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.  

Grilled cheeeeeese

One of my goals when I we decided to give up processed foods was to make all of our baked goods.  And I did come up with a delish bread recipe that takes about 2 minutes of prep work.  That being said, I haven't made a loaf of bread yet this summer.  


And it's all because of these guys.


Before I go on, I want to say that I am not paid to endorse Great Harvest Bread Company.  And even though I go there 2 times a week, they have no clue that I am a food blogger that occasionally obsesses over them.  But the reason that I continue to promote, gush, and rave about them is their bread is amazing.  And the fact that the lovely ladies at the counter remember to ask my minis how their new puppy is doing each week is an added bonus.  


I always buy honey wheat bread for my family.  (And I always let my minis have a free sample of the cinnamon roll bread).  But this week I decided to go crazy and try something new....the Dakota bread.


Oh My Goodness.  The Dakota bread is proof that God loves us and wants us to happily eat our whole grains.

I don't even know what all is in the Dakota bread, but I know that I trust my friends from Great Harvest and it is healthy.  And amazingly delish.


I decided to make grilled cheese with our Dakota bread.  In the past I have blogged about grilled cheese on the honey wheat bread, and I do believe I declared it the best school-lunch inspired meal ever.  Well, today I  am going to share yet another best-ever grilled cheese recipe.


Heids McGhee's Grilled Cheese

• bread 
• pesto
• spinach
• avocado
• cheese (I used muenster and goat)
• butter
• olive oil

When it comes to pesto, I am sort of a purist and make basil pesto.  (That being said, someone has suggested to me that I try kale pesto with my overabundance of garden kale.)  You can make (or buy, if you must) whatever pesto you prefer.

1.  Butter one side of each slice of bread.

2.  On the other side of each slice, slather on some pesto.

3.  Layer spinach leaves, avocado, and cheese on a slice of bread.

4.  Top with the remaining slice, butter side up.

5.  If you want to be really bad (and I was bad, but justified it by telling myself I did run 6 miles that morning), heat up a little olive oil in a pan.

6.  Grill your sandwich in the pan until each side is browned.

Slather with pesto.  Lick the knife.

Layer on spinach.  Lots of spinach.  It's good for you.  

(Next time I will also add artichoke).

Cheese.  Muenster for the McGhees.

Slices of avocado.  Save leftovers for guacamole.

Sprinkle some goat cheese.

Grill to perfection.

We ate our grilled cheese with zucchini chips and fresh pineapple.  And it was one of those meals where the food was so good that there was silence.  Well, mostly silent, except for my occasional outburst of "BAM! Mama makes some grilled cheese!"

Salad for Sadness

Mr. McGhee was out of town last week, which meant that I got to catch up on my shows.  That means I finally got around to watching the last few episodes of Glee.  I think I should be ashamed to ask this, but I have to know....am I the only grown woman who cried like a baby during the season finale of Glee?  The whole Finn-Rachel break-up scene was all too much for me, I had the ugly cry going on.  And the next morning, as I was making breakfast  for the minis, I found myself actually worrying about Finn and how he was holding up knowing that Rachel was in NYC chasing his dreams and he was headed to Georgia to join the Army.  

Perhaps I get emotionally invested too easily.

Anyway, I knew that I needed to do something to cheer myself up, so I decided I would make myself my all-time favorite meal, a warm spinach with red onion and nectarine salad.  I first had this salad on a trip to Seattle last summer, so every time I eat it, I reminisce about that trip.  

Warm Spinach with Red Onion and Nectarine salad.

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 10 ounce baby spinach
• 2 nectarines, halved, pitted, each cut into 8 wedges 
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar 
• Salt and pepper 
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 medium red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup diced smoked ham, optional (I have never tried with the smoked ham)

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread almonds on a baking sheet. Toast in oven, stirring once or twice, until light golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. 2. Place spinach and nectarines in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together vinegar and sugar until sugar dissolves. Season with pepper and a pinch of salt.
3. 3. Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in vinegar mixture and remove from heat.
4. 4. Scrape hot dressing over spinach mixture and toss to coat. Divide among 4 dinner plates. Sprinkle each salad with goat cheese, almonds and ham, if using. Serve immediately.

Cooking onions, for the dressing.

Spinach, nectarines and goat cheese.  I added extra nectarines.

Tossed with the dressing.  The warm dressing melts the goat cheese to perfection.  It's delish and totally got me over my Finn and Rachel saddness.

Anniversary Lunch

This past weekend, Mr. McGhee and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary.

Now, I know this is the perfect opportunity for me to gush about my marriage, but all I am going to say is this.  After 11 years of marriage, I still think Mr. McGhee is cool.  Mr. McGhee still thinks I'm cool.  The best part of my day is when I hear the garage door open and I know he is home.  The best part of his day is when I say, "Mr. McGhee, sit down and relax.  Let me get you a beer and after you eat this dinner I made for you, I will rub your feet while the minis play quietly so you can watch sportscenter."


Mr. McGhee and I celebrated our anniversary by taking the minis to the mall to do some Father's Day shopping and out to lunch at our favorite local restaurant.  We lounged by the pool before we went to watch our middle mini pitch his first little league game.  I've got to tell you, there is no fancy schmancy anniversary trip that could top this.....

I did have time to squeeze in an anniversary meal.  I love roasted red peppers, so when I found a recipe for roasted red pepper and goat cheese pasta, I knew I had to try it.  

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo

Ingredients

• 2 whole red bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup fat free half & half
• 4 oz. garlic & herb goat cheese
• 2/3 cup grated parigiano reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts (optional)
• 1/2 lb. linguine, cooked to al dente
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

1.  Roast your red peppers.  You can follow the instructions from the original recipe, here  or you can follow my instructions here.  

2.  Saute onions and garlic in olive oil 7 minutes or until tender. Pour in half & half, goat cheese, salt & pepper. Stir to melt goat cheese into sauce and keep warm over low heat.

3.  Uncover peppers, peel off skin and remove stem and seeds. Chop into large pieces and place into sauce along with parmesan cheese. Stir to melt cheese and remove from heat. 

4.  Pour sauce into food processor and puree, or use an immersion blender. Place back into hot pan and toss with cooked pasta. 

5.  Taste and adjust seasonings (salt, pepper, any italian seasoning you like). Top with more parmesan cheese, pepper, salt and parsley, if desired.  I also topped with fresh basil.

Sauteed onion and garlic, with half and half being added.  

The sauce pre-food processor.

Processed and ready to be tossed with pasta.

Delish and ready to enjoy.

Happy Anniversary Mr. McGhee.  I am blessed to a be a dreamer that has found a partner that makes dreams happen.

Trying to Inspire You All!!!!

Last night the McGhee family went to see our local minor league hockey team play.  Mr. McGhee and the boy minis love going to these games.  Myself and my tiny mini are notsomuch the fans, but occasionally we like to tag along.  On the way to the game last night, my oldest mini (the one that donates stuffed animals to hospitalized kids and writes me poems every night) says to me, "Mom, tonight I am hoping for either a bench brawl or a goalie fight.  Because that would be something special."

My mini got what he wished for.  Something special.  And as the crowd was throwing aside their hotdogs, nachos, and beers to struggle up out of their seats and scream, "fight, kill, fight" I realized hockey is a very primitive sport.

And then I went home and I set my alarm to get up early so I could participate in this event to raise awareness for organ donation.  And at the finish line, there were people dropping their bananas, oranges, and water bottles to jump up and cheer for runners as they crossed the finish line.  I realized that running is a very encouraging and inspirational sport.

Someone after the race said to me, that today is a reminder to cherish every day because you never know in life what will happen.  And I agree with that, whole-heartedly.  But, after today's race, I walked away with a different message.  I have got to take care of what I have in order to honor all these people that are so sick and would do anything to be living life in a healthy body.  And I have to keep working hard to inspire other people to do take care of themselves.  It's the least we can do, right?  Take care of yourself....do it for YOURSELF and for pete's sake, do it for all the people that love you!

I'm bringing back one of the first recipes I posted here, mainly b/c it is an absolute favorite in our house!  We are very busy today, Mr. McGhee and our oldest mini are working on making my raised garden beds and I am busy spring cleaning inside.  Since I am cleaning, that means our minis are stuck outside for the day and I am just randomly bringing them bowls of food to keep them satisfied.  So far, they have seemed the most excited about kale chips.

Kale Chips

• 1 bunch of kale
• olive oil
• seasoned salt (or sea salt)

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
3. Using a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner.   (or buy the bag of pre-cut kale....who says all convience food is processed?)
4. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
5. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.               

And because I am obsessed I made another batch of sweet potato, kale, and cranberry quinoa.  We have been randomly snacking on that throughout the day.  I made a late breakfast of spinach, goat cheese, and peppadew omelets with toast.  So, I have done lots of cooking today...but sorry, no new recipes!  Tonight, Mr. McGhee and the boy minis are heading back to another hockey game.  I have a girls night out with my favorite girl in the world and plans to set my alarm for a run early tomorrow morning.

A full day of cookin'

Today was a busy day in the kitchen.  I started out making a batch of yogurt, I will know tomorrow if it was a success.  I also made a loaf of honey wheat bread in my breadmaker.  I got the recipe from 100daysofrealfood.com, and she claims it tastes just like the bread from Great Harvest Bread Company.  Not sure if I believe that, but I will let you know tomorrow when we eat it!  I also made two batches of granola today, bars and crumbled. 

So, you're probably thinking, "Heids McGhee, you are a rockstar.  Sit down, take a load off, buy a new handbag online."  Listen readers, I am just getting started. 

For dinner tonight I had stuffed bell peppers planned.  I was planning on following a recipe from a new cookbook I got and then it dawned on me, Heids McGhee, you are a blogger with readers and followers.  You don't need a recipe, you need to make your own recipes.  So, I did just that.  And not to toot my own horn, but if there are single ladies out there hoping for a proposal....I promise this meal will get you one.  And if it doesn't, you need to move on.

Heids McGhee lamb, spinach, and goat cheese stuffed roasted bell peppers (I know!  I rock!)

• bell peppers, I used a yellow, red, and orange
• olive oil
• ground lamb meat, 1 lb
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• spinach, 2 handfuls
• salt and pepper
• goat cheese

1.  Roast your bell peppers.  I started doing this years ago following directions from allrecipes.com.  Here's what you do.

Coat bell peppers generously with olive oil.  Put them on a baking sheet and broil them under flame until they begin to turn black.  Turn peppers until each side has been blackened.  Remove from baking sheet and place in a bowl.  Cover bowl with saran wrap. 

Let the peppers sit for a while, at least 30 minutes.  Take peppers out of jar and pull stem off.  Dig inside of pepper and remove the seeds.   

Carefully peel the outer skin off of the pepper.



After peppers are all peeled, set aside.  Resist all temptation to eat them.  They're worth the wait.

2.  In a pan, heat a small amount of olive oil.  Add garlic and spinach.  Cook in oil until spinach is wilted.  Take spinach/garlic out of pan and set aside.  If you're lazy like me, wipe pan with a paper towel.  If you're ambitious, wash pan with soap and water.

3.  Cook ground lamb in pan.  Once lamb is cooked and crumbled, add spinach/garlic mixture.  Add in goat cheese (depending on your taste, add as much or little as you want) and some salt and pepper.  Add in any other spices you would like.  Get creative.  I think next time I will add some thyme. 

4.  Stuff the meat mixture into the peppers.  Tell yourself you are amazing, because, really, you are.

Delish.  I never said these puppies were pretty.  Delish, yes.  Pretty, notsomuch.

We had ours with zucchini, squash and onion.

1.  First slice veggies.  You'll want to slice the onion too, I just hadn't gotten there yet. 

2.  Heat up some vegetable oil (cringe, I know!) in a pan.  Add veggies and saute to your personal prefered tenderness.  Then drizzle soy sauce over veggies.

Delish.

And for dessert, we had homemade graham crackers.  I told ya, I hit it out of the ballpark today!  I got the recipe from the kitchn.com. 

• 1/2 cup white flour
• 2 cups cup graham flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1/4 cup water

1.  Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until the texture is dry and crumbly. (Also, you can do this in a food processor; just blend the butter in short bursts.)

2.  In a small bowl, mix the honey, molasses, and water. Toss this with the dry ingredients until well blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl with your fingers and form the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

 

 

3.  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough out on a counter or on wax paper, sprinkled with whole wheat flour. Use a pastry scraper or an index card as a guide to cut the dough into small rectangles. Poke each cracker with a fork, then place them on an ungreased baking sheet.

 

**sidenote** My dough was really crumbly so I drizzled a couple more tablespoons of water in it.  And my pastry scraper was a pizza cutter, worked perfectly. 

4.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy. If stored in an airtight container these will keep for a couple weeks.

 

 

**sidenote**  This graham cracker dough is perfect for little ones who love to help.

 

That's it for today!  Happy cooking!