Thursday, May 20, 2010

4 Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Yep... and they were YUMMY.
So, here is the recipe.
I made 6, so that is what the recipe is based on.
1/4 med onion diced
1/2 medium zucchini, diced
2 cloves of garlic diced
oil spray
total of 1/4 cup of your four favorite cheeses. We used 1 Tbs Parmesan (grated), 1Tbs feta, 1 Tbs Monterrey Jack (grated or diced) and 1 Tbs of Mozzerella. semi soft to hard cheeses are best, brie, goats cheeses and other soft could be messy.
OH and the mushrooms. 6 Med-Large (muffin cup sized) mushroom, cleaned, stemmed.
Heat oven to 400
Combine diced onion, zucchini and garlic and saute` until lightly golden. Move to mixing bowl.
Using your MUFFIN PAN (thank you Rachael Ray) or a regular cookie sheet, or an oven proof skillet. Oil lightly with spray. Place mushrooms stem side down and bake for about 5 minutes. this is to pre-cook them a bit and dry them out so you don't have soggy mushrooms or filling.
Return to filling add 1/4 cup of bread crumbs, and a little basil (or any other herbs you like.)
Stir to combine. Add in 3 of the 4 cheeses, reserve one to melt on top. We used the mozzarella to melt on top.
Remove mushrooms. Mound the stuffing up on the mushrooms, and pack it a little bit. Return them to the pan and bake 5-7 minutes. Just until everything starts to melt. Top with reserved cheese and return to oven to melt.
These were SO yummy. Totally vegetarian as is. We decided though that this would lend itself well to adding crab (or Krab), shrimp, or sausage, or even pieces of shredded chicken. You could add green chiles instead of the feta and Parmesan with the chicken. MMM maybe that will be next.
This was easy to make. It took me about 20 minutes. I did it while I was marinating the fish for dinner.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Our First Meatless Monday

Last night was our first Meatless Monday. We had tostadas. Vegetarian refried beans. My favorite tostada shell, Los Pericos. Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Grillers Recipe Crumbles, that I cooked with salsa. Then topped it all with shredded romaine lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, and avocados. It was super yummy.
I love the Morningstar Farms meatless crumbles. You find them in the freezer section. they cook up in about 5 minutes. It makes enough to make 8-10 totadas. I cook it in a skillet over medium-high heat. Spray the pan with a little oil spray, and add 1-2 tbs of your favorite salsa (or 2-3 packets of Taco Bell hot sauce) Then cook stirring often for a couple minutes. It really cooks so fast. Dinner is ready in no time. The price per meal is comparable to ground beef. I had a package of ground beef in my hand that was a little over a pound of 85/15 that was $4. 26 and the Morningstar Farms crumbles were on sale 2/$7.
Enjoy. Super easy, Low cost.
Morningstar Farms crumbles 2/$7 on sale (used one bag). Refried beans $.88, Lettuce $1.89 a head (only used 1/2) Avocados $1.00 each, Tomatoes $.99 a lb. Scallions $.89 a bunch (used 1/2) Tostada shells $1.49. Grand total. $10.05 for 3-4 people.


Meatless Mondays and Fishy Fridays

I have decided to do at least one day a week where we eat meatless meals, and at least one day a week where we eat fish. This is another attempt to set a good example for my children, expand our recipes, and eat healthier.
Alex wants to eat fish more often. I bought a fish and seafood cookbook. Fishy friday is my way of committing to one day a week. We will likely work up to more times a week. But for now, one day a week is a start.
I have been partially vegetarian for years. I find that when it is just me alone, I revert to eating basically vegetarian. Alex has been very accepting of vegetarian food. Even though he still "lovingly" calls it fascist food. Meghan, my sister, is vegan and has been very good for getting Alex to try new things.