Recipe: Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches with Arugula and Balsamic Aïoli

Cover via Amazon

From Denny: Featured recently in our local newspaper was this recipe from the Weber's Grill cookbook. The heat is in triple digits across America and we could use some "brain food" as our brains feel cooked! And I sure love Portobello mushrooms - the texture is almost like a steak with a lot less calories! :) Enjoy!

And make sure you are drinking lots of water in this summer heat - even when you don't feel thirsty - if you wait until then you may suffer serious heat stroke.

From: “Weber’s Way to Grill: The Step-by-Step Guide to Expert Grilling”

Serves: 6

Aïoli:

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tbls. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. minced garlic

Marinade:

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tbls. finely minced shallot

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

6 large portobello mushrooms, cleaned, stems and black gills removed

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 Kaiser rolls, cut in half

2 ozs. arugula, trimmed, rinsed and dried

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the aïoli ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the sandwiches.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients. Place the mushroom caps, gill sides down, in a large baking pan. Brush the mushroom caps generously with the marinade and turn the caps over. Spoon the rest of the marinade over the gill side. Allow the mushrooms to marinate at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat.

4. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and reserve the marinade. Lightly season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the mushrooms, gill sides down, over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until they begin to soften, 4 to 6 minutes.

Brush the cap sides of the mushrooms with some of the remaining marinade from the pan. Turn the mushrooms over and then grill them until they are tender when pierced with a knife, 4 to 6 minutes.

5. Grill the rolls, cut sides down, over direct medium heat until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds.

6. Spread aïoli on the toasted buns and top each one with some arugula and a mushroom. Serve warm.

Way to grill portobello mushrooms: Cut away the stems and any curled edges around the rims. With a spoon, gently scrape away the dark gills that might be holding dirt. Use a vinaigrette to marinate and baste the mushrooms. Finish grilling the mushrooms with the stem sides facing up so that the juices are held inside the caps.

Video: Chef Jacques Torres Shows How to Make Easy Quick Chocolate Lollipops

From Denny: Here's a simple quick recipe that would be great for holiday gift-giving! Famous chef Jacques Torres shows us how to make our very own chocolate lollipops. Listen, kids, move over, the adults will make a stampede into the kitchen for these goodies! :)




food video, chocolate video, Jacques Torres, chocolate candy

Recipe: Faster Easy Chocolate Dipped Donuts

From Denny: OK, on the weekend (or any day for that matter...) there is nothing like a fresh hot donut dripping and overflowing with chocolate ganache or a simple chocolate icing like she does here. Neither one of you wants to go to the trouble to get dressed, get in the car and go around the corner to the local donut shop. What's your alternative? Paula Deen already thought of that one and has your easy answer. Make them with a good canned biscuit brand! :) (Chocolate makes everything taste better.)

Chocolate-Dippy Doughnuts

Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients:

Peanut oil

1 can store-bought biscuits

1 (4-ounce) bar sweet chocolate (recommended: Baker's German's)

1/2-ounce (1/2 square) unsweetened chocolate

1 stick unsalted butter

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat fryer with peanut oil to 350 degrees F.

Separate pre-cut biscuits. Make a hole in the middle with your hand and sculpt dough into a doughnut shape. Place doughnuts into fryer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, flipping to fry both sides. Place doughnuts aside onto a paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir in the sugar, alternating with the evaporated milk, blending well. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture becomes thick and creamy, about 8 minutes. Stir in the vanilla then remove the pan from the heat.

Stick a fork through the doughnut holes and dip the doughnuts immediately into the chocolate mixture before the chocolate starts to cool. Place the doughnuts on a plate and serve when the chocolate on the doughnuts sets, about 5 minutes.

Recipes: Easy Fast Pizzas for Labor Day or Football Tailgating!

Easy double-crusted meaty filling pizza!

From Denny: Just finished watching this Casino Night episode on Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee on the Food Network and let me tell you the woman knows how to take shortcuts and still make it tasty and easy!

Meaty Stuffed Pizza

Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 (6.5-ounce) packages pizza crust mix (recommended: Betty Crocker)

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (recommended: McCormick's)

1 cup hot water

For the Filling:

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1 (2.5-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained (recommended: Green Giant)

1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained (recommended: Early California)

2 1/2 cups marinara sauce, divided (recommended: Prego)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (recommended: Kraft)

Set up grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Oil grate when ready to start cooking.

For the dough:

In a large mixing bowl, combine pizza crust mixes, Italian seasoning, and hot water. Stir about 20 times until a ball forms. Split ball in half and cover each with plastic wrap; set aside.

For the filling:

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and cook ground beef and sausage, stirring frequently to break up clumps. Cook until no longer pink but not totally cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in mushrooms, olives, cheese and 1 cup of the marinara sauce; set aside.

Unwrap dough and put onto 2 parchment lined baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Press out into 2 (12-inch) circles about 1/4-thick; pinch together any holes. Spoon the meat mixture into center of each dough round. Slide the second dough circle off the parchment to top the meat mixture. Crimp the edges together. Gently pat entire surface of pizza until flat. Slide pizza onto hot oiled grill. Cook, covered, for about 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Warm the remaining marinara sauce in the microwave. Spoon some sauce on the plate and serve a hot slice of pizza on top.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Prepare stuffed pizza as directed. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

***



Chicken Caesar Pizza

This chicken pizza idea was so fast using chicken tenders that she quickly doused in caesar salad dressing and then straight into the saute pan. Nothing could be faster. What this woman can do with just one bottle of salad dressing. :) She even used the dressing to brush on the baked pizza shell before applying the cheese and then the cooked chicken tenders. The salad is applied after all is baked and the cheese delightfully melted.

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza


Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

3/4 pound chicken tenders

1/2 cup Caesar salad dressing, plus 2 tablespoons (recommended: Wishbone)

1 (12-inch) thin pizza crust (recommended: Boboli)

1 3/4 cups shredded mozzarella and asiago cheese (recommended: Sargento)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan (recommended: Kraft)

Directions

For Salad Topping:

4 cups hearts of romaine, shredded (recommended: Ready Pac)

1 tablespoon lemon juice (recommended: ReaLemon)

1/4 cup Caesar salad dressing (recommended: Wishbone)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan (recommended: Kraft)

1 cup seasoned croutons (recommended: Marie Callender's)

Set up grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Oil grate when ready to start cooking.

In a bowl, combine chicken tenders with 1/2 cup salad dressing; set aside. Brush pizza crust with remaining 2 tablespoons of dressing and top with cheeses; set aside.

Remove chicken from marinade and cook on hot oiled grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until just done. Remove from grill and place on top of pizza.

Slide pizza onto grill and cook, covered, 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted and begun to bubble.

For the topping:

While pizza is cooking, toss shredded romaine with lemon juice. Add 1/4 cup dressing and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Toss and set aside.

Remove pizza from grill and cut into wedges. Top with salad and garnish with croutons. Serve immediately.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Complete step 2 as directed. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. When oil is hot, saute chicken strips for 4 to 6 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan; place on top of pizza. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and begun to bubble. Complete pizza as directed.

***

Grilled Fruit Pizza

Then for dessert is this awesome, easy recipe that is so delicious!
I'll have to wing this one from memory as it wasn't available on the site. It's too easy.

Get a pizza dough from the can, flatten out on a baking sheet. Brush with some honey and water mixture. Bake according to directions on the can for the dough.

Then take 1 stick of butter, some (about 8 oz.) cream cheese and powdered sugar to get a thick creamy spread and lather up the pizza bread. Then sprinkle with mixed berries of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. You can use fresh or do like Sandra did and thaw out frozen ones, drained and then placed on top. The thick spread holds them in place and the heavy pizza bread is strong enough to hold all those berries and spread! Delicious!

Note: As to the spread, if you want fewer calories and oil you could substitute that butter for no fat or low fat sour cream and no fat cream cheese. You might have to thin a bit with a little milk to get your spreadability (it looks like thick Greek yogurt).

Recipe: Emeril Lagasse’s Beer Battered Fried Trout Tacos With Spicy Horseradish Coleslaw

Chef Emeril Lagasse at a book signing

Emeril Lagasse’s Beer Battered Fried Trout Tacos With Spicy Horseradish Coleslaw

From Denny: Louisiana in the summer is all about quick and easy, usually seafood. Chef Emeril Lagasse came down from New England, was embraced by the New Orleans food establishment when he was a young man and taught how to really cook.

Down South folks are willing to mentor to help someone develop. Nor do they get angry when the student is ready to mentor his own, starting up his own restaurants. Emeril has previous shows and recipes stashed at Food Network and now teaches on the green network. He's one busy guy! Below is one of his recipes he developed where he really captures the essence of Louisiana food.

To make the recipe you require two other recipes first: the Cajun seasoning and the coleslaw recipe so I'll put these up first.

Emeril’s Essence Creole Seasoning

From: “New Orleans Cooking” by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch

Makes: 2/3 cup

Ingredients:

2-1/2 tbls. paprika

2 tbls. salt

2 tbls. garlic powder

1 tbl. black pepper

1 tbl. onion powder

1 tbl. cayenne pepper

1 tbl. dried oregano

1 tbl. dried thyme

Directions: Combine all ingredients. Emeril sells this product in your grocery store too if you don't want to mix up your own.


Spicy Horseradish Coleslaw

From: Chef Emeril Lagasse
Serves: 6

2-1/2 cups shredded green cabbage

2-1/2 cups shredded red cabbage

1 cup shredded carrots

2 tbls. finely sliced green onions

1-1/2 cups peeled, seeded and diced cucumber

2 jalapeños, stem and seeds removed, minced

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 tbls. plus 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 tsp. salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tbls. sour cream

3 tbls. freshly grated horseradish or 1-1/2 tbls. prepared horseradish

1-1/2 tsps. Creole or coarse-grain mustard

Directions:

1. Combine cabbages, carrots and green onions in large mixing bowl. In a small bowl toss the cucumbers and jalapeños with the lemon juice and add to the cabbage mixture.

2. In small mixing bowl combine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Pour vinegar mixture over cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

3. In small bowl, blend mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish and mustard. Add mayonnaise mixture to coleslaw and toss. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight.



Emeril Lagasse’s Beer Battered Fried Trout Tacos With Spicy Horseradish Coleslaw

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

Oil for frying

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsps. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbl. vegetable oil

1 cup beer

1/2 tsp. hot sauce

4 trout fillets, about 6 ozs. each

2 tbls. Emeril’s Essence Creole Seasoning

6 large, soft flour tortillas

Spicy Horseradish Coleslaw

Hot sauce, if desired when serving

Directions:

1. Heat oil in deep fryer or in a large saucepan to 375 degrees.
2. Sift 1 cup flour, the baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper together into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the oil, beer and hot sauce. Stir until thoroughly incorporated and smooth. Set aside.

3. Season each fillet with 1 teaspoon of the Essence. Cut each fillet into diagonal 1-1/2-inch strips. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup flour with the remaining 2 teaspoons of Essence. Dredge the fish strips in the seasoned flour then shake to release any excess flour. Transfer to a plate.

4. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Wrap the flour tortillas in aluminum foil and place in the oven to warm or warm according to manufacturer’s instructions.

5. Dredge each piece of fish in the beer batter, making sure the fish is completely coated. Allow any excess batter to drip into the bowl, and then slowly lower the fish into the hot oil. Repeat with remaining fish, working in batches if necessary.

6. Fry until fish is puffed, golden brown and crispy (4 to 5 minutes). Remove the fish with slotted spoon or tongs and drain on paper-lined plate. Place in warm oven while cooking remaining fish or until you’re ready to assemble tacos.

7. To serve: Divide the fish among the warmed flour tortillas and top with some of the Spicy Horseradish Coleslaw. Drizzle with hot sauce if desired.