Musings on Momentum

design a life you love

Crab Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

To properly celebrate moving into our beautiful new home I wanted to prepare a dinner for us that was a departure from what I normally cook.   In my mind our splendid new home ought to equal a proportionately exquisite feast (at least for one night).  After putting some thought into it (and scouring Pinterest for ideas) I settled on attempting to make crab stuffed portobello mushrooms.

I selected a crab-based recipe because my fiance and I adore seafood.  My love is deep rooted and comes from growing up in Seattle tasting the freshest of the fresh catches available.  This recipe ended up feeling very Pacific Northwest…the rich, almost smoky taste of the portobellos combined with the texture of the crab and fresh organic vegetables lends itself to a quintessential PNW taste.  Eating it even made me, dare I say it, a little homesick.

I took inspiration from several recipes but ultimately created my own based on what I felt would best suit our taste buds.  The end result was a mouthwatering treat of a meal that I immediately wanted to share with all of you!

Crab stuffed portobello mushrooms

The beautiful end result.

portobello mushroom

An elegant portobello

vegetable stuffing

Cooking vegetables for the stuffing

crab stuffed portobello mushrooms

Stuffed portobello mushrooms ready to be topped in parmesan and paprika.

Pushing myself to experiment with textures and flavors was an incredibly rewarding experience.  While I will not be making these crab stuffed portobello mushrooms on a regular basis I am thrilled to have this beautiful, delicious recipe in my arsenal and ready to pull out on special occasions.  Please let me know if you give these a try!

Crab Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
crab stuffed portobello mushrooms
Crab Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Print Recipe
These delicious crab stuffed portobello mushrooms are sure to be a hit as an impressive, flavorful appetizer or as a savory main course!
Servings Prep Time
4 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
crab stuffed portobello mushrooms
Crab Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Print Recipe
These delicious crab stuffed portobello mushrooms are sure to be a hit as an impressive, flavorful appetizer or as a savory main course!
Servings Prep Time
4 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees.
  2. Wipe mushrooms clean, cut off stems, and scoop out gills (set aside stems and gills for later).
  3. Chop orange pepper, celery, green onions, and mushroom stems and gills into small pieces. Chop parsley.
  4. Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan adding in onions and celery. Saute for 3-4 minutes until celery starts to soften.
  5. Add mushroom bits to the pan and heat for another minute. Remove pan from stovetop.
  6. Shred crab meat and mix with thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
  7. Add in sauteed onions, celery, and mushroom along with remaining olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley. Mix well.
  8. Brush stuffed portobello mushrooms in oil.
  9. Place mushrooms in baking dish.
  10. Fill each portobello with 1/4 of mixture.
  11. Top stuffed portobellos with shredded parmasean and a sprinkle of paprika.
  12. Bake for 15 minutes (or until tender and tops have browned)
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Heavenly Hummus Covered Chicken

When it comes to chicken entrees we have a clear fan favorite in our house.  It combines juicy chicken breasts, fresh vegetables and…drumroll please…HUMMUS!  When I first stumbled across this recipe for hummus covered chicken on Pinterest I was a bit skeptical.  It seemed like a strange combination of flavors that could easily go awry.  However one quick look at the original recipe on Ali’s gorgeous site,  Gimme Some Oven, convinced me that it was worth testing out because that woman KNOWS HER STUFF.  This recipe is 100% Ali’s, I simply want to share it with all of you because it has become a staple in our household and is too delicious to keep to ourselves!

Hummus Covered Chicken

While the amazingly flavorful end result makes this a win in my book, perhaps the best part about this recipe is that it is exceedingly quick and easy to prepare.  And guess what? You’re only dirtying one baking dish and one bowl when you make it so clean up is a breeze!

Yellow squash, zucchini and lemon

Yellow squash, zucchini and lemon ready to cover the dish!

Hummus Covered Chicken

Ready to bake!

If you guys are fans of hummus I highly, HIGHLY recommend giving this recipe a try.  I promise you will not be disappointed!

Hummus Covered Chicken

Dinner is served!

Bon appetit!

 

Hummus Crusted Chicken Pinterest
Hummus Covered Chicken
Heavenly Hummus Covered Chicken
Print Recipe
This delicious and easy hummus covered chicken recipe combines fresh garden vegetables, hummus and chicken to create a delightfully unique dish.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Hummus Covered Chicken
Heavenly Hummus Covered Chicken
Print Recipe
This delicious and easy hummus covered chicken recipe combines fresh garden vegetables, hummus and chicken to create a delightfully unique dish.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
  2. Prepare a large baking dish (I use a 9x13 Pyrex) by coating it in cooking spray or olive oil
  3. Chop squash and zucchini and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper
  4. Spread squash and zucchini over the bottom of the baking dish in an even layer
  5. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper to taste
  6. Place chicken in baking dish on top of squash and zucchini
  7. Coat chicken breasts evenly in hummus
  8. Squeeze juice of one lemon over baking dish
  9. Slice additional lemon and place slices throughout baking dish
  10. Sprinkle the dish with paprika
  11. Pop in the oven for 30-35 minutes
Recipe Notes

Ali uses one medium chopped onion in her recipe.  Somebody around here doesn't like onions so I leave it out and it still tastes delicious.

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Savory Gourmet Tuna Melt

Mendocino Farms gourmet tuna melt

Tuna melts and I go way back.  When I was growing up, my mom would always make them for us on nights when my dad had to work late.  They were a special treat for the two of us because my dad inexplicably despises tuna melts (he’s weird) so we never ate them when he was around.  Fast forward a couple of decades to when my new boyfriend (now fiance) brought a tuna melt from Mendocino Farms on a date to the Hollywood Bowl, forever rekindling my love.

Unfortunately my body’s tendency to reject gluten and dairy briefly put a damper on this tuna melt obsession of mine.  Regardless of how delicious something is, it is difficult to justify consuming a meal that you know will negatively impact every system in your body within an hour or two.  This led to a very dark, tuna melt-less year.  I finally decided that enough was enough, I would not be held back from my one true food love, and created a gluten free, lactose friendly version.  This gourmet tuna melt recipe is based on the one from Mendocino Farms, the tuna melt that is the king of all tuna melts.

Gourmet Tuna Melt

Parsley, green onion and lettuce

Gourmet Tuna Melt

Melting  white cheddar cheese

There are several differences in ingredients between my gourmet tuna melt and the one from Mendocino Farms which I address below, but my taste buds feel (and my fiance’s agree) that this recipe comes pretty close to capturing the magical taste of theirs.

 

Gourmet Tuna Sandwich

I hope you will give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as we do!

Gourmet Tuna Sandwich
Savory Gourmet Tuna Melt
Print Recipe
This gluten free, lactose friendly version is a delicious zero-regret way to satisfy your tuna melt cravings!
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Gourmet Tuna Sandwich
Savory Gourmet Tuna Melt
Print Recipe
This gluten free, lactose friendly version is a delicious zero-regret way to satisfy your tuna melt cravings!
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Mix together all ingredients in bowl (tuna, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, green onions, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, salt)
  2. Oil or butter the outside of each slice of bread
  3. Place two slices of bread in skillet over medium heat, oil side down
  4. Once bread begins to slightly brown, top one slice with tuna
  5. Top piece of bread with tuna with slice of cheese and add other slice to other piece of bread, allow to melt slightly
  6. Add lettuce to slice of bread with tuna and cheese, then top with other slice of bread, cheese side down
  7. Flip occasionally and cook until cheese has melted and bread is golden brown
Recipe Notes

The Mendocino Farms tuna melt contains tomatoes and pickles and uses red onion instead of green.  I don't like pickles and generally leave out tomatoes, but I'm sure the addition of both would only make this more delicious!

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Roasted Bacon Potato Salad

I was looking for a potato salad recipe to serve alongside salmon earlier in the summer and stumbled across this recipe in all it’s bacon-y glory.  I firmly believe that bacon improves all dishes and this one was not an exception!  We have become such big fans of this potato salad recipe that we have been eating it at least once a week.  It is fabulous hot or cold and perfect for a picnic, in fact we took it to the Hollywood Bowl a couple weeks ago to enjoy during a Beethoven concert.

I did make one crucial change to this potato salad recipe – the original recipe called for mayonnaise and I unfortunately do not eat mayonnaise.  I substituted the mayo with extra virgin olive oil and the dish was still perfectly moist and delicious.

So turn on that oven, pull out those baking sheets and get ready to enjoy a delicious potato salad!

potato salad

SO. MANY. POTATOES.

potato salad

Bacon improves everything in life.

potato salad

Add in a few additional ingredients and you’ve got yourself a delicious potato salad!


roasted bacon potato salad
Roasted Bacon Potato Salad
Print Recipe
A simple and delectable potato salad combining the goodness of bacon and roasted potatoes. Try this one hot or cold!
Servings Prep Time
4 people (depending on whether you're serving as a side or as the main dish) 10
Cook Time
45
Servings Prep Time
4 people (depending on whether you're serving as a side or as the main dish) 10
Cook Time
45
roasted bacon potato salad
Roasted Bacon Potato Salad
Print Recipe
A simple and delectable potato salad combining the goodness of bacon and roasted potatoes. Try this one hot or cold!
Servings Prep Time
4 people (depending on whether you're serving as a side or as the main dish) 10
Cook Time
45
Servings Prep Time
4 people (depending on whether you're serving as a side or as the main dish) 10
Cook Time
45
Ingredients
Servings: people (depending on whether you're serving as a side or as the main dish)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees and slice potatoes.
  2. Arrange potatoes onto slightly greased baking sheet and cook for 30-35 minutes (I used olive oil).
  3. Remove potatoes from oven.
  4. Line a baking sheet in foil and arrange bacon. Cook for 7-20 minutes until bacon is crisp. The timing will depend on oven temperature and whether bacon is pre-cooked. (I left my oven at 450 degrees and used pre-cooked bacon so I had a very short cook time.)
  5. Chop scallions
  6. Remove bacon from oven and cool.
  7. Once bacon has cooled chop or crumble the pieces between your hands into a bowl with your potatoes.
  8. Mix together bacon, potatoes, salt, pepper, and garlic powder while gradually adding in the olive oil. Continue mixing until ingredients are distributed evenly. Enjoy!
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