Dinner
This year we celebrated Christmas early as our niece Sarah was coming for a quick visit and because we don’t get to see her often or celebrate holidays with her we decided it would be a nice thing to do with her. Sarah is a strict vegetarian by choice so I knew I had to change up my menu a little bit for her. I knew I wanted something hearty and filling for her so she would not miss the meat so I decided on these stuffed portabella mushrooms. I have to be honest I really, really dislike mushrooms of any kind. I have tried them several ways and they just don’t do it for me so I rarely make them and in this case although I made them I did NOT eat them. My Mom and Sarah enjoyed them and none went to waste so I know for all of you mushroom lovers out there these are good.
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil cooking spray
4 Portabella mushrooms
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup zucchini, chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Pinch of red pepper flakes-optional
DIRECTIONS
Line a pan with aluminum foil, set aside. Remove the stems from the mushrooms, chop and set aside. Remove the gills from the mushrooms with a spoon and discard. Place the mushrooms top side up on the pan. Spray with cooking spray and place about 5 inches under the broiler. Broil for about five minutes, the mushrooms will be tender and juices will be running from them. Remove from oven and set aside.
In a medium skillet sauté onions, pepper and garlic over medium heat stirring often until tender and browning. Stir in the chopped mushroom stems, zucchini. Salt and pepper. Cook for another 4-5 minutes or until tender. Stir often. Remove from heat and pour any of the mushroom juices from the broiled mushrooms in the pan along with the veggies. Let the mixture cool.
Stuff each mushroom evenly with the veggie mix, top each with the cheese and place back under the broiler for 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Enjoy!
This is a slightly different version of Mongolian Beef. It’s made with shaved steak that you can easily find in your grocery store right next to those big cuts of steak. Because this is shaved steak, it cooks up in no time. The addition of the jalapeño gives the dish a nice punch of heat but not overwhelming. I served this over white rice. You can boil your rice, or to make dinner even faster, you can use the little microwave rice cups. It’s your kitchen so I won’t tell! My family loved this dish so much I made it twice in the same week with no leftovers! This is one recipe we will be having often.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound fresh shaved steak
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and diced
3 scallions thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons corn starch
FOR THE SAUCE
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
DIRECTIONS
Toss the shredded steak into a large bowl with 2 Tablespoons of corn starch and set aside. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Heat a pan over medium heat until hot, add the canola oil to the hot pan. Add the jalapeño and ginger cooking for a few minutes while stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and the beef to the pan. Evenly distribute the beef. Cook until the beef is browned and cooked through, stirring often. Stir the sauce and pour over the beef mixture. Mix well so everything is coated with the sauce. Let simmer for a just a minute or two and serve warm over cooked rice. Garnish with sliced scallions.
Enjoy!
This year we celebrated Christmas early so I was trying to decide what to make on Christmas Day. This is what I decided on but our plans changed again. We decided on very short notice to take a road trip to see our daughter and her family in NY and spend Christmas with them and the grandkids. I ended up making this when we got home a few days later. Although I did plan on this for a special occasion, it is delicious for any night. I served this with a salad and garlic bread. This makes a lot of sauce so you can reserve some or use it for dipping breadsticks or the garlic bread like we do!
INGREDIENTS
16 ounces fettuccine
12 large scallops
12 large shrimp peeled, deveined and tails off
1 stick of butter
4 Tablespoons olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups heavy cream
pinch of black pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat skillet on medium high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil and sear the scallops on the first side until golden brown, flip and do the same for the second side, this does take a little bit of time, so don’t rush. While the scallops are
When the scallops and shrimp are both done, remove them from the skillet and pan (turn heat to medium) and set aside. In the same skillet you used for the scallops, melt the butter. Add the garlic, cream, nutmeg and pepper. Cook for about five minutes whisking often. Add both of the cheeses and continue to whisk as the cheese melts into the sauce. Continue to cook for 10-15 minutes, the sauce should be thickened and smooth. Continue to stir often. Boil the fettuccine noodles according to package directions. I usually take my pasta off one minute before the directions state. When the pasta is almost cooked through add the seafood into the sauce to warm through. Drain the pasta and add the sauce with the seafood over the top, serve warm.
Enjoy!
I came across this recipe on Pinterest and knew I wanted to make it as it is gluten-free and Robby would be able to it enjoy it. Although this is a breakfast dish we had it for dinner as it is definitely hearty enough to fill you up. This would be a great start to Christmas morning especially if you are cooking for a crowd as this makes a full 9 x 13 dish.
This can also be cut in half and made in an 8×8 pan.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds Jimmy Dean hot sausage
1 bag (30 – 32 ounce) bag of shredded hash browns
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 eggs
2 cups milk or non-dairy milk
In a large non-stick skillet, cook the sausage until no longer pink crumbling as it cooks. Drain fat and set aside. Add hash browns into a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish that you have sprayed with a non-stick spray. Pushing the hash browns down slightly. Turn your oven to broil and place the potatoes in the oven with the door slightly ajar. Keep an eye on the potatoes as you just want the top of the hash browns to get lightly browned. Once browned, remove from the oven and turn the oven to 350 degrees. Top the hash browns with the sausage crumbles and both of the cheeses. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the milk and whisk again. Pour over the sausage and hash browns. If you are making this the night before you can cover and refrigerate at this point. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until warmed all the way through.
Enjoy!
This is another recipe I adapted for Robby. Let’s face it, soup season is here and everyone loves a bowl of warm hearty soup. Although this was made for Robby we all enjoyed this soup, the broth is simply delicious. If you want it a little richer and you can have dairy you could add about 1/4 cup of heavy cream! I used a gluten-free “hot” sausage as we wanted that punch of flavor, but you can use any sausage you like. The sausage and potatoes make this a hearty dish on our New England winter days.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons garlic infused olive oil
1 lb. uncooked gluten-free sausage (I used a hot sausage)
6 cups organic gluten-free chicken bone broth
1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, diced
2-3 cups baby spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 Teaspoon chicken base such as Better Than Broth (I used a gluten-free base)
DIRECTIONS
Heat infused olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the sausage and brown until cooked through. I tried not to break up the sausage too much as I wanted sausage bites to be in there. Add the chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach and red pepper flakes. Cook until spinach is wilted. Add the chicken base and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Enjoy!
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