Roasted Mushroom Broth

The idea of making mushroom broth came up while I was looking for great, and nutritious, vegetable broth recipes. Vegetable broth was one of the things allowed on my cleanse and boxed is bland and gross. While I was looking I found a ton of mushroom broth recommendations. After during my research, I decided to make my own mushroom broth instead of vegetable broth and I am so glad I did.

Why mushrooms?

Well, because they’re delicious, and they are a great meat alternative. They relatively high in protein, by weight and contain a ton of vitamins and minerals! As a result, mushroom broth is a great alternative for healing your gut, boosting your immune system and remineralizing your body. It was an easy choice for me for adding to the cleanse I was doing gearing for doing all of those things!

Even when not on a cleanse, mushroom broth is a rich, hearty option for soups and grains, and any dish that you would use regular broths/stocks. I decided to roast my mushrooms to kick up the natural flavors just a bit since I would be drinking it as is. Also, using a variety of mushrooms (shiitake, reishi, cremini, etc) will provide a more complex flavor, but I am a fan of using what you have on hand or is easily accessible for making broths. For me that meant, mostly cremini mushrooms plus some ginger, oregano, and turmeric that are staples in my kitchen.

Roasted Mushroom Broth
ingredients

• 1.5 pound mixed mushrooms, 
• 1 yellow onion, skin on and halved crosswise 
• 3 cloves garlic smashed 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp oregano
• 3 quarts cold water 
• 2-inch piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped 
• 1 tbsp sea salt, plus more to taste

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. While oven is coming to temperature chop mushrooms into 1/2 inch pieces and half the onion.
2. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place the onion halves into the mushrooms, sprinkle the smashed garlic over, and drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 15-20 minutes. 
3. Add the remaining olive oil to a heavy stockpot and heat until shimmering. Add the grated carrot, turmeric, oregano and ginger. 
4. Remove the sheet from the oven and drop the roasted mushrooms and onions into the pot with the carrot and seasonings mixture.
5. Pour in the broth and bring it all to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue simmering, covered, for about 30 minutes.
6. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve, add additional salt, if needed. Then use a wide-mouthed funnel to pour it into two 1-quart jars, sealing the lids tightly. 

From here you can cook with the broth right away, or store it. It will last about 5 days in the fridge and approximately 6 months in the freezer. Just make sure to leave head room in a glass jar prior to freezing. 

52 Recipes | No. 5 Hominy Burrito Bowls

​One of my favorite recipes growing up was my mom's red enchiladas made with ground beef, red sauce and hominy. A few months ago, I had made some of her enchiladas and had some of the meat mixture leftover. What I had wasn't enough to make a whole other tray of enchiladas so I set it aside in the freezer. After our most recent Disneyland trip, we had not gone grocery shopping yet and I was looking for something to make. I decided to pull out this frozen meat mixture and see what I could do with it.

Recipe:
There isn't a true recipe here. I mixed together roughly a half pound of browned, lean ground beef, a 15ish oz can of hominy, 2 cups cooked pinto beans and 2 cups of red enchilada sauce. I added cumin and chili powder to taste. I served the mixture over jasmine rice, with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato and sour cream. This is one of those throw together dinners where you could add anything you want.

Results and Thoughts:
For using what we had on hand, this was really good! I was honestly surprised. It probably won't be something we eat regularly but the next time I make my mom's enchiladas, Ill be sure to prepare a little extra meat so we can have this variation of burrito bowls later in the same week.

Avocado Cauliflower Rice

One of the meals we really like is at home Chipotle style burritos. It is quick, fairly simple meal but I started to notice that the flour tortilla paired with a sizable helping of rice started leaving me a little bloated. Back in October 2014, I made the switch to an Anti-Inflammatory Diet (you can read more here), in which I try to avoid eating foods that cause an inflammatory response in my body and bloating is a sign of inflammation.

Since moving away to our rural mountain town, staying on track has been a little harder. When one of our favorite meals starts triggering the things we are trying to avoid, I immediately went on the hunt for an alternative to keep this quick meal option in the regular rotation. This is when I started entertaining the idea of cauliflower rice!

Today I wanted to share the recipe for the rice we use in our Chipotle style burritos. I love using cauliflower rice with avocado and lime, especially on nights we choose to go vegetarian with our burritos. Not only does it add more veggies as a whole, it adds avocado which is a huge plus for this former California girl. The avocado in turn add texture and another layer of flavor! It takes our burritos to a whole new level!

Not only is the avocado lime rice great mixed in, it is also delicious by itself and Tiny Krueger thoroughly approved. The first time I made this recipe, Berkeley was on a work trip and I had a serving leftover. The next day I piled the rice onto some corn tortilla chips and it was amazing! Just as a side note, depending on the color of your avocado, the color of the rice can vary from really green like the rice in my burrito above to more yellowish like the photo below.

Avocado Lime Cauliflower Rice
ingredients

• 2 - 3 cups cauliflower rice 
• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 medium ripe avocados 
• 2 Tbsp lime juice 
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin (or more) 
• 1 small clove garlic, minced 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil slightly smokes, add the onions, and stir to coat. Continue to cook onion until they are golden brown at the edges and have softened, about 8 minutes. 
2. Add the cauliflower and stir. Add salt and pepper, and continue to cook until the cauliflower has softened about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Mash avocados in a large mixing bowl (I leave mine a little chunkier). Stir in lime juice, cumin and garlic, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in warm cooked rice and serve.

Mushroom Whole Wheat Lasagna

We are big fans of lasagna over here. So when Inflenster and Ragu tasked me with creating a recipe using Ragu pasta sauce lasagna was an easy choice. For this lasagna, I chose to use mushrooms and bell peppers instead of ground meat. I am really happy with how this turned out. I don't normally use jarred sauce but with the baby I am always looking for ways to make things easier right now. The Ragu really helped speed things up as well as adding great flavored sauce!

Mushroom Whole Wheat Lasagna
ingredients

• 1 box whole wheat lasagna
• 1 jar Ragu 
• olive oil
• 24oz white mushrooms, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 24oz small curd cottage cheese
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp parsley
• shredded mozzarella
• salt and pepper

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and lay flat on a sheet of aluminum foil. 
2.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for a minute. Add peppers and saute for another minute or so. Add mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Let mushrooms cook until soft. Stir in sauce, salt, and pepper. Let simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, combine cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper. Set aside until ready to assemble lasagna.
4. To assemble, spread a little of the mushroom and pasta sauce in a lasagna pan. Layer noodles in the pan, slightly overlapping them. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture on the noodles. Top with a layer of mozzarella. Add mushroom sauce mixture over the mozzarella. 
5. Repeat the layering two more times. End with a large helping of mushroom sauce and a "layer" of Parmesan. 
6. Bake at 350 degrees, covered in foil, for 20 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Slow Cooker Curried Lentils and Chicken

For some reason, pregnancy has left me completely apathetic to cooking and food. I have little desire to spend any time thinking about what I want for dinner, let alone actually being in kitchen. I haven't even really had cravings! It is pretty sad, really. Every now and then, I get a small wisp of something that could be craving and I find the easiest way to satiate the need. That is how I whipped up these curried lentils.

As a side note, I used ingredients that were more in line with my dietary restrictions and what I had at home. Culturally, coconut milk is used in curry dishes, instead I used almond milk as I am allergic to coconut. I also cut out the white potatoes I would normally used and subbed in carrots and kale which I had on hand. Lastly, Berkeley and I like spice so we use a lot of curry powder.

ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups green lentils
• 1 lbs carrots, washed and sliced into pieces 
• 3 stalks kale, roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 1 Tbsp yellow curry powder plus more
• 1 tsp ginger 
• kosher salt and black pepper 
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
• 2 cups almond milk
• Approx. 1 3/4 lbs chicken (I used breasts and thighs)
• sour cream or plain yogurt

directions:

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the lentils, carrots, kale, onion, garlic, curry powder, ginger, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the broth and almond milk. 
2. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and curry powder. Add to slow cooker. Cover and cook until the lentils and vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours. 
3. Fifteen minutes before serving, shred the meat; return it to the slow cooker.  Stir to combine, adding more water if necessary to reach the desired consistency. Serve topped with the sour cream or yogurt.

Italian Sausage and Vegetable Soup

I know spring has sprung over most of the country but our mild winter seems to drag on. In fact, it snowed just the other night at the ski resort and was below freezing here in town. As a result, we are still craving warm, filling meals. Whether it be lunch or dinner, this soup is great for warming up on a cold winter day. This is another one of those "throw it together" recipes.  For this soup, I use the vegetables and noodles I have on hand. Essentially, anything you prefer will do!

Italian Sausage and Vegetable Soup
ingredients

• 1 lbs sweet italian sausage
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 cups broth
• 12 oz frozen vegetable mix (mine had peas, lima beans, carrots, corn, okra, and potato)
• 14 oz can great northern beans, drained
• 1 cup dry pasta

directions

1. In a stockpot or Dutch Oven, brown sausage with minced garlic over medium heat. Stir in broth and vegetables. Reduce heat, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. 
2. Stir in beans and noodles. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes or until noodles are tender.
3. Season with salt and pepper to your liking and serve. 

Turkey Quinoa Noodle Soup

We are currently in that period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are all sorts of holiday gatherings scheduled and I feel like I am swimming in turkey leftovers! This recipe takes advantage of that turkey and makes the best soup I have ever had. The best thing is that it is so versatile that other meats could be substituted for the turkey.

Although it isn't the prettiest soup, it is hearty, warm, and filling. It is the perfect soup for warming up these past few days. I am sure it will be making quite a few appearances in my lunch this ski season!

Turkey Quinoa Noodle Soup
ingredients

• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp thyme
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• 7-8 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup small noodles
• 3-4 cup leftover turkey
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 1 t. parsley
• Dash cayenne (optional)
• 1 small can corn niblets

directions

1. Saute onion and carrots in butter, add thyme garlic, salt and pepper, and quinoa. Continue sauté until quinoa is lightly toasted. 
2. Add chicken stock and noodles. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the noodles and quinoa are tender. 
3. Add turkey, sour cream, parsley, and the can of corn. bring back to a simmer for 5 minutes and then serve.

Orange Apricot Quinoa

Continuing with sharing our gluten free Thanksgiving, today is my recipe for a quinoa dish that was the equivalent for stuffing or dressing in this case.

Instead of fiddling with gluten free boxed mixes or using gluten free breads, we just stuck with a grain option that I knew was going to be free of that pesky little protein. The recipe is a little more adventurous with the addition of nuts and atypical dried fruits, but it was delicious! I am hoping to use this recipe as a base for several other quinoa sides to come.

Orange Apricot Quinoa
ingredients

• 1 cup whole-wheat quinoa 
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 5 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 
• sea salt 
• 10 dried apricots, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger 
• 1/4 medium-sized red onion, finely sliced or diced
• 1 medium carrot
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

directions

1. Pour quinoa into a medium-sized bowl, rinse, and set aside. In a small pot, combine water, orange juice, olive oil, 4 teaspoons vinegar and a pinch of sea salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the dried apricots and ginger. Let simmer for about 1 minute. 
2. After a quick stir, pour the quinoa into the orange juice mixture. Stir just to eliminate any pockets of dry quinoa.
3. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrot into ribbons over the couscous, then cover and cook for 25 minutes or until quinoa is thoroughly cooked. 
4. Rinse the sliced onion under running water and then toss it with 1 teaspoon vinegar in a small bowl to mellow the flavor.
5. Lightly toast almonds in a small pan over medium heat being sure to toss regularly to prevent burning. When the quinoa is cooked, fluff it with a fork, then mix in the onion and almonds. Serve warm or chilled.

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potato and Yam Medley

This year we embarked on a Gluten Free Thanksgiving. That meant no stuffing, no green bean casserole, and no sweet potatoes. Well at least not in the traditional sense. Instead of completely obliterating Thanksgiving, I strived to embrace traditional Thanksgiving flavors but with a twist on their preparation.

Instead of a sweet potato or candied yam casserole like we are accustomed to, I went for spicy roasted sweet potatoes and yams. This was by far the easiest holiday recipe ever! Simply chop, season, and then roast.

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 medium yam
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tsp chile powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin 
• 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt 
• 12 tsp white sugar
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400*F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. 
2. Wash and chop potatoes and yam into cubes. Add to a large mixing bowl and toss with butter and oil. 
3. Combine spices and sprinkle potatoes and yams. Then toss to thoroughly coat. Spread mixture out on prepared baking sheet. 
4. Bake about 25-35 minutes, until tender or to your liking. 

Alternatives to Traditional Holiday Meals

I have a huge family! My mom has numerous cousins on both sides of her family, and my dad has tons of friends that might as well be family. Our holiday season always started the week before Thanksgiving, and ended the week after the First of the New Year.

Depending on how the calendar falls, that can result in 8-10 weeks of festivities and several holiday meals, and lots of turkey and ham. To be frank, sometimes the traditional options are the most boring ones. With Thanksgiving a week away, and thus the start of the "Holiday Season" for many, I thought it would be fun to share some of my recipes that are great alternatives to the typical Turkey/Ham entree with traditional sweet potato/green bean/mashed potato sides. These recipes would be great for mid-season get togethers and for breaking up the monotony of plain ole turkey and ham.

source: Dan @ The Food in my Beard

Clam Pumpkin Soup with an Ancho Floater. This amazing soup would be perfect for a low key get together on a cold evening. It's unique flavors make it just fancy enough for it to be more than just soup for dinner. 

source: Marina @ Yummy Mummy Kitchen

Brussels Sprout Mac n Cheese. I love Brussels Sprouts and I love Mac n Cheese. Naturally this is a dish right up my alley. Not only would it make a great side, it can be made in bulk and served as a main dish. 

source: Oui, Chef @ Food52

Gingered Cranberry Fig Chutney. Cranberries are a staple this time of year. Instead of relying on the canned jelly from the supermarket, try something a little more unique!

source: Cat Cora via The New Potato

Cornish Game Hens with Pomegranate Sun Dried Tomato Glaze. Back away from the frozen turkey and pick up some game hens instead, especially if you are entertaining a small group. The glaze also adds flavors that sets this recipe apart from your traditional holiday fare. 

source: Beth @ Budget Bytes

Cranberry Almond Cake. I don't know about you but Apple and Pumpkin pies can get quite boring. This cake seems like a great way to finish off any meal, especially one during the holidays. 

One Pot Pasta

Boy are things heating up! Personally, Berkeley has been getting home later and later due to severe fire weather and dry lightening. I am always on the search for recipes that are relatively quick and easy to make for nights that I know he'll be home late. This happens to be one of those recipes.

One Pot Pasta
adapted from Martha Stewart
ingredients

• 1 lb dried pasta, I use Fettuccine for this
• 10oz grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 5 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4.5 c. water
• 1 tsp pepper
• salt to taste
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

directions

1. Place pasta in a large straight sided skillet. Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley, chili powder and black pepper. Place in the skillet with pasta. Drizzle with olive oil and cover with the water. 
2. Bring to a boil on high heat. Continue boiling until pasta is al dente and the water is most evaporated, approximately 11 minutes. Use tongs to stir pasta while it's cooking. 
3. Season to taste with more salt and pepper as needed. Divide into bowl and serve with olive oil and parmesan if desired. 

Dolmas? Dolmades? Dolmathakia? Stuffed Grape Leaves!

When you are from a large family, you learn to compromise. You learn early on that you probably will not get your way most of the time. Unless what you want is what the majority wants, when it comes to large family gatherings with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, the chances of you getting your way are even slimmer.

Thankfully, one of the few things my entire extended family can agree on is food! Every time you visit, you eat. Holiday celebrations are usually planned to include at least one meal, if not numerous. Unlike many families, Christmas is not our busiest time of year, Easter is! 

One of our many celebrations and meals was with my mom's mother. This meal was never the standard American Easter dinner of ham, potatoes, roasted veggies and a green salad. My grandma always made us lamb, stuffed grape leaves, and moussaka! 

While, I have yet to master either the lamb or moussaka, I have come up with a great recipe for stuffed grape leaves. 

Meat and Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves

makes about 45-50 grape leaves

ingredients

• 1 15- to 16-ounce jar grape leaves, drained
• 1 lbs ground meat (all ground beef or all lamb, or a mixture)
• 1 cup uncooked rice couscous or quinoa
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 Tbsp fresh dill, minced
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh mint or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 4 Tbsp lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

directions

1. Put a large saucepan of water on to boil. Remove grape leaves from the jar and unroll. Separate into two piles. One of whole leaves and one with any torn leaves or pieces of leaves. The whole leaves will be used for rolling. Set aside the broken leaves for now.
2. Cook the whole grape leaves in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander.
3. In a large skillet, brown the ground lamb (or beef) until no longer pink in color. Add the onions and saute until translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the dill, parsley, and rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in 2 Tbsp lemon juice and mint.
5. Line the bottom of a heavy saucepan, stock pot or Dutch oven with a layer of broken or torn grape leaves. 
6. To stuff the leaves, start with your largest whole leaves. Take a leaf and carefully spread it on a flat plate or other clean flat surface with the veins facing upward to you; the leaf shiny side down. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons (depending on the size of the leaf) of the meat and rice filling near the stem end of the leaf. Press the filling into a small sausage-like shape. Fold the stem end of the leaf over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle, and then roll up into a cigar shape. The rolls should be cylindrical and snug but not too tight. Repeat with the remaining grape leaves and filling. For step by step video click here. 
7. Arrange the stuffed grape leaf rolls on top of the leaves, seam-side down, packing them close together in a circular pattern. Make a new layer as you fill the baking pan.
8. Cover the stuffed grape leaves with any remaining broken leaves. Add olive oil, the remaining lemon juice and enough water to cover the rolls by about an inch. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour or until the leaves are tender and the rice is cooked through.

Creamy Crockpot Chicken Chili

This recipe is a variation of the White Chicken Chili recipe I shared last year. The past week it has been quite blustery with blizzard conditions. After spending most of the day outside, Berkeley comes home for work wanting something warm and hearty for dinner. This was a perfect recipe, except we did not have any chicken left overs and I was sick.

Instead of cooking chicken and then making the chili, I decided to come up with something that could be made all at once in the Crockpot so I wouldn't get my sick germs all over it. This is one of those recipes where you just throw everything into the Crockpot and let it sit for hours. It makes all the magic happen!

Creamy Crockpot Chicken Chili
ingredients

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 medium onion, small diced
• 2 cans Northern beans or White Beans, drained
• 8 oz corn kernels, undrained
• 8 oz chopped green chilies
• 15 oz chicken broth
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tablespoons red Chili Powder
• 1 tablespoon green Chili Powder (can be left out if you can't find it or add more red)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounce brick cream cheese
• hot sauce to taste

directions

1. Place chicken on the bottom of the crockpot. Pour whole can of corn, beans, and green chilies over the chicken. Add broth.
2. Mix in salt, chili powders, and garlic. Place entire brick of cream cheese on top. Cover with lid. 
3. Heat on low for 6+ hours. Blend cream cheese in. Chicken should be very tender and easy to shred. Stir to fully incorporate all ingredients and serve
4. Optional: Before serving, taste and add hot sauce for more spice. I always end up adding a few shakes of Tapatio because we like spice!

Ashley's Candied Yams

I know most families enjoy yams and sweet potatoes just on Thanksgiving but not us. We always had candied yams on Christmas! As well as several times throughout the year. This recipe is for a small group of people. It is so easy and can be adjusted for more servings. My grandma even had to triple it to accommodate everyone on Christmas day! If you do end up making a bigger batch you may need to increase baking time.

Candied Yams with Pineapple
4 to 6 servings
ingredients

• 1 lg. can cut Yams (or sweet potatoes), drained
• 1 8oz can crushed pineapple, loosely drained
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbs yellow mustard
• mini marsh mellows

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put yams into a casserole or baking dish. 
2. In a separate bowl combine pineapple, brown sugar, and mustard to form a sauce. Pour over yams.
3. Baked covered for 20 min. or until bubbly. 
4.  Remove cover, top with marsh mellows and bake until browned. Keep a mindful eye as this happens fast!

Jalapeño Artichoke Dip

This is an old standby. I have been making some version of it for years since my uncle started bringing it to family get togethers. It is so easy to make, I even threw it together once for Berkeley's 25th Birthday Ugly Sweater party back in 2010 right before guests arrived.  Although I did not let it bake the whole 30 minutes, it was warmed through and by the end of the night it was gone! I served it again most recently as an appetizer/small lunch item on Christmas while we were playing games and smoking the chicken. To see more of our Christmas Dinner menu click here.

Jalapeño Artichoke Dip
ingredients

• 1 c marinated artichoke hearts
• 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 c mayo
• 1/2c plain yogurt
• 1-3 small jalapeños
• water/or artichoke marinade.
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350* and light spray an oven safe dish. 
2. Mix parmesan cheese, cream cheese, mayo, yogurt, and salt and pepper in a bowl until thoroughly mixed. 
3. Drain artichokes and roughly chop. Carefully deseed, devein, and finely chop jalapeños. Fold into cheese mixture.
4. Depending on the thickness of the mixture you may need to thin it out with either a tsp of water or a tsp of the remaining artichoke marinade. You want it to be thick but not glue. 
5. Place in oven safe dish, sprinkle the top with extra parmesan cheese, and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. 

Green Bean Casserole

I am calling one in for this morning and starting to post our holiday recipes in their individual posts. As a reminder, all of the recipes that we used on Christmas are under the Christmas Menu Tab.

I try to stick with the classics for Christmas. Now that it is Berkeley and I, we make a list of our favorite holiday dishes and go from there. The list always has the great GBC on it. This is the way I was taught to make this dish. It is similar to the Kraft recipe that you can find on the back of soup cans and frenched onion containers but it has a few tweaks.

The Great GBC
adapted from Kraft
8 to 10 servings
ingredients

• 27oz (or 2 cans drained) French-cut green beans
• 1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1can (2.8 oz.) French fried onions, divided
• dash of Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Combine green beans, condensed soup, 1 cup of cheese,  salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce and half of the onions in 1-1/2-qt. casserole dish. 
3. In a small bowl combine remaining cheese and onions. Set aside. 
4. Once oven is heated, bake for 30 minutes. Top casserole with remaining cheese and onion mixture. Bake 5 more minutes. 

Cafe Roka

Over the weekend following Thanksgiving, we had a pre-birthday dinner for Berkeley. His parents treated us to Cafe Roka, an intimate restaurant serving up a unique mix of Italian, California, and Mediterranean cuisines during a four course meal.

As standard with most places, we started with our basket of carbs and a beverage. Berkeley ordered an Old Fashioned and I had the Raspberry Margarita. The first three courses were the same for all. Tomato Bisque with roasted corn and mushrooms, a salad of mixed greens and sun dried tomatoes dressed with a basil cream, and a lime sorbet prior to the entree. Berkeley's entree was a short ribs dish and mine was pistachio cranberry roasted chicken.

Normally, I am not a fan of preset x-numbered course meals. The first few courses usually muddle the flavors of the entree. It is very rare that I truly enjoy the soup and salad option that are forced upon you without preference. This was one of those times.

Both the soup and salad were perfectly sized and perfectly seasoned. Also, they would have been great options to be served immediately before my entree. Instead of just hoping that the starting courses would not overpower the main entree, Cafe Roka offers a palate cleansing sorbet.

My chicken was moist and flavorful. The mix of pistachio and cranberries was unique and refreshing, while Berkeley's tender ribs had that familiar tang of wonderful BBQ. The sides for each dish varied and served as great complements for each separate entree. We finished our entrees a perfect contentment. We weren't overstuffed, nor we were starved for more. Although, I would have loved a to-go box of a half serving to eat the next day for lunch.

As we were gearing up to settle the bill, desert menus were handed out. The four of us thought we were passing that evening.  Since were celebrating both Berkeley's upcoming birthday and our wedding, the chef insisted we enjoy a sampler of desserts on the house. They were small portions of larger desert offerings, embellished with a candle for Berke. It was a great end to the meal.

I hope we get to return some time as there are plenty of other dishes I would love to try. If you are down near the Arizona-Mexico border and are looking for some amazing food, look into trying Cafe Roka! But make sure you have reservation since it's a hoppin' little joint where even the bar seats are reserved most nights.

October Foodie Pen Pals

Another month of Foodie Pen Pals has come and gone. Another month where I received some awesome food stuffs from all over the country. Over the course of October I was able to enjoy the products from my September package, as well as the October package. Those items received from Jilly are slowly getting used up. Again, it has been another month of us not being home very often. But we are getting there.

Before I start with my box, I wanted to talk a little bit about it. Foodie Penpals is a program Lindsay from Lean Green Bean started in September 2011. It was born from a random idea  and she wasn’t really sure how it would work out. Turns out, it’s amazing! The basic run down is you get paired with two people at the beginning of each month. One person is the recipient of the box you send and the other is the person you will be receiving your box from. You spend the next few days getting the items you want to send (with a $15 limit) and get your box out by the 15th of the month. Then everyone reveals on the last day of the month (usually).

This month I received my package from Elena from The Jittery Pen! She sent a Brooks box full of great  fall goodies! This month's box included:

• Vegetable Soup mix
• Sweet Potato Soup mix
• Peanuts and Candy Corn
• Caramel Apple
• Cola flavored Mentos
• 21 Seasoning Salute spice blend

When I opened this month's box I was super excited. Elena sent a mix of treats and real food, which I appreciated.

When I opened the box, I was most excited about two things. First is the soup mixes and I was secretly hoping for some colder temperatures so I could whip some up for dinner. The Sweet Potato is great! It was hearty and filling.

Also, and possibly even more exciting, was the Caramel Apple. The label says its "decadent" from Kowalski's Markets. It was a granny smith apple covered in all sorts of chocolate and maybe even some nuts. We ended up bringing it down to Tucson with us and shared with Berkeley's parents. At first we tried to cut it with an apple slicer. That wasn't working so I pulled out the big guns and sliced it up. Between the 4 of us, we ended up with one little slice left. It was delicious!

As excited as I was for that caramel apple and the soups, the first things out of the box were the Mentos and spice blend. I have never had Cola Mentos before. They have that familiar zing of a freshly opened can of Coke mixed with the crack, crunch, and chew of a Mentos. They are neat. And the 21 Seasoning Salute? Well it is just that. It is a salt free mix of 21 different spices and seasonings that pack quite the punch. It has a nice spice kick without being overpowering, while still delivering a bunch of great flavors all at once. So far, besides just tasting it as is, I used it in a bowl of dipping olive oil and vinegar for bread instead of the normal cracked pepper. It was great!

This was such a great pen pals box! It makes me really geared up for another month. Unfortunately, I will not be participating in November and possibly even December Foodie Pen Pals. With the wedding and honeymoon and holiday travel, I don't know exactly when I will be home to intercept a package. The timing would probably end up wrong and I wouldn't be able to post and/or enjoy my package. I fully encourage you to sign up with Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean!

Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuit Crust

Everyone has their own tried and true recipe for this classic American stable. Here is the recipe for my favorite way to make this comfort dish! This is one of my more complex dishes and I use as many fresh veggies as possible so the ingredients list is rather long. There are plenty of frozen vegetable medleys or canned options that could be easily substituted. I do however, use baking mix for the biscuit crust.

This particular recipe makes 6-8 servings depending on your crowd. We are smack dab in the middle of Fire Season so almost half was gone during dinner with the other half being taken for lunch the next day. I really feel like my cooking is awesome when Berkeley asks me to make sure there are extras to take to work.

Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuit Crust
ingredients
    filling:

Click to enlarge

• 2 large chicken breasts, cooked, cut in bite sized pieces
• 1/2 large white onion, diced
• 1 cup peas
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 Yukon Gold potato, diced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• olive oil or butter
• salt and pepper

    gravy:

• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup chicken broth
• i cup shredded sharp cheddar
• salt and pepper to taste

    crust:

• 1 1/4 cup biscuit mix
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

directions

1. To make the filling cook onion, carrot, celery, potatoes and peas in butter or olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat until almost tender. Salt and Pepper to taste. Add in cooked chicken. 
2. While the vegetables are cooking, preheat oven to 400*F and start the cheddar gravy by melting butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and then remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir in cheese until melted. If the gravy is too thick, add a little more chicken broth to loosen. 
3. Add gravy to filling mixture. Place filling and gravy into a casserole baking dish or cake pan. 
4. Mix all the biscuit ingredients together. Thinly spread batter over top of the mixture. 
5. Bake in preheated oven at 400*F for 20-25 minutes until the topping is golden brown and gravy is bubbly. 

notes:

      I usually add the filling first and then pour the gravy over depending on how much filling I use and which baking vessel I am cooking in. Usually I bake it in a cake or pie pan and not all of the filling mix always fits. For a heartier pie, we use a deeper casserole and increase the amount of gravy made.

Cuvee 928

I was invited to a Ladies' Night Out with some of the women from the church we attend. I really like filling up my social calendar while Berkeley is on an assignment. It always takes the edge off the loneliness and worry. This time we went to Cuvee 928 located in Heritage Square in Downtown Flagstaff. Also, this is one of the places on my Flagstaff Bucket List!

I started with an appetizer from their Happy Hour menu. Baked mushrooms with a Farmer's Cheese, Truffle Oil and grilled bread. SO GOOD! I must say I was apprehensive at first. Most Farmer's Cheese I have had has been from goat milk. I am not the biggest fan of goat cheeses. But everything came together wonderfully!

For my entree, I chose the Mac and Cheese of the day. This one had cauliflower and green chilies. Another win in my book! Not too cheesy, not too plain, and definitely not soggy. One of my markers for a good dish is whether or not I feel the need to add additional salt and pepper. The seasoning was just right here. If I would change anything about it, I would add more green chilies, but only because I love them. It had great balance though!

I finished the night off with the Wine Sorbet. This was a Pomegranate Blackberry. This was a true sorbet not to be confused with sherbet. The flavor was outstanding! The Pomegranate and Blackberry flavors were lightened and lifted with mint that was added in as well. To date it was the best dessert I have ever had!

It is worth noting that others that came out were not happy with their food. They both ordered an Asian Citrus Salad. They both said it was flat and was lacking something. As for me, everything I ordered was great and tasted great.

For a Friday night, it was a good call to have our reservation as they were quite busy. The service was okay, nothing spectacular. Our server was able to handle the large group rather well, but she was not entirely on top of it all. All in all, another wonderful place to eat checked off the list!