Cheddar and Poblano Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Such an easy recipe - a perfect weeknight meal for two.

Ingredients
2 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and gills scraped from cap - get the biggest ones you can find
2 poblano peppers
1 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup cooked rice (1/4 cup dry)
1 cup baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Start rice cooking while you prep the rest of the ingredients.  Broil the poblano peppers on high about 3 inches away from the heat 5-8 minutes on each side - the skin will start to blacken and bubble which is good.  Once its charred on both sides, move to a bowl and cover with aluminum foil to cool.

Once the poblano pepper is done under the broiler, move the mushroom caps to the broiler and broil cap side up towards the heat so liquids drain easily.  Broil about 5 - 10 minutes until soft.  Remove from broiler and set aside.

While mushrooms and poblano are broiling,  saute the onion in 1 tsp of oil until soft.  Add spinach to pan and stir till wilted.  Turn off heat.

By now the rice should be cooked - mix the rice, spinach and onion in a bowl together.  Take poblanos from bowl and peel skin away (it should pull away easily with your fingers), remove seeds and dice.  Add poblanos and cheddar cheese to rice mixture.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pre-heat oven to 325.  Place mushrooms capside down in an oven safe pan and spoon rice mixture into mushroom cap - use the entire mixture even if it overflows into the pan (trust me - its so good you'll want to eat it all!).  Bake stuffed mushrooms for 20 minutes and serve.

Huevos Rancheros

A great way to use the left over ingredients from the Chipotle Mushroom Tacos.  Super easy dinner - takes all of 30 minutes to make.

Ingredients
15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 chipotle in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp cilantro
4 tortillas
4 eggs
milk
sharp cheddar cheese
guacamole
salsa
sour cream

The hardest thing about this recipe is making the black beans.  Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet, add garlic and chipotle and simmer until fragrant - about 1 minute.  Add black beans, salt, and 1/3 cup of water and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add cilantro, turn heat down to low and cover for about 15 minutes until most of the liquid is evaporated.

Layer the tortillas on a plate, with a paper towel between each layer - heat for 1 minute in the microwave and set aside.

Heat salsa in a small bowl for about 30 seconds (that way it won't cool the eggs down) and set aside.

Beat the eggs with a splash of milk and scramble in a non-stick skillet.  While eggs are cooking, arrange two tortillas per plate, top with fresh shredded cheddar cheese, the black beans, then the eggs.  Then garnish with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. 

Enjoy!

Chipotle Mushroom Tacos

This is a fun healthy take on tacos.  Inspired by a recipe in Martha Shulman's Recipes for Health - an excellent cookbook for anyone looking to cook healthier in the New Year.  We served this with a side of Spanish rice.

 Makes 4 - 6 tacos


Ingredients
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 lb mushrooms (any variety - I used cremini), sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 chipotle chile in adobo sauce - finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
4-6 tortillas

Garnishes
Crumbled feta
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour Cream

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add shallot cook until tender - about 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook until starting to brown - about 3 minutes.  Add salt, chipotle pepper, and garlic - stir well.  Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until all the liquid in the skillet has evaporated for the most part - about 5 to 10 minutes.  Stir in cilantro and turn off heat.

Serve with heated tortillas and your choice of garnishes.

Mushroom Soup with Sherry and Truffle Oil

Inspired by Anthony Bourdain's Mushroom Soup from Les Halles.  This was the perfect way to use up my left over turkey stock from Christmas.  I couldn't believe how easy this recipe was to make - especially with a handy immersion blender!  This could easily be made vegetarian as well. 

INGREDIENTS

6 tbsp butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
12 oz button mushrooms, halved (quartered if large)
4 cups chicken stock (or veggie if you want to make vegetarian)

1 sprig parsley  

3 oz sherry
1 tsp salt 

fresh cracked pepper

black truffle oil (optional) 

Melt 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot and saute onion until soft but not brown.  Add remaining butter, melt and then stir in mushrooms - saute 8 minutes.  Add parsley sprig and chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for an hour.  

Puree with immersion blender or in pour into regular blender and puree.  If using regular blender, pour it back in the pot and bring back to a simmer.  Stir in sherry and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle with truffle oil if desired and serve.

Serve with crusty bread and brie cheese and a green salad for a complete meal.

 

Mushroom and Barley Casserole

This is one of my favorite dishes I've tried in the last month.  I adapted this from 101 Cookbooks (which is one of my most favorite food blogs) and its just delicious.  I love how the barley and mushrooms create something so rich but healthy as well!

Serves 4

1/2 cup pearl barley (I love barley, but if you don't have it in your pantry sub brown rice)
1 1/2 cups water
1 veggie bouillon cube (optional)
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
6oz mushrooms (your favorite kind will do - I used baby bellas), chopped
1/2 large onion, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup mixed fresh herbs (basil, oregano, thyme - whatever you like best)
4 oz low fat cottage cheese
4 oz low fat sour cream
1 egg
2 oz fresh grated parmesan
Kosher salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350

Boil the water, barley and bouillon in a large pot uncovered.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. 

In the meantime, heat butter and olive oil in a saute pan.  Once butter has melted add mushrooms and saute until soft and golden brown and season with a bit of salt.  Add onion and garlic, season with a bit more salt and saute until soft.  Turn off heat and stir in barley.

In a large bowl, combine basil, egg, cottage cheese and sour cream.  Once combined, mix in barley mixture.  Pour cheese and barley mixture into an 8x8 dish, and sprinkle evenly with parmesan and fresh cracked pepper.

Bake uncovered for 30 - 45 minutes until cheese on top is well browned.  Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.  Sprinkle with additional parmesan as desired.

Enjoy!

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Serves 2

3 portobello mushrooms
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1 medium shallot
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp fresh dill - chopped
2 oz shredded gouda
Kosher Salt
Cayenne Pepper
1/4 cup mayo


2 Fresh hamburger buns from the bakery (Ryan and I like brioche buns from the local farmer's market)
1 small bunch of arugula or baby spinach
2 thin slices of fresh tomato

Take the mushroom caps and clean with a damp paper towel, brushing dirt off the cap.  Remove the stems from the inside of the cap, cut away any dirt, and set aside.  Scrape the gills out of the two prettiest caps using a small spoon.  Set aside.

Take the third cap (the not so pretty one) an chop it up along with the mushroom stems.  Grind in a food processor until coarsely mixed, then set aside in a bowl.  Next, chop the bell pepper, shallot, and half the garlic clove into large chunks, and grind in food processor until coarsely mixed.  Saute bell pepper mixture in a pan with a little bit of olive or grapeseed oil until soft - about 5 minutes.  Add chopped mushroom to bell pepper mix, and continue to saute until liquid is almost absorbed - about another 5 minutes.

Pour sauteed mixture into bowl, and add shredded gouda and 1 tbsp of dill.  Stir to combine and season to taste with kosher salt and cayenne.

Heat a grill to medium heat (about 400) and grill the whole mushroom caps stem side down.  This is very important - if you start with stem side up, the cap will collect juices and you'll have to drain it before you can continue.  Grill for 7 minutes, then transfer them to a plate and fill with sauteed cheese mixture.  Place back on grill, filling side up, for another 5 minutes.

While a friend takes care of the grilling, mix mayo, remaining garlic (pressed or minced), and last tbsp of dill in a small bowl.  Season with pepper, and keep in fridge until mushrooms are ready.  Toast buns in broiler, and when mushrooms are done, spread sauce on both sides of the bun.  Place mushroom on bottom side of bun, and add tomato, arugula and a bit more shredded gouda if you like.

Slice in half, and serve hot!

Enjoy!