GRILLED PORTABELLO MUSHROOMS WITH BEEF & CHEESE

2 medium portabello mushrooms
1 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

BEEF MIXTURE
1/2 lb ground beef
2 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

METHOD
Prepare the beef mixture: In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, for about 10 minutes.

Add the ground beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink in color. Drain off any excess grease. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, basil and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth and discard the stems. With a spoon, gently and carefully remove the black gills from the mushrooms caps.

Preheat the grill for direct cooking over medium heat.

Brush the mushrooms with olive oil on both sides. Place the mushrooms caps, gill sides down on the grill. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the mushrooms into a baking tray.

Place the beef mixture inside of the mushrooms and top with cheese. Then place the baking tray in the grill over medium heat, with the lid closed for about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Adapted from Seasaltwithfood.com.

PEACHES & CREAM DELIGHT

CRUST
1 package crushed graham crackers

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup margarine

Grease pie dish and press mixture into dish. Bake 8 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool.

In bowl whip together:

1/2 cup sugar

1 8oz cream cheese

Spread on top of crust and refrigerate.

In pot, boil until thick and clear:

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons corn starch

1 cup water

Remove from heat, cool a little and add:

4 tablespoons dry peach jello

3 fresh peaches, sliced

Pour over top of cream cheese mixture and cool. Finally mix cool whip with 2 more fresh sliced peaches and spread over top.

I love this dessert because it captures the flavor of fresh peaches. It is so delightful.

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRUMBLE PIE

FILLING
1 egg
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups rhubarb, sliced
1 pint strawberries, sliced

Mix egg, sugar, flour, and vanilla. Gently fold in the rhubarb and strawberries. Place filling in:

1 frozen, uncooked pie crust

CRUMBLE
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup butter, melted

Stir together and crumble on top of filling. Place pie on top of a cookie sheet to prevent spilling in your oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce to 350 degrees and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

BRATS WITH GRILLED MANGO RELISH

I found this recipe in a grilling magazine and we tried it out last night. The brats were delish but I decided I like a fresh mango better than a grilled one (at least ours seemed to get a bit mushy).

4 Brats
1 Mango, peeled and halved
1/2 of a small red onion, sliced
Cooking Oil
Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

Brush mango and onions with cooking oil. Place brats, mango and red onion on the grill at medium heat. Cook approximately 8 minutes or until onion is tender crisp. Dice mango and red onion, mix together with Jamaican Jerk Seasoning and serve over the brats. The recipe called for buns, but I prefer a bunless brat.

HOMEMADE BLEU CHEESE DRESSING

1 cup Sour Cream
1 cup Best Foods mMyo
1 cup Buttermilk
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
Juice of 1 small lemon - about a 1/4 cup
1 t. Onion Powder
1 t. Garlic Powder
1 t. Fish Sauce - the secret ingredient!
1 T. Dried Chive
1 t. Dried Dill
1 t. Morton Kosher Salt
1 T. Ground Black Pepper

Mix and chill before serving. I serve this with a bleu cheese wedge salad.

QUICK QUICHE

3 eggs
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup milk
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup margarine - softened
¼ tsp black pepper
1 cup chopped ham
½ cup bisquick

Beat eggs in blender until foamy; add margarine and beat; add milk and bisquick and beat; add cheese, salt and pepper and beat. Stir in ham last and pour into a greased 9 inch pie plate. Bake @ 400 for 15-20 minutes or until knife in center comes out clean.

CANNELLONI

RED SAUCE
1 teaspoon oil
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 tablespoon basil
1 cup diced onion
1 can tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper (to taste)

Saute onions and add other ingredients and simmer.

MEAT FILLING
1 teaspoon garlic
2 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 box frozen spinach
1 and 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 tablespoons cream
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add spinach that has been drained and cooked until it's dry.
Remove from pan and brown ground beef (don't forget to season the beef with salt and pepper), and drain grease. Add spinach and remaining ingredients.

WHITE SAUCE
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic

Combine butter and flour, add rest of ingredients and thicken.

Cook large shells and fill them with meat filling.


In a 9x13 pan, layer some red sauce, shells, and white sauce, then pour the rest of the red sauce over the top. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 1 hour.