Mushroom and Spinach Frittata

My husband is a big fan of breakfast, so every now and then, we like to have breakfast for dinner.

Frittata’s are particularly good for dinner – savory, filling, and can be served with day old bread, so I recently decided to make this Mushroom and Spinach Frittata for dinner!

This frittata is an easy Mushroom and Spinach version, but you can substitute in whatever vegetables you’d like.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 10 oz container pre-sliced mushrooms
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8oz baby spinach
  • 8 eggs
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Continue reading Mushroom and Spinach Frittata

Pressure Cooker Mushroom Bourguignon

Note: I was sent a copy of The Big Book of Instant Pot Recipes: 240 Must-Try Dishes for Your Multi-Function Cooker for review. Opinions are mine alone.

I’ve mentioned many times before how much I love my multi-cooker. I tend to use it a lot on weekends to help prep meals for the week, but it’s also a life saver on weeknights — you can get a delicious meal that tastes like it’s been cooking all day on the table in 45 minutes or less!

So when I heard about a new cookbook that is going to be published soon (September 24, 2019 to be exact) that has a ton of awesome multi-cooker recipes, I was excited to check it out.

The Big Book of Instant Pot Recipes: 240 Must-Try Dishes for Your Multi-Function Cooker (paid link) by Kristy Bernardo, Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri, Amy Rains, and Stefanie Bundalo contains 240 recipes for every occasion that the authors have adapted for the Instant Pot, and the vast majority of these recipes take less than 45 minutes, making home-cooking and family meal time simple, fast, and delicious for readers of all levels of cooking experience.

Divided into eight thorough chapters, Breakfast, Lunch, Soups and Stews, Pastas, Mains, Sides, Desserts, and Condiments and Sauces, The Big Book of Instant Pot® Recipes offers readers a plethora of healthy dishes that will take less than 45 minutes to prepare and are great for every occasion. Moreover, nearly all the dishes are either vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, or paleo-friendly, accommodating all dietary needs.

I think most people know how great pressure cookers can be for tough cuts of meat, so I wanted to try one of the meatless options in the cookbook. This Pressure Cooker Mushroom Bourguignon is a simplified (and meatless) version of a French classic — typically a beef stew braised in red wine / beef broth.

Ingredients (serves 4):

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or margarine to make dairy free)
  • 1 (8 oz) container sliced mushrooms
  • 1 (8 oz) container whole mushrooms, cut in half
  • 1 (4 oz) container gourmet mushroom blend
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
  • 1 celery rib, chopped (or kept in larger pieces if you intend to remove)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup beef or vegetable stock, divided
  • 1 oz dried mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • cooked egg noodles (optional, substitute mashed potatoes for gluten free)
  • fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Continue reading Pressure Cooker Mushroom Bourguignon

Mushroom and Sausage Ragu with Creamy Polenta

With the weather starting to cool off a bit, I had a hankering for something a little more hearty that I could still prepare on a weeknight. This recipe from Cooking Light incorporates mushrooms and turkey sausage into a tomato sauce to make a filling but lighter meal. The polenta is kicked up a notch with the addition of some cream cheese to add some decadence to the whole dish. I kept this recipe mostly in tact and just messed with some of the amounts for the ingredients. To see the original recipe, click here. Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 8 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
  • 3/4 cup chopped onion
  • 20 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 2 large (or 4 small) garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon coconut aminos (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
  • 2 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 3 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Continue reading Mushroom and Sausage Ragu with Creamy Polenta

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms are one of my favorite appetizers, they always hit the spot! So when Jimmy Dean contacted me about their new Fully Cooked Sausage Crumbles, I knew I wanted to use the crumbles in stuffed mushrooms.

I adapted this recipe from one I found on the Jimmy Dean website. It comes together very quickly, in about 30 minutes. It’s simple enough to whip up when you need an appetizer in no time!

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz medium sized mushrooms, stems removed
  • 1 package Jimmy Dean® Sausage Crumbles, Original
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup dry Italian bread crumbs, divided
  • ½ cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Jimmy Dean. This could include Jimmy Dean providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.

Continue reading Stuffed Mushrooms

Seared Steak with Mushroom Marsala Sauce

I live near-ish Kennett Square, PA, the “mushroom capital of the world.” For the last 28 years, Kennett Square has hosted an amazing Mushroom Festival the first weekend following Labor Day. I love this festival. There are cooking demonstrations, contests, farm tours, and of course, a ton of mushroom filled dishes. But honestly the best part of the festival is the ability to stock up on all different kinds of mushrooms.

So for the week following the Mushroom Festival each year, I gorge myself on all things mushroom. You may have noticed that each year this blog gets very fungi-filled in September. (Past posts: Mushroom Risotto, Mushroom Green Bean and Farro Salad with a Poached Egg and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette, and Slow Cooker Boeuf Bourguignon).

Beef and Mushrooms are really wonderful together, which is why you see them paired so often. To get the most flavor out of these ingredients, I wanted to sear steak (I used filet tail), cook the mushrooms in the same pan, and then make a sauce with some of the browned bits left in the pan.

I made this one-pot dish in a new offering from Calphalon and Williams-Sonoma: the Elite Nonstick line of pans. I received a 3-piece set which includes a 10″ Fry Pan and a 3 quart Saute Pan with a lid. These are some snaz-zy pans. I literally swooned when I opened them up. There are a bunch of great qualities to these pans that make them perfect for this recipe. The Elite Nonstick line of cookware has a textured sear nonstick surface, which seals in flavor when browning or searing. The pans are metal-utensil safe, so you can use your metal whisk or spatula without scratching the cookware. The cookware is also dishwasher safe, making cleanup a breeze.

Source: Williams-Sonoma.com

Elite Nonstick just launched on Williams-Sonoma.com on September 12 and will be available in Williams-Sonoma Stores on September 27. The cookware is sold as an 11-piece set, or as individual pieces. But I am excited to announce that Calphalon is giving one I Can Cook That reader a 10″ Elite Fry Pan, valued at $150! I’ll have more on the giveaway at the end of this post.

Source: Williams-Sonoma.com

So let’s see what these awesome pans can do! I used the 3 quart saute pan for this recipe.

Source: Williams-Sonoma.com

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 8-oz steaks (I used filet tails)
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 2 cups assorted mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup Marsala wine
  • 1/4 cup beef stock
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • fresh chives, sliced, for garnish

Continue reading Seared Steak with Mushroom Marsala Sauce

Blueberry Mushroom Risotto

Blueberry Mushroom Risotto. Hear me out. I know you read the title of this post and probably thought I’ve officially lost it. But I promise you this is amazing. I first heard about this bizarre combo in a book called The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook. This book is fantastic. It lists pairings, common and strange, to help make your cooking a bit more adventurous. I page through it all the time, and have learned some yummy pairings. But the one that has stuck out to me the most is the mushroom and blueberry combination.

Apparently northern Italy cooking commonly pairs fruit with mushrooms according to the book. Who knew? My fellow Philadelphian (and internationally known chef) Marc Vetri also has a porcini and blueberry lasagna in one of his cookbooks: Il Viaggio Di Vetri: A Culinary Journey.

So when I found myself the proud recipient of a bunch of mushrooms from To-Jo Mushrooms, I knew it was finally time to try it out. It has been a really crummy, rainy day so I was craving comfort food. Risotto is a perfect rainy day food: hearty, creamy, and absolutely delicious! I’m a huge fan of mushroom risotto so I was excited to try this spin on it. In the past, I’ve made a traditional Mushroom Risotto, as well as a Wild Mushroom Farro Risotto.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 cup shallots, sliced
  •  3 slider mushrooms, sliced (or 2 large portobello mushrooms)
  • 1/4 cup assorted dry mushrooms, optional (I used a mixture of morel, chanterelle, and trumpet mushrooms)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Continue reading Blueberry Mushroom Risotto

Champagne-Browned Butter Chicken

My CSA share this week came with the most beautiful carrots. I am not the biggest fan of carrots but I don’t mind them mixed into a dish. These were too pretty to not use! Cooking Light had a recipe in its latest issue that sounded really intriguing: Champagne-Browned Butter Chicken. The dish is pretty simple to make, although it takes a good hour and a half so this is not a weeknight meal. But the presentation is definitely snazzy enough for company!
Ingredients (serves 2 heartily, or up to 4):
  • 2 slices center-cut bacon
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 bone-in chicken thighs
  • 2 bone-in chicken drumsticks
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 1/3 pound potatoes, cut into equal pieces
  • 1/2 poundbaby bella mushrooms, halved
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 2 shallots, halved
  • 3/4 cup no-salt-added chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 3 thyme sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 6 baby carrots with tops
  • 1 cup Champagne
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Mushroom, Green Bean, and Farro Salad with a Poached Egg and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

One of the highlights of the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival was catching a cooking demonstration by Antonia Lofaso of Top Chef. She made this wonderful mushroom and green bean salad with a poached egg and bacon vinaigrette. How fantastic does that sound? I didn’t have any arugula on hand, which was in Chef Antonia’s recipe, so I decided to sub in farro instead. (Farro is a grain that you cook like rice). I also kinda sorta forgot how she made most of the stuff, but it still turned out great. This is also the first time I’ve ever poached an egg because I’ve been terrified to do so but it was much more simple than expected!
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup farro
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped (if you can, go for some wild mushrooms)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed, and cut into bite sized pieces
3 strips bacon, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 eggs

Begin by cooking your farro. Bring the 2 cups water and 1 cup farro to a boil in a pot. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook for 20 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
Also bring another pot of water to a boil. Liberally salt the boiling water (Chef Antonia says that your water should “taste like the ocean”). While waiting for the water to boil, prepare your green beans and mushrooms. Add the green beans to the water for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Keep the water at a simmer (you’ll use it again soon).
Finely chop the bacon and add to a saute pan over medium high heat.
Cook until the bacon begins to brown and crisp.  Remove from heat, reserve the pan.
Add the olive oil, 3 tablespoons cider vinegar and Dijon mustard to the bacon and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Return the saute pan to the stove and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms give off some water and it evaporates. Remove from heat.
Combine the green beans, farro, and mushrooms.
To poach the eggs, add 1 teaspoon of the cider vinegar to the simmering water. Drop the eggs in one at a time.
Cook for 3 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon.
Top the green beans, farro, and mushroom mixture with the poached egg. Drizzle with the bacon vinaigrette.
The textures of this dish are fantastic. Farro has the texture of a more al dente rice, which was really nice with the crunchy green beans and the meaty mushrooms.
My poached egg, was a success! Look at that egg!
The bacon vinaigrette set this dish right over the top. Little bites of smokiness were an awesome touch. This is definitely a winning dish!

Potato and Wild Mushroom Soup

This past weekend was one of my favorite September events: the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival. That’s right, an entire festival dedicated to fungi. And it’s amazing. Kennett Square’s main street (State Street) shuts down to accommodate blocks of vendors, there are cooking demonstrations, soup contests, and mushroom eating contests. There is even pumpkin mushroom ice cream. All in celebration of the mushroom. (Fun fact: Kennett Square is considered the Mushroom Capital of the world).
Naturally, I picked up a bunch of mushrooms which I will now be using to cook all week. mmm. Because today was the first “fall” feeling day, I decided to use some of the mushrooms to make a soup. I wanted to stay away from a creamy soup so I used potatoes to thicken it up. I found the inspiration for this soup in The Flavor Thesaurus by Niki Segnit (one of my favorite books for food pairings).
Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 lb wild mushrooms, chopped
  • 3 cups vegetable stock (or chicken or beef stock)
  • 1-2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Continue reading Potato and Wild Mushroom Soup

Open-Faced Sandwiches with Mushrooms and Fried Eggs

Brunch appeals to my indecisive side: I love not having to choose between breakfast or lunch. Philadelphia is a huge brunch town so almost every weekend I have the opportunity to have an awesome brunch at a local coffee shop or restaurant. This weekend, I decided to stay home for brunch and try out this delicious sounding recipe from Cooking Light. The recipe includes mushrooms, a fried egg, tomatoes, and pesto … did they make this recipe especially for me?!
Ingredients (this makes 4 servings):
  • 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided (I used basil olive oil)
  • 1 cup thinly sliced shallots, divided
  • 3 portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons dry white wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 teaspoons refrigerated pesto (or fresh, check out my recipe here)
  • 4 (1 1/2-ounce) slices Italian bread
  • 2 ounces grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 1/2 cup)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices beefsteak tomato
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

The wonderful people at Nudo sent me a new product on their site: the Squadra Italiana Set which includes cold press olive oil, olive oil with Sicilian chillies, and a free tin of extra virgin olive oil stone ground with fresh basil. These olive oils are absolutely wonderful on their own, to just dip breads in. But I wanted to add that extra punch of basil to this dish so I used the basil olive oil to add a little bit more flavor. Expect these tasty olive oils to show up in quite a few posts in the coming weeks. (You can get your own Squadra Italiana Set here)
If you’re making your own pesto, do that first. It takes maybe 5 minutes and tastes considerably better (at least I think so).
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add 2/3 cup shallots and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the wine, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, scraping the pan to loosen up the brown bits. Cook for 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove the mushroom mixture from the pan and keep warm. Preheat your broiler.
Return the pan to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan, swirling to coat. Add the remaining 1/3 cup shallots and saute for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and keep warm.
Spread 2 teaspoons pesto over one side of each bread slice. Top each slice with 2 tablespoons cheese.
Broil for 2 minutes and set aside.
Return the pan to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook until whites set, about 4 minutes.
Boy did I botch this egg. Oh well, it will still taste good!
Top each bread slice with 2 tomato slices.
Divide the mushroom mixture evenly among the bread slices. Top each serving with 1 egg. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper, shallots and basil.
This is quite the meal!
I loved the meatiness of the mushrooms which went so well with the egg. Tomatoes are in season right now so they were absolutely perfect in this dish. And my pesto was pretty darn good if I do say so myself 🙂 This meal, although it’s called a “sandwich” definitely required a fork and knife, and even then got a bit messy. But that’s part of the fun!

Chicken Marsala Ravioli with Spinach and Mushrooms

I am a pasta addict. I love it. I will never ever be carb free because I don’t want to know what life is like without pasta. I am a huge fan of fresh pasta because 1. I personally think it tastes better and 2. takes about half the time to cook. When Buitoni contacted me about a new ravioli they were introducing (it should be available in early July), I was already sold. But then they told me what kind of ravioli it is: Chicken Marsala Ravioli. Chicken Marsala is one of my ultimate favorite recipes so I was beyond excited to work with this ravioli!
The Ravioli, “generously filled with all natural white meat chicken, roasted portobello mushrooms and caramelized onions with impastata ricotto, aged parmesan, and asiago cheeses accented with marsala wine”, is one of Buitoni’s new Riserva line of pastas. Other pastas include: Butternut Squash Agnolotti (which I will have a post on soon!), Chicken and Four Cheese Ravioli, Spicy Beef and Sausage Ravioli, Quattro Formaggi Agnolotti, and Wild Mushroom Agnolotti. How fantastic do they all sound?? The Butternut Squash Agnolotti and the Chicken Marsala Ravioli are only available in the Northeast, but the rest are available in grocery stores nationwide. Look for them in the refrigeration section, you can see if your store carries Buitoni products here.
This pasta would probably be fantastic just with a light butter sauce, but I decided to highlight the flavors of the ravioli that were already present in the pasta through a marsala sauce with mushrooms. Caramelized onions and marsala can both be pretty sweet, so I added some spinach to the mix to counteract that. Buitoni was also generous enough to send me a Buitoni apron, a Buitoni cutting board, and a few free coupons so one lucky winner can try these new pastas themselves! More information is below…
Ingredients:
  • 1 package of Buitoni Chicken Marsala Ravioli
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves (or 1 garlic scape), minced
  • 1 package of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 package of shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
  • 1/4 lb pancetta, cubed (or prosciutto, that was actually my original plan!)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup baby spinach leaves
  • 1 cup Marsala wine
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1/4 tsp or less of truffle oil (optional)
  • Parmesan cheese, grated, as garnish
  • Parsley, chopped, as garnish

Begin by bringing a large pot of water to a boil.
While waiting for the pot of water to boil, mince your shallot and garlic. I used a garlic scape from my CSA share, it’s perfectly fine to use garlic cloves. Slice your mushrooms. Be sure to remove the stems of the shiitake mushrooms, they can be really woody tasting.
In a large saute pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. (You’re adding pancetta or prosciutto to this dish so have a light hand with the salt. You just need some to draw the water out of the mushrooms).
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms cook down and the liquid has evaporated.
While waiting for the mushrooms to cook down, cube the pancetta and add to a small saute pan over medium high heat. Cook for 4 minutes.
Your pot of water should hopefully be boiling. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the pot of boiling water and add the ravioli. Cook for 6 minutes and drain.
Add the Marsala and the broth to the mushrooms. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the pancetta to the mixture when it is finished cooking.
Don’t wipe down the saute pan that had the pancetta. Just add the 1 cup of spinach leaves and cover. Cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
Add the ravioli to the mushroom mixture and toss. Remove from heat, add a very slight amount of truffle oil if using, and mix in the wilted spinach.
To serve, add the ravioli to a plate. Spoon the sauce, mushrooms, spinach and pancetta over the pasta. Top with parsley and Parmesan cheese.
The pancetta adds the perfect amount of saltiness to the dish to bring out the other flavors. The spinach works to counteract the sweetness of the Marsala. Mushrooms add an earthy flavor to the whole dish.
I loved the ravioli by the way. It has a ton of flavor and really did a great job of capturing the flavor of chicken marsala into a pasta! My boyfriend absolutely loved this recipe. In fact, he ate a good three servings of this in one sitting!
What kind of sauce would you serve with your Chicken Marsala Ravioli?

Now on to the giveaway. Please be sure to use the widget below to enter. Each person can enter up to 7 times, but only the first entry (writing in the comment section what Buitoni pasta you want to try and how you’d prepare it) is mandatory. Good luck!!

Chicken Marsala Ravioli with Spinach and Mushrooms

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 package of Buitoni Chicken Marsala Ravioli
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves (or 1 garlic scape), minced
  • 1 package of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 package of shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
  • 1/4 lb pancetta, cubed (or used prosciutto, that was actually my original plan!)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup baby spinach leaves
  • 1 cup Marsala wine
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1/4 tsp or less of truffle oil (optional)
  • Parmesan cheese, grated, as garnish
  • Parsley, chopped, as garnish

Instructions

  1. Begin by bringing a large pot of water to a boil.
  2. While waiting for the pot of water to boil, mince your shallot and garlic. I used a garlic scape from my CSA share, it’s perfectly fine to use garlic cloves. Slice your mushrooms. Be sure to remove the stems of the shiitake mushrooms, they can be really woody tasting.
  3. In a large saute pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. (You’re adding pancetta or prosciutto to this dish so have a light hand with the salt. You just need some to draw the water out of the mushrooms).
  5. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms cook down and the liquid has evaporated.
  6. While waiting for the mushrooms to cook down, cube the pancetta and add to a small saute pan over medium high heat. Cook for 4 minutes.
  7. Your pot of water should hopefully be boiling. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the pot of boiling water and add the ravioli. Cook for 6 minutes and drain.
  8. Add the Marsala and the broth to the mushrooms. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the pancetta to the mixture when it is finished cooking.
  9. Don’t wipe down the saute pan that had the pancetta. Just add the 1 cup of spinach leaves and cover. Cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
  10. Add the ravioli to the mushroom mixture and toss. Remove from heat, add a very slight amount of truffle oil if using, and mix in the wilted spinach.
  11. To serve, add the ravioli to a plate. Spoon the sauce, mushrooms, spinach and pancetta over the pasta. Top with parsley and Parmesan cheese.
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Grilled Duck with Warm Mushroom Salad and Truffle Vinaigrette

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Grilling is synonymous with Memorial Day in my mind, so I was so happy to receive a Grilling Cookbook from Cooking Light a few days ago.  The cookbook: Cooking Light Way to Cook Grilling: The Complete Visual Guide to Healthy Grilling is pretty darn snazzy. The photos are gorgeous, so um, please don’t compare my crummy photos for this recipe to the ones in the book, that will make me sad. Anyways, when I saw a recipe for grilled duck, I wanted to try it. I love duck, it’s a go-to for me at restaurants. But, I’m beyond terrified to cook it myself. It’s a tough meat to cook, and if overcooked, can be super crummy. Plus, it’s not exactly cheap! But grilling? I think I can handle that…
This recipe sounded like it was written just for me and my boyfriend. Before even opening the cookbook this was our conversation:
“We should try grilling a meat we’ve never made before, I’m not in the mood for a normal burger”
“Yeah, and maybe we can grill up some asparagus and mushrooms as well. I do want a meat as part of the meal though.”
We turn to this recipe, which managed to incorporate all of our requirements, and we were sold. The only thing we weren’t sold on? The marinating time. The original recipe suggested marinating the duck overnight, up to two days. We wanted duck, and we wanted it well before tomorrow, so our marinating was closer to 3 hours instead. There are also some pretty pricey ingredients in this dish, so this would definitely be a special occasion type of meal.

 

Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 (6-ounce) boneless duck breast, skinned
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • Cooking spray
  • 3 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 5 ounces)
  • 2 cups thinly sliced portobello mushroom caps (about 5 ounces)
  • 3/4 cup (1/4-inch) diagonally cut asparagus
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons truffle oil

Continue reading Grilled Duck with Warm Mushroom Salad and Truffle Vinaigrette

Grilled Striped Bass with Bacon Vinaigrette Red Smashed Potatoes and Sauteed Butter Thyme Mushrooms

Grilled Striped Bass with Bacon Vinaigrette Red Smashed Potatoes and Sauteed Butter Thyme Mushrooms. Whew. By the time you say the title of this post you could have cooked most of this meal. Fish is a perfect weekday choice because it is so darn quick to cook up. I managed to make all parts of this meal in 40 minutes which was awesome! If you wanted to cut the time for this meal even more, you could doctor up some of those refrigerator mashed potatoes from the supermarket, but I really like home made mashed potatoes so I went for it.  No one is surprised to hear that this menu comes from my trusty Cooking Light.
Ingredients:

2 (8-ounce) striped bass fillets
salt, divided
freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 slices center-cut bacon
2 large shallots, finely chopped and divided
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound red potatoes
2 garlic cloves, halved
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 (8-ounce) packages presliced baby bella mushrooms
1/3 cup dry white wine
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Begin with making the mashed potatoes. The original recipe has you peel and cube the potatoes. I really like the skins of potatoes so I altered the recipe to be smashed instead of mashed. Feel free to check out the original recipe here if you’re not into the skins. Add the potatoes and the halved garlic cloves to a large pasta pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil.
While waiting for the water to come to a boil, prepare your other ingredients. Chop the shallots and fresh thyme. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 cup of the chopped shallots to the pan. Cook for about 1 minute.

 

By now your water will hopefully be boiling. Reduce heat for the pasta pot and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Go back to the saute pan. Add a 1/2 teaspoon salt and the mushrooms to the pan, stirring occasionally. Cook for 13 minutes or until the mushrooms are brown and the liquid has evaporated.

While waiting for the two to cook (and if you have room on your stove), add another saute pan over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove from heat and add to a paper towel. Reserve 1.5 tablespoons of the drippings in the pan. Crumble the bacon.

Add the crumbled bacon and 2 tablespoons shallots back to the pan, cooking over medium heat for 1 minute stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon sugar.

Back to the mushrooms. Add the wine to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until the liquid almost evaporates.

Stir in the thyme and cook for 30 seconds and remove from heat.

 

Drain  the pasta pot and return the potatoes and garlic to the pot. Mash using a potato masher or a large fork. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and mix to combine.
We haven’t abandoned the Vinaigrette! Take the mixture and slowly add the olive oil to the vinegar mixture, stirring constantly to get an emulsion.

 

Last but not least, we have the bass. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and add to the grill pan skin side up. Cook for 4 minutes. (You can set your table during this time).

 

Flip the fish and cook for another 4 minutes.

Serve drizzled with the bacon vinaigrette.

 

Multi tasking at its finest! I hope my directions made sense. It’s not nearly as confusing as it sounds. You kind of bounce around between things based on when you have the opportunity to do so.
So whoever thought of the idea of bacon vinaigrette is one awesome person.  It was smoky and slightly tangy. I actually put some on my mashed potatoes as well (which I highly suggest).
This was my first time having bass and I really enjoyed it. Despite doing a whole lot of nothing to cook it, the fish was flavorful and had almost a buttery taste to it.
The mushrooms were awesome as well! I added a bit more fresh thyme once it was on my plate for a little more flavor and some color.
Sorry my photos are so crummy. First, it’s not exactly the most colorful meal I’ve ever made. Second, the smell of bacon made my antsy. I needed to eat this ASAP 🙂
I hope you’ll forgive my lack of photography skills due to the calling of bacon.

 

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Who honestly doesn’t love crab stuffed mushrooms? Little bite sized bits of happiness: mushroom, crab meat, cheese, and crunchy bread crumbs. I always have my fingers crossed that these party staples show up as an appetizer at any and all social events. So I thought it was about time that I attempted to make them myself. I finally whipped up a batch of theses crab stuffed mushrooms to eat while watching the games on Sunday. They are actually quite easy to make and are awesome right out of the oven or cooled to room temperature. Taste of Home had a great recipe I decided to try. My only “big” change was that I substituted Old Bay in for the cayenne. I’ve spent many a summer on the Chesapeake and now can’t eat crab without at least a little bit of this seasoning!
 
Ingredients:
  • 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Old Bay
  • 1 can (8 ounces) crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed 
  • 2 containers of fresh baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 
  • Cooking spray

Continue reading Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Mushroom Mac and Cheese

I grew up in a mac & cheese from the box household. You know, the kind with the powered stuff that you add to the macaroni, plus butter and milk. My mom (inexplicably) referred to this as baked macaroni and cheese, so I didn’t even realize that baked mac & cheese was the actual way it was supposed to be cooked until much later in life. As absolutely delicious as I assume traditional baked mac and cheese is, I can’t justify taking all that time to make it (maybe on a weekend some day). Apparently I’m not alone on that thought, because Cooking Light Fresh Foods Superfast cookbook had a somewhat sped up version. This version adds in some mushrooms to make a hearty Mushroom Mac and Cheese.
Ingredients:
Sherry-Roasted Mushrooms
  1 package cremini mushrooms
  1 tablespoon olive oil
  Salt and pepper, to taste
  2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  Cooking Spray
  2 tablespoons dry sherry
  2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
8 ounces (half a box) uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 small can of evaporated milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
Fresh oregano leaves, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the mushrooms, olive oil and garlic cloves on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. While the mushrooms are cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
When the mushrooms are finished cooking, add to a small bowl. Stir in the sherry and oregano. Reserve. Keep the oven on but lower the temperature to 400 degrees.
Add flour to a large pan and gradually add the evaporated milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat for 6 minutes or until thick and bubbly, continue to stir constantly.  Add the cheese and season with salt and pepper. I must have been all sorts of lazy this day because I didn’t even feel like shredding the cheese. I instead tore off small pieces and added it to the milk mixture, this ended up working out just fine.
Remove from heat and stir in the mushroom mixture and the pasta.
Add the pasta mixture to a 2 quart baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake the pasta at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, or until it bubbles. Sprinkle with oregano leaves and serve.
Oh happy creamy deliciousness. I loved this pasta, especially when I got some of the crunchy baked parts in a bite. In retrospect, I really wish I added a light layer of panko on top, just to add more crunch to the dish. But even without that extra crunch, this mac & cheese was really good!
I think this method can be applied to many versions of mac & cheese to make it quicker. Use Gruyere or Cheddar instead of fontina. Add sage instead of oregano, or use truffles/truffle oil, the possibilities are endless!
Mushroom Mac & Cheese

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 package cremini mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • Cooking Spray
  • 2 tablespoons dry sherry
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
  • 8 ounces (half a box) uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 small can of evaporated milk
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
  • Fresh oregano leaves, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the mushrooms, olive oil and garlic cloves on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. While the mushrooms are cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  3. When the mushrooms are finished cooking, add to a small bowl. Stir in the sherry and oregano. Reserve. Keep the oven on but lower the temperature to 400 degrees.
  4. Add flour to a large pan and gradually add the evaporated milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat for 6 minutes or until thick and bubbly, continue to stir constantly. Add the cheese and season with salt and pepper. I must have been all sorts of lazy this day because I didn’t even feel like shredding the cheese. I instead tore off small pieces and added it to the milk mixture, this ended up working out just fine.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in the mushroom mixture and the pasta.
  6. Add the pasta mixture to a 2 quart baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake the pasta at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, or until it bubbles. Sprinkle with oregano leaves and serve.
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