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!

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.

I love the farmer's market!

I used to visit the local farmer's market back home in a big city every so often, more like every blue moon and usually to just try some new desserts and get out.

But now I go every weekend to our miniscule tiny farmer's market, like 10 tents total. I go with $20 cash and stock up and it usually lasts me the week. It totally beats buying the same old stuff from Walmart, I get to try new veggies and fruit I've never seen before, and they don't go bad so quickly since they are so fresh.

Here is last weeks purchase for $19.50. I can't say I'm not proud of my purchase.

Here's what I ended up making. I ate the blueberries for breakfast. I used this huge cucumber for the two recipes found below: Honey Vinegar Cucumber Salad and Cucumber Salmon Crackers. I sliced and peeled the purple haze carrots and drizzled them in olive oil, they were so good as is. I chopped the tomatoes and onions in halves, roasted for about 30 minutes, and ground then up into roasted tomato salsa! SO GOOD! I also roasted two of the garlics. I steamed the rattlesnake green beans with some garlic. I made grilled onions with the last onion and sliced the chocolate cherry tomatoes and made a sandwich for lunch. I also made bruschetta with french bread, olive oil, the cherry tomatoes, the roasted garlic, and fresh basil.

And finally, I am now making white bean garlic soup. Recipe to follow.... I also plan on boiling the corn tomorrow or later and making a roasted garlic butter sauce for it with the leftover garlic. Yum! Can't wait for tomorrow's visit :D

Cucumber Crackers

I've never really loved cucumber and usually ask for my sushi to be made without it. But being so cheap and pretty at the farmer's market lately, I couldn't help myself.

For $1, I snagged this huge eccentric cucumber and thought long and hard (ha - like a cucumber) about what to do with it. I decided to use half and save the rest for another recipe I found online - which sidenote, was fantastic. Check Honey Vinegar Cucumber Recipe on pinterest here:
http://nancycreative.com/
As for these guys, I've since made them again. The recipe is so easy and you can pretty much play around with it however you'd like. Just used slice cucumber instead of crackers, so tasty and so much healthier.

Salmon Cucumber Snacks

Ingredients:
1/2 a huge cucumber ($.50)
1 can of alaskan salmon (I buy them at BJs or Sam's Club) ($2)
1 tablespoon of asian sesame dressing ($.10)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon mustard
1 small tomato
dried basil
Total: $3

Recipe:
1. Peel and slice cucumber. Arrange on plate or platter.
2. Mix in bowl the rest of the ingredients (minus the tomato).
3. Since this recipe is mayo-less (although you can make it like tuna salad with mayo too if you like), I had to roll up and use my hands to press the salmon together into small balls.
4. I placed each one on top of the cucumber and atopped it with a small slice of tomato.
5. Sprinkle with basil. Done and so easy!

Eggplant Parm-Parm Casserole

I got the most beautiful huge eggplant at the farmer's market a few weeks ago. I don't have much experience on this vegetable or fruit as some would argue, so thankfully a friend was visiting who could assist. One time I tried making it, it came out so soggy and mush, not very good. And since then, I really have been hesitant.

Anyways, this eggplant made a huge casserole dish for a few nights, even with guests. And I still had a quarter of it leftover which I roasted and smashed for sandwiches.

I did a ton of research as she was explaining to me something about "salting" the eggplant since I had no idea what she was talking about. I quickly realixed this is common practice and you do this to a) reduce bitterness and b) reduce moisture. Some online argue it isn't really necessary. I figure it can't hurt and it adds some seasoning.

This recipe came out delicious. The flour breading and then adding breadcrumbs really made it perfect. Too much breading and it's hard to taste the eggplant. There weren't leftovers for long.

Ingredients:
1 box of whole wheat macaroni ($1 at walmart)
1 can of four cheese tomato sauce ($1)
flour for coating ($.10)
breadcrumbs ($.10)
shredded cheese ($.75)
1 huge eggplant ($2)
salt
oil
Total: $4.95-$5

Recipe:
1. Chop up your eggplant. I cut it first from top to bottom. Then I sliced into 1 inch steaks the eggplant from there.
2. Add them to a collander. Salt generously (like 3 tablespoons). Place bowl underneath. Wait 30 minutes. Toss around every 5 to 10 minutes. Watch water collect underneath.
3. Coat each piece in flour, press to make sure it sticks.
4. Use skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil (no more - this is the trick, too much and it gets soggy!) and cook about 5 minutes each batch.
5. Meanwhile you should have boiled your pasta according to directions.
6. When pasta is ready, toss with sauce and spread in casserole dish.
7. Drain eggplant on paper towels to reduce oil. Then assort them on top of the pasta in casserole dish.
8. Top with shredded cheese, about 1/4 cup or so to your liking.
9. Then top with bread crumbs, about 1/4 cup or less.
10. Place in 375 degrees oven for 30 minutes until crispy and cheese is melted.

Elvis Presley Ice Cream

Ever since I received an ice cream make as a gift from our wedding, I've been so excited to play around with recipes for ice cream.

I immediately started pinning recipes I was interested in: cinnamon, green tea, espresso, etc. But up to this point, I have only mastered vanilla. I even had a month long upset where none of my ice cream was setting properly. Thanks to google and troubleshooting, I finally realized after 3 messed up batches that my freezer wasn't cold enough and I needed to change the settings and it helps to refrigerate your ice cream recipe overnight before to make sure it is as cold as possible too.

Here is the ice cream maker I have that can be purchased at Crate and Barrel:

It comes with a little recipe booklet, but like most of my recipes, after a few delicious batches, I tend to try and improve them. I was sick of using such heavy cream and worried about putting on some extra pounds if I was eating a whole thing of ice cream each weekend with hubby. It's important to keep in mind that homemade ice cream is more liquid than solid, since it is made without the preservatives, atleast that's what the instruction booklet says. It's pretty darn good, I must say.

Basic Vanilla:
2 cup soy milk
1 cup half and half (it's cheaper than cream)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
Mix together and refrigerate overnight for best results to chill thoroughly.

Elvis Ice Cream with Peanut Butter, Banana, Honey, and Cinnamon Recipe:
1. After the vanilla is churned for 15 minutes in the machine, add 1/4 tsp of cinnamon.
2. Then add 2 tablespoons of honey.
3. Then add 1/4 cup of peanut butter (try not to use one with alot of sugar since it already calls for it in this recipe, I had a natural almond butter that I used)
4. Add half a chopped banana.
5. Allow to churn for 15 minutes total.
6. Serve and top with remaining 1/2 of banana.

If only I remembered to top it with some fresh mint then the picture would be perfect. I'm still working on my photography skills. It came out perfectly peanut butter, with a hint of honey and cinnamon, and a perfect creamy texture. The soy works out well even when not using whole milk. It might be a bit thicker with whole milk but I prefer soy. So work with what you've got. Enjoy!

Tuna Noodle Casserole from Scratch!

I used to think making things from "scratch" took too much time and ended up costing more anyways. For instance, one time I tried making chocolate pecan pie. I gathered all the ingredients at the grocery store and when I looked down at my buggy, it was over $15 worth of items. I changed my mind, put everything back, and got a specialty chocolate pecan pie from Whole Foods for the same price.

But lately I haven't had a choice budget wise. I don't go around making fancy pies for any old occasion, but I do end up buying more ingredients that need more work. For example, brown rice, whole wheat noodles, ramen noodles, corn meal, dried beans, etc.

But it's not really much more work putting it all together, especially when you already have the ingredients at home like I did for this recipe. No shopping trip necessary.

Ingredients:
1 box of whole wheat rotini ($1.09 at walmart)
3 small carrots, peeled and chopped ($1)
1/2 bag of frozen peas ($.50)
1 can of albacore tuna ($1.20)
2 cups (soy) milk ($.75)
1 garlic clove ($.10)
4 tbsp butter ($.10)
4 tbsp flour
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp salt
Total $4.74-5

Recipe:
1. Steam carrots in a pot until tender and ready, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the garlic alfredo sauce in a small saucepan.
    a. Add butter to saucepan on medium and wait til it melts a few minutes.
    b. Add chopped garlic.
    c. Wait a few minutes and stir frequently.
    d. Add flour and mix it up into a sticky doughy roux.
    e. Add milk and bring to a boil on high. Then reduce heat to simmer on low for about 10 minutes until thick.
    f. Add cheese, salt, soy, parsley, mustard, and any other spices you want.
3. Boil noodles according to package, about 10 minutes.
4. Add carrots and frozen peas to bowl. Then add noodles when ready. Top with sauce. And stir it up. May need more salt, so add to your liking.

Zucchini Pie Oh My

I’ve made the Pillsbury version of zucchini pie with crescent rolls three times over the holidays. It’s pretty fabulous but it did bring up some pet peeves of mine. It isn’t really quiche and it really isn’t pie. It’s buttery goodness but it was lacking creaminess or quichiness. After getting annoyed with the pooling of butter up top, I figured this recipe needed some remodeling. A lightbulb hit when I was visiting a friend’s family for Easter dinner and her mother made Tomato Pie. It included mayonnaise (which would have first issued an ick moment in me) but then I ate it and it was amazing. My friend and I made it again the following week.

So now that I have a huge- I mean foot long and bigger than my thigh sized zucchini, I needed to brainstorm what to do with it. While walking the dog today, I came up with this idea of putting the two recipes together. This recipe only used half my zucchini and I plan on grilling the other half for our Memorial Day BBQ. Did I mention I got this zucchini free at the Farmer’s Market because it was ugly? It was originally priced 50 cents and when I asked why, the man handed it to me and said he would have some better looking ones next week. He then inquired about what I was going to do with it… and I quickly rambled off about sautéing it or putting it on pizza. Nope, not quite this time.

Ingredients:

4 cups zucchini cut in matchsticks ($1 or free in my case)
2 eggs ($.50)
1 tablespoon butter ($.5)
½ cup mayo ($.50) [side note: I always use Light Mayo - I swear I can't taste the difference but I know how weird people get about their mayo, so use what you prefer]
1 tablespoon dried shallots
1 clove garlic
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese ($.50)
1 pie crust ($1.25)
1 tsp Dijon
10 crunks of pepper
10 crunks of garlic salt
2 tsps of parsley
1 tsp basil
Total $3.80-$4

Recipe:

1. While oven is preheating at 375 degrees, start chopping your zucchini into match stick sizes. This can be done by cutting it into 4 inch chunks, then cutting the chunks in half, and again slicing up those halves. Did that make any sense?
2. Spread Dijon mustard on pie and allow it to defrost a bit while oven is preheating. When ready, bake for 10 minutes.
3. In a tablespoon of butter, lightly sautee the zucchini for about 10 minutes. Chop the garlic and add that towards the end as well as the dried shallots. If any liquid collects, drain the zucchini at the end.
4. Transfer zucchini to a bowl and add eggs, mayo, and spices. Stir gently to not crush the zucchini.
5. Add zucchini mixture to pie crust. Top with shredded cheese.
6. Bake 35 minutes and enjoy!