sweet miscellany

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Recipe Update: Stuffed Portobellos

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I made stuffed portobellos the other night for dinner and thought I would share an update that is fitting for the winter weather.  I posted the original recipe back in August and it can be found here.  The portobello part of the recipe is obviously the same, but the filling has been re-worked.  Lovely strips of red chard are sauteed with garlic, pecans, and a bit of herbes de provence before being tossed with plump wheat berries and piled onto a roasted portobello cap.  To finish it off, I topped it with a bit of salty feta, but if you wan’t to keep it vegan, you could use a nice coarse sea salt or omit any toppings all together.  And, for the gluten free peeps, you can use quinoa or brown rice instead of wheat berries for equally delicious results.

Stuffed Portobello Caps with Red Chard and Wheat Berry Stuffing
I used red chard because I have been finding particularly beautiful bunches of it at the store, but feel free to use any type of chard you like.  If you don’t have herbes de provence, it will be just as delicious without it.    

2 large portobello mushroom caps, gills and stems removed
1 medium bunch of red chard, ribs removed and sliced into strips
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp herbes de provences
1 cup of cooked wheat berries (or 1 cup of cooked GF grains)
about 2 tbsp of feta cheese, crumbled (or coarse sea salt if making it vegan)
sea salt
olive oil (or ghee)

Preheat your oven (or toaster oven) to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.  Brush a bit of olive oil on each mushroom cap, season with salt and pepper, and place on the baking sheet with the gill side facing up.  Roast at 350 for 8-10 minutes until tender and juices are present.   While mushrooms are roasting, heat a skillet to just below medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil.  Once the oil is heated, add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.  Next, add the chard, a bit of salt, and the herbes de provence and saute for about 3-4 minutes or until the chard begins to wilt.  At this point, turn the heat down to low and add the wheat berries, pecans, and a bit more salt.  Toss everything together and heat over low until everything is warmed through.  Pile half of the filling in each mushroom cap and then top with the feta.  Enjoy!

serves 2

Baked Apples with Oats & Chamomile & Some Goals

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As much as I love the holidays, they tend to make me forget things other than eating sweets, being lazy, eating more sweets, sleeping late, and did I mention eating sweets?  Yeah, so I guess it’s pretty obvious I’ve been indulging lately, but that’s what happens when you go home for Christmas and everyone gives you huge boxes of cookies and candies.  Gotta love family and the holidays.

Aside from the sugar coma I almost put myself in and the lounging around, I’ve been thinking a lot about goals and the new year.  I usually don’t make resolutions, but I think this year I am going to sit down and make a list.  I have many thoughts and ideas swimming around in my head concerning this blog and sweet miscellany so the easiest way for me to organize them is to put pen to paper.  I have not yet made a cogent list, but I can tell you that I have plans to re-design the layout of my blog.  I am also considering making a transition to completely vegan baked goods (with perhaps the only exception being honey).  It may sound crazy, but I think it goes with the main theme of making things healthier (and tastier!).

After my spiel about sweets and sugar comas, the last thing you probably want is another dessert, but this is more of a healthy and tasty snack.  It’s just sweet enough to be a dessert if you want it to, but it’s definitely healthy and tasty enough to be a snack.  Baking the apples brings out their natural and delicious juices while the oat topping laced with chamomile gives them a streusel feel.  You may think chamomile and oats sound odd together, but TRUST on this one.  It will knock your socks off.  Oh, these beauties are not only healthy, they are gluten free and vegan!

Baked Apples with Oats & Chamomile
I used whole dried German chamomile flowers and ground them up.  If you can’t find them, a bit of loose chamomile tea will work just as well.  These are delicious served with a bit of vegan coconut or vanilla ice cream while still warm.      
 
2 granny smith apples, cut in half and cored
about 1/4 cup whole rolled oats
1 tbsp coconut oil, solid at room temperature (not warmed)
1/4 tsp dried chamomile, ground
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp agave or honey

Preheat your oven to 375F and line a baking dish with foil.  In a small bowk, combine the oats, chamomile, and cinnamon.  Add the cooconut oil and agave or honey and mash into the oat mixture until everything is sticking together and a streusel type topping forms.  Place the 4 apples halves in your baking dish, cut side up.  Put 1/4 of the mixture on each of the apple halves, pressing down a bit if needed.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the oat topping is golden and the apples are tender.  Can be served warm or at room temperature.  Enjoy!