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

Spinach Balls

Please visit my new blog, Make It and Bake It with Beth, for the spinach balls recipe. 

Roasted Garlic and Lemon Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Cheese

Do you remember when you were a kid and you used to hate almost all vegetables? I probably liked more vegetables than most kids when I was young, but there were definitely a few that I told myself I would never eat again, and Brussels sprouts fit into that category. After trying one  with dinner some 20+ years ago, I didn't give them another chance until about three years ago. Somebody brought them as a side at a potluck, and I thought I would try them because they looked so good. And, they were pretty darn good. That was the turning point in my relationship with Brussels sprouts, and I have made a couple different recipes with them at home since then. These roasted garlic and lemon Brussels sprouts are one of my favorites since it is simple to make, and it makes a great side to many meals. If you were like me, and you wrote off Brussels sprouts a long time ago, I encourage you to give them another try. This time, you may like them! Enjoy.

Recipe for Garlic and Lemon Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Cheese

INGREDIENTS:
 2 pounds of Brussels sprouts, rinsed

3 - 4 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. of freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 tsp. of salt
1/8 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
A pinch or two of coarse sea salt
Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut of the ends of the Brussels sprouts and discard. Chop the Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise. Put the Brussels sprouts into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice. Add in the pressed garlic, 1 tsp. of salt, and crushed red pepper flakes and stir well to coat. Spread the Brussels sprouts onto a baking pan and sprinkle with several grinds of freshly ground pepper and a pinch or two of coarse sea salt. Place baking pan into the oven and cook for 25 - 30 minutes, gently stirring halfway through the cooking. Once the Brussels sprouts are cooked to desired crispiness (I like them a little blackened), take out of oven and divide amongst plates. Sprinkle each serving with some Parmesan cheese.

Recipe makes approximately 4 servings. 

Recipe Adapted from: Cooking Classy,  originally from Whole Foods 

Honey-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Oh, how I love the sweet potato! I think they have a much better flavor than the white potato, and I know they are healthier. They are loaded with so many vitamins and minerals! I have been making all sorts of recipes with sweet potato recently - sweet potato soup, sweet potato hash browns, and these honey-roasted sweet potatoes. It is a simple and delicious side dish recipe. It goes well with meat (especially steak) and a green salad or green vegetable. You can even eat them for breakfast or a snack, and they are also sweet enough for dessert. Enjoy!

Recipe for Honey-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:

2 - 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small slices
2 Tbsp. of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. of honey
3/4 tsp. of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 tsp. of kosher salt
A pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes
A few grinds of freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large oven-safe baking dish with olive oil. Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl. In a smallish bowl, mix together the olive oil, honey, and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the sweet potatoes and toss well to coat. Spread the coated potatoes into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle on the salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and black pepper and gently toss. Cook the potatoes uncovered for 30 minutes, then toss and cook for another 30 - 35 minutes. Allow to cool for a minute or two before serving. If desired, sprinkle the potatoes with extra salt, red pepper flakes, and/or black pepper.
Serves 4 - 6. Approximately 150 calories per serving. 

Recipe Adapted from: The Food Network

Do you love the sweet potato? If so, you will probably love the sweet potato taco recipe and the sweet potato custard recipe. 

Super Salsa!

Tomato season is here, and to me that means it is time to make LOTS and LOTS of homemade salsa. I absolutely love homemade salsa. When I was young, I would always look forward to the summer time because my mother would make many batches of salsa - and the hotter it was, the happier I was. The only thing that was missing from my mom's salsa was the onions, since my dad is pepper and onion intolerant. 
A few years ago, I started to experiment with different salsa recipes. My salsa would almost always turn out to be too sweet, too salty, or too watery. It was rare if it turned out to be just right,  but I finally found a really great salsa recipe. It is chunky, spicy, and full of flavor.
I think you will really like it too - enjoy!

Super Salsa Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
2 jalapenos - roughly chopped, deveined, and seeded (I usually do not take all the seeds out, because I love heat. This is based upon your own heat threshold preference)
3 cloves of garlic, cut in half
1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 of a small yellow onion
2 Tbsp. of red wine vinegar
3 large tomatoes
1 Tbsp. cumin powder

1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. of kosher salt
1 Tbsp. of cilantro leaves

juice of 1 lime

DIRECTIONS: Add the jalapeno and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, then scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl. Add all of the other ingredients to the food processor. Pulse in short pulses until the salsa is at your desired chunkiness. Put in a bowl, cover with a lid, and put in the refrigerator for a few hours before using (to allow the flavors to meld together).  Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips.

Recipe Adapted from Annie's Eats

*This salsa works great as the filling in the vegetarian taquitos.*