Usually, dishes that have a lot of mushrooms in them taste like, well, mushrooms. Which is a taste than can get kinda overwhelming. This one, even though it has lots of mushrooms in it, has a much milder taste. Give it a shot!
Mats
4 portobello mushrooms
8oz white cap mushrooms, chopped coarsely. I ran mine through my food processor, just pulsing them a few times.
1 small onion, diced
1/2c wild rice
1c vegetable stock
1 clove garlic, crushed
4oz herbed goat cheese. If you can only get plain, add 1 tsp fresh thyme and 1 tsp parsley, both finely chopped
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp bread crumbs
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 425.
In a small saucepan, combine the wild rice and the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the stems and gills from the portobellos. Easiest way is to twist/snap the stems off, then gently scrape the gills out with the edge of a spoon. Be gentle, the mushrooms can be quite fragile.
Grease a medium sized baking dish with cooking spray and place the mushrooms, cap side down, in the dish. They should look like little bowls.
In a medium pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chopped mushrooms, stir and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the liquids evaporate.
In a small bowl, combine the cooked wild rice, lemon juice, the onion/mushroom mixture and the herbed goat cheese. Stir to combine. The cheese should break down/melt pretty quickly, just keep stirring until you get an even consistency
Using a spoon, scoop some of the rice mixture into the portobello caps. Divide the mixture evenly among all 4 caps, mounding slightly if necessary.
Place 6 cherry tomato halves on the top of each cap.
Sprinkle the tablespoon of bread crumbs over the tops of the tomatoes.
Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Grilled Pork Chops with Plum-Ginger Chutney
It's amazing what cooking for other people will help you dream up. This was my husband's red-meat-allowance for the month. Though pork is not one of his favorites, he still enjoyed it very much. Note to cooks: You will have enough chutney. Don't be tempted to double the recipe.
Mats:
4 bone-in pork chops. Try to get the kind with the pork loin attached to the other end of the bone.
Mats for brine:
1/2c gin
1/2c vermouth
1/2c sugar
1/2c salt
2 bay leaves
1 tsp coriander
Combine the brine materials with 1c water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring well to try and get the sugar and salt dissolved. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
Add 6c water and 2c of ice.
Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to a large, shallow dish big enough to hold your pork chops in a single layer.
Place the pork chops in the brine, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
When you're ready to grill the chops, remove and discard the brine, then pat dry the chops.
Grill on medium high for 10 minutes/internal temperature of 145/when there's no pink in the center of the meat. Trichinosis is bad, m'kay?
Mats for Chutney
6 plums
1/2c sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
1/3c white wine
1/4c rice vinegar
1 small red onion
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Remove the pits from the plums, then dice the plums into 1/2inch cubes.
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, ginger, white wine, vinegar and onion. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Add half the plums, bring to a boil and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add the other half of the plums and cook for an additional 8 minutes. The first half of the plums should be basically liquid at this point.
Remove from heat, stir in the Dijon mustard and serve warm.
I served this with a spinach-arugula salad that I used the chutney as a dressing for and a side of wild rice.
Mats:
4 bone-in pork chops. Try to get the kind with the pork loin attached to the other end of the bone.
Mats for brine:
1/2c gin
1/2c vermouth
1/2c sugar
1/2c salt
2 bay leaves
1 tsp coriander
Combine the brine materials with 1c water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring well to try and get the sugar and salt dissolved. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
Add 6c water and 2c of ice.
Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to a large, shallow dish big enough to hold your pork chops in a single layer.
Place the pork chops in the brine, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
When you're ready to grill the chops, remove and discard the brine, then pat dry the chops.
Grill on medium high for 10 minutes/internal temperature of 145/when there's no pink in the center of the meat. Trichinosis is bad, m'kay?
Mats for Chutney
6 plums
1/2c sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
1/3c white wine
1/4c rice vinegar
1 small red onion
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Remove the pits from the plums, then dice the plums into 1/2inch cubes.
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, ginger, white wine, vinegar and onion. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Add half the plums, bring to a boil and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add the other half of the plums and cook for an additional 8 minutes. The first half of the plums should be basically liquid at this point.
Remove from heat, stir in the Dijon mustard and serve warm.
I served this with a spinach-arugula salad that I used the chutney as a dressing for and a side of wild rice.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Cajun-style Dirty Rice
My brother and his girlfriend were able to visit this weekend (yay!) and this was the dish I made for them. Lindsay, this recipe is for you :)
Mats
1c wild rice
2c vegetable broth
1lb soy chorizo (I think the brand I use is even called 'soyrizo')
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 large onion, diced
3 medium carrots, cut into rounds
3 stalks of celery, chopped to bite-sized chunks
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning. I use McCormick pre-mixed stuff, but if you don't want to buy a new bottle, it's basically garlic salt, ground black pepper, ground red pepper and maybe a dash of cayenne pepper.
In a small saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the wild rice, cover and gently boil for 20 minutes.
In a large wok/saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes.
Add the carrots and celery (hey look, it's our old friend mirepoix) and cook for 3 more minutes.
Add the chorizo and stir well, breaking it up into small granules and combining with the mirepoix.
Add the ground turkey and again, stir well, breaking it up into little crumbles.
Add the 2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning, stir well to coat the mixture and cook for 8 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through.
Reduce heat to medium low, then add the rice when it's finished cooking.
Stir well and serve, possibly with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yoghurt to mitigate the spicy.
Mats
1c wild rice
2c vegetable broth
1lb soy chorizo (I think the brand I use is even called 'soyrizo')
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 large onion, diced
3 medium carrots, cut into rounds
3 stalks of celery, chopped to bite-sized chunks
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning. I use McCormick pre-mixed stuff, but if you don't want to buy a new bottle, it's basically garlic salt, ground black pepper, ground red pepper and maybe a dash of cayenne pepper.
In a small saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the wild rice, cover and gently boil for 20 minutes.
In a large wok/saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes.
Add the carrots and celery (hey look, it's our old friend mirepoix) and cook for 3 more minutes.
Add the chorizo and stir well, breaking it up into small granules and combining with the mirepoix.
Add the ground turkey and again, stir well, breaking it up into little crumbles.
Add the 2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning, stir well to coat the mixture and cook for 8 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through.
Reduce heat to medium low, then add the rice when it's finished cooking.
Stir well and serve, possibly with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yoghurt to mitigate the spicy.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Grilled Veggie and Hummus Wraps
My husband eyed the prep for this meal warily. He poked at the ingredients. "What is it?" he asked, unsure of himself. "It's tasty," I replied. He wandered out of the kitchen and patiently waited for the final product. The meal was served and absolutely inhaled. He may have been skeptical at first, but this dish proved to be one of his favorites in a good while.
Mats
1 eggplant
1 red bell pepper
1/2 red onion
1/2c plain hummus
1 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 pieces of flatbread
Cut the top off the eggplant. Stand it on its cut end and slice it vertically from bottom to top to get long slices, about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the slices in half the long way so you have a bunch of long strips
.
Core and seed the bell pepper, then cut it into long slices, about 1 inch wide.
Cut the onion into 1/2 inch thick slices
Take 1 Tbsp of the olive oil and use it to brush all the sides of all the vegetables.
Starting with the eggplant, grill (either on a traditional grill or my handy stand-in, a panini press) for 3 minutes on a side, then flip and grill for another 1 minute. If you're using a panini press, close the lid all the way and you'll only need to grill it for 3 minutes, no flipping necessary.
Toss the eggplant into a bowl.
Grill the bell pepper for 4 minutes, then flip and grill another 2 minutes. Add it to the bowl.
Grill the red onion slices for 3 minutes, then flip and grill another 1 minute. Add to the bowl.
Toss the vegetables with the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp parsley, snipped very small.
Lay a flatbread on a work surface and spread 1/4c hummus on it in a thin, even layer.
Dish out about half the veggies along the short edge of the flatbread, close to one of the edges (not in the middle)
Roll the flatbread around the vegetables, making sure to tuck them tightly in the roll. Continue rolling the bread the entire length of the roll.
Repeat with the other flatbread and the rest of the veggies.
Serve by cutting the roll in half and arranging on a plate.
Mats
1 eggplant
1 red bell pepper
1/2 red onion
1/2c plain hummus
1 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 pieces of flatbread
Cut the top off the eggplant. Stand it on its cut end and slice it vertically from bottom to top to get long slices, about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the slices in half the long way so you have a bunch of long strips
.
Core and seed the bell pepper, then cut it into long slices, about 1 inch wide.
Cut the onion into 1/2 inch thick slices
Take 1 Tbsp of the olive oil and use it to brush all the sides of all the vegetables.
Starting with the eggplant, grill (either on a traditional grill or my handy stand-in, a panini press) for 3 minutes on a side, then flip and grill for another 1 minute. If you're using a panini press, close the lid all the way and you'll only need to grill it for 3 minutes, no flipping necessary.
Toss the eggplant into a bowl.
Grill the bell pepper for 4 minutes, then flip and grill another 2 minutes. Add it to the bowl.
Grill the red onion slices for 3 minutes, then flip and grill another 1 minute. Add to the bowl.
Toss the vegetables with the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp parsley, snipped very small.
Lay a flatbread on a work surface and spread 1/4c hummus on it in a thin, even layer.
Dish out about half the veggies along the short edge of the flatbread, close to one of the edges (not in the middle)
Roll the flatbread around the vegetables, making sure to tuck them tightly in the roll. Continue rolling the bread the entire length of the roll.
Repeat with the other flatbread and the rest of the veggies.
Serve by cutting the roll in half and arranging on a plate.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Sweet Potato Burritos
A very different, and quite filling, vegetarian take on burritos. This recipe will make 6ish burritos.
Mats
2 sweet potatoes
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp yellow mustard
2/3c water
Burrito shells
Set your oven to 375 degrees
Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick with a fork all over. This will let them vent as you bake them
Put the potatoes in the oven and bake them until their insides are completely soft when pierced with a knife. Mine took 70 minutes.
Once they're cooked, scoop the soft potato flesh into a bowl and mash with a fork until you form a smooth paste.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Measure 1 1/2 cups of mashed sweet potato and add to the pan.
Add the rinsed kidney beans and stir into the sweet potato
Add the water, cumin, mustard and soy sauce. Stir well
Let cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Spoon filling into burrito shells and serve.
Mats
2 sweet potatoes
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp yellow mustard
2/3c water
Burrito shells
Set your oven to 375 degrees
Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick with a fork all over. This will let them vent as you bake them
Put the potatoes in the oven and bake them until their insides are completely soft when pierced with a knife. Mine took 70 minutes.
Once they're cooked, scoop the soft potato flesh into a bowl and mash with a fork until you form a smooth paste.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Measure 1 1/2 cups of mashed sweet potato and add to the pan.
Add the rinsed kidney beans and stir into the sweet potato
Add the water, cumin, mustard and soy sauce. Stir well
Let cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Spoon filling into burrito shells and serve.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Tapas: Deviled Eggs, Garlicky Mushrooms, Tomato Toast Rounds
Tonight I experimented with a tapas-style dinner. Tapas is a style of Spanish cuisine that consists of a variety of tasty mini-dishes. It's almost like an entire meal made of appetizers. I made three different dishes because I was only cooking for two people, but tapas are great for parties.
Deviled Eggs (Huevos Rellenos de Atun)
Mats:
12 eggs
2 cans of tuna, packed in oil
1/4c light mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
Paprika - for garnish
Place the eggs in the bottom of a deep pot. Single layer - don't stack them. Fill the pot with water to a depth of 2 inches over the tops of the eggs.
Put the pot on the stove over high heat, bring to a boil, then boil for 10 minutes.
Remove the hard-boiled eggs from the water with a slotted spoon. Put them on a plate and let them cool. It'll take about a half-hour, or shorter if you stick them in the freezer.
Peel the shells off the eggs. It's a bit easier to do under cold running water.
Slice the eggs in half from top to bottom
Remove the yolks from the eggs and put them in a bowl.
Drain the tuna and add it to the egg yolks
Add the mayonnaise and salt.
Mush the yolks, tuna and mayo together with a fork. You want to combine it into a paste.
Grab a bit of the yolk paste and form it into a ball about the size of the yolk-hole in the whites. Place the ball back into the white.
Sprinkle a pinch of the paprika over the eggs.
Garlicky Mushrooms (Seta y ajo)
Mats:
2 Tbsp olive oil
10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
2c white wine
2 Tb fresh parsley
Polenta rounds - for serving
Heat the olive oil in a small pan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute
Add the mushrooms and cook on low for 10 minutes without stirring.
Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Boil until all the liquid has evaporated (stirring occasionally); it took me about 25 minutes to cook it all off.
Snip or chop the parsley very fine, add it to the mushrooms and stir. Cook for 2 minutes.
Serve on top of cooked polenta rounds or just spear the mushrooms with toothpicks.
Tomato Toast Rounds (Pan tostado y tomate)
Mats - makes 6 rounds:
2 large slicing tomatos
6 slices bread - sandwich bread is fine, but little crostinis or baguette is good.
2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
6 leaves of fresh basil
dried oregano
olive oil
If you're using sandwich bread, cut out circles in the bread. Easiest way is to find a glass with about the same circumference as your tomatoes and press it into the bread, then pull away the excess.
Brush the bread rounds with olive oil on one side, then sprinkle a pinch (about 1/8 tsp) of oregano on each.
Toast the rounds either in a toaster oven or on a sheet pan in the oven at 350 for 3 minutes.
Trim the tomatoes, discard the stem side, and slice into rounds about 1/2 inch thick.
Top each toast slice with a slice of tomato
Sprinkle the tomato with a bit of cheese
Deviled Eggs (Huevos Rellenos de Atun)
Mats:
12 eggs
2 cans of tuna, packed in oil
1/4c light mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
Paprika - for garnish
Place the eggs in the bottom of a deep pot. Single layer - don't stack them. Fill the pot with water to a depth of 2 inches over the tops of the eggs.
Put the pot on the stove over high heat, bring to a boil, then boil for 10 minutes.
Remove the hard-boiled eggs from the water with a slotted spoon. Put them on a plate and let them cool. It'll take about a half-hour, or shorter if you stick them in the freezer.
Peel the shells off the eggs. It's a bit easier to do under cold running water.
Slice the eggs in half from top to bottom
Remove the yolks from the eggs and put them in a bowl.
Drain the tuna and add it to the egg yolks
Add the mayonnaise and salt.
Mush the yolks, tuna and mayo together with a fork. You want to combine it into a paste.
Grab a bit of the yolk paste and form it into a ball about the size of the yolk-hole in the whites. Place the ball back into the white.
Sprinkle a pinch of the paprika over the eggs.
Garlicky Mushrooms (Seta y ajo)
Mats:
2 Tbsp olive oil
10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
2c white wine
2 Tb fresh parsley
Polenta rounds - for serving
Heat the olive oil in a small pan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute
Add the mushrooms and cook on low for 10 minutes without stirring.
Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Boil until all the liquid has evaporated (stirring occasionally); it took me about 25 minutes to cook it all off.
Snip or chop the parsley very fine, add it to the mushrooms and stir. Cook for 2 minutes.
Serve on top of cooked polenta rounds or just spear the mushrooms with toothpicks.
Tomato Toast Rounds (Pan tostado y tomate)
Mats - makes 6 rounds:
2 large slicing tomatos
6 slices bread - sandwich bread is fine, but little crostinis or baguette is good.
2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
6 leaves of fresh basil
dried oregano
olive oil
If you're using sandwich bread, cut out circles in the bread. Easiest way is to find a glass with about the same circumference as your tomatoes and press it into the bread, then pull away the excess.
Brush the bread rounds with olive oil on one side, then sprinkle a pinch (about 1/8 tsp) of oregano on each.
Toast the rounds either in a toaster oven or on a sheet pan in the oven at 350 for 3 minutes.
Trim the tomatoes, discard the stem side, and slice into rounds about 1/2 inch thick.
Top each toast slice with a slice of tomato
Sprinkle the tomato with a bit of cheese
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Tropical Chicken Casserole
I was really cautious making this dish - the ingredient list is... unique. It came out surprising well; my husband decided that he really liked it.
Mats:
1 1/2c wild rice mix (the Uncle Ben's Original seasoning mix, if you're going pre-packaged)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 8oz can artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half
1 10.5 oz mandarin oranges, drained
5 dried apricots, cut in half
1/2c dried pineapple
1/4c dried dates
1 Tb red curry powder
1c heavy cream
2 Tb dijon mustard
Cook wild rice according to package directions. If you're using the packaged kind, toss the seasoning pack in there too.
Chop the chicken breasts into 1-inch chunks and cook in 1 Tbsp olive oil. They'll take about 7 minutes to be done.
In a large, oven-safe pan, combine the cooked wild rice, cooked chicken, chopped artichoke hearts, mandarin oranges and the dried fruits.
In a measuring cup, combine the curry powder, heavy cream and dijon mustard. Stir well, but not too energetically or else you'll turn the heavy cream into butter!
Pour the milk mixture into the rice and chicken mixture and stir well
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Mats:
1 1/2c wild rice mix (the Uncle Ben's Original seasoning mix, if you're going pre-packaged)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 8oz can artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half
1 10.5 oz mandarin oranges, drained
5 dried apricots, cut in half
1/2c dried pineapple
1/4c dried dates
1 Tb red curry powder
1c heavy cream
2 Tb dijon mustard
Cook wild rice according to package directions. If you're using the packaged kind, toss the seasoning pack in there too.
Chop the chicken breasts into 1-inch chunks and cook in 1 Tbsp olive oil. They'll take about 7 minutes to be done.
In a large, oven-safe pan, combine the cooked wild rice, cooked chicken, chopped artichoke hearts, mandarin oranges and the dried fruits.
In a measuring cup, combine the curry powder, heavy cream and dijon mustard. Stir well, but not too energetically or else you'll turn the heavy cream into butter!
Pour the milk mixture into the rice and chicken mixture and stir well
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
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