mushroom -

by snebbu

Mushrooms Gone Wild! Top 10 Mushroom Concoctions

Yes. Wife and I went through enough mushrooms already that I can confidently say we are experts. The stinky veggie that leaves us all coming back for more: mushrooms. Mushrooms are a versatile veggie that can be thrown into pastas, pureed into soups and sauces, or be substituted as “meat” for our vegetarian foes. Anywho – here you have it: our top 10 mushroom recipes.

1.Balsamic Mushroom Flatbread

So tasty and “fancy-looking,” while it is so quick and easy. Garlic, mushroom, balsamic and cheese. BOOM.

2. Beef & Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

If you have a complaint about these savory bites, you can go to hell. That’s all.

3. Mushroom Stroganoff

Back when we were trying to eat healthy, we had “meatless mondays.” Sometimes we had successes, others not so much. This dish was always considered a success. I don’t even miss the beef in this dish.

4. Pork & Mushroom Ragu Over Polenta

To soothe the soul on a winter or fall day, try this dish full of tenderness.

5. Oyster & Shitake Mushroom Alfredo

The shitake and oyster mushrooms add the right amount of earthy notes and a bit of sweetness with the creamy sauce.

6. Brioche Stuffing

I believe brioche bread can make anything better. Rather than picking the most stale bread around (hell, even croutons), why not make a stuffing that matches the gluttony of the rest of the meal?

7. Braised Hunter’s Chicken

One of my favorite dishes that my wife makes. Start the tradition of Sunday dinners with this!

8. Mock Bolognese

Again we find that with the right dish, mushrooms can replace beef! Trust me, I’m surprised too.

9. White Winter Truffled Mac & Cheese

Impress your friends. You’re welcome.

10. Mushroom & Blue Cheese Farrotto

Yes, we found yet another way to take something full of calories and make it healthier without compromising the flavor. BANG BANG.

by snebbu

“A Fungus Among Us” Flatbread

The wife and I live in a geographic location very famous for mushrooms. It has its pros and cons. We have grown used to the fresh smell of manure on any day at any time. However, we have also come accustomed to cheap-ass mushrooms that have great flavor. We are so spoiled. Or so we thought.

We heard a random knock on our door this weekend and I opened it to one of my wife’s former co-workers with a box full of shitake and oyster mushrooms. We thought we were mushroom snobs before with our $2.50 5 pound bags of white, portabella, and crimini mushrooms. But this took it to a new level. “Just let me know when you run out,” she says. Oh…we will. Clearly, you’ll be hearing more about mushrooms in the coming weeks. Tonight was an easy one – a quick yet sophisticated flatbread.

“A Fungus Among Us” Mushroom-Balsamic Flatbread

Ingredients

Shitake and Oyster Mushrooms (any will do – but these do have great flavor w/the balsamic)
Balsamic Glaze
Flatbread (homemade or store bought)
Julienned Red Onion (to your tasted and amount of flatbreads)
Mozzarella Cheese
Romano Cheese
Roasted Garlic

Cooking

Preheat oven to 375 or directed temp.

Put freshly roasted garlic down on the flatbread (spread if you wish) and top with the onion
Sprinkle fungus throughout the flatbread evenly.
Sprinkled mozzarella and romano evenly on top
Cook in the oven for 10 minutes or directed time
Drizzle balsamic glaze on top like a damn pro

If you really like it crispy, pre-bake the flatbread before putting all the toppings on and then bake again. Goes well with a nice big glass of your favorite red wine. This meal is an EASY way to make a nice dinner after work in little time. One flatbread was actually pretty filling for me and I would definitely have it again. Reheats well for the next day’s lunch as well.

by Emily

Pork and Mushroom Ragu over Polenta

I think we can all agree that November = prime fall comfort food time. It’s also starting to turn into prime busy time with holiday prep, days that are shorter and darker (ugh), and trying to wrap up all sorts of projects before the end of the year. You know what this means: it’s slow cooker time. Aw yeah!

Slow cookers make everything easy, but Smithfield is taking fall cooking simplicity to the next level with their marinated pork. You seriously don’t have to do anything besides cook it, and you have a flavorful main dish ready for anything you want to pair with it! I made this tasty ragu with a marinated fresh pork tenderloin, so it’s a bit leaner than some other cuts of pork, but still packed with protein… it’s still so tender and it’s a great slightly lighter option in these pre-Thanksgiving days.

This recipe is simple comfort food at its finest, and you’re not going to feel weighed down by the cooking process or the dish itself. Score!

Pork Tenderloin and Mushroom Ragu over Polenta

Zucchini Noodles & Shrimp in Sweet Potato-Red Pepper Sauce

I am SO in love with the new spiralizer I got for Christmas! (It’s this fancy-pants Paderno 4-blade variety… kind of complicated to put together at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s great.) I’m about to spiralize everything up in this kitchen. Well, within reason.

Obviously, one of the best things to do with a spiralizer is to make faux-noodles. I’ve been trolling Pinterest for some spiralizer inspiration and I happened upon this recipe from Shape. Instead of heavy dairy, it uses puréed sweet potatoes to make a creamy, thick sauce. (Thankfully I also received a shiny new Cuisinart food processor at Christmas this year!)

The original recipe also uses spiralized sweet potatoes to make the “noodles” and while I love me a sweet potato, this was a little too… overly sweet potatoey for my liking, so I subbed zucchini for that component. So technically you can call them “zoodles” but I haven’t fully given into that terminology yet. I also added some shrimp for protein, it went really well with the rest of the flavors and textures. If you’re trying to keep things vegetarian/vegan, you could omit the shrimp and add some firm tofu.

This meal was SO filling and satisfying while also managing to be extremely healthy and low calorie. Rob and I split this entire recipe, and I was wondering if it’s unhealthy/weird for adults to eat 1.5 zucchinis each in a single sitting, but I guess that’s just #spiralizerlife.

Sautéed Zucchini Noodles & Shrimp in Sweet Potato-Red Pepper Sauce

Mushroom and Blue Cheese Farrotto

I feel like, by this point in my ES career, there are certain things that we just can’t avoid. For example: I love healthy grains and making plays on risotto with them, I love mushrooms, and I love blue cheese. So it really shouldn’t surprise anyone when I introduce my next recipe creation: blue cheese and mushroom risotto made with farro instead of arborio rice.

Here’s why I like farro: It’s toasty and nutty with a toothsome bite, standing up to heavy sauces much better than plain ol’ rice. Not only that, but it’s freaking healthy! High in fiber, low in gluten, and packing 7g of protein per 1/4c serving, farro is a grain to be reckoned with. I mixed this with the usual risotto suspects (white wine, cheese, more cheese) with spectacular results. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that this is a super healthy meal (because of the aforementioned cheese and more cheese), but it’s a step up from classic risotto thanks to all the benefits of farro plus a load of vitamins and minerals from the mushrooms and iron from the spinach. All in all… you could do a lot worse. Plus this combination is just plain delicious.