Meringue Mushrooms

a little bit different

After THE food holiday I'm ready for a bit of a break from cooking. So, for this post I'm doing something a little different. Below I've provided my dad's mom's (Grandma Esther) meringue recipe and a link to someone else's blog with a very creative recipe - Meringue Mushrooms. The other motivation behind my post is that I had absolutely no idea what to do with mushrooms for a dessert or drink (seriously, think about it...). Well, someone else had this cute idea. No, there aren't mushrooms in the meringues (yuck!) but, they look just like mushrooms. So, use up any leftover egg whites and make these...that is, if you can muster up the energy!

Ingredients - Makes 2 Dozen
2 Egg Whites
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3/4 C Granulated Sugar

Directions to Make Grandma Esther's Meringues:

Preheat the oven to 300.

In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until they double in size and soft peaks form. Turn off the mixer and add in the salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla. Start the mixer again and slowly add in the sugar until the egg whites are fluffy and stiff peaks form.

On a parchment paper lined baking sheet drop tablespoonfuls of the meringues. Bake for about 25 minutes. Do not let the meringues brown. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues in it to dry out completely. Remove to a container and store up to 1 week.

Directions to Make the Meringue Mushrooms:

http://sweet-treats-baking.blogspot.com/2012/12/meringue-mushrooms-buche-de-noel.html

NOTE: You will need chocolate chips and cocoa powder in addition to the ingredients in Grandma Esther's recipe above to make the meringue mushrooms. Have fun!!

Meatless Shepherd's Pie

waste not, want not...use up leftovers in a different way

Thanksgiving is only 2 days away and all I can think about are the leftovers. HA! I can honestly say that after all of the cooking on the day of, I'm exhausted and just want to rest. Plus I'm not usually that hungry because I've been tasting things all day as I cook. I find that the best part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. Sure, the meal that day is wonderful, but reinventing and using up all the leftovers gives me great satisfaction.

This meatless shepherd's pie uses up quite a bit of what you might have left after your Thanksgiving meal. From the mashed potatoes, to the roasted root veggies, to the gravy, this pie can be a cinch to make. I've listed out all the steps to make this from scratch here though. So, make this with leftovers or make it from scratch, I suggest just making this dish, period. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 6
2 lbs. Russet Potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 T Prepared Horseradish
1/2 C Half & Half

1 Egg Yolk
1 oz. Package Dried Assorted Mushrooms
Olive Oil
2 Carrots, diced (about 12 baby)
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Clove Garlic, pressed
2 (8 oz.) Boxes Mushrooms (suggest baby bella or button)
2 T Unsalted Butter
2 T Flour
2 tsp. Soy Sauce (low sodium okay)
1/2 C Frozen Peas
Salt & Pepper
Parsley, for garnish

Directions
Begin by bringing the potatoes to a boil in a large pot. Salt the water when it begins to boil. Cook for about 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and return to the hot pot. Set aside.

While the potatoes are boiling, combine the dried mushrooms with 3 C of water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, reconstituting the mushrooms.

Meanwhile, heat a large skilled over med-high. Add 2 T olive oil, the carrots, onion, and garlic. Sweet for 2-3 minutes and then add in the sliced mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 minutes more, or until the veggies have softened. Reduce the heat to med-low.

By this time the dried mushrooms have reconstituted. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a cutting board. Roughly chop and then add to the large skillet with the rest of the veggies. Reserve 1 C of the mushroom broth, discard the rest, and wipe out the small pot.

Return the small pot to the stove over medium heat. Melt the butter and then add in the flour to make a roux, whisking to ensure no lumps form. Cook for about 30 seconds and then add the soy sauce and reserved mushroom broth, whisking well. Allow the gravy to cook for another minute, until thickened.

Add the gravy to the large skillet with the veggies. Stir the gravy into the veggies, stir in the peas, and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. Turn off the heat, set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mash the potatoes in the large pot until there are no lumps. Stir in the horseradish, half and half, and egg yolk. Mix well.

Assemble the pie: pour the veggie mixture into a large baking dish. Then spread the potatoes over top. Try to keep the potatoes from mixing with the veggies and leave a little room around the edges for steam to escape as the pie cooks. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the dish is hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and garnish with torn parsley. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then serve. Enjoy those reinvented leftovers!

Stuffing-Stuffed Mushrooms

some people stuff a bird, I stuff mushrooms

Thanksgiving is on it's way. THE food holiday, at least in my book. My family has always celebrated this day with gusto. We have so many dishes and copious amounts of each that one person can't possibly have more than a tablespoon of each thing before they are completely stuffed. And, speaking of stuffed, we don't actually stuff our turkey bird. We make a bread dressing instead. We still call it stuffing, but really, it's not.

With my mind on turkey day and probably my favorite part of it - stuffing - I thought I would create a recipe that could be made year round. These stuffed mushrooms are super easy to make and would be the perfect use up for any leftovers from the holiday. Or, when you get a hankering for Thanksgiving in March or July, make these. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 8-10
2 Box (14 oz.) "Stuffer" Mushrooms (suggest button)
5 Slices Stale Bread (white or wheat okay)
1/2 (8 oz.) Package Seasoned Stuffing (suggest Pepperidge Farm)
2 Stalks Celery, finely chopped
1/2 Yellow Onion, finely chopped
4-5 Sage Leaves, minced (dried/ground okay, use 1 tsp.)
1/2 T Poultry Seasoning
1 1/2 C Chicken (or Turkey) Broth
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil

Directions
The night before making these, tear the bread into small pieces and leave in a large bowl to dry out over night.

The day of begin by preparing the mushroom caps: Wipe away any dirt with a damp towel. Remove the stem and save for another use (my next recipe perhaps) or discard. Line the mushroom caps cup-side up on a baking sheet. Set aside.

Next put the celery and onion in a small pot and just cover with water. Bring the pot to a simmer over med-high and cook until the veggies are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.

After the veggies are cooked add them to the large bowl with the torn bread (water too). Add the seasoned stuffing, sage, poultry seasoning, and broth; mix well. Taste for seasoning and add salt and/or pepper as needed. Remember the mushrooms will have no seasoning, so a touch more salt is usually needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the mushrooms: Stuff each mushroom with 2-3 T of the stuffing mixture. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of each mushroom and then bake for 20-25 minutes.

The stuffing should be brown and the mushrooms tender. Remove to a serving platter immediately and enjoy! Thanksgiving doesn't have to come just once a year after all.

Ginger-Apple-Kale Juice

lean and green and made by a machine

When I chose to focus on kale for these 3 posts I wasn't sure what I was going to do for a dessert or drink. Either option sounded quite unpleasant to me. However, my husband reminded me that tons of people make juices from kale. Well, I've never been into juicing, nor have I had a desire really to make one (I like to chew my food). But, I though, let's try it...isn't that what this blog is about anyway?

After doing much research I decided that ginger and apple sounded the most appealing to pair with kale. Still odd, but perhaps the sweetness from the apples and zip from the ginger would wash out the flavor of the kale. And, really, that's what happens. This drink is full of vitamin k from the kale and provides a great boost in energy from the ginger. Try this juice when you are tired of the same old, same old. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 4
2 C Kale (suggest curly), washed & dried
2 Green Apples, cored & chopped
2 Ribs Celery, chopped
1/2-1 inch Piece Fresh Ginger, peeled & chopped
1 C Apple Juice (light okay)
Ginger Beer (suggest Reed's)

Directions
Begin by removing the tough ribs from the kale, discard, and then roughly chop the leaves. Pack them into a blender until they reach the 2 cup mark.

To the blender add the apples, celery, ginger, and apple juice. Process until nearly smooth using the liquefy setting. You will have to help the blender at first by moving the ingredients around with a spoon. This will take about 5 minutes.

Once the mixture is nearly smooth remove it to a fine mesh sieve placed over a bowl/measuring cup. I did this in batches to ensure I got all of the liquid out of the mixture. Use your spoon to press out as much liquid as possible from the solids; discard the solids. You will end up with about 2 cups of juice.

Evenly distribute the juice into 4, 8 oz. glasses (about a 1/2 cup each). Top with the ginger beer and enjoy!

Poor Man's Pasta (or Kale & Eggs)

a penny pinching pasta dinner

Steven introduced me to one of the least expensive meals ever. When we were at Miami together and needed to eat something on the cheap, we didn't grab take-out. We made a poor man's pasta dinner. This typically consisted of olive oil, dried herbs, pasta, and some cheese. It's a minimalists meal in every way and obviously not every nutritious, but it did the job of filling us up. To this day we still make this dish just because it's easy and we usually have everything on hand. So, in an effort to bump up the nutrition and still keep this cheap, I've created this kale and eggs version.

I've taken Steven's dirt-cheap dish and made it a little more healthy by adding kale and eggs. Both are very inexpensive items, but full of nutrition. These extra ingredients not only add flavor and texture, but will also help to keep you full longer. When you need a quick and filling meal, this is your go to. Comfort food and nutrition meet at the dinner table, make this tonight, here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4

1 Bunch Kale (Curly or Dino ok) washed, dried, & roughly chopped
2-3 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
1 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1 lb. Spaghetti (any long noodle)
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
4 Large Eggs
1 C Shredded Parmesan, plus more for serving

Directions
Begin by bringing a large pot of water to a boil.

As the water comes to a boil, heat a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Add 2T olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add the onion and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until the onion begins to brown slightly. Add in the kale. You will probably have to do this a little at a time, but it will wilt down to fit. After all of the kale is added, sprinkle in the nutmeg and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir to combine and then transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

Once the water boils, salt, then drop the pasta. Work the noodles gently into the water - don't break them, please! Allow the pasta to cook until al dente, about 10-12 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, fry the eggs. Return the large skillet to the stove. Heat on medium and add 1T olive oil. Once the oil is hot, crack the eggs, one at a time, into the skillet. Allow the eggs to cook until the whites are just set and the yolks are still runny, about 5 minutes.

Drain the pasta then return to the pot. Add the kale mixture, another 2-3T olive oil, and cheese. Mix well to combine.

Serve the pasta topped with an egg. Add an extra sprinkle of cheese, if desired. This dish is far from poor in taste and it won't break the bank. Enjoy!

Salt & Vinegar Kale Chips

if you can't beat 'em, join 'em...

Everyone is crazy for kale. I've tried to stay out of this "food fad" for as long as possible, but a few weeks ago I finally made kale chips. They were good. I just made simple chips with olive oil and salt. I wanted to see what the texture would be like, how long to cook them, etc. And then I thought, how can I make these better? What are my favorite chips? That was a simple answer - salt & vinegar. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE salt and vinegar chips. Then I thought about kale and how good greens are with vinegar. I was sold!

These chips are salty and tangy, just what you would expect from a salt & vinegar potato chip. But, they melt in your mouth. Baking the kale draws out all of the liquid and leaves an airy "chip" behind. I marinate the greens in distilled white vinegar, allow that to dry on the chips, and then add oil and salt and bake. These are a great substitute for any meal served with chips. Try them with your dinner tonight, here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4-6

1 Bunch Kale (Dinosaur or Curly okay)

1 C Distilled White Vinegar

Olive Oil Cooking Spray

1 tsp. Kosher Salt (Sea Salt okay)

Directions

Prepare 2 (or 3) large baking sheets with parchment paper. Put cooling racks on top of the baking sheets. Set aside.

Wash and dry the kale really well. Make sure no water is left on the leaves. Remove the tough stem from each leaf and tear the kale into 2 inch pieces. Pour the vinegar into a shallow dish and add the kale pieces. Toss to coat evenly. Allow the kale to marinate in the vinegar for 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Remove the kale to the prepared baking sheets, shaking off the excess vinegar. Be sure the kale is in a single layer. Allow the kale to dry completely. This will take about an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees about 20 minutes before the kale is dry. Be sure to make room with your oven racks for 2-3 baking sheets.

Once the kale is dry, lightly spray with the olive oil cooking spray. Sprinkle the salt over the kale and then bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip each chip over and rotate the baking sheets. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Check these often and as soon as they are dry remove them to a bowl or plate. Some chips will take longer than others. Serve immediately and join the kale crazy!