La Dolce Vita

To celebrate the return of the embarrassingly addicting Jersey Shore, I made one of the most delicious dinners imaginable.

I know I say this a lot.

But this was so easy and tasty, that I couldn't stop eating it.  I literally used my finger to grab the rest of the sauce from the pan (Sorry, Mom).

Parmesan and Mushroom Pasta
by: ME
1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup of baby (porta)bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 of an onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic (for one serving!!)
about 1 cup of pasta (I put the uncooked pasta in my serving bowl before I cook it to make sure that I don't make too much--because I WILL eat it!)
Squeeze of lemon juice

Cook patsa according to the directions on the box--I used whole wheat penne.

Melt half tablespoon of butter and a drizzle of EVOO in pan.

Add minced onion, red pepper flakes, S&P, and garlic to the pan--saute for a few minutes, until garlic is browned (but not burnt!) and onions are translucent.

Add sliced mushrooms.

Add 1/4 cup of grated parm cheese and cooked pasta.

Toss together in the sauce.  Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter and stir until melted.

And devour!

Look at how the cheese and butter created a rich sauce!  

This was so delicious, from the nutty parm, the hint of freshness of the lemon juice, and the meaty mushrooms, this meal was incredibly savory and out of this  world!!!

Mushroom and Onion Cheeseburger

After a week of long days—playing laser tag, going to retirement parties—I have decided to take it easy tonight : ) I have a huge to-do list for tomorrow as well, including a much needed gym session, so I want to be able to be lazy tonight! 

I also wanted to take some time tonight to think of new ideas/recipes for my food processor, as I got it in the mail today!!! Pat gave me my gift for my birthday when we were in Maine, but it needed to be shipped down here so I could use it—he was such a sweetheart and paid for the shipping. I am one lucky girl! 

I unpacked the food processor, I put it on the counter with all of my favorite gadgets.  After taking a look at my countertop, all of my fave (and most highly used) gadgets are from Pat—he’s definitely a keeper!

My Kitchenaid mixer, Cuisinart 16 cup(!) food processor,  and Wustorf knives...
the flowered bag in the back has my pasta maker...again, from Pat!

The temperatures have risen here in Virginia, with the high in my car of 108 F, so it is clearly obvious that summer is here to stay. 

Anyone that knows me will say that I am a fall and winter gal--I love months with cooler temps, crisp leaves, and cold snow.  Nothing beats it for me.  However, living in the south (yes, I consider VA the “south”), I get to appreciate summer a little longer in the year than when I was living in Massachusetts. 

Bring on the BBQ.

For tonight’s post, I wanted to give some tips on how I make one of my favorite summertime dinners: mushroom and onion cheeseburgers.  YUM.  So classic, but it never gets old.  

A few weeks ago, I went to Whole Foods and bought 8 preseasoned hamburger patties for $8! (Whole Paycheck, I don’t think so!!)  I got the chipotle burgers, with organic meat, some chipotle powder, cumin, and cayenne.  Sooo good.  

Mushroom and Onion Cheeseburger

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms 

1/4 onion, sliced

1 slice mozzarella cheese

1 hamburger patty (1/4 lb. of meat approx.)

mustard and ketchup

With about a teaspoon of olive oil and salt and pepper, saute onions and mushrooms on medium heat for about 6 minutes, or until the onions and mushrooms are cooked (but not mushy!).

Add burger patty to grill pan.  And here's the key...don't touch it for about 5 minutes!  Then flip it, and leave it again for another few minutes, or until fully cooked and it looks like this:

Love those grill marks!

Now here are where things get interesting!

Pile the mushrooms and onions on the patty, until they begin to fall off, and then save the rest for later : )

And from this angle---- 

Look how piled on they are!

Add the cheese...

Once the cheese is on, cover it for a minute or so--the cheese will melt and it will hold all the toppings inside! This is the best for when you use a hamburger bun because nothing is worse than losing half of your sandwich, where it can end on your plate, or even worse...your shirt (not that it has ever happened to me before...)!

Before

And after:

Note the "artistic" ketchup and mustard action in the top left : )

And for the first bite:

Look at how the toppings aren't going anywhere! The cheese is a godsend. Seriously.

Maybe I could get used to summer after all : )