Tempeh Stuffed 'Shrooms

HUMP DAAAAAAAY! At some point in the near future I'll get sick of that, I promise, but that day is not today.

Welcome to another delicious blog post. Lately my love for TJ's has blossomed into something beautiful. While there on Saturday I noticed a nice little six pack of "Stuffing Mushrooms" Special thanks to TJ's for making the food epiphanies easy this week. Without further ado....

Tempeh Stuffed Shrooms with Red Wine Reduction

What You'll Need:

6 medium sized mushrooms

For the reduction:

2 cups red wine

1/8 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbs Earth Balance buttery spread

For the tempeh:

4 oz tempeh, diced

Chopped mushroom stems

1 Tbs vegan Worcestershire

2 Tbs soy sauce

1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)

1/2 cup water

For the stuffing:

Cooked tempeh (above)

3 Tbs red wine

1-2 Tbs Veganaise

1/4 cup breadcrumbs (plus est for topping)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Once again we have a lovely recipe coming to you from an index card. This time I had to do some veganizing to make it work. Bonus: I shaved off some serious fat from this recipe.

Thanks Mom!

First things first, prep your shrooms by cleaning the caps and removing the steams. Chop the stems into small pieces. Dice the tempeh into small pieces as well.

Add all of the tempeh ingredients in a skillet over medium heat. My mom's original recipe called for sausage filling. To mimic the taste of the sausage I added some liquid smoke and fennel seeds. Your shrooms will taste great without these, but it will definitely kick it up a notch to add them. 

Stir occasionally, allowing the liquids to cook off. Once done, set the mixture aside to cool.

While the tempeh is cooling, get your red wine reduction going. In a small sauce pan, combine all of the reduction ingredients EXCEPT the butter. Heat to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let the sauce reduce to a syrupy consistency, stirring occasionally

Balsamic not pictured :( But I remembered it for the sauce.

In a small bowl, combine the cooked tempeh with the remaining stuffing ingredients. Mix well, breaking apart the tempeh further. The stuffing should be able to hold its shape. If it's too crumbly, try adding more breadcrumbs to help it hold together.

Now would be a great time to pour yourself a glass of wine :)

Cheers!

Don't forget your reduction! Go give it a stir and check on the consistency. Remember we are going for syrupy.

Next step: stuff those shrooms. Go ahead and mound the stuffing above the cap. I used all the stuffing for 6 mushroom caps, so go crazy and be generous. 

Now lets give our shrooms some hair. In a small plate sprinkle a layer of breadcrumbs. One by one turn the mushrooms, stuffing side down, in the crumbs to coat.

Time to fry 'em up. Drizzle a bit of oil in a medium skillet and heat to medium high. Place in your shrooms cap side down and cook for a few minutes until browned.

Now comes the scary part. Flip the shrooms to stuffing side down and cook for a few more minutes until the breadcrumbs are toasted.

Girl, look at thoes shroom butts.

Flip 'em back over, turn off the burner, and let them chill while you finish up the reduction.

Continue to stir (and sip), while the reduction continues to simmer. When the reduction is just about the right consistency, add the butter and stir. 

Remove from heat. Plate up your shrooms and drizzle with the reduction.

Munch!

Happy Hump Day! 

Weekend Recap : WE WENT TO THE CLERMONT

Wooo back to work...that was quick.

We had another fun-filled weekend. I am once again behind on my sleep, but hey it was worth it!

Friday we made it out to see Cloudy 2.

It was very cute with all the food animal names. Also I really want one of those party in a box things that Flint invented. Major flaw with Cloudy 2: not enough puffy kisses.

It was also our first trip to the big theater in town, and we couldn't resist the fancy snack counter. In an attempt to be budget and health friendly I opted for the small Iccee and Mike got a medium soda. Well, this is what we got....

Yeah, that's a 32 oz. small

Seriously??? Is this real life? I immediately started cracking up. Are we in Pawnee??

Saturday morning I did some last minute prep for the beer fest. I made myself a freezer paper tee (see below) and went on a hunt for pretzels for necklaces, genius! Later, we met up with our new buds and fellow Atlanta transplants for the craft beer fest. The fest took place right behind their apartment. It was so perfect. 

About half an hour into the fest, Kyler pointed out that it was called HOTober Fest, not HOPtober Fest as I had thought. Well it was definitely hot...but there were also hops, soo....

After a few hours of beer tasting we got on the topic of the local bars. Lo and behold none of us had been to the Clermont Lounge. Well, that had to change. 

I don't have any pictures from the night because A: cameras aren't allowed in the Clermont and B: you just really have to see something like that with your own eyes. Curious about what the heck I'm talking about? Read up.

Sunday was a recovery day, and I was glad for that. I finally got around to making Mike's birthday gyros. Delish :)

Happy Monday! Who's ready for an awesome week!?

Friday Forecast & Fall Book Review

Sigggghhh....weekend, thank you for gracing us with your presence.

First off, a Fall Bucket List update: Fall Reading List Complete! Woot Woot! 

Divergent Series, The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, Wonder, and The Giver.

Now technically I have not officially finished the list because Allegiant won't come out until October 22, but I've already pre-oredered it for my nook. I might need to call in sick that day :) 

Here's my super quick review of each:

1.) Divergent Series: I couldn't put it down, but I could have done with less of the unrealistic teen love nonsense (i.e. girls sulks in secluded hallway, boy magically shows up to console her). I preferred book 2 over book 1, and am expecting the greatness to continue.

2.) Wonder: This was so cute. Very funny and very uplifting with some serious messages about bullying and being kind. Great read for all ages really.

3) The Fault in Our Stars: Loved it! So great. Definitely worth the tears. This book is about teens with cancer, so you know what you're getting yourself into from the start.

4) The Giver: This book was nicely inline with the themes in Divergent minus the love story, but I found myself wanting more plot. I felt like the first 80% of the book was setting up for what turned out to be a very short plot line. I'm excited to see the film adaptation.

5) Looking for Alaska: I had a hard time connecting with these characters. I'm not sure if it was because it was from a boys point of view, or just that The Fault in  Our Stars was sooooo good, but i found this one to be overall meh.

Geeze, I feel like that was harsh. You'd think I didn't enjoy reading those at all. Really though I read the last 4 books in 6 days. I've been quite a book worm lately. My obsession has quieted down a bit, but October 22 is only 17 days away!!

Back to the Forecast...

Have you guys seen the first Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs?? If you haven't go see it. Now! Or actually finish reading this post, THEN go watch it. Seriously underrated movie.

Mike and I have a special love for Cloudy and even made-up our  ( )'_'( ) emoticon based on the 2nd most awkward kiss of all time. For the first most awkward kiss click here at your own discretion (warning: you can't un-see this).

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Well Cloudy 2 has arrived!!! We tried going last week, but alas I was exhausted. Tonight's the big night! It's been FOR-EV-ER since we did a real person date. I'm pumped.

Saturday, Mike and I are heading to Hoptoberfest with some new Atlanta buddies. After a week of headaches, I have mixed emotions about spending Saturday day-drinking, but hey, I wasn't raised in WI for nothing. I might need to add making pretzel necklaces to my Saturday morning itinerary :)

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Mike is volunteering at a 5k on Sunday which means.....GIRLIE TIME!! I haven't yet decided how I'll be spending my precious alone time. Sadly I think grocery shopping and some cleaning might make it on to the list. I'm sure I'll fit in plenty of Glee to balance it out.

Happy Friday! Try to sneak in some romance if you can!

Farmers Market Okra and Tomato Pasta

Hello Friends! Can you believe it's already October??

In addition to the many sporting events Mike and I watched last weekend, I also found time to make it to our local Farmers Market in Piedmont Park. There's something so wholesome about walking over and picking up some fresh produce. I love it.

Now usually when I go, I wander around looking at what each booth has, recognize only half of the stuff, consider asking but chicken out, and end up leaving with a bag of fruit. Well ladies and gentlemen  this weekend I was lucky enough to have a new friend with me who was not afraid to walk right up to a booth and start asking questions. 

As a result I scored some awesome tastes of new things...muscadines?!?! Ever tried them? And I walked away with a cucumber and OKRA in addition to my standard bag o' fruit. 

After a year down here in the South, I've certainly had my fair share of fried okra prepared by our local eateries. When it comes to my knowledge of actually preparing okra myself, I know one thing: okra is Slime City (thank you to Top Chef for my vast culinary knowledge). Conveniently said friend was more than happy to ask for some advice on prep. The trick to avoiding Nickelodeon style slime? Oven Roasting!

There's something lovely about this fresh pasta dish with veg as the focus and no heavy sauces to weight it down.

What You'll Need

1/3 box of Linguine

Okra

Cherry Tomatoes

5-6 cloves of Garlic

Olive Oil

Slat & Pepper to taste

Our cast and crew for the night.

Preheat your oven to 450. Begin cooking your pasta in a large pot. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment for easy clean up.

No boiling over in our kitchen.

Do you guys use the wooden spoon trick to stop your pot from boiling over? As an often times distracted cook, I've found this to be a life saver.

While the pasta is cooking and the oven preheating, prep your veg. Cut the okra into small coins. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise. Peel the garlic. Place all veg on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly and pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes, tossing again halfway through.

Check on your pasta. Once it's al dente, drain and return to the pot with a small drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking and clumping.

Once the veg has been roasted to your liking, remove from the oven and begin playing the fun game of fine the garlic cloves. You'll want to chop the garlic finely. I even used the knife to mash it into a paste.

Yummy..resist the urge to spread this on bread and eat immediately.

Add your roasted veg and garlic to the pasta. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, if needed, and toss to combine. Serve up the pasta and top with a sprinkle of pepper to taste.

om nom nom

Happy Hump Day. Eat something delicious!

Weekend Recap: Lots of Sports...I'm Exhausted

Monday again...Whomp whomp. 

Today I'm feeling particularly exhausted. Fingers-crossed I haven't picked up one of the bugs that have been going around. Most likely it's just a lot of late nights finally catching up with me.

Seriously can we get an extra day?? This is exactly why being able to freeze time would be the greatest superpower. Don't even try to argue with me about flying...that would be exhausting and you know it.

Anyway....here's the highlight reel:

BRAVES GAME!!!

We had a great time at the game. It was a perfect night game. The weather was great. The food was delish. And the game itself was short and sweet. WIN!

BADGER GAME!!

We finally made it out to the official Badger bar...we were NOT disappointed. We honestly had no idea what to expect. When we got there the Georgia game was wrapping up, and the place was packed with Dawgs fans. Once their game was over the space cleared out a bit. There was a smaller, semi-private bar area where the alumni group met up. We got to meet some new Badgers. Despite the game outcome we had a great time.

New Badger friend!

*it was brought to my attention that the buckeye nut is actually poisonous, however the jury is still out on whether they are poisonous to badgers as well. I suspect they aren't.

BIRTHDAY AND FOOTBALL SUNDAY!

Mike's actual b-day was on Sunday. I woke up bright and early to decorate and set up his surprise:

Yeah it says Buttday. I'm hilarious.

Knowing my husband's Sunday activity preferences, I opted to give him the gift of permission to sit in front of the TV all day.

Coke, chips, trail mix, candy, and.....Madden 25. He was pumped and got to playing ASAP.

Seriously...having fun :)

I told Mike he could pick whatever dessert he wanted, and that I would make it happen. Not surprisingly he asked for funfetti. Since most box mixes have milk or egg products in them, I made an attempt at homemade funfetti and did a pretty good job. Except for one thing....

I totally skipped greasing the pan. Big mistake. In order to get the cake out I had to basically crumble it into a bunch of pieces. 

Deconstructed Funfetti cake...Top Chef eat your heart out.

Moral of the story: when life hands you a pile of cake crumbles...pop them on a cake stand, add some blue frosting, and move on with your day :)

Friday Forecast: Happy Birthday to the Hubster

Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday!

WOOOOO! Can I get an Amen!? Sunday is Mike's b-day, and as a result we have some serious awesomeness planned for this weekend.

First up: Braves Game! I surprised Mike with tickets to tonight's Braves vs. Philles game. He was pumped, and now I'm wearing a Braves shirt to work. Win, win.

We're here to CHOP!

Saturday we are heading out to the UW-Alumni Association's designated game watching bar to see the Badgers take on a Bunch of Nuts. 

 Check out this Source link. Further arguments for the awesomeness that is Buckingham U. Badger.

I'm not sure if badgers actually eat nuts, but they could...because badgers are BA. Need proof? See Exhibit A.

Sunday I have a second surprise planned for Mike, and since he reads this it will have to remain a surprise for you as well.  Details on Monday I guess :)

Have a happy weekend! And also a Happy Birthday (to those that it applies to)!

Fall Bucket List!

Another Wednesday here, another weekend right around the corner. I'm going to switch it up a little. Instead of telling you about a project I recently did, I'm going to share some of my projects for the future. So, without further ado:

My Fall Bucket List:

1.) Fall Reading List I've mentioned this in other posts, but I've been trying to spend more of my free time to reading. My goal is to get through five works of fiction before Thanksgiving. One of those works is actually a trilogy, but I don't hear any booklist police complaining.

Slots 4 and 5 are still up in the air. I've found that it's best for me to pick new books on the fly.

2.) Harry Potter Weekend This idea has been floating around in my brain for a while, but until recently our Harry Potter dvd collection was seriously lacking. (Fun fact: the first Harry Potter movie was the first dvd my family owned growing up...and our only dvd player was in the computer). 

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In addition to marathoning the movies, I have plans for some serious Lego Harry Potter board game battles and possibly some  Lego Harry Potter on wii if I can hunt down the game in time. And to accompany all this activity: lots of pumpkin based recipes and of course butterbeer! 

3.) Pumpkin Carving! I am seriously pumped for this. I've asked Mike about a million times now if we can carve pumpkins this year. He says yes every time, but you better believe that when I see my next pumpkin I'm going to ask again :) Not only do we have a great outdoor space to display them this year. We can also use that same space to carve them, meaning less mess in the house! Soo Pumped! (pun intended of course)

I've already started fall-ify-ing  our patio. Can't wait to add some pumpkins.

4.) Christmas Cards Last year we thought about sending out Christmas cards, but mass mailings have never really been my thing. Now that we are married, I'm feeling a bit more obliged to partake in this tradition. I'v got some ideas, but I'm going to keep it a secret for now since there's a pretty good chance anyone reading this will also be a recipient.

What's on your fall bucket list? Share your plans in the comments!

Want to get jazzed for fall? Check out this article. Swooon.