Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I tried another new recipe the other day and it was delicious . . .  well I thought so and I guess you have to like mushrooms, which I do.

I found this recipe on Everyday Paleo

Ingredients:

4-6 BIG Portobello mushrooms,     1.5 lbs. ground beef,     1 lb. spicy Italian pork sausage - casing removed approx. 3 sausages,     3 celery stalks diced,     1/2 green bell pepper,     1 red onion,     diced mushroom stems,     1 tsp. paprika,     a few shakes of cayenne pepper,     2 Tbsp. dried basil,     1 Tbsp. tarragon,     6 crushed garlic cloves,     pinch of sea salt,     black pepper to taste,     1 egg,     1/4 cup olive oil,     1/4 cup coconut flour

Preparations:

1.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Use a moist paper towel to gently clean the mushrooms, if you run mushrooms under the tap to clean them they get a little soggy.

2.  Remove the stems and set them aside and carefully scoop out the feathery insides of the mushrooms with a spoon.

3.  Rub the outside of the mushrooms with olive oil and coat a glass baking dish as well.  Place cap down in baking dish.

4.  Dice the bell peppers, onions, celery and mushroom stems.

5.  In a large fry pan brown the sausage and ground beef, add the bell peppers, onions, celery and mushroom and cook until the veggies are tender.

6.  Move the meat/veggie mixture to a food processor and add all the spices, the egg, olive oil and coconut flour.  You don't need to do this step if you like the mixture really chunky.

7.  Process until mixture is finely chopped but not mushy, it should be fine but still chunky.

8.  Scoop mixture into mushroom caps - full

9.  Spoon any remaining mixture around the mushrooms and cook for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbly. 

 I did mine on the BBQ and they were superb.

The meat/veggie mixture would be great in peppers or squash as well.

Hope you try them.  Enjoy.

Easy Refrigerator Pickles

Our garden is just starting to come in . . . we wait so long to have fresh produce, all the things we love.  Tomato, onion, yellow and green beans and of course cucumber.  My challenge is all of a sudden BAM!!!!  we have an over abundance of cucumbers.  What to do?  What to make????

Let me introduce you to my new best friend . . . I don't know why I didn't have one sooner . . . I don't know how I survived.  I sliced up my cucumber, onion and peppers in minutes.

It was so easy and fast.  I added a little celery seed . . . I love celery seed.

Ingredients: 1 cup distilled white vinegar,     1 Tbsp. salt,     2 cups of white sugar or (1/2 cup agave or a little less plus 1 Tsp. Stevia),     6 cups sliced cucumber,     1 cup sliced onion,     1 cup sliced green or red bell pepper,     sprinkle of celery seed

Preparations:

1.  In a medium sauce pan over medium heat bring vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil.

2.  Boil until sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes.

3.  Place cucumbers, onions and peppers in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with celery seed.

4.  Pour the vinegar mixture over the veggies.  Transfer to sterile containers and store in fridge.

Yeild:  8 cups or 64 ounces

Prep time:  20 minutes,     Cook time:  10 minutes,     Ready in:  30 minutes

I don't know how long they will last in the refrigerator but I know they won't be there that long in mine to find out.

Garlic Parmesan Flax Crackers

Good morning my healthy friends.  Glad you could pop in to see me.  I have a quick and easy recipe for you to try but for the life of me I can't remember where it found it...when I do, I'll let you know.

Ingredients:

1 cup flax seed meal (ground)     1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated     1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder     1/2 tsp. sea salt (I use Celtic)     1/2 cup water

Preparations:

1.  Heat oven to 400F

2.  Mix all ingredients together

3.  Spoon ball onto unbleached parchment paper

4.  Cover with another piece of paper.  Even out mixture to about 1/8 inch and no wider than your baking sheet, I find a rolling pin works well on my kitchen table.  Don't get too thin at the edges or they will over cook before the centre firms up.  When you have achieved your desired thickness transfer to your baking sheet and remove top piece of paper.  

5.  At this point I like to run my knife through the rolled out dough in squares, it makes it easier to break up into crackers after they are baked.

6.  Bake until centre is no longer soft about 15-18 minutes.  If it starts to get more than a little brown around the edges, remove from oven.  Let cool completely - it will continue to crisp up.

7.  Break into crackers.

The whole recipe is 6 grams of effective carbohydrate plus 35 grams of fibre.