Mushroom Marsala on Gorgonzola Polenta w/ Arugula Salad

meatless meal in minutes...

It was a busy weekend and I've had little time to think about my blog and this post. So, I needed something quick and easy tonight. One of my favorite things to make when time is short and I need to make dinner is polenta - it cooks in 3 minutes, much quicker than pasta. It's a lot like grits if you've never had it before. And it's really good with butter and cheese...especially with Gorgonzola cheese. Yum!

Polenta is an Italian staple, so I'm topping it with a classic sauce - Marsala. Typically chicken is served with this sauce (and that's what I made for my husband; he hates mushrooms). But, to make this a vegetarian meal, I just left it out and doubled the amount of mushrooms. This simple supper is nearly a whole meal as well, just serve it with your favorite green vegetable. Need a deliciously easy meal in minutes? Make this for dinner, here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
Mushroom Marsala
2 T Olive Oil
1 lb. Sliced Mushrooms (such as crimini)
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1/2 T Fresh Thyme, chopped
2 T All-Purpose Flour
1/2 C Sweet Marsala Wine
1/2 C Vegetable Broth
2 T Unsalted Butter
1/4 C Fresh Parsley, chopped

Gorgonzola Polenta
1 Box Quick-Cooking Polenta (4 servings)
1/4 C Half & Half
1 T Unsalted Butter
4 oz. Gorgonzola Cheese, crumbled

Arugula Salad
2 C Baby Arugula
1/2 Lemon, juiced
1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper

Directions
Following the directions on the polenta box, bring 4 1/2 C of water to a boil in a sauce pan.

Brown the mushrooms: Heat the olive oil over medium. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned about 5 minutes. Hold off salting them, this draws out liquid and keeps the mushrooms from browning. Stir in the thyme, garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook for another minute.

Make the sauce: Add the flour to the mushrooms and cook out, about one minute. Pour the Marsala into the pan and boil down for a few seconds. Then add the vegetable broth and simmer for a minute to reduce the sauce slightly. Stir in the butter and parsley. Taste for seasoning and keep warm.

Make the polenta: Salt the boiling water and slowly whisk the polenta into it. Turn off the heat and continue whisking for 2-3 minutes or until cooked through. Whisk in the half and half and butter. Finally stir in the crumbled Gorgonzola cheese.

Plate the dish: In a bowl combine the arugula, lemon juice, oil, and a pinch each salt and pepper. Toss to combine. In a shallow bowl put down a bed of the polenta, top with the mushroom Marsala, and finish with the arugula salad. Serve with your favorite green vegetable. Enjoy!

Italian Inspired Portobello Burgers

why did the mushroom get invited to the party?
'cuz he's a fungi!

Okay, I know that was bad, but I remember that joke from when I was a kid. Anyway, I've mentioned in one of my past posts that I'm a vegetarian (I do eat seafood and some chicken). So, I eat a lot of portobello burgers in the summer. One way I jazz them up is by marinating them. They are like little sponges and will soak it up!

Balsamic vinegar is the perfect base to build a marinade for portobello burgers. It's fruity and a little sweet. It balances nicely with the earthiness of the mushroom. Also, balsamic is innately Italian, so what's better than adding more complementary flavors, such as roasted red pepper, basil, and smoked mozzarella cheese? Nothing! If you have a vegetarian coming to your next cookout offer to make them one of these burgers. I'm sure they will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Here's how to make them...

Ingredients - Makes 4 Burgers
3 T Balsamic Vinegar
2 T Brown Sugar
1 T Dried Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Portobello Mushroom Caps, stems removed
4 Slices Smoked Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 C Mayo
4 Whole Wheat Buns
4 Slices Red Onion
4 Slices Roasted Red Pepper
1 Large Tomato, sliced
12 Fresh Basil Leaves

Directions

Begin by making the marinade: In a baking dish large enough for the mushrooms, combine the balsamic, sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, and peppers. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Place the mushrooms into the marinade, coating both sides really well. Cover and marinate (at room temperature) for up to 2 hours.

Grill the mushrooms: Preheat a grill to med-high heat. Remove the mushrooms from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off. Do not discard the marinade. Place the mushrooms on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. Place the cheese on each portobello (suggest gill side) and cook 2 more minutes. Remove and rest.

As the mushrooms cook, make the mayo: Combine 2 T of the marinade and the mayo in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. Also prepare the toppings.


Finally, build the burger: On the bottom bun, spread 1-2 T of the mayo. Top with the portobello, a slice of red onion, a slice of roasted red pepper, a slice or two of tomato, and 3 basil leaves. Make the other burgers and serve immediately with your favorite summer salad. Enjoy!

Meringue Mushrooms

a little bit different

After THE food holiday I'm ready for a bit of a break from cooking. So, for this post I'm doing something a little different. Below I've provided my dad's mom's (Grandma Esther) meringue recipe and a link to someone else's blog with a very creative recipe - Meringue Mushrooms. The other motivation behind my post is that I had absolutely no idea what to do with mushrooms for a dessert or drink (seriously, think about it...). Well, someone else had this cute idea. No, there aren't mushrooms in the meringues (yuck!) but, they look just like mushrooms. So, use up any leftover egg whites and make these...that is, if you can muster up the energy!

Ingredients - Makes 2 Dozen
2 Egg Whites
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3/4 C Granulated Sugar

Directions to Make Grandma Esther's Meringues:

Preheat the oven to 300.

In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until they double in size and soft peaks form. Turn off the mixer and add in the salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla. Start the mixer again and slowly add in the sugar until the egg whites are fluffy and stiff peaks form.

On a parchment paper lined baking sheet drop tablespoonfuls of the meringues. Bake for about 25 minutes. Do not let the meringues brown. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues in it to dry out completely. Remove to a container and store up to 1 week.

Directions to Make the Meringue Mushrooms:

http://sweet-treats-baking.blogspot.com/2012/12/meringue-mushrooms-buche-de-noel.html

NOTE: You will need chocolate chips and cocoa powder in addition to the ingredients in Grandma Esther's recipe above to make the meringue mushrooms. Have fun!!

Meatless Shepherd's Pie

waste not, want not...use up leftovers in a different way

Thanksgiving is only 2 days away and all I can think about are the leftovers. HA! I can honestly say that after all of the cooking on the day of, I'm exhausted and just want to rest. Plus I'm not usually that hungry because I've been tasting things all day as I cook. I find that the best part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. Sure, the meal that day is wonderful, but reinventing and using up all the leftovers gives me great satisfaction.

This meatless shepherd's pie uses up quite a bit of what you might have left after your Thanksgiving meal. From the mashed potatoes, to the roasted root veggies, to the gravy, this pie can be a cinch to make. I've listed out all the steps to make this from scratch here though. So, make this with leftovers or make it from scratch, I suggest just making this dish, period. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 6
2 lbs. Russet Potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 T Prepared Horseradish
1/2 C Half & Half

1 Egg Yolk
1 oz. Package Dried Assorted Mushrooms
Olive Oil
2 Carrots, diced (about 12 baby)
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Clove Garlic, pressed
2 (8 oz.) Boxes Mushrooms (suggest baby bella or button)
2 T Unsalted Butter
2 T Flour
2 tsp. Soy Sauce (low sodium okay)
1/2 C Frozen Peas
Salt & Pepper
Parsley, for garnish

Directions
Begin by bringing the potatoes to a boil in a large pot. Salt the water when it begins to boil. Cook for about 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and return to the hot pot. Set aside.

While the potatoes are boiling, combine the dried mushrooms with 3 C of water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, reconstituting the mushrooms.

Meanwhile, heat a large skilled over med-high. Add 2 T olive oil, the carrots, onion, and garlic. Sweet for 2-3 minutes and then add in the sliced mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 minutes more, or until the veggies have softened. Reduce the heat to med-low.

By this time the dried mushrooms have reconstituted. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a cutting board. Roughly chop and then add to the large skillet with the rest of the veggies. Reserve 1 C of the mushroom broth, discard the rest, and wipe out the small pot.

Return the small pot to the stove over medium heat. Melt the butter and then add in the flour to make a roux, whisking to ensure no lumps form. Cook for about 30 seconds and then add the soy sauce and reserved mushroom broth, whisking well. Allow the gravy to cook for another minute, until thickened.

Add the gravy to the large skillet with the veggies. Stir the gravy into the veggies, stir in the peas, and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. Turn off the heat, set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mash the potatoes in the large pot until there are no lumps. Stir in the horseradish, half and half, and egg yolk. Mix well.

Assemble the pie: pour the veggie mixture into a large baking dish. Then spread the potatoes over top. Try to keep the potatoes from mixing with the veggies and leave a little room around the edges for steam to escape as the pie cooks. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the dish is hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and garnish with torn parsley. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then serve. Enjoy those reinvented leftovers!

Stuffing-Stuffed Mushrooms

some people stuff a bird, I stuff mushrooms

Thanksgiving is on it's way. THE food holiday, at least in my book. My family has always celebrated this day with gusto. We have so many dishes and copious amounts of each that one person can't possibly have more than a tablespoon of each thing before they are completely stuffed. And, speaking of stuffed, we don't actually stuff our turkey bird. We make a bread dressing instead. We still call it stuffing, but really, it's not.

With my mind on turkey day and probably my favorite part of it - stuffing - I thought I would create a recipe that could be made year round. These stuffed mushrooms are super easy to make and would be the perfect use up for any leftovers from the holiday. Or, when you get a hankering for Thanksgiving in March or July, make these. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 8-10
2 Box (14 oz.) "Stuffer" Mushrooms (suggest button)
5 Slices Stale Bread (white or wheat okay)
1/2 (8 oz.) Package Seasoned Stuffing (suggest Pepperidge Farm)
2 Stalks Celery, finely chopped
1/2 Yellow Onion, finely chopped
4-5 Sage Leaves, minced (dried/ground okay, use 1 tsp.)
1/2 T Poultry Seasoning
1 1/2 C Chicken (or Turkey) Broth
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil

Directions
The night before making these, tear the bread into small pieces and leave in a large bowl to dry out over night.

The day of begin by preparing the mushroom caps: Wipe away any dirt with a damp towel. Remove the stem and save for another use (my next recipe perhaps) or discard. Line the mushroom caps cup-side up on a baking sheet. Set aside.

Next put the celery and onion in a small pot and just cover with water. Bring the pot to a simmer over med-high and cook until the veggies are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.

After the veggies are cooked add them to the large bowl with the torn bread (water too). Add the seasoned stuffing, sage, poultry seasoning, and broth; mix well. Taste for seasoning and add salt and/or pepper as needed. Remember the mushrooms will have no seasoning, so a touch more salt is usually needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the mushrooms: Stuff each mushroom with 2-3 T of the stuffing mixture. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of each mushroom and then bake for 20-25 minutes.

The stuffing should be brown and the mushrooms tender. Remove to a serving platter immediately and enjoy! Thanksgiving doesn't have to come just once a year after all.