Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Ingredients:

4 medium portabella mushroom caps

1 TBS olive oil

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 TBS minced fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 ounces shredded Italian blend cheese

1/4 cup + 3 TBS seasoned bread crumbs

3 TBS butter melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush outside only of mushroom caps with oil. Place mushrooms, gill side up, in a 9x13 pan.
2. Place tomatoes and basil in a small bowl. Press garlic into bowl using Garlic Press. Add cheese and 3 TBS bread crumbs; mix gently.
3. Scoop mixture evenly into mushroom caps. 
4. Mix 1/4 cup bread crumbs and melted butter together.  Sprinkle over the top of the mixture.
5. Bake 16-18 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Remove mushrooms to serving plate and garnish with snipped fresh parsley. To serve, cut mushrooms in half.

Steamed Turkey Wontons

A wonton is a type of dumpling commonly found in a number of Chinese cuisines.

Wontons are made by spreading a wrapper flat and placing a small amount of filling in the center.  The edges are then sealed into the desired shape by compressing the wrapper's edges together. The wrapper is sealed by moistening the wrapper's inner edges, typically by dipping a fingertip into water and running it across the dry dough to dissolve the extra flour. As part of the sealing process, air should be "burped" out of the interior to avoid rupturing the wonton from internal pressure when cooked.

These wontons are super easy to make and are also low in calories and fat.  They can be great as appetizers or they can be combined with fried rice to make a meal!

WONTONS

1/2 lb. lean ground turkey

1 egg

2 TBS soy sauce

1 tsp grated fresh ginger root

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 TBS plain dry bread crumbs

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

16 wonton wrappers

SAUCE

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 TBS soy sauce

1 tsp freshly grated ginger root

1 tsp sesame oil

1 garlic clove, pressed

For the wontons, combine turkey, egg, soy sauce, bread crumbs, garlic, ginger root and cayenne pepper in a bowl.  Using a small scoop, place a scoop of turkey mixture on the wonton wrapper. 

Spray the inside of your steamer with a nonstick cooking spray/  Place the wonton wrappers on a butting board.  Using a small scoop, place the filling in the center of each wrapper.  Lightly brush the outer edges with water.  Bring the corners up toward the center and seal.  Place in the steamer.

For the sauce, combine all the ingredients and mix well.  When wontons are done serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Avocado Salsa Cups

These fun appetizers are always requested when I have get together's at my house.  They are light and fresh and absolutely wonderful.  

Tortilla Cups

6 flour tortillas
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Avocado Filling

2 small plum tomatoes
2 small avocados
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp lime juice
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
Additional chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. For cups, using Pizza Cutter, trim tortillas to form six 6-in. squares. Cut each square into quarters for a total of twenty-four 3-in. squares. Make a 1-in. cut from each corner toward the center of each square. Brush both sides of each square with oil using a basting brush. Press squares into bottom of a mini-muffin pan using a tart shaper. Bake 8-10 minutes or until crisp. Remove from oven.

For filling, core and seed tomatoes. Finely dice tomatoes and avocados. Chop cilantro. Combine tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, lime juice, minced garlic and salt in a bowl.

Fill cups with filling. Spoon sour cream into resealable plastic bag; trim corner. Pipe sour cream over avocado mixture. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro, if desired.

The Perfect Dipped Strawberries

It is not a secret that we love chocolate around my house and I thought I would share some awesome spins on chocolate dipped strawberries.  Summer is just around the corner and strawberries are finely back in season!  These are divine and add a little pop to your regular dipped strawberries.  I guarantee your sweetie pie or guests will love them.  

Before you dip your strawberries clean them well.  Make sure that the strawberries are completely dry or it will ruin the chocolate.  I used dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate.  For toppings I used coconut, mini chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers and chopped nuts.  

Go to a chocolate shop and find some great chocolate.  It makes a difference.  Melt slowly over a double boiler until just melted.  Remove from heat and stir until it starts to slightly cool.  Dip the strawberries and top with whatever your heart desires.  Have fun and be creative!

Chicken Enchilada Ring

Many of you know that I was a Pampered Chef consultant for several years.  It was great and I got to really stock pile my kitchen with wonderful gadgets!!  This recipe is one that I did numerous times at shows.  It is great for parties and tastes great.  So, I thought I would pass it along.  Enjoy

2 C. coarsely chopped chicken                                  

¼ C. chopped olives                                                 

1 C. Shredded Monterey Jack cheese   blend          

1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies, undrained           

2/3 C. finely crushed corn tortillas 

1 TBS. Southwestern Seasoning (if you can't find a southwestern seasoning you can use taco seasoning instead)

2 Plum Tomatoes

1 Lime

½ C. Mayonnaise  

2 packages crescent rolls

If you have a favorite way to cook your chicken, anything will work.  But, my mom cooked her chicken like this for soups and different recipes and I love it because it is so moist and shreds really easy.  In a small saucepan place two chicken breast and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  With a spoon skim off the white foam from the water.  Once the water is clear add 1 TBS of chicken bouillon, 1 TBS of beef bouillon and 1 TBS of dried onions.  Cover and simmer on low for about one hour.  Your chicken will be nicely flavored and super moist!

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Chop chicken and olives; place in bowl.  Add cheese, green chilies, mayonnaise and seasoning mix.  Seed and chop 1 tomato. Slice lime in half.  Using juicer, juice one half of lime to measure 1 teaspoon juice.  Reserve remaining lime for garnish.  Add tomato and lime juice to mixture.  Reserve 2 tablespoons crushed chips and add remaining chips to chicken mixture.  Sprinkle reserved crushed chips over the round cooking stone. Arrange dough over the chips.  Separate triangles.  Arrange in a circle with wide ends overlapping in the center and points toward outside.

Scoop chicken mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle.  Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. 

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

***For garnish, cut remaining tomato into 8 wedges.  Cut remaining half of lime into 4 slices, cut in half.  Arrange between openings of ring.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.***

Red Potato Bites

12 "B" size red potatoes (about 2 inches in diameter), unpeeled

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 TBS olive or vegetable oil

4 oz chive and onion cream cheese spread

2 garlic cloves, pressed

3 TBS sour cream

1/2 tsp salt 

Optional toppings such as grated cheddar cheese, bacon bits and snipped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut potatoes in half crosswise. Cut a thin slice off bottom of each potato half so that they can sit up straight. Carefully scoop out a small amount of pulp from each potato half using a corer.

In medium size bowl combine oil, garlic, salt and black pepper. Add potato halves; toss to coat. Place potato halves, hollowed side down, on medium size sheet pan. Bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown and tender. Remove from oven; cool slightly.

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese spread and sour cream; whisk until smooth. Fill with cream cheese mixture evenly into hollowed potato halves.  (If you want it to look pretty you can use a pastry bag and pipe in the cream cheese mixture.) Sprinkle with toppings, if desired. Place on serving platter; serve slightly warm.

Tomato and Herb Phyllo Pizza

5 TBS of butter melted

Phyllo dough sheets (found in the freezer section)

7 TBS freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup thinly sliced onion

7-9 plum tomatoes

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano

1 tsp minced fresh thyme

1 tsp minced fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

Brush a sheet pan with some of the melted butter. Lay a sheet of phyllo in the pan.  (you may need to use two to cover the pan depending on what size of phyllo your store sells.  Keep the phyllo covered with waxed paper or a dish towel to keep it from drying out).  Brush the dough and sprinkle with 1 TBS of Parmesan cheese.  Repeat 6 times.

Top the remaining dough with the rest of the butter.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Arrange the onion and tomatoes over the cheese evenly.  Sprinkle with the herbs, remaining Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the edges of the dough are golden brown.