Grilled Portabella Veggie "Pizzas"

What a great way to substitute the dough in pizza!  These "pizzas" were super easy to make and you could put anything you want on them really.  I followed this recipe but added my own toppings.  I could not find the Laughing Cow cheese recommended in this recipe so i just used shredded mozzarella cheese. In the frying pan I added garlic, onion and yellow pepper to top the cheese, then I mixed up freshly diced tomatoes and fresh basil. The notes in the recipe are not mine but the creator of this recipe that I found on Twitter. (@NicoleHCook) www.dailydishrecipes.com/grilled-portabella-veggie-pizzas/  

2 large portabella mushroom caps

2 cloves of garlic, chopped (or minced)

2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil (you really don't need much)

4 wedges of Laughing Cow - Light Garlic & Herb cheese

1 cup red peppers, chopped

1 cup green peppers, chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 cup baby kale, chopped

1. In a large saucepan on your stove, heat the olive oil on low.

2. Pop your portabella mushrooms in there and saute for 1-2 minutes.  Flip them over and saute the other side for about 1-2 minutes or just until they are slightly softened.  Remove the mushrooms to a baking pan lined with tin foil.

3. Add the garlic, onions, kale and both peppers to the oil.

4. Saute for a few minutes or until the onions are translucent.  Stir around frequently.  I also added a dash of salt and pepper but it's definitely not needed.

5. Remove from heat when done.

6. Add two wedges of Laughing Cow Light Garlic and Herb cheese to each portabella cap. Kinda smoosh it down in there.

7. Divide the veggies from the saucepan between the two portabella mushrooms.

8. Broil the mushrooms for about 2-3 minutes (I did this in my toaster oven on the broil setting, if using a large oven, just pay attention to it and don't walk away so you don't burn anything).

Krispie Treat Chicks

I found this great recipe on Twitter just in time for Easter!  I made them up today and they just turned out so cute! I'll  have to make another batch soon.  I used solid chocolate eggs instead of the mini Cadbury eggs since my little ones do not like them. (Although I truly love them and may add them into my next batch) I also don't think I added enough yellow food coloring in my first try.  I could not find the candy coated sunflower seeds in the stores I went to, so I just used an orange mini M&M turned to look like a beak.  The original recipe, which contains lots of helpful pictures, is found at www.cookiesandcups.com/krispie-treat-chicks/   

Ingredients for 1 batch "Basic Rice Krispie Treats" (recipe below)
Yellow food coloring
24 Mini Cadbury Eggs, unwrapped
Chocolate covered sunflower seeds
Mini brown M&Ms or mini chocolate chips
Mini white cupcake liners

1. Make "Basic Rice Krispie Treats" according to directions, but as soon as the marshmallows are ALMOST melted, add in your yellow food coloring.  Use as much or little as you would like to reach desired effect.
2. Immediately add in cereal and allow to cool for just a few minutes, so the Cadbury Egg does not melt.
3. Using about 1/4 cup of Krispie mixture, form a ball around each Cadbury Egg, placing on parchment lined baking sheet.
4. Press orange sunflower seed vertically on to ball, to mimic a beak, and 2 mini M&Ms or chocolate chips for the eyes.
5. Place each in a mini white cupcake liner for presentation. 

Notes:
Store airtight for up to 2 days, although, best if eaten the same day, as with any Krispie treat.

Basic Rice Krispie Treats
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package (10 oz, about 20) regular marshmallows
-OR-
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal

1. In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat.  Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat.
2. Add Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal.  Stir until well coated.

Corn and Vegetable Chowder

I love making soups since it's a great way for the kids to eat their vegetables. This one is packed full of goodness and it's an amazing recipe.  Seriously, you never fail taking a soup recipe from Norene Gilletz. This is taken from her cookbook "MealLeaniYumm!".   This soup reheats and freezes well.  Do not boil. Yield: about 12 servings

1 tbsp canola oil

2 large onions, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 to 4 carrots, chopped

2 tbsp flour

6 cups vegetable broth (or 1 tbsp instant pareve soup mix plus 6 cups water)

3 potatoes, peeled and diced

6 cups frozen corn kernels (1kg/2lb)

1 1/2 cups frozen green peas

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp dried basil and/or thyme 

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups skim or 1% milk (approximately)*

3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced*

3 to 4 tbsp, chopped fresh dill

3 green onions, chopped

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions, celery and carrots.  Sauté on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. (If necessary, add a little water to prevent sticking.) Stir in flour and cook 1 minute longer.

2. Slowly add broth and stir until smooth.  Add potatoes, corn, peas, bay leaf, basil and/or thyme.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Discard bay leaf.

3. Remove about 3 cups of vegetables from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them in the processor.  Process until coarsely puréed. Return mixture to the saucepan and stir in milk.  If soup is too thick, add a little more milk.  If soup is too thin, purée some more of the veggies.  Add tomatoes and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until heated through.  Do not boil.  Add dill and green onions.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

* The color of this soup will be nicer with 1% milk, but the fat content is lower if you use skim milk. Evaporated skim milk can be substituted.

* To peel and seed fresh tomatoes: Cut out the stem end using the point of a sharp knife.  Plunge tomatoes into a pot of boiling water.  Cook for 20 seconds.  Pour off water and add cold water immediately to tomatoes to cover completely.  Skins will slip off easily.  Cut in half and squeeze gently to remove seeds.  

Quinoa with Moroccan Winter Squash and Carrot Stew

Full of color and full of flavor!!  I seriously loved this dish.  This recipe is taken from "The Epicurious Cookbook, More than 250 of our Best-loved Four-fork Recipes" by Tanya Steele and the editors of Epicurious.  The ingredient list looks long, but it's super easy to make.  I premixed all my spices before I started. 

FOR STEW

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pinch of saffron

1 cup water

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups 1-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (from 1.5 pound squash)

2 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled carrots

FOR QUINOA

1 cup quinoa

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 cups water

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint, divided

FOR STEW

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion; sauté until soft, stirring often about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic; stir 1 minute.  Mix in the paprika and the next 8 ingredients.  Add 1 cup water, tomatoes, and lemon juice.  Bring to boil.  Add the squash and carrots.  Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

FOR QUINOA

1. Rinse quinoa; drain.  Melt the butter with oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and carrot.  Cover, cook until vegetables begin to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic, salt, and turmeric; sauté 1 minute.  Add the quinoa; stir 1 minute.  Add 2 cups water.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover; simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Rewarm the stew.  Stir in half of the cilantro and half of the mint.  Spoon the quinoa onto a platter, forming a well in center.  Spoon the stew into the well.  Sprinkle with the remaining herbs. 

Marinated Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli

This is a great cold salad! I had salmon tonight with this amazing salad as a side. This recipe is taken from "The New Moosewood Cookbook" by Mollie Katzen.  Instead of the walnut oil, I used olive oil and I used the red wine vinegar instead of the raspberry vinegar. When I make this again I will try adding the toasted chopped pecans to sprinkle on top.  Easy to make and super good!

Yield: about 6 servings
15 to 20 minutes to prepare
at least 2 hours to marinade

3 medium-sized sweet potatoes or yams (1 1/2 to 2 lbs)

MARINADE:
1/2 cup walnut oil (if unavailable, use olive oil)
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs raspberry vinegar (if unavailable, use red wine vinegar)
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. dry mustard
1 Tbs. honey
freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch broccoli (1 to 1 1/2 lbs), cut into small pieces

OPTIONAL GARNISHES:
Thin slices of green apple
Chopped, toasted pecans

1. Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them in halves or quarters, then into thin slices.  Put them up to cook, either on or over boiling water (in a steamer).  Meanwhile, prepare the marinade.
2. Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium-large bowl.  As soon as the sweet potato slices are tender, add them, still hot, to the marinade.  Mix gently.
3. Steam the broccoli until bright green and just tender.  Rinse under cold running water and drain completely.  Lay the broccoli spears carefully on top of the salad.  Cover tightly and marinate for several hours.
4. Within 15 minutes of serving, mix in the broccoli from on top.  Serve garnished with thin slices of green apple and chopped, toasted pecans. 

Brown Butter M&M Cookies

I found this recipe on a blog called "Dinners Dishes & Desserts". http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/brown-butter-mm-cookies-sundaysupper/
I have never made cookies with brown butter before, and I have to say that these are fantastic!  I added Valentine Smarties to mine since it's almost Valentine's Day, and I am making cookies to give away to friends. I love the combination of the hard shelled candies with the chocolate chips. I also omitted the salt since I used salted butter.

1 cup brown butter (recipe below)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
3/4 cup M&M's

1. Prepare brown butter and allow to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F.
3. Mix brown butter, sugar and brown sugar together until well combined.
4. Add vanilla and 2 eggs.  Mix until everything is incorporated.
5. Stir in flour, salt, and baking soda.
6. Fold in chocolate chips.
7. Scoop golf ball size balls of dough onto a baking sheet.  Top with a few M&M's.
8. Bake for 10 minutes.
9. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Brown Butter:

Unsalted butter, sliced into tablespoon sized slices

1. Heat a thick-bottomed skillet on medium heat.  Add the sliced butter (sliced so that the butter melts more evenly) whisking frequently.  Continue to cook the butter.
2. Once melted the butter will foam up a bit, then subside.  Watch carefully as lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan.  Smell the butter; it should have a nutty aroma.  Remove from heat and place on a cool surface to help stop the butter from cooking further and perhaps burning. 

It's pretty easy to overcook browned butter and go from brown to burnt.  If the butter starts to blacken, the blogger suggests dumping it and starting over.

Bang Bang Chicken

This recipe is outstanding!  Great for a dinner or an appetizer.  I found the link to this recipe on Twitter.  (http://www.jocooks.com/main-courses/poultry-main-courses/bang-bang-chicken/ )  I used the 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce in the dipping sauce.

For Chicken:
4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Panko breadcrumbs
oil for frying

For Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (Jo Cooks used Frank's)
1 tbsp Frank's hot sauce
2 tbsp honey

1. In a medium bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.  To the bowl add the hot sauce, egg, and buttermilk, and whisk until you have a smooth batter.  Add the chicken pieces to the bowl, toss to make sure each piece is coated in the batter and set aside.
2. In another bowl add about a cup of Panko breadcrumbs
3. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together and refrigerate until ready for serving.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet.
5. Coat each piece of chicken with breadcrumbs, add more breadcrumbs if needed, and fry on both sides for 3 to 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.  Place on paper napkins to soak up some of the oil.  Repeat with all the chicken pieces.  Only add a few pieces of chicken to the skillet at a time, so the chicken turns out crispy.
6. Drizzle chicken with sauce and serve.