Portobello Mushroom dinner

• Portobello mushrooms (as many as you think you can eat, usually 1-1 ½ per person, keep in mind that they get smaller as they are cooking)
• 2-3 green onions
• 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or fresh sliced mozzarella
• 1 T of butter or vegetable oil

Wash and slice the mushrooms and chop the green onions. Heat a frying pan and spray with vegetable oil and add onions and mushrooms, stir frequently to cook evenly and to keep from sticking to the pan. Cook until mushrooms are tender and soft. To hasten cooking, cover the pan with a lid. When the mushrooms are cooked turn off the heat and add cheese. The cheese should cover all of the mushroom and onion mixture. Allow cheese to melt and serve hot. A yummy change of the recipe is to use fresh mozzarella sliced and lay it on top of the mushroom and onion mixture and serve when melted. Good on top of brown rice.

Morel Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto

•  5 cups water
• 1 cup dried morel mushrooms
• 2 large handfuls of garlic chives
• 4 T butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 lb asparagus, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, simmer the morel mushrooms and garlic chives in the 5 cups of water for 10-15 minutes. Strain the mushroom broth into a bowl, and reserve the mushrooms. Chop the mushrooms, and discard the garlic chives. 

In the saucepan, brown the butter, garlic, and rice. When lightly browned, deglaze with the lemon juice and white wine, and begin adding a cup of the broth at a time. After each cup, stir and wait for the rice to absorb the liquid before adding the next cup. When about halfway through adding the liquid, add the asparagus. When the rice is fully cooked and all the broth has been added, remove from heat and fold in the cheese and morel mushrooms. Salt and pepper as desired.

Makes approximately 4 servings.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Pizza crust

Grilled chicken, sliced and roughly chopped
onion, white or red, thinly
celery, sliced
Buffalo sauce
blue cheese (optional)
tomato sauce
shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, dairy free)
hot sauce

Prepare pizza crust. A 10" cast iron pan works well. Preheat oven to 425. Spread with a layer of tomato sauce, and then shredded cheese. Layer the chicken, onion, and celery on top. Judiciously drizzle Buffalo sauce, and then top with Blue cheese and/or shredded cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is beginning to brown. Remove from oven and serve with hot sauce and ranch dressing.

Quinoa Bowls

Quinoa- leftover or cooked and cooled

Meat- cooked chicken breasts or pork, cubed and cold

Veggies-
any cooked leftovers: squash, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, carrots, roasted veggies (root vegetables: potatoes, turnip, parsnip, rutabaga, garlic, onion, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes), lentils, mushrooms, corn, beets

raw: leafy greens: lettuce, spinach, kale, herbs; tomatoes, peas, cucumbers, bell peppers

Honey Mustard Sauce-

2 parts honey
1 part mustard
salt
pepper
olive oil

Mix honey, mustard, salt and pepper, and adjust to taste. Add oil until desired liquid consistency is reached for a salad dressing consistency.

Chicken Pot Pie

Make beer can chicken a few nights before. Bake the potato while you're at it. Then make chicken stock. Then make pot pie.

2 pie crusts
2-3 cups of chicken stock (vegetable for vegetarian)
1 potato, baked
1 small sweet potato, baked
2 large carrots
several sprigs of celery
1/2 onion
1/2 can of corn
1/2 14 oz can of artichoke hearts
other veggies of your choosing: mushrooms, tomatoes, asparagus, etc.
herbs
salt and pepper
shredded chicken (optional)
1 egg white

Chop up everything but the pie crusts into bite-size pieces, and place in crock-pot with chicken stock. Cook on low for about 12 hours. In a cup, mix some of the hot stock with flour or cornstarch to thicken. I wasn't happy with the thickening from just flour, and did a second round with corn starch, which was perfect. Turn the slow cooker to high for 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Prep the pie crust and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fill the pie crust with the filling, and cover with the top crust. Brush with egg, and bake until golden brown.

Makes 1 pie, plus a little filling leftover. Good with biscuits the next day.

Green Bean Cassarole

• 1 bag frozen green beans
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 big container of fried onions
• ½ cup milk
• 1 t soy sauce
• Dash pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Mix green beans with cream of mushroom soup, ½ can of fried onions, milk, soy sauce, and pepper. Place in 7x11 pan, and sprinkle the other ½ can of fried onions on top. Bake in oven uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

Grilled portobello mushrooms

• Portobello mushrooms
• Marinade or sauce of your choice (usually what is being put on the meat)

Wash and remove stems from mushrooms. Grandma likes to chop and sauté stems as a side dish. Liberally brush mushroom top with marinade to prevent it from sticking to the grill. Lay upside down, bowl-like, on grill. Cover (or fill, depending on how much flavor you want) fins with marinade. Close lid, lower heat to prevent charring, and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes until juice has been absorbed, and the mushroom is close to finished. Flip, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Serve plain, or burger style.

Pizza

Pizza dough:

Kitchen Aid cookbook?

Sauce:

• 1 can tomato paste
• Italian seasoning

Toppings:

• Mozzarella cheese
• Sausage
• Onion
• Bell pepper
• Garlic
• Olives
• Mushrooms
• Fresh tomato

Prepare pizza dough or purchase from Trader Joe’s. Combine 1 can tomato paste and 1 can of water, and add Italian seasoning to taste. Saute ½ an onion and a clove of garlic, minced; add to sauce. Spread on pizza dough. Sprinkle cheese to cover sauce. Put further ingredients on top. Cook for 20 minutes in oven.

Pasta and Vegetable Medley with Tofu

• ½ lb penne pasta
• 1 onion
• Mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic
• ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
• 1 lb broccoli, zucchini, or other vegetable
• 1 pkg tofu
• ¼ cup pine nuts

Heat 2 qts water to boiling. Cook pasta. While pasta is cooking, chop and cook onion and garlic in olive oil from tomatoes. Chop and add vegetables and cook until crisp-tender. Cut tofu into squares and add to onion mixture; add pine nuts. Drain pasta and stir in. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve with garlic bread. If tofu “haters” are eating, use soft tofu so that it will dissolve and coat the pasta like a sauce.

Turkey Tetrazzini

• ½ cup butter or margarine
• ½ cup flour
• 1 t salt
• ¼ t pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1 7 oz pkg spaghetti
• 2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, or whatever
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, the good stuff
• 3 oz can mushrooms (optional)

Start heating water for spaghetti. Add noodles when water boils. Don’t forget to set the timer for the noodles when you put them in. Meanwhile, melt butter in Dutch oven. Blend in flour and seasonings. Cook over low heat until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Stir in cooked and drained spaghetti, chicken, and mushrooms. If desired, spread cheese on top of tetrazzini and brown under broiler.

Note: very good with thick, floury noodles.

Beef Stroganoff

• 1 lb beef tenderloin or sirloin steak ½-in thick (or beef leftovers or ground beef)
• 2 T butter or margarine
• ½ lb sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium onion minced
• 1 can condensed beef broth (bouillon)
• 2 T catsup
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 t salt
• 3 T flour
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 cups hot cooked noodles

Cut meat across grain into ½ in strips. This is easier if meat is partially frozen. Melt butter in large skillet or Dutch oven. Add mushrooms and onion, cook and stir until onion is tender. Cook meat until light brown. Reserve 1/3 cup of broth, stir in remaining broth, catsup, garlic, and salt. Cover, simmer 15 minutes. Blend reserve broth and flour. Stir into meat mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Reduce heat, stir in sour cream. Serve over noodles.

Note: very good with thick floury noodles.