Chopped Autumn Salad

You know when you find a recipe, and you think "Oh my goodness, I'm making this every night!"? Yeah, that happened tonight. I won't actually be making it every night, but it most certainly will be making it's way into our regular rotation.

Little story before we get to the recipe though, you can skip it if you don't like reading. I don't mind. Something really weird happened with this recipe/website. When I meal planned on Friday, it included chicken. But today, when I went to make it, gasp, no chicken. My dinner went from a main dish to a side dish, poof! :/ Oops. But no fear! I just sauteed a chicken breast seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic, sliced it and laid it on top. We'll call that a main course. Delish! (I'm still trying to figure out how I thought there was chicken in this salad...)

Ingredients
*6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
*2 medium pears, chopped
*1 cup dried cranberries
*1 cup chopped pecans
*8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
*4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
*Poppy seed Salad Dressing (I like T. Marzetti)
*Balsamic Vinaigrette (I like Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Instructions
*On a large platter, combine the lettuce, pears, cranberries, pecans, bacon and feta cheese. Drizzle generously with poppy seed dressing, followed by some of the balsamic vinaigrette. (I would estimate that I used about a cup of dressing: 70 percent poppy seed dressing and 30 percent balsamic vinaigrette) If you prefer your salad to have more dressing, feel free to experiment with the combination.

*I did not edit any of the recipe write up from the original source, however, I agree with all that she said. The only difference was that I only needed about 3/4 cup of dressing- 1/4 balsamic and 1/2 poppy seed. I also swapped dried cherries and walnuts in, just because that's what we usually use and had on hand. The chicken was most certainly a welcome addition, but it's delicious either way. I used 8 cups of romaine, and there was enough for 4 entree sized salads.

Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins

I found a recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup that I wanted to try (check back tomorrow for that recipe!) and thought I'd pair it with cornbread. A quick search brought me to this recipe for Buttermilk Cornbread. Lucky me forgot that I even wanted to make this, and dinner time arrived without me noticing. I had already made the soup yesterday, so I debated making the cornbread all together. I decided to improvise and just make it into muffins so it would bake faster. I couldn't be happier with my problem solving skills on this one. Definitely a good call on my part!



These are super easy and come together very quickly!



Preheat oven to 375F. Grease an 8x8 pan, or a muffin pan- it makes 12 muffins.



In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt:

1/2 c butter



Let cool a second, then add:

1/2 c sugar



One at a time, stir in:

2 eggs



Combine and then add to the mix:

1 c buttermilk

1/2 tsp baking soda



Last, mix in:

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt



Stir until well combined and few lumps remain, then spread into pan and bake 30-40 minutes, or 20 minutes for muffins. It's done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sweet & Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad

Simple. Cool. Refreshing. Healthy. This little salad has it all. It would be great paired up with some Panko Shrimp but also paired beautifully with the Thai Chicken Pizza! Definitely loved this one!



Need:

1 cucumber peeled and thinly sliced

1 carrot, matchstick-julienned

1/4 cup of thinly sliced red onion

1/2 cup of rice vinegar

1/4 cup of sugar (or Splenda equivalent for low carb diets)

1 tsp. of thai chili garlic sauce

pinch of salt

Do:

In a microwavable small bowl add rice vinegar, sugar, chili garlic sauce, and salt. Heat the bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds. Stir the vinaigrette until the sugar is completely dissolved. In a medium size bowl add the sliced cucumbers, carrots, and red onion. Pour vinaigrette over the cucumber mixture until well tossed. Cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy.

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Portobellas

I've been doing a lot of gawking. Foodgawking that is. I saw some bright green goodness in these Spinach & Cheese Portobella Mushrooms and wanted to give them a try. It calls to grill them, but I wanted to do all my cooking indoors, so I cooked them stove top in a skillet on low heat, turned out great! Need:

• 2 large Portobella Mushroom Caps
• 3 wedges Laughing Cow Cheese (or ~2.5oz other soft, spreadable cheese)
• 10 oz package frozen Spinach, thawed and drained (I actually sauteed some fresh spinach in just a touch of olive oil)
  
• S&P
• Olive Oil

Do:

Warm grill on medium-high or warm some olive oil in a skillet on medium low.

Wipe down the mushroom caps to clean and scrape out the gills and stem.

Defrost the spinach, and mix together with the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide the spinach mixture in half and fill the mushroom caps.

Brush olive oil on the bottoms and sides of the mushrooms, and place stuffed side up on the grill. Cover and cook until the mushrooms are softened and the spinach is hot and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Or cook on the stove 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the grill and serve while hot.

Thanks to Ketchup & Chutney for the recipe and detailed instructions!

Fresh Roasted Salsa

You know when you figure something out that is ridiculously easy, or just kind of a no-brainer and you question your own intelligence? Enter homemade salsa.

I got the basic recipe from a fellow January Mom, but tweaked it just a bit from my own experience.

Need:

• 7-8 tomatoes- I use on the vine, Roma would work too
• 2 Jalapenos
• 1/2 Onion- I use one small
• 2 Tbsp of cilantro- use 1 Tbsp if you aren't a huge fan
• 1 Tbsp of salt- use a little less if you aren't a salt fan, but that's a weird thing not to like...
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 lime (roll the lime on the counter a bit before cutting to loosen up the juices)
  

Do:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the tomatoes, jalapenos and onion in half. If you want a spicier salsa, leave a good portion of the jalapeno insides alone, if you want it milder, pull the seeds and rib meat out. I do a happy medium there. Prep a baking sheet with a little olive oil. Place your veggies, cut side down, on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Let the veggies cool a bit, then put the jalapeno and onion in a food processor. Pulse a few times. For a watery style salsa, add the tomatoes and pulse a few more times. For a heartier salsa, press down on the tomato pieces to drain some of the liquid out, then place them in the processor and pulse a few more times.

Mix together the lime juice, cumin, garlic, salt and cilantro. Pour over the veggies, and pulse a few more times to mix. Yields about 3 cups of deliciousness.

Fiesta Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

I've made a Mediterranean orzo salad before, and Carl adored it! It's a pretty time consuming side dish, so when I saw this fiesta style orzo salad that seemed a little simpler for a weeknight, I knew I had to try it. Good move Molly, good move. Delicious, easy, weeknight winner.

P.S. My picture sucks. Please don't judge this recipe by it's photo.

The Ingredients:
1 Cup Cooked Orzo
1 Cup Frozen Whole-Kernel Corn- I used a can of corn because I needed it to come together quickly and had originally planned on grilling some corn on the cob
12 Cherry Tomatoes – quartered – I had a bunch of on the vine, so I just diced 2 of those those
3 Green Onions – sliced
1 Can Black Beans (15 oz.) – rinse and drained
1/4 Cup Low Fat Buttermilk
3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Cilantro – divided
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Light Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Canola Mayonnaise
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Red Pepper
2 Garlic Cloves – crushed
1 Peeled Avocado – cut into 8 wedges- I omitted
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley- I omitted...not on purpose. I forgot.

Directions:
Cook orzo according to package directions – don’t add salt or oil to the water. Drain and rinse. Place orzo, corn, tomatoes, green onions, and black beans into a large bowl and toss.

Whisk together buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, fresh lime juice light sour cream, mayo, chili powder, salt, pepper, ground red pepper, and garlic.

Drizzle dressing over salad and mix to coat. You can eat it immediately, or refrigerate it up to a couple days.

Tropical Salsa Topped Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi

We bought some flash frozen Mahi Mahi at the market last week, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. When we were in Hawaii, I had coconut crusted Mahi Mahi and it came with a side of tropical salsa. Dinner? Check.

This was really light and refreshing. I drizzled some of the liquid from the salsa over the fish. Perfection! For the fish, I based it off this recipe with a few minor changes.

Ingredients

12 oz Mahi Mahi
1 cup finely chopped coconut
2 eggs
.5 cup whole wheat flour
Salt, Pepper, Cayeen Pepper (To taste)

Directions

Preheat Oven to 375
Spray a baking Sheet with Pam
Cut Mahi Mahi into 4 equal serving pieces (3 oz. each)
In a bowl or plastic bag, Mix Flour, salt and both peppers until evenly blended.
In bowl, lightly mix 2 eggs
Place chopped Coconut on a paper plate
Dredge fish in flour mixture to cover.
Dip Fish in Egg and then the coconut to cover (may need to press down a bit)
Place on Baking Sheet and spry tops lightly with more PAM. Bake until fish flakes easily with a fork and coc0nut is golden

*I pan fried the filets in about 1 tbsp canola oil for 60 seconds a side first, then put the whole pan in the oven for 8 minutes.


For the Tropical Salsa, I used this recipe. Just mix the following ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1/4 of a fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 mango, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped fine
• 1 large jalapeno, seeded, deveined, and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 2 limes, juiced
• 3/4 cup minced cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon salt (I cut this in half)
  

German Coleslaw

My dear friend Monica invited us to her Oktoberfest party this weekend. We were invited to bring our favorite Oktober Brew and enjoy in a feast, but I didn't want to go empty handed food wise. I asked what I could bring and we came to the conclusion of German Coleslaw. Her spread was amazing, and the party was fabulous!

As for the German Slaw, it was a big hit. It had a perfect combination of flavors, and it was REALLY easy. It was a great break from a typical creamy coleslaw. It will definitely make my list of party sides.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium head cabbage, finely shredded (I used half green and half purple)
  
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 c)
  
• 3/4 cup vinegar (I used 1/2 c)
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/2 c)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine cabbage and onions. In a saucepan, mix sugar, vinegar, celery seed and salt; bring to a boil. Add oil; return to boiling and cook until sugar dissolves. Pour over cabbage; toss gently. Chill.

Broccoli Slaw

When I host a party, I usually like to make at least one new recipe and one reliable recipe. This way, I at least know that I have one good salad, side, whatever, but then I get to try something new out on a whole bunch of guinea pigs! This past Saturday, we had Carl's cousins over for a cookout, so I decided to try this broccoli slaw from Smitten Kitchen.

And the results? Guinea Pigs say- Success! I'll definitely keep this one in the rotation! I tripled the recipe, and had enough for our party on Saturday and then some to take to my parents' house on Sunday...and we still have a little leftover.



*My go to recipe was Spaghetti Salad. ALWAYS a crowd pleaser!


Here is the recipe copied from SK:
Broccoli Slaw
Adapted a little bit from family, a little bit from Apartment Therapy

Makes about six cups of slaw

2 heads of broccoli
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Buttermilk Dressing (Adapted from this salad.)
1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1/3 cup mayonnaise (this is more than is in the original, to thicken the dressing further)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (or, you could just use a little extra red onion to simplify it)

Trim broccoli and cut it into large chunks. From here, you can either feed it through your food processor’s slicing blade, use a mandoline to cut it into thin slices, or simply had chop it into smaller pieces. I used the stem and the flowerets, but if you have a broccoli stem aversion you can just use the tops.

Toss the sliced broccoli with the almonds, cranberries and red onion in a large bowl. Meanwhile, whisk the dressing ingredients in a smaller one, with a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli (if you’ve skipped the stems, you might not want it all; I otherwise found this to be the perfect amount) and toss it well. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

Worth Mentioning Again: Mediterranean Orzo Salad

I made this salad awhile back, but posted it with a couple other items. I really feel as though this deserves it's own post. It's really light and refreshing, perfect for the warm weather months!

1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed and in 1 inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium red onion, sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper optional
3/4 c uncooked orzo pasta
1 can garbanzo beans
1 package (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c pitted whole kalamata olives
1/2 c snipped fresh parsley
1/4 c prepared Greek vinaigrette dressing

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine asparagus, bell pepper, onion and oil in a medium mixing bowl. Press garlic into mixing bowl; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Arrange vegetables on a bar pan (or cookie sheet). Bake 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and deep golden brown. Remove from oven; cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare orzo according to package directions, drain and rinse under cold running water. Place orzo in large mixing bowl, add vegetable mixture, beans, feta cheese, olives, parsley and salad dressing. Toss gently and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.

I doubled this recipe for our party on Sunday, and it was a perfect amount. There were about 25 people here. I also recommend more olives...but I really like olives!

Courtesy of Pampered Chef

Grilled Veggies

This really isn't a recipe, I just needed a veggie to go with our meal tonight, so I threw together what I had and crossed my fingers.

1/4 of a Red Onion- sliced
1/4 of each a red and orange pepper
6 campari tomatoes
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tsp rosemary
2 cloves of garlic

Mix all together in a bowl and place in a grill basket. Grill on medium for about 10 minutes. Veggie requirement complete.

Family Spaghetti Salad

This has been a staple salad at parties in my family for eons. Just the smell of it brings back memories of sandy bare feet running through my parents' house during a bustling party. Love it. Oh, and it's super easy. Really, you can't screw it up.

I doubled this recipe and had plenty for our party of 17 on Sunday. Modify accordingly.

1 lb spaghetti noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed
1 cucumber (I use English seedless), diced in 1 inch pieces
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced small
2 scallions, diced thinly
2 medium green peppers, diced small
1 bottle Wishbone Italian Dressing (not the huge bottle...the normal sized one- I believe it was 16 oz)
1/2 bottle McCormick Salad Seasoning Supreme

Mix together the noodles and veggies thoroughly, then start adding the dressing and seasoning. I recommend tasting it after you've added about half of each. The flavor can get strong, which is the way I like it, but you may like it a little less powerful. You can't screw this one up, trust me! Carl's words (in between bites mind you) "This...is....so...good. Way...better...than...what...you'd....get...at...the...store."

Classic Potato Salad

Oh potato salad, how you mock me with your unphotographic ways....

Flipping through the newest Food Network magazine I stumbled upon a classic potato salad recipe by Aaron McCargo. I needed a recipe for my Mother's Day menu, and this one looked fresh, and delicious. Oh and it was! I will definitely make this again- most likely the next time will be our Memorial Day party in just a few weeks.

Ingredients

* 3 large Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (I actually used regular potatoes)
* 3 large eggs
* 1/2 cup diced onion
* 1/2 cup diced celery (omitted)
* 2 tablespoons sweet relish
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon hot sauce
* Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and spread out on a sheet pan to cool. Meanwhile, bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the eggs; cook for 12 minutes, then remove to a bowl of ice water to cool completely. Peel the eggs under cold running water, then roughly chop.

In a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, relish, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the mayonnaise. Fold in the potatoes, eggs and scallions. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

I bought a big bag of potatoes and wanted to use some up last night with our Laughing Cow Chicken. I just searched all recipes for roasted potatoes and found this. So easy, so tasty, it will probably take me awhile to ever try a different roasted potato recipe. These were really good.

Since I was making the LCC too, I only had the oven at 475 for the amount of time it took me to assemble the chicken (about 10 minutes). Then I kicked it down to 400 to accommodate the chicken. It actually worked out perfectly, because the potatoes took an extra 10 minutes at the lower temp, and everything was done at the same time. I also left the peels on- if you are offended by them, feel free to peel!

INGREDIENTS
* 1/8 cup olive oil
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
* 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine oil, garlic, basil, marjoram, dill weed, thyme, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir in potatoes until evenly coated. Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet.
3. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

Potatoes Au Gratin

We had two of our favorite people over this weekend and decided to make a lovely dinner together. While the boys went to the driving range, the girls started dinner. These au gratin potatoes are a little different than what your mom used to make! YUM! (here is the recipe on all recipes)
Ingredients

* 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened (we omitted)
* 1 1/2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
* 1/2 cup grated Gruyere
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon paprika

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of the softened butter. (Didn't do this)

*We first boiled the potato slices for 10 minutes to shorten the baking time

Arrange a layer of potatoes in the baking dish, and sprinkle some of the cheeses over them. Continue layering potatoes and cheeses until you've used them all, ending with a layer of potatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk the cream with the salt and pepper; pour this over the potatoes. Dot the remaining butter over the top and sprinkle with the paprika. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender and golden brown on top. (*Ours only took about 35 minutes since we started with the boiled potatoes) Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Red Skin Potato Salad

I love potato salad, and so I bought some red skin potatoes after seeing Lindsay post this recipe. Apparently I didn't cook my potatoes long enough :/ but other wise it was very tasty! Oh and sorry for the super crappy picture. I was too hungry to work on a better one.

Ingredients

* 2 pounds clean, scrubbed new red potatoes
* 6 eggs
* 1 pound bacon
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 1 stalk celery, finely chopped (omitted)
* 2 cups mayonnaise
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and set in the refrigerator to cool.
2. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
3. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. (or just use crumbled bacon like I did!)
4. Chop the cooled potatoes, leaving skin on. Add to a large bowl, along with the eggs, bacon, onion and celery. Add mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. Chill for an hour before serving.

I wish this had a fancier name

Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes

Yeah, so I wish this had a better name. It sure deserves it! Is this the best way to get your veggies? Well no, we are about to coat them in butter, but we are getting our veggies so just deal with it!

Again, another recipe where I (say it with me) didn't have to go to the store, woo hoo. This was honestly the best way I've ever had green beans. Take that green bean casserole!

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces (I used 1 pound frozen)
* 1 1/2 cups water (I used 1 cup)
* 1/4 cup butter (I used about half of this)
* 1 tablespoon sugar (I omitted completely as reviews suggested)
* 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt (I used about 1/2 tsp)
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper (1/8 tsp)
* 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil (1/2 tsp dry basil)
* 2 cups cherry tomato halves (I used quartered campari tomatoes)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place beans and water in a large saucepan. Cover, and bring to a boil. Set heat to low, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain off water, and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in sugar, garlic salt, pepper and basil. Add tomatoes, and cook stirring gently just until soft. Pour the tomato mixture over the green beans, and toss gently to blend.

Mashed Red Skin Potatoes

Red skin potatoes were on sale, thank you St. Patrick's Day, so I bought a big bag. I have been wanting to try to make mashed red skins for quite some time, and it seemed like the perfect pair to my roasted chicken. I found this recipe which again, didn't make me go to the store, woo hoo.

I basically cut the recipe in half and it worked out so we could eat these for dinner and then have them again as leftovers. They were really really good! I will absolutely make them again....now just to decide when is too soon to make them again!

Ingredients

* 4 lbs small new red potatoes, quartered
* 2 teaspoons salt, plus
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter
* 1/2 cup sour cream (I use reduced-fat)
* 3/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1.Place potatoes in 5-6 quart Dutch oven; add enough cold water to cover potatoes.
2.Add 2 tsp salt to water; bring to a boil.
3.Reduce heat to low; simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a small knife.
4.In small saucepan over low heat, heat together heavy cream and butter for 5 minutes or until butter is melted and mixture is heated through.
5.Drain potatoes; transfer to large bowl.
6.With potato masher, smash potatoes together with hot cream mixture until well blended.
7.To potatoes, add sour cream, remaining salt, and the pepper.
8. Blend in with the potato masher; continue to smash until desired consistency is achieved.

*I just used my hand mixer on low and left a few lumps...yummy!!!

Sauteed Wild Mushrooms

So the second side to our fabulous steak dinner...these sauteed mushrooms. They are the perfect compliment to a good filet! I cut the recipe in half because I knew we wouldn't eat anything more than that, and we still had some leftover. These had so much flavor and were so tender, they'll definitely be made again!

Ingredients

* 2 pounds mixed wild mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, porcini, and portobello (I used only about 1 lb of portabello and shitake)
* 1/2 cup good olive oil
* 1 cup chopped shallots (4 large)
* 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
* 1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions

Brush the caps of each mushroom with a clean sponge. Remove and discard the stems. Slice the small mushrooms thickly and cut the large ones in a large dice.

Heat the olive oil in a large (11 - inch) Dutch oven or saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the butter, mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until they are tender and begin to release their juices, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Toss in the parsley, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.

Oh and just in case you were wondering what the perfect filet looked like...ahem...this is it! To DIE!

Homemade Onion Rings

I was watching an episode of Barefoot Contessa, and usually there will be one or two things I like on the episode, but rarely do I ever like the whole meal! Well, this one caught my eye and so I decided to give it a go. The meal consisted of Filet Mignon, Onion Rings, and Sauteed Wild Mushrooms. First up: Onion Rings.


Ingredients

* 2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)
* 2 cups buttermilk
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
* 1 quart vegetable oil

Directions

Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.