AwesomeBites

Category: Eat your vegetables

  • Veggie Wellington – Mushrooms, Spinach, Roasted Butternut Squash

    This has great eye appeal and it tastes great.
    Basically, you cook each of the ingredients independently and cool, then assemble and bake.
    Serves 8-10

    1 sheet of Puff Pastry – Keep frozen until all your ingredients are cooked.
    1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water for egg wash.

    1 cup of chopped butternut squash.
    Rosemary Sprig
    Olive oil – 3 Tablespoons
    1 tsp of nutmeg sprinkled on squash
    Salt & Pepper

    Mushrooms – 4 Cups Cremini Mushrooms
    3 T butter
    1 tsp Italian Seasoning

    Spinach
    1 small diced onion
    4 cloves of minced garlic
    1/4 cup cream
    1 Tsp Nutmeg
    6 oz of mixed grated cheeses – parmesan and romano
    Salt & Pepper to taste.
    1/2 pound of frozen chopped spinach

    Chicken or Duck Pate 3 ounces – Bottom layer.

    Oven 400 degrees, on a baking sheet, season the butternut squash with sprigs of rosemary and drizzle olive oil. 40 minutes in the oven or until the edges start to turn brown.
    While that is cooking, prepare your mushrooms by slicing and saute in butter and italian seasoning. You want the juice to release from the mushrooms. Continue sauteing until and pour off the juices.
    Save for the spinach. Once they are cooked through, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
    Spinach. Thaw and squeeze as much water from the spinach as possible.
    Dice 1 small onion and saute. Add minced garlic cloves to onions and saute. Add 1/4 cup of cream. Once the cream is hot, add salt and pepper, and the cheese so it melts.
    Add chopped spinach and saute. You want this to be a dry creamed spinach. Moisture will make your puff pastry soggy.
    Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

    Take your puff pastry sheet out of the freezer and allow to come to room temperature.
    When it is thawed enough to rollout, take a rolling pin and roll out to remove any creases. It will be a couple of inches longer that when it was frozen.

    Pre-Heat oven to 375
    Assemble on parchment paper.
    Bottom layer – spread the pate on the middle of the puff pastry leaving 3 inches on each side and 2 inches on top and bottom.
    2nd Layer – sliced mushrooms on top of the pate.
    3rd Layer – place spinach on top of the mushrooms
    4th Layer – place the chopped squash on top of the mushrooms.

    Using egg wash, brush the area not filled with filling.
    Cut the sides 9 or 10 1/2 inch strips.
    Fold the top and bottom edges up over the filling. The middles section that is cut, take each strip and pull over to the other side. Fill in all the gaps.
    Brush the outside with egg wash and
    Place into oven on parchment paper. Bake for 45 minutes until very golden brown.

    I served this a two holiday parties and they loved it!

  • Corn Casserole

    Had this corn casserole at an office pot luck and it is so very good and easy to make. I know that Paula Dean has a version and there are many versions made with Jiffy corn mix. You can also alter the recipe and use fresh corn, but the process will take a bit longer. If you have decided on fresh corn and have left over corn husks, don’t throw them away because you can follow there First American tips on how to use them afterwards.

    Ingredients
    1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

    1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn

    1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix

    1 cup sour cream

    1/2 stick butter, melted

    1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar

    Optional:
    1/4 cup of Chopped Chives sprinkled on top before you serve or
    1/4 cup Crispy Bacon Bits!

    Directions
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

  • Broccoli Cheddar Beer Soup

    Broccoli Cheddar Beer Soup

    Most of us know the pleasures of cooking with wine — and not just sipping a glass of something while standing at the stove, if you like to do this you might also want to check this freestanding wine cooler uk seller so you can properly store your wines at home. We know adding a good glug of cabernet to bolognaise will make it beaut, or that a splash of sauv will make seafood sing. We’re comfortable with using liqueurs in dessert and sherry in soup and grabbing a bottle of something good to use in a stew.
    Why cook with beer?
    Beer can add richness to savoury dishes, or a nutty sweetness to desserts. As the range of beer styles is so broad, so, too, are the types of dishes it can be used as an ingredient, you can contact draft beer system installers to learn how to manage and brew beer.

    Taste.com.au beer writer Mike Gribble says beer can make for a surprising ingredient that can be substituted where water is called for in many recipes. “But, like cooking with wine, you should use the beer you like to drink because it’s all about building up flavour,” Mike says.

    Rob Kabboord, from Merricote restaurant in Northcote, has long been using beer in his cooking.

    “Beer is not just for drinking, its application can be used in all things we eat, from bread, a hearty stew, lager with chicken, even used as a ‘ripple’ through ice cream,” Rob says.

    “However, beer is much underused as an ingredient in Australian kitchens. This hasn’t stopped a good number of local chefs from using beer in cooking. At Merricote, we regularly cook with beer — not just in bread but also in ice cream, custard and gels.”

    What is not to like!

    2 large onions
    4 cups beef stock
    2 cups broccoli heads
    1 cup shredded cheddar
    1/2 cup smoked gouda or swiss
    1 bottle of fat tire beer or your favorite
    4 ounces oil
    1/4 cup flour
    salt and pepper to taste
    2 cups whole milk

    Saute onions until carmelized, add beer and beef broth. Using stick blender, blend ingredients until smooth. Make a rue using another frying pan by frying flour in the oil. Careful not to burn. I like a light golden color. Add this to the soup base. Add milk and cheeses. In a separate container, steam broccoli, chop and then add to the cheddar soup.
    Simmer for 10 minutes.
    Serve with garlic croutons or bacon bits.

  • Panzanella – Bread Salad

    Panzanella – Bread Salad

    Ingredients:

    2 tomatoes
    1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced
    1 small red onion, thinly sliced
    bell peppers (optional)
    Kalmata olives (optional)
    1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
    1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
    3 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
    Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
    6 to 8 thick slices country-style white bread, torn into bite-size pieces

    Preparation
    In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil. Drizzle with the 1/2 cup olive oil and the 3 tablespoons vinegar, season with salt and pepper and toss well.
    Place half of the bread in a wide, shallow bowl. Spoon half of the tomato mixture over the bread. Layer the remaining bread on top and then the remaining tomato mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
    Just before serving, toss the salad and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. If the bread seems dry, add a little oil or vinegar. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

  • Carrot Casserole

    Carrot Casserole

    Ingredients:
    2 cups carrots
    1 cup sugar
    1/4 tablespoon flour
    1/4 teaspoon baking powder
    1 stick butter, softened
    2 eggs
    cinnamon

    Directions:
    Clean carrots and slice–no need to peel. Cook and mash carrots (easy to do in food processor but takes awhile to cook the carrots so plan accordingly.) Add remaining ingredients. Pour into 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Cook at 350 for 50 minutes until set in the middle.

  • Roasted Asparagus

    Roasted Asparagus

    Ingredients

    2 pounds fresh asparagus
    Good olive oil
    Kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
    Freshly ground black pepper
    Freshly grated parmesan (optional)

    Directions
    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

    Break off the tough ends of the asparagus and, if they’re thick, peel them. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, until tender but still crisp.

  • Grilled Pesto Veggie Pizza Portabello Mushroom Caps

    Grilled Pesto Veggie Pizza Portabello Mushroom Caps


    Spread pesto sauce onto marinated portabello mushroom caps

    cover pesto with thinly sliced black olives, sliced cherry tomatoes and minced garlic.
    Add tiny dollops of ricotta cheese over veggies. Sprinkle with goat or mozzarella cheese or both if you like.

    Cover cheese with juliene sliced yellow peppers and zucchini slices.

    Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until mushroom is fork tender.

    To grill on the BBQ:

    Spray olive oil on mushroom cap. Cook the top of the cap first (gill side down) for 8-10 minutes, remove from heat and fill with your toppings. Allow to grill for another 6-10 minutes until fork tender and your cheese has melted.

  • Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms with Pickled Beets, Goat Cheese and Walnuts

    Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms with Pickled Beets, Goat Cheese and Walnuts

    If you want to make appetizers, just use the baby portabellos instead of the big guys.

    Ingredients

    1 jar (16 ounces) Whole Pickled Beets
    4 large portobello mushrooms (about 1 pound)
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs, such as sourdough or whole wheat*
    1/4 cup sliced green onions or chopped chives
    1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
    1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

    Preparation

    Preheat oven to 400°F. Drain beats, reserving liquid. Coarsely chop 1/2 cup beets; set remaining whole beets aside with beet liquid to use in Vegetable Platter With Balsamic-Beet Vinaigrette (recipe follows).
    Trim stems flat and remove gills from mushroom caps using a spoon; discard. Place caps, rounded sides down, on foil-lined baking sheet; season with salt and pepper.
    Combine chopped beets, bread crumbs, green onions and walnuts in medium bowl; mix well. Spoon mixture into caps and top with cheese. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until heated through and mushrooms are tender.

  • Portabello Mushrooms with Tomato Bruschetta

    Portabello Mushrooms with Tomato Bruschetta

    Portabello instead of bread

    My this makes me hungry. Trying to stay away from carbs? How about Tomato Bruschetta on a Grilled or Oven Roasted Portabello.
    Heavenly.

    Clean the mushrooms by wiping with a towel. Remove the stem so you have a flat mushroom cap with plenty of “bowl” space.
    Marinade the caps for 2 hours to overnight in your favorite vinegar oil dressing.

    Heat oven to 400 degrees and bake mushroom caps for 20-25 minutes until tender.
    Remove from oven, let cool.
    Top with Tomato Bruschetta and a thin slice of parmesan.
    Enjoy.

    Remember to use the baby portabellos if you are making for appetizers.

  • Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms – Spinach, Ricotta and Mozzarella

    Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms – Spinach, Ricotta and Mozzarella

    4 large Portobello mushrooms
    2/3 cup Ricotta cheese
    10 oz bag spinach, cooked, squeezed and chopped
    2 tbsp flour
    1 large garlic clove, minced
    1 medium onion, chopped
    1 cup monterrey jack or mozzarella cheese, grated or finely diced
    2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
    2 tsp dried oregano

    Instructions
    Cut out mushroom stalks at cap. Reserve caps, chop stalks and mix to remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Season to taste. Place mushrooms on a baking sheet, underside up. Mound stuffing on mushrooms and smooth over. Cook in center of preheated oven at 400° F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden.