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Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

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Yield: 4 Servings
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt / Serious Eats

Turning a classic mushroom risotto into a mushroom and asparagus risotto is as easy as it sounds: just add asparagus. The only key is to add that asparagus right at the end for the best flavor and texture.
A touch of soy sauce and miso paste brings out the rich, savory character of the mushrooms.
Washing the rice with the stock creates a starchy liquid that delivers maximum thickening power during cooking, resulting in a creamier final dish.

  • 1½cups (about 13 ½ oz) risotto-style rice (see note)
  • 1quart low-sodium homemade or store-bought chicken stock
  • 1cup white wine (optional; can be replaced with additional broth)
  • 2TBS butter, plus more for finishing, if desired
  • 2TBS extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2medium cloves garlic, grated on a Microplane (about 2 tsp)
  • 2small shallots, finely minced (about 2 TBS)
  • ¾cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks
  • 3oz finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Chopped herbs or other garnishes, as desired


Combine rice, chicken stock, and wine in a large bowl. Agitate rice with fingers or a whisk to release starch. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer set in a 2-quart liquid cup measure or another large bowl. Allow to drain 5 minutes, stirring rice occasionally.

Heat butter and oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add rice and cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until all liquid has evaporated, fat is bubbling, and rice has begun to take on a golden blond color and nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and shallots and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 1 minute. Give reserved broth a good stir and pour all but 1 cup over rice. Increase heat to high and heat until simmering. Stir rice once, cover, and reduce heat to lowest possible setting.

Cook rice for 10 minutes, undisturbed. Stir once, shake pan gently to redistribute rice, cover, and continue cooking until liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender with just a faint bite, about 10 minutes longer.

Remove lid and add final cup of stock. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring and shaking rice constantly, until risotto is thick and creamy. Off heat, fold in heavy cream and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in herbs as desired. Serve immediately on hot plates.

Brown Mushroom Gravy

Brown Mushroom Gravy

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Yield: 4 Servings
Kimberly Killebrew / Daring Gourmet

If you’re looking for a delicious brown mushroom gravy, look no further!
Absolutely nothing beats homemade when it comes to gravy and there is no reason whatsoever to resort to the packaged stuff because one, homemade is easy enough to make; two, the packaged stuff is full of junk ingredients; and three, packaged doesn’t come anywhere close to the flavor of made-from-scratch gravy!
For a mushroom gravy with great depth of flavor, here are a few tips: Butter is a great option for sauteing the onions and mushrooms, but for even more flavor use beef drippings, lard or bacon grease. Then cook the onions until they’re nicely golden brown, which is key to the flavor of the gravy. Do the same with the mushrooms, caramelizing them for optimal flavor. While cornstarch can be used for thickening, flour is the best choice for flavor. Add some extra butter to the caramelized onions and mushrooms, then add the flour and cook it for a couple of minutes. This roux-like method is absolutely key to the flavor of the gravy.
Serve this delicious brown mushroom gravy over roasts, steaks, meatloaf, roast chicken, potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables and more!

  • 2TBS butter, bacon grease, lard or beef drippings
  • 1yellow onion ,finely chopped
  • 1clove garlic ,minced
  • 16oz fresh mushrooms of choice (I used button mushrooms in the photos) ,cleaned and sliced
  • 4TBS unsalted butter
  • 4TBS all-purpose flour
  • 2cups strong beef broth
  • 2tsp balsamic vinegar
  • ½tsp sea salt plus more to taste
  • ½tsp sugar
  • ¼tsp dried thyme
  • ¼tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional: For a creamy gravy, add a few TBS of heavy cream at the end

Melt the butter (or bacon grease, lard or beef drippings – any of these will yield the most flavor) in a pan over medium-high heat and fry the onions until beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the mushrooms and cook 5-7 minutes or until golden and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.

Add the butter and melt. Add the flour, stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continually.

Add the beef broth, vinegar, thyme, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk continually until the gravy is thickened. Cover and simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer the gravy thinner add a little more water (or heavy cream if using)

Sautéed Mixed Vegetables

Sautéed Mixed Vegetables

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Yield: 4 Servings (double or half to suite)
Scott Nowell

This is a simple sauté for mixed vegetables. You can substitute about any vegetables you like here. Asparagus and Pea Pods both work well. Harder vegetables like carrots will need a little blanching before you start. Add other seasonings to suit the rest of the meal. Try a few red pepper flakes or some minced garlic added when the cover is removed, and the sauté time starts.  That’s easily enough for 4 in the photo above.

  • 1TBS olive oil
  • 1onion, sliced (red is nice for this)
  • 4-8oz mushrooms, thick sliced
  • 8oz green beans, trimmed.
  • 1/2cup water
  • salt and black pepper
  • grated parmigiana cheese, optional

Put olive oil in a cold 10- to 12-inch sauté pan. Turn heat to medium high. Add vegetables and water. Cover and heat over medium high heat for 8 minutes. Most of the water should boil off.

Remove cover, sauté 3-5 more minutes, tossing occasionally.

Season with salt and pepper. Option: sprinkle with a little parmigiana

Note:  If using medium to large asparagus, cut off the bottom 2 to 3 inches and peel the next two inches. If using pea pods, remove the string along the spine of the pods.

Sautéed Green Beans With Mushrooms and Caramelized Cipollini Onions

Sautéed Green Beans With Mushrooms and Caramelized Cipollini Onions

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Yield: 6 to 8 servings
J. Kenji López-Alt / Serious Eats

Nov 2014: Probably should rename this to feature the onions first. They really are the star of this dish. A bit of a lenghty cook for beans, but the onions and mushrooms make this a winner for a special meal. We used it first for Thanksgiving.

  • 4TBS unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1lb Cipollini onions, trimmed and peeled
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2lb green beans, trimmed
  • 2TBS canola or vegetable oil
  • 1lb button mushrooms, washed, trimmed, and cut into quarters
  • 1medium shallot, finely chopped
  • 4medium cloves garlic, minced (about 4 tsp)
  • 1tsp picked fresh thyme leaves
  • 1tsp soy sauce
  • 1tsp juice from 1 lemon

Melt 3 tablespoons butter (or heat olive oil) in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add Cipollini onions, season well with salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, and cook, turning occasionally, until onions are a deep, caramel brown, about 45 minutes total.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add beans and cook until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain and run under cool running water until at cold. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat until lightly smoking. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’ve released all their liquid and are browned, about 10 minutes total, reducing heat if oil starts to smoke excessively. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add shallots, garlic, thyme, and remaining tablespoon butter (or olive oil) and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add soy sauce and toss to combine. *

Add green beans, onions, and lemon juice to mushrooms and toss to reheat and combine. Serve immediately.

* Can be made ahead through this step, refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, combine beans, mushrooms, and onions in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until hot.

Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms

Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms

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Yield: 8 Mushrooms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO2pZYl8zAw

Fall 2017: The Cooking In Russia channel on YouTube has some great recipes. The chef is an American ex-pat living in Russia and currently working on opening a restaurant in Helsinki Finland.

  • 8large mushrooms
  • ½lemon
  • 2strips bacon
  • 2oz red onion, diced
  • 3/4oz garlic, chopped coarsely
  • 2oz small shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • ½tsp paprika
  • 1oz white wine
  • 2egg yolks
  • 2TBS bread crumbs
  • cayenne to taste, pinch to ½ tsp
  • parmesan cheese for grating
  • Special equipment: ceramic baking dish (metal can scorch mushrooms)


Preheat oven to 400°F.

Stem mushrooms and scrape more from inside to make large cavity. Save the scrapings and stems. Cut stems and add to removed bits.

Squeeze lemon over prepared mushrooms. Rub to coat.

Render bacon over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, stir, add salt, cook about 10 minutes.

Add white wine and cook 2 minutes. Add shrimp, cayenne and cook stirring.

Remove to blender cup and blend with stick blender or chop to any consistency you want.

Scrape into bowl and add 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, 2 egg yolks, stir until mixed.

Remove mushrooms from baking dish and stuff, making sure they mound in the center. Add olive  oil to baking dish and spread over bottom. Set mushrooms, stuffed side up in dish. Grate Parmesan over mushrooms. Bake for 16 minutes.

Special step: Transfer to plate and distribute pan juices over the mushrooms. Return to baking dish and pour plate juices evenly over mushrooms. For immediate use, return to oven and bake 7 more minutes.

-or-

At this point they can be set aside for serving later, or refrigerated. NEVER freeze!

From room temperature, cook for about 10 minutes. If refrigerated, bake for 11-12 minutes.

Chicken And Broccoli Stir Fry

Chicken And Broccoli Stir Fry

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Yield: 4 Servings
Adapted from Dinner at the Zoo

2016: I think Gayle found this on the internet. It came out quite good and goes together quick as a stir fry should. The oyster sauce is a nice change from my usual stir fries. I give my portion a few drops of pepper oil for some heat.

  • 1lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1TBS + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 2cups small broccoli florets
  • 1cup sliced mushrooms (if you don’t like mushrooms you can add more broccoli instead)
  • 2tsp minced fresh ginger
  • 1tsp minced garlic
  • ¼cup oyster sauce
  • ¼cup low sodium chicken broth or water
  • 1tsp sugar
  • 2tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1tsp soy sauce
  • 1tsp cornstarch
  • salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a 10″ fry pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli and mushrooms and cook for approximately 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds more.

Remove the vegetables from the pan; place them on a plate and cover.

Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and turn the heat to high. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add them to the pan in a single layer – you may need to do this step in batches. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.

Add the vegetables back to the pan and cook for 2 more minutes or until the vegetables are warmed through.

In a bowl whisk together the oyster sauce, chicken broth, sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce. Make a slurry In a small bowl by mixing the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water.

Pour the oyster sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables; cook for 30 seconds. Add the slurry and bring to a boil; cook for 1 more minute or until sauce has just started to thicken.

Serve immediately, with rice if desired.

Sausage Mushroom Caps Bolognese

Sausage Mushroom Caps Bolognese

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Yield: 24 pieces
Hannah Jack Tavern, Merrimack, NH (closed)

Circa 1988.  This recipe comes from the then chef at Hannah Jack Tavern in NH.  I took a class that he taught at That Kitchen Place in Amherst, NH. Makes a great party appetizer.

  • 1small onion, diced
  • ½green pepper, diced
  • ½sweet red pepper, diced
  • 3cloves garlic, minced
  • 4TBS olive oil
  • 4sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
  • ½cup crushed tomatoes
  • 2TBS chopped parsley
  • 1tsp dried basil
  • ½cup light cream
  • ¾cup shredded mozzarella / bread crumbs
  • 24large mushroom caps, cleaned & stems removed


Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat 2 TBS oil over high heat until shimmering. Put garlic in oil, sauté for 10 seconds. Add diced onion, peppers, and garlic. Sauté until onion is translucent but not browned.

Crumble sausage into pan with onion and peppers, stir and press into bottom of pan with large spoon to brown sausage. Cook until light brown. Drain excess fat. Add tomato, basil and parsley and cook about one minute. Add cream and reduce until thick. Remove from heat and stir in Mozzarella. Let cool. Add breadcrumbs to bind.

In a large sauce pan, sauté mushrooms in remaining olive oil. Drain and arrange on cookie sheet. Stuff with sausage mixture and bake at 400°F for 5 to 8 minutes.

Tip

With a few changes, the stuffing makes a real tasty filling for stuffed green peppers.

  • ½mushroom stuffing
  • 3green pepper tops, minced
  • 8oz ground beef
  • 1cup white rice, cooked

Brown the ground beef and the minced peppers in a large skillet.  When brown add the rice and the mushroom stuffing.  Mix until heated through.  Follow the prep and stuffing instructions for stuffed green peppers.

Hamburger & Gravy

Hamburger & Gravy

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aka Gravy Train / Country Pie / Shepherds’ Pie

Yield: 6-8 Servings
Scott Nowell

1994: A throwback to school days in the 60’s. This was officially called Hamburg & Gravy in high school, the students called it Gravy Train, after the dog-food brand. With a change to lamb and topped with mashed potato, it becomes Shepherd’s Pie.

For mushrooms:

  • 8oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 2TBS butter

For meat:

  • 2lb 10% ground beef or ground lamb
  • ½-1medium onion, diced medium fine
  • -or-
  • 2-3shallots, diced medium fine
  • 2cups beef broth
  • 1TBS tomato paste (Shepherd’s Pie only)
  • 1TBS Worcestershire sauce
  • 5TBS butter, divided
  • 3TBS flour
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • Kitchen Bouquet

Country Pie / Shepherd’s Pie:

  • Mashed potatoes for 6
  • 12oz bag frozen vegetables, (peas & carrots, corn, peas or any mixed veg)
  • 1TBS butter


Mushrooms:

Add 2 TBS of butter to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When foaming stops add mushrooms and cook until nicely browned. Remove to medium bowl.

Meat:

Brown the beef over medium high heat. Drain the beef and add to bowl with mushrooms.

Sauce:

Add 2 TBS of butter to the sauté pan. When foaming stops, add onion/shallot. Sauté over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until translucent but not browned.

Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste (if using) and sauté for another 5-8 minutes. Add another TBS of butter and melt, then add the flour. Stir and sauté for 2-3 minutes. This becomes the roux for the sauce.

Return the beef/lamb and mushrooms to the pan. Add the beef stock and bouillon or beef base and stir. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer. If too thin, simmer until reduced to sauce consistency. If too thick add a little more stock or water. To darken, add a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

For Country pie / Shepherd’s Pie:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Add 1 cup frozen corn, peas or other vegetables to the meat & sauce mixture. Return to boil. Remove from heat and pour into baking dish. Cover with mash, dot with butter. Optional, sprinkle with paprika or other seasoning.

Bake until top starts to brown, 20-30 minutes. Serve.

Serve with:

Vegetable Starch
Green Beans Mashed Potato (Gravy Train)
Broccoli Baked Potato
Corn French Fried Potatoes
Green Salad  

Gayle’s Chicken with Carrots & Wine Sauce

Gayle’s Chicken with Carrots & Wine Sauce

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Yield: about 4 servings
Originally adapted from Pillsbury Kitchens’ Family Cookbook

I updated this to use cream and mushrooms instead of cream of mushroom soup.

  • 1-1½lb boneless chicken breast halves
  • 8oz carrots or baby carrots, peeled and cut to 2 in pieces
  • 8oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 8oz heavy cream
  • 2oz white wine
  • 1heaping tsp Better than Bouillon, chicken
  • 4TBS butter, divided
  • 1TBS oil

Trim breasts of any fat or cartilage. If breasts are large, halve diagonally (can do this anyway). Season breasts with salt and pepper.

If the carrots are fresh, microwave in a covered dish with 1 TBS water for 2 minutes.

Heat frying pan over medium high heat. Add butter. When butter stops sizzling, add mushrooms and saute for 6 to 8 minutes until browned. Remove to dish and set aside.

Add 1 TBS oil to pan and heat for 30 seconds. Add chicken to pan. Move pieces around to coat bottom with oil. Fry on first side until light to medium brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and continue to fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add heavy cream, wine and Better than Bouillon. Stir in center of pan, between chicken pieces to mix in Better than Bouillon. Season well with black pepper.

Return the mushrooms and carrots to the pan and mix everything to evenly distribute. Carrots should be in sauce, but not under chicken. As sauce starts to boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cover, cook for 8 to 10 minutes.  Should be bubbling, but not boiling hard.

Check thickest piece of chicken with instant read thermometer for > 152°F. (Or pull one of the breasts from the pan, cut almost in half and check for doneness. Should not be any pink in center.)

Remove breasts to a serving dish and set aside.

If necessary, increase heat and reduce cream sauce to desired thickness. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Pour over breasts.

Serve with rice.

Nowell Spaghetti Sauce

Nowell Spaghetti Sauce

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Yield: 4-6 servings
Loosely based on a recipe in the Seven Seas Nantucket Cookbook.

This is a moving target recipe if there ever was one. This is a quick cooking sauce and does not need long simmering.  Once the sauce is mixed and simmering, the sauce will be done in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta.

Meat:

  • 4-6Italian sausages, sweet, mild, hot or combination (optional)
  • 1lb ground beef
  • 8oz ground pork or ground sausage (optional)

Veg:

  • 2TBS Olive oil
  • 1small or medium onion chopped fine
  • 1green bell pepper, small dice (optional)
  • 2cloves garlic minced
  • 1green bell pepper, diced
  • 8oz mushrooms, sliced or quartered (optional)

For sauce:

  • 114-oz can tomato sauce
  • 114-oz can diced tomatoes
  • 16-oz can tomato paste (optional)
  • 16-oz can water (paste can) (optional)

Seasonings:

  • 1tsp basil
  • 1tsp oregano
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1tsp sugar
  • ¼ to ½tsp fresh ground black pepper


For sausage: If adding the optional sausage, place them in a sauté pan over medium high heat with a cup of water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer. Turn over after 6 minutes, cover and cook for another 6 minutes. Pour water into a glass measuring cup. Return to stove, and sauté until browned on all sides 4-8 minutes. Set aside.

For mushrooms: If adding the optional mushrooms, place them and a TBS of olive oil to the sauté pan over medium heat. Cook for 4-8 minutes, until water evaporates and mushrooms brown. Set aside.

Sweat vegetables: In a 2-qt sauce pan, heat 1 TBS olive oil and sweat (see Terms) onion and optional green pepper over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned. Add garlic, sauté 30 seconds more. Remove to a small bowl.

For ground beef: Carefully remove any left over garlic, otherwise it will burn and get bitter. Turn heat up to medium-high. Add ground beef and brown until mostly cooked through. Reduce heat to medium.

For sauce: Return onion and garlic to pan. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and optional paste. Fill paste can with tap or sausage water and add. Add all seasonings and 1 TBS olive oil. Stir carefully. If using, add sausage to pan. Cover, bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer while pasta cooks.

Options:

Go meatless with no beef or sausage. Ha ha ha.
Replace onion with 1 TBS Minced onion flakes.
Replace garlic with ½ tsp garlic powder (only if desperate).
Adjust seasonings. I always uses a heaping tsp of basil and oregano based on an eye-ball guess.