Throw Something Together!

A new fave of mine is the portobello mushroom. A few weeks back I started off with something simple by tossing together rice, portobello mushrooms and onions. This combination has always been something I enjoy because growing up my dad often made steak on the grill with mushrooms and onions on the side. In addition to that, my mom would make some rice to complete the meal since most of my sibilings wouldn't eat the veggies. I would mix all those together and be a happy kid but nowadays I don't have a grill so I have to do without the steak. Still delish.

Then tonight I was sauteing my onions and portobellos in olive oil and about to put the rice on the stove when I noticed a small suggestion the mushroom packaging. "Great with pasta!" Oh really? If you've read through my blog or even just glanced over the pictures you would know I am a huge pasta fan so I just had to try this. I grabbed a jar of tomato sauce, poured it over my veggies and then cooked up some pasta. Once everything was cooked I mixed it all together and wow! How did I not think of this before?! Definitely a winner and to think it was all because I tried throwing something together.

I always read about cooks taking things that are sitting around in their pantries and making a meal out of it but I never thought I would be able to do it because I'm a shop and cook kinda girl. But tonight I even surprised myself. You can do it too -- just throw something together and enjoy! :)

Pork and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry

Stir-fry is the best, isn't it? You get a mix of veggies, meat, and rice all in one. I'm starting to realize that my dishes never look as great as these photos -- sorry to ruin the illusion, but no, these are not my finished products -- but I guess it's the taste that really counts. And this one is yum!

Messes: Well, I let the oil heat up too long before dumping in the scallions and garlic so that serious heat cooked those up really quickly. Then I took too long chopping the red bell peppers and my eggplant got a little too soft while waiting in the pan. I also think the recipe should be renamed to just pork and mixed veggie stir fry because, to be honest, one bell pepper isn't going to give you that many pieces. The eggplant is probably the most abundant in the dish. Oh, and I couldn't find any stir fry sauce at my grocery store (thanks Trade Fair!) so I just added soy sauce instead.

Successes: A delicious dinner and relatively healthy too. I stuck with the pork on this one because I never cook with it but you can use chicken or beef even. And I made whole grain rice. Next time I may decide to throw in some more veggies but either way this was a great meal.

Pork and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry [Rachael Ray, of course]

Portobello Philly-Style Sandwiches

Portobello mushrooms are my new favorite thing. The other day I needed something quick to make for dinner so I did a search using only the word "portobello" and stumbled upon this gem. A quick and tasty meal that is a healthy twist on a classic sandwich.

Messes: After purchasing all my ingredients I forgot to look at the recipe again. I just went ahead and made it how I felt it should be done. I sauteed the peppers, onions, and portobellos in olive oil, piled it on a hoagie and toasted it in the oven with a slice of cheese over top. It was great but now that I'm looking back at the original recipe I realized that I forgot about the Worcestershire sauce. Next time I'll use that as I'm sure it would make it even better!

Successes: I will absolutely make this again -- and next time preferably for other people because I had way too many leftovers.

Portobello Philly-Style Sandwiches [Rachael Ray]

Beef and Mashed Potato Stuffed Peppers

I think the name says it all for this one. I feel like I keep saying this but I promise this meal is so easy! Can you brown meat? Can you boil and mash potatoes? Can you cut the tops off of peppers? Can you put food in an oven? Then you can do it!

Messes: A little bit goes a long way with this recipe. I had leftover everything (with the exception of the peppers). So you can go easy on the ingredients if you'd like but leftovers are just as good too. My main frustration with this was placing the peppers upright in the dish and moving them to the oven. They kept falling over! I had to prop them against the walls of the dish rather than placing them perfectly in the center as I had wanted to. But once you get them in there you have nothing else to worry about!

Successes: A yummy meal all wrapped up into one pepper. I used more red bell peppers than green because they looked better at the store but either one works or you could even mix it up a bit and go with some yellows or orange bell peppers. Either way this meal will be fully satisfying. I kept trying to think of a good side dish to go with but I really didn't need anything. You've got meat, potatoes, and veggies. Delish!

Beef and Mashed Potato Stuffed Peppers [Rachael Ray]

Pasta Salad with Spinach, Olives, and Mozzarella

My dad loves to make pasta salads. I would have to say it's possibly one of his "signature dishes". So when I came across the recipe, I was excited to have my own to share. And it's pretty healthy too!

Messes: The first time I made this I cut the pieces of mozzarella too large and they ended up sticking together at the bottom. The second time around I made sure to cut them into smaller pieces so they would be more evenly distributed. You will also need a very large bowl for this dish -- or you can cut down on the ingredients. I would recommend using about a half a pound of pasta (trust me, it goes a long way). And don't worry about the "freshly ground pepper". You can just as easily get away with the regular pepper that comes in those little metal shakers.

Successes: Major success! Super easy to throw together and you'll have lots of leftovers for the week. I have never heard a single complaint about this pasta salad. Although, I've accompanied it with chili at parties and I have to say -- make sure you serve this first! People just aren't as interested in chilled pasta salads when there are warm bowls of chili to be had.

Pasta Salad with Spinach, Olives, and Mozzarella [Chow]

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Here's a really simple and equally delish recipe for Artichoke and Spinach Dip. Who doesn't love that?

Messes: I skipped out on cutting the flour tortillas into fourths and just bought a big ol' bag of chips. If you're feeling really adventurous then by all means, make your own. I also had no idea what "julienned" meant. These recipes and their big words -- ha! So in case you're like me, here's the def: Julienning is a method of food preparation in which the food item is cut into long thin strips.

Successes: It won't look as good as when you order it off a menu but I promise it tastes as good. Maybe even better since you made it yourself! Try it out first and then when you're feeling confident, invite some friends over and serve.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip [Emeril]
(this one isn't from Ray-Ray! Can you believe it?!??!)

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

Summer Time!!! Break out the bbq and heat up some beans. It's time for some tasty summer meals. This one comes together pretty quickly but does not lack the feeling of a grand grilled meal.

Successes: I'm always nervous the first time I make a dish. I get worried that no one is going to like it. But I ended up making this at a family party and it was LOVED! My concerned went from no one liking it to there not being enough. It's super easy -- I even convinced my friend (who was complaining that she doesn't know how to make things) to recreate it.

Messes: Just be careful when you're cooking the meat. It will cook all the way through a LOT faster than you think and the longer it cooks the tougher it becomes.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches [Rachael Ray]