Grilled Stuffed Portobellos

The fungus among us. // Instagram @kguymon

I put Matt to work on the grill last night: steaks, corn on the cob, and for the first time, stuffed mushrooms.

I whipped up a concoction of creamy goat cheese, garlic, and chopped rosemary for the insides, and oh my. It had me reciting every bad rom-com cliché I could think of:

"Where have you been all my life?"

"You. Complete. Me."

"I'll have what she's having."

Okay, that last one doesn't really make sense, but you get the drift. They're good. Really freaking good.



Grilled Stuffed Portobellos

-6 large portobello mushrooms
-8 oz. goat cheese
-1-2 cloves of minced garlic
-2 sprigs of rosemary, chopped
-kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
-olive oil for brushing

1. Run the mushrooms under cold water and use a spoon to carefully scoop out the black gills.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cheese, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.

3. Before grilling, brush the insides of the mushrooms with olive oil.

4. Place the mushrooms face down on the grill over medium heat for three minutes.

5. Flip over and spoon in a generous amount of the cheese mixture into each mushroom. Close the grill and cook until the cheese is browning and the mushroom's juices start to run.

Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta

Whip yo' feta, gurl. // Instagram @kguymon

Last night could have very well been my last hurrah in the kitchen for quite some time. I'm having a baby in a couple of weeks, so I decided to go all out and treat my family to a meal that required hours of prep versus only twenty minutes (like I've been doing most of the summer).

I heard through the grapevine o' friends that Barefoot Contessa's whipped feta crostini was the bees' knees, and now that my tomato plants are producing some little red cherries, I thought it was the perfect addition to our menu of peach-glazed porkchops, German potato salad, and peach-goat cheese-spiced pecan salad.

Creamy, crunchy, tangy... I'm definitely digging on this crostini.




Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta [adapted from Barefoot Contessa]

-5 oz. crumbled feta
-3 oz. cream cheese
-2/3 cup of olive oil, divided
-juice of one lemon
-kosher salt
-fresh cracked pepper
-2 shallots, diced
-2 teaspoons of minced garlic
-2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
-2 10.5 oz. containers of cherry tomatoes, quartered (or about 30 from your garden)
-20 slices of baguette, cut into 1/2 slices and toasted
-2 tablespoons of pine nuts

1. For the whipped feta, place the feta and cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add 1/3 cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and process until smooth.

2. For the tomatoes, up to an hour before serving, combine the shallots, garlic, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the tomatoes, stir gently, and set aside for 10 minutes.

3. To assemble the crostini, spread each slice of bread with a generous amount of whipped feta. With a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes on top. Put the crostini on plates, sprinkle with the pine nuts, and serve.

Cantaloupe-Pancetta-Feta Pasta Salad

"I love thee to the depth and breadth..." // Instagram @kguymon

Good grief, how do I appreciate a refreshing variation on the good ol' pasta salad? Let me count the ways.

The summer standby is always a go-to for holiday get-togethers and backyard barbeques (duh!), but sometimes you just want a new and exciting flavor combination, you know?

I stumbled upon a list of Bon Appétit's list of "30 Memorial Day Side Dishes That Eclipse the Mains" and instantly decided to make my own version of their melon-pancetta-ricotta salata salad, one that promised a hefty amount of leftovers. 'Cause it's one of those weeks where Matt and I are passing ships in the night, and the sit-down family dinner just isn't happening.

The dressing is nowhere near the star of the show (you could double the amount, if you'd like); however, the sweet-salty mix of the melon and pancetta/feta definitely is. The fresh mint cools the spice of the red pepper flakes perfectly.

Gotta say, I am thrilled with the results! This one's a keeper.

Cantaloupe-Pancetta-Feta Pasta Salad [adapted from Bon Appétit]

-1 lb. campanelle pasta
-4 oz. sliced pancetta
-6 oz. crumbled feta
-16 oz. cantaloupe, diced into 1/2" pieces  
-3 green onions, thinly sliced
-3 tablespoons of fresh mint, chopped
-5 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
-4 tablespoons of olive oil
-1 teaspoon of kosher salt
-1/2 teaspoon of pepper
-pinch of red pepper flakes (or more, to your liking)

1. Boil the pasta in a big pot of salted water according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water so pasta does not clump.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a foiled roasting pan, spread the pancetta slices out so that they do not overlap. Bake until crispy, approximately 20 minutes. Let cool, then break into bite-sized pieces.

3. To make the dressing, add together the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Whisk well. 

3. Add pasta, pancetta, melon, feta, and dressing to a large bowl. Toss well, then garnish with onions and mint.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Photo by Katie Guymon

The lovelies, pre-roast. // Instagram @kguymon

'Tis the season for light and easy summer pastas. No cream, no butter, no problem.

This particular pasta recipe is very forgiving--you can just throw in whatever vegetables you happen to have lying around your kitchen. I wanted to use up some yellow sunbursts and half a red onion that was hiding in my crisper. So, into the mixing bowl they went.

The even better part is that the pasta is great served hot. Or room temperature. Or even cold, like a salad.

This one will be on repeat June through August, and now I know what to do with all of the random vegetables I buy at the farmers market with no clear direction of where they might end up. Bam! Decision made.


Roasted Vegetable Pasta

-1 lb. bowtie pasta
-8 oz. sliced baby bella mushrooms
-2 cups yellow and red cherry or grape tomatoes
-1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
-1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
-1/2 teaspoon of salt
-1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
-1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
-1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
-freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Boil pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, tomato, and red onion slices in a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar to coat. Arrange vegetable mixture in a single layer on a roasting pan and bake for 15 minutes.

3. Combine the cooked pasta and the roasted vegetables in the same large bowl and mix well.

4. Garnish with parsley and cheese.

Grilled Salmon and Grapefruit Salad

The sweet-sour 1-2 punch. In a bowl. // Instagram @kguymon

Ho-lee cow. Or, fish.

I made this salad on a whim, thinking it would be a sufficiently healthy Monday night meal. You know, one to counteract the Thai take-out we binged on over the weekend. I did not expect to keel over after I licked my bowl clean, but I had serious weak-in-the-knees stumbles thanks to the awesome sweet-sour combo of the onions and grapefruit in the salad, of the honey and mustard in the vinaigrette.

And with fewer than 500 calories per serving, it's like I went to the gym. You can't beat that with a stick.




Grilled Salmon and Grapefruit Salad [adapted from Cooking Light] [serves 4]

For the salad:
-2 6 oz. skinless salmon fillets (1 to 1 1/4 inches thick)
-1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
-1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
-1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, cut into 1/2-thick slices
-olive oil
-cooking spray
-8 cups of mixed baby salad greens
-1 24 oz. jar red grapefruit sections, drained

For the vinaigrette:
-1/2 cup of fresh orange juice
-1 tablespoon of minced shallots
-2 tablespoons of honey
-1 tablespoon of olive oil
-1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
-1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt
-1/8 of fresh ground pepper

1. Heat a grill pan over medium to medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray.

2. Drizzle fillets and onion slices with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

3. Place fillets and onion slices on the grill pan for 4-5 minutes per side, until the fish flakes easily and the onions are tender. Take off the grill. Break fish into chunks; cut onion into bite-sized chunks.

4. Place 2 cups salad greens in bowls; arrange grapefruit sections, onion, and fish evenly over greens.

5. To make the vinaigrette, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl, whisking well. Drizzle vinaigrette evenly over the salads.