Gluten Free Deep Dish Portobello Mushroom Pizzas

Pizza and mushrooms go hand in hand in our household.  I figured , why not combine the two and get rid of  the Gluten, some of the carbs and shave a substantial measure of fat , while receiving a healthy dose of Vitamin D and calcium.  I found these beauties at Walmart, in a package boasting four beautiful Portobellos for less than 5 bucks!!!  I was very pleased with the results of this recipe.  My daughter Bronwyn LOVED it, as well as sisters Gayle, Bonnie and Hollie.  The Portobello in all it's meatiness, leaves nothing to be desired and makes a wonderful and nutritious meal with the addition of a simple green salad!!  This recipe may easily be doubled.

Recipe:

2 Portobello Mushrooms, about 8 oz.,wiped cleaned and stem trimmed if necessary

 1/4 c. mushroom and olive spaghetti sauce(or personal favorite)

2 slices Provolone cheese

3 oz. Mozzarella fresca

2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. fresh oregano and basil, julienned

olive oil for drizzling

additional sauce for serving if desired

SPST

Preheat oven to 400*F.

Brush mushrooms with olive oil and sprinkle with scant amount of kosher salt on a baking sheet.

Roast for ten minutes to extract some of the moisture and cook mushrooms, flat side down, flipping during last 3 minutes to rid of accumulated juices.

Remove from oven and flip back to textured underside.

Mix 1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese with sauce and divide among mushrooms.

Place a slice of Provolone on each.

Divide mozzarella and fresh herbs among mushrooms.

Drizzle with olive oil and Broil on bottom rack until slightly golden., about 5 minutes. 

Garnish with remaining Parmesan and SPST.

Serves 2 or makes 4 appetizer portions.

Hearty Brown Sausage Gravy and Mom's Coffee

Breakfast, along with being the most important meal of the day, is also my favorite meal.  Growing up, my parents left together for work at 6:25 every morning, give or take a few minutes, but never was this done without my mom preparing breakfast for the family.  I recall those days before school and sometimes on Saturdays, my dad in the car blowing the horn, because mom had "just one more thing " to do or say, then out she went, her coffee oftentimes barely touched and still piping hot on the kitchen table.  Not to be wasted of course, I relished in that special treat, knowing mom had prepared and sipped the creamy and delicious caramel tinted cup of goodness that sat before me.  I love coffee to this day, probably beckoning to my carefree days of a blessed and loving childhood with memories unmatched.
Sausage gravy is a great way to stretch your buck and feed more with the same amount of protein.
This can be further achieved by adding more flour and more milk, depending on personal circumstances.   I have only been making it during this past ten years , here and there, but as I developed my prowess in the kitchen, a good go-to sausage gravy recipe became imminent.  I feel this one fits the bill.
 Fresh thyme and parsley from my herb garden help create the homemade ,wholesome and highly regarded implement of color and flavor.  Calories and fat may be regulated by the type of milk used and properly draining your sausage before creating the gravy.  Turkey sausage may be used or even ground beef if desired.  I chose to use beef bouillon to help tint the gravy and get away from the ( to me ) off-putting, yet equally delicious color of the regular white gravy version.
Recipe:
1 lb. good quality sausage
1/2  soft beef bouillon cube or 2 c. beef stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp. AP flour
2 c. 2 % milk
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. butter
SPST
Brown sausage over medium high heat with bouillon cube.
Drain off rendered fat, leaving about 1 tsp.
Move sausage to one side of the pan and brown flour, among the browned bits in the bottom of the pan.
Incorporate into sausage and add milk (if using stock, add it here).
Bring up to a boil and reduce to rolling simmer for about 5 minutes.
Stir in butter and parsley and reduce heat to low.
Finish with fresh cracked black pepper
Serve hot, with biscuits or toast, and eggs any style you desire.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Easiest Crock Pot Green Beans and Mushrooms

Just about everyone loves green beans and have a surplus right about now from their gardens.  I grew some last season, but this year I am able to enjoy fresh green beans from the sumptuous garden of my sister Gayle.  She has quite a variety in tow, as well as three different types of green beans growing together.  One day I dropped by her home , she is my next door neighbor, and she had picked several pounds of beans from her garden and offered me some, to which I of course obliged!  I had some fresh mushrooms to utilize that I had purchased earlier in the week and thought the two would pair wonderfully! 

 Packed with vitamins and minerals like magnesium,. iron, Vitamin A , Vitamin B-6, calcium and potassium, fresh green beans are a great way to round out any meal.  The earthy and meaty tasting mushrooms compliment this recipe perfectly, and I found my tasters enjoying this recipe as a stand alone dish, which totally rocks!  Omit the salt pork and sub in olive oil for a satisfying and delicious vegetarian dish or meal! 

Recipe: 

1 lb. fresh green beans, washed, trimmed and broken into thirds

8 oz. whole button mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

1/2 oz. salt pork with lean, rinsed,  cut into pieces, rendered

1 packet Italian dressing 

SPST

Preheat crock-pot on high.

Toss green beans with Italian dressing packet and set aside.

Render pork fat in microwave until crisp.

While still hot, add to crock-pot, then add mushrooms.

Stir to coat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add green beans and fold together to coat well.

Add lid and cook for about 2 hours or until desired tender-crispness!

Serves 6 to 8.

Summer Peaches w/ Brie

Summer is here and and so are the bounties of some wonderful fruit trees.  Entertaining can be made easy and delicious with the addition of just a few pantry and herb garden items, for an impromptu appetizer that is light and fragrant, with nutritional benefits to boot like Potassium, Vitamin A and Vitamin C.    I came up with this recipe as a result of peaches and Brie both being on sale ( the peaches on our tree aren't ripe yet and are much smaller) and I wanted an appetizer for family to critique for future gatherings.  The finished product is full of fresh and bright flavors, with a hint of salty, provided by a splash of Sherry.  Recipe may easily be doubled!
Recipe:
1 half  wheel Brie, about 4 oz. ( allow to come to room temperature before saute of peaches)
1 1/2  to 2 tsp. butter
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 peach, sliced about 1 c.
splash Sherry
2 basil leaves, julienned
In a medium pan over medium high heat, melt butter and add peaches .
Saute for about one minute .
Add brown sugar and continue for about one minute more.
Add splash of sherry to de-glaze pan and remove from heat.
Fold in basil.
Pour over Brie and garnish with fresh cracked pepper and Lime Thyme.
Serve with crackers ( I used bacon Ritz)

Pasta Primavera w/ Pineapple-Lemon Vinaigrette

This is an excellent salad for those extra warm to hot days, packed with fresh veggies, herbs and uber nutrients, and goes along perfectly with your favorite grilled fare especially chicken, pork and fish.  Alone, this salad is the perfect base for protein enriched salads featuring canned tuna and canned chicken breast, just add mayo or salad dressing.  My family and  I have tried all three versions, and we were very pleased with all mediums in which it was served, especially the one with tuna!
This recipe is a great way to utilize up and coming veggies in your gardens or that are given by your gardening friends! Briny, canned artichoke hearts pair amazingly well with the tropical-sweet pineapple segments and earthy fresh mushrooms.  The vinaigrette for this recipe may easily be used to marinate proteins as well.
Recipe:
1 lb. Penne Rigate, cooked al dente
4 c. fresh broccoli florets, blanched and shocked
8 oz. canned artichoke hearts, well drained and halved
1 c. sliced mini orange sweet peppers
1 c. fresh sliced mushrooms
4 slices pineapple, cut into segments, reserving canned juices for vinaigrette
Pineapple-Lemon Vinaigrette:
2/3 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh julienne of oregano
juice of one fresh lemon
SPST

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente, about 10 minutes.  Blanch broccoli in pasta water during last two minutes of cooking, then skim out and transfer to ice bath or very cold water to stop cooking process.
Drain and rinse pasta with cool water also.
Combine all the salad ingredients in a large vessel and mix vinaigrette ingredients in a separate small vessel, whisking until well blended.  SPST.
Pour over salad and coat in a folding fashion with a large rubber spatula.
Let stand for several minutes , folding often, allowing flavors to marry and serve or refrigerate until ready to use.
May be served at room temperature.

Grilled Strip Steak w/ Mushrooms and Potatoes

I felt that I had struck gold when I tried out a new marinade idea for steaks one day, so simple and fabulous I want to keep it a secret, but so delicious that I MUST share! You may be thinking, 'yeah, yeah, I've heard that before', but my tasters and I agree that this really brings the beef to life!  The fish sauce adds umami notes and  contributes to the  beef 's simple but stunning flavor profile, while the un-sulfured molasses provides depth, color and only the slightest sweetness with major caramelization properties.  Serve with your favorite veggies and starch and the meal will be a winner every time, broiled, baked or grilled!
Recipe:
1 part fish sauce per 2  parts molasses
1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 tsp. fresh herbs
1 tbsp. olive oil
SPST
Whisk ingredients together and place in resealable bag.
Toss steaks in bag to coat and press out excess air and seal.
Marinate at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.
SPST
Grill or cook as desired.  This marinade will accommodate 4 steaks.

Tripe A La Mode de Caen

Tripe is an inexpensive and quite popular ingredient around the world and has been utilized for centuries. It is the stomach of an animal, particulaly cows.  There are four types in Bovines, blanket, honeycomb, book and reed, honeycomb being the most revered.   Getting some to jump on the bandwagon however, is a somewhat daunting task to say the least.
Beef tripe falls into the category of Offal, or variety meats including internal organs and glands like sweetbreads, chittlins' and the stomach. Liver and kidneys is also in this group.
Latin Americans enjoy cooking with tripe.  I too have a recipe fashioned in that medium, Panza de Res y Chile Ajo, thinly sliced and fried or stewed.  The French sometimes opt for the low and slow cooked method with vegetables and and/or wine and ciders, from which this recipe is inspired, minus the cider, Calvados and hoof!! (which is what the initial recipe and namesake includes)  It is certainly worth the effort and the results are phenomenal.
I originally ran across a recipe similar to this one while watching a syndicated show featuring Julia Child, The French Chef, teaching Americans how to cook like the French debuting in the early 60's.  As many well know, she is one of the pioneer chefs who brought French cooking to the average American kitchen.
Recipe:
1 pkg. beef honeycomb tripe, about 5 lbs., washed, patted dry and cut into about 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces
2 medium onions, quartered
3 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
4  cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 large bay leaf
2 soft beef bouillon cubes or 8 cups beef stock
about 2 lbs. potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
SPST
olive oil for drizzling
In a large dutch oven over medium high heat, drizzle with olive oil and add onions, celery, garlic, bay leaf and bouillon cubes.  If using stock, add after the vegetables have cooked for several minutes and become aromatic.
Add tripe and stir to coat.  Fill vessel with enough water to cover protein and bring up to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and cook for about 2 hours.
After 2 hours, transfer to 350*F oven and bake for additional 8 hours or until unctuous broth remains and the tripe is very tender.  Add more water or stock as needed during cooking process.
Add potatoes and cook until fork tender, about 25 minutes.
SPST
Remove bay leaf before serving.  Garnish with Chervil or Parsley.
Serve with crusty buttered bread if desired.  Serves 8 to 10.