Veggie Pizza

This veggie pizza recipe is a family favorite. My Grandma Hutch used to make it as well as my Mom. I love the flavor combinations in this easy appetizer - a flaky crust with a creamy base topped with fresh chopped veggies. I made it for the first time myself in December when I got together with some of my best girlfriends. It makes a nice big batch and is perfect for any get together.

Veggie Pizza
Recipe from my Mom 
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 rolls of crescent rolls
1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon dill (we didn't have this, boo)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Fresh chopped veggies of your choice to equal about 3/4 cup total (I use broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, black olives, red and green peppers) 
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese 

Directions

Pat crescent rolls flat into a jelly roll pan. Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile mix together the softened cream cheese, mayo and spices. 

Spread evenly onto cooled crust and sprinkle on chopped veggies. Top with shredded cheese. Refrigerate for at least two hours or until ready to serve. 

Short Ribs with Wine and Cream

Sometimes I see a recipe and know immediately that my hubby will love it. This was the case when I came across Pioneer Woman's Short Ribs with Wine and Cream. I took one look at the ribs simmered in wine and cream sauce, served over a bed of mushrooms and knew hubby would be a very happy man if I made them for him. Of course, I was right. He loved the tender short ribs with the earthy flavor from the mushrooms. This way to prepare short ribs is definitely a winner.

Short Ribs with Wine and Cream
From Pioneer Woman (Modified for 4 servings instead of 6)
**This recipe takes 3 hours so plan accordingly!!** 
Printable Version
Ingredients 
8 whole Short Ribs
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup red wine 
24 ounces Beef Broth or Beef Stock
2 tablespoons minced fresh Rosemary
1 1/2 tablespoons grainy mustard
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons capers
14 ounces assorted mushrooms: Cremini, Oyster, Baby Bellas
2 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil for drizzling


Directions

Heat olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Sprinkle short ribs on both sides with salt and pepper. Quickly sear the short ribs, about 1 1/2 minutes per side, and flip them halfway through. Remove to a plate. Pour wine and beef stock into the pot. Add rosemary and stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Return the short ribs to the pot and reduce heat to low. 

Cover the pot and simmer for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. After they have cooked carefully remove the short ribs from the pot again. Stir in mustard, cream, and capers, then raise the heat and allow it gently boil or a couple a minutes or until sauce has thickened. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Return the short ribs to the sauce, put on the lid, and turn off the heat. 

To roast the mushrooms preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt an pepper, then add in garlic and toss with your hands to gently coat. Roast mushrooms until golden brown, about 15 - 20 minutes. Serve the short ribs on top of the mushrooms then an extra scoop of cream and wine sauce. 

Easy Beef Burgundy

I've been missing my Gram a lot lately. She passed away a little over a year ago and I still miss her every day. I feel closer to her when my kitchen is filled with the familiar smells of her food. As I was looking through my copy of her hand written recipes I saw this one for Beef Burgundy. 

I'd never tried it before so set about making it last week for dinner. I modified it a little bit but I don't think Gram would mind. :)  As it was cooking the aromas of the meat, onion, mushrooms, and wine reminded me of when I made Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. The taste is actually very similar too but it doesn't take half the time or energy to make! It's rich, earthy, and comforting and my favorite part about it is that it's a one pot meal. Grandma's directions said to serve it over rice and that's what I did, but it'd be great over potatoes too. Thanks for another great recipe, Gram!

Easy Beef Burgundy 
From My Gram
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 pounds round cut steak, cut into 1 inch strips
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon ground mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can onion soup (I forgot this so used a can of golden mushroom instead and then chopped one small onion)
1 large can of sliced mushrooms or 1 cup of fresh sliced mushrooms
1 soup can of burgundy or red wine
Fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place mean into dutch oven or large oven safe pot. Season with salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients and cover. 

Cook for 3 hours. Serve over rice or potatoes. 

Miso Soup

For my second post from Japan, I decided to go with Miso Soup. I've always enjoyed Miso Soup when dining at Sushi restaurants in The States. I love it's subtle taste and the different textures from the seaweed and tofu. It is very healthy and hubby even says he thinks it has "healing powers". Not so sure about that, but when I looked it up on Wikipedia, it did say that some researchers believe it it can reduce the risks of breast cancer. 

It was fun shopping for the ingredients for the soup and guessing as to what things were. I was proud that for my first time I found all the correct items. I think I went a little overboard on the seaweed, mushrooms and tofu, so next time I will scale it back a little. This recipe makes 4 one cup servings.

Miso Soup 
From my Japanese Food Explorers Guide, given to us at our orientation :)
Printable Version
Ingredients
6 ounces tofu
2 1/2 tablespoons Miso (fermented soy bean paste)
3 cups Katsuo dashi (fish soup stock)
1 green onion
1/2 cup small mushroom or seaweed (I went with 1/2 cup of each and it was too much)

Directions
Cut tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. 

Chop green onions. Heat soup stock in a sauce pan. I did this by heating 4 cups of water and adding in the Katsuo dashi (fish stock). Bring to a boil. Add green onion. Mix miso into soup stock. Add tofu cubes, seaweed, and mushrooms and bring to a boil. 

Remove from heat and serve in small bowls. 

Portobello Mushroom Fries

My hubby is one smart and inventive man. I really really wanted to make Portobello Mushroom Fries that I spied on How Sweet It Is, but when I got ready to make them and looked in the pantry, I realized I was running very low on bread crumbs. The recipe calls for just about 2 cups of bread crumbs and I had no where near 2 cups. So I whined and complained to my husband and told him how much I was hoping to make the Mushroom Fries for dinner and do you know what he suggested? That I crunch up some seasoned croutons to make up for the breadcrumbs I was missing! It was genius I tell you, genius! Not only did it work great, but the croutons added a little extra flavor to the breading. I loved these mushrooms. Jessica posted an amazing looking smoky cheese sauce to accompany the fries, but do you think I had any of the ingredients on hand when I didn't even have breadcrumbs? Um yea, that's a big fat NO! I just drizzled a little extra balsamic on and still really loved these fries.  

Portobello Mushroom Fries
From How Sweet It Is
Printable Version


Ingredients
4 portobello mushroom caps, sliced
2 egg whites (or 1 whole egg)
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (I didn't have smoked, so used regular)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar


Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Add bread crumbs, flour, salt, pepper, and paprika to a bowl and mix. In a smaller, shallow bowl, lightly beat 2 egg whites. 

Dip each mushroom slice in the egg white and then coat in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to adhere. 

Lay the covered slices on the wire rack and repeat until done. Spray each slice with cooking pray before placing in oven. Bake for 7 minutes, then flip and spray the other side with cooking spray. Bake for another 7 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking heat the vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow it to simmer then reduce to low hear, cooking until syrupy and thick, about 5-7 minutes. Let sit at room temperature to thicken a bit more. Drizzle the balsamic over mushrooms.

Meatless Mondays: Fettuccine with Asparagus and Mushrooms

For my second Meatless Mondays post, I am sharing a recipe a modified from my Williams-Sonoma Bride and Groom Cookbook. The original recipe calls for peas, which would be absolutely lovely in this dish, but I didn't have peas and used mushrooms instead. A combination of asparagus, mushrooms, and peas would be really great in this light, creamy, citrusy pasta dish. It's a wonderful spring meal.

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Modified from Williams-Sonoma Bride and Groom Cookbook

Printable Version

Ingredients

1 bunch thick asparagus 

1 tablespoon butter or lie oil

2/3 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half & half)

Minced zest and juice of 1 or 2 lemons

Kosher salt and pepper

3/4 cup peas OR 8 ounces fresh mushrooms OR both

1 pound fresh fettucini (I used Bertolli, in the refrigerated section)

Leaves from several sprigs of fresh basil (I used dill instead)

Shaved or grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese for garnish

Directions

To prepare the asparagus, snap off the tough woody ends. Cut the asparagus into diagonal pieces. In a small saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the mushrooms and asparagus and saute for 2 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to low, add the cream, and heat until warm. Add lemon zest, salt, and pepper to taste. Do not allow the mixture to boil.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 30 seconds. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender and rises to the surface, 30 seconds - 5 minutes depending on the freshness. Stir occasionally so that the pasta cooks evenly. Drain the pasta and peas, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking water.

Return the pasta and peas to the pot and season with salt. Pour the asparagus cream sauce mixture over the pasta and toss to coat. Add the reserved pasta liquid as needed to loosen the sauce. Tear some of the basil leaves into pieces and add along with lemon juice to taste and additional salt and pepper. Serve at once, garnished with additional basil leaves, pepper, and cheese. 

Meatless Mondays: The Mushroom Soup

Now that my list of 30 Things to Make Before I Turn 30 is completed, I have moved on to "Meatless Mondays", where every most Mondays, I will attempt to post a "meatless" recipe. I did a little research and found there is a whole "Meatless Monday movement" going on, with celebrities, lots of food bloggers, and tons of scientific and medical data supporting the act of eating less meat. One thing I really am excited about is the environmental impact of going meatless once a week. Here are a couple of places you can check it out if you are interested:

• Meatless Mondays
• Wikipedia - Meatless Mondays
• Environmental Reasons for Meatless Mondays

I could go most days without eating meat, but for my wonderful hubby this would not a happy marriage make. He enjoys some meatless meals, but not all meatless. I have to make sure to incorporate things he likes in my meatless meals, like this mushroom soup from Tasty Kitchen. Hubby and I both love mushrooms and soup is one of his favorite things, too, so I knew this was going to be a good choice for my first Meatless Monday.

 The recipe recommended eating it with crusty French Bread to sop up the goodness, which is exactly what we did. This soup is rich, creamy, and filling. We ate it all in one night!

The Mushroom Soup

From aliciamosby on Tasty Kitchen

Serves 4

Printable Version

Ingredients

3 tablespoon olive oil

1 whole carrot, finely minced

1 whole celery stalk, finely minced

1 tablespoon garlic, crushed and minced

1 pound white mushrooms, sliced thin

4 ounces white wine

4 ounces tomato juice

4 ounces chicken broth (if you want to go completely vegetarian vegetable broth would work here too!)

1 pint heavy whipping cream (I used fat free half & half)

1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 teaspoon corn starch

1/4 cup water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat in a Dutch Oven or large, deep pot. Add in the carrot and celery and allow to soften. 

Add garlic and mushrooms. Allow the to reduce and soften.

Pour in the wine and let it cook for a few minutes.Add the tomato juice and broth and raise heat to a boil. 

Boil for 5 minutes before adding the heavy cream and then bring to a soft boil. Grate the parmesan and add it to the pot. Allow to cook for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and blended into the soup. Add cornstarch to 1/4 cup of water and add to the soup.

Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with french bread or buttery crackers. 

Morel Mushroom Gnocchi

Morel mushrooms are a highly prized fungi in the midwest, especially in Michigan where hubby and I are from. They are hard to find, very expensive, and out of this world delicious. When I saw dried Morels in my local grocery store, I just about yelled, "Eureka!!" It was truly like finding treasure! 

On the back of the package was directions for the Morel sauce that I made and served with gnocchi. Of course I neglected to save the package, so will try to remember the recipe to the best of my ability. But really, how can you go wrong with wine, butter, onion, garlic and heavenly Morels??

Morel Mushroom Gnocchi
Serves 2 
Printable Version


Ingredients
4 ounces Morel Mushrooms
1 package of your favorite gnocchi
1/2 cup heavy cream (I always use fat free half & half and never notice a difference)
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Tabor Hill, our favorite Michigan wine)
5 tablespoons butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small white or yellow onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for garnishing


Directions
Boil water and cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile melt butter in a saute pan and add in onions and garlic. Saute until soft, but not brown. Add in wine, cream and Morels. 

Stir frequently sauce thickens and mushrooms are tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot gnocchi. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese. 

White Mushroom Pizza

My husband is a pizza freak. Before we were married it was the main food group in his diet - yes food group. The man would eat it every day if he could - that and hot dogs. Needless to say, hubby is not the healthiest eater. On Friday nights when we are debating where we should order dinner from, he always throws in a "pizza?" and every once in a while, I let him get his way. I'm such a sweet wife, I know! :) The problem with the two of us ordering pizza is that we are complete polar opposites on pizza toppings. He loves pepperoni, the more the better. I love my pizzas sans meat with tons of veggies and pineapple. The one compromise for our pizzas is mushrooms because we both love mushrooms, especially a variety of mushrooms.

So during the month of January when we were eating vegetarian at home, I made a white mushroom pizza, using white truffle oil instead of pizza sauce and of course lots and lots of cheese. I went crazy and put a little goat cheese on the pizza, but do not recommend it. Hubby picked it off!! Oops, lesson learned. Despite the goat cheese mistake, this was super yummy. Even my pepperoni loving hubby admitted it was pretty good.

White Mushroom Pizza
An Ashley Original
Printable Version


Ingredients
Pizza crust (I was lazy this time and used store bought crust)
Variety of mushrooms, washed and sliced (I used button, cremini, and baby bellas)
1 white onion, sliced
Olive oil
White Truffle Oil
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Italian cheese mix, shredded
Fresh parsley, chopped


Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium. Saute sliced mushrooms and onions until softened, about seven minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

Brush pizza crust with white truffle oil. Place mushrooms and onions on crust and cover with cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with parsley.