Garlic, Thyme & Rosemary Sauteed Mushrooms

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves 2-4 (depends on how much you like mushrooms)

Ingredients:
8oz/225g fresh cremini mushrooms, cut in half or quarters, depending on their size
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1.  Heat the oil and melt the butter together in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat.

2.  Add the mushrooms and toss with the butter and oil.  Cook until the mushrooms start to golden (2-3 minutes).  Add the herbs and garlic and toss.  Continue to cook for another 2 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden and fragrant.  You might need to add additional butter at this stage.  The pan should not be too dry.

3.  Add the balsamic vinegar, toss to be absorbed and serve as a side.   This time served with Around the World Spiced Flank Steak and microwave "roasted" sweet potatoes for a quick and delicious meal.

Spicy Rapini Stuffed Girasoli with Sauteed Swiss Chard & Mushrooms

This dish was inspired by - the season... Swiss chard, apples (this time as cider vinegar) and woodsy cremini and by the way Italian women cook in David Rocco's Made in Italy cook... a handful of this... a pinch of that.  (My review)  I tried to eyeball the ingredients for you, but really, it was a swirl, a drizzle, a handful or two.

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: (as long as it takes to boil the water and cook your pasta)... 10 minutes or so

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1 pkg (250g/8oz) fresh President's Choice Girasoli stuffed with spicy rapini (so new it's not even on their website, or your favorite stuffed ravioli, tortellini, etc)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, roughly chopped
1 cup or so sliced cremini mushrooms
1 large garlic cloves, minced

2 cups or so Swiss chard, (main stems removed and saved for another recipe), roughly chopped

Pinch or two of red chili pepper flakes

1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Freshly grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese to taste

Directions:
1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water, as per package directions.  This fresh pasta took 4 minutes to cook, so start the "sauce" as you put the water up to boil.
2. Heat oil in frying pan on medium heat.  Add the onion and mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are translucent and mushrooms golden.
3.  Add the Swiss chard and garlic and toss well with the mushroom mixture.
4. After the Swiss chard begins to wilt add the red chili pepper flakes and apple cider vinegar
5.Scoop the cooked pasta with a slotted spoon and add to the "sauce".  Toss and if needed add a little of the pasta water.
6. To serve, place in individual bowls or on plates and grate some of the cheese  over top.

Thai Style Chicken Mushroom Udon Stir Fry

With inspiration from FineCooking

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 packages Udon noodles
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup dried Chinese Shitaki mushrooms
8oz/226 g cremini mushrooms, sliced
Swiss chard leaves (or other greens like beet greens, kale...), stalks removed, coarsely chopped) amount is up to you.  Just remember the leaves wilt down a lot.   I filled a large salad bowl with leaves, then chopped them - brought it down to half )
Peanut Sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large or 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp brown sugar
Pinch cayenne
Directions:
1. Soak the dried shitaki in boiling water for at least 30 minutes.

2.Once the mushrooms are soft, drain them well and reserve the mushroom liquid.  Slice the shitaki mushrooms and set aside.  

3. To prepare the peanut sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, and gently cook over low heat for 5 minutes to "melt" everything together.   Set aside.

4. Prepare the rest of the ingredients - slicing the chicken breasts across into 1" strips and coarsely chopping the leafy greens.

5. In a large non-stick skillet, over medium high heat, add a little oil and sauté all the mushrooms until the cremini mushrooms golden (about 5 minutes). Push the mushrooms to the sides of the pan, add a little more oil and add the chicken strips and half the peanut sauce and toss.  Cook for about 2 minutes per side or until the chicken is no longer pink.  You might have to do this in two batches.  Remove from pan and set aside.

6.  Place the udon noodles in the same pan and add the mushroom liquid (should be at least a cup, if not, add some boiling water) and rest of the peanut sauce.  Toss to separate the noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Then add the greens and toss until wilted (2-3 minutes).   Return the chicken and mushroom mixture back to the pan and add any seasoning you might like... soy sauce to salt it, chili pepper flakes to provide some heat.  

7.  Once the noodles are tender and the chicken is hot, remove from heat and serve.   NOTE: you might need to add a little water during the process. 

Creamy Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta with a Little Heat

Adapted from Chaos in the Kitchen via Pinterest


Printable Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 4  I used Whole grain Barilla Penne and low fat cream cheese to "healthy" it up.


Ingredients: 13oz/375g Barilla Whole Grain Penne ( or your favorite pasta)
  1 tbsp olive oil
  1lb/450g raw shrimp, peeled & deveined 10 tbsp butter ( from a healthy perspective I probably could have done with less, but I followed Chaos in the Kitchen's  -CIK suggestion)
  8oz/225g cremini mushrooms, sliced
  2-3 large cloves garlic, minced
  3oz/85g light cream cheese
  2 tbsp fresh Italian/flat leaf parsley, chopped
  2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
  1/2 cup pasta cooking water
  1-2 pinches of red chili pepper flakes
  Directions:

1. Boil and salt a large pot of water and cook your pasta.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water for the sauce. 
2. While your pasta is cooking:  Heat a large skillet over medium heat and saute the shrimp in 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Once they've turned pink, remove them and set aside.  If your shrimp are frozen, quickly thaw them under running water.
3. In the same skillet melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat and saute mushrooms until soft and brown.  Season with pepper.  Remove from skillet and reserve along with the shrimp.
4. Melt remaining butter in the skillet.  Add garlic, cream cheese, and herbs.  I suggest using a whisk and was grateful that CIK gave these words "At this point, I generally feel like something has gone terribly wrong.  The cream cheese doesn’t really melt and starts to look almost curdled, don’t worry about it!"  It did smooth out beautifully once the water was added.
5. Simmer cream cheese mixture until well blended. Add some of the boiling pasta water stirring quickly to smooth out the sauce.
6. Keep sauce hot and add shrimp and mushrooms, mix well and simmer (stirring often) until everything is hot and thickened, 5-8 minutes
7. Toss sauce with drained, cooked noodles and serve.

Vegan Kasha Phyllo Pie

From Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook

 Printable Recipe Not the quickest recipe to make, but worth the effort


Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Cooling time: 10 minutes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

Filling:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, small diced

1 stalk celery, small diced

½ lb/225g cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

½ cup dried wild mushrooms, rehydrated in boiling water.  Reserve the water to add to the vegetable broth

1 small carrot, grated

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp ground coriander

1 ¼ cup whole roasted kasha/buckwheat groats

2 ¼ cups vegetable broth, heated to almost boiling

Salt & pepper to taste

1 cup sauerkraut, well drained of excess liquid

Phyllo: 

1 (16oz) pkg frozen phyllo dough, thawed according to package directions.

1/3 cup olive oil for brushing

Directions:

Filling:

1.      Heat the olive oil in a 3quart/liter saucepan over medium heat and add the onion & celery.  Stir-fry until the vegetables are slightly soft (5 minutes).  Add the mushrooms (fresh and drained rehydrated)  and cook until most of the mushroom liquid is evaporated (6-8 minutes).  Add the grated carrot, and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes.

2.      Add the caraway seeds, coriander, salt, pepper and kasha.  Stir to coat the kasha.  Pour in the hot vegetable broth (mixed with reserved mushroom liquid).  Bring the mixture to a boil, lower heat to low and simmer, covered for 12-15 minutes.  Until the liquid is absorbed and the kasha is tender. 

Prepare phyllo & pie:

3.      Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.  Lightly oil a medium casserole dish.  Set up your workstation…clean damp towel on cutting board; stack of phyllo covered with plastic wrap and draped with another damp towel.

4.      Lay a sheet of phyllo on the work area. Quickly brush with olive oil and layer another sheet.  Repeat 5 times.  Fold entire oiled stack in half and press into the bottom of the casserole to form a bottom crust.  Push up the edges of the dough along sides to form the sides of the pie.

5.      Press half the kasha mixture onto the dough.  Spread the well-drained sauerkraut over the kasha and sprinkle with a little freshly ground pepper.  Top with the rest of the kasha mixture and spread evenly.

6.      To form the top crust, repeat the layering, folding the phyllo as for the bottom.  Press onto the kasha. Fold any hanging edges into the sides of the pie.

7.      Brush the top with a little more olive oil and bake for 30-35 minutes until the phyllo is puffed and golden. 

8.      Cool for 10 minutes before serving and cut the pieces with a very sharp, serrated, thin knife.

Taste of the Forest Gemelli with Mushrooms & Pancetta

Printable Recipe

Prep/Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

13 oz/375 g  gemelli (any short tubular or twisty pasta would be great too)

3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

6oz/165g pancetta, coarsely chopped

8 oz/225g mushrooms (I like wild mushrooms or at least cremini or shitaki for this dish)

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 large clove garlic, minced

juice & zest of half a lemon

handful of arugula

large pinch of red chili pepper flakes

Directions

1. Cook the pasta in boiling water with 1 tbsp salt. It should be al dente (about 7-8 minutes) and drain, reserving one cup of pasta liquid.

2. In the meantime, using a large skillet over medium high heat, saute the pancetta, using a touch of oil if needed.  Cook until some are crispy before adding the mushrooms and a bit more oil if needed. Add the garlic, thyme, red chili pepper flakes and lemon zest.   Toss and cook until the mushrooms brown well.   

3. Mix well and add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss.  Add the lemon juice, arugula (just enough time to bring out the flavour, wilt it a little, but still keep that glorious green) and, if needed some of the pasta cooking water and/or olive oil to get the consistency you like.  Taste for seasoning.  You might want to add more of chili peppers to give more heat to the dish. 

Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

From Food & Drink, Summer 2011 


Prep time: 15 minutes 
Cooking time: 20 minutes 
Serves 4-6 

Printable Recipe


Ingredients: 
 ½ cup dried mushrooms (I used mixed, but porcini is what F&D used) 
2 cups vegetable broth or water, heated 
1 cup quinoa (F&D used ½ cup red & ½ cup white), rinsed well 
2 tbsp olive oil ½ cup onion, coarsely chopped 
8oz/250g fresh mushrooms, (coarsely chopped, quartered or thickly sliced – I used cremini, but shitake, and any other of your fave works too) 
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
2-3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped 


  Directions: 
1. In a small bowl soak the dried mushrooms for 15 minutes in hot broth/water. Use a slotted spoon to remove mushrooms but transfer the broth to a medium pot. 


2. Bring broth (might need topping up with water to reach 2 cups needed) to a boil, sprinkle with rinsed quinoa (rinse well to eliminate any bitterness), lower heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until almost tender. Drain quinoa, but reserve any liquid to add later. 


3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft (2-3 minutes). Add the mushrooms (fresh and rehydrated dried) and sauté until mushrooms are browned and juicy (you might want to add a little more oil or butter) (another 3-4 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown or it will taste bitter.


 4. Add the balsamic vinegar, allow to come to a boil (just a minute or so) and stir in the quinoa. If it seems too dry, add the reserved broth. Fluff, taste and add the chopped mint before serving.

Rice with Punjabi-Style Mushrooms

Rice with Punjabi-Style Mushrooms
From Bal's Quick and Healthy Indian

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10-12 minutes for mushrooms, 40 minutes for brown rice
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
10-12 curry leaves
3 cups mushrooms (Bal uses 1 cup each shiitake, oyster & button, but use your favorites)
1-2 medium green chilies finely chopped (I’m a wimp so I only used one and removed the seeds)
Salt & pepper to taste
2 cups cooked rice

Directions
1. Bal’s trick for perfect rice: Place dry rice in a saucepan with a lid. Place your finger lightly on top of the rice and add water until it reaches the first knuckle. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer until the rice is cooked. Bal uses brown rice which takes about 40 minutes. No need to let it sit… it’s done.

2. Mushrooms: In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the ginger and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the garam masala, mustard seeds and curry leaves and cook for another 5 seconds…just enough time to toss with the ginger. Add the mushrooms, chilies, salt & pepper. Cook, stirring regularly until the mushrooms are tender (about 10 minutes).

Serve the rice topped with the mushroom mixture.

Farfalle with Chicken Pollo & Mushrooms in Sherry Cream Sauce

Farfalle with Chicken Pollo & Mushrooms in a Sherry Cream Sauce
Adapted from Pasta – 40 Recipes for Fine Dining at Home

Printable Recipe

Prep/Cook time: 20-30 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 box (10oz/300g) whole wheat Farfalle (or whatever your short favorite is)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, white part only, rinsed, dried and sliced
1 small onion, diced
8 oz/225g shitake mushrooms, stems discarded, sliced
8 oz/225g cremini (or wild mushrooms), sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 lb/ 450g boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced across the grain
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp Dijon mustard or Pommery mustard (with seeds)
1 tbsp pesto
½ tbsp butter
½ cup sherry (the recipe actually called for Port, but I was out and substituted with sherry which was delicious)
½ cup heavy cream (whipping cream, 35%)
Garnish: grated Parmesan Cheese, cracked pepper, Italian/flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions
1. Cook the pasta to al dente in salted water in a large Dutch oven.

2. In the meantime, Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and sauté leeks, onions, mushrooms, and garlic for 5 minutes or until the onions soften and the mushrooms start to go golden. Add the chicken, season with salt & pepper. Stir in the mustard, pesto and butter and continue to cook only until the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Remove to a large bowl and keep warm.

3. Deglaze the pan with sherry or port, stirring up any brown bits that might be in the bottom. Add the cream, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened.

4. Stir in the reserved chicken & mushroom mixture (I used a slotted spoon leaving any liquid behind and reserved it to add to the final dish if too thick). Add the drained pasta, tossing to coat.

5. Garnish with cracked pepper, chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Mushroom, Beef, Barley & Lentil Soup

Mushroom, Beef, Barley & Lentil Soup
Adapted from Kitchen Sense

Printable Recipe

Hands on time: 20 minutes or so
Cooking time: 3 hours or so
Serves 8-10 freezes well

Ingredients:
2 ½ lb/1kg beef short ribs (flanken)
1-2 beef marrow bones
1 (14oz/ 400ml) can diced tomatoes with juice ( I really stock up on fire roasted when I can find them)
¾ cup brown lentils, picked over for stones, rinsed & drained
½ cup pearl barley
1 large yellow onion, diced small
2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped (the book calls for celery, but I love fennel more as a base ingredient)
5 -6 sprigs fresh thyme (the book suggests Italian/flat leaf parsley)
1 bay leaf
4 cups beef broth + 2 cups water or mushroom soaking liquid
½ -1lb/225-450g mushrooms, sliced (I love Cremini, Portobello & Porcini work well too)
1 handful dried wild mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water for 10 minutes, drained & chopped add the liquid to the soup
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, combine the ribs, soup bones, tomatoes, lentils, barley, onion, carrots, fennel, thyme and bay leaf. Note: Normally I sear the meat before adding anything else, but I decided to forego this step and follow the book… great idea, saves time, no spatter and the meat tastes as tender at the end of the day.

2. Add the liquid (beef broth & mushroom soaking liquid or water). Heat at medium high and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Lower heat to simmer and cover for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf & thyme or parsley sprigs.

3. Heat oil or butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and chopped thyme leaves and sauté until the mushrooms are golden. Add to the soup and continue to simmer for another hour or until the meat falls off the bones.

4. Remove the bones, shred or dice the meat and return to the soup. Taste for seasoning

Leftovers: fridge – 2 weeks; freezer – several months

Wild Mushroom Crostini

Wild Mushroom Crostini
From Epicurious

Printable Recipe

Total time: 15 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients:
Mushroom topping:
3 tbsp butter
12 oz/355g assorted wild mushrooms (such as stemmed shiitake, oyster, black trumpet, and crimini), sliced (Ruth’s note: I used mostly cremini mushrooms plus a handful of dried wild mushrooms, reconstituted & chopped)
1½ tsp fresh thyme, chopped

Thyme vinaigrette:
Scant ¼ cup red wine vinegar
3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 small shallot, chopped
½ cup olive oil plus more for brushing
1 baguette cut into ½” thick slices across
½ cup good quality olive oil
More olive oil for drizzling (epicurious suggests Truffle oil)

Directions:
For mushroom topping:
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and thyme. Sauté until browned, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm before using.

For thyme vinaigrette:
1. Blend first 4 ingredients in blender 10 seconds. With machine running, gradually add ½ cup olive oil; blend until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Arrange bread on rimmed baking sheet. Brush with oil. Bake until beginning to crisp, about 8 minutes.

3. Mound ¼ cup mushrooms on each bread slice. Drizzle each with thyme vinaigrette, then sparingly with truffle oil, or extra virgin olive oil.

Pumpkin Soup with Wild Mushrooms

Pumpkin Soup with Wild Mushrooms
From Simply in Season: 12 Months of Wine Country Cooking

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 45 minutes (can even be done a day ahead)
Cooking time 40 minutes

Ingredients:
½ cup dried porcini mushrooms or 2 cups fresh wild mushrooms, cleaned and chopped (Ruth’s note: I found a huge jar of mixed dried wild mushrooms at Costco – 454 g/16oz for $14.95!!!)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, white parts only, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp honey
8 cups pumpkin, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup orange juice
1/3 cup 35% cream
5 sage leaves
6 whole cloves
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
If using dried mushrooms:
1. Pour 1 cup boiling water over dried mushrooms in a medium bowl and let stand for 30 minutes or until the water has cooled to room temperature. Drain and rinse the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid and mushrooms separately.

2. Heat a large saucepan (I used a Dutch oven) over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter foams, add the leeks, onion and garlic and soaked or fresh mushrooms. Sauté stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the honey.

3. Add the pumpkin, chicken stock, orange juice and mushroom soaking liquid. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft (Ruth’s note: I must have cut the pumpkin too coarsely as it took much longer to cook). Stir in the cream, sage and cloves and simmer for 5 minutes more.

4. The book recommends transferring the soup to a blender, not a food processor, and blend until smooth. Strain the soup through a fine mesh sieve, discarding solids. Return to the rinsed out saucepan.
My version is more rustic, and less clean up…I use an immersion blender in the Dutch oven. First remove the cloves and sage leaves. I loved the flecks of mushroom. Season with salt & pepper to taste and serve. Next time, I’ll sauté some thinly sliced mushrooms in some butter to serve as garnish. I really did like it better the next day…way more flavor.

Wild Mushroom Tart

Wild Mushroom Tart
Tart from Epicurious.Com
Tart Shell from In the Sweet Kitchen

Printable Recipe

Can be made in two stages.
Crust can be made a day ahead….total time 4 hours

Filling: 20 minutes
Baking: 35-45 minutes
Cooling time: 20 minutes

Servings: 6 main course or 8 appetizers

Ingredients:
Flaky Tart Crust
Filling:
¾ lb/340g mixed fresh wild mushrooms such as cremini, oyster, shitake and/or chanterelle, quartered lengthwise
2 -3 tbsp finely chopped shallot
1-2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
¾ tsp salt
3/8 tsp black pepper
½ cup crème fraîche
½ cup heavy cream
1 whole large egg
1 large egg yolk

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C

2. Blind bake the shell (full directions here)

3. While the tart shell is baking, heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, shallot, thyme, salt, and pepper, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender and any liquid given off is evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together crème fraîche, heavy cream, whole egg, yolk, and pinch or so of salt and pepper until combined.

5. Fill and bake tart: Reduce oven temperature to 325°F/160°C.
Scatter mushrooms evenly in tart shell and pour custard over them. Bake tart in pan on a baking sheet until custard is just set and slightly puffed, 35 to 45 minutes.

6. Cool tart in pan on rack at least 20 minutes, then remove side of pan. Serve tart warm or at room temperature

Special Cream of Mushroom Soup

Special Cream of Mushroom Soup
From The Best of Chef at Home
Definitely not a diet recipe, but certainly wonderful

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30-40 minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup/125ml) butter
2lb/1kg mushrooms (button, cremini, shitake…any combination of any of your favorites)
2-3 onions, peeled and chopped
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
½ bottle of hearty red wine
4 cups/1 liter chicken broth
1 cup/250 ml heavy cream (35%)
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (I used 2 sprigs of fresh thyme and “fished” out the sprigs before serving.
2 tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup water

Directions:
1. Heat a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the butter, mushrooms and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until lightly browned. The mushrooms will initially give of lots of moisture, preventing them from browning. Eventually, the moisture will evaporate, allowing the pot’s heat to rise to browning temperature (about 15 minutes or so).

2. Pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking until the wine has reduced to about 1/3, concentrating the flavor. (about 15-20 minutes) Stir occasionally.

3. Add the chicken broth, heavy cream and fresh thyme. Stir and bring the soup to a simmer.

4. Meanwhile, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Add this mixture slowly to the simmering soup, stirring until it returns to a simmer and thickens slightly.

Serve immediately. It’s a perfect simple meal served with a salad of mixed greens tossed with olive oil & apple cider balsamic vinegar and Frozen Butter Biscuits. And forget about dieting, at least for this meal.

Roasted Garlic & Cremini Mushroom Pappardelle with Roast Chicken

Roasted Garlic & Cremini Mushroom Pappardelle with Roast Chicken
From Fresh & Local

Hands on time: 30 minutes
Roasting & Soaking time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 2 hours

Serves 4 (Chef Craig’s recipe served 8-10, I just halved everything)

Ingredients:
Roasting & Soaking:
1 head garlic
½ tbsp olive oil
¼ cup dried porcini mushrooms
¼ cup sherry
Sauce – part one:
1 small onion, diced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1tbsp fresh thyme leaves
¾ lb/350g whole cremini mushrooms
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 cups chicken stock
Sauce – final step:
½ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp olive oil
8oz/225g sliced cremini mushrooms (I actually found a package of mixed sliced mushrooms)
Meat of ½ small roasted chicken, picked & shredded by hand (You could use store bought bbq chicken but I roasted my own )

1 box pappardelle (250g/8oz)
2 tbsp Italian/flat leaf parsley, chopped
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:
Roasting & Soaking: 1 hour
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C. Rub whole head of garlic with the olive oil and roast for 1 hour. When cool to the touch, use a serrated knife and cut about ¼” from the root end of the bulb. Squeeze the soft cloves into a small bowl, mash with a fork and set aside. Ruth's note: this slow roasting really did caramelize the garlic and kept it soft - I used to roast garlic at higher temperatures, but not any more. Thanks Chef Craig)

2. In a small bowl, soak the dried porcini in the sherry until hydrated and soft (about 1 hour).

Sauce – part one: 90 minutes
1. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, cook the onion, olive oil, thyme and whole cremini mushrooms, salt and pepper for 30 minutes.

2. Deglaze the pan with sherry and hydrated porcini mushrooms. Add chicken stock & roasted garlic and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Puree in a blender (I used my food processor) and strain through a chinois or a fine meshed strainer, (I used the back of a wooden spoon to really get a silky smooth finish without losing any mushrooms). Ruth’s note: At this point I realized that we were actually going to eat this the following night, so I stopped here and refrigerated the sauce. Something you might want to consider if you’re doing this for guests, because the last step takes less than 20 minutes.

Sauce – final stage 20 minutes
1. If you are in fact, doing this in two stages, gently reheat the pureed mushroom mixture in a large saucepan. Add cream and set aside.

2. In a large non-stick sauté pan, heat olive oil and sauté the sliced mushrooms until slightly golden. Add the pureed sauce and shredded chicken meat and heat only until the chicken is heated through (about 5 minutes).

3. In the meantime, cook the pappardelle according to directions.

To serve:
Ladle the sauce over the pappardelle, garnish with parsley and grated cheese.

Mushroom Barley Soup Rouxbe.com style

Mushroom & Barley Soup
From rouxbe.com’s great site & cooking class

Hands-on time: 60 minutes (on and off but really only about 15-20 minutes of actual work)
Cooking time: 1 hour or so
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
½ cup pearl barley
½ tsp Kosher salt
1½ cups stock (chicken or vegetable)

1 oz/30g dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling water

5 to 6 shallots (about 1 cup, once minced)
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 cups sliced mushrooms (they like white button, I love cremini)
4 to 5 sage leaves (1 tablespoon) ( I used thyme sprigs instead)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
¾ cup dry-to-medium sherry (they use 1 full cup)
3 ½ cups stock (chicken or vegetable)
½ cup sour cream or plain yoghurt

Directions:
1. To cook the barley, place it into a small pot along with the salt and stock. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and let cook for about 30-35 minutes.

2. Soak the dried mushrooms in enough hot water to cover for at least 30 minutes. Strain through a filter and reserve the soaking liquid. Coarsely chop the mushrooms.

3. While the mushrooms are soaking, finely mince the shallots and garlic. They suggested slicing the mushrooms about 1/8-inch thick, but I just cut them into quarters and pulsed them until coarsely chopped in a food processor. I also minced the shallots and garlic in the food processor separately and set them aside in two separate bowls.

4. To cook the soup, heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the butter and oil. When the butter melts, add the shallots and sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes, until softened and translucent.

5. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and immediately turn up the heat to high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their juices and start to brown slightly. This should take about 10 minutes or so.

6. Meanwhile, check on the barley. Turn off the heat once tender. Keep covered and set aside.

7. Once the dried mushrooms are soft and rehydrated, remove them from the liquid and strain through a sieve lined with a coffee filter. This will help to remove any grit. Make sure to reserve the mushroom liquid, as it will add even more flavor to the soup. Finely chop the rehydrated mushrooms and set aside.

8. Once the mushrooms in the pot begin to brown, don’t stir too often. To help them brown nicely, you want them be in direct contact with the surface of the pot.

9. Once the mushrooms are golden brown, turn the heat down to medium-high, and add the rehydrated mushrooms and garlic. Let this cook for about 30 seconds, and then deglaze with the sherry. Once almost all of the sherry has evaporated, sprinkle the mixture with flour. This technique is known as singer. It's a sprinkling of flour to help thicken the mixture. Stir in the flour and let cook for about a minute.

10. Next, add the reserved mushroom liquid, and while stirring, add the stock. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.

11. To finish the soup, stir in the barley and thyme. Temper the sour cream with a bit of the hot soup, just so it blends evenly into the soup.

For an even creamier finish, you can add a touch of heavy cream if you like. Temper the cream by first heating it in the ladle, and then slowly combining it with a bit of the hot soup. I didn't bother adding cream...my waistline said "no thank you...at least not this time".

And you will definitely think it’s all worth the effort. Actually, you’re only standing in front of the stove for about 15 minutes in total. Not such a big deal for a really awesome soup.

Mushroom & Barley Soup

Mushroom & Barley Soup
From Joan Nathan’s Jewish Cooking in America

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes or longer (the barley should be soft but still holding its shape)
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2-4 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 large onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup parsley, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1lb/40g fresh mushrooms (I like a combination of cremini, porcini, shitake, Portobello), sliced or chopped – it’s up to you texture wise
1 tbsp flour
2qts/2litres beef broth (vegetable broth works too)
1 cup whole barley
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt & pepper

Directions:
1. Soak the dried mushrooms in enough hot water to cover for at least 30 minutes. Strain through a filter and reserve the soaking liquid. Coarsely chop the mushrooms.

2. Melt the butter or margarine in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and sauté the onion, parsley, carrot, garlic, thyme and fresh mushrooms until soft (about 5 minutes or so).

3. Lower the heat and add the flour, stirring every 30 seconds or so for 5 minutes or until all the cooking liquid from the vegetables has been absorbed.

4. Joan actually does the heating of the broth in a separate pot, but I just added the room temperature broth to the vegetables, stirring as I poured to absorb all the thickening. At this point turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, adding the reserved reconstituted mushrooms and their soaking liquid as well as the barley. Stir well and taste for seasoning.

5. Simmer for about 1 hour or until the barley is tender and the soup has thickened somewhat. Taste for seasoning, garnish with fresh parsley and a squirt of lemon juice.

Great as a midweek supper with salad and crusty bread.

Cheesy Mushroom & Onion Quesadillas

Cheesy Mushroom Quesadillas
Every meal could have a different flavor, depending on which mustard, cheese or dried herb you add. Here’s my favorite combo. This is perfect as a Tapas dish, appetizer, or light meal

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes for oven baked; 6-8 minutes for grill pan; 3-5 minutes for panini makers

Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 large flour tortillas (I like to use whole wheat, sundried tomato or spinach ones)

Filling:
4 cups mushrooms, sliced (I like cremini - brown mushrooms - best and for added earthiness - is that a word? - I add 1/2 cup reconstituted Porcini mushrooms - let the dried mushrooms sit in enough boiling water to cover them for 5-10 minutes. Discard the liquid or save for soup and chop the mushrooms)
1 large onion, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme or oregano
1-1 ½ cups grated cheese (Mozarella, cheddar, goat, Brie…. For South Beach Diet fans, use low fat cheese)
Your favorite spicy mustard to "butter" the tortilla

Directions:
There are a few ways to actually make the quesadillas – baking at high heat in the oven; using a non-stick skillet or grill pan on top of the stove; and a panini maker.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C

2. In a large skillet/fry pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté the mushrooms and onions until the onions are limp and golden (about 5 minutes or so). Remove from heat and add the dried herbs and toss.
Oven baked:
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil wrap (for easy cleanups).

4. Spoon the filling on 2 tortillas, "butter" each with mustard, add half the mushroom onion mixture, sprinkle with ½ of the cheese. Top with the other tortilla and lightly press down. Repeat for the rest of the quesadillas. ( or put filling on half and fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, creating a half circle)

5. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes or so (it will be golden and start to crisp) and flip. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into wedges to serve.

Grill pan or skillet on top of the stove: Fill the same way but for 3 minutes or so per side over medium high heat.

Panini maker: same as grill pan, but no flipping necessary.

Leek, Mushroom & Swiss Chard Soup

Leek, Mushroom & Swiss Chard Soup
Inspired by The Joy of Cooking & my fridge

Prep time: 20 minutes
Simmer time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
3 large leeks (4 cups/ 12 oz/ 320 g), halved length-wise, sliced across, rinsed and drained.
2 tbsp canola oil (or butter if you’re not worried about calories)
4 cups/8 oz/200g Swiss Chard or spinach (packed - leaves only), chopped
4 cups/8 oz/200g fresh mushrooms, chopped
4 cups/1 liter/ 35 fluid oz. vegetable (or chicken) stock/broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried thyme
½ - 1 cup milk or cream

Directions:
1. In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, sauté the leeks in oil or butter until they are soft and semi-translucent (8-10 minutes).

2. Add the mushrooms and 1 more tbsp oil or butter, toss and sauté for 5 minutes.

3. Add the Swiss Chard and stir several times until the leaves are wilted.

4. Add the vegetable broth, cover and simmer over medium low heat for 20 minutes or so.

5. Add ½ cup of the milk, taste for seasoning and add more milk if desired.

Serve with some crusty bread (multigrain if you’re doing South Beach Diet) and a simple salad.

Related links: Food and Drink recipes soup vegetable