Marinated Mushrooms

Confession:  I haven't always liked mushrooms.  There is just something about their texture that I am not absolutely crazy about.  However, my husband LOVES mushrooms, so in the past seven years I have tried to develop a liking for them, and for the most part I have succeeded!  Now, I still refuse to eat them raw and I don't particularly love having them on my pizza, but I do eat mushrooms on pasta, hibachi, or some other yummy dishes where the mushrooms are cooked down and really soft. 

One of my favorite dishes as of late is a homemade Mushroom Swiss Burger.  UMMMMM.  I wish I had one right now.  Jonathan is burger king in our home.  Seriously, I cannot tell you the last time I mixed up hamburger patties!  So, we basically take his outstanding hamburger, melt some swiss cheese on top, and serve them with some marinated mushrooms.  They are dynamite!

Here is my Marinated Mushroom recipe which is perfect for our Mushroom Swiss Burger, but these would also be great served along a delicious steak!  These are so incredibly easy to make, so give them a try, even if you only like mushrooms a little bit.

Marinated Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced any way you like
Butter, unsalted
Dale's low-sodium seasoning

Directions:  In a shallow baking dish, place prepped mushrooms.  I usually purchase two square packages of mushrooms that you find in the refrigerated produce section.  They are usually already cleaned, but sometimes I do have to cut them up to be the size that I would like them to be. 

Pour enough Dale's seasoning over the mushrooms so that they are all coated.  I think I typically use about 1/3-1/2 of the bottle for one batch of mushrooms.  As they cook, the mushrooms will release a lot of their water and the sauce with become much thinner and increase in volume. 

Finally, cut a few pats of butter and set on top of the mushrooms.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.  Pour over hot hamburgers, a grilled steak, or a steaming spoonful of mashed potatoes! 

Spinach Maria

I have many recipes up my sleeves that I want to share.  I don't know if it's the second trimester or this cold weather, but something has kicked this little momma's tail into high-cooking gear.  If you feel inclined, please come and remove my Pioneer Woman cookbook.  I.just.can't.stop.

Anyway, for Christmas day this year, my mother gave me a recipe for a Spinach Maria that I prepared to along with our delicious roast dinner that my mom made.  It was wonderful, so I have to share.  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture, but just close your eyes and imagine spinach divineness!

Spinach Maria

Ingredients:
3 packages (10 oz. each) of frozen, chopped spinach
2 14 oz. cans of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs
1.5 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
1/4 cup cream (light or heavy, depending on your preference or what you have on hand)
1 8oz. cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes (easier to melt)
1 stick butter
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Defrost spinach in microwave or follow instructions for stovetop cooking.  Drain well, making sure you squeeze excess water out thoroughly.  In a large saucepan, melt butter.  Place spinach in a large saucepan, adding cut-up cream cheese.  Stir well until melted.  Add chopped artichoke hearts, Worchestershire sauce, and cream.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Place in a casserole dish, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs (and even some Parmesan cheese if you want to!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly!

*On Christmas Day, I halved this recipe because there were only about 4-5 of us eating it, and we had TONS of other food.  It was wonderful!
*To be honest, I would feel free to add as much cream and cream cheese to this as you prefer.  If the consistency is too thick for your preference, add some more to make it more liquidy (Is that even a word!?) or creamy.  The measurements I included above are estimates, as I am the type to just make things up or make changes as I go along.  (I don't always follow the recipe exactly.  Don't tell anyone, ok?)
*Now that I have royally confused everyone, including myself, I hope you enjoy this yummy side dish.  I just love spinach, and it is so good for you!

Oven-Roasted Potatoes

If you need a delicious and fail-proof side dish for dinner, this is a great go-to recipe!  These oven-roasted potatoes go great with hamburgers, grilled chicken or porkchops, or even a steak!  We love these, and because they are baked and not fried, I think they are a much healthier option.

Oven-Roasted Potatoes

2-5 lbs of potatoes (I prefer red potatoes, but will use whatever I have on hand)
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning or lemon peppper seasoning

Directions:
Wash and scrub potatoes, removing dirt and cutting off any "bad"parts.  Cut potatoes into bite-sized cubes, trying to make all of the potatoes relatively the same size.  Place potatoes in a large bowl. 

Drizzle a 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over potatoes, then stir until all are lightly coated (add more olive oil if necessary).  Liberally salt and pepper potatoes.  Add your favorite seasoning, stirring to even distribute all of the flavorings.

Place potatoes on a large baking sheet covered in foil or parchment paper; spray with a nonstick spray as they are quite prone to stick.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are soft and beginning to brown. Check occasionally and stir, if necessary.

Bean Salad

UMMMM!  We had dinner last night at my in-laws, and my mother-in-law had this wonderful, cold bean salad to accompany our supper.  It was so delicious, light, and refreshing!  Plus, I believe this is a healthy side item including lots of fiber, protein, and very little fat.  Jonathan loved it, and it just seemed so perfect for a warm, summer night!

Bean Salad

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup of red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional....we didn't have this in ours)

Directions:
Drain and rinse beans.  Chop peppers, onions, and cilantro.  Combine beans and vegetables in a bowl.  Add red wine vinegar and cayenne (if using), and stir until salad is covered.  Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.  The longer it sits, the better!  Serve chilled!

Delicious! Light! Perfect!

Hashbrown Casserole

Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen hashbrown potatoes (2 lb. bag)
4-6 tablespoons of butter, melted
2 cans cream of chicken soup (I use 98% fat free)
8 oz. sour cream (I use reduced fat)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper, to taste


Directions:

Allow hashbrown potatoes to thaw for several hours or defrost in microwave until no longer frozen.  In a large bowl, combine potatoes, soups, sour cream, cheese, butter, salt and pepper.  Stir gently until fully mixed.  Pour potato mixture into a 9x13" casserole dish.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1.5 hours, or until bubbly and golden on top!


Optional Topping:  1 cup of cornflakes combine with 1/4 cup of melted butter.  Pour over top of potatoes before baking.

Spinach Quiche

I love spinach! Spinach dip, spinach pizza, spinach salad, creamed spinach, spinach Florentine. Ummmm. It's so good! This Spinach Quiche is a wonderful and delicious recipe that is great as a vegetarian dinner option, a side dish, or a tasty dish to bring to a brunch or party. I originally got this recipe from a friend of mine from New Orleans, Heather. Once I tasted it, I just had to have the recipe for my own use. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
1 deep dish pastry pie shell
1 pack frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
3/4 cup white onion, chopped
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, (optional)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
2 cups loosely packed grated cheese, Swiss or Gruyere
1/3 Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Prick pastry shell and bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees.
3. In medium sauce pan, melt butter, then saute onions and parsley. Add spinach and cook 2 minutes. Add flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, and Worcestershire. Mix well.
4. In a bowl combine eggs, cheese, and milk until thoroughly mixed.
5. Add spinach mixture. Mix well and pour into pastry shell and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

***This recipe is easily doubled and easily frozen!

Roasted Broccoli with Cumin-Chipotle Butter

Oh. My. Yum.

This is SUCH a delicious side.
This is SUCH a simple thing to make.
Surprisingly, this is SUCH a low-calorie recipe.

It's Weight Watchers, actually.

But, don't tell.

Seriously, it is so delicious, you wouldn't even guess that this vegetable/side is good for you.

Here it is:

Roasted Broccoli with Cumin-Chipotle Butter

Ingredients:
5 teaspoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets (approximately 1-1.25 lbs.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. (I always cover my sheets with foil or parchment paper. It makes clean up so simple.)

2. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the salt, cumin, chipotle powder, and sugar. Cook 30 seconds. Toss the butter mixture with the broccoli florets in a large bowl. Place the broccoli on the prepared baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned.

***The chipotle powder was a little difficult for me to find in the spice aisle at my grocery store, but I DID FIND IT. So, look hard!
***You can always adjust the amount of kick in this recipe by adding more or less chipotle. That's where the heat is.
***The Weight Watchers point information is that the recipe above is for 4 servings. Each serving is equal to 1 point.
***I believe this recipe would be equally delicious with brussel sprouts or asparagus. I am hoping to experiment with these in the near future.