Broccoli Mushroom Tacos

A few years ago, I was swapping recipes with a friend of mine, and she mentioned that one of her go to dishes was broccoli mushroom quesadillas. I was intrigued, and knew it was something I was going to have to try. My husband was skeptical of it at first, he kind of poked it around with his fork, but eventually, he tried it and fell in love. He now asks for it all the time.

This dish has evolved over time as I experimented with different sauces and seasonings, and then, it eventually turned into tacos. Don't let the strange combination of flavors fool you, it is really quite fantastic!

2 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 tbsp soy sauce (la choy is gluten free!)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (Lea and Perrins is gluten free in the US!)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup monterey jack cheese
10 taco shells
additional toppings of your choice. I used Mexican hot sauce, and Greek yogurt

In a pot, over medium heat, combine broccoli, mushrooms, sauces, and chili powder, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender, approx 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, bake taco shells according to package instructions.

Spoon veggies into taco shells, and top with cheese, and additional toppings. Enjoy!

Polenta Topped with Goat Cheese and a Mushroom Cream Sauce

A restaurant by where I used to live served this dish. It was quaint little wine bar, with an awesome patio. It was ideal to go there in the summer, and order a bottle of wine, and polenta with mushrooms and goat cheese. The dish is a great blend of creamy and earthy, sweet from the polenta, and tangy from the goat cheese.

I cannot eat this dish any more, because it has flour in it. I decided to try to recreate it at home, so that I don't have to miss out yet another one of my favorite things.

I used white mushrooms, since the grocery store was sold out of portobello, but I would suggest using portobello if you can get them. The Greek yogurt caused the sauce to separate, but I wanted to save some calories by not using heavy cream. It still tasted great, it just didn't look as pretty.

It turned out to be really close to the dish I was trying to recreate, which makes me very happy!

1 pack of polenta cut into 1 inch slices
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pack sliced portobello mushrooms
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup white wine
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 pack goat cheese, cut into crumbles
salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan, melt butter, and add mushrooms, stirring occasionally until tender. add onions and garlic, again cooking until tender. reduce heat to low, and add broth, Greek yogurt, salt, and pepper, stirring occasionally, until hot.

Meanwhile, heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. add polenta slices, and lightly fry, flipping, until both sides are golden.

remove from pan, blot off oil, and spoon on mushroom sauce, and top with goat cheese crumbles.

Spicy BBQ Mushroom Quesadillas

My husband has a tendency to eat the same things over and over. I am the opposite, I almost never eat the same things twice in a row. David went through a phase a few years ago where all he wanted to eat was spicy BBQ mushrooms quesadillas. I made them a few times, until I got tired of them, but he asked to make batch after batch for him to pack for lunch. Then, he just completely forgot they existed.

A few weeks ago I mentioned them when we were planning our weekly menu, and ever since then David asks for them at least once a week. So, today, on our last day of vacation, I decided to make a spicy BBQ mushroom quesadillas for him, with enough left over for him to pack for his lunch.

1 pack sliced portabella mushrooms (I used white since I already had them)

1 cup corn

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 cup diced onions

2 tbsp olive oil

3/4 Monterey Jack cheese

8 - 10 corn tortillas

for sauce

1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's, It's gluten free!)

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 ancho chile in adobo sauce

1 tbsp adobo sauce (optional, I like things really spicy)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Heat oil in skillet or wok. Add veggies, and heat, stirring occasionally until tender, and turn off burner. 

Meanwhile, mix BBQ sauce, and cider vinegar, and adobo sauce (if you are using it). Mince chipotle pepper, and add to sauce.

Add sauce to veggies, and mix until coated. Lay 4 - 5 tortillas flat on a cooking sheet, and spread veggies evenly over them. Sprinkle evenly with cheese, and cover with the remaining tortillas. Pop them in the oven, and bake approximately 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  

Garlicky Mushrooms With Green Onions

Today was supposed to be a lazy Sunday for Husband and me, however, he was told on Friday that he had to work all weekend. I decided to keep my plans for a relaxing day, and spent that day pampering myself. I started out with a manicure and pedicure, then I gave my hair a keratin treatment. I spent the rest of the day with Netflix, and later, a Big Bang Theory marathon on TV. All in all, it was a very successful Sunday for me.

I did find myself feeling a little guilty that Husband was stuck at work, while I was taking advantage of my day off, so I figured that I would pamper him with dinner. I decided to make steaks, garlicky mushrooms with green onions, and carrots.

I find that I have to be creative with mushrooms, since David (my husband) is just learning to like then. I decided to use a ton of garlic, since it's David's favorite, and I had some green onions in the fridge, so I threw it together with a few other ingredients, and it turned into a pretty successful dish! David even told me that I can add it to my rotation of side dishes!

1 pack sliced white mushrooms
1 bunch green onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
I tablespoon butter or margarine (I used margarine)
salt and pepper to taste.

Wipe mushrooms clean with a paper towel, and put in a saute pan. Chop green onions into 1/2 - 1 inch pieces. Add to pan. Add the rest of ingredients, sauteing over medium heat until mushrooms are soft.