Brown Rice with Mushrooms

Brown Rice with Mushrooms

1 ½ cups uncooked long-grain white rice
1 can beef broth
1 can condensed French onion soup

1 can sliced mushrooms and liquid
¼ cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour melted butter in an 8x8 pan and add rice and liquids. Add mushrooms and liquid. Cover and bake for 30-45 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Chicken Lo Mein... More Chinese Takeout at home!

I didn't have the Lo Mein noodles, so I just used what I had in the pantry. Angel Hair Pasta worked just fine! 


Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

8 oz Angel Hair Pasta or Spaghetti

2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

1 head of broccoli cut into flowerets
1 carrot, matchstick cuts
1 onion halved and sliced
1/2 cup water chestnuts
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic minced

Cook the noodles one minute shy of the directions.
Drain and toss with a little oil in a bowl to coat. 

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium to medium-high heat.Cook the chicken about 5-10 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove from the pan and add in the vegetables and garlic and cook them for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until just softened.

In a bowl add water, cornstarch, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Mix to dissolve the cornstarch and pour into the skillet. Bring to a low boil to thicken the sauce.

Add in chicken and noodles. Stir until heated through. Serve! 

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps

I wanted to create a new stuffed mushroom recipe, but I didn't want the same old - same old stand-by recipes. I made chicken Parmesan (the usual way) and thought, "What about stuffing mushrooms with that?" So, I adapted the recipe a little and did just that. What do you think? Yes, there are mushrooms, the size of dessert plates, under that cheese! LOL 

4 portobello mushrooms, wiped clean
1 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks*
1 can tomato sauce

1 can stewed tomatoes, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon basil

2 teaspoons Italian breadcrumbs

salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, or to your taste (we like cheese!)


Preheat oven to 375°F.
Scrape black gills out of mushrooms with a spoon and remove stems.
Place mushrooms on a foil lined baking sheet, stem sides up.
In a small pot, combine chicken breast with sauce, tomatoes, seasonings, breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined. Simmer until bubbling hot and thickened. Add more breadcrumbs if sauce is watery from the stewed tomatoes.** Spoon chicken mixture evenly on top of prepared mushrooms. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake mushrooms in preheated oven until tender and cheese is melted and a little browned, about 20 minutes.

*I used precooked chicken fajita strips cut into chunks.

** Mushrooms are watery themselves, so you need the sauce to be pretty think.

Tuscan Soup... requested by a guy that hates soup!

Last time... "My guys don't eat soup. One night I was making this soup for my step-mother who wasn't feeling well. My son and husband were in the back of the house playing the play station. They came into the kitchen asking what the terrific smell was... Needless to say, I had to make another batch of soup!"
This time the hubby actually asked me to make this soup!  I decided to make it a little heartier. I used Kielbasa because that was all I had on hand. I added large chunks of mushrooms and a teaspoon of minced garlic. I also a cup of evaporated milk. The basic recipe is listed below. Fell free to add or take out what you'd like!

Tuscan Soup

6 cups chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
3 (3.5 ounce) links Johnsonville Italian sausage
3 large potatoes, cubed
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and chopped
1/4 cup evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste

Remove skin from sausage and crumble into frying pan. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Place meat in a large pot; add stock and potatoes. Boil until potato is cooked. 
Add spinach. Continue boiling until spinach is lightly cooked. Remove soup from heat, stir in evaporated milk, and season to taste.

Chicken Fajitas

At our house, we love tacos, burritos, enchiladas and fajitas! I have never made fajitas, and we don't care for bell peppers. I decided to try making some and substitute mushrooms for the peppers. It was delicious!

Filling:

1 large chicken breast, cubed
1 large onion, thick slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
8oz mushrooms, thick slices
butter
Fajita Seasoning

Saute the chicken in butter until no longer pink in the middle. Add onions and mushrooms and saute  until tender crisp. Add garlic and stir. Pour in about a 1/2 cup of water to lift any bits stuck to the pan. Stir in the seasoning and simmer until thickened.

For the fajitas:

Chicken mixture
Flour tortillas
Cheese, such as a Mexican blend
Sour cream
Fajita sauce

Heat the tortillas. Add the filling mixture, cheese and sauce. Add sour cream or serve it on the side. 

Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry

When I made the stuffed flank steak rolls, I had marinaded steak left over from the trimmings. So I decided to use it in a stir fry. When starting from scratch, use the marinade recipe below.

Marinade:
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Teriyaki Sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

1 lb Sirloin, Chuck or London Broil, sliced thin against the grain

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 sweet onions, chopped

2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cup carrots, cut into thin strips

Freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup water

In a small bowl, add marinade and beef. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat about 1 minute. Add beef, breaking up clumps of beef with wooden spoon; cook 1 minute without stirring. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until beef is browned around edges. Transfer beef mixture to clean bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet; heat over medium-high heat about 1 minute. Add vegetables and cook until tender-crisp. Return meat to skillet. 

In a small bowl mix sauce. Add sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil until thickened. stirring constantly. Serve over rice.

Shared on Meal Plan Monday 

Stuffed Flank Steak Rolls

This one has sauted Mushrooms and Onions
with Provolone Cheese!

These have onions and Swiss cheese.

I saw one of those videos out there that showed something like this, but prettier and very easy and simple looking. So I gave it a shot. It is NOT simple or easy or pretty! They leave out a lot of steps as always. I changed a few ingredients. (Only because I did not have them on hand. It didn't make a difference in the difficulty.)

I tried to get a step-by-step photo shoot. The quality isn't that great on the poor old camera I'm using, but you'll get the idea! 

 No mushrooms or spinach this time, but it will next time.

Spread out the vegetable mix.

Slice the cheese into strips so it will roll easier.

I used Swiss this time.

 Carefully roll from the narrow end 

holding the stuffing in and keeping it even.

Secure with skewers. I had to use two per roll.

Slice into rounds. I got 6 out of this one.

 Over high heat, sear for 1-2 minutes per side.

 Then into the oven for 10-15 minutes.

 All done! Oops, the flash was on!

Wonderful taste! I will be making it again!

Stuffed Flank Steak Rolls
Marinade:
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Teriyaki Sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

Stuffing:
3 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 sweet onions, such as Vidalia, chopped

2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced

½ tablespoon kosher salt

½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds flank steak, pounded to an even thickness, if needed

9 slices Provolone, Swiss or Colby-Jack Cheese 1 bunch of baby spinach leaves (optional)

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl combine the ingredients for the marinade. Coat meat and remove resting it on a plate. Combine stuffing ingredients in the bowl with remaining ingredients.

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute the stuffing mixture until just starting to soften. Do not overcook. They will continue to cook in the steak. Remove from heat and set aside.

Lay the flank steak on a cutting board. Spoon the mushroom and onion mixture on top, spreading it evenly across the steak. Sprinkle the spinach on top (optional), followed by the slices of provolone. Starting at the bottom, or the narrowest end, of the flank steak, roll it up tightly, making sure the grain of the meat is running horizontally. Use skewers to secure the steak roll. Slice the steak roll into equal rolls.

Heat the remaining oil in a pan over high heat. Sear the steak rolls on one side for one to two minutes, then flip. Sear the second side for about one minute, then bake for 10–15 minutes, until medium rare.

Shared on Meal Plan Monday 

Steakhouse Mushrooms

I love sauteed mushrooms, but I was curious to try and make some like the fancy steakhouses make. I did not have red wine so I made my own substitutions. They turned out really well!

1 8oz package Button Mushrooms
1 teaspoon butter
1 cup beef broth
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Add all ingredients to a medium sized sauce pan. Cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Serve as a side with your favorite cut of beef! I only had hamburger, so I made a hamburger steak. These would be awesome with a grilled ribeye!!!

Smothered Chicken

We love smothered chicken that we find in restaurants, but don't love the price or the fact that we live 30 minutes from any restaurants around. For years, I've made sauteed mushrooms for my family as a side dish that they absolutely love! I decided to come up with a smothered chicken using the mushrooms, and this is what I came up with... done in the time it would take us to drive to town, and tastes much better than anything you could order in a restaurant. When I make it for friends, they always ask for the recipe! I even make it for large crowds, events and banquets! It's always a hit!

4 chicken breasts, pounded out to even thickness
1 large onion, sliced
1 - 8oz pkg mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
Salt, Black Pepper and Garlic Powder
3 oz pkg Real Bacon Bits
4 thick slices of Monterrey Jack Cheese or Pepper-Jack for a nice kick

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat about a tablespoon of oil (or spray with cooking spray) in a large sauce pan. Sprinkle Chicken Breasts with salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Add Chicken to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side or until done and no pink left in the center.

Caramelized a sliced onion in about a tablespoon of butter, 2 garlic cloves, minced and a tablespoon of soy sauce. Saute until the onions are golden brown.

Saute the mushrooms in a tablespoon of butter, 2 garlic cloves, minced and a tablespoon of soy sauce. Saute until the mushrooms have cooked off their juices and get a little color on them. (about 10 minutes)

When the chicken is done, place them in a casserole dish or baking pan and top with onions, mushrooms, bacon and cheese. Put the chicken in the oven for about 2 to 3 minutes or just long enough to melt the cheese.

Serve with a garden salad and some zesty garlic bread for a quick and easy supper!

Aunt Vashti's Browned Squash in the Crock Pot!

I had a sweet lady at church bring me a bag of yellow squash. It was enough that I shared some with my brother. He loves Aunt Vashti's squash, but says that his crowd will only eat it if it's breaded and fried. I had enough for him to do both, thank goodness! Aunt Vashti's recipe is below, and then my crock pot version below that...

Aunt Vashti used:

Yellow Squash... about 4 or 5 

3 T butter

1 onion, minced 

Basil

3 cloves minced garlic

Salt and black pepper, to taste.

Cook in a sauce pan on medium low, stirring occasionally. I covered it for the first 30-45 minutes for it to cook down. Then let it simmer and turn golden brown. (about an hour to an hour and a half) Aunt Vashti's squash was always a deep bark brown,  and caramelized to perfection! YUM!

This time, I put all of the ingredients in my crock pot, and I added mushrooms. I cut it on high and got it up to temperature. Then I cut it back to low and let it simmer all night... Voila!

It was very good, but I still like it pan fried like Aunt Vashti made it!

Egg Rolls

These egg rolls are really pretty easy to do! I think the part about egg rolls that people think is intimidating is just the assembly... the rolling. It's more like folding them into an envelope shape. The most complicated part is rolling the wrappers and sealing them well, but that gets easy after you do it a couple of times! Don't work on the stack of wrappers while filling and rolling. Assemble each one separately to keep them from getting wet and sticking together. Keep your work space dry and neat. If you lay a wrapper down in water, the water turns to glue. The wrapper will tear when you try to pick it up or fold it. Give it a try! If you have kids, let them try too! It's a fun activity for everyone. I think it would make a great kitchen party with all the guests learning how you roll! LOL

Egg Rolls

Egg Roll Wrappers (about 16 -18 per package)
1/2 lb Sausage or Hamburger
1/2 lb Shrimp, shelled and cut
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup bamboo shoots, chopped
1/2 cup water chestnuts, chopped
1 cup cabbage, shredded
1 cup bean sprouts

Combine and set aside:
1 T soy sauce
1 T water
1 T corn starch

If you have a wok, that's great! If not, use a large skillet add a little oil and saute the meat and mushrooms for about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp turns pink. Add the corn starch mixture and cook until the liquid thickens. Pour into a large bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, add a little oil and return to heat. Add cabbage, sprouts, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and saute until cabbage wilts. Add to bowl with meat mixture and stir together. Let the mixture cool a little.

Take one egg roll wrapper out and place it on your work space facing you like a diamond. Place about 1/4 cup of filling in the lower corner nearest you. Brush or with your finger, wipe the edges down with water. This will seal the egg rolls so they don't pop while cooking. Fold the bottom corner up and the sides in, like an envelope. Then fold the top down to seal. Make sure each egg roll seals well. Place the egg roll on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Repeat the process with the next wrapper, until they are all rolled and sealed. 

It's best to use a small fryer such as a "Fry Daddy" or some with fryer with a basket. The egg rolls can split and that can cause the filling to leak. This can make the oil foam up and pop sometimes, so use caution when frying. If you use a pot on the stove, use as little oil as you can and turn the egg rolls to cook evenly.
Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Fry two or three at a time until they are golden brown... usually about 3-5 minutes. Keep them in a warm oven until ready to eat. Serve them with soy sauce, duck sauce, plum sauce or a spicy mustard.

This recipe usually makes 16-18 egg rolls.

Pork Schnitzel with Jaeger Sauce

Basically, this is the same as my scallopini recipe that I rave about...
One big difference is the sauce or gravy that is poured over the top when served. Jäger (German pronunciation: Yeager) is the German word for "hunter". One source that I found said that it is called hunter's sauce because of the vegetable used were found by hunters searching for food. Another said that it was created to make tough game birds and meats more appealing. Either way, it is very tasty and a complimentary sauce.

BTW... ***Do you know the difference between sauce and gravy???
The answer is at the bottom of the post. :-)

Scallopini is called Schnitzel in Germany. It is a boneless meat, thinned with a meat mallet or tenderizer, coated with flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs, and then fried. In German-speaking countries, the term Schnitzel means escalopes (cutlets), not just bread crumbed, fried escalopes such as Wiener Schnitzel. A popular food in many countries, it is made from veal, chicken, beef, turkey, or pork. There are worldwide names for this process... cutlets, scallop, escalope and paillard. All of which refer to a piece of meat that has been pounded thin.

Pork Schnitzel

4 boneless pork chops
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup beef broth


Flatten cutlets to 1/8-in. thickness.

In a flat dish, combine the flour, bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add chops one at a time and coat evenly. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and oil. Add chops; cook over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Place chops in a 13x9 casserole dish. Add enough broth to come to the sides of the chops. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed.

Jaeger Sauce

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 pkg fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 tsp German Maggi Seasoning Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 Cup of beef broth

1/2 Cup sour cream

Saute onion, mushrooms and garlic until tender, being sure not to let the garlic burn. Add seasonings. Remove from pan. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter. Melt and add flour. Whisk until golden brown. Gradually add the wine and broth. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream. 


*** The answer... $20 a plate!

Italian Sausage, Onion and Mushroom Baked Subs with Provolone Cheese

My step-daughter, her husband and son, Jack came over yesterday. It was the first time we had been able to get together for Christmas! I fixed the Italian Sausage, Onion and Mushroom Baked Subs with Provolone Cheese. It's in the pictures, but I didn't use peppers this time, because we don't like the peppers on ours. You can of course use whatever you want! :-) 

 Kayleigh and Joe trying to figure out what is in the jar...
15 Bean Soup Mix 

 Jack and Moo Moo

 Jack just wants Moo Moo's camera!

It's hard to get a clear picture of that little face on the move! :-)

Jack handing Granddaddy the wrapping paper trash.
Thank you!

Italian Sausage, Onion and Mushroom Baked Subs

 with Provolone Cheese

Italian Sausage

Onion, sliced

Bell Pepper, sliced (optional)

Mushrooms, sliced

Provolone Cheese, sliced

Soy Sauce

Butter

Parmesan Cheese

Garlic powder

Basil

Salt and Pepper

Squeeze the brats out of their casings and brown.

Remove sausage. Leaving the drippin's.

 Melt about a tablespoon or two of butter.
Add a few shakes of soy sauce, about one or two tablespoons.
Add the onions, peppers and mushrooms.

Cook until a little color appears and the vegetables have softened.

Return the sausage to the pan.

Mix about a 1/2 cup of softened butter with

1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese. Add seasonings to taste...

I scoop the inside of the bread out to give the filling a place to sit.
(Makes them easier to eat, also... and I'm all for that!)

Spread some of the butter mixture on the top and bottom pieces.

Load it up!

Oooops! I almost forgot the cheese... Provolone Cheese!

Wrap them up and stick them in a 350 degree oven for about

10 or 15 minutes, until warmed through and the cheese is melted!

Hot and fresh out of the oven!

OooooLaaaaLaaaa!!!

A good day had by all! :-)