Mushroom Ramen

Last night’s main dish didn’t even make it out of the pan… I don’t know if it was a sour jar of lemon curd or a faulty recipe, but it just wasn’t happening.  In fact, the sour smell was so awful, the dish went from pan to garbage to dumpster within minutes, and dishes promptly washed to rid the kitchen of the awful smell.  Too graphic?  Sorry… it was just that bad.

However, I will say the side dish was the saving grace and turned into my husband’s complete dinner.  Talk about easy, inexpensive, and flavorful.  Find yourself a package of sliced mushrooms, a package of ramen noodles, and a little butter, and you’ve got yourself a side dish (or in this case, main dish swap out) in minutes.

This really comes together in no time at all – the mushrooms sauté up as quickly as the noodles take to soak, toss it together, and you’re in business.

So while the chicken was less-than-appetizing, I’ll certainly give the side dish three thumbs-up for quick, easy, and delicious, and a gold star for salvaging what was a horrifying attempt at dinner.

Mushroom Ramen

Mushroom Ramen

What You Need:

• 1 package chicken-flavored ramen noodles
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 1 tbsp butter

How You Do It:

1. Sauté mushrooms in a saucepan with ramen seasoning packet.
2. While the mushrooms cook, soak noodles in hot water until soft.
3. Once mushrooms are cooked and noodles are soft, drain noodles and add to mushrooms.  Add butter and toss to combine.

Mushroom Ramen recipe adapted from Food Network

Chicken with Balsamic Onions over Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms

This week my husband has been on a no-carbs, no dairy kick.  And you know what, he’s done a really great job of it.  It has, however, been a bit of a cooking challenge at night, as I like to have rice or a little cheese or some sort of carb (in moderation, of course) with dinner.  And while I've managed to pull off a week of no-carb, no-dairy dinners, last night’s was noteworthy. 

Added bonus – I found another opportunity to use the Herbs de Provence I snagged on our honeymoon last summer! 

Anyway – the chicken was so tender, and took only a few minutes to cook on the stove-top, thanks to slicing the breasts in half.  The onions on top – yum!  While I don’t love a super strong balsamic flavor (even on salad), they offered just enough flavor to give the chicken just the right kick.  I served this over some sautéed fresh spinach and mushrooms for more vegetables and a good balance.

Super easy, super quick – this is a no-carb, no-dairy keeper!

Chicken with Balsamic Onions over Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms

Chicken with Balsamic Onions over
Sauteed Spinach and Mushrooms

What You Need:

• 1/4 c flour
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half to make 2 thin cutlets each
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 c water
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 tsp Herbs de Provence*
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 2 bags fresh baby spinach

How You Do It – Chicken with Balsamic Onions:

1. In a large Ziploc bag, combine flour and pepper. Add chicken, one piece at a time, and shake to coat.
2. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
3. In the same pan, cook onion until tender.
4. Add water, stirring to loosen browned bits.
5. Add balsamic and Herbs de Provence; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve over chicken.

How You Do It – Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms

1. While the chicken and onions cook, in a separate large skillet, cook mushrooms until soft.
2. Slowly fold in spinach by the handful, until wilted.

* If you don’t have Herbs de Provence or cannot find them in the store, the original recipe calls for 1/2 tsp dried thyme and 1/8 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary.

Chicken with Balsamic Onions recipe adapted from HeritageSchoolhouse.

Creamy Chicken Ramen with Spinach and Mushrooms

Tonight's dinner brought me back to the days of Freshman Year in Territorial Hall when the best - and only - heat source for cooking in your room was the microwave sitting atop your mini-fridge.  And there really were only a couple things one would make, or frankly could afford:  Easy Mac and Ramen Noodles.   So when I saw this recipe for a different take on Ramen noodles, I was totally interested.  I mean really - when is the last time you had Ramen noodles?

But this was more than just your freshman-dorm-room ramen.  This is what I'll call "adult ramen" - loaded with veggies and chicken, combined in a creamy sauce.  The flavors are far more than the salty packet of seasoning packaged with the noodles.  It's creamy and light and really complements the veggies and noodles well.

While it's been quite some time since the days of dorm-room-ramen and the "Adventures of Liz and Molly" (who would have thought a two-story Target would have a cart escalator?!), this ramen dish was a nice remake of a college staple.

Creamy Chicken Ramen with Spinach and Mushrooms

Creamy Chicken Ramen
with Spinach and Mushrooms

What You Need:

• 3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced thin
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 c water
• 4 oz light cream cheese (1/2 package)
• 1 3-oz package chicken-flavored Ramen noodles
• 2 handfuls fresh spinach
• 1/4 bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 5 grinds fresh black pepper

How You Do It:

1. In a large skillet, cook chicken until lightly browned and cooked through.  Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper and cook until onions are translucent.
3. Add water, seasoning packet, and cream cheese.  Bring to a boil, stirring until the cheese has melted and the texture is smooth.
4. While the sauce cooks, boil water, break noodles in half, and cook until done.  Drain.
5. Add cooked noodles, chicken, and spinach to sauce.  Add pepper and stir to combine.

Creamy Chicken Ramen with Spinach and Mushrooms recipe adapted from Costco Connection.

HG Veggie-Loaded Pasta Amore

Meatless Monday was in full effect in our house last night.  I whipped together this little doozy of a pasta dish, loaded with sautéed veggies of my favorite sorts, and a creamy tomato sauce.  I got home from the gym and in the amount of time it took to boil the water and cook the pasta, this puppy was a go! 

A quick, easy, and veggie-packed pasta dish ready in no time!

HG Veggie-Loaded Pasta Amore

HG Veggie-Loaded Pasta Amore

What You Need:

• 8 oz. uncooked thin spaghetti
• 1 c creamy tomato soup 
• 1/2 c light sour cream
• 1/3 c chopped fresh basil
• ¼ tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 2 small zucchini, chopped
• 2/3 c frozen peas, 
• 1 roasted red pepper, drained and chopped

How You Do It:

1. In a medium-large pot, cook pasta per package instructions.
2. In a medium bowl, mix tomato soup with sour cream until uniform. Stir in basil and Italian seasoning.
3. While the pasta cooks, bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and zucchini. Cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low. Add peas, chopped roasted red peppers, and soup mixture. Cook and stir until hot and well mixed, about 2 minutes. 
4. Add cooked pasta, and toss to coat.

HG Loaded-Veggie Pasta Amore recipe adapted from HungryGirl.

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken

You know how when you order cashew chicken from a Chinese restaurant it's always more celery than chicken and cashews?  And remember how I told you there are a few - yes, a very short list - things my husband really doesn't like?  Well, celery is a big one of them.

This cashew chicken recipe is fully-loaded with veggies - more mushrooms than most of our friends would be interested in, a diced onion, garlic (lots of garlic), and much to my husband's dismay, pea pods.  (He really is the best - doesn't mind that I cook with pea pods, just chooses to push them aside.)

While I would doctor the sauce a little next time to add a little more flavor, maybe a pinch of red pepper flakes, less vinegar, and some fresh ginger, this is a good, healthy option, (with no celery) for cashew chicken.

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken

What You Need:

• 1 c chicken broth
• 1 tbsp cornstarch 
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 8-oz packages sliced mushrooms
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 lb. chicken tenderloins, cut into small chunks
• 2 c snow peas
• 1/2 c unsalted cashews

How You Do It:

1. In small bowl, mix broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger.  Mix to combine and until cornstarch dissolves.
2. In a large skillet, saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms until tender, 5-6 minutes.
3. Add chicken, snow peas and cashews.  Mix to combine and cook until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender, 4-5 minutes.
4. Stir sauce and add to skillet.  Mix to combine and cook until sauce has thickened.

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken recipe adapted from Hungry Girl.

Chicken with Mushrooms & Zucchini

You know when you go to a hibachi and the kimono-clad chef slices, dices, flips, and serves up those amazing sauteed vegetables before your protein-of-choice is served?  Personally, those veggies are my favorite part of going for dinner hibachi-style.  Certainly not the volcano of fire that shoots up all over the place [insert shudder here]...  Those veggies, that's what the sauce in this recipe reminds me of.  A-MA-ZING.

The chicken is tender, the veggies are tender, the sauce is amazing... there's really nothing else to say.

Oh, and before I share the recipe below, I must give a shout out and a special happy birthday wish to my mom!  She would love this one... (Hint, make it, mom, Hint)  Happy Birthday, Mom - we love you!

Chicken with Mushrooms & Zucchini

Chicken with Mushrooms & Zucchini

What You Need:

• 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into ½ moons
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger 

How You Do It:

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Toss them into a Ziploc bag along with cornstarch. Seal the bag and toss until the chicken is lightly coated.
2. Heat the oil and sesame oil in a large, non-stick skillet. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is browned on all sides and cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
3. Add the zucchini and mushrooms to the hot skillet and cook for 5minutes, stirring often.
4. Add soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and ginger. Stir to coat the vegetables and continue to cook until the mushrooms and zucchini are tender, 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the chicken to the skillet and stir to combine and heat through.

Chicken with Mushrooms & Zucchini recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Bistro Chicken

I always love a meal you can cook in one pot.  This one does just that.  (Well, I did cook off the bacon in a separate pan, but that was minor and just one small step so I'm not counting it!)  Only two slices of [turkey] bacon really gave off a smokey flavor that was a little unexpected bit of glory in this otherwise tomato, mushroom, onion, and chicken dish.  My sauce was a little thin, so towards the end, before I topped the chicken with the bacon and cheese, I added a little cornstarch-water mixture to help thicken the sauce.

A green salad or some steamed broccoli or asparagus would have made a good side dish and even some pasta to complete the meal, but for us, tonight it was just the chicken.

Bistro Chicken

Bistro Chicken

What You Need:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can (14.5 oz) no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 fat-free zesty italian dressing
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 slices turkey bacon

How You Do It:

1. Heat oil in large skillet, add mushrooms and onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in tomatoes, dressing, and tomato paste.
3. Add chicken, cover, and simmer on medium-low heat 10 minutes.  Flip, and cook additional 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165*.
4. Meanwhile, chop bacon and cook until done.  Set aside on paper towel to soak up the fat.
5. Once the chicken is cooked through, top with bacon, then shredded cheese.  Cook, uncovered, until melted, additional 5 minutes.

Bistro Chicken recipe adapted from Kraft Foods.

Lemon & Mushroom Orzo

This has been a strange week in our house.  My husband has been pretty under the weather and hasn't much gotten off the couch, let alone eaten much, so there hasn't been much cooking around here.  Tonight, however, he was finally feeling better so dinner was in order.  I put in a good workout, so a light dinner for me was perfect and with my husband's stomach finally coming around, he too wasn't interested in anything all too heavy.

I had two packages of mushrooms in the refrigerator for a dish I had originally planned on making this week and didn't, so I had just the recipe to try out.

Just the right amount of lemon, garlic, mushrooms, and a hint of basil, this made enough for us each to have dinner and another five, yes five, packages in the refrigerator.  This would most certainly make for a good side dish for a dinner party.  I will remember that...

Lemon & Mushroom Orzo

What You Need:

Lemon & Mushroom Orzo

• 1 package orzo (1 lb.)
• 3/4 c sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 lemons (the juice of both and the zest of one)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 8-oz packages sliced mushrooms
• 3 large cloves garlic, pressed
• 12 basil leaves, chopped

How You Do It:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook orzo according to package.  Once the orzo has fully cooked, drain and rinse.
2. While the water boils and orzo cooks, heat oil in a large rimmed pan.  Saute mushrooms.  Once the mushrooms start to soften, add garlic and continue to saute until mushrooms are fully softened.
3. Add the lemon juice, zest, toasted almonds, and basil.  Stir to combine, then fold in cooked orzo.

Next time I might sprinkle this with some parmesan...


Lemon & Mushroom Orzo adapted from EveryDay with Rachael Ray

Portobello Philly Cheese "Steak"

Ever since we got back from our honeymoon, my husband and I have been on a pretty strict workout/diet plan.  Because of my horrendous commute home from the office and 90-minute workout thereafter, I've been looking for quick, light, and above all, healthy recipes to whip together when we get home.  

We love mushrooms.  Ok, love might be an understatement.  So just by the title alone, this should have been a keeper... and it was!  A quick saute of mushrooms, onions, and bell pepper became a sweet and surprisingly hearty filling for a flatbread topped with a slice of cheese.  (Everything is better with cheese, right?!)

Not only were these quick, easy, and healthy, but they were totally satisfying, even without the meat.

Portobello Philly Cheese "Steak"

Portobello Philly Cheese "Steak"

What You Need:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 4 large portobello caps, stems and gills removed, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 4 slices reduced-fat provolone cheese
• 4 Flatout Foldit Flatbreads

How You Do It:

1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add onion and cook, stirring often until soft.
3. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, oregano, and pepper - cook, stirring often, until vegetables are to desired softness.
4. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle with flour.  Mix to coat vegetables.
5. Stir in broth and soy sauce and bring to a simmer until thickened.
6. Arrange flatbreads on baking sheet.   Top half of each flatbread with vegetable mixture and top with one slice of cheese.
7. Bake until cheese is melted.

Portobello Philly Cheese "Steak" recipe adapted from EatingWell.