Chipotle Stuffed Mushrooms

Summer is here and there’s nothing better than sitting out on our dock on a warm evening, enjoying an adult beverage and a few appetizers.  Honestly we sometimes make appetizers our meal during the summer as it’s laid back, easy and seriously, who wants to spend time in the kitchen over the stove or have the oven running for hours.  Fun-finger-food followed by marshmallow kabobs (roasted marshmallows) for dessert sure sounds perfect in our minds.  Yes, just call me Mrs. Flax.

So with summer here, our search this month for our Secret Recipe Club had us looking for appetizers.  Our blog assignment this month was Andrea’s Adventures in all Things Food.  A few of her recipes caught our attention, including her Lamb Stew 'en Papillote', also delicious looking was her Thai inspired Chicken Patties with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce, and her Fast and Flavorful Pineapple Mango salsa, which probably will be making an appearance on our table this summer, but as I said, we really wanted an appetizer.  In the end it was her Chipotle stuffed mushrooms we chose to make and enjoy.

Andrea’s blog shows her life with her children, there are lots of home and craft ideas and books, as she really seems to love reading.  Of course there are lots of recipes too and along with those recipes she does a lot of product reviews, endorsements and giveaways.  In this recipe she used Chipotle flavored Tabasco sauce.  We didn’t have the sauce and chose not to purchase it just for this recipe, so instead we used chipotle powder to get that nice spicy, smoky kick which was a wonderful contrast to the creaminess of the cream cheese.  The other change we made to the recipe was we chose to leave out the panko, to make the recipe lower in carbs and we also left out the egg yolk because in truth, we just forgot to put it in…oops!  All-in-all, the mushrooms were wonderful and they held together well and will be made again and again as we enjoy our summer appetizer meals. 

Chipotle Stuffed Mushrooms (Adapted from here)

• 1 TBS. olive oil 
• 1 yellow onion, diced finely
• 48 oz. of button mushrooms, stems removed and chopped finely 
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 16 oz. natural pork sausage
• 3/4 tsp. Chipotle powder
• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened  
• 3/4 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded (NOT the powdered dry grated)
• extra shredded Parmesan for topping

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
Heat 1 TBS. olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the onion until golden, add the chopped mushroom stems and sauté until soft.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up until no pink remains..  Add the chipotle powder and stir to combine, cook for a bout 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cream cheese and stir to combine.  Add the Parmesan and stir to combine.   Cool slightly.  Fill each mushroom cap with filling and top with a little more Parmesan cheese.  Place the filled mushroom caps on a baking sheet.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the mushrooms are softened and the filling has turned golden brown. 
Plate and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Sriracha Deviled Eggs
Grilled Pizza Sandwich
Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Mascarpone Soup 
Hearty Bacon, Turkey & Vegetable Frittata
Chicken Satay with Sunbutter “Peanut” Sauce
Asian Pork Chops
Mango Salsa 
Pomegranate Molasses Salad Dressing
Beef Keema  
Roasted Grape Tomato, Garlic & Poblano Ragu
Mexican Feast: Cream of Ancho Chile Soup, Roasted Poblano Burger with Chile de Arbol Guacamole & Pork Crusted Baked Poblano Fries
Zesty Zucchini Skillet
Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk
Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry
Check out the new SRC blog for more exciting recipes from past reveals

An InLinkz Link-up

Asian Pork Chops

This month for Secret Recipe Club I was assigned the wonderful blog The Keenan Cookbook written by Chris and Rachel.  They post recipes twice weekly and mouthwatering recipes they are.  Chris and Rachel cooked from our blog back in March of 2012 when they made our Apple Dumpings so now it was time to cook from theirs.  There were so many delicious recipes including Grilled ginger chicken with peach salsa, and a perfectly delicious looking Green bean & tomato salad with lime & sesame dressing but the recipe that called to us this month was the Asian pork chops. 

Once again to better fit with our diet I made just a couple of small changes to the recipe.  I substituted Coconut Aminos for the soy sauce and a Medjool date for the brown sugar.  Otherwise I followed the recipe.  I allowed the pork chops to marinate overnight and then grilled them and WOW were they delicious!  Maisie has asked that I use the same marinade on chicken and steak so that is going to happen very soon.  Thank you Chris and Rachel for an awesome recipe and hop on over to The Keenan Cookbook for the original recipe and more amazing food recipes.  

Asian Pork Chops (Adapted from here)

• 4 5-ounce bone in or boneless pork loin chops, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Aminos  
• 1 Medjool date, pitted 
• 2 teaspoons grated, peeled fresh ginger
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil   
• 1/2 teaspoon 5-Spice power 
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Add all the ingredients except the pork chops and sesame seeds to a blender and process until will mixed.  Place the pork in a large Ziploc bag and add the marinade and sesame seeds.  Seal and place in refrigerator over night to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.  Remove the pork chops from the marinade and grill over medium high heat about 4 minutes per side until done.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. 

Enjoy!!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Mango Salsa 
Pomegranate Molasses Salad Dressing 
Beef Keema  
Roasted Grape Tomato, Garlic & Poblano Ragu
Mexican Feast: Cream of Ancho Chile Soup, Roasted Poblano Burger with Chile de Arbol Guacamole & Pork Crusted Baked Poblano Fries 
Zesty Zucchini Skillet 
Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk 
Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Check out the new SRC blog for more exciting recipes from past reveals

An InLinkz Link-up

Peachy Cola Ribs

I can't believe that for the second month in a row, I almost missed a month of the the Improv Cooking Challenge. Last month I had difficulty getting my act together to just get on the computer and blog, and this month, though I'm more "together", the motherboard on my laptop died so I'm all out of sorts without my computer and I'm now blogging from my iPad mini with pictures from my iPhone. As far as cooking for this challenge, well that was done well in advance, so I'm not a total slacker. After 21 consecutive months of participating and posting with the Improv Cooking Challenge I would have hated to miss a month so I'm glad that I got I this post up, a little late but still within the time frame of the challenge.

This month for the Improv Cooking Challenge our hostess Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker challenged the participating bloggers to make any recipe of their choosing using the specified ingredients of peaches & herbs! It took me a little while to decide on the direction I wanted to go with the ingredients, sweet or savory and what exactly to make. I did do a bit of back and forth thinking of cobblers and drinks but in the end I decided to make ribs which I would be cook in a spice, herb & cola braising liquid and then slather with a peach & cola BBQ sauce.

The night that I made the ribs we had guests over for dinner and the ribs were a big hit all around. The flavors of the braising liquid really permeated the meat and the BBQ sauce was the perfect accompaniment. Because I braised the ribs I was able to get that part of the cooking done before our guests arrived and then it was a quick finish on the grill with the BBQ sauce right before serving. The ribs were fall off the bone tender and totally delicious! I hope that you'll give this recipe a try

Peachy Cola Ribs

• 1 rack pork ribs, cut into serving portions of 2-3 ribs each
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 10 large basil leaves, julienned
• 1 1/2 tsp allspice
• 2 TBS. grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 can cola
• 1lb. frozen peaches, thawed
• 18 oz. Sweet Baby Ray's Cola-Q BBQ Sauce

In a medium sauce pan stir together the garlic, onion, basil, allspice, ginger, red pepper flakes, bay leaves & cola. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally and simmer until reduced by half.

Place the peaches & BBQ sauce into a blender and process until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Add the reduced braising liquid to the prepared pan and place the ribs curved side up on top of the liquid. Brush the ribs lightly with the peachy BBQ sauce. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place into the preheated oven. Cook the ribs for 90 minutes and then check to see if they are fall off the bone tender. Cook an additional 20 minutes if needed. Remove from the oven and pour off fat & braising liquid.

Heat grill to medium high. Brush the BBQ sauce over all surfaces of the ribs. Place the ribs on the hot grill and cook until the BBQ sauce caramelizes, turning the ribs as needed. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

My previous Improv Cooking Challenge entries:

June 2013 Fish & Chips: Salt &Vinegar Crab Cakes
May 2013 Cinnamon & Sugar: Cinnamon Bun Cookie Bars
April 2013 Bacon & Eggs: Mini Bacon & Swiss Quiche Cups
March 2013 Carrots & Peas: Mom’s Beef Vegetable Soup
February 2013 Hearts & Flours: Three Ingredient Fudgy Nutella Brownie Bites
January 2013 Bananas & Nutmeg: Baked Bananas
December 2012 Chocolate & Marshmallows: White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark
November 2012 Sweet Potatoes & honey: Sweet Potato Glass Noodles with Honey Garlic Lime Shrimp
October 2012 Oatmeal & Raisins: S’mores Granola Bars
September 2012 Zucchini & Brown Sugar: Zucchini with Onion & Brown Sugar
August 2012 Tomatoes & Peppers: French Fries Hash Browns
July 2012 Corn & Butter: Fritos Crusted Pollock
June 2012 Cherries & Almonds: Dried Cherry Almond Tart
May 2012 Strawberries & Cream: Strawberry Soup
April 2012 Peanut butter & Jelly: Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars
March 2012 Potato & Cheese: Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole
February 2012 Ginger & Carrots: Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
January 2012 Lemon & Sour Cream: Ponderosa Lemon & Sour Cream Tart
December 2011 Eggnog & Cranberries: Eggnog Popovers with Cranberry Butter
November 2011 Pumpkin & Cream Cheese: Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake
October 2011 Caramel & Apples: Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Chili Maple Mustard Ribs

When Lisa, Doug & Briana joined us last Saturday for an afternoon of play and food, you’d think by my previous posts about the meal that it was all Thai inspired food between the Thai Cucumber Salad and Grilled Thai Chicken but it wasn’t as I was craving ribs, so I made them too.  The ribs weren’t Thai inspired but they were moist, meaty, juicy and fall-off-the-bone tender delicious and they sure hit the spot for me.  The final item that I made for last weekend’s dinner was chocolate deliciousness but as that recipe is my July Secret Recipe Club entry you’ll just have to come back to Cook Lisa Cook on posting day, Monday July 9th to see who’s blog I cooked from and what I actually made…and trust me when I say that it was gorgeous and loved by all.

Back to these ribs though.  I went with regular pork ribs instead of baby backs as I wanted the nice thick layer of meat…plus they were on a great sale at less than a quarter of the cost of baby backs so a great deal all around.  I did all the cooking in the oven but when I’ve cooked ribs like this in the past I’ve often finished them on the grill for the last 15-20 minutes just to give that grilled smoky flavor but it really isn’t necessary.  In addition the ribs stay a lot moister when not put on the grill.  After our meal last weekend I cut the leftover racks into pieces of 4-5 ribs and placed each section into FoodSaver bags and vacuum sealed the ribs.  Tonight Eammon wanted ribs so I quickly pulled out a package from the freezer, defrosted it (still sealed in the FoodSaver bag) in a bowl of water and then was able to quickly reheat the ribs in the microwave…just as moist and wonderful as the first day they were made.  This oven method is my preferred way to make ribs and I have used many different rubs and glazes, all with great results so if you’re craving delicious ribs, give this method of cooking them and this recipe a try, you won’t be disappointed.

Chili Maple Mustard Ribs 

• 2 full racks pork ribs, approx. 10 lbs total

Dry rub:

• 2 TBS. dark chili powder 
• 1 TBS. dry mustard 
• 1 TBS. sea salt 
• 1 TBS. fresh ground pepper

Glaze:

• 3 TBS. peanut oil (or oil of your choice)
• 2 medium red onions, finely minced
• 6 TBS. prepared Dijon mustard
• 6 TBS. Zinfandel vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 3 TBS. sugar free maple syrup (or real maple syrup)
• 3 TBS. sugar free honey (or real honey)  
• 2 TBS. dark chili powder 
• 1/4 tsp. maple extract

In a small bowl mix together the 2 TBS. dark chili powder, 1 TBS. dry mustard, 1 TBS. sea salt and 1 TBS. ground pepper. Wash and dry the ribs and place each rack on a foil lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle the dry rub all over the ribs, top and bottom.  Place the ribs meat side up on the pans and cover tightly with foil and refrigerated for 24-48 hours.

Preheat oven to 325F.  Place the pans of ribs, still tightly covered with foil, into the oven and bake for 90 minutes.

While the ribs are baking, heat a pan and add the oil.  Sautee the onions until they are translucent and tender.  Add the remaining glaze ingredients and cook, stirring continuously until the mixture is thick, approx. 2 minutes. 

Once the ribs have cooked for 90 minutes, remove the foil and spread the glaze mixture evenly over the tops of the ribs.  Increase the oven temperature to 400F and continue baking the ribs for 45 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and using poultry shears cut the ribs into individual servings of one to three ribs depending on the size desired.

Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Apple Pork

I’ll totally admit it, this may not be the prettiest dish but it is the most wonderfully delicious pulled pork I have ever had!  I have made this recipe dozens and dozens of times but because it’s not pretty I just never took a picture but I have had so many requests for the recipe and I’m tired of it being my responsibility to remember to email the recipe, I’ve relented and I’m putting it here on the blog, unattractive pictures and all. 

I love that I can easily scale this recipe up or down depending on how many people I need to feed, it cooks just as well in a slow cooker or the oven and best of all, it freezes wonderfully and because it’s so delicious I always try to keep some in the freezer for when the craving strikes.  I implore you, make this pork and you’ll be licking your bowl and your dinner guests will think you’re the best cook ever.

Sweet & Spicy Apple Pork

(It is best to make this a day ahead if possible so to skim the fat)

2 - 12 oz cans frozen apple juice concentrate
1 cup ketchup 
1 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I like K.C. Masterpiece Original)
1 TBS cumin 
1 TBS sweet paprika 
1 head of garlic, peeled & minced
1 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Ground cayenne pepper  (I use 2 tsp which gives it a good bit of spice but I'd suggest the first time you only use 1 tsp.)
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 whole medium onions, diced
5-6 pounds boneless pork shoulder butt roast, cut into big chunks

Directions:
Oven Method: Pre-heat oven to 350F.  Add everything but the pork to a large roaster and stir to mix well.  Add the pork and mix well. Cover tightly and cook for 4-6 hours or until the pork is very tender.  Once cooked allow to cool a little and then remove the pork to a platter fat side up and remove as much of the fat as possible (it will very easily scrape off.)  With two forks you can either pull the pork into some serving size big chunks or "shred" it for pulled pork sandwiches.   Put all the cooked liquids into a large bowl and then add the pork back to the liquid and push it down to submerge completely.  Cover tightly and chill overnight.  Skim the fat from the top and then just reheat.  I serve this various ways, over wide egg noodles, over rice or as pulled pork sandwiches on buns. 

Slow cooker Method:  Follow the directions above but cook on high for 8-10 hours or until pork is very tender.  After the pork is cooked and you do all the fat removal as above, if you have a slow cooker with a removable crock, chill overnight covered right in the crock, remove the fat layer and reheat right in your slow cooker.

Enjoy!

Pork Dumplings with Rice Wrappers

Happy Chinese New Year ~~ Year of the Dragon ~~ Gung Hay Fat Choy!!! 新年快樂

Maisie is my dumpling loving girl and how could I have her celebrate Chinese New Year without her beloved dumplings.  But now with her food allergies to wheat, egg whites and milk, I’ve had to find new ways of making her favorite foods so enter, dumplings made with rice paper wrappers.  I didn’t have to make any changes to my filling recipe, it was only replacing the traditional wheat based dumpling wrapper with the rice paper wrapper.  I couldn’t make traditional shaped dumplings so I tried cigar and rectangular shaped and both worked out well as far as wrapping went.  I then tried steaming the dumplings and though they were wonderful, the wrapper just didn’t want to stay on so I tried pan frying and it was a success.  The dumplings were absolutely delicious and we all love them so these are the dumplings which the Cook Lisa Cook household will be enjoying from now on.  I made a huge tray of dumplings, fried them all up and then on a Silpat lined baking sheet I froze them (don’t allow them to touch one another.)  I then was able to transfer the fully cooked individually frozen dumplings to FoodSaver zipper bags and then I vacuumed out all the air using my FoodSaver .  This way whenever Maisie wants some dumplings I can easily pull out as many as she wants and heat them up and then easily seal up the rest so to keep them fresh and freezer burn-free.     

Pork Dumplings with Rice Wrappers

2.3 pounds ground pork
1.5 pounds Napa cabbage, shredded
3 TBS fresh grated ginger
6 large scallions, whites & greens sliced
12 TBS soy sauce 
3 TBS Shaoxing wine
3 TBS sesame oil 
1 package rice paper wrappers, round 16 cm

In a large bowl combine the ground pork, shredded cabbage, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and sesame oil and mix well.  To make the dumplings, one by one quickly soak a rice paper round in some warm water until pliable.  Lay the wrapper on a work surface and place some of the pork mixture in the center of the round.  Fold the rice paper around the pork as you would for an egg roll or wrap sandwich.  Lay the wrapped dumpling on a Silpat or oiled parchment paper lined baking sheet.  When ready to fry, heat a very thin layer of peanut oil (or oil of your choice) in a large fry pan.  Fry up both sides of the dumpling until the pork is cooked through and the wrapper is golden brown. 

Serve with Dumpling Dipping Sauce

Dumpling Dipping Sauce

2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup seasoned soy sauce for seafood (bottle will say "ideal for steamed fish")
3 TBS Shaoxing wine or rice wine
1 TBS rock sugar
2  teaspoons grated peeled ginger root
1 clove garlic, minced finely 
1 small chili pepper, thinly sliced into "coins"
4 TBS cilantro, medium chopped
1 scallion thinly sliced, mostly into rings and then some longer thin strips from the green end

In a pot over medium heat stir everything but the scallion together until the sugar melts and then allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in scallion.  Allow to cool.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  I have kept this for a month and it's still great.  (I usually double this one as it keeps for so long)

Enjoy!!

Potato Crusted Pork Chops

Before we left for Aruba I was walking through the grocery and had a major AHA moment when I happened to notice an end cap filled with boxes of something I’ve never purchased, potato flakes and I realized that they looked just like panko.  It dawned on Marblehead here that I could use them to “bread” pork, chicken or fish, making some of our favorite meals “safe” for Maisie and her food allergies.  I am really starting to find my way and though a bit of a pain in the tush, it is interesting to find new ways of making meals so that Maisie can continue to enjoy some of her favorite foods in a new and safe way and soon it will be my norm in cooking.  Once I got home with the potato flakes I looked up recipes on the web and sure enough there were dozens of them.  Most said dip the meat in an egg wash and coat with the potato flakes but obviously that wasn’t going to work for Maisie as she can’t have egg whites.  So I just lightly coated the meat with a little peanut oil and then the potato flakes which I seasoned with some garlic powder, salt, pepper and Italian seasonings and I baked the pork the way I always have and it worked out wonderfully.  The seasoned potato flakes were delicious and we we enjoyed one of our favorite meals in the new “safe for Maisie” way.

Potato Crusted Pork Chops

2 boneless pork chops
1/2 cup potato flakes 
1 tsp. Italian seasoning 
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Peanut or oil of your choice 

Preheat oven to 450F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly oil.  In a bowl mix together the potato flakes, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt & pepper.  Lightly coat the pork chops with oil and then dip into the potato flake mixture covering all sides of the pork.  Place the pork on prepared baking sheet.  Bake 20 minutes or until cooked though.

Enjoy!