Portobello mushrooms stuffed with spinach, cheese, marinara, red bell peppers, and onions makes for a healthier "mini pizza"

Have you ever gone to the grocery store, and they have these portobello mushrooms all wrapped up and prettily stuffed with mozzarella and spinach?  I see them all the time, and I always think to myself, “I could do that.”  But I never do.

This past week, though, I did.  I could not think of anything for dinner.  I didn’t really have any instant cravings for anything, so I grabbed my own portobellos, and I brought them home because I had the cheese and baby spinach at home.  As usual, something else struck me as I was making these, and I added in the marinara sauce from Trader Joe’s, the red bell peppers, and the onions.

And you know what?  They tasted JUST LIKE a supreme pizza.

• portobello mushrooms
• marinara sauce (any kind will do, prego, bertoulli, ragu, trader joe’s, you name it)
• baby spinach
• sliced onions
• chopped red bell pepper
• minced garlic
• mozzarella cheese, shredded
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

First, I scooped out the gills of the portobello mushrooms (the black part on the underside of the mushroom) with a spoon.

Then I layered the ingredients in the hollowed out mushroom “bowl” that was made, starting with the marinara sauce and ending with the mozz cheese  and salt and pepper.

Cover and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, then uncover and let cheese get nice and toasty.

Just like-a da pizza!

I’m gonna go ahead and tell you that it is a 5 out of 5, a 10 out of 10, and 100%!  I was going to take off points for the high calorie content, but these little nuggets of deliciousness are just too good.  And I just can’t make myself care because they are that good.  AND they were good 2 days later.  I made it again tonight, experimenting with the amount of butter.

Paula’s recipe calls for one whole stick of butter.  I used a half stick of butter, melted it in the pan with the brown sugar like the recipe calls for, and added some water.  You pour this delicious goodness on the bottom of the bundt pan and between every layer of biscuits, so it worked out well with the water instead of the extra butter.  It made more of a candy coating on the gorilla bread instead of a more…buttery/greasy coating.

Here’s Paula’s recipe for Gorilla Bread posted on Food Network’s site:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
• 2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.

Anyway, these things are super easy to make and handle.  You just follow the instructions for hydrating the wrappers.  They are easier to deal with if you just make sure all of the surface area has been covered by water and then quickly transfer to your work area while they are still hard and papery.

Then you just pile in whatever filling you like and then wrap up like you would a burrito.  Just make sure you include fresh basil and mint.  These are a must, trust me.

Our filling included:

• plain chinese noodles, cooked
• marinated and baked tofu–  I just marinate in soy, bake until slightly crispy, and let cool before I start the spring rolls.  This is also a great way to use any leftover tofu or protein you have from a previous meal.  Shrimp, tempeh, pork, anything you like.
• bean sprouts
• matchstick carrots
• fresh basil
• fresh mint
• sliced cucumber
• chopped fresh green onions

Now for the Thai-inspired Peanut Sauce.

J looked up several recipes while I was baking the tofu, and none of them really appealed to me.  So I just kinda threw together bits and pieces of things I saw.  I don’t have exact measurements because I was adding and tasting as I went.  I just knew I wanted it to be like a peanut sauce we buy in the jar, but better and less spicy.  This recipe makes a lot of sauce, but it’s great on everyday leftovers, and we ate it up in a week.

Here’s what I came up with:

• jar of natural peanut butter, creamy (the unsweetened kind)
• half can of coconut milk (you may have to use more or less depending on the consistency of your peanut butter–just get it to the creamy consistency you like, and it will be good)
• 2 or 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
• a few tablespoons of water (again, just have a cup of water near you, and add until you get the desired consistency of creamy)
• juice of 1 fresh lime
• lime zest of that lime
• approximately 1 tablespoon of fish sauce (sounds weird, but it just adds that little something)
• a couple shakes of dried ground ginger
• several dashes of Mongolian fire oil or chili oil or whatever spicy sauce you usually use to add the heat
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• approximately 1/4 cup sugar or sweetening agent like agave syrup –be careful with this, especially if you used a sweetened peanut butter.  Add a little at a time until you get your desired sweetness.  I like a perfect blend of sweet, salty, and spicy, but that may not be your forte.

I kept adding the fire oil until I got some heat.  The sugar balances it nicely.

The spring rolls will keep for a few days, so if you have leftovers, they are EXCELLENT for the next day’s lunch.

We had these honey lime shrimp kebabs for dinner last night.

You know when you have a big project and you tell yourself you will not do anything else until it is finished?  That is what I feel like these days.  A 264 page publication is set to come out in August, and I need to get it done.  But I do have to cook.  And last night I had a creative moment in the form of this marinade.  We bought some great shrimp at Publix, and the evening had cooled off enough to use the grill.  Unfortunately, our propane tank lost its juice.  But that’s okay because these kabobs can be done in the oven, and they are still amazingly delicious.

I only marinated these for an hour, but in the future, I will definitely give them longer.  The flavors are so fresh that they need time to fully get in there.

The vegetables I used for the kabobs included large chunks of green bell pepper, yellow squash, and red onion.  I marinated all of it with a pound of peeled shrimp.  I just threw these ingredients in as I went, so I am estimating these measurements.  It should be slightly sweet, and not overpoweringly tart.

These honey lime shrimp kebabs are good in the oven or on the grill.

Honey Lime Marinade

whisk together with a fork in the bowl you plan to marinate in:

• juice of 2 limes
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1.5-2 tbsp honey
• 2-3 tbsp of orange juice
• 1-2 tsp of apple cider vinegar
• 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• salt to taste

Since I have most of my cooking adventures in the kitchen, I thought I’d put a before picture of the awful wallpaper I just took down.  I plan to do a major overhaul–painting cabinets a dark brown, new countertops, tile backsplash, undercounter lighting.  I’ll keep you guys posted as I work on it.  I’m really excited because I love being in the kitchen.  I know I’ll love it even more when it’s all done.  Here’s what the wallpaper looked like before I steamed it all off the walls:

The awful wallpaper in our kitchen. Who thought this pattern would be a good thing?

This summer peach pie is my mom's recipe. I have called her so many times to repeat it because it is sooooo sweet and delicious for the summer.

Sometimes I could just hit myself.  I made a peach pie yesterday, ate a slice before it set in the refrigerator, and only THEN realized that my blogger friends might like this!  I am smack dab in the middle of finishing the yearbook, and I think I am delirious.  If you’ve ever worked on a yearbook, you understand the nightmares involved in publishing 268 pages of (mostly) student work.  I say “mostly” because I simply have to do some of it because folks disappear in the summer. But it’s cool.  I don’t mind it…too much.

Which is why this pie is so good.  It is easy, cool, refreshing, and delicious.  You do have to turn on your oven to crisp up the pie crust, but you could do that at night after everyone is out of the kitchen.  Let it cool overnight.  Wake up the next day and fix this while you’re making your lunch.  It’ll be ready before dinner!

This recipe is straight from my mama.  It makes 2 pies, which coincidentally is how many pies crusts come in a package in the freezer section.  You can easily half the recipe to make one, though.  Which is what I did last night.  And only because I didn’t have room in the fridge for 2.

• 2 frozen pie crusts (I recommend deep dish)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp clear corn syrup
• 1 box dry peach jello (3 oz)
• at least 4 fresh peaches per pie

1. Cook the pie crusts according to package instructions.
2. Mix sugar and cornstarch in a microwave safe bowl.
3. Add water and mix.
4. Add corn syrup and mix.  Make sure it is all mixed together.
5. Microwave to boiling–Go 2 minutes and stir.  Go 2 more minutes and stir.  Watch it closely so that it doesn’t boil over and make a big ole mess in your microwave.
6. The mixture should be thicker and clear.  At this point, slowly stir in the box of jello until mixed well.
7. Let it cool.  Let the pie crust cool.
8. Put your peeled fresh peaches in the cooled pie crust.
9. Pour the jello mixture over the peaches.
10. Refrigerate until set.  I can never remember how long I refrigerate it because I always eat some before it is completely set.  =)

While the Germans have been in town, we have gone dancing 3 weekends in a row.

So it’s ridiculous how long it’s been since I posted!  I pretty much had to stop all activities except for grading.  Well, that and hanging out with our German friends.  They come every year for a school exchange, and I must say that they are pretty fantastic people.  In the past month, we have done lots of eating from Pei Wei, Margo’s kitchen, Glen’s grill, and Marcus’s fabulous Thai dish.  It has also been prom season around here, and I have chaperoned, fixed hair, done make-up, and taken tons of pictures.

Our Germans’ month here has turned into almost 6 weeks because of the Iceland volcano.  They can’t fly home!  I really love having them here, and I wish they could stay forever.  But I know that they really want to get home, and their 24 students want to get back to their families.  We just want them to be safe.

Marcus and Daniela are “our Germans” and they are fantastic!  Every time we are all together, the laughing is uncontrollable.  Have you ever had this kind of laughter, where your sides hurt, over and over again?  These Germans–it’s like we’ve known them our entire lives.  And they have a way of bringing out the best and funniest in all of us.  This past Monday night, Marcus cooked a great Thai dish that I will be posting the recipe to soon.  It was their last night in town (or so we thought anyways).  There Marcus is, cooking this beautiful Thai dish with dried chilies from Margo’s garden that she has hanging over the stove, chopping vegetables and things.  We are all sitting around, drinking wine and talking.  It is a warm place, cozy with friends and good-natured familiarity.  Everyone is really laid back, the conversation is always interesting, and I look up to see  that Marcus is wearing a t-shirt with a tiger face on it.  The tiger has a patch on one  eye and a tear rolling out of the other eye.  It read, “Eye of the Tiger.”  You just can’t beat that.

Tonight we will be going dancing again…for the third weekend in a row.  Daniela is always a fun dance partner, and she is really beautiful, too.  Last weekend, as we left the dance club, I looked up to see several forlorn looks on guys’ faces, quite sad to see her leave.  Marcus and Daniela have definitely inspired a trip to Germany in the future for us.

Joe’s birthday was also this week.  I did have time to make him a most beautiful trifle with lemon-scented vanilla pudding, angel food cake, Creme de Cassis liqueur, whipped cream, and some excellent fresh berries.  It is delicious and light enough to enjoy on a warm evening.

Lemon-scented vanilla pudding just means that I zested a lemon and squeezed some fresh lemon juice into vanilla pudding after it set.  It livens up the flavors of the berries.

Ingredients

• big package of vanilla pudding
• whipped cream or cool whip ( I used light)
• large package of fresh blackberries
• regular sized package of fresh blueberries
• regular sized package of fresh strawberries, sliced as you go (save one or two pretty ones for the decoration on the top)
• angel food cake
• Creme de Cassis Liqueur
• juice of half a lemon and its zest

The layers are as follows:

• Mix vanilla pudding and whipped cream (or light cool whip) for the first layer in the bottom of the dish.
• Place evenly sliced pieces of angel food cake on top of that.  Make sure that however thick you want the cake, you definitely don’t want to cut too much of a wedge so that your layers will be more even.
• Brush the cake with Creme de Cassis liqueur.  The angel food cake will soak it right up.
• Place clean, fresh berries on the cake slices.  I mixed them all together, but you could have a layer of just strawberries (then, blueberries on the next round, then blackberries on the next round)
• Spoon on a layer of lemon-scented vanilla pudding
• another layer of angel food cake–keep in mind that you want to cut smaller pieces, too, to fit in the little, unfilled spots
• brush cake with liqueur
• another layer of berries
• pudding
• top with whipped cream
• make a nice design with the leftover berries on the top of the whipped cream

Save some berries to make a design on top of the trifle.

Andrew’s Asian Marinade:

• 2 tbsp. soy
• 3 tbsp. hoisin sauce (easily found in the Asian section)
• 2 tbsp. EVOO
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• a few scallions (I used regular onion diced into tiny pieces b/c I was fresh out of scallions)
• 1/2-1 inch of fresh ginger (or a dash or 2 of the powdered ginger)
• 1/2-1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

The black pepper really lends a new level to this marinade so don’t be afraid to use it liberally.

It’s also good for a tofu marinade. Just cut and dry out your extra firm tofu as you normally would. Marinate it overnight. I baked it in the oven at 350 last night, and it was my best attempt at store-bought tofu to date.

My other idea was to deep fry it first then toss with the marinade in a pan and serve over rice. I have been trying to figure out for months how restaurants get their tofu so perfectly browned on all sides without destroying the shape of their cubes. They have to deep fry. They just have to.

A note on side dishes for this: If your grocery has those large dispensers of organic rices, grains, and dried beans, go for it!  I got my wild rice from one of these bins at the Turnip Truck (but I have also seen these dispensers at Wild Oats and Whole Foods).  It’s a cute little natural market in East Nashville.  I’ve made it a goal to visit all the farmer’s markets and local produce/grocery stores in the Nashville area.  I’ll be posting thoughts soon.

Red leaf lettuce, orange supremes, mascarpone stuffed dates, and sherry shallot vinaigrette can be a fancy salad for guests or just a little something special for you and your honey on new year's eve.

This salad makes me incredibly happy. There are really only 4 ingredients for the salad part. The sherry shallot vinaigrette isn’t very hard either. Sheri, my mother-in-law, loves this salad and first introduced it to me a few months ago. She got the idea at a restaurant in Mississippi. She didn’t get to actually try it, but she made a mental note of the delicious factor for later. And Voila! It has flavors that I would never think of pairing, and I think that’s why she originally tried it out (and that the vinaigrette has her name in it). =)

It can be made into a pretty fancy arrangement if you have guests.  I plan to make it for our New Year’s Eve dinner even though it will be just the two of us.

New Year’s Eve Salad

• red leaf lettuce
• orange supremes (pronounced suprems)
• whole pitted dates
• mascarpone cheese (cream cheese will work if you can’t find this)

Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup EVOO
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 garlic clove, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• a little squirt or two of honey to take the edge off the vinegar

Here’s what makes it cool:

1. Make this like you would any other salad, starting with your clean red leaf lettuce.
2. An orange “supreme” is just a peeled orange with no pulp. “How do I achieve this?” you may ask. Well, after you peel the whole orange, slice inside the pulp lines to remove the meat of the orange. And you have a sweet little orange wedge. Put 4-6 of these “supremes” on each salad, depending on how many folks you are serving.
3. Here comes the most time consuming, depending on how you want to do this next part. If you’re going super fancy, put the mascarpone cheese (Italian Cream Cheese used in Tiramisu) in an icing bag and pipe it into the middle of your pitted dates. If you don’t have cake icing supplies, slit the date vertically. Open it up, spoon in the cheese, and squish it back together again. Sheri usually gives 6 of these cheese-filled dates to each salad. If you don’t have the time or the patience for either of these options, dip each date into the cheese and just put it on the salad. Doing this is super fast, and the cheese kind of mixes with the vinaigrette to make a creamy combo. Very yum.
4. Top with Sherry Vinaigrette. To mix the vinaigrette, you can use one of those cruets that come with a packet of Italian Dressing in the the salad dressing aisle of your grocery. If you don’t have one of these bad boys, I recommend you get one or something like it. It is so much more economical and healthy to make your own dressings. If not, just whisk the above ingredients together in a bowl. No prob, Bob.

I hope your New Year’s is safe, happy, and fun.

Here’s to the start of the end of a decade (or the beginning of a new one, depending on how you look at it).