Sun Dried Tomato and Tarragon Stuffed Mushrooms

I love mushrooms and they have always reminded me of my father. Every time he eats mushrooms he always likes to make the statement that mushrooms are a good substitution for eating meat. He continues for a few minutes giving us all the ways you can replace mushrooms for meat and how satisfying it could be. He repeats this as if he has stated it for the first time in his life, when in actuality I hear it at least a dozen times a year :) Although mushrooms are meaty in texture I am not sure I could substitute my meat for mushrooms all the time. But, I do love mushrooms and especially stuffed ones.

These mushrooms are so flavorful and packed full of really interesting flavors like tarragon, sun dried tomatoes, basil and cheese to name a few. And even though there is no meat incorporated into the stuffing, they sure are as satisfying and delicious as my good ol' dad says they are!

Sun Dried Tomato and Tarragon Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 pound mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

1 small onion, diced

2 cups finely chopped sun dried tomatoes

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons tarragon leaves

4 tablespoons chopped basil leaves

fresh mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. place your mushrooms with caps removed onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and a little bit of slat and pepper. Bake for about 8-10 minutes if you are using small mushrooms. If using large portobello mushrooms bake for about 15 minutes. While mushrooms are cooking heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and add the onions. Cooks on low heat for about 7 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Add garlic and sun dried tomatoes and cook for and additional few minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cooled, add the Parmesan cheese, basil and tarragon. Taste for needed salt and pepper. 

Pile the filling on top of your mushrooms and top with a slice of fresh mozzarella. Return to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the mushrooms are hot. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and serve hot. Enjoy!

Fig, Prosciutto & Kale Grilled Cheese

I was looking through my cabinets the other day for a snack for my son and found an economy size bag of dried figs that I had purchased from Costco months early and hadn't even used a 1/16 of. I wasn't sure E was going to go for the texture of the dried figs but I decided to try anyways. Turns out he has found another obsession aside from applesauce, bananas and watermelon. He has mowed through this bag with no trouble at all! In fact I have had to start regulating his fig intake so that his bowls don't spontaneously combust on me! As the bag was dwindling down I realized that if I wanted to use figs for anything I had better make my move before E finished them off. That was when my fig, proscuitto and kale grilled cheese made its appearance.

This grilled cheese combines flavors that you might not ordinarily think of using together, but they work soooooo perfectly! Its both sweet with the dried figs and salty with the cured prosciutto. A perfect combination! And of course I had to throw a little healthy into the mix and what better way than to use some vitamin packed kale. My husband gave it a definite two thumbs up while licking his fingers. This recipe will definitely be making a debut on our monthly rotation for sure!

Fig, Proscuitto and Kale Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

sandwich bread, I used sourdough

butter

dried figs, 5 per sandwich

proscuitto, 3-4 thin slices per sandwich

kale, ribs removed

grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Reserve about 5 figs per sandwich, depending on how large the bread is that you are using. Slice each of your figs into at least 4 thin slices; set aside. Prepare your bread by lightly spreading butter on the outside pieces. Place a layer of mozzarella cheese down on one of the un-buttered sides of your bread. Place your cut figs fairly close together on top of the cheese. You want to make sure that you get a piece of fig with every bite. Layer your proscuitto down next. Place a layer of kale down over the proscuitto and top with an additional layer of grated mozzarella. Place your remaining piece of bread over the cheese with the buttered side up. Heat a large pan over medium heat and cook your sandwich until a gold crust forms on the bread. Turn and repeat on the other side. Serve and enjoy!

Breakfast Egg Bake

Sometimes you just feel like breakfast for dinner, right?! Unless your my dad who doesn't like breakfast food so in that case you never want breakfast for dinner. But for those of us who do crave a little meal time switch up then this is a recipe for a delicious egg bake packed with flavor and a great compliment to any of your other favorite breakfast accompaniments.

In fact its almost a meal in itself. It includes veggies, meat, cheese and eggs. Plus its a great way to get sneaky and throw in some veggies that your family might otherwise have trouble eating on their own.

Breakfast Egg Bake

Ingredients:

2 small-medium potatoes

1/2 medium onion finely sliced

1 cup diced ham

1-4 ounce can Ortega chills

1 cup diced tomatoes

2 cups spinach

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup cream

4 large eggs

salt and pepper

Directions:

Boil your potatoes until just tender; let cool. Once potatoes are cooled thinly slice them in rounds. Prepare a 9 inch baking dish by spraying with non stick cooking spray or spreading with a thin layer of butter. Place a layer of your cut potatoes in your baking dish an sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Top with half of your onions and ham. 

Next top with half of your tomatoes, chilis and spinach. 

Sprinkle with half of your cheese and repeat the above steps ending with your cheese. 

Whisk together the eggs and cream and gently pour the mixture over your ingredients. Do this slowly so that the liquid has time to penetrate to the bottom of the pan without overflowing. 

Place your baking dish onto a cookie sheet to catch any overflow and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Mozzarella, Pesto & Breadcrumb Topped Eggplant Steaks

Ingredients:

Eggplant-

1 large eggplant

1 jar of store bought or homemade pesto

mozzarella cheese, one slice for each round of eggplant

Breadcrumb topping-

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 grated parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves

3-4 tablespoon fresh oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place all of the breadcrumb topping ingredients into a food processor and pulse until everything is combined and chopped evenly; set aside. Slice your eggplant into 1-1 1/2 inch spirals. Spread a thin layer of pesto onto each round and place the eggplant into an oven proof baking dish lined with foil.

Place one slice of mozzarella onto each round of eggplant and sprinkle liberally with the breadcrumb topping.

Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and gooey. Enjoy!

Eight Ball Squash Stuffed with Bacon Pesto Quinoa

My mother came over this week with a large shopping bag stuffed full of fresh cut basil. It had just been picked and she needed to off load half of it to a willing taker. Of course I did not hesitate to unload some of her bounty. But in order to be able to use the entirety of basil that she brought before it spoiled I knew I would need to make some fresh pesto that I could freeze and enjoy year round. And thats exactly what I did.

As I sat looking at my mammoth tupperware container of pesto sauce to freeze I decided that before placing it in my freezer to sit a spell, I would try to use a bit of it for dinner. And it must have been my lucky week because not only did my mother bring me heaps of fresh basil but some friends came down from Sacrament and brought us some fresh vegetables from their garden. And it was when the eight ball squash, that they had brought, caught my eye that everything started to fall into place.

It seems I always have a mental inventory of what is in my refrigerator, freezer and cupboards at all times...and by doing so, it allows for brief moments of inspiration when ingredients just fly out of my rolodex and into an incredible recipe. Oh boy thats what happened this time! I combined my fresh pesto with some quinoa and for a little sinful addition I added some bacon, cheese, onion and mushrooms. I stuffed it all into my hollowed squash and then topped these cuties off with an extra layer of cheese just to send it over the edge. Divine, warm, hearty, comforting and tasty, all wrapped up in one cute round eight ball squash!

Eight Ball Squash Stuffed with Bacon Pesto Quinoa

Ingredients:

5 eight ball squash, tops removed and hollowed out

1 cup cooked quinoa

heaping 1/4 cup pesto sauce

6 slices bacon

2 cups mushrooms, rough chop

1 cup onions, diced

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper

1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:

Cook your quinoa according to package directions and add a heaping 1/4 cup of pesto; stir to combine. Cook your bacon strips in a large pan until golden and just beginning to crisp. Remove bacon from pan and cut into bite size pieces once cooled. Keep the bacon fat in the pan and add the onion and sauté until translucent; add mushrooms and sauté for about 4 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the quinoa along with the bacon and cheese. Stir to combine and taste for needed salt and pepper. 

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut the tops off of your squash and hollow out the centers.

Stuff your squash with the quinoa mixture and place into an oven safe dish.

Pour your chicken stock into the pan about a 1/4 in depth. Place int he oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and place a slice of mozzarella cheese on top of each squash. Place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!

Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts with Thyme & Pistachio Nuts

I think brussels sprouts are just about the cutest things ever. They are mini little cabbages wrapped up in a cute little package. But rumor has it that brussels sprouts aren't exactly winning over the hearts or taste buds of children or adults. I would venture to say that how you are cooking your brussels sprouts has a lot to do with that, not to mention whether you are using fresh or frozen brussels sprouts. They have so much potential and can be stir fried, sautéed, roasted or steamed. They work with just about any flavor palates  and are a great source of vitamins and anticancer agents. All in all they are a killer veggie, and by killer I mean awesome!

Normally I like to sauté my brussels sprouts with some bacon or onions but this time I decided to switch it up a bit. I tossed them in some browned butter and fresh thyme and sprinkled them with some salty pistachio nuts. Lets be real, put brown butter on most anything and you will have me licking my plate clean! It is so aromatic and sweet...who knew butter could taste so good! The pistachio nuts add a great unexpected taste and texture to the brussels sprouts and pair deliciously with the butter and thyme. Go ahead, give brussels sprouts another try, they might just become your new favorite vegetable!

Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts with Thyme and Pistachio Nuts

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half

1/4 cup butter
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1/4 cup pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Grill your brussels sprout on your BBQ for about 10 minutes or until just tender. If you do not have a BBQ or prefer to steam them, do so for about 10 minutes as well. Meanwhile melt your butter in a large skillet over medium high heat watching carefully until your butter begins to bubble up, brown slightly and give off a nutty aroma. Add the lemon juice and thyme and turn heat down to low. Add your brussels sprouts and stir until everything is warmed through. Salt to taste. Plate your brussels sprouts and sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts.

Prosciutto Stuffed Artichokes

Growing up my parents fed us a serious variety of foods. I'm talking foods that most parents might not eat let alone decide to feed their children. Now don't get the wrong idea, my mother and father were not feeding us road kill or anything disgusting or harmful but they did make sure to feed us obscure vegetables, uncommon spices and a variety of dishes that one might not consider making on a random Monday night. I am so grateful that I was exposed to so many different foods because as an adult I am pretty sure that I can count how many foods I wont eat on half a hand. One being okra. Ugh, sorry for any okra lovers out there but the slime factor is just too much for me to handle!

I can remember having company over for dinner on evening and my mother served steamed artichokes as a side dish. Now your probably thinking ok artichokes are not an uncommon vegetable, and I would agree, but to our company they were. In fact they did not even know what an artichoke was and had obviously never tasted one. It was a very funny experience that I can still vividly remember some 25 years later. 

Growing up we ate our artichokes very simply; just steamed. Sometimes we would have a little mayonnaise on the side to dip our soft meaty leaves into; but other than that, that is as fancy as it got. Now a days I like to add a bit more flavor to my artichokes and this recipe is a favorite of mine. The stuffing has a great combination of flavors including prosciutto, lemon zest, parsley, and garlic to name a few. And the leaves of the artichoke are great accessories for scooping up all of the fallen stuffing. Couldn't be easier, a completely self contained meal and delicious as well!

Prosciutto Stuffed Artichoke

Ingredients:

4 artichokes

2 lemons

3 cups panko bread crumbs

3/4 cup pecorino or parmesan cheese

3/4 cup minced prosciutto

4 cloves garlic minced

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon clack pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup olive oil

chicken stock

Directions:

To prepare the artichokes cut the stem off very close to the base so that the artichoke can stand flat on its own. Cut about a half an inch off of the top of the artichoke and with scissors snip thorny tips from the remaining leaves.

With a spoon, scoop out the choke in the center of the artichokes 

Cut one lemon in half and squeeze into a large bowl of cold water. Toss in the squeezed lemon halves along with the artichokes to prevent discoloration while you make the stuffing.

In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, prosciutto, garlic, parsley, chili flakes, pepper, zest from remaining lemon and olive oil. Taste for salt.

Drain artichokes. Working with one artichoke at at time, set in the bowl of breadcrumb mixture and start to separate the leaves while pushing stuffing inside.

Set the artichokes in a pot fitted with a tight lid. Pour stock in approximately 1/3 of the way up the sides of the artichokes. Bring the stock to a boil, cover pot, and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook, 30-35 minutes then transfer your pot to the oven to broil for about 7-10 minutes until tops are golden brown. Serve and enjoy!