Portabella Mushroom Burger

I can't believe that I haven't posted this recipe yet. I discovered it in a William Sonoma Vegetarian cookbook a couple of years ago and have made them several times since. I wanted to make them for Andrew for Father's Day but was missing a few of the key ingredients so I mixed things up a bit and it still tasted awesome.

Ingredients:
Portabella Mushrooms (remove stems and scrape off the ribs)
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Garlic
Roasted Red Peppers
Swiss cheese (Or the cheese of your choice)
Italian Rolls
Mayo
Pesto

Directions: Sorry that I don't have any amounts listed. I'm away from my cookbooks this summer but I promise that you can't go wrong with this. Mix about a 1/4 c of mayo with 1 T pesto (or more to your liking) and put in fridge. Grill the mushrooms in a skillet on the stovetop or in the George if you don't have a grill- I've never actually grilled them but I bet they would be tasty that way. Mix a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a couple of tsp of balsamic vinegar. Add a couple cloves of crushed garlic. Brush this mixture onto the mushrooms as you are grilling them. Set aside mushrooms and grill your roasted red peppers quickly on the grill- just to heat them up. Meanwhile toast your rolls in the oven. Spread a generous amount of the pesto/mayo mix on the bun, add your mushroom, cheese, and red pepper and voila! I usually serve this meal with baked sweet potato fries. Tonight, I made these just a little differently. They didn't have portabella so I just got another kind of mushroom and cut it into slices. Since I don't have a brush I just poured the garlic oil vinegar mixture onto the mushrooms in the pan and cooked them until tender. No roasted red peppers here either and I was not in the mood to roast them myself so I picked up some roasted red paprika- it tasted better I think. No sliced cheese in my fridge so I used grated mozerella. And I didn't have any fancy rolls so I just used sandwhich bread. I put it all together in the sandwhich in the skillet and grilled it like you would a grilled cheese. It was seriously good. A great summer meal if you ask me.

Mandy

Kefta

Has it really been four months since any of us have posted any recipes? Surely I've made something interesting in that time but my memory fails me just now. No matter, I made the most delicious Kefta tonight and you just have to try it. Kefta is just a greek meatball and of course I found the recipe for these on my favorite blog ever (uh...besides yours that is)- smitten kitchen. The allspice and cinnamon give it a really unique flavor.
Tips:  don't overdue the salt. It calls for 1 tsp and I wouldn't add any more than that. My only complaint was that it was a teensy bit salty. Also, I used ground turkey- not dark. Use half of the cayenne it calls for unless you like it really spicy. I don't have a grill here so I had to fry them on the stove top. Just roll each ball in a little flour and drop in the oil. Turn once after it's browned and then set them on some paper towels. Oh, and the tatziki sauce was gross. Maybe the yogurt here is a little different but... I don't think you really need a sauce with it. I served it with rice and a tomato/cucumber/feta cheese salad.

Whole Wheat Biscuits

Made biscuits and tomato gravy last night and found this recipe. I always feel a little guilty making biscuits since I make them with white flour and lard, but this recipe looked a little healthier. It was actually really delicious. The wheat gave it more of a country flavor.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fluffy-Whole-Wheat-Biscuits/Detail.aspx?prop31=1

Mandy

Chick on a Stick

One of my many new year's resolutions this year was to cook dinner.  Sad, I know....the last few months were so hectic that dinners consisted of quesadillas, packaged pasta, cereal and the kids favorite - whatever your heart desires.  This is one resolution that so far I'm sticking with and having fun doing!  I know it's only been 3 weeks but hey it's a start.  I love trying new recipes, having the kids help me in the kitchen, just smelling something yummy, and the excitement they have for dinner which makes for much better conversations at the table.  We have even eaten at the dining room table which is usually reserved for Sunday dinners and whatever they deem a fancy dinner.  Last night was deemed fancy....even though the real reason was the kitchen table was covered in crafty crap.  Whatever the reason they loved dinner and it makes me happy to know I made something they enjoyed!  What fancy dinner did we eat you may ask?  Chick on a Stick!  So not fancy!  A friend of mine shared this simple recipe in a ward cookbook and I've been meaning to try it for months. Here it is-

4-5 chicken breast, thawed and cut into strips OR I just used tenderloins
marinade of your choice (30 minute ones work great)
skewers (soaked in water for about 20 minutes)

Marinate chicken at least 30 mins.  Soak skewers in water.  Make chicken skewers by putting chicken strips on skewers.  Line a cookie sheet with foil and broil the chicken on each side for 8-9 minutes.  Eat right off the stick!

Last night we had teriyaki chick on a stick paired with fried rice but the possibilities are endless....lemon pepper, bbq, etc...Yum!
shelley

Easy Broccoli Quiche

I had some leftover pie crusts from Christmas that I never used so I was looking for ways to use them without making pies and discovered this recipe for an easy broccoli quiche. It was really really good. Even the kids ate it. I think I used a little less milk than it called for to avoid it getting soggy. And I followed one of the reviewers suggestions to layer some of the cheese on the crust before spooning in the veggies to create a barrier. It was great, not soggy at all. Oh, and I used 3 cups of broccoli instead of 2. It really cooks down.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Broccoli-Quiche/Detail.aspx?prop31=10

-Mandy

Spicy corn cakes with Black Beans

I just made this last night and forgot just how simple it is to make and how delicious it is.
Ingredients:
1 15 oz can black beans, drained
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano (or 1 T fresh)

Mix together in a pot and heat through.

Corn cakes:
The corn cakes that go with this recipe aren't as good as these (which I just discovered and like a lot better): http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001646375
Add 1 tsp of chili poweder to the corn cakes to make them a little spicy if you wish.

When I make this I always double the recipe for the beans and the corn cakes. For the kids I make a batch of corn cakes without the green onions. On your plate, lay down your corncakes, a heaping spoonful of the beans, sour cream and some homemade salsa (just tomato, onion and cilantro). Delicious! If you have any extra corn cakes they are great with a little honey on top.

-Mandy

Dreamy Apple Pie

Seems like I only make pies around the holidays but after having this dreamy baby I think I'm hooked.  Love the title as it totally lives up to its name.  This is a recipe from The Pioneer Lady.  If you haven't already, go check her out - http://thepioneerwoman.com/ . 

■1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust - I used a refrigerated one but she has a yummy crust recipe on her site as well if you are feeling ambitious.


■Filling
■3 whole Large (4 Or 5 Small) Granny Smith Apples, Peeled, Cored, And Sliced Thin
■½ cups Brown Sugar
■½ cups Sugar
■1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
■1 cup Heavy Cream
■2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
■⅛ teaspoons Cinnamon

■Topping
■7 Tablespoons Butter
■¾ cups All-purpose Flour
■½ cups Brown Sugar
■¼ cups Pecans (you know me...I left these out and it was still great)
■Dash Of Salt

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out pie dough and place it in a pie pan. Decorate the edges as desired.
Add apple slices to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together cream, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour over apples. Pour apples into pie shell.
In the bowl of a food processor (or you can mix by hand) combine butter, flour, sugar, pecans (chop if you’re not using a food processor), and salt. Mix until everything comes together in clumps. Pour topping over apples.  Attach foil to the edges and lay a piece of flat foil loosely over the top of the pie. Place pie pan on top of a  cookie sheet and bake for one hour. At the end, remove foil and allow to finish baking and browning. Can bake for up to 15 or 20 minutes more if necessary.  Remove from oven when golden brown and bubbly.

Don't forget the cookie sheet under the pie!!!  I still have yet to clean my oven out from the last time I made this...