Proud Italian Cook

Playing with Portobello’s

January 19, 2012 by Marie 19 Comments

Large portobellos are so meaty and satisfying, it’s the perfect vehicle for pasta topped stuffing.

Tiny star pasta called stelline, tossed with garlic, red, yellow and orange peppers, fresh herbs and cheese of your choice. For a nice light lunch or dinner, it’s delicious served with a salad, or you can have it as a side dish to accompany your favorite protein, either way you’ll love it, and it looks pretty too!

The topping could be made in advance then arranged on the mushrooms at the last minute.

In a small pan drizzled with olive oil add minced garlic, finely diced red, yellow and orange diced peppers. Stir in fresh herbs like basil and parsley and your favorite shredded cheese, I used romano and asiago. Toss in your precooked tiny pasta.
The mushrooms I slightly precooked in a 425 degree oven until they started to wilt a little.
Top each mushroom with the pasta mixture, then place under the broiler for up to 5 minutes or until the topping is golden or mushrooms are warmed through.

Portobellos also make a fantastic meatless lasagna, stack three high and fill each cap with a layer of marinara then top with a mixture made up of of ricotta, grated romano, mozzarella, asiago, basil and parsley.
Prepare mushrooms as above.
Spoon more marinara over the top and bake for around 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven or just until warmed through.

Buon Appetito!

19 Comments Filed Under: Vegetables Tagged: portobella mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, stuffed portobello

Faux Spaghetti

January 9, 2012 by Marie 35 Comments

If you’re going easy on the carbs right now but have a craving for spaghetti, I have the perfect solution for you!
Al’ dente strands of julienned zucchini tossed with roasted veggies of your choice flavored with shaved garlic, olive oil, basil, red pepper flakes and generous amounts of grated romano cheese.

You’ll love the flavor and texture and even if you’re not watching your carbs it can be the perfect meatless meal along with a salad.

I love my handy julienne slicer it works so fast, before you know it you’ll have a pile of zucchini “pasta” right before your eyes, just work the sides and when you reach the seeds, give it a turn.
The core of the zucchini will be left which I then dice and roast up for future use.

I roasted two different color cauliflower for mine and added some cherry tomatoes, next time I’ll roast those too, I forgot, but it didn’t matter, it was so yummy anyway!

Here’s what you do:

First, roast off the veggies of your choice in a 425 degree oven tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper, then set aside.
Have your zucchini “pasta” all ready to go then heat up a large saute pan drizzled with olive oil, add shaved garlic and red pepper flakes, saute until garlic is light golden. Next, add zucchini and cook for only about 2 minutes tossing with some tongs just until wilted and still al’ dente. Remove pan from heat, add the roasted veggies, fresh basil, lots of grated romano cheese and of course another drizzle of olive oil!

35 Comments Filed Under: Vegetables Tagged: julienne slicer, low carb, meatless meal, roasted cauliflower, zucchini pasta

Time to Lighten Up!

January 3, 2012 by Marie 16 Comments

Gone are all the cookies, cakes and heavy foods, it’s time to snap out of it!
Now I’m craving all things green, lighter fare, and it feels good. I’ve made this salad three times already, it’s that good! Simple ingredients, but the combination of flavors work so well together.
Roasted butternut squash, feta cheese, toasted pecans, sliced red onion and a generous sprinkling of pomegranate arils all laying on a bed of spinach tossed in white wine vinegar and olive oil.

I love these little jewels, even though it can be a little messy when de-seeding them. I find that by cutting them in half and whacking the back with a meat mallet or heavy spoon preferably over a bowl does the trick fast and easy and all the arils just fall right out.

Kale is another green I crave and this healthy bowl of soup just makes me feel good.
No real recipe here just leftover roasted butternut squash and chicken along with some white beans, lots of kale, carrots and leeks bathing in a chicken or vegetable based broth cooked with a parmesan rind.
It’s all good, lets hope I keep this up!
Buon Appetito!