lovethechefblog

This weeks menu is some of our favorites that are easy to make and yummy for the tummy! 

Stuffed Portabella Mushroom, Arugula Pizza, Curry Chicken, and Spicy Asian Flank Steak…YUM!

As you well know, I am a cook who loves flavor and spicy so back down some on the heat in the Asian Flank Steak if you don’t like spice. Also you can add an extra can of Coconut Milk to the Curry chicken to cut the heat.

Portabella Mushrooms: Found this one on Pinterest

Ingredients

• 4 large Portobello mushrooms, about 4″ (10cm) across
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon finely chopped shallot (optional)
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 ounces of plain goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
• 1 package of cherry tomatoes cut into quater size
  

Directions

1. Chop tomatoes
2. Clean the mushrooms by gently wiping the outside of the caps with a damp paper towel or brushing any dirt off with a soft brush. Next, pop out the stems by pushing them from side to side until the snap out. Then with a teaspoon, scrape the gills out until the underside is mostly clean. Place them on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet.
3. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, shallot and garlic.  Brush mushroom caps inside and out with the olive oil. Sprinkle each cap with salt and pepper.
4. Pre-heat the broiler. With the oven rack on the second to the top level, broil the mushrooms for 3-5 minutes until they are hot and the edges are starting to brown. They will start to release moisture and get juicy. Remove from the oven.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 375 (190C). Fill the caps with the roasted tomatoes and dot with the goat cheese. Sprinkle with the fresh herbs.
6. Bake for 12 minutes or until hot and the cheese has softened. Brush with a little extra olive oil on the edges to make them shine.

Grocery List: 

4 Portabella Mushrooms

1 lemon

olive oil

1 shallot

1 garlic clove

4 oz plain goat cheese

parsley

chives

package of cherry tomatoes 

Arugula & Prosciutto Pizza  I made this one up after eating it at a restaurant in Charleston, SC

1 cup each mozzarella cheese and fontina cheese- you can use all mozzarella if you can’t find fontina cheese

4 to 5 oz. of thin sliced prosciutto ~Ask the deli person to put paper in between slices if you get fresh so it won’t stick together.

2 cups fresh arugula

1 TBS olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar and more for a few extra splashes on the pizza

pizza crust~ store bought is fine. If you live near an Italian market or Italian pizza place you may be able to buy fresh dough there. You could live wildly and make your own!

flour for dusting the counter

Dust a surface with flour that is big enough to roll out your pizza dough. Also dust the rolling pin with flour so the dough does not stick to your rolling pin.

Preheat oven to 400* Spray your pan with PAM. Put dough on pizza pan and put on toppings

Spread the two cheese evenly on your pizza dough, then lay the prosciutto out flat on your pizza.

Sprinkle a few drops of balsamic vinegar around on your pizza (optional)

Place in the oven for 10 minutes or so. This depends on how thick your crust is. Just watch it carefully.

In a bowl mix arugula, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

After the pizza comes out of the oven spread arugula over the top evenly and you are done!

Grocery List:

Arugula

4 oz thin sliced prosciutto

flour

pizza dough

8 oz Mozzarella cheese

8 oz Fontina cheese both shredded

balsamic vinegar, olive oil and pan spray

Curry Chicken:  This can be spicy! This one came from a good friend Maggie and we have all tweaked it a little. Add an extra can of coconut milk to calm the heat.

This week is Amy’s birthday and she has requested this meal for her birthday Saturday.

Curry Chicken

This recipe is spicy.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts             

1 can of garbanzo beans

1 can of lentils

1 can of coconut milk

1 can of masaman curry paste

Rice – cook as directed on package

Mango Chutney- recipe follows

Nan or Pita bread

Boil chicken for 20 minutes in a large size pan. Drain and cut into bite size cubes. Put cubed chicken back in same pan and add all other ingredients. Cook together until hot and serve over rice. Serves 3 to 4.

Mango Chutney

1 good size ripe mangos

¼ cup cilantro chopped

1 teaspoon of brown sugar

1 garlic cloves

Peel and cube mango, chop cilantro and mince garlic. Put it all in a sauce pan with a little bit of water. Enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Add brown sugar . Cook on medium heat (stirring along the way) until soft enough to mash with a potato masher. Mash and serve on the side of the Curry Chicken to help with the heat of the curry.

Also you can purchase Nan at an International Market to serve with the meal. If there is no International Market you can use pita bread. I cut pita bread up into triangle size pieces. I brush it with olive oil and bake it for a few minutes to give it a little crunch.

 Grocery List:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 can garbanzo beans

1 can lentils

1 can coconut milk

1 can masaman curry paste – I buy this at Super G but any International Market may have it.

Rice 

1 mangos

cilantro

brown sugar

garlic

Spicy Asian Flank Steak:

This is another recipe that I have tweaked some.

One 2 to 3 lb. Flank Steak

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup brown sugar

2 TBS of spicy sesame oil

4 good size fresh garlic cloves minced

2 TBS of fresh ginger peeled and shredded with lemon zester or cheese shredder

1 TBS of red pepper flakes (use less if you want it less hot)

Use a small bowl and add all ingredients together to make marinate. Use a 9×13 dish for the meat and cover with marinate. Marinate for at least 3 hours. You can even mix this up a day before and marinate the meat overnight in the refrigerator. After removing the meat save marinate.

Grill on each side 6 to 7 minutes for medium and longer for well done.

When you bring the meat in from the grill, let it rest for about 5 minutes.

Slice thin and cut against the grain of the meat.

Cook marinate in a small sauce pan. Boil on low for 5-7 minutes and serve as a dipping sauce of pour over the steak and serve.  Serves 4 to 6 people depending on steak size.

Serve with garlic mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus a salad for a great dinner.

If you have leftovers, you can make steak fajitas by adding peppers, onions, cumin and cayenne pepper for another dinner.

Grocery List

2-3 pound Flank Steak

soy sauce

brown sugar

spicy sesame seed oil (regular sesame seed oil if you don’t like hot)

4 garlic cloves

good size piece of ginger

red pepper flakes

I hope you enjoy this weeks recipes as much as we do!

“In truth a family is what you make it. It is made strong, not by number of heads counted at the dinner table, but by the rituals you help family members create, by the memories you share, by the commitment of time, caring and love you show to one another, and by the hopes for the future you have as individuals and as a family unit”.~Marge Kennedy