Chicken Stew with Turnips and Mushrooms from Eating Well Magazine

Chicken Stew with Turnip and Mushrooms

I love fall. Hot weather isn't something I do well with and most of the summer I stay indoors. Growing up in Seattle it was never overly hot and the humidity was low. Then I moved to West Virginia. The humidity and heat almost did me in the first summer. It didn't help that we had a heat wave and the day my husband and I got married it was almost 100 (and yes my husband and I met and got married in only 11 months - sometimes things just fall into place). Fall is a total other story. I love fall in my state. The leaves are beautiful here and the weather is mild. Plus it means lots of soups, stews, and chili. It is by far my favorite time of the year. Tonight I tried a new recipe for Chicken Stew with Turnips and Mushrooms from the October 2013 issue of Eating Well magazine.

Sculpture Ritter Park Huntington, WV

This recipe has 14 ingredients. It takes 45 minutes of total time, all of which is active and makes 6 servings. I only made a few modifications to the original recipe. First, I used baby kale. I was so happy to have found  washed and ready to eat baby kale at the store this week. It's a new item and I scooped it up. So much easier than washing and cutting regular kale. In order to have the turnips fully cooked it took approximately 10 minutes more than the recipe suggested. I really don't like the texture of undercooked turnips. I served the stew with homemade Irish soda bread.

Bridge Ritter Park Huntington, WV

My whole family enjoyed this stew. The flavor was great and the fact that it had mushrooms was the selling point for my two boys. They are both obsessed with mushrooms. The stew was perfect for a cool evening and serving it with Irish soda bread was a nice combination since the bread could sop up the stew. This is definitely a recipe I would make again. If you aren't a fan of turnips this recipe would also work well with potatoes, sweet potatoes or parsnips.

For the recipe go to Chicken Stew with Turnip and Mushrooms.

Chicken Stew with Turnip and Mushrooms

Recipe Type: Main

Summary:

A filling chicken stew recipe with baby kale, turnips and mushrooms. Perfect for fall and winter!

Preparation Time: 0h, 15m

Cooking Time: 0h, 30m

Total Time: 0h, 45m

Yield: Serves 6

Beef and Mushroom Braised Stew

Beef and Mushroom Braised Stew

I don't drive. To many the idea of not driving would be shocking. I know how to drive, but I have always had horrible motion sickness. Behind the wheel I last about 5 minutes before I feel the need to be sick. As you can imagine this doesn't work well when on the road. I have seen doctors who have attempted to fix my inner ear, treated the anxiety part of my motion sickness (I also get very nervous behind the wheel) and none of it has worked. Honestly, when I was 23 I stopped driving and haven't been behind the wheel since. We live in a one car household, I walk everywhere or my husband drives. I lasted all through undergrad, working and grad school without a car. It was never a big hassle and honestly I'm a big proponent of trying to limit your carbon footprint and would love it if everyone drove less. I know many people reading are thinking but my husband and I work different hours, locations etc. and that it's different for us since I stay home. I didn't always stay home. My husband and I both worked 3 jobs during grad school and for two years after. We managed fine with one car, we stayed thin walking, we carpooled and we saved money on gas. If I go back to work I will still not drive. We are used to being a one car household (and one driver) and it works for us. We are just a little different than most households and that's part of what makes everyone in the world great; each of us have our own unique circumstances and things that set us apart. On to the food! This week the males in my house have been on a meat and potatoes kick. So I combined the two and made a recipe for Beef and Mushroom Braised Stew from the September/October 2013 issue of Taste of Home magazine.

Buskirk Field (Looking NE) Marshall University

This recipe has 19 ingredients. It takes 2 hours and 5 minutes, 35 minutes of which is active and makes 6 servings. I made a number of changes to the original recipe. I used homemade dried rosemary and thyme from my garden. Drying herbs is really easy, just wash them, tie them with kitchen twine, place in a brown paper bag with a few holes for air circulation and hang upside down for a week or two. Much cheaper than store bought. For the mashed potatoes I made buttermilk mashed potatoes. Buttermilk mashed potatoes have a great flavor and worked very well with the stew. The final change I made to the original recipe was to caramelize the onions before adding the garlic. The taste of caramelized onions is delicious in beef dishes.

Kentucky Wildflowers

The males in my house were huge fans of this stew. There is something about beef and mushrooms that a lot of men love. My husband ate two huge bowls for dinner and my oldest son went around stealing the beef off the plate of his brother. The finished stew had a great melding of flavor and was nice over the mashed potatoes. It would also be delicious plain with crusty bread.

For the recipe go to Beef and Mushroom Braised Stew.

Beef and Mushroom Braised Stew

Recipe Type: Main

Summary:

A perfect combination of mushrooms and beef roast made into a Beef and Mushroom Braised Stew. Served over mashed potatoes it's delicious!

Preparation Time: 0h, 35m

Cooking Time: 1h, 30m

Total Time: 2h, 5m

Yield: Serves 6

Summer Vegetable Chili

Summer Vegetable Chili

My son is enamored with a pet rat. The first thing I heard as he got off the bus his first day of school was that his classroom had a new pet, a hairless rat. Apparently they are also getting two hamsters next week. He is obsessed now. At the library he wanted all books on rats and he talks about it constantly. I think it's pretty cute. We have three dogs and three cats, but we haven't had any small pets since before he was born. Before kids my husband and I had dwarf hamsters and I grew up with gerbils. I haven't allowed my boys to have any small pets yet, since they are a little small to be able to understand being gentle. Having a classroom pet is the perfect compromise. My oldest son feels an attachment and responsibility for a small animal and I don't have to do the daily care etc. I love it. With last week being the first week of school I didn't do a lot of cooking, but this weekend it's back to the kitchen. Today I tried a new recipe for Summer Vegetable Chili from the June 2013 issue of the Food Network Magazine.

Owingsville, Kentucky

This recipe has 16 ingredients. It takes 40 minutes of total time, 25 minutes of which is active and makes 4 servings. I only made a few modifications to the original recipe. First I always use canola oil instead of vegetable oil, I prefer it for heart health. I bought regular frozen corn since I have never seen fire-roasted at the stores near me. Additionally I purchased regular beans and tomatoes not low sodium since the store I went to only had one variety. I cooked the beans on high for the 20 minutes of cooking time, watching it closely to ensure that it did not burn. Using a dutch oven is a great way to make chili, it heats evenly and is big enough to make big batches. I found that I had to add more salt at the table, but that is more of a personal preference, if you like food with less salt it would be fine as written.

Country Roads Kentucky

The mushrooms in this recipe really made the dish. They allowed for the chili to have a lot of flavor. Plus my husband who isn't a big fan of vegetarian chili really liked this recipe. With the mushrooms it was definitely more male friendly. My two boys were skeptical, but after tasting it they ate their whole bowls. The recipe states that it only makes 4 servings, but after my family of 4 had a dinner sized portions there was more than enough for at least another meal.

For the recipe go to Summer Vegetable Chili.

Summer Vegetable Chili

Recipe Type: Main

Summary:

An easy vegetarian chili recipe that has great flavor from the addition of portobello mushrooms. Makes enough servings for multiple meals.

Preparation Time: 0h, 25m

Total Time: 0h, 40m

Yield: Serves 4

Mushroom Stuffed Cheeseburgers

Mushroom Stuffed Cheeseburgers

I am a bad mommy. My oldest son is 7 and doesn't know how to tie his shoes. It isn't for a lack of trying, I have tried many, many times. I blame my husband mostly and his genetics. According to my mother-in-law he was the last kid in his class to tie his shoes. I also blame how kids are taught in school these days. Apparently learning simple skills like tying your shoes is no longer something that public schools teach. Okay. In 1st grade we spent a great deal of time learning to tie our shoes until every kid could do it by the end of the year. The school district that my son is in does not see this as an important skill. They even went so far as to state in a take home note that if my child does not know how to tie his own shoes that the teachers don't have the time to take to tie his shoes for him. I completely understand that teachers are over worked, both of my in-laws were teachers for almost 40 years each. I just wish that some of the skills that used to be emphasized at school such as tying your shoes and cursive would still be viewed as valuable. So I continue to fail miserably at home. I know that a big part of it is that he is left handed. It took working with him for almost a year for him to understand how to hold a pencil and begin to write. I never knew how much harder being left handed makes everything. Hopefully I am not the only bad mommy in the world and that my son turns out to be a normally functioning adult. If not there are always slip on shoes that require no tying what-so-ever. Today's recipe is something that my whole family loves, cheeseburgers. This week I tried a new recipe for Mushroom Stuffed Cheeseburgers from the June/July issue of Taste of Home magazine.

Sugar Grove Christian Church Near Owingville, Kentucky

This recipe has 10 ingredients. It takes 40 minutes of total time, all of which is active and makes 8 servings. I did make a number of changes to the original recipe. First I make my buns from scratch. It saves money and they taste so much better than store bought. Secondly, I thought that I had steak sauce in the fridge, I was wrong. When I got ready to make the recipe I discovered my fault and decided rather than running to the store in the middle of dinner to leave out the steak sauce all together. My husband is still refusing to clean the rust off of our outdoor grill so I used my indoor electric grill to grill the burgers. The cheeseburgers had a problem with slitting open during grilling. Don't feel bad if this also happens to you, they still tasted fine after they were finished cooking.

Mt Sterling, Kentucky

These burgers turned into a mess on the grill. The amount of filling was just too much for the burgers to stay together. The burgers still tasted delicious, they just oozed out their insides a lot on the grill. If you would rather that your burgers stayed intact I would suggest adding only a small amount of the filling to each burger and make sure to form the patties very flat with a good inch or more of space between the filling and the burger edge. The problem was only aesthetic though so if you aren't worried about the way the burger looks, the recipe was fine.

For the recipe go to Mushroom Stuffed Cheeseburgers.

Mushroom Stuffed Cheeseburger

Recipe Type: Main

Summary:

A stuffed cheeseburger recipe with mushrooms, provolone, and red and green peppers. Uses lean beef to cut down on the total fat.

Preparation Time: 0h, 30m

Cooking Time: 0h, 10m

Total Time: 0h, 40m

Yield: Serves 8

Asian Style Chicken and Rice Recipe

Asian Style Chicken and Rice

I have two boys and each of them has their own unique food habits. My youngest loves cheese while my oldest has decided that he is currently not eating any. The youngest loves spicy foods, my oldest hates them. They can both agree on a few foods. Rice and chicken are two of their favorite foods. They will literally eat plain rice out of the fridge as a snack. I like rice as much as the next person, but they take it to a whole new level. Since they can be hit or miss with so many other foods I try to make chicken at least once a week and rice is always a popular side dish. This week I tried a new recipe for Asian Style Chicken and Rice from Everyday Food magazine.

This recipe has 9 ingredients. It takes 50 minutes of total time, 20 minutes of which is active and makes 4 servings. This recipe was very straight forward so I only made a few changes. First the sliced shiitake mushrooms that I could find and purchase were 5 ounces. So instead of using the remainder in another recipe I just added all 5 ounces. Since I added more mushrooms I found that my total cooking time was increased by approximately 5 minutes. Also make sure to trim the extra fat from your chicken thighs or your rice will end up greasy. Finally, I made my own chicken stock which I do not salt. This allows me to control the amount of sodium in my recipes.

While the title of this recipe is Asian style, the recipe resembled Southern style chicken and rice. The ginger added flavor, without making the dish taste overly Asian inspired. This would be a recipe that people that like traditional American cooking would enjoy and not even notice the ginger. That being said my family liked this recipe, especially my two boys. The rice turned out perfect and the chicken was very moist.

For the recipe go to Asian Style Chicken and Rice.

Recipe for Coconut Shrimp Curry

Coconut Shrimp Curry with Basmati Rice

As many of you already know my oldest son is a shrimp fanatic. He could eat shrimp three times a day and be completely happy. Especially if it also involved bacon in some manner. My mother had a shell fish allergy growing up so we rarely ate shrimp at home and it was always too expensive at restaurants. Luckily I haven't seemed to have inherited the allergy (except I avoid oysters) so my family has shrimp once every week or two. My kids could eat shrimp plain, but my husband and I prefer sauces and curries. Last week I tried a new recipe for Coconut Shrimp Curry from the Oxygen Summer Meals 2012.

This recipe has 14 ingredients. It takes 40 minutes of total time, all of which is active and makes 4 servings. I only made a few changes to the original recipe. First I served the curry over basmati rice. I used one large red onion and bought pre-sliced shiitake mushrooms. As I always do I bought wild caught US shrimp. The majority of the time spent in this recipe is from peeling and de-veining the shrimp. Since I do it so frequently I can get it done pretty quickly and I buy extra large shrimp which has about 20 shrimp to the pound.

My family loved this recipe. It had a little bit of kick from the sambal oelek, but not enough to be spicy. There were no leftovers since my kids ate their servings and the extra sauce that was left. If you don't want to serve the curry over rice it would also be delicious alone.

This recipe is not currently available online, but can be found in the Oxygen Summer Meals 2012 on page 48.

Recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms with Ramps

My two boys love Brussels sprouts. At the grocery store this morning my oldest spotted Brussels sprouts on sale and got very excited. He then commenced to beg me to buy some for dinner. Of course I said yes, who doesn't love a child that begs for vegetables. Growing up my mother only knew how to make Brussels sprouts one way, boiled. While my mother was lucky in that I loved
Brussels sprouts regardless, all my friends hated the vegetable. After getting married I tried a recipe for roasted Brussels sprouts and my husband and I fell in love with the cooking method. Now I make roasted Brussels sprouts a lot in the spring and my whole family loves them. Tonight I made roasted Brussels sprouts and mushrooms, here is the recipe.

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, ends cut off and cut in half lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2-3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 oz button mushrooms (or the mushroom of your choice)
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• If desired you can squeeze fresh lemon juice over the roasted veggies before serving

 Toss all ingredients together in a bowl. I added 3 diced young ramps for flavor, shallots would also work (however, this isn't a necessary step). Place on a baking sheet and roast in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Toss the vegetables every 10 minutes to prevent burning. If you want a bit of extra flavor you can add cooked crumbled bacon over the vegetables before serving.

That's it. Roasting vegetables is a great way to get kids to eat vegetables and my whole family loves it. It also works well with asparagus or green beans.

Classic Pot Roast

I was so proud of the males in my family tonight. For dessert I made pudding using silken tofu and they all ate their whole servings. I even sweetened it with sorghum and my oldest thought it was delicious. This just goes along my whole opinion that kids will eat a variety of food if you give it to them and don't make a fuss. I still serve sugar, I just limit the amount of granulated sugar and try to use honey, sorghum and maple syrup when possible. My kids have slowly adjusted, so much so that my oldest has been nagging me to allow him to take a packed lunch to school since he loves my food so much. I love that my kids will eat just about anything without complaints, especially if it contains chicken or pork. One of my family's favorite meals is pot roast. There is something so comforting about starting a pot roast on a Sunday and sitting down in the evening for a delicious meal. This week I tried a new recipe for Classic Pot Roast from the February 2013 issue of Parents magazine.

This recipe has 13 ingredients. It takes a total time of 3 hours, 30 minutes of which is active and makes 8 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store. Since I eat gluten free I used cornstarch instead of all-purpose flour to thicken the pan juices. If you aren't a fan of carrots skins than I would suggest peeling them before chopping. The recipe doesn't state this, but I always do it since my youngest isn't a fan of carrot skin. Make sure to let the roast rest. This rest time is very important for letting the juices stay in the roast. If you cut the roast before letting it rest the juices will spill out making for a drier roast. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

My husband really loved this roast. He thought it was one of the best pot roast recipes that I have made in a long time. My oldest was also a big fan, he ate most of the leftovers. The roast was a little on the dry side without the pan juices. I would add additional beef stock to the pan while the roast is cooking to ensure a larger amount of pan juice to serve with the roast.

This recipe is currently not available online, but can be found in the February 2013 issue of Parents magazine. Here is another recipe for pot roast from Parents magazine.

Mushroom and Spinach Korma

In the last couple of years I have started to feel my age. There are now cracks and creaks in my knees and shoulder even when it's not raining and it takes a lot more work to keep in shape. My husband won't admit that he has been struggling with the same signs of aging, but his back massager has been getting a lot of use in the last year. So I have been gradually making changes to my family's diet, with the most important being adding more vegetarian and vegan recipes into my weekly meal plans. I have been happily surprised with how well my two boys have taken to eating less meat, they actually love beans and will pick them off of other people's plates. My husband was a little more resistant at the beginning, but now enjoys meatless meals as much as most meat recipes (with the exception of bacon). As I was looking through the January/February issue of the Food Network Magazine I noticed a recipe for Mushroom and Spinach Korma that promised 14 grams of protein and being completely vegan.

This recipe has 13 ingredients. It takes 40 minutes of total time, all of which is active and makes 4 servings. I was unable to find light coconut milk at the first grocery store that I went to, but I was lucky enough to find a can at the second store I visited. When I started the recipe I discovered that I had ran out of ground coriander, so I left it out the recipe completely. I chose not to add fresh cilantro to the finished product, my two boys aren't big fans of cilantro as a topping. One word of warning this dish will be bland unless you salt to taste. It takes a lot more salt than the recipe states, additionally I added cayenne pepper to add a little bit of spice since my family likes spicier foods. I did find that my finished recipe was a lot more liquidy than the photo in the magazine. Obviously the magazine photo either used whole coconut milk or used non-food items (such as glue for milk) for food photography. I understand why magazines use this practice, but it can be frustrating for home cooks. It is also one of the main reasons I started this blog so that readers can see what recipes look like in a real kitchen. Enough of my mini-rant, I followed the rest of the recipe as written.

I love mushrooms and so do my two boys. This recipe has a great taste from the mushrooms and fresh spinach. It isn't a traditional korma, but it is still a very good vegan recipe. The leftovers heated up very well the next day for lunch and it made more than enough for a dinner for my family of four plus two lunches. I did notice that the leftovers the next day were more solid with far less liquid. Make sure to add enough salt and a little bit of cayenne will bring out more flavor. Overall, a delicious vegan recipe that I would definitely make again.

For the recipe go to Mushroom and Spinach Korma.

Martha Stewart Living Fusilli with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms

I have always loved mushrooms. Growing up I was never one of those kids that turned their noses up at mushrooms, I would eat all of my serving and then go around picking off more from my parents plates. I quickly learned that not everyone shared my love of mushrooms. We went to my aunts house for the holidays every year and my cousin hated mushrooms. The stuffing never had any since he had a definite distaste for them. I must say I missed the mushrooms in the stuffing. My cousin and I were the same age and I could never understand why he could hate something that I loved so much. When I had my two boys I was unsure what their reaction would be to one of my favorite foods. I followed the same strategy I have with all foods, I make one meal for everyone and if they eat it great, if they don't no big deal. After about five tries of any food they normally learn to at least tolerate and in some cases like mushrooms, it turns into a food they love. Recently as I was flipping through an issue of Martha Stewart Living I came across a recipe for Fusilli with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms, which looked perfect for my mushroom loving family.

This recipe has 9 ingredients. It takes 30 minutes of total time, all of which is active, and makes 4 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store and made no ingredient modifications. Normally I cut all my mushrooms by myself, but I noticed that at the grocery store the pre-sliced mushrooms were only five cents more and given the hectic couple of months that I've had, I gave in and bought the mushrooms pre-sliced. I chose to use mint instead of parsley leaves, I prefer the fresh taste of mint, especially in the spring and summer. The recipe calls for 3/4 of a pound of pasta, I chose to increase the amount to a full pound. Finally, I used a sweet yellow onion, when they are available I prefer them in most cooking. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I found that this recipe made more than the four servings suggested by the recipe. There was enough for my family of four for dinner and two servings for lunch the next day. This probably had a lot to do with using a full pound of pasta, which I would do again. Of course my kids went and picked out all the mushrooms off their plates and then commenced to eat the mushrooms off my plate as well. I love how this recipe takes only a half an hour and the flavor from the mushrooms and bacon is delicious. Overall, an easy and quick pasta recipe.

For the recipe go to Fusilli with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms.

Taste of Home Spinach Mushroom Enchiladas

My oldest son is on a serious mushroom kick. I have made more mushroom recipes in the last couple of months than I have in years. I'm lucky that my five-year-old is a great helper and has become my kitchen side kick during dinner prep. I love spending time with my two sons in the kitchen and it provides a great way to teach them fractions, math and general science lessons. My five-year-old now is able to dump in ingredients and is beginning to understand how to read recipes. In order to help him appreciate the food that he eats, I have been preparing recipes involving ingredients that he loves, such as mushrooms. The November issue of Taste of Home magazine had a recipe for Spinach Mushroom Enchiladas using lime juice and mushrooms, which looked delicious and a great recipe to have my son help to prepare.

This recipe has 16 ingredients. It takes approximately 35 minutes of prep and 14 minutes of baking, and makes 6 total servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store. I do wish that my store had baby portobello mushrooms by the pound, they are a great deal more expensive when sold pre-packaged. I did make one modification, I only had beef bouillon granules, so I substituted it for the chicken bouillon granules called for in the recipe. Finally, I chose to add the red pepper flakes, my family likes a little kick in our food. Make sure to adequately cook the spinach in order for all the water to be cooked out. I let my spinach cook a good 15-20 minutes. Letting the water cook off is essential to avoid soggy enchiladas. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

The lime in this recipe gives the enchiladas a great citrus taste. Everyone in my family enjoyed this dish and the leftovers re-heated great for lunch the next day. The serving size is large and I was able to make two meals, making it very economical at only 4 dollars a serving. Overall, a great inexpensive enchilada recipe.

For the recipe go to Spinach Mushroom Enchiladas.

Family Circle Wild Mushroom Soup

The cold weather and I have a love-hate relationship. I love all the flavors of the fall and winter seasons, but I absolutely hate being cold. Growing up we had an old fashioned furnace that had vents that I would stand right in front of in an attempt to stay warm. I have always gotten cold easier than anyone else that I know and I stay pretty miserable once the temps drop below about 20 degrees. I have learned that hot drinks and meals warm me up effectively and are a great way to boost my mood in the colder months. Recently, the November issue of Family Circle magazine had a recipe for Wild Mushroom Soup, which looked easy, warm and full of one of family's favorite foods. 

This recipe has 11 ingredients. It makes 8 servings and takes approximately 15 minutes of prep and 28 minutes of cooking time. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store and I was pleased to find that I could purchase shiitake mushrooms in bulk, which was much cheaper than buying them pre-packaged. I make all my stock from scratch, so the day before I made this recipe, I roasted a chicken and used the bones for chicken stock. I found that it took a significant amount of salt in order to flavor this recipe, don't be shy with the salt. Finally, the soup didn't thicken up as much as the photo implied, mine was a thinner consistency of cream soup than the photo. The difference in consistency didn't effect the taste, so it was more a texture issue. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written. 

My oldest son absolutely loves mushrooms. If I tell him that a recipe has mushrooms in it, he will gobble it up happily. This recipe was no exception, he ate his whole serving. The flavor on this soup is nice and it takes very little effort to prepare. The consistency is thinner than the photo implies, but doesn't effect the taste. A warm, creamy mushroom soup, that would work great to warm up in the cold months ahead. 

For the recipe go to Wild Mushroom Soup.

Family Circle Sweet and Sour Pork

Fall is my favorite time of year. The weather starts to turn cooler and I take out my slow-cooker. I absolutely love using my slow-cooker when the weather turns cooler. It's great being able to put a meal in the crock-pot in the morning and do nothing until dinner time. When I first moved to West Virginia I only knew how to crock-pot a handful of things, mostly meat. I quickly learned that everyone in my state uses their slow-cookers for just about everything, especially pinto beans. After many less than great dishes (which my great husband ate and didn't say anything negative) I learned how to correctly use my crock-pot. Today I use my crock-pot multiple times a week in the cooler months. Since I use my crock-pot so frequently I am always on the look-out for new dishes, and was pleased when I saw a recipe for Sweet and Sour Pork in the July issue of Family Circle magazine.

This recipe has 12 ingredients. It makes six servings and takes 15 minutes of prep and 8 hours of cook time on low. I have never actually seen a 2 lb pork shoulder in my area, so I bought a 17 pound shoulder and had it cut to the right size. Instead of using reduced-sodium soy sauce, I used the regular version I already had in my fridge. This is a basic recipe and I had no problems finding any of the other ingredients at my local grocery store. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I love how easy this recipe is to make. My family loves anything using pork and this dish was no exception. Serving the pork over noodles made for a nice combination. The noodles did a great job of blending with the pork and worked much better than rice would have. This doesn't taste like a traditional sweet and sour pork recipe, but has a great flavor. An easy pork crock-pot recipe, that's perfect for the cooler months ahead.

For the recipe go to Sweet and Sour Pork. (registration required)

Martha Stewart Living Beef and Barley Soup

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it, but most of all the cooking. There is nothing more comforting than sitting down on a cold day to a bowl of homemade soup. I think I love just about every soup I have ever tasted or made. There is something so warm and relaxing about eating homemade soup. I've been lucky that my two boys are also big soup fans and will eat just about any variety of soup I serve them. Recently, Martha Stewart Living magazine had a recipe for Beef and Barley Soup, which looked delicious and perfect for the cold snap we've been experiencing.

This recipe has 14 ingredients. It takes approximately 4 hours, 40 minutes of which is active. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store. I was able to save money by using the red wine I keep in my fridge for cooking. Additionally, I made my own chicken stock from the leftover bones from a roasted chicken recipe a few weeks back. Making homemade chicken stock tastes so much better and saves a lot of money at the grocery store. I used pearl barley instead, of regular hulled since that was what was available to me. I chose not to add the horseradish garnish, since no one in my family is a fan. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

Slow cooked homemade soup is well worth the wait, and this recipe is no exception. The combination of the mushrooms and the barley are delicious and very filling. I was surprised by how well the leftovers re-heated and the recipe makes enough for multiple additional meals. My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe and it will be one that I will add to my recipe file to make again during the colder months.

This recipe is currently not available on-line, but can be found in the October 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. There are a few recipes using many of the same ingredients on the Martha Stewart website and can be found here or here.

Martha Stewart Living Barley, Mushroom and Dill Salad

In the last year I have been trying to introduce as many grains to my family as possible. I have been lucky in that the organic section at my local grocery store has a number of variety of grains and beans to chose from, so at least once every couple of weeks I have been purchasing something new. Some grains have gone over better than others. Oatmeal is always a big hit in my house and my two boys will eat multiple servings. However, other grains such as quinoa, have taken multiple offerings, before my  household took to its taste. I was intrigued when the September issue of Martha Stewart Living had a recipe for Barley, Mushroom, and Dill Salad, which looked like a great way to introduce more barley into my family's diet.

This recipe has 11 ingredients, including salt and pepper. The total prep time is 1 hour and 15 minutes, with 15 minutes being active. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store, the pearl barley was even available generic in the bean aisle. The longest part of the recipe is the time for the barley to cook, the remainder of the recipe goes together quickly. I followed the recipe as stated, with no modifications.

I wasn't sure how this recipe would go over with my family, so I served it with a chicken dish that I figured they would eat. I was very surprised when my 5-year-old went straight for the barley salad and ignored the chicken completely. He absolutely loved the salad and ate a second serving as a bed time snack. I was pleased by how well the leftovers held up, my husband was able to take them to work the next day. My husband did comment that after sitting in the fridge the salad could use a bit more salt. This recipe is a great way to introduce more grains and was a big hit with my children.

This recipe is currently not available on-line, but can be found in the September issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine.

Taste of Home Family-Friendly Stuffed Cheeseburgers

During the summer months, my family goes through a large amount of burgers. I try to vary up the recipes and use different types of ground meat, in order to keep my family from getting bored. My oldest son loves mushrooms, but I have been unable to find a burger recipe incorporating mushrooms which my whole family enjoys. The June/July issue of Taste of Home magazine had a recipe for Family-Friendly Stuffed Cheeseburgers, combining mushrooms and cheese, two of my boys favorite foods.

This recipe has 14 ingredients. The prep work is easy, with only the onion and jalapeno requiring chopping. I crushed my saltines in a plastic bags to decrease on the mess factor in my kitchen. Instead of using an outdoor grill, I used my indoor grill. I made sure to keep the grill open in order to keep the cheese from spilling out. The total prep time is approximately 40 minutes.

This recipe makes 6 very large 1/3 pound burgers. My family enjoyed the recipe, but we all agreed that it was a little too cheesy for our tastes. I think this recipe would benefit from the cream cheese being eliminated and using 1 cup of shredded cheddar, instead of 1 1/2 cups. The taste of the actually burger is delicious, and would go great with a warmed smokey-sweet tomato based bbq sauce. This recipe could easily be made into 8 1/4 pound burgers, which would be a little less drastic on the meat. For an outdoor bbq, this recipe could easily be modified to taste delicious and feed a crowd of hungry cheeseburger eaters.

For the recipe go to Taste of Home Family Friendly Stuffed Cheeseburgers.

Everyday Food Mushroom-Swiss Turkey Burgers

My family eats a large amount of burgers. Since they are eaten so frequently I try to change up the recipes, in order that we don't get bored. Additionally, I have been trying to introduce more types of white meat burgers for my family's health. My two boys thoroughly enjoy burgers made with turkey meat, so I have been making an effort to find new recipes using this meat. Recently, an issue of Everyday Food magazine had a recipe for mushroom-swiss turkey burgers, which looked like something my family would enjoy.

This recipe goes together quickly, with the time from prep to finish taking less than a half an hour. I had no problems finding the ingredients at my local grocery store and made no major substitutions. Instead of using an outdoor grill, I used my foreman grill, which worked great. My total grilling time took less time on the indoor grill than the outdoor suggestion.

My two boys loved this recipe. They have always been fans of turkey burgers and mushrooms, so they were pleased to see them combined into one recipe. My husband thought this was one of the best turkey burger recipes that he has every had. I appreciate that it takes less than thirty minutes to prepare, which makes it a great recipe for a weeknight meal.

This recipe is currently unavailable online, but can be found in the July/August issue of Everyday Food Magazine.

Martha Stewart Living Double-Portobello Burgers with Roasted Tomatoes

Mushrooms have a way of disappearing off plates when my four-year-old is around. He loves them so much that he will pick out every single one off his plate and then systematically go around to every other person and take theirs as well. One of his other great loves is a good hamburger, especially the buns. So I was intrigued when a recent issue of Martha Stewart Living combined two of his favorite foods in a recipe for double-portobello burgers with roasted tomatoes.

I had no problem finding quality portobello mushrooms at my local grocery store. They actually had both pre-packaged and bulk, with the bulk variety being almost half the price (much better deal!). This recipe does take some prep time, with the tomatoes and mushrooms being roasted in the oven for 25 minutes. However, once they are roasted, the remainder of the recipe goes together in less than 10 minutes. As I've stated before my oven broiler is broken, so I used my convection toaster oven's broil setting and they turned out perfect.

My four-year-old loved these burgers. He even went so far as to eating his brother's left overs out of the fridge later in the evening as a snack. Next time I make these I might pat down the mushroom with a paper towel after roasting, I found them to be a little watery. The roasted tomatoes were delicious with the mushrooms and made a nice edition to the burger. This recipe was a great way to get a vegetarian recipe into my meat-oriented family's diet.

For the link go to Martha Stewart Living Double-Portobello Burgers with Roasted Tomatoes.

Taste of Home Artichoke Mushroom Lasagna

Often, after a week of using new recipes, I want good, old-fashion comfort food. However, finding new spins on classic favorites can prove problematic (especially when it comes to lasagna). I have tried many recipes that have failed to live up to expectations or were complete failures. I was intrigued when I saw a recipe for Artichoke Mushroom Lasagna in the April/May issue of Taste of Home magazine.

All the ingredients in this recipe are easy to find, there were even bulk and pre-packaged baby portobello mushrooms in my local grocery store. The prep is relatively time consuming, with multiples components needed to construct the lasagna. I had to make a large modification to the recipe due to the fact that I ran out of 2% milk, I had to substitute non-fat. Since non-fat milk is much lower in fat than 2% I had to add additional flour and butter in order for the sauce to thicken to the desired consistency. Additionally, I was unable to find no-cook lasagna noodles, so I cooked my noodles on the stove-top and then followed the recipe accordingly.

My four year old liked this recipe, my two year old was indifferent. My husband liked this recipe and it heated up well for his lunch the next day. The one thing that this recipe lacked was an adequate amount of salt---salting on top was not enough---it needs additional salt added to the inside due to the mushrooms. I would make this recipe again and try with 2% milk and plenty of seasoning.

For the recipe go to Taste of Home Artichoke Mushroom Lasagna.

Note: My husband added some J&D's Bacon Salt to his and found it tasty.

Chef Walter Staib's Potato, Mushroom and Onion Casserole

Easter dinner can tend to be monotonous, with the same recipes year after year. So for Easter dinner this year I wanted to try some new cookbook recipes that I hadn't done before. I bought Walter Staib's The City Tavern Cookbook about 6 months ago, but have only done a couple of recipes, so for Easter I prepared the Potato, Mushroom and Onion Casserole.

Most of the recipes in this cookbook use simple, basic ingredients. The ingredients for this recipe were easily found at my local grocery store and the prep was not overly time consuming. I did have to bake the casserole about 15 minutes longer than the recipe suggestion, but my oven tends to run cold. My husband salted the dish and was trying to be sensitive to those at our dinner not tolerant to sodium and therefore the dish was undersalted. I would recommend using a larger amount of salt since it's going directly onto potatoes.

Everyone at my dinner table enjoyed this dish. My mother-in-law especially liked the texture of this potato casserole recipe and my husband is now refusing to eat boxed scalloped potatoes. The mushrooms added an umami flavor and gave a nice color to the onions during the saute process. I would definitely make this dish again and this will be our new potato recipe.

For the recipe see Walter Staib's The City Tavern Cookbook, page 218. You can buy it at Amazon.