Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I love mushrooms in every shape or form and Portobello mushrooms rank pretty high on my favorite foods list. I love how versatile they are and how you can turn them into a filling, delicious, vegetarian meal with very little effort.  This recipe came about simply by checking the pantry and refrigerator. What started as a meal to get rid of a few extra vegetables, turned into an unforgettable dinner and inspired me to get back on this computer to write a short post.

While trying to come up with the finished recipe I decided to forgo the usual breadcrumbs as a binder and instead turned to Quinoa, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite grains to incorporate into recipes. By doing so, I was actually able to create a recipe which is not just vegetarian, but also gluten free. Served with a big salad on the side and bowl of watermelon this turned into a great meal that none of us will soon forget.

 

Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms 

~Serves 4~

(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:

4 Large Portobello Mushrooms

1/2 cup Quinoa

1 cup Vegetable Broth

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/2 Red Onion, diced

4 cups Baby Spinach, rough chopped

4 Tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 cup Fresh Basil, chiffonade

1/2 tsp. dried Oregano

Salt and Pepper

4 oz. Fresh Mozzarella, cubed

1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Directions:

Clean Portobello mushrooms by removing the stem and cleaning out the gills and gently wiping the mushroom tops. Chop the stems and reserve. 

Meanwhile bring 1/2 cup quinoa and 1 cup of vegetable broth to a boil in a small pot. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until all the broth is absorbed. Take off the stove and cool to room temperature.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a pan. Add the red onions, and cook until the onions begin to soften. Add the reserved chopped mushroom stems, spinach and tomatoes and saute until the spinach is wilted and the mixture is heated through. Season with oregano and salt and pepper to taste.  Add the basil and remove from the stove. Gently stir in the quinoa and let everything cool to room temperature. Once the mixture has cooled, fold in the cubed mozzarella.

Take the cleaned mushroom caps and brush them lightly all over with olive oil. Season the inside with salt and pepper. Divide the filling equally into each mushroom cap. 

Sprinkle each with Parmesan.

Grill for 15 minutes over medium heat or until the mozzarella starts melting and the mushrooms are heated through.

Serve immediately.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

Bacon-Spinach Mashed Potatoes

One of my all-time favorite side dishes, one that I could easily eat every week without growing tired of it, is mashed potatoes. I prefer just plain old mashed potatoes made with milk and butter, but every once in a while when I feel adventurous, I go as far as making them with buttermilk, roasted garlic or other add-ins so the rest of the family won't grow tired of them and thinks I made them something different.

This recipe I found yet again in a Cuisine at Home (love this magazine!), and on first glance it almost reminded me of my Colcannon potatoes which I like to make around St. Patrick's Day. I started this dish by switching from Russet Potatoes (which the recipe called for) to Yukon Gold. I firmly believe that if you start with a great tasting potato to begin with, you can easily reduce the butter without losing flavor. The potatoes are cooked along with the garlic, and right before draining, spinach is added to the water to wilt it down. The potato/spinach mixture is then mashed. Then butter, milk, salt, and nutmeg are incorporated. For the final touch, pre-crisped bacon bits and a little bit of heavy cream are added.

This was a fairly simple dish that was full of wonderful flavors. I served this alongside grilled sirloin steaks and fresh green beans, which made this a wonderful Sunday dinner. My whole family loved this side dish as much as the Goat Cheese Polenta I featured earlier in the week. This recipe is definitely a keeper that I will be adding to our regular dinner rotations!

Bacon-Spinach Mashed Potatoes
(adapted from "Cuisine at Home")
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

6 strips thick-sliced bacon, diced
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
3 garlic cloves, pealed, smashed
1 (9 ounce) bag fresh spinach
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup milk (I used 1 %)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Saute bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Boil potatoes and garlic in a large pot of salted water until tender when pierced, about 15 minutes. Just before draining, stir in spinach to wilt. Drain potatoes, garlic and spinach; return to pot and cook over low heat 1-2 minutes to evaporate excess moisture, stirring constantly.

Add milk and butter, mash potatoes until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt, nutmeg and add heavy cream. Stir in bacon bits before serving.

Boursin Creamed Spinach

There isn't a lot of things grilled that I like better than a great cut of steak! Yes, I love red meat, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Everything in moderation, right? Anyway, with a good steak you have to have sides that either compliment or stand up to the dominance of beef. Spinach is one of those dishes, maybe that's why you frequently find creamed spinach or spinach salad served along side at many steak houses as well. 

I've already proclaimed my love for spinach on this blog, but just in case you missed that, yes, I could eat spinach at least once a week and be happy. I grew up eating spinach, fresh spinach from my mom's garden, and have loved it ever since. Usually, I prefer my spinach either in salad form or just lightly sauteed and seasoned. Sometimes I will also make a creamed version which is one of my favorites but higher in calories, and with that, only reserved for the occasional meal. 

When I saw this recipe in "Cuisine at Home", I knew I had to try it out and couldn't wait for our next steak dinner to do so. Creamed spinach is taken to the next level with the addition of Boursin Cheese, and preparation is quick with the use of frozen chopped spinach. The flavor is further enhanced by adding a bit of lemon zest to the dish which is topped with a bread crumb mixture before baking it. The recipe itself doesn't make a lot, but was enough to feed our family of five with no problem. A little of this rich dish goes a long way.

This was a wonderful recipe that really showcased the spinach in a great way. I will most definitely serve this again with another steak dinner, but next time I will try it with fresh spinach instead of frozen, I think it would be even more tasty this way. So if you love spinach and have Popeye on speed dial, I hope you'll make this recipe for your next steak house meal!

Boursin Creamed Spinach

~makes about 2 cups~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the Spinach Filling:

1/2 cup diced onion

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 package (5.2 ounces) Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of excess moisture

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon minced lemon zest

Salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and ground nutmeg to taste

For the Crumb Topping:

2/3 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs (made from 2 slices firm white bread)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a shallow 2-cup baking dish with nonstick spray; set aside.

Saute onion in 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan over medium heat until soft, 5 minutes.

Add flour and stir to coat onion. Cook about 1 minute.

Gradually whisk milk and cream into onion mixture, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer sauce for 1 minute.

Stir in Boursin, a little at a time, until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Remove saucepan from heat.

Add spinach, Parmesan, zest, and seasonings. Transfer spinach mixture to prepared baking dish.

Combine crumbs, 1 tablespoon butter, oil, salt and pepper. Top spinach with crumbs, pressing them to adhere. (Dish may be covered and chilled at this point to be baked later.) 

Place dish on a baking sheet; bake until crumbs are golden and sauce is bubbly, 20-25 minutes.

Adapted from: Cuisine at Home

Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon

I've always had a special bond with POPEYE - we both love spinach. I don't care if it is spinach salad, creamed spinach, or spinach added to any or everything. The rest of my family is not quite as enthusiastic about this vegetable as I am though. My husband was raised on canned spinach with vinegar (it would have turned me against it at a young age as well) but I was lucky. I grew up with a mother and grandparents who were the proud owners of gardens where vegetables and fruit were plentiful almost all year round. So spinach was always fresh and tender and dishes with it were prepared with a lot of love.

I've made a lot of spinach dishes before and slowly my husband is coming around but this warm salad was a new one even for me. It is warm like a vegetable, but has the tang like a well dressed salad and of course bacon never hurts a dish. We served this with hard boiled eggs on top which you could either leave off or substitute with soft boiled eggs which will also compliment this dish well. This salad goes great as a side dish with steak but if you are going for a vegetarian option (without the bacon bits), it could make an entree sized portion for 2 people along with the eggs and some crusty bread.

Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pound Baby Spinach leaves, washed, dried and stems removed

4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

1 Shallot, thinly sliced (or another 1/2 onion)

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced 

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

3 large semi-hard boiled eggs

Directions:

Add chopped bacon to a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown. Once the bacon is crisp and rendered, take it out and set it aside on a plate leaving the bacon fat in the pan. Add the shallots, onion (or all onion) along with the garlic to the pan. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until soft, being careful not to burn the garlic (it will turn bitter). Add the honey and vinegar along with the crushed red pepper flakes and caramelize the onions and garlic, about 4 more minutes. Toss the washed and dried spinach into the pan and wilt it down a bit making sure not to over cook the spinach, turning it with tongs for about 30 seconds to a minute. Season the greens with salt and fresh ground pepper. Place spinach on a serving dish and top with reserved bacon bits and arrange cooked eggs on top. Serve immediately.