Wild Mushroom Risotto with Peas

My first risotto! I have to admit I knew less about risotto than I thought -- and I'm part Italian! I wasn't able to find all the ingredients to make this dish and I certainly didn't take the time to properly measure everything out so I was hesitant to taste it. But I have to say it was rather delightful. I love how creamy it gets in the end and how well all the flavors blend together. This will not be my last risotto. I'm ready to try new ones!

Messes: So I thought that there was a special type of rice you needed to make risottos but I was able to use the good 'ol Uncle Ben's rice to my surprise. I also didn't have low sodium chicken broth or unsalted butter in the house. I know the whole dish would have been a bit healthier had I used exactly what was called for but I don't think it effected the taste too much. Oh, and I couldn't find any porcini mushrooms either. Ha! It's starting to sound like I shouldn't have even bothered trying to make this, but even with all this "missing" ingredients it came out well. I swear!

Successes: Although the rice takes a lot of care to make, with all the liquids being added and evaporated, I was pleased to see that in the end I had a creamy and tastey meal. Give it a try! It's not as hard as it may sound.

P.S. It's NOT a Rachael Ray recipe!

Wild Mushroom Risotto with Peas [Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis]

Gnocchi with Braised Mushrooms and Peas

I recently discovered gnocchi and love 'em! But the only way I was making them was by boiling and throwing some pasta sauce on them. And I have to say I was getting a little bored with it. So I've been trying to find some recipes that used gnocchi in a whole new way and this one sure did it. I cut down on the ingredients a bit because I always have a ton of leftovers but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this dish can be enjoyed both heated up and cold. It's pretty healthy too. Give it a try!

Messes: Nothing to report today. Except maybe that I skimped out on the thyme. It worked out though.

Successes: A healthy mix of veggies and gnocchi. I loved it and I shared some with James. He loved it too!

Gnocchi with Braised Mushrooms and Peas [Rachael Ray]

Beef and Cheddar Potpie

It's like Sheppard's Pie with a roll on top! I made a few changes to this recipe to make it even easier to make but, as always, feel free to create as you see fit. Here are my thoughts.

Messes: Baking the pie-top was going to be a large mess for me so I opted for purchasing some Pillsbury rolls to toss into the oven instead. Mess avoided!

Successes: Super simple and super delicious. I didn't add mushrooms this time but I may try it next time around as I'm sure an extra veggie or two will make this dish even better. Cook up some onions and crushed tomatoes, brown some meat and throw a roll on top. I recommend this one indeed.

Beef and Cheddar Potpie [Rachael Ray]

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]