Marinated Steamed Mushroom Sandwich

Ingredients

2 large portobello mushrooms, stems diced

4 slices brie cheese

1 heirloom tomato, cut into quarters

4 slices Rustica olive loaf bread

Topping for tomatoes

1 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp agave nectar

1/2 tsp himalayan salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Marinade

1 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp thyme, dried

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp himalayan salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

Cut slits into the mushrooms, mix marinade ingredients together in a large bowl, and let the mushrooms soak in the marinade for 30-60 minutes. Next, steam the mushrooms for 10 minutes, rotating half-way.

Meanwhile, roast tomato at 450 degrees for 30 minutes in a parchment-lined baking dish coated in the tomato topping. Place tomatoes and cheese on top of the mushroom (gill-side) and broil until the cheese is melted. Place the mushroom between the 2 slices of olive bread.

I wanted to find a new way to cook our favorite portobellos so I decided to invent a good marinade, cut slits so the marinade could soak in, and tried steaming them for a change. Well, they turned out to be juicy and delicious. The roasted tomatoes added a ton of flavor and the melted cheese gave comfort to the sandwich. I set up a table in our backyard, made some fresh sweet corn, and we had a very enjoyable night:)

Red White Sauce over Spaghetti

Ingredients

1 jar marinara sauce

1 yellow heirloom tomato, diced

1 pkg whole wheat spaghetti noodles

1/2 cup fresh basil

1 tsp himalayan salt

1 tsp pepper

White Sauce

3 1/2 Tbs ghee (clarified butter)

3 Tbs all-purpose flour

2 cups original hazelnut milk

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp garlic salt

Directions

Melt ghee in a large saucepan, add garlic, saute 30 seconds, add flour, and whisk until rue is smooth. Next, add hazelnut milk, whisk until smooth, and cook on medium low heat until thick and creamy. Then, add in marinara sauce and tomato and simmer for 10 minutes. Finish with the basil, salt, and pepper just before serving.

Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Top pasta with the sauce.

I was inspired to create this after remembering how wonderful it was to mix red pizza sauce with the creamy garlic white pizza sauce when I worked at Papa Murphys in high school. I thought I would try the red white combo with pasta for a comfy meal. Eric and I just switched to drinking hazelnut milk and I am really loving it, so I was curious as to how it would turn out in the white sauce. Well, it was the best non-dairy milk I have ever used in a white sauce. I have tried several different types and they are either too sweet or just a little off. So from now on I will be using hazelnut milk in my sauces:) The marinara sauce that I buy is also amazing, so I knew after tasting the yummy white sauce that this was going to be a homerun. I saw the beautiful heirloom tomato on the counter and I thought the yellow color would add something special to the sauce. The sauce only got better the longer it sat. Eric was in love with it, so it was a good thing I made so much. I served some fresh Rustica olive loaf bread on the side, which was perfect for soaking up the yummy sauce.

Spicy Farro Salad

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups farro, soaked overnight

4 cups water

1 1/2 cups kale, ripped into bite-size pieces

1 cucumber, seeded & diced

1 bag frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed

Dressing

1 cup fresh dill, chopped

3 garlic cloves, pressed

4 Tbs sriracha sauce (add more if you want it spicier)

2 Tbs ketchup

3/4 cup veganaise

1 1/2 tsp himalayan salt

1 tsp pepper

Directions

Bring the soaked farro and 4 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan with lid and reduce to simmer for 8-10 minutes. Rinse farro with cold water to cool and add to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan, add peas, cook for 20-30 seconds, drained, and rinse with cold water. Mix peas, kale, cucumbers, almonds, and chickpeas in large bowl.

Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients. Mix all ingredients together and add salt and pepper according to taste. Chill for 1 hour to let flavors marry together. You may need to add more sriracha the second day for more heat due to the dressing soaking into the farro.

I have been wanting to make farro for quite some time now because I was reading all the food blogs and they were raving about it. Well, I did find some at our co-op but it was pretty pricey. Fortunately, at a different co-op I found it in the bulk section and it was cheap:) I love the nuttiness of the farro. It is my new favorite grain. I was a little deterred by the fact that you have to plan ahead and soak it overnight, but I have some friends that only soaked it for 4 hours and it turned out perfect. You don't have to soak the farro, but it cuts down on the cooking time significantly. The second time I made this the farro soaked for over 24 hours and I barely had to cook the farro. I really enjoy the mix of the sriracha and ketchup because you get the sweetness from the ketchup that compliments the spiciness of the sriracha. I used a tasty natural ketchup which has a richer flavor that your average ketchup. The dill and the kale were from my garden, so I decided to throw them in and I was pleasantly pleased. This recipe makes a lot, so it's perfect for a potluck or to munch on for a few days. It was nice to have in the refrigerator when I was hungry because I could easily make myself a bowl and then add some extra sriracha of course:)

Picnic Pasta

Ingredients

3 cups penne pasta

2 cups green beans, ripped into bite-size pieces

1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed

1 can black olives, drained & rinsed

1 can corn, drained & rinsed

1 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Vinaigrette

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 Tbs garlic aioli mustard

2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tsp himalayan salt

1 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

Boil pasta for 7 minutes, add green beans, cook 2 minutes, drain, and rinse with cold water.

In a large bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Mix in remaining ingredients and chill for 1 hour.

I made up this recipe for a picnic that Eric and I had. I wanted something that would be easy to make, store, and would not have to worry about getting sick if it were to get warm in the hot weather. This recipe makes a large batch of pasta, which is great because it is so satisfying. It's also a great recipe to bring for a potluck. I brought this to a BBQ and I also added in some fresh mozzarella that I cubed up, which was amazing! The vinaigrette is really flavorful, so you could basically add in whatever veggies you have on hand and make it your own.

Simmered Shiitake Mushroom Sandwich

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 large shiitake mushrooms, stems sliced

2 large pieces of savoy cabbage

4 slices peasant rye bread

Simmering Sauce (adapted from Vegetarian Times)

1 inch fresh ginger, minced

3 Tbs shoyu

3 Tbs mirin

3 tsp brown sugar

Sriracha Mayo

3 Tbs veganaise

1 1/2 tsp sriracha sauce

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

Simmer mushrooms in the simmering sauce on low heat for 10 minutes until tender. Mix together the sriracha mayo ingredients. Layer sandwich: bread, mayo, cabbage, mushroom.

Eric and I found these amazing large shiitake mushrooms at our co-op and they were so delicious! They were so large that the cashier rang them up as portobellos, but then we corrected him (even though they are more expensive:) If you can't find large shiitake, just use the small ones, it will all taste the same. I decided that the simmering sauce I had used in my Japanese meal for the dried shiitake would be perfect for these. I wanted some spice to counter the sweetness of the simmering sauce, so the sriracha mayo was perfect. I always like to use cabbage as a "lettuce" in my sandwiches because it's delicious and crunchy and adds a ton of nutrients.

Mediterranean Pressed Sandwich

Ingredients

1 large loaf of fresh bakery bread

2 cups button mushrooms, sliced in half

1 tsp ghee

2 cups fresh spinach

1 can black olives, drained & rinsed

1 jar of artichokes

1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced

1/2 cup basil

Marinade

1 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp himalayan salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

Slice the loaf of bread horizontally and pull out some of the insides to create room for the filling (then snack on the delicious insides:). Saute the mushrooms in ghee until tender about 5 minutes. Place all marinade ingredients in a mason jar, cover, and shake until combined. In a large bowl, mix mushrooms, artichokes, black olives, spinach, and marinade together. Place mixture inside loaf of bread and top with mozzarella and basil. Put the top of the bread on, wrap in plastic wrap, place a heavy weight on top (I used my cookbooks), and allow it to be pressed for at least an hour. Once it has been pressed, slice the loaf into preferred serving sizes, and enjoy!

I remember years ago when I was watching the Food Network someone had made a pressed sandwich. I always wanted to attempt my own, but I think I forgot about it. I decided to go with some of my favorite ingredients like the fresh mozzarella they make at my local co-op, black olives, and my go-to balsamic vinaigrette. Eric and I were crazy about this sandwich. I think the two of us could have finished this by ourselves. I have made this with tomatoes before and more vinaigrette and it turned out soggy on the bottom, so I would recommend using ingredients with a low water content and only using enough vinaigrette to cover the ingredients. This is the perfect potluck pleaser and it is easy to travel with. It's also great because you don't need to be hovering over the stove in this hot summer heat.