Peppers Stuffed with Mushrooms, Peas and Arugula

I like sweet bell peppers.  A lot.  And I like to roast and stuff them.  A lot.

Many recipes call for stuffing raw peppers and then roasting them until done.  I tend yo prefer to roast the empty peppers first, and then stuff them with a fully cooked filling.  My reasons are twofold: 1) because it eliminates the potential for burning the outsides while risking an undercooked filling inside, and 2) rice and quinoa and other grains in the stuffing will dry out on the top and become hard unless you have some sort of bread crumb or cheese topping.  Well, I'm gluten-free, so I skip the bread crumbs, and as much as I LOVE cheese, sometimes it's just not needed.  (Gasp, did I just say that?)

Peppers Stuffed with Mushrooms, Peas and Arugula


Ingredients:

• olive oil in a mister
• 4 red, yellow or orange bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/4 onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1.5 cups mushrooms, sliced
•  2ish cups brown rice, cooked
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup arugula
• salt & pepper

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.   Spray a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
• Cut the tops off the bell peppers and discard.  Remove seeds and membranes.  Place peppers cut-side down onto the oiled sheet and roast for 15 - 20 minutes until soft.
• Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a pan over medium-high heat.  Sweat the onion until soft.  Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant.  
• Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until soft.  Add the rice and peas and continue cooking and stirring, until everything is heated through.
• Add the arugula and salt & pepper to taste.  Stir until arugula is wilted.
• Remove the peppers from the oven and divide the stuffing mixture evenly into them.
• Serve hot.

Roasted Crimini with Coriander and Thyme

What?  Mushrooms can be roasted?  They sure can, and they're absolutely delicious this way!

Roasted Crimini with Coriander and Thyme


Ingredients:

• 1 pound crimini mushrooms, cleaned with a damp cloth
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 a lime

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toss all ingredients, except for the lime, on a sheet pan.  Go conservative with the s&p since roasting will remove some moisture and concentrate the flavors.  You can add more seasoning after cooking, if desired.
• Spread the mushrooms out in a single layer on the pan and roast in pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes, until they are nicely browned and tender.
• Remove from oven, adjust s&p as necessary, spritz with lime juice and serve immediately.

Mushroom Gravy

A quick, easy way to glam up a steak.  Or pour over brown rice for a hearty vegetarian meal.

Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 8oz. package of sliced crimini (or other mushroom)
• Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic (or regular garlic powder)
• Tastefully Simple Onion Onion (or regular onion powder)
• 1 cup water, divided
• 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt

Directions:

• In a saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and a few dashes each of TSGG and TSSS.  Cook the mushrooms, stirring frequently, until tender.  It should have released some liquid - that's the flavor jackpot!  Add 1/2 cup of water and bring to a soft boil.
• In the meantime, stir and dissolve the flour into the remaining 1/2 cup of water.  Add to the boiling mushrooms and stir.  Bring the gravy back to a boil to thicken, then reduce to simmer for a couple of minutes.  Add TSSS to taste.
• Serve hot.

Mushrooms with Sake Gravy

I was going to make the usual mushroom cream sauce today, but then saw hubby's opened bottle of sake in the fridge.  Pre-kids I used to cook a fair amount with wine.  And the kids had already asked for, and eaten, popcorn chicken from Sonic, so dinner was just for the two adults.  Hmmm...

The sake gravy was a tad bitter (probably had to do with the type of sake we had) so I added a teaspoon of honey.  And then at the last minute I tossed in some arugula for color.  I served it over Himalayan red rice, but brown rice would be just fine.

Mushrooms with Sake Gravy

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons Smart Balance
• 1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (I used trumpets and criminis)
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1 pinch dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1 cup sake
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
• 2 large handfuls of arugula, washed and dried
• freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

• In a large skillet, melt the Smart Balance and sauté the mushrooms until soft, about 7 minutes.  Sprinkle with TSSS, thyme and whole wheat flour. Stir for about a minute for the flour to lose its raw taste.  Add the sake and water and more TSSS to taste.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for a minute until the gravy thickens.  Depending on how much liquid the mushrooms let off, you may need to add a little more water.
• Taste the gravy, and if it's too bitter, add a little bit of honey.  Toss in the arugula and stir until wilted.  Add some freshly cracked black pepper.
• Serve hot over cooked rice.

Fettuccine with Chicken and Mushrooms

At the local Asian grocery store yesterday I found some gorgeous oyster and trumpet mushrooms.  (I was actually looking for shiitakes, but none were to be found.)  Sprouts had a sale on whole wheat Delallo pasta last week and I'd picked up a bag of fettuccine, so fettuccine with chicken and mushrooms it is.  I LOVE mushrooms, so I put a lot in.  Feel free to use less (or more!).

Fettuccine with Chicken and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound whole wheat fettuccine noodles
• 1 tablespoon Smart Balance
• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced (I used equal parts oysters and trumpets tonight)
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic
• 1 teaspoon-ish dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon-ish dried oregano
• 1/2 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 1/2 lemon

Directions:

• Prepare the pasta to al dente according to package instructions.  Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta liquid, and set aside.
• In a large skillet, melt the Smart Balance on medium-high heat and saute the shrooms with the spices and herbs for a few minutes until the shrooms begin to soften.  Add the chicken and continue to saute until cooked through. 
• At this point the shrooms had released about 1 cup of liquid in the skillet, which was perfect.  If your shroom/chicken mixture seems a little dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.  Sprinkle a tablespoon of whole wheat flour into the skillet and stir for a minute.
• Add in the cooked pasta and spritz with the juice of 1/2 a lemon.  Toss and serve.

Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms

Today was bright and sunny, beautiful, really.  But for some reason I was in the mood for comfort food.  I had some chicken tenders and mushrooms in the fridge, so here's what I did with it:

Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• a couple tablespoons of olive oil
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• Tastefully Simple Onion Onion
• Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic
• 1 pound small whole crimini mushrooms
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated skim milk
• 2 heaping tablespoons of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions:

• Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.   In a large skillet, brown the chicken in a little bit of olive oil, some TSSS, TSOO and TSGG.  Add in the mushrooms and stir for a minute.  Add in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, scraping up all the brown bits.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes (stirring occasionally) until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms soften.
• In a separate bowl or cup, whisk the flour into the evaporated skim milk until smooth.  Add to the chicken skillet.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.  Add in the peas and simmer for 5 minutes.  Check seasoning and add more TSSS if necessary.
• Serve over brown rice.

Portobello Cheese Steak Sandwich

Some reviewers from the original recipe site say this tastes just like a traditional Philly Cheese Steak that's made from beef.  It does not.  To say that mushrooms taste like beef is ludicrous in my book.

What it is, however, is a damn good mushroom sandwich.  Very tasty and satisfying.

I used both red and green bell peppers only because a certain 3-year-old wandered into the kitchen while I was prepping, and somehow half of my red bell pepper slices disappeared.  I only had green left after that, so added some of that in.  Otherwise I would have stuck with all red, they're sweeter.  I also made it a tad saucier than the original recipe.

I halved the recipe because it's just me and the hubs eating this tonight, and I don't think it would re-heat well.  If you had to pack up leftovers, I'd recommend dividing out the veggie mixture before placing the cheese on top, and then just adding and melting the cheese the next day when you are ready to eat it.

Portobello Cheese Steak Sandwich
Makes 2 sandwiches
Taken from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• a teaspoon of olive oil
• half an onion, sliced
• 1 6-oz. package of portobellos, sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• a few turns of the black pepper grinder
• 2 teaspoons whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 slices of reduced-fat provolone
• 2 whole wheat rosemary buns, split and toasted

Directions:

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for 2 - 3 minutes until soft. 
• Add mushrooms, bell pepper, oregano and black pepper and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are wilted and soft.
• Reduce heat to low; sprinkle the vegetables with flour and stir to coat. Stir for 30 seconds until the flour loses its raw taste.
• Stir in broth and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. It will begin to thicken.
• Remove from the heat and place the cheese slices on top of the vegetables.  Cover and let stand for a minute until the cheese is melted.
• Divide the mixture in half and and onto each toasted bun.
• Serve immediately.

Chicken and Mushrooms

This is a spin on Paula Deen's Chicken Georgia recipe.  I really can't justify a half stick of butter going into anything (except maybe buttercream icing), so I replaced it with olive oil and Smart Balance.  I increased the amount of shallots and mushrooms because I love shrooms, and I added some white wine to create more sauce.  I also added a large pinch of thyme because I had it on hand.  YUM!

Chicken and Mushrooms
Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• a couple tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• a couple tablespoons of Smart Balance
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 1 10-oz. bag (approx. 2 cups) of sliced crimini mushrooms
• large pinch of dried thyme
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4 oz. freshly-grated part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

• Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Butterfly each chicken breast and cut straight through so you have 8 thinner pieces.  Season both sides of each piece with TSSS.  Place chicken in skillet and cook for a few minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.  Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium and add the Smart Balance to the skillet to melt it.
• Add the shallots, shrooms, thyme and TSSS and TSGG to season.  Sauté until everything is cooked and soft.
• Add the white wine to the skillet and deglaze, scraping up all the yummy brown bits at the bottom.  Move the mushrooms to the edges of the skillet and return the browned chicken to the center of the skillet.  Top the chicken with the shredded mozzarella.
• Turn off the heat and cover the skillet.  Let sit for a minute until cheese is melted.
• Plate the chicken, then pour the mushroom sauce mixture on top.

Farfalle with Wild Mushrooms

If you didn't already know, I LOVE mushrooms.  Not the white button ones.  I LOVE the "wild" ones.  Oysters, chanterelles, morels, trumpets... ahhhh, they make me happy.

You can use pretty much any kind of mushrooms you like in this recipe. Today I used oysters and king oysters.  And while many exotic mushrooms were once wild, most of them are now cultivated, so I use the term "wild" loosely.

Farfalle with Wild Mushrooms
Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound dry whole wheat farfalle
• 2 tablespoons Smart Balance
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• water
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup non-fat milk
• few tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
• few tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• a couple teaspoons lemon zest
• a squirt of fresh lemon juice

Directions:

• Prepare farfalle to al dente, per instructions on the package.  Drain and set aside.
• In a large skillet, melt the Smart Balance with the olive oil.
• Add the mushrooms, garlic, TSSS and black pepper to taste.  Sauté until mushrooms are tender, adding water a little at a time as necessary to keep the shrooms from drying out.
• Add milk and bring to a boil.
• Add cooked pasta to the mushrooms and combine.
• Add chives, parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice and toss to coat.
• Serve immediately.

Pork Chops with Mushroom Cream Sauce

The original recipe calls for chicken breasts, but I happened to have pork chops today.  Also, this recipe is versatile in that you can use whatever mushrooms you have on hand.  The original recipe includes shiitakes, today I used trumpets, and I'm guessing this would even be good with plain ol' white button shrooms.  I added a little bit of flour to thicken it up and make it more "creamy," especially since I used skim milk instead of cream.

Pork Chops with Mushroom Cream Sauce
Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 medium boneless pork chops, all visible fat removed
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 2 10-oz. packages of trumpet shrooms, sliced (thick or thin depending on your preference)
• Tastefully Simple Onion Onion
• 1 teaspoon whole wheat flour
• 1 cup skim milk

Directions:

• Heat a pan with olive oil.  Season both sides of pork chops with TSSS.  Cook chops in skillet, about 5 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature is 145 degrees F.  Transfer chops to a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
• Add shallots and shrooms to the pan and season to taste with TSOO and more TSSS.  Sauté for about 5-7 minutes until soft.
• Sprinkle flour over the shrooms and stir to incorporate.
• Add the milk and scrape up any brown bits from the pan.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat.  Simmer for a minute or two until sauce thickens.
• Pour mushroom sauce over the pork chops and serve.

Sauteed Mushrooms and Chard

One of my favorite ways to eat mushrooms is sautéed in garlic and butter.  Here is a spin on that.  I also had a bunch of red chard on hand so I tossed it in for some dark leafy green goodness.  You can use any kind of shrooms you like, I just happened to have shiitakes and trumpets today.

Sautéed Mushrooms and Chard

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 container (8 oz?) shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 container (8 oz?) trumpet mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1/4 cup water 
• 1 large bunch red chard, washed and chopped (hard central rib removed)
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt

Directions:

• In a skillet, heat butter on medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds.  Add the mushrooms and water and toss for a couple of minutes until the shrooms soften. 
• Add chard by the handful and cook, tossing occasionally, until the chard is softened, 4-5 minutes.  Season with TSSS to taste.
• Serve while hot.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

So much yummier (and healthier) than the canned condensed stuff.

I like to use a combination of white button and baby bella mushrooms.  Keep in mind, though, that if you use baby bellas, your soup will be light brown in color, and not white like the traditional cream of mushroom soups.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons Smart Balance
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 8oz. containers of sliced mushrooms (I used 1 white button and 2 baby bellas tonight)
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 carton (4 cups) chicken broth
• 1 can (12 oz.) fat-free evaporated milk
• couple tablespoons of whole wheat flour

Directions:

• In a large pot, sauté the minced shallot in melted Smart Balance for a minute until fragrant.
• Add the sliced mushrooms and stir for a couple of minutes.  Season with TSSS and thyme.
• Add in the carton of chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until the mushrooms are soft, 15 - 20 minutes.
• Use an immersion blender for a few seconds to puree the soup; I like to leave it somewhat chunky.
• In a small bowl, whisk the evaporated milk with a couple tablespoons of whole wheat flour.  Add to the soup, increase heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat again and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Serve while hot.

Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Portabellas

I've been making these for years now, don't remember where I got the recipe/idea from. They are YUM.


Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Portabellas

Ingredients:

• PAM
• 2 large portabella caps, cleaned and dried
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1 4oz. log of goat cheese
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a baking sheet with PAM.
• Place portabella caps upside-down (gills facing up) on baking sheet and sprinkle with TSSS.
• In a bowl, combine goat cheese and spinach.  Stuff each portabella cap with the cheese mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the mushroom is tender.

Portabellas with Marinara

Portabellas with Marinara
Adapted from this recipe.
















Ingredients:

• PAM
• Large portabella mushrooms, cleaned and de-stemmed
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• any no sugar added jarred marinara sauce (I use Trader Joe's)
• fresh mozzarella balls (one 1 oz ball per mushroom), sliced

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spray a baking sheet (or a toaster oven pan if you're doing just one!) with PAM.
• Place the mushrooms gill side up (like a shallow cup) on the sprayed pan.  Sprinkle with a little seasoned salt.  Fill with a couple spoonfuls of marinara.
• Bake in oven for 15 minutes.
• Add the mozzarella slices on top and return to oven .  Put on broil for a couple of minutes until the cheese melts.
• Serve immediately.