Stuffed Mushrooms

I love a good stuffed mushroom, either as finger food, an appetizer, or even a main course.   They are incredibly versatile and the stuffing can be as varied as your imagination allows.  I'm going to give you a very basic recipe and then suggestions for how you can customize these, but don't be limited by my suggestions.  

16 ounces of good whole mushrooms.   I like Baby Bellas (small portobello mushrooms) because they've got a hearty taste.  But if you like something mellower, feel free to use white button mushrooms.  The important thing is that they have a nice hollow interior to stuff .

1 small onion, diced

3-4 large garlic cloves, minced

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Bread crumbs (any kind will do)

Take your mushrooms and if there's any dirt on them, wipe it off with a damp paper towel.  DO NOT rinse your mushrooms with water because they will absorb too much and it will ruin the texture of your finished product.

Remove all the stems from your mushrooms and mince them up.

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil with a pinch of salt and some pepper until translucent and then add the minced mushroom stems and continue to saute for another 4-5 minutes.  

When the mushroom, onion and garlic mixture is cooked, add in enough bread crumbs to make it all come together.   Roughly 2/3 of a cup.  You can use plain or seasoned, fine or panko.  They're all good.  Toss with enough additional olive oil to bring it all together, and taste your mixture for salt and pepper.  Adjust to your taste.

You can now spoon this mixture into your mushrooms.  Really pack it in there and leave a nice mound on the top.   Put them in a baking dish and roast them in a 450 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.  They're done when the top is golden brown.

Now for the customization -- you can take the basic mixture and add pretty much anything you want.

To keep things vegetarian, add some chopped spinach, shredded carrots and/or zucchini, etc.  Or you could caramelize a few more onions and add them and some thyme to the mixture.

It's always great to add some cheese -- I like parmigiano reggiano or crumbled feta, but again, whatever is your favorite is great!  A good smoked cheese would be delicious too.

Crabmeat or crumbled sausage is also a popular add-in and turns this into a much heartier dish that could serve as a main course.  Indeed, if you've ever been to a real NYC diner, crabmeat stuffed mushrooms are a very popular entree.  

These are just a few suggestions -- the sky is the limit and whatever flavor combos you like can work in this recipe.

Saag Paneer

This is my favorite Indian dish of all.  There's something about the savory, spicy, creamy nature of this dish that is so comforting and enticing.   And surprisingly easy to make!  My version is the amalgam of MANY recipes I've read and I've taken a bit from each of them to come up with my own version.  

16 ounces fresh baby spinach, chopped (I've read many recipes that say it's OK to use frozen spinach.  They are wrong -- I've tried making this dish with frozen spinach and it's such a poor substitute that it's not even worth making.  Trust me.)

3 cloves of garlic

1 shallot

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tsp. tumeric

1 tbsp. garam masala 

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cardamom

2/3 cup of plain yogurt (not Greek style)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. minced hot pepper (optional)

Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

8 ounces of  (so far, I buy pre-made paneer and am very happy with it, but I gather it's also pretty easy to make and you can google a recipe if you are feeling brave and want to make your own)

Saute the shallot, garlic and ginger (and hot pepper if desired) in olive oil over low heat.   Add a generous pinch of salt to help release the water in the veggies.

Once the veggies become translucent, add all the spices, including pepper, and let them saute for a few minutes so the spices "bloom" and their flavor opens up.

Then add the spinach and fold it into the veggie and spice mixture, sprinkling with a little more salt to help the wilting process.  

Once the spinach has fully wilted, stir in the yogurt, and add bite-sized cubes of paneer to the mixture, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  (If you would like your dish to be even creamer, feel free to add a splash or two of heavy cream as well)

Taste before serving to see if you need more salt or any additional seasonings, and serve with basmati rice and warm naan.  If you don't have any cilantro averse diners, add some to the top for garnish and flavor, but it's OK without it as well.

This also reheats beautifully the next day.

Stuffed Zucchini

You know how they say that necessity is the mother of invention?  Well, the necessity to use some ingredients before they went bad was how I came up with this dish.  I had two huge zucchinis from my weekly Hungry Harvest delivery and about 16 ounces of left-over ricotta that I didn't want to go bad, so I put them together with a few other ingredients and viola, stuffed zucchini was born!

2 large zucchini
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1/4 cup of grated parmigiano reggiano or romano cheese
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
3 large cloves of garlic, grated or minced
6-7 sundried tomatoes, cut into slivers
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg

Cut the zucchini in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds and the interior so you form a "canoe" out of each half of zucchini.

Combine all the other ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Stuff the zucchini with the mixture, and it's great if it heaps up over the top of the zucchini.  If you'd like, you can sprinkle with a little more grated cheese so it forms a bit of a crust when cooked.

Put in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Let them sit covered tightly with foil for 5-10 minutes before serving so the cheese can set.

Enjoy!

Applesauce

Peel and core 8-10 of your favorite apples.  They should be firm in texture and at least a little tart.

Check out my recipe for Apple Tea so you don't let those peels and cores go to waste -- http://judyfoodislove.blogspot.com/2018/10/apple-tea.html.

Cut them into small cubes and put them in a pot big enough to hold all of them with at least a few inches to spare.

Add:

1/3 cup of sugar (or agave syrup if you want something less sweet)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Optional: a pinch of ground cloves or ground nutmeg
1/4 cup of water

Bring this up to a low boil, cover the pot tightly, and turn the heat to low.  Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally just to make sure nothing is burning.  If it's low on liquid, add a few drops of water as needed.  By the end of 30 minutes, the apples should be broken down and can be mashed into the desired consistency with a potato masher.

Let it cool and serve as a side-dish or snack.  It will last for close to 2 weeks in your refrigerator but I bet it gets eaten up before that!

Corn/Tomato/Fig salad

As I was looking at the various seasonal produce I had available last night, I decided to improvise and threw this salad together.  It was a delicious way to take advantage of the end of the season for some of my favorite foods.

2 cups corn (cut off the husks and boiled for 2-3 minutes)
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup of figs, cut into bit sized pieces
1/4 small red onion, diced
10 leaves of basil, cut in a chiffonade (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiffonade)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Toss this all together and serve as a side dish, or as a dressing for fish or poultry.

You could also throw in some diced shrimp, tofu, or chicken and turn it into a full meal.

Veggie Tots

Here's a healthier alternative to tater tots AND a way to get your reluctant vegetable eaters to embrace their veggies.  (Even my husband eats broccoli when it's in a tot!)  You could use virtually any veggie you'd like, but I'm partial to broccoli and/or zucchini -- they're great together!

If you use zucchini, you should shred it on a grater and then wrap in a clean dish towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible before making the tot.

Leafy veggies like spinach or kale should be chopped, pre-cooked, and all the excess water squeezed out of them.

All other veggies should be pre-cooked and well drained before putting into the tot mixture.

2 cups finely minced or shredded veggies
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3-4 cloves of garlic either grated or finely minced
1/3 cup finely shredded cheese.  I'm partial to parmigiano reggiano cheese, but you can just whatever cheese is your favorite.
If you want to add a few pinches of fresh or dried herbs, feel free -- thyme, parsley, and/or rosemary would be delicious!
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (plain or seasoned -- whichever you prefer) OR 1/2 cup minced or mashed potatoes. (for a gluten free option).

Stir all ingredients except for the breadcrumbs/potato together.  Then fold in the breadcrumbs or potato, keeping the mixture loose.  As you feel it, it should still be pretty moist, with just enough bread crumbs or potato to hold the mixture together.

Roll them into bite-sized tots, being careful not to compact them too tightly or they will be too dense when cooked.

Place them on a lightly oiled or non-stick sheet-pan and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, until they're lightly browned.

Hope these are a big hit with kids and adults!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

2 cups of quinoa cooked in 4 cups of water, cooled
1 16 ounce can of chick peas, drained
1 quart of grape tomatoes, halved
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
6-8 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled
1/4-1/3 cup of fresh mint, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Mix thoroughly and let it sit at least a few hours before serving to let all the flavors meld.

Great gluten-free option as long as you make sure you use gluten free vinegar.

Guacamole Quinoa Salad

Here's a new salad I made for a recent party and it was a big hit.  It's gluten-free, vegetarian, and the leftovers are great (if there are any).

2 cups dried quinoa, cooked per package directions
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
1/3 cup scallions, diced
1/4 cup of cilantro, minced
Juice of 2-3 limes, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
3 avocados, cut into bite-sized cubes

Cook and cool the quinoa, and fluff it with a fork.  Mix in the olive oil, salt, cilantro, and lime juice.

Toss in the scallions and tomatoes and let it sit for a few hours before serving to let the flavors meld.

Right before serving, cut the avocado and toss it into the salad gently, so as to keep the pieces mostly in tact, but if some "mushes" into the quinoa, that's great too.

Enjoy!

Layered Greek Dip

I have to credit my sister-in-law Holli for this gem of a recipe -- she brought it to a party at my house and it was a HUGE hit with everyone.   And it's so easy to make -- even if you can't cook at all, you can make this and impress people at your next party.

I think a large shallow bowl works best for this in terms of presentation and function, but do feel free to use whatever type of bowl you prefer.

The first layer is 8 ounces of hummus.
Then sprinkle 8 ounces of chopped artichoke hearts over the hummus.
The next layer is 8 ounces of tzatziki sauce.
Then sprinkle 8 ounces of chopped roasted red peppers.
Follow that with 8 ounces of crumbled feta cheese.
Top that with 1/2 cup of minced flat leaf parsely.
Zest one lemon over the top of the parsley and sprinkle with chopped kalamata olives, to taste.

Serve with pita chips and enjoy!

Doctored-Up Baked Beans

It's summer cook-out season, and what better side dish can there be other than a nice big pot of baked beans?

There are many good commercial brands out there (Bush's is my favorite) and you can simply empty them into a pot, warm them up and serve.

But if you want to make them a little bit more special, here is how I doctor up my beans:

2 32 ounce cans of baked beans
1/4 cup brown mustard (you can't go wrong with Gulden's)
2 tablespoons of dried onion flakes
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (can be omitted for vegetarian version)

Simply dump all of this in your slow-cooker or a large pot, and let them simmer for a few hours so that all the flavors meld and the sauce thickens and gets deep and rich.

Enjoy!

Brussels Sprout/Edamame Salad

I recently made this as a side dish for Bo Ssam and it was a huge hit.   The crunch of the veggies were a nice contrast to the succulent, tender meat.

2 pounds of brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
6 ounces of edamame (removed from the pods, or course!)

Dressing:

1/4 cup canola oil
1/8 cut sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
zest of half a lime
Juice of one lime
a few twists of fresh cracked black pepper

Mix the dressing together and toss with the edamame and brussels sprouts.   Let the salad sit for a few hours (in the fridge) before serving so the flavors meld and get absorbed.   2 days later, the leftover salad was still crunchy and yummy.

Smokey Hash Browns

I made these for a brunch 2 weeks ago and a dinner party over the weekend and they were very well received at both.   A versatile and slightly different potato dish.  The recipe below feeds 6.

6 medium-large potatoes
1 large onion, cut in half and then into slices
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
a pinch of red chili pepper flakes
3-4 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 tbsp. bacon fat (optional)

Scrub the potatoes well and cut them into large bite sized pieces.   Boil them until they are fork tender and drain them well.

While they are boiling, in a large saute pan, wilt the onions and garlic in with the salt.

Once the potatoes are drained, add them and the rest of the spices into the pan, mix well, and then let them cook on one side until they get browned and crispy.   Turn them over as much as possible and repeat the browning, adding extra olive oil and/or bacon fat as needed.

Mulled Wine Cranberry Sauce

My friend Eileen Carroll originally sent me a recipe for this and I've scanned over a few more to come up with something that I thought would be easy and delicious.   This is so simple to make that anyone can do it, no matter how culinarily challenged you may be!

2 bags of cranberries
1 cup of brown sugar
Zest and juice of one large orange
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup of red wine (do not use a dessert wine, but anything else should be fine)

Put all of this in a pot and put on high heat until it starts to come to a boil.  Then cover it, turn it down to medium, and let it cook for 5 minutes.   Remove the top and with a potato masher, mash it till your desired consistency.

Let it cook and then serve at room temperature.

Mashed potatoes

Another standard that no one's kitchen routine should be missing!  And so easy . . .

Cut two pounds of potatoes (any kind really . . . some will tell you only to use white because yellow potatoes are too waxy for mashing, but I disagree) into large chunks and cover them with cold water.

It's up to you whether or not to peel them -- if you don't, make sure they are very well washed.   Red-skinned potatoes make for the most attractive skins in your mash.

Add in a tablespoon of salt to the water and bring it up to a boil.  Let the potatoes boil for 15 minutes, and then drain them well.

I like to use my stand mixer for very creamy potatoes, and you could use a hand mixer for the same effect.  But if you like lumpier potatoes, a hand masher works perfectly well.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper, 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/3 cup of whole milk to your potatoes and mash them up to your desired consistency.  Taste to make sure there's enough salt and pepper and if not, add more to taste.

Some options to flavor up your mashed potatoes:

1.  Add in a teaspoon of rosemary, thyme or herbs de provence.
2.  Grate 3 cloves of garlic on top of your butter and melt it in the microwave for 1 minute before adding to your potatoes
3.  Substitute sour cream for the milk
4.  Cut in a few stalks of chives
5.  Stir in some shredded cheddar or parmigiana cheese

Roasted Potatoes/Hash Browns

I can't believe I haven't posted this one sooner -- this is such an easy side dish to make ahead and throw in the oven while you're entertaining.  And it's always a huge hit with everyone.  They also double as great hash browns for brunch.

For 6-8 people, take 3 pounds of small potatoes (red bliss, fingerling, etc) and cut into large bite sized pieces.

Throw them into a baking dish and add just enough olive oil to lightly coat all the potatoes.

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, 1 tablespoon dried rosemary (don't use fresh rosemary -- it will burn), and 1 tablespoon minced garlic.  Mix this all together with your hands (sure, you can use a spoon too if you must, but hands are best to make sure everything is coated well) and place in a 425 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

Check them every 15 minutes, stirring gently.   When they're all browned and crispy, they're ready to serve.

Rosemary/Mustard Potato Salad

Continuing my quest for alternative potato salads, this weekend I made yet another new version that was very well received.

2 pounds of red-skin potatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/8 cup of red wine vinegar

Boil the potatoes whole, until fork tender (about 20 minutes on a full boil) and when they've cooled slightly, cut them into large bite sized pieces (generally, cut them into quarters, but for larger potatoes, cut as needed).

Combine all the other ingredients in a small bowl, whisking together to emulsify them, and toss with the cut potatoes while they're still warm (because they will absorb the dressing better and flavor the whole potato).

Let this sit for at least a few hours (if not overnight) before serving, and make sure it's not ice cold when serving.

Potato Salad

Growing up, I never really cared for potato salad.   It started with my dislike of mayonnaise, but even when I learned how to tolerate it in the right amounts, I just found traditional potato salad boring.  I fared better with the tarter German-style potato salad, with the bacon and vinegar, but many miss the creamy dressing of the more traditional style.

Today, as I compounded a potato salad for a big gathering of friends, I thought about how to marry the two, and make one that is a little more gourmet and a lot more flavorful . . . but still great for a picnic or backyard cookout.   Here's what I came up with and it's pretty darn good, even if I do say so myself.

This recipe should be enough for 8 people.

2 - 2.5 pounds of small red-skin potatoes
1/3 cup good quality mayo (I like Hellman's light mayo)  or vegannaise if you'd like a vegan version
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. crushed/minced rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black peppers
1 bunch of scallions
OPTIONAL:  4 ounces of pancetta and 1 tbsp. olive oil (I purposefully did not use regular bacon as     the flavor can become overwhelming)
1 tsp salt (only necessary if you don't use the pancetta

Cover the potatoes in water, bring to a boil, turn the head down to medium/low, and let them simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the largest one is fork tender.   When they're done, put them on a cookie sheet to cool for about 30 minutes.

To make the dressing:

Saute the pancetta in olive oil and once it's browned, put all of it into the bottom of your serving bowl, including the oil (which will be infused not just with the flavor of the pancetta, but the saltiness from the cured meat as well).  You can skip this step to make it vegetarian, but if you do, add the salt to the rest of the ingredients.  

Take your bunch of scallions and cut off the very bottoms, and about 1-2 inches of the top, and then dice them.   Add this to the pancetta and oil, and then add the rest of the ingredients.   Stir together with a whisk and let it sit for a bit to settle and marry the flavors.

When the potatoes are mostly, but not entirely, cool, cut them into large bite sized pieces.  Toss them in with the dressing, and taste for seasonings to see if it needs more of anything.  Then refrigerate for at least a few hours before serving so the flavors can meld together and permeate the potatoes.

Enjoy!

Corn, Tomato and Feta Salad

6 ears of corn (or 3 cans of corn, packed in water)
1 pint of grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 red onion, diced
8 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJEQFgfv7iw)

Cut the corn off the husks and drop it into boiling water for about 2-3 minutes.   Drain off the water and rinse with cool water.

Then toss all the ingredients together, let it sit for at least an hour before serving, and enjoy.

You could also add grilled chicken, tofu or shrimp and turn this into a main course.

Fettucine Pasta Salad

Nothing ground breaking in this recipe, but it was a tasty make-ahead for a crazy night, and the leftovers are great too.

1 pound of Fettucini
16 ounces of grape tomatoes, cut in half
3 medium zucchini, cut into cubes
1 cup of baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the pasta and spinach and mix well.

Break the dried fettucini into three pieces before boiling, and cook until al dente.

Drain the fettucini and while still steaming hot, pour it over the tomato/zucchini/herb mixture and let it sit for a minute or two.   Then toss it together, allowing the hot pasta to "cook" the mixture a bit.

Either let it sit till room temperature, or cool in the fridge until about a hour before serving.  

Then toss in the spinach right before serving, so it doesn't wilt too much.

Enjoy!

Greek-style String Bean Salad

This is one of my favorite dishes for spring and summer parties, pot-lucks, or even just to have in the fridge to snack on for a few days.

1 pound of fresh string-beans
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (omit if you are serving to anyone with nut allergies)
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minded
6 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of fresh cracked black pepper

Blanche the string beans in boiling water for about 3-4 minutes until they've softened up a bit, but are still crispy in the middle.   Immediately submerge them into a large bowl filled with water and a lot of ice.   This not only stops the cooking so the beans don't get too soft, but it also helps keep the bright green color of the fresh veggies.

Add all of the ingredients except for the feta and walnuts, toss it together well and let it sit for at least a few hours before serving so the flavors meld together.

Right before serving, toss in the feta and walnuts.

I like this dish served closer to room temp than cold right out of the fridge, but it does store well and last for days.