Monthly Archives: April 2011

A pretty little package

As promised, here is the first of several recipes from Easter dinner yesterday: portobello wellingtons.

I am all about presentation - if something is wrapped up oh so prettily, chances are I’ll fall for it, hook, line & sinker. These wellingtons are no exception - they form an elegant little package that is full of savory goodness.

Portobello Wellington with Red Wine Onions

Inspired by Food.com

Materials

  • 2 portobello mushroom caps (stem removed)
  • 4 sheets phyllo dough
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1.5 teaspoons thyme
  • several tablespoons olive oil
  • 3/4 cup red wine*

*Note: merlot, cabernet sauvignon & ruchè have all been Heather-tested & Andrew-approved

Methods

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Gently clean caps, then lightly coat with oil and place on baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until tender. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

2. Add onions to pan heated with ~2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook over medium/med. low heat for ~10 minutes or until onions are nice and soft. Add garlic and cook for 3 more minutes.

3. Stir in thyme, then remove half of mixture from pan and add to basil to make filling. To the half still in the pan, add wine and bring to gentle boil for 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes (or until your wellingtons are done.)

4. Roll out 4 sheets of phyllo dough then cut in half, placing one cap in the center of each half. Divide filling between the two caps, spooning on top, then fold up the phyllo dough very carefully.

Promptly tear phyllo dough despite your best efforts.

5. Place in lightly oiled baking dish then (optional) brush soymilk on top. Bake 12-15 minutes, until crisp.

6. Plate up: serve your wellingtons with the wine and onion mixture spooned on top alongside whatever vegetables you deem worthy of such grand company.

Results & Conclusions

The combination of red wine and soft onions complement the hearty flavor of the portobello, making a satisfying and elegant meal perfect for any occasion.

Happy Easter

I’ll keep this short and sweet: lovely day filled with church, delicious food and good intentions of being productive that somehow turned into 5 straight episodes of Justified

But, hey - Sunday afternoons are meant for a little R&R, right?

Recipes from today are forthcoming, so stay tuned!

 

pasta al fresco

Guess those rain clouds read the blog yesterday because this afternoon the weather was gorgeous - nice enough to eat dinner outside (!)

The husband and I were both ravenous and somewhat impatient (okay… maybe that was just me), so I turned to a never fail meal:

Roasted Tomato & Avocado Pasta

feeds two very hungry adults

Adapted from Oh She Glows

Materials

Sauce

  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cup basil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon each of thyme, rosemary & oregano
  • 3-5 tablespoons of olive oil

Pasta & Tomatoes

  • 6 ounces of soba (buckwheat) noodles
  • 2 lovely ripe tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)

Methods

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice tomatoes into ~1/2 inch slices and place on lightly oiled baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and dried basil, if desired.

2. Roast for 45-50 minutes, until tomatoes have crisped around the edges. Slide a spatula underneath about halfway through to ensure they don’t stick.


3. Throw sauce ingredients (avocado, basil, spices, garlic & oil) into blender and process until smooth.

5. Add soba noodles to boiling water and cook for ~3 minutes then drain and rinse with cold water.

6. Toss noodles and sauce together then plate up: place roasted tomatoes on top of pasta and enjoy immediately!

Notes

You can dice the tomatoes if you’d rather not have whole slices. Also, the intensity of the garlic depends on how fresh it is - if you’re not a big garlic fan, use the smallest clove you have.

Results & Conclusions

Creamy and rich yet still refreshing all at the same time…deeeelicious!