Meatless Monday

 Mushrooms has always been one of my favorite dishes. Especially a mushroom blend with shiitake, cremini and  white button sauteed with Garlic Grape seed oil and shallots or onions.
Served on Garlic toast or with sauteed spinach. 


Today at the Summer Fancy Food Show I once again came across a grow your own oyster mushrooms in a box kit For about $20 I could purchase a kit add water to the box and store out of direct sunlight and in 10  days cultivate fresh mushrooms. The Back to Roots kit are available at some healthy food stores and online. 
If you are looking for variety try this science project site Enasco.

Mushroom are very low in calories. One cup of button mushrooms has just 15 calories, while 1 cup of Portobello mushrooms has 22 calories. Mushrooms are also a fat free food, have no cholesterol , less than 1% of your daily value of sodium and small amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fiber.

Mushrooms may be small but nutrition facts prove that they have plenty of vitamins and minerals. One cup of mushrooms includes vitamins C, D, B6 and B12, plus large doses of riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid. The vitamins C, B6 and B12 found in mushrooms are responsible for boosting your immune system. This helps flush toxins out of your body that could compromise your immune system. 

 Mushroom Recipes

Vegetable-Stuffed Grilled Portobello Recipe

 

Wild Mushroom& Barley Risotto

Cholesterol Free Mushroom Stroganoff Recipe
by: DailyConnection

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Hoppin into 2012

Hoppin John Patties

This year, I wanted to try something different with one of my family’s traditional southern recipes for black eye peas and rice. So we created Hoppin Johns Patties.

Hoppin Johns- is a traditional dish for good luck served for New Year derived from an African American southern dish consisting of black eye peas and rice cooked with pork or turkey, spices and vegetables.

Black eye peas are high in fiber, protein, potassium and other minerals. When combined with brown rice and vegetables the creation process unfolds. Check out my recipe and let me know what you think.

Hoppin John Patties by Meal Makers, Inc.

Hoppin John Patties                                          
Makes 8 patties      

Ingredients                                      

8 ounces Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

½ cup Onions, medium diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 cubano pepper, small diced

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon thyme leaves

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Hoppin John Pattie with Mustard Greens

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 cups brown rice, cooked

1(15 oz) can Black eye peas drained and rinsed

1-2 Tablespoon Canola oil

Instructions

1.       Prep vegetables and gather ingredients.

2.       In a skillet over medium heat, add oil onions, ginger and garlic. Let cook stirring occasionally a few minutes then add mushroom. Continue to cook several minutes then add peppers. Cook vegetables until soft.  Add spice and seasonings to the pan and let cook 1 or 2 minutes longer.

3.       Place the Mushroom mixture in a food processer and then pulse several times until smooth. Add the mushroom mixture to the black eye peas and rice. And mix well to blend. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

4.       Add Mushroom mixture to a large bowl with black eye peas. Using a potato masher mash peas and mushroom mixture together three or four times. Leaving half of the peas un-mashed. Fold rice into the mixture with a spatula.

5.       Divide mixture and form into 8 equal size balls and roll into patties. Place on a wax paper line tray and refrigerate for 30 – 60 minutes.

6.       Heat a non-stick skillet with a little oil over medium flame. Add patties to the pan and brown on each side.

Serve hot with your favorite vegetables.

Here are some other interesting versions of Hoppin John

Hoppin' John Cassoulet

Hoppin' John

Top 3 Reasons to Eat Rutabaga

The Rutabaga is a root vegetable that looks very much like a turnip with yellow-orange flesh and ridges at its neck. Although this beta carotene-rich vegetable has been grown and marketed in our country for nearly 200 years, it remains an uncommon food in American dining. It's actually a great tasting vegetable with a delicate sweetness and flavor that hints of the light freshness of cabbage and turnip. With its easy preparation and versatility, great nutrition, and excellent flavor, the rutabaga can easily become an endearing family favorite.

1.       Rutabagas store so well, up to one month in the refrigerator and up to four months in commercial storage at 32 degrees, they are available year round. When buying rutabagas, select the ones that are yellow to tan in color and have a smooth, unblemished skin with no signs of wrinkling or shriveling. For cleaning rutabagas, scrub them first and peel in case the skin is thick or wax coated.

 

2.       Rutabagas are very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. They're also a good source of Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and an excellent source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Potassium and Manganese.

 

3.       Rutabagas can be steamed, boiled and mashed, sautéed, baked or roasted. They make a great addition to soups and dishes with a little sweetness like honey or dried fruit. Rutabagas make an excellent dish when mashed with an equal amount of potatoes. Cut the rutabagas into cubes and boil them. Toss them with raisins, chopped walnuts and a little honey. Rutabagas are great when served fresh in salads or chopped up and served with crunchy vegetables as a snack.

Turnip and Rutabaga Stir-Fry

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Ingredients

·         2 teaspoons vegetable oil

·         2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

·         2 garlic cloves, minced

·         2 cups (3-inch) julienne-cut peeled turnip (about 1/2 pound)

·         2 cups (3-inch) julienne-cut peeled rutabaga (about 1/2 pound)

·         1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and each cut in half lengthwise

·         1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

·         3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

·         2 teaspoons cornstarch

·         2 teaspoons mirin (sweet rice wine)

Preparation

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add turnip and rutabaga; stir-fry 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Add sugar snap peas; stir-fry 30 seconds.

Combine broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and mirin in a small bowl; add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Count Down to Thanksgiving!

The festive part of the year is approaching us quickly. Have you begun planning your holiday menu yet? Now is a great time to start if you have not thought about your holiday meal. Nor is it too early to plan other upcoming  holidays like Chanukah , Christmas or Kwanza meals.

First on the agenda should be the menu. If the meal is a collaborative effort of family and friends,then deciding who will be preparing what from appetizers to desserts should be made very soon. Also do not forget to delegate who will be bringing the beverages.

In planning the menu please remember to keep those with special diets such as food allergies, diabetics, and vegan/ vegetarians in mind. Finding out any special dietary requirements in advance gives you the opportunity to plan and prepare dishes that everyone could enjoy at the dinner table.  The people with the special diet would be appreciative of the advance consideration and feel included in the festive dining experience.

Fall is a good time to try something new.

The fruits and vegetables that are in season now are:

Apples, artichokes, avocado, beets, bok choy, broccoli,

brussels sprouts, cabbage

carrots, cranberries, celeriac, chard, chestnuts, Greens, cranberries, daikon, fennel, guava, kiwi

kumquat, lemons, oranges, pears, persimmons, pomegranate, potatoes, quince

rutabaga,  turnips and variety of fall and winter squash

Many of these fresh fruits and vegetables are grown locally. We will be featuring recipes for side dishes in upcoming posts.

With higher food prices and slim budgets in mind take advantage of the Supermarkets: Free turkey, Ham or Lasagna giveaways! When a certain dollar amount has been spent with in the free turkey campaign time frame, a turkey, ham or lasagna is earned. Some stores offer different products so check the weekly circulars for the giveaway campaign that suits your needs. If you shop at different stores you may be eligible to win a free item from each store patronized. Most stores only allow the customer to earn one item within the time period regardless of the amount spent over the set goal.

During this time of year “good” coupons are more bountiful. I state “good” because these are more likely for items you may actually want to purchase and the value of the coupon does not require you to purchase more than one item to reap the benefit.

If holiday meal planning and cooking is overwhelming for you, consider using a Personal Chef for your meal preparations. Meal Makers, Inc. is available to help you by preparing your holiday meals or working with you to prepare your meal.  Contact us for more information mealmakersinc@gmail.com