Brown Rice Hazelnut Burgers

On Mondays, I try to make only Vegan food.  It's more than "meatless mondays".  There is no dairy, eggs or any animal by-product.  This past week, I decided to make Brown Rice Hazelnut Burgers (link takes you to a condensed version of the recipe) out of my Vegan Diner cookbook by Julie Hasson.

© You Want Me to Cook? Brown Rice Hazelnut Burgers

Looks good, doesn't it?  And your probably wouldn't guess it wasn't meat from this picture either.  I served it with a side of lentil chips.  They were light and crispy and not dry like rice cakes.

Don't fear the healthier snacks.

What I Made: June 16 & 17, 2012

Ah, the weekend.  I often try to take it a little easy on the weekends since I cook a lot during the week.  For some reason this weekend, I was incredibly motivated to cook and bake.

Okay, well I wasn't motivated ALL weekend.  Saturday morning was spent running errands and I wasn't in the mood to make lunch, so we picked something up.  I kicked it into high gear for dinner.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Portobello Mushroom Burgers

I got the recipe for Portobello Mushroom Burgers from All You.  Initially, I was looking for a Mushroom-Quinoa Burger I found in January's issue, but for some reason it was nowhere to be found on their website.  Since I recycle my magazines as soon as I've read them, the recipe has been lost (to me at least) forever.

What I made: June 6, 2012

Today I was like a crazy cooking ninja.  And there was some alcohol involved.  

That may explain why my notes are a little difficult to read today.  Oh well, let's get to the food.

I had a crazy morning and afternoon so my breakfast and lunch dishes had to be rescheduled.  It was time to start dinner, but I was parched so I made myself a Pink Lemonade found in All You's July issue.

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Pink Lemonade

What I made: June 4, 2012

Monday's are Vegan days and all my recipes came from Vegan Diner, by Julie Hasson!

Since I was making a sandwich, I decided to tackle making my own hamburger buns.  Why?  Because any vegan bread I've ever bought was dry and icky.  The bread I've made (and I've only made non-yeast breads) has been delicious, so I gave it a try.

It wasn't as hard as I thought and the results... well look for yourself:

© You Want Me to Cook?
Old Fashioned Hamburger Buns

Slow Cooker Mushroom Swiss Steak and Gravy

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – April 28, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published by Betty Crocker via e-mail on Sunday, April 24, 2011.

Maybe it’s time I tell everyone how I come up with blog posts and dishes. 

I have literally thousands of recipes to choose from.  I try to pick recipes from the most current magazines I have and then will dig through my recipe archives if I can’t find anything that tickles my fancy.  Honestly, I go a lot by what sounds good to me at the moment I’m creating my menu for the week.  I’ve tried to keep track of everything I’ve made recently, but that just adds a lot of time to the process… time I’d rather spend writing and cooking.

When I cook, I follow my rules: clean my cabinets, empty the sink, pull out the ingredients and equipment.  Then I take pictures of everything (and now take pictures of all the nutritional information labels as well) and write down any changes to ingredients and any supplemental equipment I need (or feel I need) for the recipe.  Finally, I break down the recipe on a marker board so I can take notes and pictures while I’m cooking.  When I’m all done, I take pictures of the finished product, write down all of the notes from the marker board and make detailed notes about the mess I’ve created, taste of the dish and what I would change, if anything.

The reason I felt the need to point this out to all of you is because I realized I’ve made this particular dish, I don’t know, probably 5 or 6 times this year.  It is from different sources and the recipes all have their own little tweak, but the Swiss steak / beef stew / creamy beef and noodles seems to be ever present in my cooking rotation.  I sat down and really thought about why and it is probably for the following reasons:

• Slow cooking rules… minimal cooking and perfectly cooked beef.
• Tomatoes and mushrooms are abundant in these recipes and this girl LOVES her tomatoes and mushrooms.
• I can serve it with noodles or potatoes to mix up the leftovers.

I guess it just looks tasty and I get drawn to the stewed beef like a bug to a light.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Slow Cooker Mushroom Swiss Steak and Gravy

I’m torn by my finished product.  On one hand, it is so gravy-licious and you can tell the meat is perfectly cooked (meaning falling apart) but is also looks very messy and like it is missing something.  Of course it is – egg noodles.  One day I will learn to compare the picture with the recipe to the ingredient listing.

Chicken and Shiitake Marsala

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – April 28, 2011

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Recipe originally published by myRecipes.com via e-mail on Tuesday, April 26, 2011.

My obsession of mushrooms has spread to trying different types.  My Porcini Mushroom Soup was a success, so this time I decided to try shiitake mushrooms.  I tried them once before, but as a blend and in a heavy tomato sauce.  In this dish, there would be no hiding the taste.  This dish is all about the mushrooms.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Chicken and Shiitake Marsala

So the dish looks okay, but my chicken seems a little bland.  Lucky for me it takes a lot of mushrooms or it may not look appealing at all.  I served it with a chunk of bread, but it just didn’t plate well.  Thank goodness it smelled fantastic or I may have not wanted to eat it based on looks.

Saucy Portobello Pitas

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – April 14, 2011

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Recipe originally published in Taste of Home – April/May 2011.

There’s nothing I love more than a greasy gyro.  When I lived downtown (Chicago that is), I would walk past this beef joint on my way to and from the EL that had the most delicious gyros ever.  I would have them at least a couple of times a week.  (Don’t judge)  Of course, they aren’t the most healthy things to eat and the older I’ve gotten, the less they agree with me.

I found this recipe and my eyes lit up with excitement.  It was combining my love of mushrooms, gyros and eating healthier in a single dish.  It even included a recipe for Tzatziki sauce.  I couldn’t wait to try it.

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Saucy Portobello Pitas

The mushrooms look divine and the “fixins” look scrumptious, but the pita looks kind of weak and thin.  For me, it destroys the look of the dish, but it did smell fantastic.

Pepper Jack Mac

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – February 22, 2011

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Recipe originally published in Simple & Delicious, December/January 2011.

Mac ‘n’ Cheese is one of my favorite dishes.  Of course on the health-scale it is probably one of the worst to eat, so I don’t make it very often.  Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, I have this ridiculously delicious recipe that uses like a pound of cheese, and a whole stick of butter and like a ½ pound of bacon.  To. Die. For.  Mmmmmm… num num num… <wiping drool off chin> So where was I?

Oh yeah, how I can’t really it that often since it is not exactly good for the waistline or my cholesterol.

This recipe appealed to me because it had some vegetables included in it and I saw a lot of opportunity to help reduce the calories, fat and cholesterol.  Oh yeah, it has bacon in it too.  I also liked it because it was a dish for two.  It’s just me and the husband here, so many times I’ll make a dish and we’ll have to eat it for a week.  I usually l get sick of it after the second helping.

My final result:

© You Want Me to Cook?
Pepper Jack Mac

It looked delicious.  I will admit that I was slightly terrified about how it was going to turn out.  Wheat pasta, while healthy, absorbs sauces very well.  That isn’t a bad thing, but in mac ‘n’ cheese, the ooey-gooey non-absorbed sauce is part of its charm.  As I spooned it out on the plate, I knew I need not worry about the texture or cheese sauce absorbing too much.

Marinated Antipasto Platter

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? on February 22, 2011

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Recipe originally published in Simple and Delicious, December/January 2011.

My husband and I love marinated olives and cheese.  I mean we really LOVE marinated olives and cheese.  We once bought one of those huge tubs of mozzarella balls in marinade from Costco… finished it in a week or so.  If I could buy stuffed olives by the gross ton, I would, and salami?  Mmmmmm.  So when I came across this recipe, I was excited to finally have the ability to make my own marinated cheese and veggies.

My finished product:

© You Want Me to Cook?
Marinated Antipasto Platter

So I was excited that it looked so pretty.  It didn’t take much to make it look like this, so that was even more exciting.  Of course, the obvious issue is that I used sliced mushrooms.  See, I was placed on a new medication around this date and it made me kind of… hazy.  When I read the ingredients, I spaced out the “whole mushroom” part and went with what I usually buy, “sliced”.  My bad.

Porcini Mushroom Soup

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? on February 21, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published in Gourmet, December 2008.

If you read my blog regularly, you know I have a certain love affair with mushrooms.  I’ve experimented with a lot of different types of mushrooms, but I’ve always wondered about the dried and exotic mushrooms at the end of the counter.  I’ll be honest – they smell funny.  I know they’re supposed to be delicious, but I simply didn’t know where to start… until now.

Soup is one of those things I love to make, but seem to get tired of quickly.  Luckily, my husband eats everything I make until it is gone.  I think it is a quest for him to empty the refrigerator before I do the weekly grocery shopping.  The reason I point this out, is that I try to choose my soup recipes wisely.  It has to make me happy, but be appealing enough to my husband that he’ll finish it once I tire of it.  This recipe had it all:

• It wasn’t creamy (creamy soups are not my husband’s favorite)
• It has mushrooms (obviously for me)
• It has “fancy” mushrooms (exciting for me to try)
• It is chock full of healthy vegetables (both of us need this – especially the mushrooms Vitamin D for me)
• It is vegetarian (we are trying to eat meat-free at least a couple times of week)

My finished product:

© You Want Me to Cook?
Porcini Mushroom Soup

Just looking at this picture makes me wish I had a bowl.  It is rich, yet doesn’t rely on cream to make it that way.  Of course, I wish I had used fresh herbs (the dried just kind of float there), but I can’t justify buying a bunch that I know will go bad after I use 2 tablespoons.

Pecan-Crusted Turkey Cutlets with Wild Rice and Mushrooms

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? on February 18, 2011

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Find just the Pecan-Crusted Turkey Cutlets recipe here.

Find just the Wild Rice and Mushrooms recipe here.

Pecan-Crusted Turkey Cutlets recipe originally published in Taste of Home, December/January 2011.

Wild Rice and Mushrooms recipe originally published by Pillsbury.

Usually, when I’m putting two dishes together, it is driven by the entree.  Not so in this case.  I found the recipe for the Wild Rice and Mushrooms and didn’t know what to do with it.  Ordinarily, when I have a breaded poultry dish, I look for a potato, but I decided to break from what I usually do and pair it with the rice.  I’m a daredevil like that – rice or potato, what will she choose?!?!?!

I also learned a couple things while making this meal.  One was very interesting and the other was a cooking lesson I will keep with me always.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Pecan-Crusted Turkey Cutlets with Wild Rice and Mushrooms

I was proud of how pretty the dish looked.  Okay, I was most proud of how the breaded turkey looked, and I really felt like I needed more green or red on my plate, but I still didn’t think it turned out too bad.

Mushroom Pork Chops

Recipe modified by Gretchen Wilson – August 27, 2010

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Recipe originally published in AllRecipes daily e-zine “The Daily Dish”.

If you saw my post on February 14, 2011, you know that out of the blue, my husband announced that he would gladly eat pork chops after refusing for about, oh, 9 years.  In my scramble to make as much pork as possible, I found this delightful low-calorie recipe that incorporates two of my favorite foods, mushrooms and onions, into a great casserole-type dish.

My finished product:

Picture published with recipe: © Taste of Home

I’m sure I’m biased, but mine looks so much better than the published picture.  It just looks juicier.  They didn’t specify the type of pork chop to use in the recipe (don’t worry, I do in my version) but it looks like I probably picked the right one.

Mushroom Goulash with Pierogi

Recipe modified by Gretchen Wilson – June 2010

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Recipe originally published in Every Day with Rachael Ray, April 2010.

First, let me say that I’m not a chef.  I may be able to cook and tweak a recipe, but I can’t create dishes.  Not only do I not have the knowledge, but I just don’t have the time or money to play around with different types of ingredients.  The reason I bring this up is about eight months ago, my husband told me he wanted to start eating more vegetarian food.  This did not make me very happy, but not because I didn’t think it was a healthy move or I hate vegetables.  No, I wasn’t happy because I rarely find a vegetarian dish that sounds appetizing to me and I don’t know how to substitute veggies in where meat should be.  I searched around in my endless number of e-mails and magazines and found this delightful dish that uses mushrooms as a meat substitute.  Now I am addicted to cooking with mushrooms and this is one of the very few recipes that I make on a regular basis.

My finished product:

Picture published with recipe: ©Every Day with Rachael Ray

My goulash has a little more “sauciness” to it and I always seem to find jumbo pierogi.  This is one of the most savory vegetarian dishes I’ve ever eaten.  It tastes as good as it looks!  Yes, I have made my own pierogi in the past, but although pierogi isn’t hard to make, it is ridiculously time consuming.  When I’m looking for a weeknight meal, homemade pierogi isn’t in the cards.

Penne with Pancetta & Mushrooms

Recipe modified by Gretchen Wilson – April 2010

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Recipe originally published on Allrecipes.com – The Daily Dish newsletter on Monday, March 23, 2009.

I love pasta and I’m always on the lookout for a new dish with a cream sauce that isn’t too heavy.  This recipe found its way into my inbox via “The Daily Dish” newsletter at Allrecipes.com.  This dish has everything I love – creamy sauce that doesn’t weigh down the pasta, salty pancetta to balance out the cream and mushrooms.  I can’t get enough mushrooms.

Picture published with recipe: © Allrecipes.com

My finished product:

I always stand by my “don’t judge a recipe by the published picture” rule.  Is that mushed-up poop with that penne?