Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with White Beans, Spinach, and Prosciutto

I  know it has been a long time since I have posted a recipe, but I actually had no idea it has been close to six weeks! I have been slammed with school work, my internship, home renovations, and spending time with my little toddler, who will be 2 in less than 2 weeks!  I have not cooked as much as I like to because when I get home in the evenings, all I want to do is hang out with Wendy and Greg. I am on spring break now, and the first few days of spring break were spent in the Outer Banks, North Carolina, and now that I am back home I am excited to have time to cook healthy and delicious meals for my family again. While on the long trip down to North Carolina, I went through an old Self Magazine I found, and I came across a few recipes that caught my attention. The other night we did salmon with a butter, lemon, and rosemary sauce, and these mushrooms were served as our tasty side. It was so filling! Wendy gobbled down the filling of the mushrooms, and Greg commented on how much he liked them. These stuffed portobello mushrooms are loaded with protein and fiber, and they are packed with several savory flavors. They start with a brush of olive oil and balsamic, and they are filled with a buttery mixture of shallot, garlic, rosemary, parsley, fresh black pepper, white beans, prosciutto, and spinach. Then you top them off with some Panko and Parmesan, toss them into the oven so they get nice and crunchy, and dig in! You can eat one of the stuffed mushrooms as a small meal or serve them as a side to chicken or fish. Enjoy!

Recipe for Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with White Beans, Spinach & Prosciutto 

INGREDIENTS:
4 large portobello mushrooms, with the stems and gills removed
2 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp. of balsamic vineger
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. of unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 tsp. of fresh rosemary leaves
1 can of great northern or cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. of chicken broth
2 Tbsp. of fresh parsley leaves
3 ounces of prosciutto, sliced thin
1 cup of baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of Panko bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar together in a small bowl. Stir in some salt and pepper. Put the mushrooms cap side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each cap lightly with the olive oil mixture. Place in the oven, and cook for 8 minutes. 
While the mushrooms are cooking, put the butter and the remaining 1 Tbsp. of olive oil into a large pan and set over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add in the chopped shallot, garlic, and rosemary leaves. Cook, stirring often, until the shallots have softened. Then stir in the beans and the chicken broth, remove from heat. Put the mixture into a medium bowl and add in the parsley and the prosciutto. Put the pan you used back over the stovetop on medium-low heat. Add in the spinach leaves and cook until wilted, about 1 - 2 minutes.
Once mushrooms have cooked for 8 minutes in oven, remove from the oven and carefully drain the liquid off. If needed, very carefully transfer mushrooms to a plate, wipe down the baking sheet, and line with new parchment paper (I decided to do this). Turn mushrooms over and stuff with the beans and spinach. In a small bowl, toss together the Panko bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Evenly distribute over top of the mushrooms, and then drizzle each with a little bit of olive oil. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the top of each. Place back into the oven and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the tops are browned and crispy. Remove from oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, and then serve.

You can serve as a side to chicken or fish, or eat it as a light lunch. They taste good leftover, too! Greg said he liked them even better leftover, because they were even more flavorful! I think these would also be good with bacon or crumbled sausage in the stuffing. If you want to make it vegetarian, leave out the meat and add a little extra Parmesan.

Recipe adapted from: Self Magazine, November 2014 issue

Chicken Enchilada Soup

A few weeks ago, I came across the recipe for this soup on Facebook. One of my friend's family members had posted the recipe to her page, and it intrigued me. I looked over the ingredients and at first did not think that the soup was something that I would want to try. I had remembered my friend saying that she had tried the recipe and that her family loved it, so I went back and looked at the recipe again because I usually like the meals that she suggests. After reading the second time, I realized that the vegetable ingredients are pureed, and that the chicken and beans are then added in to the pureed mixture. I tried to imagine how it might taste and decided I wanted to give it a go, especially because it sounded like a healthy recipe. I'm so glad I tried it! I made the recipe last Saturday. I was shocked by how easy it was to make. The soup was thoroughly enjoyed by me, Greg, Wendy, and my parents. Even my father liked the soup, which was surprising, because it has onion and red pepper (he usually refuses anything with those two ingredients). The recipe makes a TON of soup, so we ate leftovers all week and nobody complained. Wendy really likes the soup too, which is great, because it is full of vegetables and protein. I served the soup with corn pudding (tomalito), avocado, Greek yogurt, Goya-brand pico de gallo, queso fresco cheese, and crispy tortillas. I know I will definitely be making this soup again very soon. I am super appreciative to my friend's sister for posting this amazing recipe on Facebook! I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did.

Recipe for Chicken Enchilada Soup

INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces of chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
3 cloves of garlic, chopped in half
1 small red bell pepper, with seeds and removed, chopped
4 cups of butternut squash, cubed (time saving tip - buy it from the store already chopped for you)
1 can of diced green chiles
3 cans of great northern beans
8 ounces of tomato sauce
1 cup of full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup of your favorite taco seasoning
Toppings/Sides
Sliced avocado
Queso fresco cheese
Salsa/Pico de Gallo
Drizzle of olive oil
Full-fat Greek yogurt/Sour Cream
Baked tortillas (brush each side of a small flour tortilla with olive oil, sprinkle on salt on each side, bake at 375 in oven for about 4 minutes per side or until done to desired crispiness)
Corn pudding - can be served on the side or served as a topping

DIRECTIONS:
Put the broth, chicken breasts, russet potato, sweet potato, yellow onion, garlic, red bell pepper, butternut squash, diced green chiles in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it comes to a full boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the broth and set on a plate to cool. Turn the heat to the stove top off. Ladle soup about 2/3 full into a blender and puree each batch until smooth. Pour the pureed mixture into a large bowl. Once all of the soup from the pot is pureed, pour back into the pot. Stir in the Greek yogurt (or sour cream), tomato sauce, beans, and taco seasoning. Then use a fork to shred the chicken into smallish pieces. Add the chicken into the pot and stir. Put pot over stove top again and set on medium-low heat to warm through. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with desired toppings.

Recipe makes approximately 14 servings.

Recipe Adapted from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Tuscan Baked Beans

First, I'd like to express how much I LOVE the fall season. I wish I had more time to enjoy the beautiful weather - if it were up to me, I'd change the school calendar so there was less time off in the summer and more time off in the fall! But, it's not up to me, so I'll just enjoy when I can. I love the clear blue sky, colorful leaves, and crisp cool air. It's invigorating. Cooler weather means warmer meals - I'm excited to make some of my favorite soup recipes soon. I recently made this warm and comforting meal of tuscan baked beans. The first night I made it Greg and I ate the beans as a main course. We had leftovers, so the next night we ate it as a side dish with baked chicken. This meal is very flavorful - it is filled with herbs like rosemary and thyme. What I like best about the meal though is that it has a crunchy topping made of Panko bread crumbs and Romano cheese - mmm! This meal is fairly easy to make & it's delicious! Enjoy.

Recipe for Tuscan Baked Beans

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, divided

1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained
2 tsp. of kosher salt
1 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
12 sprigs of thyme
1 large sprig of rosemary
2 cans of great northern beans, drained
For the crunchy topping:
1 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 cup of Panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup of grated Romano cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add in the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 5 minutes (or until onions are tender). Add in the thyme and rosemary to the onion mixture and cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium low, and add in the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from heat.

Pour the beans into a 2-quart oven safe dish. Discard the sprig of rosemary and half of the thyme leaves from the tomato and herb mixture. Add in the tomato and herb mixture to the beans, and mix together. Drizzle the mixture with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Put the dish in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.

After the beans have been in the oven for about 30 minutes, make the crunchy topping. In a medium bowl, mix together the tablespoon of olive oil, Panko bread crumbs, and Romano cheese. When the 30 minute timer goes off, carefully remove the beans from the oven and then evenly spread the topping over the beans. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper. Put the beans back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 - 15 minutes, or until the topping is browned. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve alone as a meal, or serve as a side dish with meat.

Recipe Adapted from: Wegmans