Portobello & Beef Patty Melts

Many of you may be asking this question: Where's the beef? I've got your beef right here! LOL I've also got a brand new laptop which means I'll be posting regularly again.

In case you haven't noticed, all of the recipes I've posted up until now have been made using chicken. I have a confession. I'm not a fan of red meat. (insert gasps of horror here) However, my husband IS a big fan. In fact, after our first 2 weeks of marriage (also our first 2 weeks of living together full time) I asked him if he had any requests for dinners the following week. He gulped, looked a bit hesitant and said "I need more beef." Since then I've been doing my best to incorporate red meat into our menu at least a couple times a week. He seems to be pleased with what we've tried so far, including these Portobello & Beef Patty Melts made using a recipe I found here and modified.

16 ounces lean ground beef
2 cups finely chopped portobello mushroom caps (about 2), gills removed
1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

[b]Directions[/b]

1. Position a rack in upper 1/3 of the oven. Preheat broiler and line a broiler pan with foil.

2. Gently mix the beef, mushrooms, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until combined.

3. Shape the mixture into 4 patties and place on the foil-lined pan.

4. Broil about 4 to 6 minutes per side or until cooked through.

I served these on toasted whole wheat kaiser rolls found on the shelf near the deli in our grocery store. My husband followed the original recipe and topped his with swiss cheese. I used muenster.

You could taste mushroom, but it wasn't overpowering. Using the portobellos also made them really juicy! The whole meal was easy to prepare and took very little time. It fit perfectly into our busy work week schedule.

Chicken Meatballs and Zucchini "Fries"

As I learned during a game at my bridal shower, these meatballs are my (now) husband's favorite dish. We've served them many ways: meatball sammies on whole wheat sub rolls, with marinara sauce over pasta, cut up on salad & alone as appetizers. They're quick, easy, fairly healthy and full of flavor.



Musclin' Up Chicken Meatballs
(modified from The Biggest Loser cookbook)

3/4 cup plain, dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup fat-free skim milk
1 pound lean ground chicken
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
3 large egg whites
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon parmesan cheese (I use reduced-fat.)
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray a medium baking sheet with non-stick spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs and the milk. Let stand until the milk softens the crumbs, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken, egg whites, parsley, cheese, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. With your hands, mix well. Split the mixture into 16 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.

3. Place the meatballs at least 1/4 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake until no longer pink inside, about 12 to 15 minutes.

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I got really lucky when I planned these two dishes for the same day. Turns out, they have the same cooking temperatures so they can share time in the oven. The zucchini called for a little more time so I popped them in the oven first and then went to work preparing the meatballs. I popped those in when their cook time matched the time remaining on the zucchini.

These have an interesting texture and great flavor. They're fancy enough for more formal entrees, but simple enough to suit even the most basic burger. I did a little tweaking. 3 zucchini was way too much for our two-person household. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs. I left those out to compensate for using less zucchini, but added a few of my favorite seasonings for extra flavor. Feel free to sub your own spices if you're missing any of those listed. I think they'd also be good with a little cayenne pepper for an added zip.



Parmesan Zucchini Fries
(modified from a recipe from Cooking Light, July 2008)

2 large zucchini
1 cup plain, dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese (I used reduced-fat.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Cavender's Greek seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup egg substitute

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Cut zucchini in half crosswise, cut each half lengthwise into 8 wedges. Repeat with remaining zucchini.

3. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, salt, pepper & other seasonings in a shallow dish.

4. Dip zucchini in egg substitute, roll in breadcrumb mixture until coated and place on the baking sheet.

5. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

The magazine gave a recipe for a fancy dipping sauce. We served ours with good ol' ketchup and mustard.