Mushrooms Archives - Strength and Sunshine

Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

February 17, 2016 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 108 Comments

Chicken slow cooked with loads of vegetables and marsala wine. Slow cooker chicken marsala is a no-fuss and fun twist on the Italian classic. A perfect healthy gluten-free and paleo weeknight dinner recipe the whole family will enjoy!

Kind of…A very loose twist on the Italian classic, that is! No reduced buttery sauce or flour, but chicken, marsala wine, and mushrooms (plus a bunch of other fun things!). This is also going to be another “throwback Wednesday” recipe. This gem was created for Christmas Eve dinner 2014! The photos may lose their charm, but the flavor and recipe is still spot on and deserves to be shared! I know we all appreciate the slow cooker right now anyway!

Going off of the Italian food upbringing, I’ve always been fond of Chicken Marsala as well as Chicken Francese. My mom and I could never remember which one was which when ordering. Which was the creamy mushroom and which was the breaded lemon one? Now I’ve got it down, but still love them both! I think I’ve always loved them equally, which is surprising since I hated mushrooms growing up. My younger self would scoff at the mushroom lover I am now (side not: I’m not currently eating mushrooms. Their high FODMAP count, I think, bothers me).

This dish is classically made with a buttery reduced marsala wine sauce with mushrooms, poured over some lightly breaded chicken. Not exactly the most gluten-free (or dairy-free) friendly dish. That’s not problem for this gal though! Solutions were had! And it’s so super simple since it’s made in the slow cooker. To amp this slow cooker chicken marsala up I added pearl onions, artichoke hearts (the flavor!), beets (added color!), and of course the mushrooms! So you’re getting your dose of protein and veggies in one entree. It would be a lovely dish served over some pasta, tomato basil cauli-rice, sorghum, or millet! Okay, okay, even if you’re feeling like some yucca, fries would work too!

Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

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Author: Rebecca Pytell

Recipe type: Main Dish, Slow Cooker, Chicken

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 Large Skinless Chicken Breasts
10 Pearl Onions (halved)
9 oz (1⅕ Cups) Chopped Artichoke Hearts (I used frozen)
2 Medium Beets (chopped)
1½ Cups Chopped Baby Portobello Mushrooms
2 TB Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 TB Chopped Fresh Basil
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
¼ Tsp White Pepper
1½ Cups Marsala Wine

Instructions

Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker first, then add the veggies, spices, and wine.
Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked through.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1

Done! Quick and easy! The chopped veggies give this chicken so much extra flavor, let alone the wine! I also loved that the beets added to the slight red color of the liquid as well. Totally not traditional, I know, but just as good 😉 I guess I do need to recreate the “real” thing as well as chicken francese soon! Alright, that’s my new mission! (Prepare to see those in 2019, bahahaha!)

So tell me:

+ Which is better to you: chicken marsala or chicken francese? (Don’t make my Italian roots cry and say that you haven’t had either!)

+ Mushroom lover or hater? O I love them, but my tummy…not so much :/

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Tummy Healing Soup For One

December 14, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 147 Comments

Soup for the soul. A gluten-free and vegan tummy healing soup for one full of anti-inflammatory and nourishing ingredients. Turmeric, ginger, veggies, spices, and a bit of pasta to bring you all the love your body needs.

During the cold winter months we tend to find ourselves in need of comfort food almost daily. Some days it’s due to a winter cold, maybe an overindulgence in those seasonal cookies, or maybe it’s just because you need some warmth from the cold and a long day at work. When people think of comfort food they may think of heavy and rich dishes that taste good in the moment, but do nothing for the tummy afterwards, leaving you needing more comfort to feel better.Read More

Italian Chicken Meatballs & Sweet Potato Spaghetti

September 9, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 149 Comments

Italian chicken meatballs baked and simmered in a homemade tomato sauce, served over easy sweet potato spaghetti. Gluten-free, allergy-free, and paleo, this delicious version of the classic will quickly become a new family dinner favorite.

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by California Ripe Olives and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Mediterranean cuisine encompasses the likes of Italian, Greek, Turkish, Moroccan, any county that creates the region around the Mediterranean cuisine. That’s why it’s so large, lovely, full of so many flavors and ingredients. One notable ingredient that all these cultures of the cuisine use is olives. Lucky for us here in the states, we have amply supply of California Black Ripe Olives. You know I am pretty fond of black olives already, evidenced here. They are just such a great healthy addition to the diet. From their healthy monounsaturated fats to their values of vitamin E (.25 mg per serving), iron (.49 mg per serving), vitamin A (60 IU per serving), and fiber (.5 grams per serving).Read More

Italian Chickpea Casserole

January 14, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 175 Comments

A hearty plant-based meal the whole family will love. This gluten-free, grain-free, and vegan Italian Chickpea Casserole is the perfect weeknight meal to nourish the body with classic and comforting flavors.

I’m never really sure what people use to define a casserole. I assume it just means it was baked in a casserole dish, could easily be freezed in bulk, and provides endless leftovers. When I think of casserole, images of the stereotypical housewife pop in my head. Hair up, apron on, oven mits covering the hands as she bends down to remove the “casserole” from the oven and present it to the family waiting ever so patiently at the table.

What I also imagine is a heavy cheese and meat laden dish full of sadness. It may provide comfort to the family in that moment, but it will leave them dragging and sluggish for sure. We all want a comforting meal at the end of a long winters day, don’t get me wrong, but I think there are better options. Which leads me to my version of a healthy plant-based and allergy-free casserole.

Not only is this super healthy, but it will also leave you satisfied and full of plant-based energy. If I still need to convince you, then let me tell you have easy this is too! All you have to do is gather your ingredients and layer them in a casserole dish. Then bake and serve (or freeze!). I even made a cute step-by-step assembling guide in case you need a visual 😉

Since Italian food just brings images of comfort to mind, I thought I’d roll with that flavor theme. Plus, Italian flavors like tomatoes ad basil and crowd pleasers all-around. From picky children to meat-loving husbands, everyone will love this! This dish makes about 4 servings, but it could easily be doubled or tripled with a larger casserole dish and more ingredients!

Italian Chickpea Casserole

Ingredients: (serves 4)

+ 1 Large Spaghetti Squash (About 3 Cups when cooked and shredded)

+ 2 1/2 Cups Cooked Chickpeas

+ 1 Medium Zucchini Sliced (for 16 slices)

+ 1/2 Cup Sliced Black Olives

+ 3 Large White Mushrooms (for 8 slices)

Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce:

+ 1 Can No-Salt Added Tomato Sauce

+ 1/4 Cup Chipped Fresh Basil

+ 1 Tsp Chopped Garlic

+ 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder

+ 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

+ 1 TB Dried Parsley

Additional Toppings:

+ 1 to 2 TB Nutritional Yeast

+ 1 TB Dried Parsley (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

+ Preheat the oven to 350°F.

+ Microwave the spaghetti squash for 5 minutes or until you can easily cut it and fork out the strands. Prep the rest of your veggies and set everything aside.

+ In a bowl combine all the sauce ingredients and give everything a good stir.

+ In a 8×8 casserole dish, assemble the casserole as shown in the above graphic. Start with the squash, chickpeas, zucchini, olives, mushrooms, and finally the sauce. Now top the casserole with nutritional yeast and an extra sprinkle of parsley.

+ Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Healthy hearty goodness! Saucy, “cheesy”, and full of wonderful comforting flavor.

Now that I’ve made my first “casserole”, I think I need to try my hand at some more. They are just too easy and the perfect all-in-one meal.

Have I told you about my un-dieing love for nutritional yeast? I probably poured about 5 more gallons on this after I took the “pretty” pictures. I can’t get enough of that cheesy stuff! So what I mean to say is…the nutritional yeast is NOT optional here 😉 You MUST use it, haha!

So tell me:

+ What do you think of when you hear the word casserole?

+ What’s your favorite classic comfort food?

*Recipe linking up for the week! WIAW, Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeFridays, #RecipeOfTheWeek, #StrangeButGood, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Real Food Recipe Roundup, Tasty Tuesdays, Meatless Mondays, Lena’s Tasty Tuesdays!*

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Vegan Pepperoni White Bean Pizza

June 11, 2014 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 65 Comments

Well. I would tell you the story behind this recipe, but I am not. Why? Because it is rather tragic and a bit embarrassing to say the least. Lets just say, I didn’t follow the rules again. But, whatever, I am moving on from that 😉 Instead, I will share a different story. One that may be a bit gross, but now is just funny (at least to me). It is even funnier because the gross part happened to me, but it always bothered my brother and mom so much more than me. I guess it’s because I was so young and really don’t remember it, only the retelling of the story every year we would walk past Snow White’s pizza place on the Wildwood Boardwalk.

Now apparently, this place is rated one of the number one spots on the boardwalk, however, we beg to differ. It was a day many years ago and we stopped in to grab some pizza for lunch. My mom, brother, and I all ordered a few slices and went and sat down at a table in the back. I assume we all started eating, and then I look down and find a white hair (white, get it? Snow White?) on my pizza. Fabulous right? When you are starving and now the food in front of you and everyone else turns into the grossest unappetizing thing. And then I am assuming we threw away out slices and left in search of some more suitable fuel.

Well, from that year on, any time we walked passed that place on the boardwalk, we would all relive and retell the story. Saying “Ew, gross!” under out breath as we walked by. It is funny how these little moments in time, are remembered and held as memories for so long. Yet I can’t remember how to factor a polynomial in math after only a few weeks of taking the test. I digress. But you know what place we found that did have the best pizza on the boardwalk? Sam’s Pizza Palace! My mom fell in love with that place. I am not sure I ever got a chance to eat there though because it came later in the years and I think I was already having my stomach problems then. I do remember they had the best fountain soda because they used this perfect crushed ice in the cup! Ah, ice, I love the stuff 😉 That is one of my favorite things about hotels and the like. Going to the ice machine and filling up cups of ice to munch on! Haha, can I get any more random today?

Now lets talk about this good (hair-less) pizza. Mushrooms were the name of the game but I wanted them to have more flavor then just roasting them on the pizza. Plus I needed to add some protein source to make this more substantial for my tastes. I had always liked a good pepperoni pizza as a kid, I was never a plain jane just cheese girl. In the later years of my pizza eating, I moved on to the gloriousness that is an onion pizza. Stringing white onions, perfect. There was even a time I forayed into the white broccoli pizza. But that was short lived. Too much cheese, I needed the red stuff. Then there was a time where I went for the ultimate gluten pizza a few times. Pasta pizza! Yea, they put penne pasta on a pizza. Another favorite was a Sicilian slice. I loved the thickness (and squareness)!

I never liked mushrooms early enough in my pre-celiac years to enjoy a mushroom pizza, but that is okay beucase I’ve got one now! This pizza combines a few of my favorites. Pepperoni-esque marinated roasted mushrooms and eggplant, olives (another winner), onions, white beans (which take on a faux white pizza look, but really is just a hummus type of spread), and of course, the glorious red stuff. I like using Tomato Paste on my pizzas though more than sauce. It has a more concentrated flavor and if perfect when making just your own personal pizza like this one here. Anyway, this pizza is my new favorite! I could eat this baby everyday. Gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, meat-free perfection on the famous Food For Life Brown Rice Tortilla!

Vegan Pepperoni White Bean Pizza

Ingredients: (serves 1)

White Bean Spread:

+ 1 Cup Cooked White Beans

+ 3 Fresh Basil Leaves (torn)

+ 1/4 Tsp Onion Powder

+ 1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder

+ 1/4 Tsp White Pepper

Marinated Pepperoni Mushrooms and Eggplant:

+ 1 Very Large Portobello Mushroom Cap (5 Slices)

+ 5 Thin Eggplant Rounds

+ 1/2 Tsp Liquid Smoke

+ 1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika

For the Pizza:

+ 1 Recipe of White Bean Spread

+ Pepperoni Mushrooms and Egglpant

+ 1 Large Brown Rice Tortilla (or other, if you have a personal favorite)

+ 3 TB Salt-Free Tomato Paste

+ 2 TB Sliced Olives (rinsed well to get excess salt off)

+ 2 TB Chopped Sweet Onion

+ 1/4 Tsp Dried Oregano

Directions:

+ To make the white bean spread, got a food processor. Add in you beans, basil, and spices. Blend until you get a spreadable smooth mixture.

+ To make the pepperoni, in a medium bowl, add the mushrooms and eggplant. Pour in the liquid smoke and smoked paprika. Then use your hands to rub in the mixture so everything is coated. Let sit while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Now line a baking sheet with foil and lightly oil. Place the mushrooms and eggplant slices on the sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Flip and roast for another 10. Remove and set aside.

+ Now change the oven to 415°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place down your tortilla (from frozen), spread on the tomato paste leaving some space around the edge of the tortilla. Then spread on all the bean mixture. Now place the mushrooms and eggplant around the pizza. Then sprinkle on the olives and onion. Finally, shake on the oregano. Now place in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes until the edges of the tortilla begin to brown. Remove and enjoy!

I love making my own pizzas. Now the blog is up to 4! This one, my Sprouted Lentil Butternut Squash one, Roasted Vegetable, and Chicken Meatball! One for every type of eater 🙂 No matter which way you spread it, top it, slice it, pizza is always a winner 😉 (As long as it does not include hair!). Happy Pizza Eating my friends!