Tag: Shiitake

Mandu (Korean Dumplings)

A few weeks ago, I became an aunt! My sister and brother-in-laws are new parents to a beautiful baby girl. My husband went up to visit them recently, so I sent him up with some frozen food options to stock their freezer, including some of these Mandu Korean Dumplings.

I thought dumplings would be a perfect freezer friendly meal that also doesn’t add much to the cook time. You can cook mandu straight from the freezer, no need to thaw!

This version has a mixture of ground beef, pork, and vegetables, but the recipe can easily be adapted to fit whatever you have on hand, or have a craving for.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups finely chopped green cabbage
  • 1 medium sized zucchini, finely chopped
  • 1 (4 oz) package sliced shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 scallions, white and light green pieces finely chopped, dark green pieces sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 1/4 lb ground beef
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 packages dumpling skins (I found these in my local Asian grocery store)

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Slow Cooker Beef Ramen

So I’ve been feeling pretty crummy for the past few days. And I’ve been craving soups like crazy. One of my favorite options when I want a comforting meal is ramen, specifically Shio-style from Nom Nom Ramen in center city Philadelphia.

When I saw Betsy Life did a version of Ramen in her slow cooker, I knew I wanted to try as well!

Ramen is typically made with pork belly, but I couldn’t find any in my supermarket so I went with beef. So this Slow Cooker Beef Ramen is definitely not a traditional style ramen.

This recipe is adapted from BetsyLife.com

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs beef chunk roast
  • 32 oz container low sodium beef broth, plus 1/4 cup, divided
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce — if not it will be too salty
  • ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste
  • The juice of 1 lime
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used 1 cup shiitake caps and 1 cup baby bella)
  • 1 pack Chinese-style noodles (Chuka Soba)
  • Cilantro, sliced green onions, jalapeños, lime wedges, nori (seaweed), etc. for garnish

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Wild Mushroom Truffled Pizza Topped with Runny Eggs

.Pizzas are a great weeknight meal option; it’s easy to make it out of products in your pantry and can be customized for whatever you’re in the mood to eat that night (or what you need to clean out of the fridge!) There is a pizza place near me in Philly called Nomad Pizza that has one of my favorite pizzas: their Truffle Pecorino pizza. The pizza is topped with cheese, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, truffle oil, and a runny egg.

I wanted to try out a version of this pizza for myself. I used a mixture of baby bella, maitake, and shiitake mushroom caps and made a quick garlic truffle oil to drizzle on for extra flavor to make this recipe for Wild Mushroom Truffled Pizza Topped with Runny Eggs.

Ingredients:

  • 1 store bought pizza dough
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • a drizzle of white truffle oil
  • 1 package of sliced shiitake mushroom caps
  • 1 package of sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup maitake mushrooms (or any wild mushroom you prefer)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 oz ricotta
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 4-6 oz brie (I used Champignon German Brie with mushrooms)
  • 2-4 oz Boschetto al Tartufo (Boschetto with Truffles) – you can also just use any mild cow cheese you’d like
  • 2 eggs

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Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatballs)

I am in a never ending search to find ways to make chicken into a new and different meal. Cooking Light’s September issue had this recipe for Japanese Chicken Meatballs, or Tsukune, that were mentioned as a great “party snack.” I decided to change the recipe size and pair it with grilled baby bok choy and some rice to make this traditional appetizer/snack into an entrée.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

  • 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
  • 5 ounces sliced shiitake mushroom caps
  • 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger, divided
  • 2 minced garlic cloves, divided
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry
  • 1 teaspoon red miso (soybean paste)
  • 1 pounds ground chicken
  • 1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 large egg white

Sauce:

  • 6 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
  • 6 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • The juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced

Remaining ingredients:

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • ½ cup long grain rice
  • 1 cup water or chicken broth
  • 1 baby bok choy

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Pasta with Wild Mushroom Sauce

Oh pasta, how I love you. Pasta, or any Italian food for that matter, is my ultimate comfort food choice. I was sent Lidia Bastianich’s newest cookbook: Lidia’s Favorite Recipes– 100 Foolproof Italian Dishes, from Basic Sauces to Irresistible Entrees, which after my first page through, I already knew would be one of my favorite cookbooks. Lidia Bastianich obviously knows her Italian dishes, she’s been in the cooking industry for most of her life; she has a number of best-selling cookbooks, owns 6 restaurants, and is basically the face of Italian cooking on PBS. I’m also happy to let you all know that I will be giving away one copy of this awesome cookbook! More on that after the recipe…
The cookbook makes Italian recipes approachable. A lot of the recipes include childhood favorites of mine, Chicken Parmigiana, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Italian Wedding Soup. There are recipes that the photos look so fantastic I can’t wait to try them (I’m specifically talking about the rice balls. Oh. My. Goodness.)
But I had to test out the cookbook with my favorite Italian staple: a pasta dish.  The Tagliatelle with Wild Mushroom Sauce sounded just wonderful. But something didn’t want me to make this recipe. My supermarket didn’t have wild mushrooms or tagliatelle! Well, the show must go on. This is my somewhat adapted version of the recipe, Pasta with Wild Mushroom Sauce.
Ingredients: (makes 6 servings)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed and peeled
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced and baby bella mushrooms
  • 4 fresh sage leaves
  • 1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make vegetarian)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh or dry thin pasta (spaghetti, tagliatelle, etc.)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 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

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Green Bean Casserole with Mushrooms

My goodness, can you really believe that Thanksgiving is in ten days? Thanksgiving is (not surprisingly) my favorite holiday of the year: it’s about coming together with the people you love for one absolutely fantastic meal. I do love turkey, but I always find the sides to be the best part of any Thanksgiving meal. In case you’re like me and you’ve begun testing recipes for the big day, I wanted to share this lightened up version of Green Bean Casserole with Mushrooms from Cooking Light. Although usually made with cream of mushroom soup, this version packs enough flavor that you won’t miss the lack of cream. And don’t worry, the fried onions are still there.

Ingredients
For the fried onions:

  • 1 medium sized yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Canola Oil

 

For Green Beans:

  • 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped sweet onion
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
  • 1 (8-ounce) package presliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 1/3 cup dry sherry
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

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Mushroom Risotto

This past weekend, Kennett Square held it’s annual Mushroom Festival. I unfortunately didn’t get to go this year, but my parents dropped off a variety of mushrooms for me. When I have a lot of different types of mushrooms, my go to recipe is a mushroom risotto.

Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
  • 2 cups assorted mushrooms, sliced (I used oyster, shiitake, portobello & trumpet)
  • 1/2 a small onion, chopped
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Parsley, chopped (for garnish)

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Seared Scallops with Garlic-Parsley Butter

I found a recipe on My Recipes for Seared Scallops with Garlic-Parsley Butter. It even includes my other favorite ingredient: mushrooms. And, even better, the recipe is served over a mashed potato puree! I think they might have written this recipe just for me.

Ingredients:
6 oz of larger sized scallops
Salt and Pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced spring garlic
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 package shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, stemmed, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons canned crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Ingredients for Yukon Gold potato puree:
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons whipping cream
Salt and Pepper

Bring 2 to 3 quarts water to a boil. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Add potatoes to the pot and cook until tender when pierced, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and put in a bowl.

Mash the potatoes with 1/4 cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons whipping cream, salt and pepper to taste. I just used a fork, but a potato masher would have really sped up the process. Set aside.

Rinse the scallops and pat dry.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Prepare your mushrooms. Remove the stems and discard. Thinly slice the caps.

Mince the shallot and green garlic. Green garlic is also known as spring garlic. It happened to be part of my CSA share, so if you just have normal garlic, that will work just fine.
Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add scallops to the pan and cook, flipping the scallops once until browned on both sides and opaque, about 4 minutes total.
 
Transfer the scallops to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add 1/2 tablespoon butter, garlic, and shallot to the saute pan.
When the butter is melted, add the mushrooms.

Stir often until mushrooms are browned, about 5 minutes.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, chicken broth, parsley, tomatoes, white wine, and lemon juice.

Bring to a boil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the potato puree to a bowl. Top with the scallops and spoon mushrooms and sauce over the scallops.
Oh this was so so good. I don’t know how this recipe managed to get so many of my favorite ingredients into one dish and still make it taste good, but I don’t think I’ve ever been happier on a Monday night. Yum.

Fettuccine with Mushrooms and Hazelnuts

Despite growing up on pasta, I didn’t experience fresh pasta (besides ravioli) until recently, and I fell in love with it. As much as I wish I had my own pasta maker so that I could enjoy it all the time, I don’t have the space, money, or time to whip out fresh pasta for dinner. However, I found a place near me that sells fresh pasta in different widths (spaghetti to lasagna sheets) and flavors (egg, spinach, pumpkin, etc). So I was beyond excited when this month’s Cooking Light came with a recipe for fresh Fettuccine with Mushrooms and Hazelnuts. I made some very slight alterations (ie bigger mushroom to pasta ratio) but the overall recipe is mostly intact.
Ingredients:
  • 1/2 pound fresh fettuccine
  • 1  tablespoon  butter
  • 1/4  cup  chopped blanched hazelnuts (You can find blanched hazelnuts in stores. I already had hazelnuts, so I blanched them myself. I’ve included a how-to below)
  • 1  tablespoon  olive oil
  • 4  garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 package each of portobello, cremini, and shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
  • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • 2  teaspoons  chopped fresh sage
  • 2  ounces  Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved or grated
  • 2  tablespoons chopped chives

 To blanch hazelnuts:
As you can see in the bottom right corner in the above photo, I had shelled hazelnuts on hand. Instead of buying blanched hazelnuts, I decided to try on my own. It honestly was pretty darn simple!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet (just for convenience, use one with a lip so that they don’t roll off. Cook the hazelnuts for about ten minutes. Using a paper towel or a cloth towel, take a few hazelnuts at a time and rub them back and forth within the towel to remove the dark brown layer. Some of mine were being stubborn, but I think it was overall a success.
Blanched hazelnuts, w/ some brown left on (oh well)
Cook the fettuccine in boiling water with no salt or fat added (if there are directions, follow them. mine, I guessed 5 minutes and it tasted A-ok to me). When draining the pasta, put a bowl or measuring cup under the colander to reserve 3/4 cup water.
To prepare the mushroom/hazelnut mixture, melt the butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the blanched hazelnuts and cook for 3 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on them, you want a somewhat even toast on them. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
toasted hazelnuts
Add oil to the pan. When heated, add the garlic and mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Stir in chopped sage, pasta, reserved cooking liquid, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss. I gave it a minute to sort of meld together over the heat (I have an electric stove, so I turned off the burner, but left the pan over the still warm burner). Remove from heat, and add cheese, hazelnuts, and top with chives.
This turned out great! The flavors were fantastic. I was pretty wary about a sauce-less pasta dish; my previous posts show how much I love sauce, but there was enough going on that a sauce wasn’t needed at all. A definite plus, this took about 20 minutes from start to finish!  How I love feasible week day meals.

Pasta in a Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce

When the weather gets cold, I start craving pasta, pasta, and more pasta (I fully blame this on my Italian mother).  I don’t want to get stuck eating the same thing every night though, so I try to have a few recipes on hand that I can cycle through so that I don’t get sick of my delicious carbs.
Combining my love of mushrooms with my affinity of pasta, I tend to use this recipe a lot. This recipe does include whipping cream though, so I wouldn’t suggest making this a weekly staple. But it is a really easy and comforting meal.
Ingredients:
  • 1 box uncooked farfalle pasta
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 package of each of the following: shiitake, cremini, portobello and oyster mushrooms (if your supermarket has an exotic mushroom blend, grab 2 of those. If some other mushroom is calling your name, feel free to sub), sliced
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 1/3 cup chopped shallots
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
  • Pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup dry white wine (I just used whatever white wine was on hand and open)
  • 2/3 cup whipping cream
  • ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Continue reading Pasta in a Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce
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