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Monthly Archives: May 2011

Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

I don’t know about y’all, but I was in desperate need of this long weekend. It’s finally beginning to feel like summer in Colorado, which means open windows, dinners outside on the patio, and my favorite Colorado pastime, hiking. Thankfully it’s been nice outside this weekend and we’ve spent some time outside. I could have very easily fallen victim to the Law & Order: SVU marathon or the Extreme Couponing marathon – okay, I confess, the Extreme Couponing marathon is on in the background as I type this. I’m all for saving money, but I think I draw the line at dumpster diving!

Last night, in a quest to expand our vegetarian horizons, we decided to make stuffed portabella mushrooms for dinner (no coupons were used for this meal – I apologize to any extreme couponers out there). Any recipe that includes mushrooms and is topped with cheese is a winner in my book. The meal turned out great. Next up, I think I’m ready to try portabella burgers!

2 large Portabella mushrooms or 4 medium mushrooms
Balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 of an onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cups of fresh spinach
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Italian seasoning
Mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Scoop out gills and remove stems from mushrooms. Brush mushrooms with balsamic vinegar and place on baking sheet. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, and peppers. Cook until tender. Add in tomatoes and spinach, cooking until spinach is wilted. Divide the filling between mushrooms.

Sprinkle breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning on top of mixture. Top mushrooms with cheese. Bake for ten minutes or until cheese is melted.

Source: Two Peas and Their Pod

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

18 May

I don’t have that many quick, go-to meals. In fact, if I get home from work and don’t have any ideas for dinner, chances are we’re going out to eat instead. That may have changed with my discovery of Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad. Do not judge this recipe by my picture (it’s not all that pretty). This was the easiest, most delicious meal and it will undoubtedly become a new staple in our house.

I typically have most of the ingredients on hand and if you have leftover chicken from another meal, you could throw this together in no time at all. I left out the romaine lettuce and served the salad on a bed of fresh spinach instead. For lunch today, I just ate the chicken salad by itself, without spinach. Next time, I’ll try it with the romaine and add more adobo for some extra spice!

Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, diced and peeled
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn

Mix all ingredients for dressing in bowl. Stir well.

Combine all ingredients for salad in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Source: Cooking Light (seen on Framed Cooks)

Chicken Marsala

16 May

When I was in high school and throughout college, I worked as a waitress. I loved waiting tables – the interaction with the customers, learning about the food and wines, but I’m not going to lie, my favorite part was 50% off meals when I was working.

My waitressing career started at an Italian restaurant in a suburb of Houston and it was at that restaurant where I discovered my love for chicken marsala. After my shifts, I was always starving and I would usually have someone in the kitchen make me chicken marsala for dinner. It’s definitely now one of my “comfort foods.” I love the sweetness of the Marsala wine and enjoyed the addition of the mustard and Mascarpone cheese to the sauce in this recipe.

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, scallopini pieces (thin sliced)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
12 ounces dried fettuccine

Cook pasta by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Add fettuccine, cooking until al dente, about 8 minutes. Stir occasionally. Drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large skillet over high heat. Add chicken, cooking until just brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.

Melt butter in the same skillet that chicken cooked in over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for about 2 minutes, until the onion is tender.

Add the mushrooms and garlic to the skillet. Sauté for about 10-14 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender. Add wine and reduce by half – about 4 minutes.

Stir in the mustard and mascarpone and return the chicken to the pan. Simmer over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through. The sauce should thicken slightly.

Serve chicken mixture over the fettuccine and top with chopped parsley

Source: Elizabeth’s Edible Experience, originally from Giada De Laurentiis

1 Comment

Posted by Dancing in our Kitchen on May 16, 2011 in Main Dish

Tags: Chicken, Pasta

Portabella Mushroom Fajitas

04 May

My love for chicken fajitas runs deep. But, I have never been able to recreate restaurant-quality chicken fajitas at home. There seems to always be something missing in my finished product. Since Tim and I are trying to eat more vegetarian meals, and in honor of Cinco de Mayo, we decided to make veggie fajitas for dinner last night. Let me just tell you, I may never go back to trying to make my own chicken fajitas again. The veggie fajitas were a-maz-ing. Plus they’re quick and easy enough for a weeknight dinner. You can mix the veggies up to make the meal a little different each time. Added bonus – these quick fajitas give you more time to focus on making margaritas!

Fajita ingredients:
8 oz. small portabella mushrooms
1 small zucchini
1 red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Flour tortillas

For the Portabella Marinade:
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Combine all ingredients for marinade in bowl. Whisk to combine. Slice mushrooms and place in a heavy-duty ziplock bag. Cover mushrooms with marinade and allow mushrooms to marinade for 30 minutes.

Slice remaining vegetables into half-inch slices. Discard seeds from bell peppers and skin from onions. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in large sauté pan. Add onions, peppers, and zucchini. Cook until onions become slightly translucent, stirring frequently, about five minutes. Add mushrooms and half the liquid marinade. Cook until mushrooms are tender and all vegetables are cooked through (5-10 more minutes). Serve mixture on warmed flour tortillas.

Top your fajitas with additional toppings including shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and cilantro.

Source: Good Life Eats

Dancing in our Kitchen

Monthly Archives: May 2011

Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Chicken Marsala

Portabella Mushroom Fajitas

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