Tag Archive for 'mushrooms'

Caramelized Onion & Shiitake Pasta

Published by mel on February 2, 2010 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Caramelized Onion & Shiitake Pasta

This is one of those weeknight meals that I’m always a little hesitant about posting. Caramelized onion and mushroom pasta – isn’t that too easy? Are people going to roll their eyes at this? They might. Yes, it’s a very simple recipe, but everyone needs simple recipes to add to the weeknight repertoire, so I’m posting it anyway.

This pasta is just easy enough to make after work, but still interesting enough to make a Tuesday a little more exciting. It starts off with some onions caramelized in butter. Once they start to melt into sweet deliciousness, add some shiitake mushrooms and cook until everything browns and melts together. To brighten it up, make a quick pesto-like sauce with Italian Parsley, olive oil and lemon juice.

Caramelized Onion & Shiitake Pasta

Toss some pasta with the mushrooms and onions, top with some parsley pesto and dust with Parmesan cheese. The pasta gets a nice, deep brown flavor from the shiitakes and an herby lift from the parsley. It’s a really simple, really delicious dish any night of the week.

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Mushroom, Rainbow Chard & Gruyere Lasagna

Published by mel on February 9, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Mushroom, Rainbow Chard & Gruyere Lasagna

I’m a big fan of any kind of baked and bubbly casserole, especially one covered in melty, browned cheese. And even more if that cheese is an aged Gruyere. Last week I was craving lasagna, but didn’t have the traditional ingredients on hand. Don’t you hate when that happens? Not to be downtrodden, I used whatever I had around and made this mushroom, rainbow chard and Gruyere lasagna.

Portabllo and baby bella mushroom are sauteed with onions until browned and almost caramelized, then layered with whole wheat lasagna and Rainbow Chard, ricotta and Parmesan. Cover everything with shredded Gruyere cheese and bake. Definitely much simpler than a traditional lasagna, and much more weeknight-friendly.

While I loved the richness of the mushrooms, I think I used too many. Next time, I’ll use half the amount and add some spicy Italian sausage or ground beef. I’m posting the recipe as I made it below, but am asking you all for any recommendations. What do you think this lasagna needs?

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Our Thanksgiving Menu & Two Pie Recipes

Published by mel on November 18, 2008 in dessert, entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Carrot Pumpkin Soup
Pie recipes are from last year and I can’t seem to find any photos…will update the post with pie pictures next week!

Thanksgiving is 10 days away. Menus are finalized, grocery shopping is in full force. Thanksgiving recipe testing is complete! And so, here’s the final menu and recipes for Pupmkin Mascarpone Pie with a Gingersnap Crust and a Crunchy Apple Pie.

Carrot Pupmkin Soup with Crushed Hazelnuts
…flavored with smoked paprika, shallots and sherry vinegar.

Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Roulade
…filled with caramelized onions and figs, goat cheese, toasted pecans and fresh cranberries. Wrapped in peppered bacon and basted in pear jam.

Corn-bread and Chorizo Stuffing from Gourmet
…Olive oil instead of vegetable oil, fresh tarragon instead of dried oregano, chicken stock instead of broth, and probably some dried fruit (apricots?) soaked in brandy.

Potato Gratin with Roasted Garlic and Manchego from Food & Wine
…Probably remove the rosemary (my mom’s not a fan) and replace half and half with whole milk. Maybe add some caramelized shallots too.

Roasted Butternut Squash stuffed with Wild Mushrooms, Leeks and Chestnuts
…Halved and roasted butternut squash, stuffed with wild mushroom and leeks, sauteed in butter and tossed with chestnuts. Sprinkled with panko breadcrumbs and baked until slightly browned.

Pumpkin Walnut bread, Banana Pecan bread, Lemon Poppy bread

Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie with Gingersnap Crust (Recipe below)

Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie (Recipe below)

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roasted asparagus & pistachio pesto over fettuccine

Published by mel on June 4, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

roasted asparagus & pistachio pesto over fettuccine

I’m not usually a fan of pesto. I never order it, and avoid fancy sandwiches that are adorned with the stuff. It’s usually so oily that I can’t taste anything else. And who wants to taste pesto instead of mozzarella or Gouda or prosciutto? Not me!

But I had all of this lovely, purple-tipped asparagus and I am just a bit bored of roasted asparagus. Since the pantry and fridge were devoid of anything other than grains, beans and fire-roasted tomatoes, I didn’t have many options about what to do with my asparagus. So, I roasted it and made a pesto, figuring that I could go lighter on the oil because the juicy asparagus would compensate. I also used pistachios instead of pine nuts because it’s what I had, and I threw some roasted mushrooms in for texture.

The dish was much less greasy that its traditional cousin. The asparagus was almost creamy and the pistachios added a nice crunch. Lemon and garlic brightened it up and added a nice bite. I’m not even sure I can call this pesto, but it was darn tasty. It would also make a fabulous sandwich spread or even a dip for crackers. I skipped the meat this time, but I suspect this would be a nice side to grilled steak, chicken or sausage. Or even just a light sprinkling of toasted breadcrumbs or chopped black olives or a poached egg. Endless possibilities…

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mushroom leek pasta carbonara

Published by mel on February 14, 2008 in entree and recipe.

mushroom leek carbonara

Wikipedia says that pasta alla carbonara (usually spaghetti, but occasionally linguine or bucatini) is a family of Italian pasta dishes based on eggs, cheese, cured pork, and other ingredients. I was very much craving the original carbonara, but it’s a bit of a heart attack on a plate. The original requires too much butter and bacon and too little vegetables.

For this dish, I omitted the meat completely and added a healthy dose of leeks and mushrooms. I also swapped the standard white spaghetti for some whole wheat fettuccine. I kept the eggs for protein and the cheese for tang. It was a simple recipe that made for a delicious weeknight dinner.

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Sausage Bread Pudding

Published by mel on December 21, 2007 in recipe.

Sausage bread pudding

I spied a savory bread pudding recipe awhile back, and have been dying to make it ever since. It just seemed like too much for two, so I’ve been waiting until I had company over. Also, I’d never made it before and you never try a recipe out when company is over for dinner. What a quandary. Last night I had a small dinner party for my family to celebrate Christmas since Tom and I will be in Michigan on the actual day. Family is the exception to the never make a new recipe rule. My family loved it, Tom took it to work for lunch, and I’m sorry there’s no more left. I love this recipe. The bread is soft and creamy, the veggies add a nice medium texture, and the firmness of the sausage keeps the dish from being too mushy or soggy. Also, who can resist a bunch of browned and melted cheese? No one.

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baked deliciousness

Published by mel on March 22, 2007 in entree and recipe.

baked gnocchi

I love baked things. I especially love baked things with browned, bubbly cheese and crispy corners. I do not love that when you boil store-bought gnocchi, it becomes and soggy mess. The solution? Bake the gnocchi in liquid-y sauce. The baking cooks them through without making them mushy. AND there’s melted cheese all over the top.

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