Author Archives: Janis Chanin

Prosciutto Stuffed Mushrooms

08 Sunday Dec 2013

Posted by in Appetizers

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Prosciutto Stuffed Mushrooms

Last week I hosted my very first Thanksgiving.  It was actually the first real holiday I’ve ever hosted for my family.  I usually travel to them, but this year I insisted on hosting.  My parents, sisters, brother-in-laws and nephews all made the trek up to New England for the weekend, and we had a really great time featuring some fantastic food.  There were three stand-outs that I want to share with you on JanisCakes.  The first is this appetizer that got gobbled up.

Prosciutto Stuffed Mushrooms
Yield:  about 50 mushrooms
Time:  15 minutes active;  45 minutes total

50 medium white mushrooms (roughly 1½ inches in diameter)
1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large handful (about ½ to ¾ cup) fresh parsley, leaves finely chopped (stems discarded)
¾ lb (12 oz) thinly sliced prosciutto, diced
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), may need up to ¼ cup additional

1.  Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

2.  Thoroughly wash the mushrooms, and pat dry with a towel.  Remove the stems and place on a greased baking sheet, with the cavity facing up.  (Stems may either be discarded, or diced and combined with other stuffing ingredients).

Stemmed Mushrooms

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  If the filling seems too dry (it should be slightly damp and clumpy), add additional EVOO, up to ¼ cup more.  Fill each mushroom cavity with filling, evenly distributing the stuffing across all mushrooms.

Filling Mixture

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  Bake until golden brown on top and your kitchen smells delicious (about 25-30 minutes at 400˚F).  Serve hot.

Stuffed Mushrooms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PDF to Print Recipe for Prosciutto Stuffed Mushrooms

Port Cherry Brownies

27 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Boozy, Chocolate, Dessert, Vegetarian

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Port Cherry Brownies

Recently my birthday was approaching and I wanted to make myself a special birthday dessert, but didn’t feel like making an entire cake for just my husband and I (since we would inevitably eat the whole darn thing).  I decided that brownies are also fully capable of holding candles upright and would therefore make a suitable birthday dessert.  Since I love red wine and port, and try to sneak booze into my recipes every opportunity I get, I decided why not try to make port-soaked dried-cherry brownies?  Big time winner!  Make this recipe immediately.  Seriously, you’re wasting precious time that could be better spent baking these incredible brownies!

Port Cherry Brownies
Yield:  16 brownies
Time:  25 minutes active;  60 minutes total

4 tbsp. port
½ cup dried cherries
¼ cup butter, diced into pieces
1¾ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
¼ tsp. salt
5 tbsp. flour
fresh berries for garnish (optional)
whipped cream for garnish (optional)

1.  Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Prepare an 8×8 inch pan by spraying it with cooking spray, lining it with parchment paper, then spraying the parchment paper with cooking spray.  Set aside.

2.  Put the port in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn heat down to low and stir in the dried cherries.  Continue to cook over low heat, stirring periodically, until the cherries absorb all of the liquid.  Set aside and allow to cool.

3.  Place the butter and 1 cup of the chocolate chips in a double boiler.  Heat until the chocolate melts.  Stir to combine the chocolate and butter.  Remove from heat.

4.  Whisk in the sugar and eggs.  Add the salt and flour.  Mix until fully incorporated.

5.  Gently mix in the port-cherries and the remaining ¾ cup of chocolate chips.  Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes at 325°F, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the pan comes out clean.

6.  Cool until the brownies come to room temperature.  Invert the pan, peel the parchment paper off the brownies, then invert the brownies again so the tops are facing up.  Cut into squares.  Serve garnished with fresh berries and whipped cream (and fresh mint leaves if that floats your boat).  Enjoy with a glass of port or your favorite red wine!

Pretty enough to eat!

PDF to Print Recipe for Port Cherry Brownies

Blackened Mahi Mahi Caesar Salad

18 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by in Dinner, Fish, Healthy, Salad

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Blackened Mahi Mahi Caesar SaladTo grate the Parmesan cheese for this Caesar salad, I use a Microplane zester.  It makes the cheese so light and fluffy it’s like a small mound of delicious snow!  It’s so fine that it almost melts into the dressing.  Delish!

Blackened Mahi Mahi Caesar Salad
Yield:  2 salads
Time:  35 minutes total

1½ tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dried thyme
1½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper (more or less, to your taste)
1 tsp dried oregano
¾ tsp ground cumin
2 filets mahi mahi (or 4 narrow filets)
1½ heads romaine lettuce (or other salad greens), chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp lemon juice
Caesar dressing
¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
croutons (optional)

1.  Preheat a non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium-high heat.

2.  Combine all of the seasonings (first nine ingredients) in a small bowl.  Mix well.

3.  Pat the mahi mahi dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle the top liberally with the seasoning mixture.

4.  Place the mahi mahi seasoned-side down into the hot skillet to sear it.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Season the top surface of the fish, then flip to sear the other side.  Cook over medium-high heat for another 5-7 minutes until cooked through.

5.  Place the lettuce in a mixing bowl.  Drizzle with lemon juice and Caesar dressing.  Toss to coat evenly.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and add the croutons.  Toss and arrange a mound of salad on each serving plate.  Place the blackened mahi mahi over the bed of Caesar salad.  Enjoy!

PDF to Print Recipe for Blackened Mahi Mahi Caesar Salad

Bang Bang Shrimp

09 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by in Appetizers, Fish

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Bang Bang Shrimp

Soon after trying this appetizer at the Bonefish Grill for the first time, my sister raved about it.  She loved it so much that I decided I need to try and make an at-home version.  Here’s my Bonefish Grill Copycat Bang Bang Shrimp recipe.  Enjoy (in the comfort of your own home)!

Bang Bang Shrimp
Yield:  6 appetizer servings
Time:  45 minutes total

2 lbs raw shrimp (large or jumbo)
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup Frank’s Red Hot
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
20 radishes
8 celery stalks
1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese
1/4 cup diced scallions

1.  Remove shells and tails from shrimp.  Dredge in cornstarch.

2.  Heat canola oil in a frying pan.  Fry the dredged shrimp in the hot oil until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.  Drain on a paper towel.

3.  Combine the hot sauce and mayo in a large mixing bowl.  Beat together with a whisk or fork until there are no lumps.  Add the cooked shrimp to the bowl and toss gently to coat.

4.  Dice the celery and slice the radishes.  Arrange on a serving platter and place the shrimp on top.  Sprinkle with crumbled bleu cheese and scallions.

Bang Bang Shrimp

NOTE:  This shrimp is also excellent served over a bed of mixed greens, sliced radishes and diced celery as a salad!

Bang Bang Shrimp over salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PDF to Print Recipe for Bang Bang Shrimp

 

Zucchini Boats

03 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by in Healthy, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

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Zucchini Boats

A few weeks ago I had a ton of zucchini that I needed to use up.  I have a few go-to zucchini recipes, but after I exhausted all the usual dinners and desserts, I came up with this idea.  Why not make stuffed zucchini?  Think stuffed peppers, but swapping the peppers for hollowed out zucchini.

Zucchini Boats
Time:  45 minutes total

5 medium-sized zucchinis
1 bell pepper (I usually use red or orange)
1/2 cup pepperjack cheese, grated
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or Asiago)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic
4 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
a handful of chopped fresh basil
1 to 2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1.  Chop the ends off each zucchini, then cut each zucchini in half lengthwise.  Hollow out each half by scooping out the seeds and pulp using a melon baller or a teaspoon.  Salt and pepper the inside of each boat and place into a lightly greased baking dish.

hollowed out zucchinis ready to be filled with stuffing

hollowed out zucchinis ready to be filled with stuffing

2.  Dice up the zucchini pulp/seeds and place in a mixing bowl.  Dice the bell pepper into tiny pieces and add to the mixing bowl with the chopped zucchini.  Add the quinoa, breadcrumbs, all of the grated pepperjack cheese and half of the grated Parm to the bowl as well.  (Reserve the remaining Parm to top the boats with in the last 5 minutes of cooking.)  Add all the herbs and spices to the mixing bowl as well as 2 tbsp. of olive oil.

3.  Saute together the onion and garlic with 2 tbsp olive oil.  Cook over medium heat until tender.  Add to the mixing bowl, and mix well to combine all ingredients.  (If adding chicken or vegan sausage or Veggie Ground Round, add that to the bowl at this time, too.)

stuffing mixture

stuffing mixture

4.  Fill each zucchini boat with filling, and bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.  Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parm cheese, and broil for 2-3 minutes.

cooked zucchini boats

cooked zucchini boats

(Note:  This recipe works great as a side dish as written.  If you want to make it a little more filling for a stand-alone dinner, feel free to add more cooked grains into the mixture, such as additional quinoa, or long grain and wild rice, barley, farro,…)

PDF to Print Recipe for Zucchini Boats