing

1 can (15 oz) cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 cloves fresh garlic, quartered
a couple shots of tobasco sauce
6-7 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

Flour tortillas or wraps

baby spinach

4 oz goat or feta cheese

Preheat broiler. Clean and prepare mushrooms, then marinate them in Italian salad dressing for 15 min. Broil about 5 minutes on each side, until browned but not burned. Once cooked, slice. Should look like this:

In your food processor (while the mushrooms are cooking), combine the ingredients I have listed in purple. Process until paste-like. Should look like this:

These are the wraps I used. They add more flavor than standard flour tortillas.

I used a seasoned goat cheese spread I got on sale.

 Just assemble them like you would any wrap. Your finished product should look similar to this:

 Enjoy!

Swedish Meatballs

It has been quite a while since I have posted a recipe! Lately, I have not gotten to cook nearly as much as I want. Tonight, I'll post a recipe from a few days ago as well as one from tonight.

We wanted swedish meatballs, so we tried this recipe because it had good reviews:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/swedish-meatballs-recipe/index.html

I really don't understand the hype behind the reviews. It was very bland. We started with that recipe as a base and then added a little garlic powder, crushed red peppers, about 2 tsp of worchestershire sauce, and extra salt and pepper. I also added some freshly chopped parsley to the egg noodles. The cooking time for the meatballs was also very "off". Mine took much longer than that, and I had to put them in the oven to finish them off. After those adjustments, it was delicious. Here are some pictures.

The sauce. Mine was a little chunky, so I ran it through the blender. Be careful putting hot liquids in a blender, though. It can expand and explode everywhere.

Egg noodles with freshly chopped parsley and pepper.

Meatballs. The cooking time was very "off" in this recipe. Mine were in the skillet for a long time, then in the oven, and finally, I finished them off in the sauce.

Finished meal. Served with steamed green beans.

We made far too much though and had leftovers for three nights. Not a bad problem to have ;)

Nameless Shrimp Dish

Hello Readers! Hooray for Saturday! This was what I made last night:

I ran into a friend of mine a few weeks ago at Kroger and she gave me this idea. I decided to give it a whirl last night. It was pretty simple to make and relatively cost effective if you make a simple side. You'll need:

1 bag frozen shrimp (I used peeled, deveined, precooked cocktail shrimp at 51-60 count)
2 cans (14 oz each) diced tomatoes, any variety (I used one fire roasted and one basil and garlic)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch crushed red peppers
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 c cream cheese (optional)
olive oil

3 c. panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp chopped or dried parsley
1 small package feta cheese
pepper

Preheat oven to 375. In large skillet, heat olive oil and add garlic for a couple of minutes, careful not to burn. Add tomatoes, spices, and shrimp. Simmer 15 minutes. Add cream cheese, if desired.

In medium bowl, mix the bottom group of ingredients. Pour shrimp and tomatoes into ungreased 13x9 glass baking dish. Pour bread crumb mixture on top. Bake for 15 minutes, until topping is browned. A lot of the liquid will evaporate, so don't worry if it's runny going into the oven.

I made couscous to go with it. Salad or steamed green beans would be great, too!

Enjoy!

No Recipes this Week!

Hello Readers! I am writing to let you know I probably won't post any new recipes this week, in case you check. Aaron and I just got home late last night from a weekend in DC and I started a new job today and I'll be getting overtime this week. So, I doubt I'll be doing much cooking. Actually, the oven is beeping at me to get my DiGiorno pizza. That's likely the most involved I will be in my kitchen this week. I just wanted to let you know. Happy cooking =)

Caprese Salad

Tonight was actually leftover night, but I made this caprese salad ahead of time for tomorrow because it tastes better the next day. It gets better and better in the fridge. 

 Caprese Salad

The four basic components of caprese salad are mozzarella cheese, basil, tomatoes, and olive oil. You can either lay everything out in slices on a platter or mix everything up in a bowl. You can even serve it with spinach or pasta as a main dish. My favorite sandwich is this basic caprese salad with grilled chicken on ciabatta. Yum! I made the basic salad tonight, though. For mine, I added a splash of lemon juice, a pinch of crushed red peppers, and some sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to bring out all the wonderful flavors.

The mozzarella is mild and creamy. I use a soft, damp mozzarella for this recipe. You can use the little mozzarella balls in water, but I prefer to buy the big oval kind near the deli and cut it into bite size pieces. A hard, dry, and grated mozzarellas such as Kraft or Sergento will not work as well for this dish. Use the good stuff.

You can use grape or cherry tomatoes for this dish. I'm really not a fan of store bought tomatoes. Garden fresh tomatoes have an entirely different, completely amazing taste. These are from Kroger, though. Not as flavorful, but they'll get the job done. Cut the larger ones in half.

My favorite part: basil. Basil is absolutely my favorite herb! It's really fresh and clean tasting. This adds freshness and brightness to the salad. Just slice it into ribbons.

Stir together your mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil and coat with olive oil and a little pepper. If desired, add a splash of lemon juice and a pinch of crushed red peppers. Let it set in the fridge overnight. Voila! Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

This is an "eyeball" dish, with hundreds of variations. I surfed the internet for ingredient ideas, picked and chose from a few, added my own ingredients, and came up with this:

  Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Crust

Crust*:
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 stick butter, chilled and diced
1/4 tsp salt (which I'm pretty sure I forgot in mine...)
1/4 c. ice water
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Herbs de Provence
1 tsp pepper

I used my Kitchen Aid mixer & the batter paddle to mix the flour and butter until it resembled a coarse, crumbly texture. Then, I added the salt and spices. Finally, I gradually added the ice water. You're looking for a slightly damp, not sticky, but not crumbly consistency. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. When you're ready to use it, roll it out onto a floured surface. I had more than enough for the top crust. And I used cookie cutters to make the stars.
     *I only used a top crust, to make it healthier.

Buttery Crust with Star Cut-outs

Filling:  

1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
2 c. fat free milk (approximate)

2 chicken breasts, fully cooked and shredded (I used the Crockpot leftovers from earlier this week)
1 cup grated carrots (about a handfull)
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 c. onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried sage
S&P to taste

Start by making the sauce. There are many ways you could make this depending on what your desired outcome is. I was going to use chicken broth, but I forgot to buy it, so I used milk instead. Melt the butter and whisk in the flour. It will be pasty and light brown. Then, gradually add the milk or broth. Make sure you're constantly whisking the mixture over medium heat and that you're adding the liquid gradually. Add everything else. Keep stirring and give everything a few minutes to warm through. Preheat oven to 375. Pour into glass pie dish. Top with crust. Bake approximately 35-45 minutes, until crust is lightly browned. For a prettier crust, brush with egg.

Cut like a pizza, it made 8 wedges and held together relatively well without a bottom crust. We each had a wedge with a side of steamed green beans, sprinkled lightly with lemon juice, pepper, and parmesagn cheese.

It's a really easy meal, although it is a little messy. It's very easy to modify and experiment with as well. I think it tastes better with fresh or frozen vegetables as opposed to canned. Always use fully cooked chicken in dishes like this to avoid the potential of food poisoning.

Enjoy!

Crockpot BBQ Chicken & Hashbrown Casserole

For supper tonight, I made crockpot BBQ chicken, hashbrown casserole, and steamed broccoli with lemon.

For the broccoli, I just microwave-steamed a little bit and added lemon juice, pepper, garlic powder, and Herbs de Provence.

This Crockpot chicken recipe is easy and very hands-free. It's a perfect start to BBQ, casseroles, pot pies, soups, etc. This meal needed two chicken breasts (one per person), but I made extra for chicken pot pie later this week. The following recipe feeds 4 people:

Crockpot BBQ Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use frozen)

Enough chicken broth to cover the chicken (I used 3 cans)

4 cloves of garlic, peeled

1/2 onion, roughly sliced

1 Tbsp dried rosemary

2 Tbsp of the Carrabbas herb dip starter (previous post) OR 2 Tbsp Herbs de Provence

Throw everything in the crockpot and let it go on high for 8 hours. When you pull it out, it will be falling apart. Shred with forks. This is awesome in other casseroles and things! Add BBQ sauce of your choice. I like to put it on low heat in a pot on the stove for about 20 minutes while I'm getting everything else together. I use Cattlemen's Kansas City BBQ sauce and add a pinch of crushed red peppers and black pepper to it.

Hashbrown Casserole:

 Feeds 4-6 people as a side dish.

1 lb refrigerated hashbrowns

1/4 c. butter, melted

8 oz reduced fat sour cream

1/2 can of cream of chicken condensed soup

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients. Spread into greased baking dish. Hint: the larger the dish, the thinner it will spread and the crispier it will be. I used an 8x8 glass baking dish today. Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour.

Enjoy!

Recipe review: Carrabbas Olive Oil and Herb Dip

I love trying "fake out" restaurant recipes. Carrabbas is one of our favorite chain restaurants. We like it so much, in fact, that Aaron and I got dinner there on our wedding night. My very favorite thing there is their warm bread and dip. So, since the closest Carrabbas is an hour away and we were taking it easy with pasta for dinner, I decided to give this recipe a try:  http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/77/Carrabbas-Herb-Oil-for-Dippin86209.shtml

It made 3 tablespoons dry, more with olive oil. Here, I used 2 tsp of dry seasoning.

I think there is something to their olive oil. It has a much richer flavor than the one we have. It really makes or breaks the dip since it's such a strong flavor component. I'm going to marinate the rest in the fridge overnight. Hopefully the flavor will be bolder next time. We sliced and heated some storebought Tuscan Boule to dip with... it was really good. Out of 5 stars, I'd give it 4 because of the olive oil flavor not being as strong.

Atmosphere is so important with food. Even the difference between eating at the kitchen table with placemats versus sitting on the couch, in front of the TV is substantial. At least at the table, you can have a nice conversation with your spouse, family, or friends. Even a simple meal of pasta, canned sauce, and bakery bread can be nice if you put a little effort into it. Here is our yummy complete meal:

Grilled Salad?

I have been cleaning all day. My mop broke about 30 seconds into it, so I had to scrub the kitchen floor on hands and knees. Not fun. Dinner tonight wasn't another chore though. No, it was solace from cleaning. This was one of the easiest meals I have made in a while:

 Mediterranean crusted salmon, steamed broccoli, and grilled romaine with Kalamata olives and parmesagn shavings. 

The grilled romaine was a new experience for us. Aside from being attacked by a hairy spider and dropping the first batch on the back porch... it was enjoyable. I got this recipe idea from a mailer Kroger recently sent. Here's the recipe for two people:

1 head of romaine lettuce, halved lengthwise and rinsed
6 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & pepper to taste

Toppings:
6 Kalamata olives, diced
Shavings of parmesagn cheese

Just mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper, then drizzle it over the cut side of the romaine lettuce. Char each side for about 1 minute on a high-heated grill until you achieve char marks. Make sure it's just charred, not wilted. Remove from grill and top with olives, cheese, pine nuts, etc. It's easy, fast, and very inexpensive.

The broccoli was very simple as well. Just microwave frozen florets in a glass bowl for about 5 minutes (or until cooked to your preference), then add a little butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Easy.

The salmon was store-bought, wild Pacific caught, pre-seasoned, and frozen. Just bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. It's nice to get a break once in a while. Oh, and on a side note, I only eat wild caught fish. My parents took me to a fish farm in high school just for the heck of it. Gag. There are literally thousands of fish in shallow tubs with no room to swim, so they just flop on each other and splash water everywhere. Plus, I saw an episode of  "Dirty Jobs" where they made fish feed... So, only wild caught for us. =)

I hope this gives you a new meal idea. Enjoy!

Lemon Cookies: Only 5 Ingredients!

I had a bit of a sweet tooth earlier and Aaron was burning a WoodWick lemon chiffon candle, so what did I crave? Lemon cookies! This was my first attempt at them. They're very easy to make and only require 5 ingredients, thanks to help from a boxed cake mix.

1 box lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp lemon extract or 2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Mix cake mix, eggs, oil, and lemon extract/juice until well incorporated. One at a time, drop each rounded spoonful of dough into a bowl of powdered sugar. Coat well, then shape into balls. Drop them onto an ungreased, non-stick baking sheet. Bake 6-10 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are still a little gooey in the middle. They'll dry up a little more as they cool. Mine made 16 cookies. Aaron has already eaten about half of them =)

Enjoy!

Crockpot Chili

I love a good bowl of chili. It's one of those meals that is excellent on cold, rainy days, but can also be jazzed up easily. There are probably a thousand different ways to make it, but this is, by far, my favorite. It’s packed full of protein, fiber, and vitamin C, plus I use a special seasoning blend to get the flavor to our exact preference. This chili recipe is easy to make, especially for people who aren’t home throughout the day. Let your Crockpot do most of the work! Just put about 20 minutes into it before work and you’ll come home to a deliciously spicy smelling house and a hot dinner waiting for you. Enjoy!

¾ lb. lean (93/7) ground beef

1 medium onion (use red or Vidalia for sweeter chili), chopped

3 cloves of garlic, whole, peeled

3  15-oz cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 large (29 oz) can of tomato sauce

½ tiny can of tomato paste

1/3 – ½ cup chili seasoning (recipe follows)

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Lightly season with salt and pepper. While it is browning, chop the onion, peel the garlic, and make the chili seasoning (recipe follows). Once the onions have sweat for about 3 minutes, add the 3 garlic cloves. Be careful not to burn them.

Finally, dump everything into your Crockpot. Stir well. Cook on low 4-8 hours. The longer you cook it, the sweeter and smokier the flavor will be. 

Chili Seasoning Recipe*:

¼ c. all purpose flour

4 tsp ground chili powder

2 tsp white sugar

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp dried parsley

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp crushed red peppers

1 tsp garlic powder (optional- I use either this OR the 3 garlic cloves)

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

                           *This makes enough for one batch of chili the way I make it, but you can use less if you'd like.

Here is the finished product:

I hope you'll give this crowd pleaser a try. It's delicious with monterey jack and cheddar cheeses, sour cream, corn chips, cornbread, or just by its delicious self.  Bon appétit!  =)