Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Super easy and fast go to meal for a weeknight and perfect for entertaining too!  These stuffed portobella's are lighter and healthier than some of the other recipes out there that call for meat/sausage, but they are so filling you will not miss the meat!  


Ingredients:

4 tablespoons classic Italian dressing

2 large portobello mushroom caps

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 whole roasted red pepper, diced

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning blend

2 cups baby arugula

2 tablespoons italian style bread crumbs 

Prep:
Chop roasted red pepper.  Wipe off mushroom caps with damp paper towel and remove stem.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2. On baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, drizzle italian dressing on baking sheet under each mushroom cap (placed top down).  Then drizzle 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar inside each mushroom cap and set aside.  
3.  In small mixing bowl combine red peppers, panko, gorgonzola, olive oil, italian seasoning and arugula, stir well to combine.  

4. Spoon filling into each mushroom cap and press down.  Sprinkle a tablespoon of italian bread crumbs over the top of each mushroom cap and drizzle with a little olive oil.
5. Bake for 20 minutes

Sweet and Spicy Turkey Chili

This is a mild Chili with a slight sweetness (perfect to serve my toddler, too).  Super easy and healthy!  You will not miss the beef!  All the yummy veggies and the tender turkey breast make a super hardy Chili, good enough to feed your biggest meat lover.   I've made this recipe on the stove top, as well as the crockpot with great results.  You can kick-up the heat by adding a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce or adding a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, to your liking.

Make sure to buy the Turkey Breast or the all white meat ground turkey.  The non-breast package has significantly higher cholesterol, which should be avoided or else you will not benefit from this non-beef substitute.

This recipe also calls for several canned ingredients.  When selecting can goods I always read the label and I try to buy reduced sodium options.  To further reduce the sodium and wash off the preservatives, make sure to rinse the beans and corn in a colander under cold water and drain well, before adding to the Chili.  Also,especially when selecting canned soups or sauces, make sure there are no Hydrogenated ingredients or High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Look in the natural food section for soups that are made with "All Natural" or "Organic" ingredients; or at least stuff you recognize.

Ingredients:
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lb ground turkey breast
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Ground Clove
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (10.75-oz) can condensed tomato soup (all natural or organic, if available)
1 (14.5-oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 (10-oz) can mild "Ro-tel" diced tomatoes/green chile's (undrained)
1 (15-oz) can dark red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (15-oz) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (15-oz) can sweet corn kernels (drained and rinsed)
1/2 lb whole wheat dumpling style noodles, for serving

Toppings may include, reduced fat shredded mexican cheese, reduced fat sour cream, diced green onion, sliced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, or whatever you like...

Prep:
Chop onion and bell pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat olive oil in large saucepan on medium-high, add onions, bell pepper and a pinch of salt. Saute for 3 mins, stirring occasionally.

2. Add ground turkey and stir to crumble meat, cook 4–5 minutes or until no pink remains.

3. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano, and garlic powder.

4. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring often.

5. Reduce heat to low; cook 15-20 more minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.
6. Serve over whole wheat noodles.  Add toppings, as desired.

To make in the crockpot, brown the meat first. Then combine with all the other ingredients in the crockpot and cook on high for 4 - 6 hours.

First Post - Getting Started

On my way to Ellis Island

Hello,  I've decided to start this blog at the suggestion of my husband who is my biggest food fan.  He is always raving about my food so he's convinced me to share it.  I love cooking mostly because I find it very relaxing.  I know this sounds crazy to most of you, but it takes my mind and my focus off of the ciaos and allows me to be creative.  I am a stay-at-home mom of two beautiful baby girls under the age of two.  So believe me when I say finding time to shop, plan and cook is hard enough without throwing blogging on top.  So bare with me, this may be a project that falls through the cracks but I thought I'd give it a try.

My husband and I are not picky eaters, however he does have a heart defect that encourages us to eat healthy.  We try to stay away from red meat and recipes that require a lot of butter/cream (however we believe everything is healthy in moderation), and I try to substitute creatively to get the same effect where it makes sense.  I mostly cook based on cravings and what I have in my pantry/refrigerator, or if I'm planning a meal I cook what is on sale at the store.  I do not typically follow a recipe to the 'T'.  I like to add and subtract from various recipes to make my own version.  Hence a lot of what I make, I never make the same twice, but it always taste really good.  This blog will force me to take better measurements of my ingredients (something I don't typically do) and help me document some yummy stuff for future reference.


Getting Started:

I try to keep a stock of items in my pantry and frig that allow me to make a variety of recipes. That way when I'm preparing a meal all I typically need to pick up at the store is my protein and a few veggies/herbs. Whenever any of these items run out, I immediately replace it but I mostly just buy it up whenever it goes on sale so that we don't run out.  It's amazing how many dishes I can come up with using these standard stock ingredients.

Here is the start of my pantry/frig standard stock list that I try to keep on hand:


Pasta - Whole Wheat and White - Linguine, Spaghetti, Penne, Rotini, No Yoke Egg Noodles, Couscous
Rice - Jasmine, Whole Wheat, Yellow, Black Bean & Rice
Quinoa
Bread Crumbs - Italian w/Romano and Panko
Canned Tomatoes- San Marzano Whole Tomatoes, Fired Roasted Diced, Tomatoes Sauce, Tomato Paste
Soup - Chicken Stock, Vegetable Stock, Cream of Chicken, Cream of Mushroom - Low Sodium variety
Canned Beans - Green Beans (French and Cut), Black Beans, Kidney Beans, Black Eyes Peas, Cannelloni
Canned Corn
Enchilada Sauce
Roasted Red Peppers
Olives - Black Sliced, Kalamata Whole pitted
Capers
Oils - Olive Oil Extra Virgin, Olive Oil Classic (for dipping), Canola, Vegetable
Vinegar - Red Wine, Balsamic, Apple Cider, White Vinegar, White Balsamic, White Wine
Wines - White, Red, Marsala
Flour - All Purpose and Whole Wheat
Red Onions
Garlic
Shallot
Lemons
Dijon Mustard

Worcestershire Sauce
Soy Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce
Cheese - Grated Parm, Shredded Mozz and Mexican blend, Crumbled Feta, Blue and Gorgonzola
Eggs
Butter

Milk
Sour Cream
Nuts - Walnuts, Sliced Almonds, Peacans
Spices - too many to name them all but here are the most used - Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, Red Pepper flakes, Chili Powder, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Italian Seasoning, Whole Oregano, Curry Powder, Cinnamon, White Pepper