the beauty of sharing: mushrooms

Showing posts with label mushrooms. Show all posts

Friday, November 13, 2015

Fancy Pants Eggs with Pizza Pie Crust

I know not all of my posts or recipes are as fancy as some of the ones out there, but you can always count on them being good for you and pretty simple to prepare. That's the name of the game here at Simply Healthy Family. I do try to mix it up a bit with some recipes that have unique flavours and ingredients but I try to keep it as simple as possible for the average person. I hate to say it, but if I can make home made snacks and meals with 4 kids running around and on a limited budget, you can totally do it! Just keep checking in here for simple family friendly ideas!
Here is another super simple, uber healthy ( as my teenager would say) breakfast ( or dinner! ) you can be proud of. My 5 year old named this dish. ;)

Fancy Pants Eggs with Pizza Pie Crust

For the eggs:
Really, you can use any veggies you'd like. This is how we like our fancy pants eggs.

eggs + 1 tablespoon milk or water
fresh spinach, chopped
Bella mushrooms, chopped
sun dried tomatoes ( not in oil) chopped
shallot, minced
Canadian bacon, chopped
1 teaspoon real butter
Grated Parmigiana-Romano cheese

Beat eggs ( how many ever you need to feed you or your family) with a tablespoon of milk or water.
In a non-stick, preferably NOT Teflon, over med-high heat add a small square of real butter.
Saute shallot or onion for 3 minutes. Add Canadian bacon, cook 2-3 more minutes.
Add mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes, cook 3 more minutes.
Pour in eggs, let sit 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, push eggs towards center of pan working your way around entire pan. Let sit 1 more minute, add chopped spinach, push towards center of pan again, repeat till just done, about 4 minutes.
Remove from heat, sprinkle with grated Parmigiana-Romano Cheese.
Serve with this healthy herb flavored crust.

Pizza Pie Crust:

1/2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup sesame seeds
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons dried Thyme
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup tepid water

Preheat oven to 350F

Spread the oats and sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 minutes. Transfer the toasted oats and sesame seeds to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the flour, thyme, baking powder and salt and process until the oats are finely ground.

In a medium bowl or Mixer, whisk together the water and oil. Mix in the dry ingredients to form a dough.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Place the dough onto a baking sheet. Cover with foil or damp towel and keep refrigerated for 30 minutes.

Remove from fridge, remove towel and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes till golden brown.

*save foil so you can cover the crust in the oven if it starts getting to brown

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Pepita Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms //// Appetizers to Bring to Your HolidayGet Togethers.

I made these savory stuffed mushrooms in preparation for our upcoming Thanksgiving get togethers. I think that one of my favorite parts of the Holiday's is taste testing all of the possible appetizers that may or may not make it to our family dinners and the small gatherings we 'squeeze in' with our closest friends. Thank the Lord we have such large families and such good friends so I can taste test to my hearts content! Can I get a 'HALLELUJAH!'

All of the women in our group thought these were an amazing appetizer! I l.o.v.e. stuffed mushrooms in a perfectly stalky kind of way and these were just a bit different than any I've ever had, very light and healthy without the cheese overload and yet they fulfilled my cheesy, stuffed mushroom ~~addiction~~ craving. The Pepita seeds were a wonderful twist to the usual pesto. My husband 'liked' them but said he expected more 'kick' which is to be expected of my cooking….. and from men ;} It ain't got no beef in it honey!

As I so eloquently mentioned before, I have an appetizer fetish/love/addiction which I am not ashamed of whatsoever. In fact, if it were up to me, I would quite happily live off nothing but appetizers (and the appropriate wine) for dinner every. single. night.

I have high hopes that I will be most diligent in posting my absolute favorite, tried and true (don't fret Martha, I know I'm no expert.") Holiday appetizers which are totally family reunion worthy (I know what expectations that brings) and yet so simple that they will bring you ZERO stress while throwing together and the most skeptical of MIL's will appreciate.

This is my vow. I got your back!

20 small cremini or white mushrooms, *stems removed
4 tablespoons (plus a few to place on top) unsalted Pepita's (pumpkin seeds), toasted
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 teaspoon grated orange rind
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2-3 garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange mushroom caps, stem sides up, in pan; cook 5 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Turn mushrooms over; cook 5 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Place mushrooms, stem sides down, on paper towels to drain and cool.
Place 4 tablespoons Pepita's, parsley, and next 7 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; process until chopped. With processor on, slowly pour oil through food chute; process until well blended.
Fill each mushroom cap with about 1 teaspoon pesto; top evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons Pepita's. Serve either warm or chilled. Place a small sliver of shaved Parmesan for presentation if desired.

NOTES: I find it much easier to use my fingers instead of a knife to 'pluck' out the mushroom stems. It makes a nice 'cavity' for stuffing's that way.

Use any combination of herbs or greens you desire.

Make sure to pat dry the cooked mushrooms so they are not soggy. This appetizer is best served immediately or chilled and served.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Mushroom and Eggplant Stroganoff #RecipeRedux #NationalPastaMonth

I sort of feel like a vegetarian version of Beef Stroganoff is some sort of unforgivable sin in some ways. However, I just so happen to much prefer this vegetarian version to the beef one, again, sinful. I have to tell you though, sinful or not this mushroom and eggplant stroganoff is incredibly delicious and so stinking easy that you just might not miss the beef.

I cross my heart!

“By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the National Pasta Association and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

It just so happens to be National Pasta Month and with so many pasta options out there I know I could relish in all of the possibilities for 31 days easily. Would you believe that aside from my husband, not me nor any of my 4 children are big spaghetti and meatball fans? Crazy huh? I sort of gave up on the whole traditional aspect of it and have moved on to bigger and better things in the pasta world.

This Italian campanile pasta was perfect for a hearty stroganoff. It's 'flower' shape adds to the visual aspect as well as soaking up the rich, thick sauce. Which is dairy free, healthy and delicious I might add. I'm all for classic comfort foods gone guiltless.

Pasta Fits into a busy lifestyle, a healthy diet, and a tight budget making it the best choice for busy families. Pasta is the perfect foundation for a healthy meal – it boasts energy, satisfies hunger, and pairs with vegetables and lean proteins to create delicious meals.

This mushroom stroganoff is perfect after a long, busy day. It takes under 20 minutes to make and the cashew cream sauce comes together in a blender while the pasta cooks. The whole family loves this classic pasta dish and I love that it provides everything we need to keep us healthy and going strong. My boys especially love their pasta dinners to keep their busy bodies strong. After a long day at school, activities and sports a big bowl of pasta filled with healthy ingredients is just what they're craving. {The no complaining about what's for dinner part helps too.}

Instead of calorie heavy cheese, I like to use Nutritional Yeast in my "creamy" pasta dishes. It's not a baking or brewers yeast but a deactivated yeast from a single-celled organism, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, which is grown on molasses and then harvested, washed, and dried with heat to kill or “deactivate” it. Nutritional yeast has a nutty, cheesy flavor and is very high in B12 vitamins which most people are deficient in causing a variety of ailments from weakness/fatigue to digestive issues. It's also very high in iron and best yet, it's a complete protein!

Ingredients

1 package of campanile (or similar shaped) pasta, cooked according to package directions
2 cups mushrooms, sliced; button, cremini, portobello or other
1 Japanese (or small) eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoon real butter
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 cup raw, unsalted cashews {*soaked for at least 3 hours or overnight}
2-3 tablespoons *nutritional yeast
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1 teaspoon dried tarragon (optional, adds nutritional value and flavor)
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
parsley for garnish

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, In a large sauté pan, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, chopped eggplant and mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and saute for 5-7 minutes until soft and onions are browned.
In a blender add cashews and broth. Blend on high for 2 minutes or until smooth. Pour the sauce into the sauté pan with the veggies. Add nutritional yeast, spices and salt and pepper to taste.
Drain the pasta, spoon into bowls and top with the sauce. Garnish with chopped, curly parsley.

An InLinkz Link-up

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Making and Storing Herbed Butter and Italian Stuffed Portobello Pizzas

Fresh herbs aren't easy to find or grow year round, even here in the desert. It gets so hot here during the
summer that even the cactus start to look like they are going to give up and melt away by the end of August. It's difficult for me and my lack of a green thumb to keep plants alive indoors for any extended period of time, even ones as hardy as most herbs are. Right now is the time to plant many herbs and greens here in the Arizona desert even though the gardening season is coming to an end in most other regions. Just one more reason I love the Fall.

So since I adore cooking with my fresh herbs I needed to find a way to preserve them a bit longer. One way is by simply dropping a small handful of fresh herbs into a small bottle of olive oil and using as a salad dressing. Another way to keep fresh herbs around for cooking is by chopping them up and mixing them into softened butter and refrigerating or freezing for future use.

So make a big batch of fresh and creamy herbed butter and freeze in ice cube trays and you will have little herb balls of joy to throw into your saute pan whenever you want a fresh pop to your dish.

Make this herbed butter now and it would be perfect for a quick baste on your

Thanksgiving turkey, potatoes and other side dishes.

Start with fresh, creamy salted Organic butter. The salt will help preserve your herbs.

Let it sit on the counter for an hour or so until it softens.

Choose any selection of your favorite herbs. I went with an Italian theme this time.

In the bowl of your small food processor, combine softened butter and herbs. You can mix them up or just add one herb to each small batch of butter.

Pulse the butter until its smooth and creamy.

Using a small spoon, fill an ice cube tray with your herbed butter. I used small ice cube trays which hold about 1 teaspoon of butter. Then larger ice cube trays hold about a tablespoon. Cover with wax paper and freeze. If you are not going to use the butter within a short period of time I suggest taking the butter out of the freezer after a few hours and popping the frozen butter cubes into a freezer safe bag. They should keep in the freezer for months and in the fridge for several weeks.

When you are ready to use your butter simply add one of the cubes to your pan or baking dish and watch as the aromatic butter turns golden brown.

Fresh herbs really made this thinly sliced squash so aromatic and delicious.

For a different and healthy version of Friday Pizza night I made these stuffed baby portobello pizzas. Even the kids loved them since the were stuffed with Italian sausage two kinds of cheeses and fresh pizza sauce.

Use a wet cloth to clean your mushrooms. Don't rinse under the sink since mushrooms are like sponges and will absorb all of the water and become soggy while baking.

Using your fingers, pop out the stems.

I used a sweet Italian sausage for the kids but we prefer spicy Italian sausage. Simply brown the sausage in a skilled and spoon into your carved out mushrooms. Spoon on pizza sauce and sprinkle Italian cheeses such as mozzarella and Parmesan.

I use my baking stone which I looveee! It keeps oil locked in the pours of the stone so I don't need to brush my mushrooms with any additional oil. If you don't have one brush the tops of your mushrooms with a bit of oil. Put into a pre-heated oven at 400F. and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.

Serve these healthy little pizzas with your sauteed Italian squash and enjoy your weekend!

This post is linked to:

Tasty Tuesdays

Monday, September 7, 2015

Black Bean, Butternut Squash & Millet Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Ancho-Guajillo Chile Sauce #SundaySupper

Do you love authentic chile Rellenos but don't want to make a production out of making them yourself? These {vegetarian} stuffed poblano chiles are seriously simple and insanely good. I've cut the preparation time in half with a few tricks I've picked up over the years and can't wait to share the recipe with you.

The first thing I scan the menu for when at a Mexican food restaurant is always Chile Rellenos. Swoon. More often than not unfortunately, they fail to impress. Greasy cheese, deep fried in batter and usually lacking in the stuffings department which is the best part! Making them myself however seemed such a chore. Up until now.

Simply stuffed chile rellenos aka poblano peppers. Be still my heart.

I'm the first to say that home made sauces are head over heals better than the jarred variety. However, I'm also the first to admit that I don't always have the energy to make sauces from scratch..... or clean up the mess. If you can find a good quality jarred (preferably not canned) Ancho Chile sauce no one will be the wiser.

Secret ingredient and show stopper? Creamy, crumbled sweet and tangy goat cheese that slowly melts into a thick creme in the hot chile sauce. Goat cheese perfectly compliments the butternut squash in these peppers.

Poblano peppers are very mild on the heat radar as are Ancho peppers which have a mouth watering smokey taste when roasted, Guajillo peppers which have just a bit of heat to them give this dish the authentic finishing touch. The butternut squash and corn give these a touch of natural sweetness. Black beans, mushrooms and whole grain Millet make this a very filling dish even meat eaters will love.

Millet provides several nutrients and has a sweet nutty flavor, and is considered to be one of the most digestible and non-allergenic grains available. It is one of the few grains that is alkalizing to the body.
Millet is high in protein, is a smart carb toting lots of fiber. It's low on the glycemic index and has been shown to produce lower blood sugar levels than wheat or rice making it a great substitute.

Roasting and Preparing the Poblano Peppers

Place top rack 5-6" away from the top of the oven/broiler. Preheat your broiler. In a dry cast iron skillet place washed and dried peppers. Broil for 8-10 minutes then using tongs carefully flip the peppers over. Broil another 8-10 minutes till very charred and skin begins to peel away.

Carefully place peppers into a large ice water bath. Let soak a minute till cool. Now you can easily peel the skins off using your fingers. The pepper will probably naturally break open, remove the seeds carefully by swishing in the water. Don't let the pepper fall apart.

Time Saver!

Look for pre chopped butternut squash at your supermarket. I get mine at Costco and it freezes well.

Instead of using meat, use beans and mushrooms.

Black Bean, Butternut Squash & Millet Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Ancho-Guajillo Chile Sauce

PREP TIME 15 MINUTES BAKE 30 MINUTES SERVES 3-4

You Will Need

4 poblano peppers
1 cup diced butternut squash
1 cup cooked or canned black beans
1 cup sweet corn
1/2 cup cooked millet
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
4 mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped
1 tablespoon oil for sautéing
1 jar ancho guajillo sauce
1 cup shredded Jack cheese
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
cilantro for garnish

Char and clean poblanos using above directions. Lower heat in oven to 450F. Saute onions, mushrooms and diced squash over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until onions are translucent. Add beans, corn and cooked millet. Stir to combine. Remove from heat.

In a shallow baking dish, spoon some of the chile sauce to cover the bottom. Arrange Poblano pepper on top of sauce. Using a spoon, stuff the filling into the peppers. Spoon more sauce over veggies reserving some for later. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 450F for 20-25 minutes or until squash is tender.

Carefully remove the foil and sprinkle with Jack cheese. Bake uncovered for another 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted. Remove from oven. Place peppers on plate and sprinkle with goat cheese and cilantro. Serve with more sauce.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Brussels and Shitake Mushrooms in Mirin and Sake with Gingered Broiled Salmon

Cooking with spirits is this months theme for RecipeRedux. Choosing just one recipe for this post was a tough one. Then I remembered the first time I tasted mirin, just a dash used in some Jasmin rice and the choice was easy. Just a tablespoon or two of this special Japanese cooking wine transforms boring foods into a slightly sweet and complex creation.

We had new carpet installed last week which meant a flurry of furniture and nick naks flying in all directions. My entire bedroom was shoved onto the back porch, the contents of the master closet thrown into the bathtub {note to self, declutter closet!} Who knew we had so much junk? The rest of the house was stacked on top of each other and shoved into the kitchen. I took the dog and kids out for most of the day so I didn't witness the chaos but a week later, I'm still finding things in very odd places and not finding other things at all such as my camera!!!!

I've searched the house and my poor camera is nowhere to be found. Let's just hope it didn't end up in the garage because that's where things go to be forgotten and rot.

Camera-less, I had to take these pictures with my iPhone as if you couldn't tell. They didn't look so bad on my phone but when uploaded them to my computer I was very disappointed, ick. iPhones may take great shots of the kids at the park and and decent selfie snaps but they do not do food photography any favors!

Too bad because this was a fabulously lip smacking meal. The sweet Japanese cooking wine really dialed the brussels and shitake side dish to a whole new level! Even picker eater numero tres gobbled them all up and even asked for seconds! The brussels went perfectly with this broiled salmon marinated in freshly grated ginger and Chinese black vinegar.

I added shallots and thinly sliced Thai chilies to the sprouts at the end of sautéing them and then poured in the mirin while scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze all the browned bits.

Finding a good quality mirin is really important for better flavor and avoiding the added sugars and corn syrup found in most of the bottles found in grocery stores. "Cheap" mirin is often simply sake with corn syrup, but hon-mirin is a traditional sweetener made from sweet rice and koji. It adds a wonderful depth of flavor. Mitoku's Mikawa miring was recommend to me and, according to what I've read is either the only or one of the only makers still using traditional methods. A bit of salt is added in order to be able to import it into the US. Eden makes a natural mirin with regular rice which is pretty good. Mirin is slightly expensive, but only a little is needed in recipes and it goes a long way. You can find the Mikawa mirin online at Simply Natural and Amazon. I didn't get it in time for this post but I'm looking forward to it to add in rice, seafood dishes and sweet and sour soups.

I have got to find my camera!!!

You Will Need:
2 cups of baby brussel sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1 cup shitake mushrooms wiped clean, stems removed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sesame oil (not toasted)
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 small Thai chili pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons mirinsesame seeds for garnish

Preheat a good quality sauté pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add oil, let heat up for a minute then add brussel sprouts (make sure they are dry before adding to hot oil!). Carefully, shake the pan to toss the brussels and coat them in the oil. Let them sit and re shake the pan every minute or so. After about 3 minutes, add the shallots and the mushrooms, stir to combine. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes being careful not to over cook.
Pour in the mirin while using a wooden spoon to quickly scrape off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. reduce heat to medium and let the mirin cook down a bit. Do not cover pan. Add chilies if using. After a minute or two, remove pan from heat. Serve immediately.

To see what all of the other Recipe Redux members came up with to spike their foods click the links below.

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday, June 15, 2015

Shitake, Crimini and Shrimp Spring Rolls

“By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by The Mushroom Council and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

Have you ever wanted to eat more veggies and less meat but didn't know how or maybe thought it would be bland and boring? Swap it or Top it! can help you with tons of ways to incorporate mushrooms in place of meat. It's my favorite way, next to beans to add substance and flavor to any meal. Simply swap at least half or more of the meat called for in your recipe, whether it be ground beef, chicken or seafood and substitute it with chopped or minced mushrooms. The great thing about mushrooms is there are dozens of varieties with a wide range of flavors to compliment any dish! From Asian foods to South Western I add mushrooms for flavor, moisture and vitamin content, not to mention that they drastically reduce the amount of saturated fats and calories when compared to meat.

Long a symbol of longevity in Asia because of their health-promoting properties, shiitake mushrooms have been used medicinally by the Chinese for more than 6,000 years. Although immune system support has often received much of the spotlight in shiitake mushroom research, recent study results involving support of the cardiovascular system have caught the attention of many researchers. In particular, recent studies have shown the ability of shiitake mushrooms to help protect us against cardiovascular diseases (including atherosclerosis) by preventing too much immune cell binding to the lining of our blood vessels

Just a handful of fresh and easy to come by ingredients and you have yourself a delicious finger food for dinner.

Research shows that people who eat mushrooms have better diet quality and increased intake of some nutrients, making them the go-to ingredient for delicious family meals.

Don't forget to sauté the mushrooms. Raw mushrooms can have minor toxic qualities and sautéing them really brings out the deep, woody flavor comparable to meat.

My favorite way to enjoy these little hand held beauties is with a garlic-chili sauce, POW!

However, if heat isn't your thing a light and creamy peanut sauce would be perfect to dip these rolls in. Just blend a couple of tablespoons of PB, a few tablespoons of coconut milk

If you love mushrooms you need to enter the "Swap it or Top it" Contest sponsered by The Mushroom council, you could win $5,000!

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