Chicken and mushroom casserole

Ingredients

8 tbsp olive oil
flour, for dusting
400g /14oz chicken thighs, skinned and boned
150g /5½oz small onions, peeled
1 carrot, very finely chopped
1 celery stalk, very finely chopped
300g/10½oz button mushrooms, halved
200ml/7fl oz dry white wine
500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
3 free range egg yolks, beaten with 4 tsp of milk
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Method

• Heat six tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
• Sprinkle some flour onto a plate. Coat the chicken thighs in the flour, shaking off any excess, and carefully place into the hot oil. Fry the chicken thighs for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown on each side.
• Remove the chicken thighs from the pan and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
• Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms for five minutes, or until softened.
• Add the wine and the stock, bring to a simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes.
• Return the chicken to the pan and season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg. Continue to simmer for another 4-5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through
• Just before serving, stir in the egg yolk mixture until smooth and sprinkle over the parsley.

Mushroom, bacon and Stilton baked risotto

Ingredients

500g white mushrooms, quartered
300g smoked bacon, trimmed and chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
200g blue Stilton
150g garlic and herb cream cheese
180g brown rice

Method

• Preheat the oven to 80 C / Gas 1/4.
• Place mushrooms, bacon and garlic in a casserole dish.
• Combine cream cheese and Stilton and put in the microwave to soften, using 20 second bursts. Stir well and place in casserole dish, placing spoonfuls over the mushroom mixture. Cover with the lid.
• Place in the preheated oven and cook for about 3 hours.
• When you remove from oven it will look like a brown type of soup, this is when you allow it to cool and add the rice.*
• Put back in oven at 80 degrees C for another 2 hours. Serve as desired.
• Tip
• I chose to let the rice soak up the juices from the cooked mushrooms overnight before cooking it in the morning. Served for lunch is ideal. Garnish as desired.

Mushroom, courgette and bacon risotto

Ingredients

1.6L chicken stock
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
150g portobello mushrooms, chopped
150g white mushrooms, chopped
3 courgettes, slices
50g butter
3 shallots, diced
400g arborio rice
120ml white wine
200g bacon, diced
40g mature Cheddar cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• In a saucepan, keep the chicken stock warm over low heat.
• In another saucepan, heat a drizzle of olive oil and saute the mushrooms until they've browned and lost their water. Set aside.
• Add another drizzle of olive oil and fry courgettes until soft and golden. Set aside.
• Add 1/2 of the butter and fry shallots until soft.
• Add remaining butter, add rice stir to coat. Once rice has taken on a pale golden colour, add white wine, stirring continuously until absorbed.
• Add approximately 200ml of chicken stock to rice, stirring continuously until absorbed. Repeat adding approximately 200ml of chicken stock at a time until the liquid is absorbed. Rice should be soft but al dente.
• While repeating the stock process, fry diced bacon in a separate pan and mix into the rice at the end.
• Add cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and stir in.
• Reheat courgettes and mushrooms, either microwave or in saucepan, and add at the end. Serve with a side salad.

Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (1 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 8 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Preparation

1. Sprinkle steaks with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steaks to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Transfer steaks to a serving platter.

2. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add butter to pan, swirling to coat; cook 15 seconds or until foam subsides. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Stir in vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, and soy sauce; cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon mushroom mixture over steaks. Sprinkle with thyme leaves.

Wine note: Merlot can be as serious as many cabernets. It's also a natural with both red meat and mushrooms, making it a good partner for this dish.

Sautéed Bass with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

2 teaspoons canola oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) skinned bass fillets
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 teaspoons bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation

1. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over fish. Add fish to pan; cook 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove fish from pan; cover and keep warm.

2. Add mushrooms and sesame oil to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add the green onions and remaining ingredients to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Serve with fish.

Braised Grouper with Ginger, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Chiles

Ingredients

4 6-ounce grouper fillets
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cups vegetable stock
2 heads baby bok choy, leaves separated
12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons thinly sliced green onion
2 teaspoons thinly sliced red jalapeño chile
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Preparation

1. Season fillets with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan (not nonstick) over medium-high heat; add oil, then fillets. Cook until fillets start to brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip fillets and reduce heat to medium. Add stock, bok choy leaves, mushrooms, soy sauce, and ginger. Cover and cook until fish is opaque in the center, about 3 minutes.

2. Divide fish, mushrooms, and bok choy between 4 deep, wide soup plates. Pour stock over fish and vegetables (depending on size of your plates, you may have extra stock). Garnish with green onion and jalapeño and drizzle with toasted sesame oil.

Baked Barley with Shiitake Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
4 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 3 medium)
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups sliced button mushrooms (about 9 ounces)
3 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 8 ounces)
1 1/2 cups uncooked pearl barley
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups vegetable broth
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and sugar; cover and cook 25 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add barley; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in soy sauce, salt, pepper, and thyme.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Pour broth over barley mixture; cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until barley is tender. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Olives and Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

4 (4-inch) portobello mushroom caps
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, divided
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 (1-ounce) slices white bread
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove stem and brown gills from undersides of mushrooms using a spoon; discard gills. Place mushrooms, stem side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; cool mushrooms on wire rack.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 12 minutes. Stir in wine, vinegar, 1 teaspoon thyme, and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Uncover and increase heat to medium-high; cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Stir in olives, rind, and pepper.

Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups. Combine 1 teaspoon thyme, crumbs, cheese, and parsley. Spoon 1/2 cup olive mixture into each mushroom; top with about 3/4 cup cheese mixture. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Farro and Mushroom Meat Loaf

Ingredients

1 cup "NeutralQue"
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
1 fresh pear, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup grated yellow onion
6 ounces oyster mushrooms, minced
1 ounce pancetta, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground sirloin
2 cups diced bread
1 cup cooked farro
1/2 cup low-sodium white beans, mashed to a paste
1/2 cup unsalted beef stock
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Zest from 1 lemon
1 egg white
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425°.

MAKE THE SAUCE

Combine the first 6 ingredients (through mustard) in a small saucepan.

Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.

Now increase the heat to medium and boil 18 minutes, or until the mixture thickens into a glaze.

Remove from the heat and set aside.

MAKE THE MEAT LOAF MIXTURE

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat.

Add the onions, the mushrooms, the pancetta, and the garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Combine the remaining ingredients for the meat loaf (except the cooking spray) in a large mixing bowl.

Fold evenly, but gently, until just combined.

Add the cool mushroom mixture.

BAKE!

Coat a roasting pan with cooking spray. Form a meat loaf about 3 inches tall by 4 inches wide on the pan.

Bake the meat loaf at 425° for 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 140°.

During the final minutes of roasting, baste the meat loaf with about 1/4 cup of the sauce. Reserve the remaining sauce for service. Pour the glaze over the meat loaf.

Bake an additional 7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 155°.

Remove the lacquered meat loaf from the oven, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Slice and serve.

Porcini Mushroom Meat Loaf with Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms (see Notes)
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups small bread cubes (from 2 slices of hearty bread, crusts removed)
1 pound ground beef (see Notes)
1 pound veal (see Notes)
1 pound pork (see Notes)
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine
6 tablespoons butter

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Put mushrooms in a small bowl and pour 2 cups simmering water over them. Stir and let mushrooms sit 15 minutes. In another small bowl, pour milk over bread cubes. Squeeze bread with your fingers to soften completely.

2. Break the meats into small chunks, then toss together in a large bowl. Add shallots, parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper.

3. Use a slotted spoon to remove mushrooms from water; reserve liquid. Chop mushrooms fine and add about three-quarters to meat mixture; set remaining mushrooms aside. Gently squeeze bread to remove excess milk and add it to meat mixture; discard milk. Using your hands, gently mix bread, meat, and seasonings until blended. Form mixture into a ball, transfer to a large, heavy-bottomed metal roasting pan, and pat into a rounded loaf.

4. Sprinkle carrot, celery, and remaining mushrooms in bottom of pan. Pour in 3/4 cup each of mushroom soaking liquid (strain out any sediment, if necessary) and chicken stock. Bake until outside of loaf is browned and interior measures 180° on a meat thermometer, about 90 minutes.

5. Transfer meat loaf to a platter. Set roasting pan over 2 stovetop burners on high heat. Pour in wine and use a wooden spoon to loosen vegetables and browned bits. Add remaining mushroom liquid and chicken stock and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in butter; sauce will thicken slightly. Transfer sauce (with vegetable bits) to a gravy boat and serve alongside meat loaf.