California Melts

This is a delicious, simple, healthy recipe for an open-faced sandwich.  Delicious served with a bowl of soup!  You won't even miss the meat.

 California Melt     This makes four open-faced sandwiches

4 slices whole wheat bread, toasted 

1 avocado, sliced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/3 cup sliced toasted almonds

1 tomato, sliced

4 slices Swiss cheese

 Mayonnaise, if desired

 Preheat the broiler.  Lay the four pieces of toast on a baking sheet.  Top each slice with 1/4 of the avocado, mushroom, almonds, and tomato.  Top with the cheese.  Put under the broiler until the cheese is well melted.  You can put mayonnaise on the bread first, if you would like.

Can You Freeze Mushrooms?

The answer is yes and they turn out great. Just wipe them clean with a paper towel, slice them, put them on parchment on a cookie sheet in a single layer and put them in the freezer.  When frozen, put them in ziplock bags and put them back in the freezer.  They're ready to use whenever you need them.

Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Need a delicious dinner in 20 minutes?  Here's the recipe for you, and it's delicious!  I got it from Cooking Without Recipes site.  That site just gives ingredient ideas and cooking methods- amounts and ingredients can vary according to taste.  I love that kind of cooking!
Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
1 lb pasta  (the site suggested orecchiette, which I love) I've used ravioli stuffed with chicken and cheese. That was good because it added a little bit of meat to the dish.   It was so delicious!)
Mushrooms, sliced  However many and varieties you like.  I've used a white button and creminis
Butter, a hunk- as much or little as you like
Cream (or you could use half n half)
Parmesan
Garlic (opt)
Chives or Parsley for garnish, opt.

In a large pot, boil water with a lot of salt. Cook pasta to el dente

In a large skillet, brown some butter and add mushrooms and garlic if desired. You may also add garlic salt. When browned and softened, add some cream to make a nice creamy sauce.  Drain the pasta and add the hot, cooked pasta into the sauce.  Season with some red pepper flakes and salt.  Add lots of parmesan cheese.  Stir and serve hot.

Thai Tom Yum Soup

There is a famous Vegan Thai restaurant in Seattle and LA called Araya's Place.  They have a delicious and popular soup there called Tom Yum.  They also have Tom Kah soup, and I really think this recipe is more like that one because it has the coconut milk in it.  But whatever you call it, it is delicious.  It is a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, a little bit tangy, and a lot delicious.  And bonus- it's very healthy!  And that's whether you choose to make it with chicken or without.

Thai Tom Yum Soup
1 Quart Chicken stock (vegetable stock if you want it be vegan)
1 can coconut milk
1 stalk lemon grass (found with herbs in the produce section)
5-6 kafir lime leaves (not easily found.  You can substitute the zest of 1 lime)
4 cups mushrooms, sliced or quartered  ( I used cremini mushrooms)
*2-3 cups chopped, cooked chicken ( I used rotisserie chicken breast)  Obviously, eliminate if you want it to be vegan.  Tofu may be substituted.
4 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice, fresh if possible
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons fish sauce OR soy sauce (fish sauce has a kind of nasty smell, so I prefer to add soy sauce)
4 fresh Thai chilis or 2 Tablespoons chili paste or 1/2 - 2 Tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes - this is your hot factor and should vary to taste
1/2 cup or so chopped cilantro

Put the stock in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Crush the lemon grass with a mallet and put a piece of string around it.

When the stock boils, put in the lemon grass, lime leaves or zest, mushrooms and chicken or tofu.  Let it come back to a boil and then let it simmer for 3 minutes.  Add the lemon juice, fish or soy sauce, coconut milk, and chili or pepper flakes. Heat through.  Serve in bowls and garnish with cilantro.

*You can use tofu instead of chicken.

Fancy Chicken

This is one of the best new recipes I've tried in a long time.  It is just delicious.  Both my husband and I LOVED it.  I served it over mashed potatoes, but I think it would be delicious over pasta as well.  Bonus:  It's easy!  And it's easy to make bigger or smaller based on your family size.  You're gonna like this one:

Fancy Chicken
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced very thin
4-8 thin slices of prosciutto or ham
Bag of baby spinach (you won't use the whole bag)
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 envelope Recipe Secret's Savory Herb and Garlic (with the dry soups)
1/2 cup (more or less) chicken broth
1/4 cup olive oil
Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Heat your oven to 375.  Spray a 13 x9 pan.  Put the sliced chicken in the bottom of the pan.  Season with a little of the Herb and Garlic mix.  Next layer thin slices of prosciutto or ham over the chicken.  (Prosciutto is delicious, but expensive.  I think thin ham would work, too)  Then layer with a good thick layer of spinach, filling the pan almost full.  Sprinkle on salt and pepper.  Top with the mushrooms.  In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, olive oil and seasoning packet.  Pour overall.  Cover pan with foil and bake it for about 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over all.  Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Serve with mashed potatoes or cooked pasta.
So, so yummy!!!!