Qunioa Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

I made this recipe up. It is original to me so if you share, please include my information.

This recipe can be vegan-friendly or meat-friendly. Adapt to your liking.

They are delicious and so healthy you can eat two without feeling guilty.

 

 Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

5 Portabella Mushrooms
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth (I used Wildtree's vegetable bouillon soup base mixed with water.)
2 medium Roma tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped
1/2 cup raw spinach, torn or chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, cubed or chopped
Optional - 1 Tablespoon Wildtree's Zesty Lemon Grapeseed oil

Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook quinoa in vegetable broth. (I used Wildtree's vegetable soup bouillon base with water.) While quinoa is cooking, remove stems from mushrooms. Chop the stems and place in food prep bowl. Wipe mushroom caps clean with damp paper towel or cloth. De-seed and shop tomatoes into small chunks and put in bowl with chopped mushroom stems. Tear or chop raw spinach into small pieces and add to bowl. Cut cheese into small cubes or pieces and add to bowl with vegetables. I added about a tablespoon of Wildtree's Zesty Lemon Grapeseed oil to the vegetable mixture. You could really use any variation of vegetables you like. When quinoa is fully cooked, add to vegetables in food prep bowl. Place mushrooms, cap side down, in greased pan. (9X13). Divide filling evenly among the five mushroom caps. I sprinkled the top of the filling with Wildtree's California Style Garlic and Pepper Blend. Bake for about 20 minutes. Serve fresh from the oven.

Calories per serving: 163, Calories from fat: 53, Protein, 9 grams. 

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/recipe/2748940/2#ixzz2HfyzKvDm

Creamy Carrot Soup

Here's a quick back story: One of our favorite bedtime stories is a book about three bunnies spending a summer evening playing, eating dinner, having family time, then going to bed. In that story, the bunnies eat carrot stew, radishes and lettuce for supper.Of course, as I post this, I can't find the book to refer to. You should have seen me grasping around the book shelf with only Eli's night light, trying to find this book. The name of it is "Sweet Dreams" and I think it was written by Lisa McClure. I am a firm believer in playing with food, making it fun, having the kids help cook and it turn, hope that I am helping them develop a healthy relationship with food. So... we made dinner tonight from one of our favorite children's books.

I searched for "Carrot Stew Recipes" online and found many. I am so glad I chose this one.
Looks like any combination of suggestions below would make a delicious carrot soup. I might have to try all the combinations throughout the winter.

 Carrot Soup from the 1977 edition of Moosewood Cookbook

2 pounds peeled or scrubbed, chopped carrots
4 cups stock or water (I added Wildtree's Chicken Bullion Soup Base, you could also use their Vegetable Bullion)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium potato, chopped (optional, for heartier soup)
3-4 tablespoons butter (I used Wildtree's Butter Flavored Grapeseed Oil)
1 cup chopped onion
1-2 small cloves crushed garlic
1/3 cup chopped cashews or almonds (I used almonds)

Choose one:
1 cup milk
1 cup yogurt or buttermilk plus a little honey (I used whole-milk Greek Yogurt and about 1 Tablespoon honey)
1/2 pint heavy cream
3/4 cup sour cream

Seasoning choices:
-2 pinches of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon dried mint, dash of cinnamon (I used these seasonings but used fresh mint from our garden.)
-1 teaspoon each of thyme, marjoram and basil
-1 teaspoon grated ginger

Place carrots, liquid and salt (and potato if you are using it) into a medium sized soup pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer it for 12-15 minutes. Let it cool to room temp.

Saute the onion, garlic and nuts in the butter until the onions are clear. You can sprinkle in a little salt to help draw the moisture out of the onions. Towards the end of cooking, stir in the seasoning combo of your choice.

Puree everything together in a blender until smooth (I deviate from her recipe at this stage. I dump the sauteed onions, garlic and nuts into the pot with the cooked carrots and use an immersion blender to puree. It saves dishes and energy).

Whisk in one of the dairy products. As I mentioned in the beginning, I often leave this step out until I'm just about to eat a bowl of soup. I'll stir in a little milk, a spoonful of yogurt or some cottage cheese just before serving (and just after reheating, if I'm using the microwave).

Garnish with toasted nuts, some toasted bread crumbs or eat just as it is.