Spinach and Mushroom Stromboli

A stromboli is more or less a big stuffed sandwich, similar to a calzone.  With some styles of stromboli, the ingredients are layered over the dough and then rolled for a spiral effect.  With some, like this one, the ingredients are piled on and the dough is wrapped around them. This stromboli starts with an easy homemade bread dough and just gets better from there with fresh ingredients like spinach, mushrooms, garlic, red bell pepper and lots of ooey gooey mozzarella cheese.

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know how much I love the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day guys.  To make this stromboli without using frozen bread dough or, even worse, that icky "dough" in the can in the dairy section of the grocery store, I'm going to show you how easy it is to make your own dough.  If you're not familiar their method, you're going to be blown away at how easy it is.  Are you ready?

Combine:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour 
2 tsp Kosher salt
2 1/4 tsp yeast (one envelope)
in a medium mixing bowl.  Mix.

Make a well in the center.  Pour in:
 1 1/4 c warm water (about 90 degrees or so)

Mix well with a sturdy spoon.

Cover and let rise for about 2 hours.

When it looks something like this, it's ready to use.

That's it.  Think you swing it?  I think so, too. It's pretty hard to mess up.  And another great aspect about this method is that if you want to prep the dough ahead of time, after the initial rise you can just put the dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it (just like that stuff in the can, only NOT).  Nice!

In fact, each step of this stromboli can be made ahead of time and stored separately (the spinach and mushroom mixture, the dough, the pizza sauce, the shredded cheese) in the refrigerator for quick assembly of an easy, filling, delicious, completely homemade dinner on a busy night.

In the recipe that follows, I give instructions for using a pizza peel and stone.  If you don't yet own a pizza stone, you can use an oiled jelly roll pan for this recipe.

You may notice from the pictures that I forgot to slash the top to allow steam to escape.  The steam will need to get out one way or another, folks, so it's wise to choose where you would like that to happen before you have a minor blow out in an odd place.  The slashes don't need to be deep, and there really only needs to be a few of them, each about two inches long.

Spinach and Mushroom Stromboli
serves 5-6

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 1/2 c red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 c onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 c pizza sauce
• 1 egg white plus 1 Tbs water
• 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 recipe bread dough (see above)

Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 F.

Heat olive oil in 12" skillet over medium high heat.  Saute the mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, and garlic until the vegetables are tender and any liquid had mostly evaporated; about 5-6 minutes.

Mix in the spinach and gently stir until the spinach has completely wilted; about 5-6 minutes more.  Season with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Lightly flour a large pizza peel. Dust the dough with flour.  Scoop out the dough and form into a ball. 

With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle about 20 inches by 8 inches.

Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella down the center of the dough.  Top with pizza sauce, then the spinach mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella.

Bring up one side of the dough and gently stretch over the filling.  Do the same with the other side. Seal the ends, and pinch edges to secure, taking care not to tear the dough.

With a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 shallow slashes across the top of the bread. Mix the egg white and water together with a fork.  Using a pastry brush, brush the top and sides of the stromboli with the egg wash.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and oregano.

Carefully slide the stromboli onto the hot pizza stone.  Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the stromboli is deeply golden.

Use a bread knife to slice.  Enjoy!

March is #greenslove month!

Please join in the #greenslove fun by linking up any leafy green recipe from the month of March 2012.  Don't forget to link back to this post so that your readers know to come by the #greenslove event!  The twitter hashtag is #greenslove.

Check out the #greenslove co-hosts!

Al Dente Gourmet ~ Aldy ~ @AlDenteGourmet

ASTIG Vegan ~ Richgail ~  @astigvegan

Badger Girl Learns to Cook ~ Kimberly ~ @BdgrGrl

Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves ~ Becky Higgins

BigFatBaker ~ Erin ~ @BigFatBaker

Bon a croquer ~ Valerie ~ @Valouth

CafeTerraBlog ~ Terra ~ @CafeTerraBlog

Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess

Cheap Ethnic Eatz ~ Evelyne ~ @cethniceatz

Easily Good Eats ~ Three Cookies

Georgiecakes ~ Georgie ~ @georgiecakes

Kitchen Belleicious ~ Jessica ~ @kbelleicious

Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk

My Twisted Recipe ~ Dudot ~ @mytwistedrecipe  

No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ TR ~ @TRCrumbley

Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose

Queen's Notebook ~ Elizabeth ~ @Mango_Queen  

Rico sin Azucar ~ Helena ~ @ricosinazucar

Savoring Every Bite ~ Linda ~ @Spicegirlfla

Simply Reem ~ Reem ~ @simplyreem

Soni's Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood 

Sprint 2 the Table ~ Laura ~ @Sprint2theTable

Teaspoon of Spice ~ Deanna ~ @tspbasil 

That Skinny Chick Can Bake ~ Liz ~ @Thatskinnychick

The Art of Cooking Real Food ~ Laura ~@TAofCRF

The Spicy RD ~ EA ~ @thespicyrd 

The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian

Vegan Yack Attack! ~ Jackie ~ @veganyackattack

Vegetarian Mamma  ~ Cindy ~ @VegetarianMamma

White Bean Veggie Burgers (guest post at Badger Girl Learns to Cook)

A few weeks ago, Kimberly from Badger Girl Learns to Cook asked me to be a guest blogger for her Healthy Blogger series.  I'm so honored!  She shares my passion for using real ingredients and real food, and I love how she shares her own experience when preparing many of the recipes featured on her site;  what she did, what she learned, and what knowledge she'll keep and the mistakes she won't make again.  Her blog is always a witty, informative and fun read.

The White Bean Veggie Burger in the picture above is the recipe I shared on her blog today.  So, head on over to Badger Girl Learns to Cook for the recipe and and experience her fantastic blog!

Mushroom and Pepper Sandwiches

Our household has five computers; my laptop, my kids' laptop, my husband's Mac, a junky Windows Vista laptop that moves slower than molasses in January, and a clunky old desktop from about 1910 that hasn't been turned on in at least seven years.  I suppose if you count my fancy pants phone, which I don't really even know how to work, we technically have six computers. During the day, my kids use both their laptop and mine for school, so I really only have my computer in the evenings.  This past week, the screen on my laptop croaked and I had to bring it in to be repaired, which means my children were sharing one computer for school and I was out of luck.  Yes, I could have used the Mac, but not only do I not like it, I don't understand it beyond using the internet, and all of my stuff was on my computer, anyway.

I have learned some things about myself and life in general this past week.  First, I don't spend as much time on the internet as I thought; I spend most of my computer time using the off-line production programs on my computer.  Second, the world would be a much cleaner place without computers because I, for one, had an awful lot of time on my hands and my house is positively glowing. Third, I really, really like my computer. Fourth, I really, really enjoy writing this blog, and I have seriously missed doing it this past week! Fifth, just 15 years ago, most people didn't even own a computer, but now, just about everything we do requires one (or is, at the very least, easier to accomplish with one), which is kind of cracked if you think about it. And finally, we spent more money on computers over the past few years than my first three cars cost collectively, and that's kind of cracked, too.

Oh.  And that it is absolutely smart to back up all of your stuff all of the time so you have access to it in cases such as this one.

At least the computer repair guys did that for me right away, free of charge (they probably felt sorry for me for being so blatantly ignorant). And they might know what's wrong and how to fix my computer by Tuesday of next week.  Tuesday!  Apparently they've never seen a screen die the way that mine did (it still glows, but there is no picture).  So, if you've ever had that happen, please share your wisdom with me.

Anyway, I just wanted to explain why I have been MIA this past week.  My kids are gone today, so I have stolen their computer and plan to be as productive as I can today so I have new recipes to offer you next week.  I can't believe how much I missed writing this blog!

These Mushroom and Pepper Sandwiches are one of our favorite quick to prepare meals; easy, tasty, filling, healthy.  I much prefer to make them on the grill, but it's cold out there, baby, and they taste great made in the kitchen, too.  In the main picture, you'll see that I've wrapped them in homemade pitas, but they are most excellent with the vegetables and cheese piled between a sliced loaf of ciabatta as well.

Mushroom and Pepper Sandwiches
Serves 6

• 2 - 3 Tbs olive oil, divided
• 4 medium portobello mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed
• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced into rounds
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeds and stem removed and thinly sliced into long strips
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed and thinly sliced into long strips
• 1 large garlic clove, pressed
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano or dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 8 oz (2 cups) smoked provolone, shredded
• 6 warm pitas or 1 loaf ciabatta bread, horizontally sliced in half

Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in 12 inch skillet over medium high heat.  Place mushrooms in hot skillet, top side down; season gill side with salt and pepper.

Cook for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Flip the mushrooms (if pan is dry, add another 1 Tbs olive oil) and continue to cook until the mushrooms are tender; about another 4-5 minutes.

Remove the mushrooms from pan and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 Tbs olive oil to the pan.  Toss the onions, peppers, and garlic into the pan.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring only occasionally so the vegetables get a nice sear (don't burn them).

Stir in the oregano or Italian seasoning, salt and a few grinds of black pepper.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender; about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms into 1/4 inch slices.

When the vegetables are tender, stir in the mushrooms and balsamic vinegar.  Remove from heat.

Divide the filling evenly between the warm pitas. Top each with shredded smoked provolone and fold the pita tightly.  If you are using a ciabatta loaf, pile all of the filling on the bottom half of the bread, top with all of the cheese, and place under a broiler until the cheese has melted. Top the filling with the other half of the bread and cut into 6 sandwiches.

Two Bean and Walnut Veggie Burgers

Whenever I tell my burger-lovin' Midwestern family that we are having veggie burgers for dinner, it inevitably earns me the stink eye and a lot of groaning.  On more than one occasion, my husband has "just remembered" he needed to be somewhere else over the dinner hour.  I'm not kidding.

We have tried all of the frozen veggie burgers available in the grocery store, we have made several different black bean burger recipes, and all have garnered the same response.  The truth is, I have some complaints about the commercially available patties, too.  One problem I have with them is that many of them are soy based, and I'm not really a fan of soy (I know, a former vegetarian who doesn't do soy? Crazy.), and it seems to adversely affect my husband, so we generally avoid it.  Then there are the patties that mostly rely on gluten as a filler or binder, and I'm really not sure I feel gluten, on it's own, should hold such a high position in the main course of a meal (especially if it's going to be on a bun - it seems like overkill to me).  The grain and bean based ones are my favorite, but I really dislike biting into a hard grain of of rice, and most of them taste like, well, grain.

Of the homemade black bean burgers we've tried, several were very tasty, but didn't hold together well enough to be considered "burgers"; they worked much better as "cakes" to be eaten on their own rather than between the bun.  Also, many rely upon using a substantial amount of bread crumbs to bind them, and it doesn't seem logical to me to use something that is half bread already as something that should be eaten in a bun (see my issue with the gluten based veggie burgers above).  And then there is the problem with texture.  Texture, more than anything, is my family's biggest complaint.  On more than one occasion, "cat food" has been used as a description by at least one of them (which are decidedly not words any cook likes to hear about her dinner).  I'm less inclined to choose those types of descriptions because I understand that a veggie burger is simply not a hamburger, therefore it will not taste like one nor will it have the same texture.  However, it's very difficult to erase the psychological connection between bun and hamburger when dealing with burger lovers.

So, after much trial and error, I  have found a veggie burger that my family will not only tolerate, but that they actually like.  Yes, you read that correctly - they like them!  And as an added bonus, they are both soy and potentially gluten free (providing the oats are uncontaminated).

While the burgers have a tender inside, they stay together well enough to remain in the bun after biting into it without needing to cup your hands around the edges to keep the contents from mushing out the sides.  The beaten egg whites, the oats, and the cheese act as primary binders, so I was able to avoid using bread crumbs (which I think is ultimately what leads to the "cat food" texture).  The combination of kidney beans, pinto beans, and walnuts give it a "meaty" texture and flavor. The seasonings are subtle enough to handle mustard, pickles, ketchup and whatever else you would traditionally use to dress your burger.

This recipe makes 8-10 burgers, depending on the size.  They freeze very well, and if stored in individual patties between waxed paper, are very easy to grab and cook from frozen for a quick dinner or lunch.

Two Bean and Walnut Veggie Burgers
Makes 8-10 burgers

• 3/4 c walnuts
• 1 medium carrot, chunked
• 1/2 lg red onion, chunked
• 1 large clove of garlic (or 2 small ones)
• 1/2 c rolled oats
• 4 oz mushrooms
• 1/2 c provolone cheese, shredded
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 c cooked pinto beans (or 1 15-16 oz can, drained and rinsed)
• 1 1/2 c cooked kidney beans (or 1 15-16 oz can, drained and rinsed)
• 2 egg whites, beaten

Place the walnuts into a food processor fitted with the chopping blade and pulse until well chopped (but not ground).

Add the carrot, onion, and garlic; pulse several times until finely chopped.  Add oats, mushrooms, and cheese.  Pulse until well combined.

Add the rest of the ingredients through the beans, and pulse several more times to combine and chop most of the beans (you may need to stir the ingredients a few times between pulses).

In a large bowl, use a wire whisk to beat the egg whites until frothy.

Pour the contents of the processor bowl into the egg whites and mix well.

Shape each patty into the desired size (the size of your bun), keeping them each uniformly 1/2 thick.

Stove top:  Heat 1-2 Tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Season patties with salt and pepper, if desired.  Place as many burgers as will fit without being disturbed when the others are flipped (about 4 in a 12 inch skillet).  Cook 4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. *To prevent sticking, be sure there is enough oil for the release in the pan.

Oven:  Preheat oven to 375F.  Generously oil a baking tray with olive oil.  Bake patties 25-30 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. *Not putting enough oil on the sheet will cause the patties to stick.  While I have never tried it (I use enough oil to not have a problem), I would think that oiling parchment paper and placing the patties on the paper would also help prevent sticking.

From frozen:  Pour 1-2 Tbs olive oil in cold skillet; swirl around to coat the bottom.  Place frozen patties in cold skillet and heat to medium.  Flip patties when the bottom is golden and releases easily; about 6 or 7 minutes.  Cook the other side 4 more minutes.  Remove from heat and let rest about 1 minute.

Grilled Portobello Burgers with Basil Avocado Spread

Generally, "eating local" is ideal because it is economic, healthy, and usually abundantly available.  The growing region in which I live has so much to offer, it's hard to believe that we might need anything other than what we already have.  But it's not hard to believe that we might want them.  I like oranges and orange juice, but we can't grow them here very successfully.  I like olives and olive oil, but again, not from here because our weather isn't forgiving enough to nurture those plants and trees.  What about lemons, limes, figs, and avocados?  No, no, no, and no.

With the citrus, we do have them available in the grocery store, but the flavor pales in comparison to where they thrive; an orange eaten in California or Florida tastes drastically different than an orange eaten in Wisconsin.  I can't attest to the flavor of the lemons and limes as well, but I have to assume the situation is similar.  My kids like oranges, so I will buy the oranges, but even though they've never eaten the fruit in its home region, they notice the severe fluctuations in flavor and quality, too.

Could we live a healthy life without those things?  Sure.  But personally, I rely on olive oil and lemons, at the very least, and they are pretty much staples in my home.  And I'm not ready to ditch coffee or the occasional chocolate.  So, I do make exceptions.   For me, oils and olives are exceptions because they are prepared and preserved before they are sold, as opposed to whole fruits and vegetables, allowing the rest of us to enjoy them as well.  And I do make exceptions for lemons because we don't eat them whole (like we do with oranges); we use them to flavor or enhance a dish made with our own local offerings, the same as we do with any other seasonings.  With cocoa and coffee, I look for fair trade and organic versions.  There are several whole foods we like that are not locally grown, such as mangoes, pineapples and bananas, and we do buy them during their growing seasons, but they are not staples because they are not grown here.

One such food is the avocado.  I don't buy them often, but I like them with bean based Mexican style foods, instead of sour cream, which I also like (and find in abundance locally).  And I love them with this grilled mushroom sandwich, even though I could probably either use a homemade mayonnaise instead of the avocado or just skip the smear all together and just use basil leaves, because I like all of those things, too.

So, for the most part, I'm okay with occasionally enjoying the fruits and vegetables of another region, as long as they are purchased during their growing season and not relied upon as staples, unless they are minimally prepared and preserved (such as the oils and olives).  It is important that we understand the vast amount of food our individual growing regions have to offer so we can enjoy as much of it as possible, in as many different ways as possible.  In today's society, it's a gift to be able to enjoy olive oils and specialty vinegars from Greece or Italy, wines from California and France, various nuts and beans and so on, but only if it's used in conjunction with a dish made primarily from locally grown foods.

Anyway, now that I've rambled, here's the recipe for these delicious barbecue fare "burgers".  I do want to mention a bit about the ciabatta bread, though.  If you need to purchase a premade loaf, try to find one that is extremely fresh so the crust is still soft enough to bite into without squishing all the sandwich contents out the sides (I can't stand it when that happens).  Otherwise, you might consider making one yourself.  I use the recipe in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois, and it's so easy;  just mix the flour, salt, yeast and water, let it rise, shape it and bake it - no kneading at all.  I absolutely love their breads and method.

Grilled Portobello Burgers with Basil Avocado Spread
Serves 6.  Approx 10 min prep time.  Approx 8 min cook time.

For the spread:

• 2 avocados
• 2 Tbs basil leaves, chopped
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed (through a garlic press, or finely minced if you don't own a press)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the mushrooms:

• 6 large portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean
• 2 large red bell peppers
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Baby lettuce leaves
• 1 16oz loaf ciabatta bread, sliced lengthwise and cut into 6 equal bun size portions

Place the mushrooms in a 13x9 pan, gill side up (if they don't fit flat in the pan, use a gallon size resealable storage bag).  In a bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper (to taste).  Pour over the mushrooms, turning the mushrooms to coat, but ending with gill side up again (if you are using a bag, pour the marinade in with the mushrooms and gently shake to coat).  Set aside.

Cut the top and bottom off the red bell peppers (reserve for another use). Run your knife around the inside to remove the core and seeds.  Slice each pepper into three square chunks, like this:

Set the peppers on top of the mushrooms (or toss them into the bag) and set aside.

Cut the avocados in half, remove the seed, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.  Place the avocado into a small bowl along with the basil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt and pepper (to taste), and mash everything together with a fork.

Slather the basil avocado spread on the bottom half of each ciabatta "bun" and top with baby lettuce leaves.

Oil the grates and fire up the grill.  Place the peppers and mushrooms (gill side up) on the rack over direct heat, and grill about 4-5 minutes.  Turn the vegetables over and grill another 4-5 minutes, basting the tops of the mushrooms with any left over marinade.

Place one bell pepper square and one mushroom on top of each of the prepared ciabatta buns.  Place the top on the sandwich and serve.

Impromptu Dinner - Vegetable Quesadillas

Today I had planned to make lasagna for dinner.  I had been busy all day cleaning and doing laundry (and other, similarly glamorous things) and running the kids to racquetball, running back to pick them up, and by the time I looked at the clock, it was already after 3pm. I realized I had to get started if we wanted to eat by 5p so I could somehow magically get both my daughter to her volunteer job at the library and my son to football practice by 6pm.  I started hauling out the ingredients only to find I had no cottage cheese.  None.  And I just love cottage cheese in my lasagna.  I tore the whole refrigerator apart looking for it because I know I put it on the grocery list when I made the week's menu.  I finally had to come to terms with the fact that someone ate the cottage cheese, so I had to put all the other ingredients away.  That took a while, and before I knew it, it was 3:45, and I had just over an hour to get dinner for 6 on the table.

I know some people work well under pressure.  And I know lots of people love surprises.  I don't do either well.

But that night, I did.

When I was tearing apart the fridge, I found some homemade refried beans and about 1/4 jar of salsa from a few days ago I had forgotten about.  I also found an avocado that was on its last days for sure.  I had tortillas in the freezer.  We always have cheese (just not cottage, apparently).  Quesadillas!

I feel badly that we were in such a hurry I didn't get to take a picture to show you.  But, since these were so yummy, we will definitely be making them again, and I will get a picture then.   Unless...you want to make them and send me a picture of your Vegetable Quesadillas using this recipe to post here!  That would be super cool, especially since my pictures kind of stink (I'm so not a photographer).  If you're game, leave a comment for me.

*Edited to add the pictures!

Vegetable Quesadillas

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 onion, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 15-16 oz can refried beans
• 1/4 c salsa
• 6-8 oz shredded cheese (I used PepperJack, but Cheddar or Monterey Jack would be great)
• 10 8" whole wheat tortillas

Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium/high heat.  Saute peppers, onion, and garlic until crisp, but a little golden, about 5-6 min.  Turn the heat to low, stir in cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, cover and let cook another   8-10 min, or until tender, but not mushy.

Meanwhile, combine the beans and salsa.  Divide the mixture evenly between the tortillas, spreading it only on half of each tortilla (we will be folding them).

Divide the vegetable mixture between the bean covered tortillas, and then do the same with the shredded cheese.  Fold in half.

In a small amount of olive oil (I used a pastry brush to spread it around), fry each quesadilla until golden, flipping to do the other side.  If you use the same skillet,  you should be able to fit two in at a time.  I used a griddle, and was able to fit 5 on at a time, which was nice.

Cut each tortilla into 3 wedges and serve with salsa for dipping and sour cream or guacamole for smearing.