Salmon Stuffed Mushroom Caps

These warm Salmon Stuffed Mushroom Caps are overflowing with flavor and are so simple to make.  With a little help from the Gorton's Fisherman and a few fresh veggies I was able to quickly whip together this wholesome snack. 

 As always the ingredients I used for today's snack are only what was available at the time I was ready to eat.  So, take a look in your freezer and pull out whatever frozen fish or protein you happen to have.   We just so happened to have Gorton's Grilled Salmon, Lemon Butter flavor.  You'll want to cook it according to the package or heat it through in a skillet then set it aside to cool. I used both salmon fillets in the package.

We had about ten large button mushroom left in the fridge, so I cleaned them up with a damp paper towel, just to remove any dirt particles.  Never wash your mushrooms in water because they are like little sponges and will become waterlogged, which will keep them from browning.  Remove the stems and scoop out the center.  Place your cleaned mushrooms in a baking dish just big enough to hold them, the tighter the fit the better. Set aside.

Chop the stems and centers of mushrooms, 3T onion, 1 T celery, 2T red bell pepper.  Saute veggies in a large skillet with 1T butter.  Use a nice large skillet on a med-high heat.  The large skillet will allow the water to evaporate as it is released from the mushrooms and veggie.  Continue to saute and stir your veggies until they are cooked and caramelized like the image below.

I could just eat these veggies as is, but I'll hold off until the finished product.  See how they have browned and caramelized and the water has evaporated.  If you still have a lot of liquid in the bottom of your pan then you'll need to continue cooking your veggies.  Too much water will make your mushrooms a soggy mess. 

 Now that the salmon is cooled, take a fork and flake it in to small chunks.  

 We have Ritz and as y'all know~ Everything tastes better on a Ritz!  So, I was sure it would taste good in these Salmon Stuffed Mushroom Caps.  Just take 8-10 crackers and pound the heck out of them in a Ziploc baggie.  For good solid filling that is not too loose and holds up to the moisture that the mushrooms are going to give off you'll want to have at least 1/4-1/3 Cup of cracker crumbs.

Mix together in a large bowl, the flaked salmon, cracker crumbs, sauteed veggies, 1 beaten egg and 2-3T milk.  Season with salt & pepper and a few sprinkles of Cayenne Pepper.  This should yield about 3/4 to 1C of filling.   Your filling should have enough body to pile it into your mushroom caps.  If your filling does not sit-up on the spoon like in the above photo then you'll want to crush more cracker in it. 

With the cleaned caps in a baking dish fill all your caps using all of the filling.  As you can see I had ten and was able to fill them all with lots of this yummy filling.  Pile it on there!!!! 

Bake them in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.  And look what you get.....

These Stuffed Mushroom Caps are so good and good for you! Mushrooms are one of the Top 20 Super Foods!!  

You are what you eat

 

I love this image! It's a good reminder that we are what we eat, and it truly does show on our face whether we are eating well or no.  

I'm going to start looking into and practicing more "clean eating" as well as introducing some "raw foods".  Nothing drastic just something to change things up a bit.

Doesn't Almond Buttered Banana & Açaí
 sound yummy.  Keep an eye out for that coming soon!

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Quinoa Veggie Salad

The first time I had Quinoa (keen-whaa) it was a side dish someone had brought to a party, and it wasa chore to eat it.  It was bland, clumpy and visually unappealing.  My mind was racing to find ways to pep this grain up to taste better.

Quinoa is prepared the same way you would cook rice and when cooked properly has an underlying crunchy texture to it.  It's the perfect creative canvas.  I like to chop then add whatever crispy veggies are in the fridge and then splash everything with a light vinaigrette.

One of the main reason I like Quinoa so much is that it's a supergrain, it's highly nutritious and can supply us with all of the body's requirements: carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  Heck it's not just a snack it's a meal!

Here's a loose outline for my Quinoa Veggie Salad:

2 C quinoa
4 C water

1 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 C chopped cilantro, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup canola oil

• I use the rice cooker to prepare my quinoa, that way I can prep my veggies without worrying about burning it. Just add the water and quinoa and the cooker steams it perfectly.  If you don't have a rice cooker then bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. 
• Fluff with a fork and scrape the cooked quinoa into a large bowl.
• Whisk together the vinegar, salt, pepper, and the oil. 
• Add the cucumbers, bell pepper, red onion, tomato, and garlic to the bowl with the quinoa. Pour the dressing over top and gently fold until evenly mixed. Serve warm or cold.  Enjoy!

As far as the veggies go you can add whatever suites your pallet or whatever is in your keeper at the time.  I like to add fresh basil sometimes instead of the cilantro, or add chopped spinach ribbons & roasted red peppers or feta cheese and kalamata olives.  The combination of flavor adds is endless. 

Here's the rice cooker I use and recommend for both your rice and quinoa.  You'll love its ease of use and your food will come out perfect every single time. You can even steam fresh veggies in this thing! I Love it!