Sunday, July 8, 2012

Lime Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

These mushrooms were so good, in the sense that you could really taste the mushroom and crab. They weren't too cheesy and the flavors didn't overpower the delicate crab taste. And the lime is an absolute must, it totally changed the taste after.

Ingredients:
1 package of baby bella mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion or 1/2 a large onion
1 slice of wheat bread
1/4 cup shredded cheese
parmesan cheese
egg
salt, pepper, cayenne, basil, cumin, parsley, etc. (a shake of each)
bread crumbs
lime

Recipe:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While preheating, toast slice of bread in oven or use toaster.
2. Saute onion in 2 tablespoons butter.
3. Meanwhile gently wipe clean/wash mushrooms. Pull off stem and chop them up into bits.
4. Lightly grease a casserole dish.
5. Place mushroom caps in dish and bake about 5 minutes to soften.
6. Add chopped mushroom stems to butter and onions. Add another tablespoon of butter.
7. Sauce onions and mushrooms for about 5 to 10 minutes.
8. When done, place in bowl. Add crumbled toast, shredded cheese, egg, spices, remaining melted butter (3 tablespoons). Stir it up.
9. Fill each mushroom cap and pile it all high.
10. Top with bread crumbs and cheese.
11. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
12.Squeeze lime generously on top. Enjoy!


Sunday, July 1, 2012

Blueberry Vanilla Cream Pie


This recipe was created when I was trying to decide what to do with my farmer's market blueberries. The past two weeks I got them, I ate them as is - wonderful, sweet, blue, and delicious. But by now, I'd grown kind of sick of the natural state and wanted something more. So I decided to ask facebook: blueberry muffins or blueberry pie. I quickly realized muffins were the cop-out recipe.

So pinterest helped me find a basic vanilla cream pie. I had made a delicious cadbury pie for easter - which I could not find the recipe no matter how much I searched that used only a few basic ingredients.... here is the wonderful picture, it was so good. Wish I knew how I made it.


So with a quick search on the best website on earth, yes- I mean pinterest - I found this fabulous winner of a recipe: http://www.simplyorganic.com/vpie/ .

I modified it a bit by using a pre-made frozen pie crust in a pan and adding 1 cup of blueberries, som at the bottom and then after it was ready more on top, but I want to give credit where credit is due and rather than claiming it as my own, just go find the filling recipe on their page instead. :) I also subbed soymilk and it came it just as good as I think it would with real milk.

[[And before I go on blogging - I am going to justify my use of pre-made pie crust pans. They are the most affordable at Walmart, more than the pie crusts in a box that you have to spread out yourself. I'm also capable of making them from scratch, as my Aunt taught me years ago (the trick is cold water, I'll never forget, and the pastry whisk).... but I don't really have time and I wouldn't make pie so often if I always had to make a crust from scratch. I know you can freeze them, but well, I'm a grad student. No time for that and at $2.25 a package of 2 pie crusts, I'm saving money and time. So there, I rationalized enough to make myself feel better about cheating my way through pie crust-making.]] But I really can do it.

Blueberry Vanilla Cream Pie - perfect for the Fourth of July, just add strawberries!

Ratatouillie Pie

This idea popped in my head months ago. I actually scribbled it down on the dry-erase marker board on my fridge that I list all the potential recipes I can make with all the food we presently have in our fridge. Right now the list is huge since we have more groceries than I think we've ever had before.

I think the thought came when I was making the brocciflower quiche (see below) or the zucchini-oh my pie, or maybe the tomato pie I made once too.... why not just make a ratatouillie pie of all the odds and ends leftover veggies? And that is how this recipe was born. It came out fabulous and we both scarfed it down, even the hubs who hates eggplants. However, I'd like to perfect it and try again so it tastes more like ratatoullie rather than veggie pie.

So here it is, my Veggie Pie Oh My, that is delicious but impostering and wishing it was Ratatoullie Pie.

Ingredients:
1 small white eggplant, sliced and then chopped in quarters ($1)
1 small yellow squash, sliced  ($.50)
1 half a huge zucchini, sliced and chopped into quarters ($.50)
1 small onion, diced ($.33)
3 roma tomatoes, diced ($1)
1 cup of cheese ($.50)
2 eggs ($.25)
1/2 cup mayo (I use the olive oil kind, I like to think it's healthier) ($.20)
salt and pepper to taste
1 frozen pie crust in pan ($1.10)
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp each basil and oregano
fresh basil too if you have
Total: can I just say this is under $5? => officially about $5.38-$5.50

Recipe:
1. Bake pie crust 10 minutes
2. Meanwhile, steam all veggies except tomatoes for the 5-10 minutes the crust is baking.
3. After, rub dijon mustard on crust - this is the secret to making the pie crust taste so good, I always do this. Thanks Pillsbury for the idea.
4. Stir together the cheese, mayo, eggs, and spices in small bowl.
5. Drain the veggies and pour into pie crust.
6. Top with cheese-egg mixture.
7. Bake 20 minutes or more until lightly golden on top.
8. Let cool and enjoy.

Not gonna lie, this was good. It was gone within the day. Next time, I'm going to figure out though how to make it taste more like ratatouillie, perhaps less cheese and more wine.




Garlic White Bean Soup

I tried to think of some clever name for this, something to do with vampires since I just finished watching True Blood and it is garlic soup afterall, but failed at that task.

While on the topic, whose the worst actor/actress on the show? Tara? Sookie? That kid that exploded in the episode? Whoops, did I just give that one away?

Anyways....

This soup was pretty tasty. I ended up using the broth again once we got sick of it after a few too many bowls and made something else in it- I think pasta or potatoes.

If you love garlic and white beans, then this is definitely for you. If you also are sick and need a light soup that is refreshing, this is it. It's got the perfect hint of garlic and enough protein to fill you up.

Ingredients:
6 cups water (free)
2 bouillon veggie cubes ($.20)
1 bag of dry white beans ($1.25)
2 whole garlic heads ($1.50)
1 small onion chopped ($.33)
4 tablespoons butter ($.10)
2 tablespoons marsala cooking wine ($.10)
2 tablespoons soy sauce ($.5)
salt and pepper to taste (I prefer white pepper)
Total price: $3.53

Recipe:
1. Soak beans overnight in large cooking pot filled with water. This softens them up for a quicker cooking time the next day. Or you can cheat and use the rapid version on the beans bag.
2. Boil together bouillon cubes and water. Add whole cloves of garlic and chopped onion. Once boiling add together the rest of the ingredients.
3. Cook for 45 minutes on medium.
4. You can add cream to it if you prefer a creamy version, but I liked it like a broth.
5. And like I said, once you get sick of it - you can make some amazing rice, potatoes, or pasta with the leftovers. Just substitute them instead of the water in your usual recipe.

Tada! Tasty, garlic-y, vampire-resistant, bean soup. Just make sure to mouthwash before you go kissing anyone.