Shitake Mushroom Risotto Cakes

INGREDIENTS
1 box shitake mushroom risotto
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
flour
garlic and herb breadcrumbs
olive oil


DIRECTIONS
1. Make risotto according to directions on box.
2. After it is done, stir cheese and basil into risotto.
3. Refrigerate risotto for about an hour. You want the risotto to be completely chilled, it will make it easier to work with.
4. Form risotto into small patties.


5. Take each patty and coat it with flour, coat with the egg wash, and then coat with breadcrumbs.
6. On medium heat olive oil, and cook each patty until brown on each side, about 2-4 minutes.
7. Cool on paper towel and pat to remove excess oil. Serve. Can be reheated in oven.

Quick gravy (beef)

4 cups water
5 bullion cubes
salt
pepper
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour

In small sauce pan bring water and bullion cubes to a boil. After bullion is dissolved pour into heat safe bowl. In same pan add butter and flour and whisk on high heat until butter and flour are combined and bubbling. Add pepper to taste. Allow color to darken slightly until mixture no longer smells like flour. While still on high heat pour broth back into pan and whisk quickly until sauce combines and begins thickening. Lower heat and stir occasionally until serving time. Sauce should be thick and glossy.

Tip. I pour my broth into a large measuring cup making it easier to pour back into the pan. Only butter works for this not margarine.

Ginger stir fried chicken/vegetables

(please excuse lack of veggies in top pic, my husband only eats veggies sparingly so this is how his dish looks, compared to my dish below with all veggies and no chicken. Also please note I don't have the bean sprouts, mine didn't survive through the weekend)

1 pack boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into small pieces
1 red bell pepper Julienned
2 cups mushroom chopped
2 cups sugar snap peas with ends cut off
5 green onions cut on an angle
1 cup bean sprouts washed
5 cloves garlic slivered
1.5 cups chicken/vegetable broth
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp pepper
1 pinch crushed red pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs lemon juice

white rice prepared as instructed on package.

In large skillet brown chicken. Add veggies, black and red pepper. Cook until veggies are tender (or to your liking, I like em crunchy) add chicken stock and soy sauce to deglaze the pan and pick up all the bits from the bottom. Add in seasonings and boil on high until sauce thickens and reduces. Plate rice and cover with veggies and chicken.

For the vegetarian version sauté veggies to your liking and add the stock and seasonings subbing veggie stock for chicken.

If you want more sauce just increase the amount of broth you put in and add more soy sauce to taste. Also sesame seeds would be great in this but I was out.

Mashed Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower
1.5 cups vegetable broth
pinch salt
pinch pepper
cheddar cheese

Quarter cauliflower and cut off all stem pieces. Cut into chunks and put in pot with stock salt and pepper. Boil for about 15 minutes. Check and when cauliflower is fork tender smash it with a potato masher. If there is too much liquid you can pour some out. Top with cheese.

With out cheese it is about 30 calories for a cup of the mashed cauliflower. You can add butter and what not, I just didn't think it needed it. Also it doesn't need this much cheese but my husband HATES veggies so I had to hide them from him under cheese. I thought these kicked ass and had great flavor. This can also be mixed in with actual mashed potatoes to hide them from kids (although I gave it to my son and told him it was mashed potatoes and he loved it), it can also be mixed into macaroni or other things to help get your kids to eat. I'm sure their are fancier versions out there, but I really enjoy tasting my food and not always tasting a bunch of spice. Some call me boring or bland, but I just really enjoy tasting the actual food I'm cooking!

Spinach

1 bag baby spinach
8 cloves garlic thinly sliced
olive oil
salt
pepper
tbsp lemon juice

In large sauté pan coat bottom with olive oil. Add garlic and let it simmer on low infusing the oil with the garlic. After about 6 minutes add in the spinach, salt and pepper. Toss it frequently in the olive oil until wilted. At the very end add the lemon juice so that it doesn't bitter.

When all else fails spaghetti sauce

While I would love to pretend I was some glamorous stay at home mom who had the chance to always make things from scratch, in my real life that isn't possible. While some people frown on things that aren't 100% home made, they don't have kids and work full time! On weekends, yes I can take the time to make a beautiful spaghetti sauce and let it simmer on the stove all day. But during a normal work week I just don't have the time, also I have a gas stove and no part of me is brave enough to leave my house with an open flame on the stove simmering sauce. Huge kitchen fire, NO THANKS! So on the week nights my husband requests spaghetti I have two options, pour some sauce in a jar on it, OR turn the sauce in a jar into something special. SO! That being said, this is how I turn jar sauce into, semi home made sauce. (Chris I will fuck you up if you comment about my jars and cans)!

1 Jar favorite pasta sauce (I like the Bertoli olive oil and basil)
6 cloves garlic minced
1 medium yellow onion chopped
2 pounds ground beef
1 tbsp dry basil
1 package mushrooms cleaned and sliced
1 can tomato paste
1 12 oz can diced tomatoes
1-2 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp pepper
1 tsp salt
pinch red pepper flakes

In large pot sweat down half the onions and garlic in a bit of EVOO add the diced tomatoes and basil, and half of your salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook it together for a minute and dump in your jar sauce and tomato paste. If the sauce gets to thick add some of the veggie stock until you get a consistency you like. I like mine thick so I didn't use more then a cup. While that is simmering on low add your beef, and the remaining onions garlic salt and peppers to a sauté pan. While that is cooking toss your mushrooms and a bit of EVOO in another pan to brown them. When the mushrooms are done toss em into the meat and then drain the fat out of your beef (or keep it for extra flavor), when the meat is still a little pink pour your sauce over it and continue cooking on low in the sauce so your red sauce gets the flavor of the meat fully combined with out soaking up all the grease. Anyway like I said I like my sauce thick so I keep it that way. At this point you can thin yours out again if you like. Pour a heaping spoon full on top of your pasta and top with some fresh shaved Parmesan cheese. This is a quick and easy way to turn a jar sauce into something semi home made with a little heart in it.

Green and white salad

1/2 cup romaine hearts chopped up
1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup organic white beans (I buy them canned and just rinse them)
1 Tbsp fresh shaved Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp slivered almonds
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Serve with your dressing of choice. I like to use a little ranch with some salsa mixed in. The salsa cuts down the saltiness from the Parmesan and adds a great sweet hint to it. All together the salad alone is about 150 calories rounding up. The dressing I used today was 80. I love this salad because it adds great protein, flavor and energy to my day.

If you have the time to make beans then you should do that. I don't though because these are all ingredients I can just pick up and leave at work.

Ask Chris about this, I'm willing to bet he has a home made salad dressing recipe that would compliment this salad perfectly and offset the saltiness!