Waist Watchers Special - Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I hate dieting and the restrictions associated with it. I don't do well with plans and prepackaged meals, so when I pack on pounds, I have to come up with recipes that work for me, but do not scare off the Silver Fox, a committed carnivore, who views most greens and meat substitutes as "stuff". C'est la vie. While I consider these mushrooms to be a main course, he views them as a side dish meant to keep meat from getting lonely on  his plate. That actually has worked out well for both of us. At any given meal, there is at least one dish we can share and it makes creating diet meals a lot easier for me. Over the past three months, I've found or created recipes that make dishes I actually enjoy and I now have a collection of diet-worthy recipes to share with those of you who are also in waist watcher mode. These stuffed mushrooms are the first recipe in what I hope will become a weekly feature on One Perfect Bite. They are easy to make and quite satisfying, though I suspect you will want to add additional herbs and spices to the ingredient mix. I do hope you'll give these mushrooms a try. Here is how they are made.

Stuffed Anaheim Peppers and Homemade Enchilada Sauce

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These peppers are a great make-ahead family meal. They're easy to prepare and make a nice addition to your Mexican-style or Southwestern repertoire. The recipe defines simplicity. Soft (uncooked) chorizo sausage is mixed with cheese and a bit of oregano before being piped into Anaheim or banana peppers that will be topped with an enchilada sauce and a bit more cheese prior to baking. A recipe for enchilada sauce appears below. While the sauce can be homemade or store bought, I suggest you choose one that is not overly hot. The peppers have some heat and the chorizo can be quite spicy. I've found the addition of a really hot sauce can be a bit too much for the standard palate to bear. I like to serve these with a salad that's laced with lots of iceberg lettuce. I know its use is frowned on, but I've never found a replacement that adds the same crunch to salads, and the crispness is really pleasant here. If you'd like to add more color to the meal, a yellow or cilantro rice would be a great accompaniment. Gals, I've have to be honest here. This is guy food, of the grow hair on your chest variety. Teenage boys and their fathers will worship the ground you walk on when you serve these. Your daughters will think you've come unwrapped. So, be foreward. This is fraternity food. Don't forget to pass bottled hot sauce at the table. You'll probably also want to pass some sour cream to dowse the fire the sauce will cause. Here are the two recipes.

Stuffed Anaheim Peppers...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
6 large Anaheim or banana peppers
1-1/2 pounds chorizo sausage
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1-1/4 cups grated Monterey jack cheese, divided use
3 cups cups enchilada sauce

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2) Slice off tops and remove seeds and ribs from peppers.
3) Remove chorizo from casing and mash into a paste. Add 1 cup cheese and oregano and mix well.
4) Divide sausage mixture into 6 portions. Roll each portion into a spindle shape and shove point first into into a pepper using a small spoon to force mixture into cavity. Alternatively, mixture can be piped into peppers using a pastry bag and wide-tipped nozzle. Overfill slightly.
5) Film bottom of a baking dish with about 1 cup enchilada sauce. Arrange peppers in dish on top of sauce. Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup cheese. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot. Yield: 6 peppers.

Enchilada Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup New Mexico chili powder (I use whatever I have and usually not 1/4 cup, more like half of that)
1 can chicken broth
10 ounces tomato puree
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a 2-quart saucepan. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook 30 seconds longer. Stir in chicken broth, 1/4 cup water, tomato puree, oregano and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt. Yield: 3 cups.







One Year Ago Today: Spoon Bread with Leeks an Gruyere Cheese












Two Years Ago Today: Braised Pork - Cotes de Porc L'Auvergnate








You might also enjoy these recipes:
Grilled Banana Peppers with Feta Cheese - Closet Cooking
Cheese Stuffed Mixed Grilled Peppers - So Many Recipes
Spicy Stuffed Banana Peppers - The Food Lovers Primal Palate
Grilled Banana Pepper Salad - Greek Food Recipes and Recollections
Mexican Stuffed Red Peppers - Kitchen Scoop

Sonoran Hot Dog

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the type of recipe that will cause hardcore foodies to bristle and run for the exits. True, hot dogs are not the stuff of which their dreams are made, so I can't blame them. There are, however, occasions when nothing is quite as satisfying as good old-fashioned grub, so, I'll clear a path and hold the doors for them as they leave the room. I've been mulling what to make for Super Bowl Sunday and I've finally got a fix on what I want to serve. Last year, I did variations of those dishes I lovingly call Asian junk food. There were plates of egg rolls, crab rangoon, barbecued pork and dumplings, as well as bowls of fried noodles served with a warm apricot dipping sauce. This year, mainly because Chinese New Year is also barrelling down on us, I decided I'd head down Mexico way and do a Southwestern feast. Robb Walsh developed a recipe for Sonoran hot dogs that I've wanted to try for the longest time and I thought they'd be perfect for Super Bowl Sunday. I did a test run tonight and am comfortable enough with the results to share the recipe with you. This is a dish that is, for the most part, assembled rather than cooked. You'll have to heat the oven and a frying pan, but the time consuming elements of this dish can be purchased ready made and simply layered into warm and waiting buns. I have access to Mexican bakeries where bolillos, the Mexican version of a torpedo roll, can be purchased. They are a perfect bun for this outrageous hot dog. They are thick enough to hold ingredients without disintegrating, but small enough to prevent the filling from being upstaged by the bread. I realize that most of you don't have access to specialty bakeries, so the best route for you to take is to buy sturdy, but soft, buns that are approximately the same size as your hot dogs. As long as the hot dogs don't sit too long before serving you'll be fine. Good hot dogs are important and those that "answer to a higher authority" would be an excellent choice to use here. You will also find these much easier to make if you use a really thin-sliced bacon. Hassles with layering can be avoided if you have everything set to go before you begin cooking the hot dogs. The original recipe calls for pan grilling the wieners on a comal, the griddle on which tortillas are cooked. I cooked mine under the oven broiler to simplify things and contain the mess. It works perfectly, as long as you rotate the hot dogs so all their surfaces cook. I really think you'll like these. I hope you'll give them a try. Here's the recipe.

Sonoran Hot Dogs...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Robb Walsh

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce
Juice of 1 large lemon
8 all-beef wieners (fat ones work better than long ones)
8 slices extra-thin bacon
8 torpedo rolls or bolillos
1/2 cup warm refried beans
1 cup guacamole
1/2 cup grated jack or cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup Salsa Verde

Directions:
1) Mix mayonnaise, Tabasco, and lemon juice and put into a squeeze bottle.
2) Wrap hot dogs with bacon slices, covering completely. Grill or broil them, rolling hot dogs until bacon is crunchy on all sides, about 7 minutes.
3) Cut a pocket into buns to form a "boat" and toast them in oven or on a grill.
4) When hot dogs are cooked, divide beans and guacamole among eight rolls, spooning them inside pocket and spreading on either side of rolls. Spread cheese down the middle. Using tongs put one piping-hot bacon-wrapped hot dog into pocket of each roll. Top each with onions and tomatoes. Spread Salsa Verde across top. Apply mayonnaise blend in squiggles over tops of hot dogs. Yield: 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Chimichanga Dogs - Girlichef
Dogzilla Hot Dogs - Mrs. Regueiro's Plate
Andersen Hot Dogs: Gourmet Style - Kalle Bergman's Honest Cooking
Seriously Scandinavian: Hot Dogs from the Cold North - Kalle Bergman's Honest Cooking
Chicago Red Hots - Food Nerd Ciao
Ultimate Bacon Cheese Dogs - Gourmet Mom on the Go
Spicy Mango-Pineapple Hot Dogs - Coconut and Lime
Coney Dogs - Real Mom Kitchen
Fancy Hot Dogs - Simply Recipes
Classic Chicago Hot Dog - Easy and Tasty Food

Hot dog lovers will want to see this feature in Bon Appetit: Global Hot Dog Guide

Moroccan Lamb Stuffed Peppers

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I make stuffed peppers once or twice a year. When I was newly married, they were touted as an inexpensive dish that all budget conscious cooks should master. The trouble, then and now, is that they're not a bargain to make and it's really possible for non-vegan types to buy a steak or gorgeous piece of fish for what they cost to assemble. Now, for those who love stuffed peppers, the cost is inconsequential and they can be enjoyed at any time of year. Those who like, but do not love them, are usually more circumspect and will enjoy them towards the end of summer when peppers are plentiful and can be purchased for just pennies on the dollar. Following the holiday, I was left with 6 gorgeous red peppers of the non-bargain variety. They had originally been purchased for a stir-fry of red and green peppers that never happened. I wanted to use the peppers before they began to wither in the vegetable crisper and stuffed peppers came to mind. I ran with the idea. I have several recipes for them and, I promise, before we're finished with each other, you'll have them all. However, the one I want to share with you today, is one I used when my children were still fairly young and not yet ready for truly spicy food. These are vaguely Moroccan in taste but they are mild and very pleasant on the tongue. I use lamb to make these because I think it is a better fit for the spices used in the recipe. The recipe appeared in Sunset magazine nearly thirty years ago. I've played with it, but it closely follows the one they published all those years ago. If you are looking for a recipe for stuffed peppers, I think you'll like this one. Technically, you need not serve anything with them, but I think they look so naked when plated by themselves that I weaken and serve them with mashed sweet potatoes and steamed spinach. Here's how the peppers are made.

Moroccan Lamb Stuffed Peppers...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Sunset Magazine

Ingredients:
4 large bell peppers
1 pound ground lamb
1 cup finely chopped onion
1-1/2 cups cooked white or brown rice
1/2 cup catsup
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 large egg
Salt (About 1 teaspoon)
Optional garnish: toasted pine nuts

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2) Stem peppers. Cut tops from bell peppers. Reserve. Remove ribs and seeds. Finely chop reserved tops. Set aside
3) Brown lamb in large frying pan set over medium heat. Add onion and reserved bell pepper. Cook until onion is limp and becomes translucent. Remove from heat. Discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings. Stir in rice, catsup, raisins, allspice, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper and egg. Add salt to taste.
4) Fill peppers with rice mixture. Bake until peppers are soft when pierced with tip of a knife, about 30 to 40 minutes. Garnish with pine nuts if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lamb, Rice and Feta Stuffed Peppers - Farmgirl Gourmet
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers - A Bitchin' Kitchen
Vegetable and Barley Stuffed Peppers - Proud Italian Cook
Stuffed Poblano Peppers - Christine's Cuisine
Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers - Modern Comfort Food
Red Peppers Stuffed with Orzo and Feta Cheese - One Perfect Bite
Creole Stuffed Peppers - Deep South Dish
Couscous and Feta Stuffed Peppers - Cookography

Stuffed Mushrooms

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Stuffed mushrooms are one of my favorite hot appetizers. I've collected an impressive assortment of recipes for them and, over time, you'll probably get to see them all. However, today I'm only going to feature one. I chose this one to serve over the weekend because it's so easy to do, and, when you're into day four of a long weekend, easy assumes an importance it might otherwise not have. I think the original recipe, found here, was developed by Giada De Laurentis, but I found another that is similar in an online book, called Almost Italian, which is a compilation of recipes and stories from Italian immigrant communities across America. Those of you who love Italian food might find the book really interesting. I know I did. I've changed the recipe slightly to avoid waste. I've included finely chopped mushroom stems in my stuffing and changed the herb mix a bit. I think the mushrooms help keep the stuffing, which can be dry, moist and I replaced the mint, which I found to be off-putting, with additional parsley. Here's my version of the recipe.

Stuffed Mushrooms...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Giada De Laurentis

Ingredients:
28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stems removed and finely chopped
5 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions:
1) Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan. Add chopped mushroom stems and cook just until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds longer. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
3) Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley and salt and pepper to taste to mushroom mixture in skillet. Mix with a spoon to blend.
4) Coat bottom of a large baking sheet with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spoon filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle remaining oil over filling in each mushroom. Bake until mushrooms are tender and filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately. Yield: 7 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Caprese Skewers - Culinary Cory
Savory Herbed Glazed Nuts - Mz. Tasty Kitchen
Parmesan Crusted Baked Zucchini Strips with Marinara Sauce - Closet Cooking
Easy Olive Tapenade - Annie Bakes
Honey Walnut and Brie Tartletts - What's Cookin, Chicago?
Tiny Gougeres with Scallions Parsley and Lemon - She's in the Kitchen
Parmesan Cheese Sticks - Easy Appetizers

Dolmas - Stuffed Grape Leaves - Daring Cooks Challenge

Photo Courtesy of Budget Bytes - Creative Commons Attribution

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Isn't that a gorgeous picture? I must tell you up front that it's not my photo and I'm Dolma green with envy.

I found it while doing research for the current Daring Cook's Challenge and I must explain my envy. Lori, of Lori's Lipsmaking Goodness, hosted this month's challenge and she selected Dolmas, or stuffed grape leaves, as the dish she wanted us to make. Though she gave us two wonderful recipes, which can be found here, she also gave the nod for us to do our own thing if we wished. Her only real requirement was that we roll a leaf around a filling, and that was fine by me. As a matter of fact, that's my kind of challenge. I made the meat-filled version of the rolls for my entry and thought the sauce was spectacular. I'm a big fan of tamarind and it really appealed to me. I love Dolmas, but mine are a visual disaster, more appalling than appealing, and decidedly unappetizing. As luck would have it, the batch I made for the challenge looked especially bad and my photo, as you can see, would do nothing to improve my reputation as a photographer, much less entice guests to my table.

While searching for ways to visually save and plate my Dolmas I came across this feature at Budget Bytes. Beth's recipe was great, but her photos are what really caught my eye. They were stunning and her Dolmas really looked appealing. It was too late to salvage the ones I'd made, but I finally found a way to make the next batch look pretty. I suspect our guests will be seeing Dolmas in their futures. I really learned something from this challenge. Thank you, Lori. Thank you, Beth.




You might also enjoy these recipes:
Moussaka - Surfing the World Cuisine
Avgolemono - The Mommy Porch
Greek Style Chicken - Living the Gourmet
Fasolada (Greek Navy Bean Soup) - Elly Says Opa
Cheese Saganaki - Five Star Foodie
Pastitsio - Teenie Cakes

Red Peppers Stuffed with Orzo and Feta Cheese

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our weather continues to be uncharacteristically warm and Bob has been uncharacteristically hungry. Despite the heat, he's been felling trees and that kind of work demands calories to stoke the fire. I decided to do a mini Mediterranean feast for his supper tonight. I pan grilled double cut lamb chops and served them with an Israeli salad and orzo stuffed peppers that are reminiscent of those served in the Greek isles. The peppers are lovely and add great color to the table. While they take time to cook, they are really easy to do and they are a relative bargain at this time of year. I can't help but add they would also be wonderful entree for Meatless Monday. Sweet peppers are slowly making their way to our green markets and in another month we'll be able to buy them four to the dollar. Even now they are a bargain when compared to their winter prices. I had six gorgeous bright red bell peppers that needed attention and this dish was a perfect way to enjoy their luscious summer flavor. The recipe on which the peppers are based was developed by Gordon Hamersley for Fine Cooking Magazine over a decade ago. I keep very few recipes for that length of time, so you know in my book it's a keeper. This is one of those recipes I play with. I suspect you will to. There are times I add pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes to the mix, and others where green olives, raisins and orange zest best suit my fancy of the day. Now, I don't mean to shock you, but I've even been known to follow the recipe exactly as it's was written. If you don't have or like kale, substitute spinach or arugula. If you can't use wine, use water or vegetable stock. I use a white French vermouth to make mine, hearkening back to the days when Julia Child suggested using a good vermouth in place of a mediocre white wine for cooking. I really hope you'll try the peppers. You really can't go wrong. Here's the recipe.

Red Peppers Stuffed with Orzo and Feta Cheese...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Gordon Hamersley

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
1 medium red onion, cut into large dice
2-1/2 ounces kale, washed and torn into bite-size pieces (2 cups lightly packed)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2/3 cups cooked orzo, cooled (from 3/4 cup raw orzo)
Grated zest from 1/2 lemon
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
1/4 pound feta cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
8 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
6 medium red bell peppers
1-1/2 cups dry white wine or water

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet until moderately hot. Add red onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until soft, about 5 minutes.. Add kale and cook, stirring often, until wilted and tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2) Combine onion and kale with the orzo, lemon zest, lemon juice, feta cheese, oregano, thyme, parsley, and olives in a large bowl. Toss gently until combined and season with salt and pepper.
3) Slice off top 1/2 inch of each pepper and reserve. With a paring knife, cut away ribs and discard. Turn pepper upside down and pat it to get all the seeds to fall out. Divide orzo filling among peppers. Replace top of each pepper.
4) Place peppers in a medium baking dish and sprinkle them with reserved 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season again with salt and pepper. Pour wine in pan. Bake until peppers are very tender and slightly blackened on top, about 1-1/2 hours. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Stuffed Green Peppers: Healthy and Delicious - Zesty Flavors
Stuffed Peppers - I Eat Trees
Classic Stuffed Peppers - What's Cookin Chicago
Indian Stuffed Bell Peppers - Sugar Pies
Mediterranean Style Stuffed Peppers - Elle's New England Kitchen
Blast of Color Mexican Stuffed Peppers - Mother Rimmy's Cooking Light Done Right

Stuffed Flank Steak Spirals - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I made and froze these steak spirals several days ago in order to make tonight's meal really simple. While I stuffed these with spinach and goat cheese, anything that appeals to you could be used. I've had great success using sun-dried tomatoes with arugula and feta cheese as an alternate filling. Winter weather in Oregon allows those of us who wish to do so, to grill outdoors. It's also possible to prepare these steaks in a griddle pan on top of the stove. When grilled, I suggest they be cooked for six minutes on each side. Flank steak can become tough if cooked too long. However you cook these, be sure to let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. The spirals are wonderful to have on hand for busy days. I think you'll like their simplicity. Here's the recipe.

Stuffed Flank Steak Spirals...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 1-1/2 to 2 lb. butterflied flank steak
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
6 ounces fresh baby spinach or chard
3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Optionsl Garnish: chopped parsley or dill

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Season flank steak with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2) Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic. Cook 1 minute, being careful not to burn. Add spinach and cook just until wilted, a minute or two. Remove from heat and let cool.
3) Lay flank steak out on a cutting board with long end parallel to you. Spread spinach in a thin strip horizontally down middle of the steak. Top with the crumbled goat cheese. Tuck short ends in on sides, then roll long side away from you. Place kitchen twine around steak at 1/2-inch intervals. Wrap in plastic warp and chill for several hours or overnight.
4) Adjust a rack to upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
5) Cut steak crosswise into 6 pieces. Heat a saute pan with an oven-proof handle over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, spray steak with olive oil cooking spray and place in hot pan. Sear both sides of flank steak until just browned, about 2 minutes per side.
6) Transfer pan to upper third of oven and bake until internal temperature reaches 130 degrees, about 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley or dill if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound