Duchess of ForkMushrooms

Good Things Come in Tiny Packages

Duchess of Fork — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:30:59 +0000

Yeah, yeah, yeah…you’ve heard the saying hundreds of times. In my case, it’s totally true. I know everyone has been on the “slider” bandwagon for ages now, and I can see why. A huge deli sandwich or mammoth hamburger is just too big a meal for little ole me (tehe…I’m not very little). Tiny silders make the perfect portion for lunch or dinner, along with a tasty side dish. And, if you’re big and burly like the Duke, you can have a few!

I was supposed to be blogging about a Tuscan Tuna Salad today, but I created these scrumptious little gems yesterday and just had to share.

Spinach Sliders with Marinated Veggies. Oh Yeah. Seriously. This little sandwich packs a serious punch. I passed the marinated veggie counter at the grocery store the other day and just had to scoop up some of the mushrooms, olives and feta cheese. Note-these are all foods that the Duke wouldn’t touch with a 50-foot pole. That’s perfect…more for me!

Spinach Sliders with Marinated Veggies

Ingredients

6 whole-wheat slider buns
Fresh spinach leaves
1 cup mixed marinated vegetables, from grocery store or homemade (mushrooms, olives, artichokes, etc.)

Instructions

On a clean cutting board, slice each bun in half. Layer on fresh spinach leaves, then top with a scoop of marinated veggies. You may need to slice some of the veggies before assembling sandwiches. Place bun tops on each sandwich and dig in.

Makes 6 sliders

Easy peasy, right?? Sometimes the smallest and easiest things in life can be the best. And don’t you ever forget that.

Make this for your next Ladies’ Lunch and you’ll thank me profusely. Have a great weekend, friends! The Duke and I are off to see Le Grand Cirque tomorrow night with my parents. It’s like a knock off Cirque du Soleil. Should be fun.

Tata!The Duchess

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Impromptu Dinner Party!

Duchess of Fork — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:12:50 +0000

Good Sunday morning to you. It’s another beautiful day in Paradise. Did you remember to Spring Forward? The Duke and I did, and I still woke up at 8 (which is technically 7). I just can’t ever seem to sleep in! Of course, on work days when I have to get up early, I feel like I could sleep forever. Why is that??

Last night we threw an impromptu dinner party at our house with two other couples. We all went out together Friday night, and the idea to have them over for dinner last night just naturally came together. You all know I love to cook, but I also love entertaining. I love the feeling of a house full of great people enjoying each other’s company and wonderful food.

When everyone arrived, we munched on a yummy appetizer. It’s Praline Mustard Glaze over cream cheese with extra pecans sprinkled on top.

It’s the perfect mix of sweet, salty, sticky, creamy. It goes great with a plate of salty crackers and chips.

Here are our good friends Laura, Damon, Patrick and Laura. We have about two other friends named Laura, also. Makes things pretty easy.

For dinner I made a delicious and super easy pasta dish from Real Simple. The original recipe was Sausage, Mozzarella and Broccoli Rabe with Shells, but I used spinach and mushrooms instead of the broccoli rabe and used whole wheat egg noodles. I think my pan was a little too small, huh?

Guess I underestimated how much food I had!

Here it is, ready to go in the oven (minus mozzarella, of course).

And here it is fresh out of the oven.

Holy yum! This stuff was delicious. The whole wheat egg noodles are great- a bit lighter than other hearty whole wheat pastas.

The Duke and I were thoroughly stuffed after this meal.

While we all digested, we played a thrilling game of Catch Phrase- girls vs. guys. Girls won, of course, 4 games to 2!!! Girls rule, boys drool!

Now the Duke and I are off to enjoy this extra hour of sunlight today. We’re signed up for a photography class today. We also have a house showing, so hopefully these buyers will be interested. Ta ta for now. The Duchess

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College Days

Duchess of Fork — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 05:22:59 +0000

Oh how I love this recipe! It totally reminds me of my good ole college days. During my Junior year at UF, I lived with three other girls, and we ate a lot of veggies. I think I made this pasta at least once a week, if not more. Who needs meat and potatoes when there are lots of fresh veggies the in market? Anyway, since I’ve been married to the Duke, most of our meals are centered around meat. Don’t get me wrong, I love a juicy ribeye as much as the next Southern girl, but sometimes a plate of rabbit food really hits the spot.

The Duke was out of town the other night, so I relived the glory days and made myself a beautiful plate of pasta with every veggie I could find. This is a great dish for using up produce that’s nearing the end of its life, so use anything you have on hand.

Pasta Prima Duchess

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat rotoni or ziti
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ onion, sliced
½ red pepper, sliced
½ zucchini, sliced into rounds
1 portabella mushroom cap, sliced
1 cove minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then cook pasta until al dente.
While pasta boils, heat olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add peppers and cook a few minutes more. Add zucchini and mushrooms to the pan and cook until just soft.
Stir in garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and vinegar and heat through.
Drain pasta and return to pot. Stir in veggies, then serve with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 2-3

This is such a simple dish that I almost feel silly even typing it out, but it’s just too good to pass up! If any of you readers are participating in Recipe Girl’s 10 in 2010 Challenge, this is the perfect recipe to add to your healthy collection.

I hope you all have a great weekend! I’ll see you Monday with a Lentil Soup recipe that is more comforting that momma’s chicken and dumplings. And that’s no joke. The Duchess

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Easy and Healthy Date Night

Duchess of Fork — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 08:00:43 +0000

Good Saturday Morning! I am so thrilled that it is finally the weekend (although I’ve been up for a while since the Duke and I agreed to personal training at 8:30 am…ugh). I had a fabulous first week of teaching, but the Duchess needs a break! After the gym, I am looking forward to doing absolutely NOTHING today. Don’t you just love lazy weekends? If the weather holds out, I plan on spending this glorious day by the pool. Did I mention the Duke makes a fine pool boy?

I actually borrowed part of this recipe from Weight Watchers Magazine. I’ve been indulging in one too many sweets over the past few weeks, so it’s time to get real and tighten up. I picked up the mag while running around town this week. They featured a great recipe for Italian turkey cutlets. After a long week, I figured this would be a great, yet quick date night meal. I had a whole mess of veggies that needed cooking, so I decided to toss them with a little marinara and parmesan. Voila! A delicious, simple and perfectly healthy date night meal. Don’t tell the Duke about the healthy part.

Italian Chicken Tenders with Spaghetti Veggies

Ingredients

1 package chicken tenderloins
Olive oil cooking spray
Salt and Pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
½ cup Italian bread crumbs
½ onion, sliced into rings
½ bell pepper, sliced
½ cup sliced mushrooms
12 asparagus, cut in thirds
½ cup prepared marinara sauce
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. dried oregano

Instructions

Heat a nonstick skillet to medium-high. Arrange chicken tenders on a plate and spray with cooking spray. Season tenders with salt and pepper. On another plate or shallow bowl, combine ¼ cup of Parmesan with breadcrumbs.
Completely dredge chicken tenders in breadcrumb mixture, shaking off any excess crumbs.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, and add chicken tenders, working in batches if necessary. Cook about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove, and keep warm in a 200-degree oven while veggies cook.
In same skillet, heat about another tablespoon of olive oil. Add onions and bell peppers, and cook until both begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add asparagus and mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper.
While veggies cook, combine marinara, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
Once veggies are done (when mushrooms are softened and asparagus still have a bit of a crunch), toss in marinara mixture.
Plate veggies, and top with 3-4 chicken tenders per person.

Serves 2

This simple meal is sure to please the honey in your life. Try cooking together in the kitchen for maximum sweetness! The Duchess

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Bistro Chicken and Biscuits

Duchess of Fork — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:01:27 +0000

This is a super easy meal with a gourmet flair. It literally takes 15 minutes to throw dinner together. This recipe can easily serve 6-8 people, so cut it in half if you’d like. It’s just the Duke and me, but I went ahead and made a whole batch so we could enjoy biscuits for breakfast the next morning and have leftover bistro goo for lunch! This dish would also be great for ladies’ lunch or a bridal shower.

Bistro Chicken and Biscuits

Ingredients

1 can refrigerated biscuits (I’ve been finding whole wheat canned biscuits at Winn Dixie)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
10.75 oz. can Cream of Chicken Soup (I used 98% fat free)
1 can milk
1 tsp. fresh or dried basil
2 cups fresh spinach
2 cups cooked chicken meat

Instructions

Bake biscuits according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, heat non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and saute white part of green onions and mushrooms for 3 minutes, or until mushrooms get soft.
Add in sun-dried tomatoes; season vegetables with salt and pepper.
Stir in soup and milk (once you empty the soup, measure a can full of milk), whisk until smooth.
Simmer over medium heat until mixture becomes smooth and creamy, about 5-8 minutes.
In last few minutes of cooking, stir in basil and spinach, cook until wilted.
Stir in chicken, heat through
Plate biscuits and smother with chicken mixture, garnish with scallions.

Serves 6

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