Portobello Mushrooms!

I thought I would share last night's dinner with you.  Last night's dinner was intended to be Sunday's dinner.  But, it rained all day Sunday and Mr. McGhee wasn't in the mood to stand outside in the rain and cook.  So instead, Mr. McGhee and I stayed inside and watched this out the window.

This is our boy minis, outside in the pouring rain, jumping from the top of their swingset and trying to use an umbrella as a parachute.  Sometimes I wonder if my boy minis are really smart.  Or really....errr.....not smart.

Meanwhile, my tiny girl mini was inside doing this.

So, Mr. McGhee and I decided we weren't cooking, and packed up the minis and went out to eat instead.  And that's how Sunday's dinner became Monday's dinner.

We had gone to the farmer's market on Saturday and bought two beautiful portobello mushrooms.  I love the meatiness and earthiness of portobellos, so I was pretty excited to try grilling them.  I decided to try them two different ways, one following a recipe from Bobby Flay's cookbook and one of my own.  

Here's Bobby Flay's recipe for marinated grilled portobello mushrooms.

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• pinch of red chile flakes
• 1 tbsp finely chopped thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaf
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 8 portobello mushrooms
• 1/4 cup canola oil

1.  Heat grill to medium.

2.  Whisk together vinegar, mustard, garlic, red chile flakes, thyme and parsley.  Slowly whisk the olive oil until emulsified.  Season with salt and pepper.  Store in fridge for up to 4 hours.

3.  Brush both sides of mushrooms with canola oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place mushrooms on the grill, cap side down, and grill  until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes.  Turn the mushrooms over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes longer.

4.  Remove the mushrooms from the grill and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Place the mushrooms in a large bowl, add the marinade, and toss to coat.  Let marinate at room temp for 30 minutes before serving.  Mushrooms can be stored for up to 4 hours in fridge before serving.

Assemble your ingredients for the marinade.

Slowly add your oil.  Fridge for up to 4 hours.  DO NOT put mushrooms in marinade until after they are cooked.

Remove the stem.

Coat with oil and season.

Toss on the grill, cap side down.

Flip and cook the other side.

Slice mushroom.  

Toss mushrooms in marinade and let sit for 30 minutes.

I thought these were very good.  Mr. McGhee didn't love them, he said he preferred my shrooms over Bobby's.  Smart man.

Heids McGhee's pesto portobello  

• portobello mushroom, stem removed
• canola oil
• salt and pepper
• pesto
• goat cheese

1.  Brush both sides of mushrooms with canola oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place mushrooms on the grill, cap side down, and grill  until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes.  

2.  Turn the mushrooms over and smear top of the mushroom with pesto and spinkle with goat cheese.  Grill an additional 4-5 minutes.

3.  I served these with fresh garden tomato slices on the side.

Remove the stem.

Brush both sides with canola oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill, cap side down for 4-5 minutes.

Flip over and smear pesto and goat cheese slices on top.  Grill an additional 4-5 minutes.

These were delish.  You could eat these alongside a grilled steak or chicken breast, or they could easily stand alone as the main dish.  

Italian Feast

Years ago, when Mr. McGhee and I got married, we went to Florence, Italy for our honeymoon.  That means that Mr. McGhee and I are very fancy people that know things like there are a lot of churches in Italy, men in Italy wear colored jeans, and in Italy, the house wine is cheaper than water.

We also learned that we really really really love bruschetta.  So yesterday, when my oldest mini brought me this, my mind drifted back to the days of my honeymoon and I started fantasizing.  About bruschetta, of course.

Bruschetta is perhaps one of the easiest dishes to make.  The key to making delish bruschetta is to make it ahead of time, so all the flavors can settle and blend together.  I made mine yesterday morning and resisted eating it all day.  I feel like I deserve a reward for that accomplishment.

Bruschetta

• tomatoes (I used all the tomatoes shown above, except about 10 of the grape tomatoes.  I popped those babies in my mouth as I was whipping this up.)
• garlic (I only use 3 cloves.  Now, I have been known at times to double, or even triple, the amount of garlic in recipes.  But, in the case, resist that urge.  The tomatoes and basil are the star of this show.)
• olive oil (several tablespoons)
• basil (several sprigs of fresh, you can't add too much)
• salt (to taste)
• balsamic vinegar
• parmesan cheese
• french/italian bread, sliced

1.  In a food processor, add tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil and salt.  

2.  Pulse several times until mixture has a thick salsa-like texture.

3.  Place sliced cheese on bread slices and broil in oven until browned.

4.  Drizzle bread with balsamic vinegar and top with heaping amounts of bruschetta.

Pulse several times until you have this.  Let this sit in your fridge for several hours. 

 Top your bread slices with cheese.  You can use Parmesan.  I used a delish homemade cheese I got from the sweet cheese-maker at the farmers market.  

Top with bruschetta and serve.

I served my brushcetta with chicken kabobs with creamy pesto sauce.  This recipe was passed on to me by a friend of my sisters.  My sister always tells me this friend of hers is crazy like me, she loves exercise, gardening, and cooking.  Crazy?  I say she sounds wonderful!

Chicken kabobs with creamy pesto sauce

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 (1-inch) pieces yellow bell pepper 
• 8 cherry tomatoes
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces 
• 1 small red onion, cut into 8 wedges
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon pesto

1. 1. Preheat broiler.
2. 2. Combine rind, 1 tablespoon juice, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper. Toss with bell pepper, tomatoes, chicken, and onion. 
3. 3.  Thread vegetables and chicken onto 4 (12-inch) skewers. Place skewers on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 12 minutes or until chicken is done, turning occasionally.
4. 4. Combine 1 teaspoon juice, yogurt, sour cream, and pesto. Serve sauce with kebabs.

Here's my garden veggies and chicken, tossed with marinade.

We grilled ours on the BBQ, rather than broil them in the oven.

Totally irresistible.  Charred garden veggies.

I increased the amount of pesto in my creamy pesto sauce.  It was delish.  I caught one of my minis licking the bowl.

Delish dinner.  Everyone ate it.  My favorite was the grilled tomatoes dipped in the creamy pesto sauce.  My minis loved the brushcetta and the peppers dipped in pesto sauce.  Mr. McGhee at it all in silence.  That means he likes it.

The best part about this dinner is that it was super easy and fast to make.  Clean-up was simple too.  I pretended like I had laundry to do and snuck up stairs to read my book while Mr. McGhee took care of cleanu-p.  

Bandwagon Flatbreads

Flatbreads are sort of the rage right now.  So this past weekend, I decided to jump on the flatbread bandwagon, and I've got to say....this bandwagon is far more enjoyable than this one.  

Flatbread is super easy to do.  You can make it an appetizer or the meal, itself.  Heck, you could probably get real creative and make it dessert too!

Flatbread

• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 1/3 cups flour 
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt 

1.  Heat grill until hot. 
2.  Place 1/2 cup warm water in a medium size bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top; stir to dissolve, then set aside for 5 minutes until the yeast is foamy. 
3.  Add olive oil, flour and salt and mix to combine. 
4.  Turn the dough onto a well floured surface, knead 2 minutes or until elastic. 
5.  Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it stand in a warm place for 30 minutes. 
6.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, divide into 4 equal pieces and roll out each piece to 1/8 inch thick round. 
7.  Lightly brush one side of each round with olive oil and place the rounds oiled side down on the hot grill. 
8.  Grill the flatbread for 2 minutes, brush the side that's facing up with olive oil and flip the rounds. 
9.  Grill for 2 more minutes, remove from the grill and sprinkle the hot bread with salt before serving.

Easiest dough ever to make.

Let dough sit for 30 minutes.

Roll it out.  Don't make it too pretty.  You want it to look homemade.

Toss these babies on the grill after you oil them.  

Flip over and add toppings.  Make your Mr. very nervous by using his grill.

Don't drop shredded cheese on the grill.  Unless you enjoy watching your Mr. sweat.

Let your toppings melt.

Enjoy!

I added my toppings after step 8, so that they were melted and warm as well.  I topped mine with pizza sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese and with pesto, fresh mozzarella, and sliced tomatoes.  They were delish and we will definitely make them again.  Probably when we sit down to cheer for the Reds, Giants, and USC.  

Pesto Pizza

I apologize, but I can't stop talking about my garden.  It is gorgeous and overflowing.  And whenever I am out working in my garden, I can't stop the "OMG, I am actually good at this" train of thought in my head.  My basil was overflowing, so I had to cut it all down and whip up a batch of pesto.  (I also saved a small amount of my basil, in order to make basil cocktails.  All for the sake of this blog, of course.  See what I do for my readers.)

Pesto

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Directions

1.  Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. 

2.  Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

3.  If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.

If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.  (I freeze mine in an ice-cube tray.)

The possibilities of pesto are endless.....pasta, pesto grilled cheese, pesto chicken, pesto sandwich spread, and my favorite....pesto pizza!

Pesto Pizza

• pizza crust (cauliflower pizza crust, no knead-focaccia, or store-bought premade crust)
• pesto
• fresh grated mozzarella cheese (you must buy a chunk of mozz and grate it yourself.  No pre-shredded, please!)
• sliced tomatoes

1.  Prepare your crust.

2.  Slather crust with pesto.

3.  Top with cheese.

4.  Arrange sliced tomatoes.

5.  Bake according to the directions based on your crust.

Crust, slathered with pesto.  Resist temptation to lick the crust.  

Load up with cheese.  Shove handfuls of cheese in your mouth and then yell at the minis when they try to do the same.

Layer with gorgeous tomatoes from your garden.  Don't have a garden?  Go to a farmer's market.  Don't put crappy store-bought tomatoes on this pizza.

Bake to perfection.

Now I am a girl that is known for being to pack away the food.  Seriously.  I could have eaten this entire pizza myself.  But, I am a selfless mother that remembers to feed my minis, so I did share.  Next time, I'm making two.

Move over Oz, there's a new man in town

The Princess is back!  I told you on my last post that I would be gone for a few days because I was running the Disney Princess half marathon.  What a blast!  19,000 runners, 95% of them female.  That's a whole lotta estrogen flooding the Magic Kingdom.  Like everything Disney does, the race was impeccably well-run and very entertaining.  I would definitely do it again, and if you ever get the chance, you should as well!

On Saturday, we did the 5k Fun Run.  Maybe I had a little too much fun?!?

Here I am with the Fairy Godmother.  Isn't she just the sweetest thing you've ever seen? 

Here I am after the finish of the half-marathon with 2 random girls I met along the way.  Obviously, they are way adorable, dressed as Rapunzel and Rapunzel's evil kidnapping mother.  (Yes, that is a hairbrush she ran with!)

And here I am with my running partner.  Isn't she adorable in her Cinderella tutu? 

You're probably thinking, "Heids McGhee, were you the only runner there not dressed up?"  Pretty much.  Well, not really...but there were more runners dressed up than runners who weren't.  This may come as a shock, but I do take my running pretty seriously.  Weird, huh?  Who would have thought that Heids McGhee has a mean competitive streak?!?!

Since I was away all weekend without kids, I had time to do some reading.  I am reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan.  All I can say is.....move over Oz, there's a new man in town.  Oh. My.  I love Michael Pollan and he is totally my new boyfriend.  If you haven't read The Omnivore's Dilemma, you need to.  Right now.  If you have read it, you're probably wondering how someone like me hasn't read it yet.  I have actually been a Pollan fan for a while, but for some reason, have never read this particular book.  I know I can't do any justice in summarizing it for you, but basically the book is about how we as a human species have interrupted the natural food chain by introducing industrial farming to the planet.  Now, because of industrial farming, we are consuming nutrient deficient animals and plants, while damaging the soil and environment.  We rely on fossil fuels for energy, rather than the free source of energy.....the sun!  The book also touches on the topic of food processing and how it began as a means of preserving food (salting, drying, curing, canning, freezing) to what it is now....a mentality that we can improve on nature.

Like I said, you should read this book.  It will totally change the way you look at the food you eat and who you buy it from.  I was most shocked to learn about organic industrial farming and the abuse of labels such as free-range, organic, and grass-fed.  My take-away message is to buy local before buying organic.  And when Mr. McGhee suggested this morning that we take a trip to Wisconsin to drive by the farms that we get our eggs, milk, and cheese from I totally swooned.  And, now he is on board with planting a garden so large that we can call it a small farm.  Yeah Mr. McGhee!!!!  And yeah Michael Pollan!!! 

Today I have my oldest mini home from school.  He had no voice this morning, but shockingly enough, he found his voice about 10 minutes after I had dropped the two younger minis off at school.  So we spent our morning buying bread, grinding our own peanut butter, and shopping for local produce.  Once we got home, my oldest mini decided he was going to make his own applesauce.  He found a recipe that he based his own recipe on. 

JustJack's applesauce

• 6 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• a little over 1/2 of a 1/4 cup of agave (so about 1/8 of a cup)
• 3/4 cup of water
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1.  Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
2.  Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
3.  Smash.

Oh. My. Delish.  It was really good!  (oh, and if you're wondering about the turkey leg shirt....that's the sort of gift a kid with a meat-aversion gets from a mother with a twisted sense of humor)

Since I had a kid home with me, I decided to try a recipe for cauliflower popcorn that I have been seeing all over pinterest lately.  I decided to follow a recipe from my friend Astrid, mainly because she is a total superwoman.

Cauliflower popcorn (AKA roasted cauliflower, but cauliflower popcorn sounds so much more fun!)

• one head of cauliflower, chopped into flourets
• few tbsp olive oil
• garlic powder
• few tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese
• salt

1.  Preheat oven to 400.
2.  Drizzle oil over cauliflower and stir to coat.
3.  Spread cauliflower out on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
4.  Sprinkle with garlic powder, parmesan cheese, and a little bit of salt.
5.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until starts to brown.

Homerun!  These are so good!  We ate the whole batch, so now I have to head back to the store to get more cauliflower (and apples...since we ate all the applesauce too!)  Both of these are easy recipes, perfect after-school snacks or as a side-dish to any meal.

For dinner tonight, we are having vegetable goulash.  I invented this recipe last week, when I called it vegetable soup.  Today I chopped up all the veggies I could find and threw them in some vegetable broth to simmer all day.  More veggies = heartier soup = vegetable goulash

Vegetable Goulash

• 8 cups of vegetable broth
• 1/2 of a small can of tomato paste or a full can of vegetable puree
• 1.5-2 cups pasta
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup sweet corn
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 5 stalks celery hearts
• 1 diced red bell pepper
• 1 small zucchini and/or yellow squash
• 1 cup cauliflour
• 1 small yellow onion
• basil
• pepper
• garlic salt

1. Combine vegetable stock and tomato puree. Bring to a rolling boil.
2. Add pasta and diced tomatoes. Cook until pasta is mostly cooked.
3. Add all vegetables and let cook 10 minutes at close-to boiling. Turn down heat and simmer 15-20 minutes.
4. Add garlic salt, pepper, and basil to taste.
5. Let simmer as long as possible.

Serve topped with pesto.

• one bunch of basil leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2-4 cloves minced garlic

1. Throw all ingredients in food processor and blend.

I will serve it with honey wheat bread from Great Harvest and if I get real ambitious, a smoothie of milk, frozen strawberries, frozen banana, and plain greek yogurt.