How to Make a Really Tasty, Healthy Nicoise Salad
December 8, 2009 by Kimberly · Leave a Comment
Don’t let the name of the Niçoise salad scare you!
Yes, it’s French. No, it’s not difficult to make. No, it’s not really fattening.
Nicoise is just a combination of greens, tuna, green beans, new potatoes, tomatoes, black olives and eggs – traditionally. That’s all it means…
Okay – now that’s out of the way – let’s get cooking and create this unbelievably tasty salad you’ll make over and over again!
~ Kimberly Edwards
Type: Main Dish Recipe – Fish
Serve With: Creamy Herb Dressing & crusty, French bread
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Ingredients are per person – multiply if necessary
Ingredients: Per person
- 1 Tuna Steak – Per person
- 2 cups Salad Greens – Use torn Romaine, or baby salad greens like spinach, frise – whatever you like
- 4 small Red New Potatoes – Boiled until fork tender
- 4 small Read more
You Can Grow Gourmet Mushrooms at Home
December 7, 2009 by Kimberly · Leave a Comment
Did you know that?
Yes, you can grow your very own gourmet mushrooms at home over and over again.
Mushroom patches can be started by logs already prepared or with kits you purchase.
I had compiled a list of products for my new friend, Lynn Ogryzlo – author of Niagara Cooks, and figured I’d share it with the rest of the world of food lovers out there that frequent my blog.
I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love mushrooms and try to figure out ways to incorporate them into dishes all the time. They’re so healthy for your immune system!
However, I find that my frequent shopping trips to the grocer can prove to be expensive when buying gourmet mushrooms.
These are marvelous gifts for food lovers, especially at Christmas, and you can keep growing mushrooms over and over again…
Here’s the list of 14 different Gourmet Mushrooms you can start growing in your home or outdoors, if preferred:
- One 9-10″ Shiitake Mushroom Log – $19.95
Shiitake Mushrooms
- Two Large 14-15″ Shiitake Mushroom Logs with Soaking Trays (w/ Cookbook) – $65.50 – great value
- Morel Mushroom Patch Kit – $29.95
- Enokitake Mushroom Kit - $24.00
- Oyster Mushroom Kit – $20.00
- Maitake Mushroom Patch Kit – $29.95
- Pioppino Mushroom Patch Kit – $27.00
- Nameko Mushroom Patch Kit – $24.00
- Reishi Mushroom Kit – $24.00 – considered a “super-food” – (Check out my post: Health Benefits of Reishi Mushrooms)
- Blue Oyster Mushroom Kit – $18.95
- Turkey Tail Mushroom Garden Patch – $28.00
Turkey Tail Mushrooms
- Read more
Sentationally Stuffed Peppers with Chevre
November 16, 2009 by Kimberly · Leave a Comment
My mother has always made stuffed peppers since I was little, and they’re one of my favorites – a type of soul food of mine, if you will…
…This recipe is embellished or “snazzed” up from our traditional recipe, but every bit as delicious!
~ Kimberly Edwards
Type: Main Dish
Serve With: Sour cream or plain yogurt
Prep Time: 12 min
Cook Time: 1 hr
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 lb lean Ground Beef
- 3 cups cooked Rice – I like using basmati or brown made with chicken stock.
- 4 large Peppers – You may use different colors, if you like.
- 1 Onion – Diced
- 6 Mushrooms – Thinly sliced; I use shiitake.
- 1/2 roll of Chevre – Goat cheese
- 1 can whole Tomatoes – Or you can slice fresh tomatoes
- 1 clove Garlic – Finely minced
- 2 tbsp Read more
Mushrooms with Port Wine and Balsamic Sauce
October 31, 2009 by Kimberly · Leave a Comment
Ask my husband and he’ll tell you his favorite meal I make for him.
Every single birthday or special occassion, he asks me to make homemade macaroni and cheese, alongside mushrooms with port wine and balsamic sauce. Strange, but true! It’s his 2 favorite dishes I make in one…LOL
~ Kimberly Edwards
Type: Side Dish Recipe or Sauce Recipe
Serve With: Filet mignon or a great steak
Prep Time: 7 min
Cook Time: 12-15 min
Ingredients:
24 oz. Mushrooms – Use a variety of different mushrooms – Sliced
1 Onion – Diced
1 large clove Garlic – Or 2 smaller ones, finely minced
1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Butter
1/4 cup Port Wine – Cooking Sherry or another fortified red wine
2 tbsp Aged Balsamic Vinegar – Aged from Modena is best.
4 leaves fresh Basil – Chiffonade
2 tbsp fresh Parsley – Chopped
1/2 tsp Read more
Health Benefits of Reishi Mushrooms
October 30, 2009 by Kimberly · 2 Comments
Reishi Mushroom
How Can Reishi Mushrooms Benefit You?
By Keith Kearney
It’s not a big secret that mushrooms have been known to be very good for you. Reishi mushrooms are one of the top three medicinal mushrooms that has been used for centuries in ancient Asian cultures. The great thing about the Reishi mushroom is the balance it gives to both your body and mind.
This ancient ingredient has been used to help treat many ailments such as liver disorders, bad circulation and for cardiovascular health. Though, the most common use for the Reishi mushroom is for people suffering from asthma or other respiratory problems. One study has shown that over two thousand people suffering from extreme bronchitis used these Reishi mushrooms in a cough syrup and almost all patients were feeling better within two weeks of this treatment.
This component has also shown that it can help improve hepatitis patients and reduce hypertension. One study testifies that nearly 92% of 355 study patients suffering from hepatitis showed improvement in their overall health. Though it helps treat many ailments, liver disease is the longest standing traditional utilization. Many chemotherapy patients have used Reishi mushrooms and noticed Read more
If you would like to buy me some new and unique ingredients, or just help me supply my pantry so that I can come up with new and inventive recipes for you, Click Here. Eat Deliciously!
How to Make Hors D’oeuvres: Wild Mushroom Tassies
October 29, 2009 by Kimberly · Leave a Comment
Basket of Wild Mushrooms
These may very well be the tastiest morsels to pop into your mouth. They just burst with flavor!
~ Kimberly Edwards
Type: Appetizer
Serve With: By themselves or with an arrangement of cherry tomatoes or other hors d’oeuvres
Prep Time: 12 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Yield: ~ 4 dozen small muffin size, ~ 1.5 dozen large muffin size
Ingredients for Tassie Shells:
- 1 slice Bread per tassie with crusts removed – When using small muffin tin; When using large muffin tin, use 2 pieces of bread per reservoir
- Cooking Spray, Butter or Oil – To grease muffin tins
Ingredients for Mushroom Filling:
- 3 cups medium Mushrooms – Chopped; using a variety of mushrooms is best & tastiest
- 2 1/2 tbsp Butter
- 2/3 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tbsp White Wine
- 1 1/2 tsp Garlic – Minced
- 1/4 tsp Read more
Kimberly’s Favorite Creamy Mushroom Soup
October 28, 2009 by Kimberly · Leave a Comment
Looking for something that tastes super indulgent, but without all those extra calories and fat? This soup is perfect to impress your tastebuds and your family! There never seems to be enough leftover becuase you’ll be left wanting more.
This delicious and creamy soup has a splash of red wine and is so indulgent, it seems sinful, but it’s actually good for you.
Kenney, my husband, actually customized this soup recipe from a similar recipe in The Maker’s Diet for me because my favorite everyday food to eat is cream of mushroom soup. This is a step up to a gourmet treat!
~ Kimberly Edwards 
Type: Soup
Serve With: Dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream
Prep Time: 18 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Yield: 4 – 6 servings
Ingredients:
2 lbs Mushrooms – whatever varieties you desire – include enoki, shiitake, portabello, oyster, king oyster, crimini, button mushrooms, but you may also use dried mushrooms if you like.
2 cups Onions – Diced
5 cups Chicken Broth – We use reduced sodium broth or make our own.
3/4 cup Kefir
1 1/4 cup Fortified Wine – Like Port or Sherry
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Read more
How to Cook with Dried Mushrooms for Recipes
October 27, 2009 by Kimberly · 7 Comments
Many mushrooms come in dried forms and some exotic mushrooms only come in dried forms in stores.
Trumpet, lobster, maitake, morrels, chantrelles, porcini, miscellaneous “field” mushrooms, and truffles all come dried.
When you see them in their packages, you might be thinking, “Hmmm…That sounds cool, but how can I use them?”
First off, dried mushrooms are great additions to creamy dishes, sauces, pastas, stuffings, soups and egg dishes too.
However, you must rinse them under Read more
If you would like to buy me some new and unique ingredients, or just help me supply my pantry so that I can come up with new and inventive recipes for you, Click Here. Eat Deliciously!
Mushroom Week on Cooking with Kimberly!
October 27, 2009 by Kimberly · 4 Comments
My favorite “vegetable” (well, it’s really a fungus, but whatever…LOL) is the mushroom!
It was understood as I grew up that mushrooms were tasty, yes, but they didn’t have much nutritional benefits other than a bit of fiber and lots of water.
Until last year, this is what I thought. However, mushrooms are chock full of all kinds of special nutrients, vitamins and minerals that can only be found in mushrooms!
In fact, mushrooms are especially healthy for your immune system. Try making a creamy mushroom soup if you’re sick, instead of or in addition to your favorite chicken soup!
The thing is, just until recent years, we were pretty much stuck with only being able to access white button mushrooms at the store. These are probably the least nutritious mushrooms there are that are edible.
Nowadays, you can easily find shiitake, oyster, kind oyster, enoki, crimini and portabello mushrooms to mention a few…
When I Read more
If you would like to buy me some new and unique ingredients, or just help me supply my pantry so that I can come up with new and inventive recipes for you, Click Here. Eat Deliciously!
Kimberly’s Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup
October 21, 2009 by Kimberly · Leave a Comment
When life gives you carrots, make roasted carrot soup!
I looked in my mother’s fridge after returning from my trip to Dallas, hungry for a Fall soup…Running low on ingredients, my mother did have a lot of carrots – Thus, Kimberly’s Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup emerged…
~ Kimberly Edwards
Type: Main Dish
Serve With: Dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt and chopped chives.
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hr
Yield: Large stock pot full
Ingredients:
2 lbs Carrots – Cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 large Onion – Peeled and quartered
4 stalks Celery – Sliced
4 cloves Garlic – Peeled
1 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Ginger – Fresh, grated is best.
1 tsp Read more
