Chicken with Mushrooms

This is another recipe found in Everyday Food that looked good and easy. You definitely need to love mushrooms to love this dish, but I do :-)! I wish I would have pounded the chicken to thin it a bit and help it cook faster but overall I thought it was good. We served ours over rice.

Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used cornstarch)
1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley


Directions
1. Place flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then coat with flour, shaking off excess.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. In batches, cook chicken until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
3. Reduce heat to medium, add thyme, mushrooms, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and cook until softened, 6 minutes.
4. Add wine and broth and cook, stirring, until reduced by half, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Return chicken to pan along with any accumulated juices; top with parsley.

serves 4. per serv: 375 cal, 17g fat, 41g protein, 13g carb, 1g fiber

Crazy Pizza

Guess what?! My kids LOVED this dinner!!! That has not happened in a looong time, so it was exciting :-). It is no surprise though, this is basically pizza in a casserole form...what's not to love. It is not gluten-free so I ate leftovers instead but the rest of the family ate up their crazy pizza so fast I couldn't believe it! Thanks taste buds for the super easy and fun recipe!

(I doubled it and baked in a 9x13 pan)
Ingredients:
8 oz extra lean ground beef or turkey
1 3/4 cup pizza sauce (I used a jar of spaghetti sauce)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup sliced ripe olives (I left out)
1 can Pillsbury refrigerated buttermilk biscuits - 7.5 oz can
2/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large skillet brown meat. Add mushrooms, green pepper, onion and olives (I chopped mine super small in a food processor first). Mix well to combine. Stir in pizza sauce. Remove skillet from heat. Separate biscuits and cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Gently stir biscuit pieces into meat mixture. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. Continue baking until cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Place baking dish on a wire rack and let set 5 minutes.

Sausage and Spinach Rice Bowls

I found this meal idea on Fabulously Delicious. It was easy, fast and super tasty. I ate it for I think 4 meals as leftovers over the next few days and still loved it! Sometimes I topped it with some shredded cheese too, which made it even better. Next time I want to try it with quinoa...I think it would be fab!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I brown rice, but I think I'll use quinoa next time)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. hot Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
1/2 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 4-oz can sliced mushrooms
(I added 1 14 oz can of artichokes, drained)
1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers (jarred or fresh)
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and onion; cook, stirring to crumble sausage, until sausage is cooked through and onion is tender. Stir in garlic; cook 2 minutes more. Add mushrooms and peppers, stir to combine, then add spinach. Cook until spinach is just wilted. Stir in rice, mix well to combine and continue cooking until heated through.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I LOVED this pasta from Skinnytaste! If there is one thing I love to eat every now and then is a creamy pasta dish. Sometimes it just hits the spot. I loved the spicy chicken in combination with the crisp veggies and creamy sauce. SOOO delicious! I kept the sauce and noodles separate to help the leftovers stay better.

Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked linguine (I used gluten-free spaghetti)
1 pound chicken breast strips
1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tbsp flour
3 tbsp light cream cheese
fresh cracked pepper
2 scallions, chopped
salt to taste
Smart Balance cooking spray

Directions:
Prep all your vegetables. In a small blender make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside.
Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.
Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.
Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and add half of the chicken. Sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done, set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Set aside.
Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes.
Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in slurry stirring about 2 minutes.
Return chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot, then add linguine; toss well to coat. Top with chopped scallions and enjoy.

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Calories: 323.8 • Fat: 6.2 g • Protein: 25.9 g • Carb: 44.1 g • Fiber: 6.3 g • Sugar: 3.2 g • Sodium: 126.5 mg (without salt)

Mushroom and Sausage Ragu with Polenta

The last time I tried a dish with polenta I didn't love it, but I did LOVE this one! It comes from an old issue of Cooking Light. The sauce was also great on noodles, which is what I did for my kiddos.

Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
* 8 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
* 2 large garlic cloves, minced
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
* 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
* 2 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1 cup uncooked polenta
* 4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (I used FF)
* 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Remove sausage from casings. Add sausage to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove sausage from pan.
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in sausage, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium; simmer gently for 15 minutes.
3. Bring broth and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add polenta, stirring well. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 20 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, cheese, and butter. Serve with sausage mixture.

Serving size: 1 cup polenta, 1 cup ragu, Calories: 428 Fat: 18.7g Saturated fat: 8.4g Protein: 18.2g Carbohydrate: 46g Fiber: 4.6g Cholesterol: 53mg Iron: 3.3mg Sodium: 821mg Calcium: 74mg

Artichoke Mushroom Lasagna

I don't think I've ever been so behind on posting recipes before...I like to get them up here as soon as I make them. But life has been SO busy that it just has been low on the priority list. This lasagna was a hit though...even with Mike who is not a big pasta (or meatless dish) fan. In fact, he even had leftovers of it the next day...and he's not a leftovers guy either, so that says TONS!!! I used gluten-free noodles and loved it! (recipe from Taste of Home apr/may 2011)

Ingredients:
* 1 pound sliced baby portobello mushrooms
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 cans (14 ounces each) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
* 1 cup chardonnay or other white wine (used white cooking wine)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
SAUCE:
* 1/4 cup butter, cubed
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used cornstarch)
* 3-1/2 cups 2% milk
* 2-1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
* 1 cup chardonnay or other white wine
ASSEMBLY:
* 9 no-cook lasagna noodles (I used gluten-free and cooked them before assembly)
* 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions
* In a large skillet, saute mushrooms in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the artichokes, wine, salt and pepper; cook over medium heat until liquid is evaporated.
* For the sauce, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in Parmesan cheese and wine.
* Spread 1 cup sauce into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Layer with three noodles, 1-2/3 cups sauce, 1 cup mozzarella and 1-1/3 cups artichoke mixture. Repeat layers twice.
* Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Beef and Mushroom Tacos with Avocado Salad

 

I never get tired of Mexican inspired food, especially tacos and enchiladas, and I was excited to try a new variation. Although my kids definitely would have preferred these without the mushrooms, Mike and I really enjoyed them. I loved the cool avocado salad with the warm mushroom and beef mixture and added a little shredded Monterrey Jack cheese on top...YUM! (recipe from Rachael Ray)

Ingredients:
* 3 T olive oil
* 1 pound ground beef
* 1 onion, thinly sliced
* 2 jalapeño chiles—stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
* Salt and pepper
* 2 avocados, cut into cubes
* 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (1 1/2 limes)
* 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms
* 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* 8 small flour tortillas (I used corn)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef, half of the onion and the jalapeños; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the beef is browned and the onion is softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; reserve the skillet.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the remaining onion, the avocados and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.
3. In the reserved skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden, 7 to 9 minutes; stir into the beef mixture and cover with foil to keep warm.
4. Wipe out the skillet and return to medium heat. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, lightly toast on both sides for about 1 minute. Stuff the tortillas with the beef mixture and avocado salad.

Marsala Chicken and Mushroom Casserole

This Rachael Ray recipe is my new favorite. I am in love with it and couldn't stop eating it :-)! I wish we had leftovers, because it is sounding awfully good again right about now. I made an extra dish for a friend, I didn't double the mushrooms and chicken (just divided the 10 oz between the 2 dishes and used 3 cups of chicken divided between the 2) but doubled everything else.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
10 ounces sliced mushrooms
(I added 1 t minced garlic and 1/2 white onion, chopped)
1 1/2 tablespoons flour (or cornstarch)
1/2 cup marsala wine or white wine (I used marsala cooking wine)
1/2 cup heavy cream (next time I'll try using a FF version instead)
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper
1 cup long-grain rice
2 packed cups coarsely chopped rotisserie chicken
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat until just melted. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir in for 1 minute. Stir in the marsala and cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 2 cups water, the parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
2.In a greased 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole, spread the rice in an even layer; top with the chicken. Pour the mushroom gravy on top. Cover snugly with foil and bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes. Discard the foil, sprinkle the parmesan on top and bake for 5 minutes more.

Bacon and Wild Mushroom Risotto with Baby Spinach

The May 2010 issue of Cooking Light featured a series of risotto recipes and this is the one that I was most excited to try. It was my first time trying risotto and I'm ready to try another now...especially since I have the rice I need for it! This one was SO good! The crunchy bacon was the highlight and I loved the rich flavor the different mushrooms added to it. Tasty!!!

Ingredients:
4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock (you can view their recipe here; I just used store bought chicken broth)
6 bacon slices, chopped
1 cup chopped shallots (I used green onions)
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
4 ounces oyster mushrooms, sliced
1 cup uncooked Carnaroli or Arborio rice (they said Carnaroli was best, but I could only find Arborio at my store)
1/3 cup Madeira wine or dry sherry (I used sherry cooking wine)
4 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Asiago cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt (leave this out if you use store bought chicken broth, or use low sodium chicken broth...ours was a little on the salty side)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
-Bring Homemade Chicken Stock to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil); keep warm over low heat.
-Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook 8 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon.
-Add shallots, oil, thyme, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 6 minutes or until shallots are tender, stirring occasionally.
-Stir in mushrooms; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-Add rice, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
-Stir in Madeira; cook 1 minute or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
-Stir in 1 cup stock; cook 4 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
-Add remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total).
-Stir in spinach; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with bacon.

Diane's Lasagna

Aren't family recipes THE best?! Tried and true and tasty. This is Mike's mom's lasagna recipe and it was Delicious...my first ever lasanga attempt was a success! It makes A LOT of lasagna though, so be prepared. I used 3 separate 8x8 dishes, which worked out well for me (1 for Mike and the girls, 1 to share with a friend, and 1 using gluten free Penne noodles for me and Preston). If you don't have a humongo dish, I think a 9x13 and an 8x8 would do the trick.
Ingredients/Directions:

*Boil water for 1 lb pkg lasagna pasta noodles and cook as directed.

3/4 lb hamburger
3/4 lb Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp dry basil leaves
2-3 Tbsp dry oregano leaves
1/2 bell pepper, chopped (I didn't have one on hand)
salt and pepper
*Mix all of the above and fry in a pan. Break up meat as it cooks so there aren't big chunks.

*Add:
10 large fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 pkgs spaghetti seasoning mix, Lawry's original is best (didn't have it at my store)
add the amount of water the seasoning mixes call for
2 6 oz cans tomato paste
1 28oz can diced tomatoes (I used 2 14 oz cans w/ garlic and onion in them)

*Simmer 20 minutes, stir occasionally
16oz cheddar cheese, grated
16oz mozzarella cheese, grated
24oz cottage cheese

*Assembly:
-Spread some meat sauce in bottom of pan to prevent noodles from sticking
-Cover the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan with a single layer of noodles
-spread half of meat sauce over pasta
-add another layer of pasta
-spread all of cottage cheese on pasta, sprinkle half of both cheeses over it
-add another layer of pasta
-spread remaining sauce and sprinkle remaining cheese on top

*Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes, until hot in center.

My Favorite Breakfast

If I could eat anything for breakfast this is what I would have! Anytime I have fresh mushrooms I HAVE to make this at least one morning...and try to limit it to only one because it isn't really that great for you :-), it just tastes GOOD!

Ingredients:
(for 1 serving, one for me anyway...it's big)
2 T olive oil
2 med potatoes, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
1/2 med onion, diced
1 t minced garlic
4-5 mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 c ham/turkey lunch meat, diced
2 eggs
shredded cheese of your choice (I like some Monterey Jack and sharp Cheddar)
a little sour cream
lots of pepper

Directions:
-Heat oil in a large skillet over med heat. Add potatoes and spread out to as many are touching the bottom of the pan as possible. Let them brown for 8 minutes, flipping over occasionally.
When potatoes are almost done add the garlic and onions. Cook about 4 minutes.
Add mushrooms and meat, continue cooking and stirring occasionally.
Push the potato mixture over to the side and then scramble the eggs on the other side.
Mix it all together, top with cheese and let it melt.
Serve with a little dallop of sour cream and lots of freshly ground pepper.

Chicken and Vegetable Skewers with Peanut Sauce

A few weeks ago I won a giveaway from Real Mom Kitchen...Hooray!!! When I received my package in the mail it included a bottle of Xagave (a sweetener made from agave nectar) along with a cookbook. This is the first recipe I have tried and we LOVED it! I can't wait to try some more and to try replacing the sugar in some of my other recipes with the Xagave to see how they turn out! We served it with our leftover onion rice and I poured some of the sauce on top...delish!!!

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. meat (we used chicken, but the recipe called for salmon, you could also skip and just grill the veggies...also, I used this rub on the meat)
-1 lb. mixed vegetables (we used mushrooms, zucchini, peppers and onions)
-wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least 2 hours)
Sauce:
1 T. Xagave
4 T. peanut butter
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 t. fresh minced ginger
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 c. low fat coconut milk
3 T soy sauce
crushed red pepper to taste
*Place all ingredients for sauce in blender and puree for 1 min. Pour into bowl.

Directions:
-Slice salmon in 1"x4" strips and skewer length-wise. (I cut chicken into chunks and put on skewers in between veggies).
-Cut veggies into cubes and skewer.
-Broil at 500 degrees or grill for 5 minutes or until cooked through (we grilled and it took longer than 5 in for our chicken to cook through).

Crock Pot Chops and Gravy

I am really wishing I stocked up on more pork chops when they were on sale. I had never really cooked with them much before but I have found so many great recipes in all different varieties of flavors. This recipe comes from Real Mom Kitchen and definitely satisfied my craving for good ol' home cookin'. The chops tear apart easily after being cooked in the slow cooker so it was like a roast...a tasty delicious roast, with lots of mushrooms on the side for me :-)!

Ingredients:
4 lean pork chops
4 T soy sauce
1/2 C sliced mushrooms (I added much more than this, maybe 1 1/2 c. and thought it was a good amount once they cooked down)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 can cream of mushroom soup (I used 98% FF)
1 medium onion, sliced or diced
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp parsley (I used fresh and used 2 t)

Directions:
Place pork chops in crock pot. Lay onion slices over pork chops.
Mix the rest of ingredients in a bowl and pour over pork chops.
Cook on low in crock pot for 5-6 hours
I followed her tip below...
Note: After baking I remove the chops and strain the gravy. This way I have a smooth gravy and I reserve the onions (and mushrooms if you use them) for those who like them to put them on their chops.

Chicken with Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce

I really LOVED this one! And look how pretty it is with all the colors too! Just looking at the picture makes me want to get some leftovers right now! This was a recipe emailed to me by Campbell's and while most of their recipes are more casserole-like, this one had a very elegant taste and look.

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
ground black pepper
2 T all-purpose flour (I used cornstarch and just poured some into a shallow bowl, so more than 2 T)
2 T butter
2 c sliced mixed wild mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, oyster) (I used cremini)
4 green onions, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 c Chicken Stock
1/2 c chopped roasted red pepper
1/2 c sour cream
2 T chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Season the chicken with the black pepper. Coat with the flour. (I used cornstarch)
Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides.
Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until they're tender.
Stir the stock in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Stir in the peppers and sour cream and cook until the mixture is hot.
Sprinkle with the parsley.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This is another great recipe from My Kitchen Cafe! I am in LOVE with this soup :-)! I am hopeful that the stick of butter in it is balanced out somehow by the fat-free half and half...it was delicious and creamy!

Ingredients:
½ cup butter
1 finely chopped onion
½ - 1 cup frozen corn, or ½ cup chopped celery (I went with celery)
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
½ cup carrots, sliced
¾ cup all-purpose flour
6 ½ cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice (I just used 1 box Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice and cooked it without the seasoning packet)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (I used 1 can chicken)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup slivered almonds (I thought I had some and didn't...it was delish without them)
2 cups nonfat half-and-half

Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, corn, chicken and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté 3-4 more minutes. Then add flour and stir well. Transfer mixture to large pot. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly until all has been added. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer.

Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half. Let simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours. Be careful not to let the soup come to a boil or it won't thicken properly - let it simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally.