Mozzarella Stuffed Mushrooms.

An easy appetizer or light meal.

Mushrooms were on sale this week, so I decided to pick up a package of whole mushrooms. Now, I had some mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil for pizza as well. I decided to marry the ingredients and discovered these.

I like the meaty texture of mushrooms, mixed with the melty consistency of the mozzarella. I used fresh mozzarella here, but you could use many different types. I'm, thinking some Monterrey jack and Mexican flavors would add something unexpected.

Fresh Stuffed Mushrooms.

Small, whole, mushrooms (as many or few as you want). The variety is up to you, but should be stuff-able.
salt, garlic powder, and cracked pepper.
Fresh mozzarella
Fresh Basil
1 Fresh tomato, seeded, juiced, and diced into small pieces.
A tablespoon or so of pine nuts, for garnish (1-2 nuts on each mushroom.
Italian Bread crumbs.

Preheat oven to 374, and lightly grease a baking sheet with rims (the mushrooms will juice).

Set the mushrooms out, sprinkle with rock salt, garlic powder, and cracked pepper.

Stuff a cube of cheese in each mushroom. Add in a few pieces of tomato and a little bit of basil. Really pack it in there.

Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top, and bake until the mushrooms are soft. 15 minutes or so.

Place a nut or two on each mushroom, and serve.

I drizzled mine with a bit of olive oil and balsamic. That could be left out.

Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta and Rustic Pan Fried Potatoes

Tomato Bruschetta and Caprese are two of my most favorite things in the world. There's just something about that balsamic and tomato combo that sets my taste buds on fire. The juiciness of the fruit, sweet undertones in the flesh, and then tartness of the balsamic blends indescribably well. Really, it's such a simple pleasure that packs an unbelievable punch. Bruschetta is one of those things that varies greatly between recipes. Meat or vegetarian, cheese or dairy free, crusty or soft bread, Balsamic Vinegar or reduction...the neat thing about bruschetta is that the sky is the limit in creativity.

I started experimenting with my own by creating a finely chopped caprese. Which was okay - but I felt it was lacking. I mean, if I wanted a caprese, I was going to make a caprese. To balance the bread I wanted a depth of flavor that I wasn't quite getting with the relatively bland mozzarella. I thought I had it licked when I discovered balsamic reduction in a restaurant - but that was a very difficult thing to replicate. I was about ready to give up on making the perfect bruschetta, aside from my Mexican Variety.

During our Portland trip, I managed to pick up a mortar and pestle at a cooking store. I'd wanted one for so long, and I was just dying to try it out. One Sunday after we came back home, I was faced with fresh tomatoes, basil, and an idea. What if I were to crush some spices in the mortar and pestle, make a sort of paste, and then form that into a dressing? My Bruschetta was born.
The neat thing about this recipe and method is that you get an even dispersement of garlic/onion/balsamic/salt in every bite. You pound the flavors into submission so every taste is balanced. The vinegar soaks into the garlic, and the olive oil coats throughout - so you don't get that oil/vinegar division you sometimes see in a caprese. The mushrooms add a heaviness to the dish that leaves you feeling completely satisfied - this is a suitable meal and a wonderful appetizer.

Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta for 2-3 (or a really hungry tomato loving one):
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon chopped yellow onion.
1 Tablespoon fresh basil (or I cheated and used this, and it was surprisingly WONDERFUL! In the ingredients, it lists basil, marjoram, parsley, oregano, and thyme as the herbs included)
1 teaspoon of salt (you can add more at the end if you need more).
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
5 small (vine ripened) tomatoes
3 portobello mushroom caps.

In the oven, bake the mushroom caps at 350 until soft. If desired, sprinkle olive oil and a pinch of salt over the top before baking. Be careful to use a baking dish with sides, as the mushrooms will release water and that will make a smoky mess! My alarm company was not impressed.

Take mushrooms out and set aside.

In mortar and pestle, crush the garlic and onion together. Add salt and blend/smoosh. Add basil. Continue blending and smooshing. That's a technical term. It's also an indie band (the things you learn about on wiki - I was just trying to be a smartie pants.)

When everything is nicely combined, add olive oil, and blend, then add balsamic, and stir/smoosh until everything is well combined. Let sit.

Chop mushrooms into small pieces and place into a separate bowl.

Seed tomatoes and chop, then add to the mushrooms.

Pour mixture out of the mortar and pestle into the mushrooms and tomatoes. TASTE! Add balsamic, salt, and course ground pepper to taste.

Now, the bruschetta was wonderful, but (as a typical woman) - I wanted more.

Rustic Pan Fried Potatoes for 2-3

4-5 Red potatoes
1 small onion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons rubbed sage
course salt and pepper to taste (this puppy takes a lot of salt).
Water as needed.

Dice onions, mince garlic, and chop potatoes.

Place the Olive Oil in a pan set at medium. Toss in onions and garlic and let sizzle for a minute or so.
Add potatoes. Let the potatoes get a nice, pretty, brown color to them.

Add in spices, a dash of water for steam, and cover. Turn down to low.

Let potatoes cook until desired softness. Add more water if vegetables begin to burn and stick undesirably to the bottom.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Optional: a little lemon juice would probably add a nice complexity.

I served this with the 15 Minute French bread, this time made with bread flour instead of all purpose. I liked this better. It was heartier and the loaf held up better. I think I will try this in a loaf pan to see if I can get a good sandwich bread.

One last thing -all of these dishes can be made with significantly less oil for the fat conscious. The bruschetta flavors are most intensely balsamic vinegar and salt - the olive oil just acts to balance it. You could skip part or all, but be aware that there will be very little counteracting the bitterness of the balsamic. Keep this in mind as you add it to the tomatoes. In the potatoes, since you use the water to steam, you could use a little organic spray oil to coat the pan and keep it from sticking. You could also use a non-stick pan and eliminate the need for the oil all together. However, without oil, you won't get the pretty and tasty brown crust on the potatoes. It's a tradeoff, and it depends on how strict your diet is.

fri-what-ta?

Ah, the frittata. The lazy man's (or woman's) omelet. Surprisingly fancy, yet surprisingly EASY.

Tonight, inspired by another recipe, I made my own. I can see this is going to become a staple in my home.

Vegetarian Broccoli-Sausage Frittata.

2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 small onion, diced.
2 cloves garlic, minced.
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Morning Star meat starter crumbles (freezer)
2 medium fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (but fresh would be divine too!)
8 eggs.
2 T. EVOO
2 T. fresh basil.

(1) In oven safe skillet, heat 1 T. of the EVOO. Add broccoli, onions, garlic, and frozen meat crumbles. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, until broccoli is crisp-tender.

(2) Add remaining T. of EVOO, spread mixture out evenly on skillet. Sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Top with eggs.

(3) Cook at 350 for 20 minutes, or until set. Turn off oven. Sprinkle with mozzarella and place skillet back in oven until mozzarella melts.

(4) Sprinkle frittata with diced maters.

The husband really liked this, which impressed me as it had FAKE meat (the hubby is SO not a fan of this stuff).

What's fun about this recipe is that you can totally mix up the ingredients to your taste. I envision a Mexican fritatta with jack cheese and avocado diced on top. What about a garden variety? Or Greek? Maybe soft gooey goat cheese? ohhhh....MUSHROOMS and olives with tomato sauce dolloped on top.

This might be a fritatta WEEK at our house.

Kitchen sink pasta

So, if you got some Broccoli (or asparagus, or Brussels sprouts, or maybe even some red peppers and olives)....some pasta...lemon juice...white wine...and spices.....did you know you can make a fabulous meal?

First, boil up a pound of noodles according to the instructions. Drain and set aside.

In a large fry pan (or I prefer a dutch oven), throw down some EVOO (a tablespoon or so), some onions, and a clove of garlic (minced). Get it good and melded, with the onions and garlic starting to soften. Next, add some broccoli, juice of two lemons, and a 1/4 of dry white wine. Season with a few dashes of salt and pepper. Cook broccoli for a few minutes until crisp-tender. The lemon juice and wine seasons the broccoli beautifully as it steams.

Toss in the pasta, and a cup or so of parm cheese. You can add some water if you need a little moisture to mix the flavors around. I also added a 1/2 cup of pine nuts. Excellent dinner, made tons for lunch leftovers, and tasted great cold and hot. The beautiful thing about this is that you can completely change the ingredients depending on what you have. Tomatoes, green olives, capers, feta, hunks of meat, bacon, or zucchini. I am sure this list is not exhaustive. As a help, consider stocking up on pasta when it goes to buy one get one status. I've got TONS of ziti, spaghetti, rotini, and elbows on hand for when I need them!

Just one of those days...

Ever have a day when you just don't feel like cooking? Sure you do. What mom in her right mom doesn't? Working moms, stay at home moms. It all works.

Now, I, like other Moms have previously reached for the takeout menu or frozen convienience meals. However, do you realize how bad this is for your family AND your budget? Minimizing going out is a great way to decrease your outlay. Making homemade freezer meals can do the same, in addition to adding a healthy variation to your diet.

One of my most favorite meals to make-ahead and freeze is ziti. The recipe I have makes two large trays, and I always end up freezing 3/4 of the profits. Feel free to use lowfat and fatfree wherever desired, but you will give up some of the flavor.

Baked Ziti

1/4 cup olive oil
2 large cans of tomato sauce (28 oz or so)
1 small can of paste
3-4 cloves of garlic (less if you prefer) minced or crushed.
salt & pepper to taste.
2 16 oz tubs of ricotta
2 pounds of dried ziti
mozarella.

In large saucepan, heat olive oil and garlic. Cook for a minute or two. Add sauce and paste, heat up and blend well.

Cook up ziti according to instructions. Keep each pound separate or divide after cooking.

To each pound of ziti add one tub of ricotta and half the sauce. Place in 9 by 13 cassarole dish and top with mozarella. (You should have two trays of ziti.)

Bake at 350 degrees for about thirty minutes, covered to prevent ziti from drying out.

When cooled to room temperature, place in containers and freeze in serving sizes appropriate for your family. Just warm up from frozen, or thaw before reheating.

Another great idea for these leftovers is lunch the next day. The ball and chain will often grab one of the tubs out of the freezer and eat off of it for the next two days or so.