Decadent Mushroom Soup

Mushroom Soup

The Rockin Vitamix soars again!  Really fast, delicious, creamy, deep and rich flavors and simply decadent.  Damn, this is really good!!

The fact that I can make a creamy soup without cream, never ceases to dazzle me!!

Soup-er easy....Here you go!

Decadent Mushroom Soup

The Chef In My Head

4-cup servings (very rich) as an appetizer or first course

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 T. olive oil

1-8 oz. pkg. Cremini mushrooms, sliced

1-8 oz. pkg. White button mushrooms, sliced

1 large onion, sliced

3 green onions, sliced

1 carrot, diced

2 springs fresh thyme

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 garlic clove, minced
Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 Cup dry white wine

1-1/2 C vegetable stock

2 tsp. Chicken soup base (optional)

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, melt butter along with olive oil.  Add all ingredients with the exception of wine and stock.  Saute to allow all flavors to blend and vegetables to soften, not brown.

Add wine to deglaze pan.  Transfer mixture to Vitamix.  Turn on, rotate dial to 10 and switch to high.  Slowly add vegetable stock and soup base if using through lid.   Blend for 5-6 minutes or until heavy steam escapes top.

Pour into serving cups/bowls.  Garnish with Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream if desired along with fresh cracked pepper.  Enjoy!

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Southern~Inspired Crawfish Fettuccini

Crawfish Fettuccine

Rich and delicious, crawfish in spicy cheese sauce in this Southern-inspired recipe!!

Crawfish Fettuccine 

The Chef In My Head 

Serves 4

1/2 C Butter

1 large clove garlic, minced

3 large shallots, sliced

4 green onions, chopped

1/4 pound sliced fresh button mushrooms

1/4 pound sliced fresh shitake mushrooms

3 T. flour

1/2 C dry white wine

3/4 C half-and-half cream

2 jalapenos, minced

1 C mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 (16 ounce) package cooked and peeled whole crawfish tails

1/2 tsp Creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's)

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1/4 C Parmesan cheese, or to taste

1/2 (16 ounce) package fettuccine pasta

Melt butter in large pot over med-high heat.  Stir in the garlic, shallot, onion, jalapeno and mushrooms.  Saute until translucent.  Add flour and saute for a 1-2 minutes to cook off raw flour taste.  Deglaze pan with white wine.  Add half-and-half and mozzarella cheese, season with Creole seasoning, salt and pepper; reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes.  

Fill a large pot wit lightly-salted water and bring to a rolling boil.  Stir in the fettuccine and return to a boil.  Cook according to package directions.  Drain well.  Serve the crawfish over the hot pasta.

Enjoy!

Add a fresh salad and crusty French bread and you have a beautiful meal!

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Slow Cooked Pork Loin with Kale & Mushrooms over Creamy Polenta

In the past, my slow cooker has only been used for queso.  Today changed all that.  It took guts, but I put two beautiful pork loins in my decrepitly old slow cooker, closed the lid and walked away.  Much to my surprise, about 4 hours later this pork loin was perfect; moist, flavorful and delicious!

As for the Kale, who can go wrong with anything that has pancetta and mushrooms in it?

Perfect Flavor Combinations

Succulent Pork Loin in the Slow Cooker

The Chef In My Head

2 pounds pork tenderloin

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1 C water

3/4 C Cabernet Savignon red wine

4 T low sodium soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Tony's seasoning, to taste

Heat a large skillet to med-high heat with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Pat dry pork tenderloin and season with pepper.  Brown tenderloin on all sides.  Place browned tenderloin into slow cooker with the contents of the soup packet on high.  Pour water, wine and soy sauce over the top, turning the pork to coat evenly.  Sprinkle the fresh garlic over the pork leaving as much on top as possible.  Season with more pepper and Tony's.  Adjust temperature to low setting and cook for 4 hours.

Remove pork loin to platter and cover tightly with foil.  Carefully pour cooking liquid to a small saucepan and cook until liquid is reduce by half.  Thicken with cornstarch if necessary.  Check for seasonings and serve with pork loin over creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.

Note:  In the photo you will see that I did not thicken the liquid enough :/  Still tasted great, I just wasn't happy with the appearance.

Serves 6.  Enjoy!

Kale, Pancetta & Mushrooms over Creamy Polenta adapted from Bon Appetit
The Chef In My Head

Ingredients:
1-1/4 pounds kale, stemmed, washed well & rough chopped

2 C whole milk
1-1/4 C water
1 C polenta
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper

6 oz pancetta (Italian bacon) or bacon, coarsely chopped
8 oz mushrooms (such as crimini, oyster, and stemmed shiitake), sliced
2 T olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 C white wine
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 T chopped fresh thyme
1 T grated lemon peel

4 T butter
2/3 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:


Bring milk, water, polenta, salt, and pepper to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thick, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.


Meanwhile, cook pancetta in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels. Add mushrooms and oil to drippings in skillet. Sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in kale and pancetta. Add garlic, white wine and seasonings.  Cover and simmer until kale is tender to your taste. Stir in thyme and  lemon peel. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Whisk butter and Parmesan into polenta and divide among plates. Top with kale mixture.

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Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms

I'm not really sure how I made it to the ripe old age of (_____), no I just can't say it yet, without having Short ribs. We have my husband's Baby Back Ribs January 1st post, several times a year and Short Ribs are a "completely different animal", literally a cow and a pig. This could be my new favorite dish! I made this for Jess and I for the Anniversary of our Engagement and we loved it, I mean really loved it! It requires hot French Bread to be served with it, you won't want to miss a drop of this amazing sauce, hot mashed potatoes would work for the same purpose. Enjoy!

Braised short ribs with Mushrooms adapted from Food Network Magazine

8 Short Ribs (12 ounces each), trimmed and tied individually

8 shallots

11 cloves garlic

1/4 C. tomato paste 6 ounces pancetta, diced

1/2 C. plus 2 Tbls. cognac or brandy

1/3 C. all-purpose flour

2 C. red wine (I used a Pinot Nior)

1/4 ounce porcini mushrooms

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. Tony's creole seasoning

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley

10 ounces shitake mushrooms, trimmed

10 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Bring the short ribs to room temperature. Meanwhile, pulse the shallots, 10 cloves garlic and the tomato paste in a food processor to make a paste (I had to add a little water to the shoot to get it moving). Cook the pancetta in a large pot (I used a large Braiser) over med-high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer the pancetta and all but 2 Tbls. drippings to a bowl.

2. Add the shallot mixture to the pot and cook, stirring until brown, about 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add 1/2 C cognac, scraping up the browned bits. Sprinkle in the flour and cook stirring, about 5 more minutes. Gradually, stir in the wine until smooth. Add the porcini, thyme, Tony's, bay leaves and 1 1/2 tsp salt.

3. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, place in the pot, add water to cover. Trim a piece of parchment paper so that it rests on the surface of the meat. Cover the pot with the lid and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is fork-tender, about 3 hours.

4. Remove the meat from the sauce and transfer to a plate. Set the sauce aside, about 10 minutes, thin skim off the fat. (If the sauce is thick, add a splash of water.) Discard the bay leaves, season the sauce with salt and pepper and add the remaining 2 Tbls cognac. Return the short ribs to the sauce and keep warm over low heat.

5. Chop the remaining 1 clove garlic, then mash with 1/2 tsp salt; add the parsley and chop. heat the pancetta and the reserved drippings in a skillet over med-high heat. Add the shitake and cremini mushrooms and cook until brown, about 10 minutes. Toss in the parsley mixture. Untie the short ribs, divide among plates and top with the sauce and mushrooms.

8 Servings.

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Roasted Chicken and Artichoke Purses

These were fun and relaxing to make, I kind of got into mindless assembly, and before I knew it, I was finished. They were delicious inside and we all liked them, a little different something to look at on your plate. I made them for our daughter and her friend to have after a tough volleyball workout (those girls can really put away the groceries!)

Chicken Purses adapted from a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

1-1/4 C shredded roasted chicken (1 large breast roasted)

3/4 C whole milk ricotta cheese 1/2 lemon, zested 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves 1/2 tsp grey sea salt + more for sprinkling 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper + more for sprinkling 1/2 can of whole artichoke hearts, diced 1/2 C cremini mushrooms, diced 32 small, square wonton wrappers 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 T water

4 T butter

1/4 C grated parmesan cheese

In a small bowl combine the chicken, ricotta cheese, lemon zest, thyme, salt, pepper, artichoke hearts and cremini mushrooms. Stir to combine

On a dry work surface place 8 wonton wrappers. Place a rounded teaspoon of the chicken mixture in the center of each wrapper. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash around the chicken mixture. Bring the four corners of the wonton square together over the filling to form a purse. Press the edges together tightly to form a seal. Wipe the board with a towel until dry and continue making batches of n8 with the remaining wonton skins until all of the filling is used.

Place wontons on top of lettuce leaves inside a bamboo steamer, alternately, you can boil salted water and cook for a few minutes until they float to the top. If steaming in bamboo steamer, the lettuce is used to keep the wontons from sticking to the steamer. Steam for about 4-5 minutes.

Melt butter in a medium skillet. Turn off the heat and add the cooked purses, gently toss. Transfer the purses to serving plates, sprinkle with cheese, salt & pepper. Serve immediately.

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Chicken Gorgonzola with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Artichokes & Cremini Mushrooms

This is one of my favorite dinners. Truly, in my opinion, EVERYTHING taste good with a cream sauce. If you need to reduce the calories in this recipe, you can cut back on the amount of butter and the heavy cream, but why? What if that truck has your name on it tomorrow, look what you would have missed? If you are a caper lover, go ahead and add them! I have made many variations of this recipe such as, skipping the pasta, lightly bread the chicken (as for picatta), omit the cream and up the lemon juice. Easy enough for week-night dinner and elegant enough for a dinner party. For a dinner party, I would probably add Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms for an appetizer, serve with a Ceasar Salad, Crusty French Bread and a Lemon Tart for dessert. Let me know what you think!

Serves 4

1/2 C Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (I use dried ones, you can also use oil-packed, drained well)

2 Chicken breast, skinless, halved & lightly pounded out to about 1/2 inch thick

1 pound fettuccine pasta, cooked according to pkg directions

3 Tbl Olive Oil

2 Tbl Butter

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 pound Cremini mushrooms, sliced

1/2 C canned artichoke hearts, drained & quartered

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tsp dried tarragon

Salt & Pepper, to taste

1/2 C dry white wine

1/2 C chicken stock

1/2 C crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

1/4 C Heavy Cream

1/4 Parmesan, shredded for garnish

Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and saute' until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate, do not clean skillet.

Cook pasta until just tender, Drain and drizzle with tiny bit of olive oil and toss to keep it from sticking together.

Meanwhile, reheat skillet to medium-high heat, add butter. Add garlic; saute until tender. Add sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, tarragon and salt & pepper; saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice, white wine and chicken stock. Return chicken to pan together with vegetables, cover and reduce heat to medium, for approximately 10-15 minutes.

Uncover, add Gorgonzola and heavy cream, stir to combine and heat through.

Serve over pasta and garnish with Parmesan. Enjoy!

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Oyster Stew - Christmas Eve Tradition

Deliciously rich, even non-oyster lovers like the soup itself. This recipe can easily be cut in half or doubled. This has always been a special recipe to be shared by the Christmas Tree with hot French bread and a good bottle of Champagne after the children have gone to bed to wait for Santa. 2 jars oysters, save juice & strain 6-8 green onions, chopped, green and white parts separated 6-8 mushrooms, thinly sliced 4 strips of bacon, peppered bacon if available, chopped 2 cans evaporated milk salt, pepper & cayenne pepper to taste ½ C. Champagne Saute bacon until crisp, remove and drain most of the grease. Saute white part of the onion and mushrooms until onion is translucent. Add oysters and saute just until edges curl. Add milk. Dilute with champagne and flavor with juice to taste. DO NOT BOIL. Add salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste. Serve and garnish with crumbled bacon and green onion tops. Serves 6-8

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Scallops with Mushrooms on Shells

Scallops, one single raw food which is faster than any other! No cleaning, peeling, or cracking before or after cooking!! Once purchased, they are ready to go. Prepare as a gratin, cooking briefly and stuffing in shells to finish in oven. Shells can be baked on top of rock salt in serving dish for presentation straight from the oven to table. Can also be made in small individual gratin dishes or one large dish. Very rich, only needs a salad, bread and a dry white wine. Recipe adapted from Gourmet Magazine ½ C. butter, room temperature 1 C. thinly sliced mushrooms 3 T. shallots, finely chopped 1 T. garlic, minced 1 pound, fresh bay scallops ½ C. bread crumbs ½ C. fresh parsley, chopped Salt & Pepper to taste A good dash of Tony’s 6 seafood shells 6 lemon wedges Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt ¼ cup of butter in a small skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until the mushroms give off their liquid. Add the shallots and garlic, cook briefly until softened. Spoon the mushroom mixture into a bowl. Let cool slightly, then add 2 T. of the remaining butter, the scallops, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper and Tony’s. Fold together gently. Fill shells evenly with the mixture, do not pack tightly. Arrange shells on baking sheet. Melt the rest of the butter and pour it over the gratin in the shells. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Switch to broil, and brown tops, about 1 minute. Serve hot with lemon wedges on side.

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Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon + LeslieMichele's Apple Tart

Well Folks, I survived it, it was lovely and it was worth it.  I made it the afternoon, refrigerated it for two days and served it for my parents and friends for dinner.  We all loved it!  The separate steps are necessary and the end result is nothing short of magnificent! It takes a long time to prepare, but after all when you are channeling Julia, there is a lot of nostalgia and history to consider and the process should, in my opinion, be savored!  This is the only time in my memory that I have actually followed a recipe without changing something.  I'm actually quite proud of myself for that.

My parents were over earlier in the afternoon delivering pecans to use during the holidays.  Thanks Mom and Dad, I love you!  So when I served it to them it was with Julia's Potatoes (Pommes De Terre Sautees, pg 526).  Later when our friends were here for dinner, I served it with pasta.  The potatoes, I think, are the way to go, it seemed more authentic somehow.  Just a note; I tasted it the day I made it, and it really does benefit from the overnight refrigeration.  The flavors meld and blend in a beautiful and noticeble way.

1 6-ounce chunk of bacon

1 9- to 10-inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
1 slotted spoon
3 pounds lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups of a full-bodied young red wine such as one of those suggested for serving or a Chianti
2-3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme
a crumbled bay leaf
the blanched bacon rind
18-24 small white onions (brown-braised in stock)
1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms sauteed in butter
parsley sprigs

Cooking Instructions:


In this case, as with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when reheated.

VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS

Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered peas would be your best choice. Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Bourdeaux-St. Emilion or Burgundy.

Remove rind and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2-inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Saute the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you saute the beef.

Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Saute it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sauteing fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 21/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

(*) Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

FOR IMMEDIATE SERVING

Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

FOR LATER SERVING

When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Pommes De Terre Sautees (Potatoes Sauteed in Butter)

Oignons Glaces A Brun (Brown-braised Onions)

Champignons Sautes AuBeurre (Sauteed Mushrooms)

Apple Tart

12 sheets Phyllo dough
1/2 C. butter, melted
3 large apples (I used Fuji), peeled, cored and thinly sliced
grated rind of 1 lemon
1/4 C. pecans, finely ground

1/2 C brown sugar
3 Tbls. sugar
1 Tbl cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
Juice of  1/2 lemon


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large cookie sheet with foil.  Lay first sheet of phyllo on cookie sheet, brush with melted butter, repeat with all sheets of phyllo until you have used them all.  Lay apple slices, fanned out slightly to cover Phyllo, leaving about 1/2 inch boarder on all sides.  Sprinkle tops of apples with grated lemon rind, ground pecans, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.  Place cookie sheet in preheated oven and bake for approx. 10 minutes.  Reduce oven to 325 degrees and continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes.  Once cooled, remove tart using 2 large spatulas to serving tray and slice for serving.  Tart can be served warm or room temperature.

The tart is super simple and quick to prepare.  Perfect light dessert after a heavy meal!

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Dinner last night was a hit!

Pasta Shells Filled with Feta, Ricotta and Mushrooms

Marinara Sauce: 2 - 3 Tbls olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper 2 28-ounce cans San Marsano tomatoes, break up with juices 1 Tbl Double concentrate Tomato Paste (from tube) 1 1/2 Tbls Tony Chachere seasoning 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 tsp dried basil 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce Filing: 1-2 Tbls olive oil 8 small cremini mushrooms, small diced 1 small onion, diced 1 lg clove garlic, minced Salt & Pepper to taste 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg 2 15-oz containers ricotta cheese 2 8-oz ounces feta cheese blocks, small diced 1/4 cup fresh basil , chopped 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped 1 bunch fresh chives, chopped 2 eggs 1 12-ounce package jumbo pasta shells shredded mozzarella cheese Preparation For sauce: Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, crushed red pepper, bay leaf, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, Tony's, Worcestershire sauce and sauté 30 seconds. Add tomatoes. Simmer until sauce is reduced to 5 cups, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Taste and adjust seasonings. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) For filling: In medium saute pan, heat oil to med-high and saute mushrooms, onion & garlic until onion is translucent and mushrooms are soft, do not burn garlic. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat and let cool. Combine ricotta, 1 1/3 cups feta, chopped basil, parsley and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs. Add mushroom saute mixture and combine well. Cook shells in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water until cool. Drain thoroughly. Preheat oven 350°F. Spread 3/4 cup sauce over bottom of each of two 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dishes. Fill 30 shells and divide between dishes. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool and refrigerate.) Bake shells until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve with hot bread and salad. Chianti is a nice choice with this. Notes: I usually prepare this in two smaller baking dishes and freeze one for later. About the Tony's, I like a little kick of heat. Tony's has quite a bit of garlic but is mostly cayenne, a little goes a long way.

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