Growing up, we often had salisbury steaks as it was a staple in my household. It was comfort food. Now that I’m on more of a health kick, I decided to modify the old traditional Salisbury steak for an equally satisfying and delicious mushroom version. I will be making this again next time I get the craving for a taste of home.

Salisbury Portobello Steaks with Onion Gravy

2013-04-07 21:23:51

Serves 2

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Ingredients

4 Large Portobello mushrooms

1 clove garlic

1/2 yellow onion

1 TBSP mirin

1 TBSP earth balance (or butter)

1 TBSP flour

1 cup vegetable broth

1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 TBS Marsala cooking wine

1 tsp dried thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive oil

Instructions

Clean the mushrooms and carefully remove the gulls with a spoon.

Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add garlic and onions and saute about 4 minutes. Add mirin and saute another 5 minutes. Add flour and stir into a thick roux. Add broth, worcestershire, marsala, thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper and stir until well mixed.

Add mushrooms facing down and cook about 10-15 minutes until tender but not falling apart, turning occasionally to coat. Serve with the gravy.

Tip

If you want to give it even more flavor, go through all of the steps and for the final step, cook just five minutes. Remove from heat and store the mushrooms in the gravy overnight in the refrigerator. Simply add back to the pan to reheat through, about 5-7 minutes to serve. Also, this would work well with baked or mashed potatoes or over egg noodles.

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I’ve been bad lately. I’ve been lazy, not posting, not creating and eating out A LOT. I’ve been overindulging in fried foods and guilty pleasures of deviled eggs and tots for breakfast. So, tonight I’m back on the healthy bandwagon. I whipped up a hearty but healthy and warming vegetable couscous dish with squash, zucchini, spinach and tomatoes. This is a healthy dish that doesn’t necessarily feel like one and will definitely have you going for seconds.

Tomato & Vegetable Pearl Couscous

2013-04-07 20:02:21

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Ingredients

1 Cup pearl couscous

1 Red bell pepper

1 onion

1 small yellow squash

1 small zucchini

2 cups baby spinach leaves

2 cloves garlic

1 Can whole San Marzano tomatoes

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat 1 1/4 cups water to a boil. Boil couscous as directed, about 10 minutes stirring frequently until couscous absorbs liquid.

Meanwhile, chop the red bell pepper and onion. Mince the garlic. Add about 1 TBSP olive oil to a large skillet on medium heat. Saute about 6 minutes. Chop the squash and zucchini. Add to the onion and pepper mixture.

Add spinach and stir. Chop the tomatoes and add the tomatoes and the juice and stir.

Add the couscous. Add about a tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir.

Reduce heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes until liquid reduces. season as needed.

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Want a super easy side dish that is also healthy? This is one of my favorite, lazy ways of using up some of those winter veggies in the fridge by chopping up carrots, brussels sprouts, potatoes and turnip, tossing them in some olive oil and seasonings and roasting them in the oven.

Easy Oven Roasted Vegetables

2013-03-16 15:53:50

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Ingredients

4-5 Heirloom carrots

1 Turnip

15-20 Brussels sprouts

2 Yukon gold potatoes

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp Dried thyme

1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Peel the carrots and chop into 1" pieces. Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts and chop in half. Peel or chop off the outside layer of the turnip and chop the turnip and potatoes into 1" pieces. Add all of the vegetables to a large mixing bowl.

Mix olive oil, thyme, red pepper, salt and pepper together in a small dish. Pour over the vegetables and mix well with your hands, tossing to coat. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake approximately 30 minutes, until fork tender.

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You may have noticed that I make a lot of chili. I love chili. I get this from my Dad. I consider him to be the expert among all experts in chili making. Growing up in Central New York, you need a good, hearty chili on a weekly basis just to keep you warm in the winter. My Dad is a hunter and every year has a group of friends staying at our house for hunting season. He makes crockpots of chili, a little different every time, but usually fills it with venison and sausage and a lot of heat.  The first time I called him for his recipe I recall him saying “you know some onions, peppers, venison…and a sh*tload of chili powder…” I think that’s one of the great things about chili- you can make it different every single time and it is always delicious. This version is very different from ones I’ve made in the past. This is the first time I’ve used chipotles and adobo as well as the first time I’ve used tempeh. It turned out really great. It’s spicy, smoky and is SURE to warm you on a cold day. If you don’t like a lot of heat, cut back on the jalapeno and chipotle- but where’s the fun in that?

Ingredients:

1 Yellow onion
1 Green bell pepper (seeds and veins removed)
1 Jalapeno pepper (seeds and veins removed)
1 Stalk of celery
4 Cloves garlic
3 Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce
1 Can dark red kidney beans
1 15 oz Can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
2 Cups tempeh, ground
1/2 bottle of beer (I used an Drake’s IPA)
1 Cup vegetable broth
1/2 Cup water
2 TBSP Chili Powder
1/4 Tsp. Coriander
1/8 Tsp. Cayenne
1 Bay leaf
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Sour Cream or Toffuti and chives for garnish (optional)

Dice the onion, celery and peppers and mince the garlic. Heat olive oil in a very large pot on medium heat. Add the onion, celery, peppers and garlic and saute about 5-7 minutes.

Remove the whole canned tomatoes and chop, reserving the liquid. Add the tomatoes and liquid to the onion and pepper mixture. Chop the chipotle peppers and add them along with about 3 TBSP of the adobo sauce.

Strain the kidney beans and add to the pot. Add the beer, tempeh, water, broth, spices and bay leaf. Cover and simmer on low, about an hour.

Southwest Spinach White Bean Cake with La Victoria’s Special Spicy Sauce

Lately I’ve admittedly been eating pretty heavy dishes (fried this, fried that, tots for breakfast, mashed potatoes here, tacos there), so I was in need of a lighter, more refreshing meal. This lemony mushroom and asparagus Picatta is very healthy, very light and full of flavor. It’s also really easy for a weeknight meal which is important to me because I hate to delay my dinner gratification and I hate doing dishes.

Ingredients:
1 cup sliced button mushrooms
1 bunch asparagus, tips only
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP Earth Balance (or butter)
1/2 dry white wine
2 TBSP capers
Juice of 2 Lemons
2 TBSP breadcrumbs
1 tsp Salt
Pepper to taste
White Rice (I used instant but feel free to use the rice of your choosing)
tsp fresh chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Melt the earth balance (or butter). Add the sliced mushrooms, onion and garlic. Saute until mushrooms are tender and onions are translucent- about 5-7 minutes.

Boil the rice (as directed depending on what kind you use.)

Add the white wine and asparagus tips to the mushroom mixture and stir. Add the lemon juice, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Simmer about 6-8 minutes until asparagus is fork-tender, but still has some snap, stirring occasionally. Toss in the capers, stir for 1 minute then remove from heat.

Scoop some rice onto a plate or bowl. Spoon the Picatta over the rice.

I know- vegetarian Sloppy Joes sounds like an oxymoron. As everyone knows Sloppy Joes are traditionally made with ground beef, but when you’re trying to maintain a healthier, meat-free diet and crave the taste you have to find other ways to satisfy that little voice and grumble of your tummy. I was able to do so by using Seitan as the meat substitute and then making my own sauce. A lot of the recipes I’ve seen online either have sugar in them, which I don’t want, or use store-bought ketchup (more sugar.) This recipe is tangy and sweet without the sugar using crushed tomatoes, seasonings, vinegar and worcestershire. Technically, I can’t call this vegetarian and it should be called pescatarian since worcestershire has a small amount of anchovy in it, but let’s just go with it.

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
28oz can crushed san marzano tomatoes
2 8oz packages of seitan
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground mustard
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Sandwich rolls

Heat a large pot or dutch oven on medium heat and add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent- about 4 minutes. Add worcestershire, vinegar, and spices and mix thoroughly. Add crushed tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste (I added approximately a tsp salt, but be sure to taste as it cooks.)

Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer.

Meanwhile, chop up the seitan into fine pieces. Add it to the sauce and mix thoroughly. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes until heated through. Serve on sandwich rolls.

*Note: this would also be great with the addition of diced green bell pepper, sauteed with the onions and garlic in the first step.

I’m finally getting back to posting after being locked out of my account (and honestly, being lazy). My first post is of a rich, creamy and warming butternut squash soup I made on a particularly chilly day.

Ingredients:

1 Butternut Squash
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 cups “no-chicken” broth (vegetable broth that’s not tomato-based)
1 tart green apple, diced
2 Tablespoons fresh chopped sage
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Generous pinch of cayenne

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place on foiled and lightly oiled cookie sheet, inside facing down. Place the garlic cloves underneath each half where the cavity is. Roast for about 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool.

Heat a dutch oven on medium heat and add olive oil. Add the onion and sweat until translucent- about 4 minutes.

Add the broth. Scoop out the soft flesh of the squash and add to the broth. Add the apple, sage, salt, pepper and cayenne. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmering for about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, mix the soup until creamy and smooth. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, allow soup to cool, then place in a blender. You will then need to reheat to serve.)

I bet you thought I was going to post another soup, didn’t you? I won’t lie, I did make more soup but figured I’d change it up.  Growing up, a casserole dish full of spanish rice was something we ate almost weekly. I doubt it was ever truly a spanish recipe, but that’s what it was called by central New Yorkers. It was not the healthiest dish, being full of ground meat and cheddar cheese, so here is a vegan version with plenty of kick that won’t have you missing the fat.

Ingredients:

1 Large yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 bags of boil-in bag brown rice
1 can of black beans, drained
2 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 can of whole, peeled tomatoes
1 tsp paprika
generous pinch of cayenne
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp pepper)

In a large dutch oven, heat about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Dice both of the peppers. Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic and peppers to the heated oil and saute until softened, about 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a pot of water to boiling and cook the rice as directed. When done, drain the rice.

Roughly dice the canned whole tomatoes and add to the onion and pepper mixture, along with the tomato sauce from the can. Add the drained black beans, cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the brown rice and parsley. Cover dutch oven and reduce heat to low, simmering about 20 minutes. Be sure to stir occasional to prevent sticking.