Grilled Portobello Pizzas

Yummy and Satifying!

This the quickest and easiest dinner to make when you don't have a lot of time or energy. All you need are some portobello mushrooms, left over cooked chicken, and some basic pantry items. You can even use a stovetop grill. I did!

Grilled Portobello Pizzas
by Mixed Salad Annie

6 large portobello mushrooms, de-stemmed and gills removed
Olive oil, for brushing
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, sliced thin strips
1/3 cup cooked chicken breast, sliced in small thin pieces
1 roma tomato, diced
6 tablespoons store-bought pesto sauce, or homemade (I used my frozen ice cube pesto)
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, shaved with peeled
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Preheat the grill to high heat. Preheat broiler.

Brush both sides of the mushrooms with olive oil and sprinkle both sides of each mushroom with salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms on the grill and grill for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, until soft and tender.

Remove from grill, placing the mushrooms bottom side up on a foil lined baking sheet. Top each mushroom with 1 tablespoon pesto, a few small slices of chicken, shallots, tomatoes and finally the cheese.

Place the mushrooms about 6 inches from broiler and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Remove and place on a serving platter and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately with grilled italian bread.

Baked Squash Gratin

Another amazing recipe from Giada De Laurentiis!

I loved this recipe and so will you. Since butternut squash is a little bland, this recipe appealed to me. It was just enough pesto and just enough cheese to make it work without over powering the butternut squash. The cheese forms a crust on the top and it is delicious!

Baked Squash Gratin

1 (3-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes, (mine was not quite this big, but it made just enough for a small casserole)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup purchased basil pesto (I used homemade pesto that I previously made and froze in an ice cube tray)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus more for greasing

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly butter an 8-inch baking dish and set aside. Fill a large pot with enough water to come 2 inches up the sides of the pot. Set a steamer rack in the pot, cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the squash and steam over medium heat until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the squash to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.(I used my hand held blender and mixed it right in the pan). Season the squash to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon half of the squash evenly over the prepared baking dish. Dollop half of the pesto all over the squash in the dish. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the squash. Repeat layering with the remaining squash, pesto, and cheese. Using a skewer, swirl the pesto decoratively into the squash. Dot the top with butter and bake until the gratin is heated through and golden brown around the edges, about 40 minutes.