Creamy Parmesan Portobello Pasta

Every year around August-October, Olive Garden has their "Never Ending Pasta Bowl." You choose any kind of pasta with any kind of sauce and you can "refill" as many times as you like, choosing different pastas and sauces, if you so desire. I am all too familiar with this as I worked as a server there, what seems like eons past. Actually, it wasn't too long ago.

One of my favorite creations they serve up during this time is a creamy portobello sauce. I have attempted to recreate it at home and I must say —YUM!! Is it exactly like their sauce? I'm not sure, but it is quite delicious!

This is a vegetarian dish, yet it's oh so "meaty" with these plump mushrooms paired beautifully with the rich sauce.

I start by removing the gills and breaking off the stem. You can cut up the stems and use those with the rest of the cut mushrooms.

All sliced and ready to be sautéed. You can also grill or roast the mushrooms if you prefer.

Adding minced garlic to the mushrooms just before sautéing. My garlic press is looking a bit rugged. No wonder—I use it all the time!

I had just added the grated fresh parmesan cheese. Looking creamy and mouthwatering.

You can choose whatever pasta you like (just like Olive Garden). I used vermicelli this time. Whole wheat pasta is my preference with this sauce but my family likes linguini or fettucini, which also works very well in this recipe. This is not a "light" dish, but so worth it for a splurge!

Creamy Parmesan Portobello Pasta

• 4-5 large portobello mushroom caps (I ended up using 5)
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 gloves garlic, minced (divided)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup half and half
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 3 ounces grated fresh parmesan cheese (extra for serving)
• 1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• fresh ground pepper
• 12-16 ounce pasta

Directions

Remove gills and break off stems from the mushrooms. Rinse mushrooms. Slice the mushrooms and stems about 1/2 inch thick. Heat Olive Oil in skillet on medium. Add mushrooms and 1 clove garlic. Sauté until tender. Slowly stir in cream, half and half, remaining garlic, butter, cheeses and pepper. Heat just to a light boil and turn heat down to simmer 5 - 10 minutes stirring, until sauce thickens.

Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta. Serve. Sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top.

Yield: 4 servings

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

One might begin to wonder if I'm getting carried away with pumpkin recipes. Yes, I guess I am, and I'm enjoying every minute of it. I was really wanting to make some homemade mac and cheese and in particular, I wanted to try it with pumpkin. I found this particular recipe over at Healthy Food for Living, it looked so creamy and delicious! I was excited to try it and it did not disappoint.

You begin the sauce by heating the pumpkin and milk.

Next comes the combination of cheeses. I used sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack and cream cheese.

You can choose just about any kind of pasta, I went with the mini-penne.

After you add the sauce to the pasta it's really creamy. If you like it that way—go ahead and enjoy! Or…

…you may decide to add a bit of cheese to the top and bake it in the oven. Here's where you have to be careful. Over-baked mac and cheese gets very dry. I put it in the oven for about 5 minutes.

This dish is great as a vegetarian main dish or served as a side. I like to serve it up with pork tenderloin or ham.

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

Adapted from Healthy Food for a Living

Ingredients

8 oz uncooked macaroni or other pasta, (I used mini-penne)

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup milk

2 oz (about 4 Tbsp) 1/3-less-fat neufchatel cream cheese

1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese (can use reduced fat cheese)

1/2 cup freshly grated gruyere cheese (can sub in any good melting cheese, such as monterey jack)

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 – 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper, or more depending on heat preference

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, whisk together and heat pumpkin puree and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot.

Reduce stove heat to low. Whisk in cheeses until fully melted.

Stir in nutmeg and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir drained pasta into the pumpkin-cheese sauce and mix until thoroughly combined.

You can eat and enjoy after mixing pasta with the sauce or you can put it all in a casserole dish, sprinkle with more cheese and put it in the oven at 375, for about 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Serve with an extra dusting of nutmeg, if desired.

Pumpkin and Mushroom Pasta with Gorgonzola

My daughter-in-law posted on Facebook a few weeks ago, several fall dishes that she had already prepared and enjoyed. She was way ahead of me, as I was just easing into the season, still not wanting to let go of summer.

I was telling my new daughter this past weekend that compared to me, when I first got married, she is leaps and bounds ahead with her cooking and desire to eat good foods. In fact, I have not yet told her this, but just hours before her beloved (my son) was born, I had served Hamburger Helper to my husband...I wasn't hungry that night–hmmmm, I wonder why? I am very happy to report that my Hamburger Helper days are long since gone, as I have discovered the joy of real (and healthy) food.

So, my daughter-in-law found this recipe over at Closet Cooking and it came highly recommended. The flavor combinations are different but they just work together beautifully. We enjoyed this very much.

I started by slicing the mushrooms.

Caramelizing the onions and mushrooms. Such wonderful aromas!

Looking more like a sauce with the addition of spices, pumpkin, gorgonzola, and cream.

The finished product. You should have seen me agonize at the grocery store about what kind of pasta to use. I finally opted for the mini-bow tie. It was a good choice but I think any pasta would do just fine! I did alter the recipe slightly, I found the sauce to be thick with just a 1/4 cup of cream. So, I added another 1/3 cup of half and half to the sauce. Also, if you want a more intense flavor with the sauce, I would suggest not using as much pasta.

This was so tasty and delicious!

Pumpkin and Mushroom Pasta with Gorgonzola

Adapted slightly from Closet Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 8 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 clove garlic (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon sage (chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 pound pasta
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup half & half
• 1/2 cup gorgonzola (crumbled)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 handful sage leaves

Directions

Heat the oil in a pan.

Add the onions and mushrooms and slowly cook them until they are nice and caramelized, about an 20 minutes. Start cooking the pasta. Add the garlic, sage, red chili pepper flakes and nutmeg and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add the pumpkin puree, cream, gorgonzola, salt and pepper and simmer to reduce for a few minutes. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the sage leaves and fry until Crispy. Toss the pasta in the sauce and serve garnished with the crispy butter fried sage.

Yield: 4 servings

Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives, and Cilantro

My life has been crazy but wonderful. I just returned from a whirlwind trip to California for a high school reunion and a visit with my CA family. I am also about mid-way through training for my first ever half marathon! And of course, fall and school is in full swing,… fun times!

Consequently, time in the kitchen seems to be scarce. This chicken dish is perfect for those hectic, hurried weeknights. This dish is much like a stir-fry in that it is helpful, if not imperative to have all the vegetables cut-up and ready to go. This is a flavorful dish that involves few ingredients and is a cinch to throw together.

I started by slicing an onion, green olives and tomatoes. The recipe calls for cherry tomatoes, which I used plus some other tomatoes from my garden.

The chicken gets cooked through while the outsides become golden brown.

The onions get sauteed first, adding the tomatoes and olives until softened.

Such beautiful color and oh, so tasty!

I served this with whole wheat couscous, sautéed zucchini and a green salad! Leftovers? Not a chance. There was one piece of chicken left and it was consumed before night's end.

This post has been linked to Eat at Home.

Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives, and Cilantro

From Everyday Foods

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1.5 to 2 pounds)
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup pitted green olives, halved
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, and cook until lightly browned and just cooked through, turning once, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate; cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Raise heat to medium; cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and olives; cook until tomatoes soften and release their juice, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with tomato mixture.

Yield: 4 servings

Pork and Pineapple Kebabs with Pineapple Rice

It looks like fall here today—but the end of last week we were in the high 90's with humidity. I was loving it. To be honest, I'm not ready to let go of summer. And, so it was great having our grill out once again to make these tasty kebabs. Unfortunately, I know my days are numbered with our grill for this season. But, that's okay too, even though I hate to say goodbye to summer, I love the foods of fall!

I have made plenty of kebabs in the past–chicken and beef mostly. This however, was the first time I had tried them with Pork, I used a tenderloin! Wow! It is the perfect meat for kebabs. They came out so tender and delicious!

To the meat I added red and green peppers, red onion and pineapple. It looks so colorful!

All grilled up and ready to eat!

I couldn't decide if they looked better on the bamboo tray or this white serving dish.

This was a great meal! My husband and boys really enjoyed this. So, hurry, get your grill out and enjoy this summery dish before we're fully into fall.

Pork and Pineapple Kebabs with Pineapple Rice

Ingredients

• 1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice (divided), drain juice and reserve 1/2 cup
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger (divided)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium red onion cut into wedges
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving (optional)

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon ginger, pour over pork and marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.

Alternately thread pork and bell peppers, red onion and pineapples onto skewers; (reserve 1/4 cup of pineapple for rice). season with salt and pepper. Grill, until pork is cooked through and peppers begin to char, 10 to 15 minutes.

To rice, add 1/4 cup chopped pineapple, scallions, 1 teaspoon ginger and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, and fluff with a fork. Serve kebabs over rice and garnish with lime wedges.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Chicken Bryan

This post has been linked to Eat at Home.

I may have mentioned before my love of Italian food. It is my favorite cuisine! One of my favorite places to eat Italian food is Carrabba's Italian Grill. Yes, its a chain, they are all over the country. Oddly enough, I noticed that there are none in California. If you are a Californian and find yourself venturing to another state and run across Carrabba's, I highly recommend it!

There is a dish there called "Chicken Bryan." Years ago my oldest son ordered it and liked it enough to try a copy cat recipe of it. I thought he did a sensational job of recreating it! So, here is his version of this delicious entree.

Ready for the grill. The chicken prepared with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper.

Grilling to perfection!

Taken off the grill and spreading with goat cheese.

Sun-dried tomatoes added, drizzling with butter/lemon sauce.

The finished product! Watch carefully as the sun-dried tomatoes can burn fast under the broiler!

Chicken Bryan

Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (basil, parsley)
• salt and pepper
• 3 - 4 ounces goat cheese
• 3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (2 or 3 tomatoes per chicken breast)
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine olive oil and herbs. Brush chicken with olive oil/herbs, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Prepare the grill. Put foil on the grill, spray foil with cooking oil. Grill chicken until cooked through. Meanwhile prepare the lemon butter. Combine butter, garlic, chopped basil and lemon juice. Preheat oven to broil.

When chicken is done remove from grill. Spread the goat cheese on top of each chicken breast. Place 2 or 3 sun-dried tomatoes on top of the goat cheese. Drizzle each chicken breast with the lemon butter mixture. Place chicken on a broil pan and broil in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully or sun-dried tomatoes can burn.

Yield: 6 servings

Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry

I threw this stir-fry together a few weeks ago and my husband and boys liked it so much they said "are you blogging about this?" When I answered no, they said "great, you'll need to make it again soon and blog about it. This is really good..." So, I did! I made it last night and they were pleased.

Stir-fries are a healthy and quick main dish to get on the table . The key to preparing with ease is to be sure and have all your ingredients cut, diced, assembled (sauces), before you start actually stir-frying.

Often times you can find beef that is already cut and prepared for stir-fry.

Stir-frying at high temps, until the meat is cooked through.

Loving the green, green color of the broccoli while it cooks till tender-crisp.

Putting it all together with the sauce.

I usually use brown rice, since it takes longer to cook, it's important to plan ahead and get that going before any of the stir-fry prep.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry

Slightly adapted from Food.com

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 1/2 cup water, plus
• 2 tablespoons water, divided
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 lb boneless round steak or 1 lb charcoal chuck steaks, cut into thin 3-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 small onions, cut into wedges
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• hot cooked rice

Directions

In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic until smooth.

Add beef and toss.

In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm.

Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes.

Return beef to pan.

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan.

Cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Marinated Flank Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce

Today my husband will be guest posting/reviewing this steak dish. He is always very enthusiastic about the food that shows up on our table. Even more so when it involves steak! Read on...

It never ceases to astound me!

I have no right to expect our modest food budget to produce anything more than Hamburger Helper and Kraft Mac N' Cheese. Yet, amazingly and consistently I sit down to a colorful plate like this.

The flank steak tasted like prime, crowned with onion. The salad that grew in our back yard came together deliciously! The potatoes chipped in perfectly—a crisp golden brown.…and the watermelon was perfectly ripe. It all combined for a symphony—interrupted only by the muffled and muted sound of "Mfmmm…" coming from two teenagers and a grateful husband.

That Bleu Cheese thing goin' on with the thinly-sliced, tender flank steak and a bit of grilled onion had us begging for this dish again,…and soon! It seemed to me that the other flavors in this "quartet" harmonized very well with the main course.

They say that a colorful plate is likely also a healthy dish. I suspect so. But I'm absolutely persuaded that in this case, at least, a colorful plate is a delicious plate.

Here's the flank steak marinating in something delicious.

5 Minutes or so on each side and it's ready to melt in your mouth!

These little guys always help make beef taste even better.

"But what if they like their steak well done?" "Then we politely, but firmly, ask them to leave…"

—King of the Hill

Dang! That was GOOD!

Marinated Flank Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce

Slightly adapted from Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds beef flank steak

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

• 2 tablespoons lowfat buttermilk

• Dash Worcestershire sauce

• 1 medium yellow or red onion

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley leaves (opt.)

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar and garlic. Put the steak into a sealable plastic bag with the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature, or 1 hour in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, in a small bowl combine the blue cheese and buttermilk with a fork, mashing until creamy. Stir in the Worcestershire and set aside.

Spray a large grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat. Or prepare an outdoor grill. Cut the onion into 1/4-inch rounds brush both sides with the remaining tablespoon of oil and grill 6 minutes per side. Separate into rings and set aside.

Remove the meat from the marinade and season both sides with salt and pepper. Discard the marinade. Cook the meat in the grill pan over medium-high heat for about 5 - 7 minutes per side for medium rare. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing thinly on a bias.

Arrange a pile of onions on each serving plate. Top with a piece of steak. Drizzle with blue cheese sauce and top with a sprinkling of parsley.

Note: Flank Steak is so versatile! I usually only buy it when it's on sale!

Yield - 4 servings, Calories - 320

Artichoke Risotto and a Wedding

I hinted in a previous post that we have an up-coming wedding, and we are in the final stretch now. In less than 2 weeks our oldest son will marry and we couldn't be more thrilled.

Last year my son was finishing up medical school, deciding where he would spend his residency, when a friend from church told him, "Hey, you have got to meet my cousin." A blind date was arranged and I think it's fair to say, they had a wonderful time. Only one problem, she was a few states away with one more year of grad school and he was now bound for another state, even further away, to begin his residency. Needless to say, they were engaged last summer and spent this year apart, sneaking in visits whenever and wherever possible. They set a date as soon as they could after she graduated. We spent this last weekend attending her graduation in Chicago and now after a very long wait the wedding is just around the corner.

My future-daughter-in-law is wonderful! The kind of girl every mom longs for her son to bring home. She is sweet, kind, and caring. Spontaneous and adventuresome, she has a great sense of humor that brings out her dazzling smile! We do a lot of laughing in our family and she joins right in with it. She will make a wonderful wife and an incredible (Lord willing), mother. Our son brought home the total package! My husband and I feel very blessed indeed! And, I don't want to leave out, after raising four boys, we will finally have a daughter! - JOY!

My future-daughter-in-law is also a vegetarian. I have learned much from her and am learning more as I incorporate more meatless dishes throughout my week. So, in honor of her and their upcoming wedding, today's post is a great meatless entrée. Artichoke and Red Pepper Risotto.

To prepare this dish, you start by browning a couple jars of marinated artichoke hearts.

Browning the shallots and Arborio rice makes for a fragrant kitchen.

Then, the customary method of cooking risotto, adding the broth in increments.

Adding the liquid in stages allows the rice to cook slowly and release the starches, creating a creamy texture.

Artichoke and Red Pepper Risotto

Ingredients

• 5-6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth, divided
• 2 jars (7.5 oz each) quartered marinated artichoke hearts, drained
• 3 shallots
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine (such as Chardonnay) or substitute more chicken broth
• 1 small red pepper
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
• Snipped fresh chives (opt).

Directions

Heat broth in saucepan or in microwave. Meanwhile, place artichokes in skillet; sauté over medium-high heat 4-5 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from skillet; reserve 1/2 cup of the artichokes. Set aside remaining artichokes.

Meanwhile, finely chop shallots. Add oil, shallots and rice to skillet; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until shallots are tender and rice is shiny and translucent. Add wine; cook 1-2 minutes or until wine is completely evaporated, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup of the broth to skillet; cover and cook 2-3 minutes or until broth is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Repeat with remaining broth in 1-cup increments, cooking 2-3 minutes after each addition or until broth is absorbed (13-15 minutes total cook time). Remove skillet from heat.

Meanwhile, slice bell pepper into 1-in. pieces. Stir remaining artichokes, bell pepper, peas, cream cheese and Parmesan cheese into rice. Top with reserved artichokes and garnish with snipped fresh chives, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings; Calories - 380 per serving