Pasta with Sauteed Mushrooms and Thyme

This is another gem from my new America’s Test Kitchen cookbook. It was fast enough for a weeknight meal and actually had a lot of flavor. I used a combination of button mushrooms and baby bellas because that’s all my grocery store had on hand. The leftovers from this meal went quick, a sure sign of a winner!

“Vegetable broth can be substituted for the chicken broth to make this dish vegetarian. If you add the pasta to the boiling water at the same time the cremini go into the skillet, the pasta and sauce will finish at the same time.”

SERVES 4 TO 6

• Table salt
• 1 pound campanelle or farfalle
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large shallots, minced (about 1 cup)
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 10 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps wiped clean and sliced ¼ inch thick
• 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced ¼ inch thick
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth (see note)
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
• Ground black pepper
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Meanwhile, melt the butter with the oil over medium heat in a 12-inch skillet. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase the heat to medium-high; add the shiitakes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the cremini and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the moisture released by the mushrooms has evaporated and the mushrooms are golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.

Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits. Off the heat, stir in the cream and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the mushrooms, chicken broth mixture, cheese, and parsley to the pasta. Toss over medium-low heat until the cheese melts and the pasta absorbs most of the liquid, about 2 minutes. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with the reserved pasta cooking water as needed and serve immediately.

From: The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013

Quick Beef & Vegetable Soup

I don’t really like vegetable beef soup. It’s usually too tomato-y and the vegetables are mushy and it’s just generally not very appetizing. But I saw this version a while back on America’s Test Kitchen and thought maybe, just maybe I’d like it. To me it looked more like a fast version of a beef burgundy than a traditional vegetable beef soup. I took it as a sign I needed to make it when my sister, Annie gave me “The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook” for Christmas and I ran across the recipe as I was planning my weekly menu.

Now even though this recipe is called “quick,” it’s just quick in the sense that it takes less time to make than vegetable beef soup normally does. I’d say this took close to an hour. But don’t let that deter you. It was definitely an hour well spent. This soup turned out so delicious. The beef was tender, the vegetables were cooked through without being mushy (I added peas and potatoes as suggested below), and it had a great depth of flavor. A fabulous recipe that has earned its place in my “keeper” file.

 

Quick Beef and Vegetable Soup

Serves 4 to 6

“Choose whole sirloin tip steaks over ones that have been cut into small pieces for stir-fries. If sirloin tip steaks are unavailable, substitute blade or flank steak, removing any hard gristle or excess fat. Button mushrooms can be used in place of cremini mushrooms, with some trade-off in flavor. If you like, add 1 cup frozen peas, frozen corn, or frozen green beans during the last 5 minutes of cooking. For a heartier soup, add 10 ounces red potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces (2 cups), during the last 15 minutes of cooking.”

 

• 1 pound sirloin tip steaks, trimmed of excess fat and cut into ½-inch pieces (see note)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps wiped clean, and quartered (see note)
• 1 large onion, chopped medium
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
• ½ cup red wine
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 2 medium celery ribs, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin
• ½ cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• Table salt and ground black pepper

Combine the beef and soy sauce in a medium bowl; set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the mushrooms and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is browned and dark bits form on the pan bottom, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.

Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the meat starts to brown, 6 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits, and cook until syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the beef broth, chicken broth, carrots, celery, bay leaf, and browned mushrooms and onion; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables and meat are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. While the soup is simmering sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let stand.

When the soup is finished, turn off the heat. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add the gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

From: The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013

 

Pork Chops with Caramelized Onion Sauce and Mushroom Cherry Couscous

This is another Rachael Ray recipe I tried out this week. I originally looked at the Mushroom Cherry Couscous recipe and thought it was an odd pairing. I even broke out my Flavor Bible to see if it said anything about mushrooms with fruit. Nope. So I threw caution to the wind and gave it a shot. Surprisingly this turned out really well. It was actually a fast meal to throw together, sticking with the 30-minute meal standard that is Rachael Ray, though I did end up using 3 separate skillets. No matter… I don’t do the dishes!

Pork Chops with Caramelized Onion Sauce

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion (or 2 medium onions), thinly sliced
• 5 or 6 thyme sprigs
• Salt & black pepper
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped (a handful)
• 2 bone-in loin pork chops, 1 to 1½ inches thick

For the caramelized onion sauce, preheat a large skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions and thyme sprigs, then season them with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring every now and then for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Once the onions are on their way, preheat a second skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the chops liberally with salt and pepper and add them to the hot skillet. Cook the chops for 5 minutes on the first side. Resist the temptation to move the chops around in the pan, as it will slow down the browning. (Start the couscous as the chops cook on the first side). Flip the chops and reduce the heat to medium. Cook them on the second side for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the desired done-ness. Transfer them to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil to rest for a couple of minutes.

When the onions are golden brown, add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute, then add the vinegar and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer over high heat and cook until the liquids have reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes more. Turn the heat off, remove the thyme twigs (all the flavorful leaves will have fallen off by now), and add the butter and parsley. Stir until the butter melts. Serve the chops topped with some of the caramelized onion sauce.

2 servings

Mushroom Cherry Couscous

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced (I used about 8oz. pre-sliced mini Portobellos because it was cheaper!)
• 5 to 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• A couple pinches of red pepper flakes
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup dried cherries, a generous handful (can use any dried fruit)
• 1 cup couscous

Heat the olive oil in a skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and spread them out in the skillet. Cook them without stirring for about 3 minutes; they’ll get nice and brown if you don’t touch them. Next, add the sage, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring every now and then, for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and dried cherries and raise the heat. When the stock is boiling add the couscous, shake the skillet to settle it into the liquid. Turn the heat off, cover the skillet, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and serve.

From: Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8 Great Meals for Couples or Crowds

Orchiette Pasta with Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce

So… I sort of changed this recipe a bit to accommodate what I had. Now I know pasta all basically tastes the same and mainly comes in different shapes to suit different types of sauces. Well the other day I saw some Campanelle pasta at the store and it was so pretty I had to buy it. It looks like little flower buds to me. So, that’s what I used for this recipe. I also had a combination of button mushrooms and baby Portobellas leftover from other recipes so I used those instead of wild mushrooms. I also didn’t use any onions or chives because I was fresh out of those. But everything else I did the same. Ok so the recipe I made was totally different. But how can you go wrong with mushrooms, cream, pasta, and thyme? You can’t.

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Stuffed Mushrooms

I’m not the best at making side-dishes and/or appetizers. If I can throw together a main dish, I’m doing pretty good. So, if I am going to put in the time to do a little something extra, I want it to be easy and quick. Enter one of my favorite recipes: stuffed mushrooms. These mushrooms are a staple in my dinner party arsenal. They always turn out fabulous and everyone loves them. One thing I really like about these is they don’t contain sausage. I don’t know why, but I’m not usually too hip on sausage stuffed mushrooms. These are completely vegetarian which makes them #1 Edible on almost any diet and #2 Cheap.

There really isn’t much to these. The mushrooms are stuffed with their own chopped stems, Italian breadcrumbs, parsley, and a little butter and parmesan cheese. And I know this is going to sound like blasphemy, but I’ve tried making these both with homemade breadcrumbs and store-bought and surprisingly the drier, finer store-bought crumbs worked better. I guess you could use homemade ones, but I would make sure they are extra dry and fine. So, if you’re looking for a delicious addition to your next meal or special occasion dinner, give these a shot!

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Beef Stroganoff

This is one of my very favorite comfort food recipes. Who doesn’t love stronganoff? The only change I make to the recipe is to add 8oz. of fresh sliced mushrooms to the onion/ground beef mixture while it’s browning. You cannot have stroganoff without mushrooms. This is really fast to make. Stroganoff in well under 30 minutes? Yes please!

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Veggie Lasagna

I was a little skeptical when I saw this as a featured recipe on Pioneer Woman, but also a little intrigued. It was actually a bit less time-consuming than regular lasagna, though not exactly a fast meal. It was, however, worth the time. Seth kept raving about how much he loved this and ate the leftovers for several meals in a row for a few days until it was gone.

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Cube Steaks with Mushroom Sherry Sauce

Yes, I have posted this recipe before, however, it was so delicious I had to post it again. I seem to make a lot of pan sauces around this joint because they’re pretty tasty and fast. But this mushroom sherry sauce is the best one I’ve ever made. It blows me away every time and I just want to drink it! If you have not tried any of the recipes I’ve posted or you’re a newbie here and don’t know where to start, choose this one. If you don’t like it I give you permission to toss this blog aside like an old shoe.

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Smothered Tempeh Sandwich

This meal was definitely along the experimental lines for me. I’d never had tempeh before, so when I couldn’t find it at the grocery store, I decided to substitute a firm tofu instead. I don’t really know if those two things are anything alike, so I wasn’t sure how this would turn out.

In order to better prep the tofu for a sandwich, I first cut the block into 4 horizontal slices (each about the size of a piece of bread). I then pressed each slice with some paper towels to get rid of excess moisture. Then into the frying pan they went to get a little browned and crispy on either side. I pretty much started at the beginning of the recipe after that– removed the tofu from the pan and cooked up all the mushrooms and onions, etc.

To my surprise this turned out really well. Seth said it was the best tofu he’d ever eaten, so that was a plus. I still think tofu is a bit on the bland side, but it’s a great substitute for meat if you’re looking for a vegetarian option.

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Balsamic Grilled Portobello Sandwiches with Goat Cheese & Red Peppers

This is currently my most favorite sandwich. And it’s vegetarian! WHA? Yeah, it’s true. And everything on this sandwich is my favorite: portobello mushrooms, goat cheese, roasted red peppers. It could only be delicious!

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