Chicken Mushroom Bake

This is another versatile and comforting dish that works so well as both main dish and side, depending on how you fix it.

Leave out the meat and you have a wonderful mushroom side dish that is both filling and nutritious. Add some meat, and you have a full main dish.

Hope you enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS:
  For the meat:

• 2 chicken thighs, boneless, cubed
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
• salt and pepper
• EVOO

  For the veggies:

• 1 lb assorted mushrooms (if using any dried, hydrate in hot water for 20 minutes before slicing), sliced. 
• 1/2 c diced onions
• 1 c veggies of choice (saute or microwave al dente for hard to cook veggies)

  For the Sauce:

• 1 C cream
• 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
• 1 C Manchego cheese, grated
• 1 clove garlic, microplaned
• 1 tbsp sage, minced
• 3/4 c ricotta cheese
• Juice of one lemon

1/2 lb pasta of choice, cooked al dente.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put the chicken in a small bowl, sprinkle with the balance of the ingredients for the meat and drizzle with EVOO. Mix well. (Can be done in advance for a few hours)
2. Place in a saute pan and brown well. 
3. Add the mushrooms and onions to a separate pan and saute until mostly cooked through. Add the other veggies at the end, and warm through. 
4. For the Sauce: mix all the ingredients together. (If doing ahead, you can cover and place in the fridge. Add just before popping it in the oven. 
5. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain. 
6. In a good sized baking dish add the pasta, the chicken mixture, the mushroom mixture, and then the sauce. Spread the sauce, mix it all if you wish or merely allow it to sink in as it warms in the oven.
7. Place in 400 oven for 40 minutes or until it's starting to brown on top. 

SERVES: 6

NOTES: You can make this meatless. Add any veggies in addition to the mushroom that you wish. Change any of the cheese you wish. Manchego can be hard to find in non-Hispanic areas so substitute fontina or asiago, or gruyere. You can substitute ground beef for the chicken. You could also add something like corned beef. 

SOURCE: Adapted from NYTimes Cooking

Mexican Street Corn

You are in for a treat if you've never fixed this. Common in Mexican communities, street vendors often sell corn on the cob, and it's quite different from the version usually encountered with just butter and some salt on it.

So as the grilling season commences, do think about adding this to your repertoire.

INGREDIENTS:

• Several ears of corn (4)

1/2 c mayonnaise

• 1 tsp chipotle or other chile powder (mild or hot)
• 1/4 c shredded cheese such as cotija or queso fresco
• Salt and pepper
• lime wedges
• cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pull back the corn husk or remove whichever you prefer.
2. Place ears of corn on the grill and grill until at least parts of the corn are charred. Turn frequently. 
3. In a small bowl, add the chile powder, mayo, cheese and salt and pepper and combine. 
4. When the corn is done, using a pastry brush, brush the mayo "sauce" over the corn. 
5. Serve with lime wedges and sprinkle with cilantro if desired. 

SERVES: 4

NOTES: This is a basic recipe and you can vary the type of cheese you use. Some prefer to cook the mayo sauce on the cob. You can also cut off the corn from the cob, after grilling,  and add just enough of the mayo mixture as needed to coat the kernels. Serve normally in a bowl as a side dish.

SOURCE: Sherry Peyton

Pizza Roll Bites

These are so simple and so good, I imagine you will make them often.

You can adapt it pretty much to your tastes and then just stand back and watch them go.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pkg. egg roll wraps
• 1 pkg pepperoni slices
• 6 oz or so of shredded mozzarella cheese
• oil for frying

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Lay out a wrap and place 3-4 slices of pepperoni across the center diagonally. 
2. Add about 2 tbsp shredded cheese.
3. Roll up. At the edge, using a small bowl of water, dip finger in water and draw down the edge, then roll onto the wet edge and seal. Press down the ends but don't worry about making them secure, the rapid fry causes the wrap to swell up and seal the ends just fine.
4. Drop in oil running at about 350, about 1 inch deep in a cast iron fry pan. (Can use a deep fryer, but I don't think you can do more than 2 at a time that way. I got 3 comfortably in the fry pan)
5. Fry for about 1 minute and then turn over with tongs. Lightly brown on the rest, and remove to a rack to cool and allow extra oil to drip off. 
6. Continue until you are out of either pepperoni or wraps.

SERVES: 8 for appetizers

NOTES: These will freeze perfectly. Just lay them on a rack in a 400 oven, watching carefully until warmed through. Don't leave too long or they will burst and the cheese will run out. Also, you can add bits of chopped veggies of your choice (I would cook them first). Or do cooked meats and other cheeses. 

SOURCE: Sherry Peyton

Hamburger Hoagies

I'm always in the market for a good new sandwich. And there always seem plenty to choose from.

I lost the reference to this recipe, but think it came from a A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures, but I couldn't find it on the site, mostly because it's a navigational irritant.

So, I had written down most of the ingredients, and then I added a bit of this and that, and well, it's still not my recipe, but near enough.

We really liked it.

Hope you might as well.



INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb good quality ground beef
• About 1/2 c of sliced onion
• About 1 c of sliced mushrooms
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• A-1 sauce (3 tbsp) or 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/8-1/4 c flour
• 2/3-1 c beef broth
• salt and pepper
• slices of swiss cheese
• 4 hoagie rolls

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Brown thoroughly the beef. Use a tbsp of oil if necessary (depending on the fat content). If your beef is very lean, you might need to add more (oil or butter) when the beef is done in order to make the gravy. 
2. In a separate pan, add the butter, and the onions and mushrooms and saute slowly until done. Set aside. 
3. Once the beef is done, add more fat if necessary and then sprinkle the flour across the top. Add the beef broth and stir in. Bring to a slow boil until it thickens. Adjust the thickness with additional broth. 
4. Add the A-1 sauce or Worcestershire. Stir in. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Split the hoagies open and butter on both inner surfaces. Put under the broiler until browned. 
6. Add the onions and mushroom mix to the beef and mix thoroughly and then spoon into each roll open-faced. 
7. Add 2 slices of swiss cheese to each. 
8. Return to the broiler just until the cheese melts. 

SERVES: 4

NOTES: You could add sauteed green peppers to this. Change the cheese to cheddar if you wish, but this will send it in the direction of a Philly Sub. I served this with coleslaw. 

SOURCE: Adapted from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Cornbread Muffins Redux*

I've made a lot of different varieties of cornbread, Northern and Southern and sexy Mexicali types as well, but this one really was worth trying.

It has all the good taste one hopes for in a cornbread. It's moist, so it's like Northern but not sweet which makes it a bit more like Southern. Best of all, it contains approximately 2 tsp of flour per muffin, a good deal less than traditional recipes.

So enjoy a great cornbread at a much lowered carb count.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup milk of choice 

1 1/2 tbsp butter, or oil of choice (also applesauce will work)

1/2 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar 

2/3 cup corn, drained if canned 

1/2 cup cornmeal 

1/2 cup spelt

2 tbsp sugar of choice 

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Whisk together the first 4 ingredients. Set aside.
2.  Preheat the oven to 350 F, and line a muffin tin with liners or grease the muffin tin.
3.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and stir well.
4.  Once the oven reaches the correct temperature, pour wet into dry, stir until just evenly combined, and portion into the muffin tin.
5.  Bake on the center rack for 17 minutes or until muffins have risen and domed. 

SERVES: 12 muffins
NOTES: you can of course add some chiles to this batter or cheese would also work...I'd say on the cheese about 2/3-3/4 of a cup.
SOURCE: Chocolate Covered Kate

A Flourless Brownie You Can Love*

Another in a long series. This one is a definite keeper. It's very chocolaty, it's very cake-like. It will stand up well to frostings and fillings.

It won't look great, but it will taste pretty darn good, so live with it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 eggs
• 100g/ 3.6 oz melted butter
• 60g/2.2 oz melted coconut oil (can be replaced with butter to make this totally coconut free)
• 60g/ 2.2 oz unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 120g/ 4.2oz cream cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and using a stick blender with the blade attachment, blend until smooth.
2. Pour into a lined square baking dish (21cm/8.5 inch).
3. Bake at 180C/350F for 20-25 minutes until cooked on the centre.
4. Slice into squares, rectangle bars or triangle wedges.

SERVES: 9

NOTES: You can easily add chips or other dried fruit, and/or nuts to this. 

SOURCE: Ditch the Carbs