wild mushroom ragout

sometimes recipes come from unlikely places. like birthday cards. little did my dad know when he sent this that it was really two gifts in one...the fabulous gift inside as well as a hidden treat in this delicious recipe on the inside cover. this is way more delicious than what you would expect to find inside a card that looks like it was made in the '70s (though the back credits tell me that it is in fact from 1995). no matter! i whipped this up for a week night meal serving it on crusty bread (as the picture shows) and accompanied by a simple salad. i changed the directions a bit as my mushrooms seemed to be unusually slow to release liquid and didn't seem to have that much to release anyway. the point is that with a few less steps i still got a wonderfully buttery, thick glaze covering the mushrooms. oh also, they suggest 1 pound of oyster mushrooms and an additional pound of mixed mushrooms. well oysters are expensive so i say do as i did and mix the two pounds however you want, it's still going to be delicious.

between the two of us this was a lot of food and we had lots of mushrooms left over. we used them the next day as part of a yummy quinoa bowl.

ragout of wild mushrooms
ingredients:
2 pounds mixed mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, chanterells, portobello, crimini...whatever you want!)
4 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons shallots
1 1 /2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

clean the mushrooms and cut into chunks.

in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat, melt the margarine. add the shallots and saute until translucent, 3 or 4 minutes. reduce the heat to low and add the mushrooms. cook, stirring often, until they begin to release their juices and create the beginning of a broth (5 to 10 minutes). raise the heat to medium and sprinkle the flour, salt and pepper over the mushrooms, then stir to evenly coat. add the wine and stir 3 to 4 minutes. by now the mushrooms will have reduced in volume by about one half. keep stirring until you have a nice thick brothy glaze covering all the mushrooms. sprinkle with parsley and serve over crusty bread.

-d

king trumpet mushrooms

last weekend kris and i made a trip to rainbow grocery....we don't go too often so when we do it feels like a special treat and we splurge. which is really easy to do in a store with a mind bogglingly large bulk section, vegan treats out the wazoo and a produce section brimming with things i just can't find at our neighborhood stores. things like king trumpet mushrooms*! i've ordered these shrooms out before but this was my first time cooking with them at home and already i am in love. they're just so big and meaty and sturdy and they lend themselves so well to pan frying. they're pretty much begging you to slice 'em up and fry 'em. mmmmmmm. i winged it here and i must say this dish was a huge success....kris and i gobbled them down.

pan fried king trumpet mushrooms
ingredients:
2 large king trumpet mushrooms (more if you got 'em!)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
sesame seeds
for the sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 inch ginger, grated

slice the mushrooms into 1/2ish inch slices. heat a thin layer of oil and cook mushrooms a few minutes on each side until lightly browned.

meanwhile whisk together all sauce ingredients.

when mushrooms are cooked arrange them on a plate and pour sauce on top. sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds and enjoy!

*and fiddleheads which i also cooked for the first time. i thought they were quite tasty but i really didn't do anything much beyond steaming them. however, aren't they cute???


-d

teriyaki mushroom lettuce wraps

these were probably the messiest lettuce wraps we've ever made, but they were so delicious! i found a teriyaki recipe online to use as a guide and tweak to my liking. i didn't write down what i did but i think the recipe below comes pretty close. after cooking it i thought it was a little salty so i added another splash of juice and a splash of water, so taste and adjust to your liking...the recipe should get you pretty close to thick, sticky teriyaki yumminess. for our filling i sauteed:

2 mildly hot red chili peppers
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1.5 pounds mushrooms (mix of white button and shiitake)
1 zucchini

then added the sauce to the pan and cooked a minute more. i think this sauce would also make a great marinade.

teriyaki sauce
ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons cornstarch

combine all ingredients except cornstarch in a bowl and whisk together. transfer to a small pot over medium heat. add the cornstarch and stir constantly until desired thickness is reached. if you thicken too much, just add a splash of water.

-d

chipotle mushroom squares

basically, this recipe was created around white russians. kris and i have had the drink on our minds for awhile now and last night we finally decided to make vegan white russians (almond milk + kahlua + vodka = delish!). but what food pairs well with white russians? i had no clue as, honestly, i had never had one before. kris suggested mexican which got me thinking that something spicy would be a nice contrast with the cool, creamy beverage. and in an ongoing attempt to use up things that have been hanging around patiently waiting to be eaten, i decided it was about time to do something with that one last sheet of puff pastry in the freezer. thus, chipotle mushroom squares were born! flaky puff pastry topped with a smooth spicy chipotle pinto puree with sauteed mushrooms, these were definitely a successful experiment. after baking i added a bit of simple slaw (cabbage, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper) on top for some crunch.

chipotle mushroom squares

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (pepperidge farm brand is vegan)

pinto puree ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 chipotle pepper, from a can packed in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon peanut oil
salt to taste

mushroom ingredients:
3 cups (a little less than a pound) mushrooms, chopped (i used a mixture of button and cremini)
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

first make sure your pastry is thawed. you can thaw it on the counter for 40 minutes.

preheat oven to 400 and lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil.

to make the puree, put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. note that this was quite spicy, if you want it less spicy omit the chipotle or only add half.

for the mushrooms, heat a splash of olive oil in a pan and add the garlic and onion. cook until they are softened. add the spices and stir and cook another minute. add the mushrooms and saute until they are softened and begin to release moisture. taste and adjust seasoning if needed. remove from heat.

to assemble the squares first unroll your pastry and lightly brush it with olive oil. cut it into 9 squares. dollop some of the pinto puree onto the center of each square. top each with a spoonful of mushrooms (you will probably have a little of each leftover). bake for about 18 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

remove from oven and top each square with a little cabbage slaw and enjoy! white russians not required but highly recommended.

-d

mmm . . . mushroom bolognese

Today was one of those dreary, unseasonably cold late spring days in Boston. After enjoy truly gorgeous and summer-like weather over Memorial Day weekend, today was back to the cold! I must take a moment to say that I had a truly fantastic weekend, spending time with family and friends in the Philadelphia-area, including a visit to the Jersey Shore, the Art Museum, a local farmers market, and lots of cooking and baking with my mom (including delicious cinnamon rolls, to be posted soon!) But back to the task at hand . . .

I always find sun-less, misty grey days inspire the need for heart-warming comfort food. My first thought was a hearty pasta dish, but where to go from there? I love love love this Mushroom Bourguignon over at Smitten Kitchen, but wanted something different. So I started thinking about Bolognese, the classic Italian meat sauce. And here, I must make a small confession. I have never had REAL Bolognese. No, I'm not talking about flying to Bologna for dinner. But having never been a fan of meat (and it's been around five and a half years since I last ate beef) I never tried Bolognese the traditional way - with ground beef and pork.



For this recipe, I checked out several traditional Bolognese recipes, including one from Lidia Bastianich, and made my own adjustments. And, at the insistance of my new friend Raymond at the Salumeria Italiana, I used a dry white wine instead of the traditional red. Also, I substituted fresh roma tomatoes for the typical canned San Marzanos. I served the sauce over some lovely imported Italian papardelle noodles. Overall, what resulted was a delicious, and hearty, dish. Definitely lighter than I imagine the meaty version might be, but all around, worth making again, though I might tweak a few things - like adding more acid, possibly in the form of balsamic vinegar (another Raymond suggestion). I am also tempted to use the sauce for a hearty. vegetarian lasagne. I'll keep you posted!

Mushroom Bolognese

2 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms
1 small onion, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 stalks celery, leaves removed, finely diced
2 lbs portobella mushrooms, cleaned, stems removes, and coarsely diced
1/4 to 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used a Verdicchio)
1 to 2 tbsp tomato paste (I prefer the kind in the tube)
1 lb roma tomatoes (I used fresh, but you could use canned)
4 to 5 sprigs of fresh thyme

Chopped flat leaf parsley
Grated parmesan

Soak the porcini mushrooms in 1 cup hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain, reserving soaking liquid. Mince porcinis.



Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan, and add the onion, carrot and celery. Saute until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add white wine, bring to a boil, and cook for about 5 minutes, until most of the liquid is reduced. Add mushrooms, season liberally with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are softened and browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste, stirring to incorporate, followed by fresh tomatoes and reserved porcini soaking liquid (if there is not enough liquid to cover the mushroom mixture, top of with water or more white wine). Throw in the time sprigs, bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cover. Let the mixture cook 20 to 25 minutes.

In the meantime, cook your pasta (I used papardelle) according to package instructions. After straining the pasta, toss with olive oil and parsley.

To serve, twirl pasta into bowls, top with sauce, and garnish with extra parsley and parmesan. Enjoy!

- e

mushroom risotto

I often find the simplest things, made well, to be the most appealing. This is not to down play complexity; but I find that by using wonderful ingredients and highlighting their inherent complexity yields delicious results. Risotto falls into this simple/complex category for me. It is comfort food at its finest. Executed properly, it is sublime. I have been making risotto since I was about fifteen years old, when we bought my mom a risotto cookbook for Christmas one year. I fell in love with both Italian food and cooking challenges at an early age, and over time perfected my risotto technique. I love different kinds of risotto - leek and spring pea; butternut squash; sausage and mushroom; asparagus and lemon; the list really goes on - but time and again, I turn to my classic, a simple mushroom risotto.

And the nice thing about this is you can play with different types of mushrooms (shitake, chanterelle, cremini, porcini) to achieve varying levels of, shall we say, mushroomy-ness. I would steer clear of using white button mushrooms in this dish, as they have very little flavor of their own. For this version, I used both creminis and reconstituted dried porcinis (soak them in boiling water for about fifteen minutes, and drain, as there may be some silt. You can either reserve the soaking liquid or use a few teaspoons to intensify your risotto!)

In this dish, you can very easily omit the goat cheese, but it adds a somewhat decadent creaminess. And I like the addition of lemon zest, as it serves to brighten up the flavors and cuts the richness a bit!

Mushroom Risotto

Makes approx. 4 servings

3-4 cups vegetable stock (I prefer homemade)
1 sprig of thyme, plus extra for garnish
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice
7 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 tbsp lemon zest

1. Bring vegetable stock with spring of time to a boil, then reduce to simmer.

2. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a 4-5 quart saucepan (or a risotto pan, if you have one). Once oil shimmers, and onion and saute until softened and golden, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. add rice, stir to coat/toast.

4. add white wine, cook until evaporated (and stirring all the while)

5. begin to add broth by the ladle, making sure all liquid has before adding more. the risotto should be stirred constantly to prevent sticking. about halfway through, add the sliced mushrooms. continue until all stock is absorbed, and rice is tender (you can check by sampling).

6. remove from heat, add butter, cheese and lemon zest, stirring to combine.

7. serve, garnished with extra parmesan, crumbled goat cheese, and a few thyme leaves.

- e