Super Stuffed Mushrooms

The final recipe that I made for break-fast was Stuffed Mushrooms from Annie's Eats. I don't think I need to say much more to introduce them because they were a huge hit!

Ingredients:
24 whole fresh button mushrooms

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 tsp. vegetable oil

8 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Fresh rosemary, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully remove the stems from the mushroom caps, setting the caps aside for later.

Add the stems to the bowl of a food processor (I actually used a blender). Add the garlic to the food processor as well, and pulse in brief bursts until the mushroom stems and garlic are finely chopped.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems and garlic and cook until all the moisture has disappeared, about 5-7 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low. Stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and spices.

Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of filling. Arrange the mushroom caps on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are hot and liquid starts to form under the caps. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with rosemary, and serve immediately.

Couple things... I didn't use bread crumbs so to keep this recipe gluten free. I also didn't serve these immediately. Due to timing, I baked them through, then reheated them just for a couple minutes at 350F before serving them. They were at room temperature, but still delicious! These got gobbled down really fast and ended up being way easier than I anticipated. I actually made 25 mushrooms and they really aren't so bad for you! Only about 1 pt/mushroom. This ended up being a much easier recipe than I was expecting and I would definitely make it again!

A Kugel by any other Name (Guest Post)

The day after our sister time in Brooklyn, I flew to Florida and visited with our grandmother.
We sat together as I pulled up pictures on my phone of her other grandchildren, of my new apartment and of our break-fast spread.
The first thing she said when she saw the picture of the spread:
“Did you make a noodle-pudding?”
She said it almost like a threat, like one of us better have made a “noodle pudding” or else…

“You mean a kugel?! Of course! I made it.”

A kugel by any other name is a kugel, and if you ask me, noodle kugel is the only kugel worthy of kugeldom.

I offer my kugel as the sweeter, yid version of mac & cheese.

I blended this recipe over the years from a few online versions and make it at least once a year for organized Jewish cultural face-stuffing.

I bet Laura could figure out the point value, but my estimation is that this is just enough points to taste awesome.

Ingredients:

12 oz. wide egg noodles

16 oz. cottage cheese (I usually use lowfat or fat-free)

16 oz. sour cream (I usually use lowfat or fat-free)

1 cup sugar (I use turbinado sugar)

5 eggs – beaten

1 tbsp real vanilla extract

1 cup golden raisins

1 tbsp cinnamon sugar (I don’t measure and I probably use more that a Tbsp…)

Directions:

-Cook, rinse and drain the noodles according to the directions

-Preheat the oven to 350F

-Beat the eggs and mix in the cottage cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and raisins. Mix well. (I do this while the water is boiling and the noodles are cooking)

-Pour cooked, rinsed noodles into a greased 9x13 pan

-Pour the mixed topping over the noodles and distribute evenly covering all noodles. (Many recipes suggest stirring the noodles into the mixture first and then pouring that into the pan, but I always find it messier and not any tastier)

-Add cinnamon sugar evenly as topping

-Bake for 50-60 minutes (I usually do 50, but if you like your noodles on top crunchy, go for 60)

-Cool

NOTE: I often will prepare the Kugel the day before, cover and refrigerate overnight. If you’re doing that, be sure to remove it with at least a half hour to reach room temperature before baking it.

A Most Refreshing "Summer" Salad

With all the carbs going on during break-fast it was important to have a nice salad option. This is a super easy, super delicious, refreshing and healthy salad actually found from Shape.com. The original recipe, Tomato, Corn & Edamame Salad says it serves 8 so we bulked ours up a little more.

Ingredients:

juice from one medium lime

3 tbsp olive oil

corn kernels cut from 3 ears of corn

2 large avocados, seeded and diced

2 cups frozen edamame

1 container grape tomatoes, halved

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

For Dressing - In a liquid measuring cub, slowly whisk together the olive oil and lime juice until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For Salad - Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Before you add the edamame, prepare an ice bath next to the stove to blanch the edamame and corn after you cook it (this stops the cooking process to prevent overcooked vegetables). Add edamame to the boiling water and let cook for about 3 minutes, or as directed on the package. Add corn to the edamame mixture for the last 30 seconds. Blanch in ice water and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with cherry tomatoes and dressing until combined. Add avocado cubes.

I actually made the salad the day before, covered with plastic wrap and stored in the fridge. Then prior to serving I added in the avocado, so to prevent it from browning. The original recipe also suggested serving this over greens, though I thought it was prefect the way it was! Very refreshing for a salad, colorful, and a great mix of flavors!

Strawberry Strata Re-Imagined

First up - Strawberry Strata via Giada De Laurentiis and the Food Network. If you click on the comments and reviews you'll see that many people had problems with this recipe. Mine however came out great! I changed up the directions and ingredients a little, based on what others suggested and it worked!

Ingredients:

4 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup ricotta cheese, room temperature

7 eggs

2 cups fat-free milk

1 1/2 packages fresh strawberries, chopped

1/2 cup honey, warmed PLUS extra honey for drizzling

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla

sugar

1 (12 to 16 inch) ciabatta loaf, crust removed and cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions:

- Remove crust from break and cut into pieces, set aside- Wash and cut up strawberries and mix in bowl with small amount of sugar, set aside

- Place cheeses in a large bowl and stir together with a wooden spoon.

- Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing until completely incorporated before adding the next.

- Stir in the milk, strawberries, honey, cinnamon, and bread.

- Pour into an 8 x 12 inch casserole dish

- To bake: preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake covered with foil for 45 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Remove the foil, sprinkle top with cinnamon, sugar, and drizzled honey and continue baking for 30-35 minutes.

The result? Total success! It was so good! I actually ended up making everything the day before, covering it in plastic wrap and holding it in the fridge, and then baking it the next day. It was finished an hour or two before people arrived; however, tasted great at room temperature. People seemed to be impressed and I was very happy with all the compliments, especially after reading some of the not so good comments on the website. We probably got somewhere between 12-20 servings, people sort of just scooped some on a plate. So I would estimate it's about 4 pts/serving.

before and after being baked

Also, with the crust from the bread we made chips! Drizzled them with olive oil and garlic powder, stuck in the oven at 350 deg F for about 10 minutes and ta da! They were great plain and also a great vehicle for the many dips people brought to break-fast.

Sisters in the Kitchen

A couple posts ago I shared my recipes for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which I celebrated with some friends in Chicago. Yom Kippur is the next major Jewish holiday that happened last week. It is both very much an eating holiday and not at all an eating holiday. The 25 hour fast makes it a not eating holiday; however, the break-fast that comes after that fast is a new chef's dream! It is an extreme opportunity to create an elaborate spread of food, usually along the lines of breakfast/brunch fare.

This year I was very fortunate to spend the holiday in New York with my sister, Franny, and bro-in-law, Mike. It was the first time in several years that we were together for the holiday and that being the case we decided to go full-on domestic! For the first time probably ever, my sister and I grocery shopped and cooked side by side in preparation for a super break fast at her new digs in Brooklyn.

The cooking fest started like this...

and ended like this...

In the next few posts you'll find all vegetarian recipes for Strawberry Strata, Noodle Kugel, Stuffed Mushrooms, Edamame Corn Summer Salad, and Banana Chocolate Chip Cake that were made between Franny and me. Mmmmenjoy!

A Twist on An Old Favorite

As previously posted I'm a big fan of broccoli salads. I posted one twist on the recipe earlier this year and now have made another! I've had this recipe for a Raw Vegetable Salad With Yogurt-Feta Dressing (again from Everybody Likes Sandwiches) bookmarked for a long while now and I finally got a chance to make it! The reason? Book club! It was easy to prepare the night before and easy to transport the night of.

Ingredients:

1 head of broccoli, torn into florets and chopped small

1 carrot, diced

1/2 red pepper, chopped (I actually used a whole very small one)

1/4 red onion, finely diced

1 Granny Smith apple, diced

3 tbsp fat free plain yogurt

3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

juice and zest from 1/2 lemon

1 garlic clove, minced

fresh ground pepper

2 tbsp dried cranberries

3 tbsp chopped pecans

Directions:

- In a serving bowl, combine the first five ingredients (through apple).

- In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, feta, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and pepper to create a dressing.

- Taste and adjust ingredients, if needed.

- Toss dressing over vegetables and mix in cranberries and pecans.

I read in the comments that it was better to make this the night before (which I intended to anyway) because it lets all the ingredients mesh together. The end result was great! It was definitely a new good twist on an old favorite. The above picture is pre-pecans, which I added the next day. All in all another success!

Fourth Times the Charm

Continuing my Rosh Hashanah post, the second recipe I made was another type of Macaroni and Cheese, this time with one special ingredient.

I found the recipe from a random blog (linked to above), but she had adapted it from an Ellie Krieger recipe. I sort of combined the two. I wanted the serving size of Ellie's, but used the same ingredients from the Food Fashionista post. And what I get was a ridiculously good product!

Ingredients:
1 pound macaroni
1 14-ounce package frozen pureed squash (the secret ingredient I mentioned above)
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
5 ounces extra-sharp 2% cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 ounces Romano cheese, shredded (about a 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp unseasoned bread crumbs

Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5-8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until defrosted.
- Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in 4 ounces cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 ounces Romano, all of the ricotta cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.
- Sprinkle remaining ounce of cheddar cheese and 1/2 ounce Romano cheese over macaroni in the baking dish.
- In a small microwavable dish, melt the butter.
- Stir in breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.

- Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine.

(photos are pre and post baking)

As I said before the final product was so good! Definitely one of the best Macaroni and Cheese recipes I've made. This served at least 15 people. The squash added a little sweetness to it and it was definitely a huge crowd pleaser! Another mac 'n cheese down!

YUM!

Too Tangy Potato Salad

For Rosh Hashanah a friend and I co-hosted a pot luck style dinner at his house. For dietary and kosher reasons we decided to make it an all dairy pot luck. I made two recipes, the first of which was a Tangy Goat Cheese and Dill Potato Salad from Rachael Ray.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds diced Yukon Gold Potatoes (I didn't have quite 2 1/2 pounds so added in regular baked potatoes too)
Salt
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles
1 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, finely grated or minced
4 scallions, finely chopped, whites and greens
fresh ground black pepper
2 dill pickles, chopped
*The original recipe also called for 1/4 cup chopped dill and 4 radishes thinly sliced. I left both those out and subbed 1/4 red pepper, chopped.

Directions:
- Cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil.
- Salt the water and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
- When potatoes are cooked, return them to the hot pot and add the white wine vinegar.
- In a bowl, whisk together the goat cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic.
- Toss the potatoes, scallions, and red pepper in the dressing and season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish the salad with chopped pickles and serve.

The final product? Eh. It was ok. Definitely more of a "grown-up" potato salad and a little too tangy for me. I liked the goat cheese flavor, but as a whole wasn't thrilled. The original recipe calls for white wine OR white wine vinegar as well as yogurt OR creme fraiche OR sour cream. Maybe one of those other options would've worked out better. Other people seemed to enjoy it ok, but I probably wouldn't make this again.

My New Go-To Cookie

Been a while since I posted, but I have in fact been busy slaving away in the kitchen.

A good friend moved to Michigan for grad school and throw a going away party at the beginning of August! I decided to bake her cookies as a sweet sendoff! The recipe was for Chocolate-Cherry Heart Smart Cookies from In Good Taste.

They were super fast and easy and so delicious!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup all-purpose white flour
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup dried cherries
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
cooking spray

Directions:
- Lay out all ingredients and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine flours and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stir with a whisk.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; add brown sugar, stirring until smooth.
- Add sugar mixture to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.
- Add cherries, vanilla, and egg; beat until combined.
- Fold in chocolate.
- Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray.
- Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.
- Cool on pans 3 minutes or until almost firm.
- Remove cookies from pans and cool.

The Final Product!

As mentioned in the title of this post, these cookies were great! The cherries added a little bit of tartness to a regular chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. And because they were so fast and easy to make I would definitely come back to these. I got about 26 cookies out of the recipe making it 2 pts/cookie.