Sauteed Mushrooms

     My oldest daughter told me she missed my blogs. I have missed blogging too but I just had this cold that I couldn't shake. I was tired. I didn't want to cook. My husband even made me go to the doctor. Then I had to take medicine which made me feel better than my youngest daughter gave me another cold. So, finally I feel great! Great enough to cook! My oldest daughter said I've been posting a lot of desserts so I decided to post about mushrooms!
     When I lived in Colorado, I liked to eat at this restaurant called The Hungry Farmer. I would order there sauteed mushrooms for an appetizer. Well, I haven't been back to Colorado for over ten years. Also, the restaurant has closed. I did find an old menu online. Does the dish taste like I remember? I can't remember. I know this recipe did taste good. My husband liked it. I think these would be an awesome topping for steak. Are they low calories? No so it is a good thing that it was an appetizer.

Sauteed Mushrooms
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp salted butter
8 oz. button white mushrooms
1 tsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp dry parsley

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat.
2. Add the mushrooms, garlic salt, and parsley. 
3. Saute the mushrooms for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris. 

One year ago.........................I made Caesar Salad Dressing.
Two years ago.......................I made Hardtack.
Three years ago.....................I made PB Cup PB Cookies.
Four years ago.......................I made Feta Topped Chicken.

Did you already know................
-Mushrooms do not require sunlight to make energy since they have no chlorophyll.
-In the U.S., the white button mushroom is the most popular mushroom.
-During the reign of King Louis XIV, a commercial mushroom farm was created in a cave in France.

Salisbury Steak

Did you eat TV dinners as a kid? On occasion, we did. One of my favorite TV dinners was the Salisbury steak meal. So, the other day I figured I would make Salisbury steak for the family. I could have made some TV dinners but I elected to make the meal from scratch. I figured it would be better for us. My daughter requested some creamed spinach which I thought was the perfect side dish. My husband loved the Salisbury Steak. He told me it was one of his favorite meals I have made. He didn't care for the creamed spinach even if the kids and I did. If you are feeling you would like a retro meal, then this is a great meal to make.

Salisbury Steak
1 lb. of ground beef
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 egg
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, sliced
8 oz. white mushrooms
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, and one egg. Mix until incorporated.
2. Divide the mixture into 4 equal sections. Shape into patties.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Melt the butter and cook the meat patties on each side for 4 minutes. 
5. Flip the patties and cook for another 4 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside on a plate. Cover.
6. Add the onion into the skillet. 
7. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cook the onions for 20 minutes. 
8. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. 
9. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and mushrooms. Saute for 2 minutes.
10. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth. Stir well. Raise the heat to medium.
11. Add the meat patties into the skillet. 
12. Add one more cup of the chicken broth to the pan. 
13. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and allow the meat to cook for 15 minutes.
14. Serve the patties with spoonfuls of the onion, mushrooms, and gravy over the patties.  

Recipe adapted from Taste of Southern. 
 
One year ago.............................I made Pineapple Syrup.
Two years ago..........................I made Pie Filling.
Three years ago........................I made Pineapple Kolaches.

Did you already know.........................
-Salisbury steak is named after Dr. Salisbury. 
-During the Civil War, Dr. Salisbury tested his food theories on ailing soldiers.
-Dr. Salisbury recommended a diet of hamburgers three times a week.

Chicken Marsala

Lately, my son has decided he doesn't like mushrooms. He doesn't want any extra added to his salad. However, he told me I can still cook with them. I told him good since I cook often with mushrooms. So, I made chicken marsala. Do you think he complained? No, he even ate the mushrooms. He said it has to do with the texture or something. I love chicken marsala and I order it often when we are eating out. I actually should make it more at home since it is a quick meal. It took me longer to make the mashed potatoes.

Chicken Marsala 
4 boneless chicken breast
salt and pepper
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp unsalted butter, divided
4 shallots, chopped fine
1 cup button mushrooms
1 cup crimini mushrooms
1/4 cup dry Marsala wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. With a meat pounder, flatten the chicken to an even thickness.
2. Salt and pepper the chicken. 
3. In a large skillet, melt 1 tsp butter with 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat.
4. Add the chicken and saute for a couple of minutes per side. 
5. Remove the chicken and set aside.
6. Add another 1 tsp butter with 1 tsp olive oil to the pan.
7. Add the shallots and the mushrooms to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are lightly browned.
8. Add the Marsala wine to the pan. Bring to a boil. 
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
10. Add the cream and lemon to the pan. Bring to a boil.
11. Add the chicken back to the pan.
12. Cook the chicken for about 3 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Recipe adapted from Food.com. 

One year ago...........................I made Creamy Polenta.
Two years ago.........................I made Yogurt Pancakes.
Three years ago.......................I made Margaritas.

Did you already know......................
-Marsala wine is made in Sicily, Italy.
-Marsala wine is a dessert wine.
-Since Marsala wine is a fortified wine, a hard alcohol is added to it.

Pork Chops with a mushroom sauce

Yesterday, my Dad called me from Oktoberfest. Yes, he went to Germany without me and called me from one of the tents. My Dad told us that he was having a beer just for us. I could hear the celebration in the background. He sounded so happy.  In celebration or Oktoberfest and my Dad's travel over to the festivities, I had to try another German dish. This dish is really good. The best part of the dish is how fast it is to make it. The roasted vegetables took longer then the dish. Since my daughter requested mashed potatoes, I made them for her. It was a nice combination. 

Jaegerschnitzel with a Mushroom Sauce
Sauce:
1 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium shallot
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp all purpose flour
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp parsley

Pork chops:
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper 
4 pork chops with bone
1 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the tsp of butter and oil over medium heat.
2. Add the shallot and mushrooms. Saute for 5 minutes. 
3. Add the chicken broth and wine. Cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the milk and stir. Reduce heat to low and shimmer for several minutes. 
5. Sprinkle the flour and whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil while whisking. 
6. Sprinkle with the paprika, salt, pepper, and parsley to taste.
7. Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer until the pork chops are throughly cooked.
8. One a plate, combine the flour, paprika, salt, and pepper. 
9. Dip the pork chops into the flour mixture. Shake off the extra flour.
10. To another medium skillet, heat a tsp of olive oil and the butter over medium heat. 
11. Add the pork chops to the skillet. Cook the pork chops on each side for at least 3 minutes.
12. Add the pork chops to the mushroom sauce. 
13. Cook until the internal temperatures reach at least 145 degrees F.

Recipe adapted from About Food.

One year ago.............................I made Tomato Salad.
Two years ago...........................I made Plum Cake.
Three years ago.........................I made German Red Cabbage.

Pork Chops with a tower of potatoes!

Did you already know................
-Twenty years ago, pork had 25% more saturated fat than today. 
-Pork should reach an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F. 
-Ground pork should reach an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F.

Beef Stroganoff

This is not my Momma's Stroganoff. My husband said this tasted nothing like his Momma's Stroganoff either. This sure doesn't taste like Hamburger Helper's Stroganoff. I will admit I have never made Stroganoff since I wasn't the biggest fan of it when I was a kid. My husband told me that he wasn't going to try it since he didn't like it. I said you have to at least try it. My husband ate a large bowl of it plus he said he would even make this dish next time. I think I converted him to Beef Stroganoff and he was so against me making Russian dishes. My children loved it. It is creamy and fulfilling. I used ground beef since my husband isn't a fan of steak but I'm willing to make these kind of changes for him. This is an easy quick meal which could easily be made on a weekday. My Mom always served Beef Stroganoff with egg noodles so I did the same but it could be served over rice.

Beef Stroganoff
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 cup chicken stock
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp minced parsley

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the ground beef and onion. Cook until the meat is browned.
3. Add the Worcestershire sauce and stir.
4. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the mushrooms and stir.
6. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and incorporate well.
7. Add the 1 cup of sour cream with the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken stock. Mix well. 
8. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Sprinkle with the parsley.
11. Serve over noodles or rice.

Recipe adapted from Light 'n Fluffy.

Two years ago.........................I made Cream Cheese Lemon Cookies.

Did you already know..............
-Beef Stroganoff emerged in Russia in the 19th century.
-The origins of Beef Stroganoff has different versions but some believe it was named after Count Stroganoff.
-Many Russian dishes tend to be named after famous households instead of the chefs who create the dish.

Chinese New Year

When we order take out at our local Chinese restaurant, I order chicken lo mein. It is a lot of  noodles with pieces of vegetables and chicken. I figured it couldn't be a lot of work. When I researched several recipes, they called for oyster sauce and other ingredients which wouldn't taste like the one I ordered. So, I figured I would attempt to make up a recipe. Does it taste like the one I order? No. Is it good? Yes. Does my son like it? Very much. It still gives me a nice excuse to order out once in  awhile. 

Chinese Chicken noodle dish
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 lb. Chinese noodles, Soba Noodles, or spaghetti noodles
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup snow peas
1 cup shiitake mushrooms
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp rice vinegar

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, water, cornstarch, and vegetable oil.
2. Add the chicken and coat with the soy sauce mixture.
3. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. In a large pot, cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. 
5. In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium high heat.
6. Add the chicken and saute for about 5 minutes.
7. Add the snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, and celery.
8. Drain the noodles and add the noodles to the wok.
9. In a small bowl, combine the broth, sugar,and rice vinegar.
10. Add the broth mixture to the noodles and heat for 5 minutes. 
11. Season to taste. Serve hot or eat cold.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.
One year ago..............I made Nutella Molten Lava Cake.

Did you already know.............
-The Chinese New Year is according to the lunisolar calendar.
-It is also known as the Spring Festival.
-2013 is the Year of the Snake.

I wish you a year of wisdom, wealth, and longevity.

Roasted Vegetable Panini

We just started to decorate for Halloween. I have several containers full of spooky stuff. I even have some of my sister's decorations. I had stored her scarey crows away and the kids thought they were great. I did have to remind them that she will want them back. Instead, they decorated my house with them. When I saw them, I told my husband the bad news how some black crows had actually entered our home. He said he saw them and didn't know how our cat was going to take the news. It wasn't our cat that we should have been worried about but our dog. He kept staring at them. My husband thought it was funny to make one chase our dog while making cawing noises. Our dog retaliated by jumping up on him. Don't worry the crow is safe.

My youngest daughter calls these broccoli sandwiches. I guess she is right. I think of them as roasted vegetable sandwiches. I tried to make the photo look like claws. The kids thought it looked scarey or acted scared.

Ahhhh..........

Roasted Vegetable Panini (aka Scary Claw Sandwich)
2 cups broccoli, cut into small florets
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 cup cremini mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
4 oz. butter
1 clove of garlic
 8 thick slices of french bread (I ask the bakery to slice the loaf)
4 slices of provolone cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler on high.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Toss the broccoli with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place the broccoli on the parchment paper and broil for about 5 minutes.
5. Remove the baking sheet.
6. Add the mushrooms, bell pepper, and zucchini to the broccoli. Toss.
7. Broil the vegetables for about 5 more minutes, tossing once while in the oven.
8. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
9. In a small microwave safe bowl, add the butter and garlic.
10. Microwave the butter for 1 minute or until melted.
11. Brush two slices of the bread with the melted butter.
12. Place the slices in a heated panini press or skillet.
13. Top the bread with the vegetables and a slice of cheese.
14. Place another slice of butter bread on top.
15. Cook until golden brown and the cheese has melted.

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats.

One year ago I made...............Black Forest Cherry Torte. 

Did you already know...
-The old English word wicce (witch) meant wise women. 
-It is said that witches held meetings on Halloween.
-Witches is a popular costume in the U.S.

Does she convince you that she is scared?

Wild Mushroom Soup

Do you like mushrooms? I do. Do you like to call your sisters and invite them over for supper on nights you are serving mushrooms especially since you know they don't like them? I do. I also invite my two mushroom hating sisters over for their second favorite meal of seafood. They decide not to come over on those nights either. I really don't know why. 

Don't worry they get even. One sister has tried to convince my youngest daughter that she doesn't like mushrooms either. My youngest daughter has always eaten mushrooms with no problem until recently. I always give her the option of cereal. She normally picks the mushroom meal so I guess my sister will have to work harder.

Wild Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup butter, unsalted
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb shitake mushrooms, sliced
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp finely ground white pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt to taste
fresh chives, chopped for garnish

Directions:
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pan.
Add the onion and cook until transparent about 5 minutes.
Add all the mushrooms and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir 1 Tbsp of flour at a time.
Return the pan to low heat.
Slowly, add the broth while stirring constantly.
Add the pepper, nutmeg, lemon juice, and sherry.
Simmer the soup over medium low heat for 10 minutes. 
Add the cream and stir until the soup is hot.
Add the cayenne and salt to taste.
Garnish with chives.

Recipe adapted from The Pastry Queen.

Make sure to check out the other Project Pastry Queen members posts.

Did you already know............
-Another name for cremini mushrooms are baby bella, Roman, or brown mushrooms.
-Cremini mushrooms are portobello mushrooms. 
-Cremini (baby bella) mushrooms are harvested around 40 days while portobello mushrooms are harvested  around 45 days.
-Shiitake or button white mushrooms are excellent substitutes for cremini mushrooms.

Mushroom Burgers

I am going to share something with you. After you read what I'm going to tell you, you may want to send your condolences and you can. It may make me feel a little better. You see I am not even 40 years old but my oldest daughter is 18 years old today. 18! 18! It is just shocking. How can this be? I remember being pregnant with her and unable to move so I tried to do a cart wheel. Don not try this stunt. It doesn't work. Your feet will not move off the ground. However, my daughter did decide to enter the world a couple of days later. Maybe it helped? I will never know. 

As I've shared before, my oldest daughter loves hamburgers. She could eat them everyday. The other day I was craving a mushroom burger. I occasionally go to this tavern and I order their mushroom burger. It is so good. So this is my creation of trying to duplicate their burger. It was similar but I liked the results a lot. 

 So I made two of them. One for me to eat. The other one to photograph. I have to try it before I photograph because if it isn't good why take the photo. Good logic, huh? After I took the photo, I went to my daughter's room and asked her if she wanted a mushroom burger because there was one on the counter. She went into the kitchen and then came to find me. She was not happy. "Where is the burger?" Misunderstanding her, I reply, "What do you mean? It is on the counter." "No, it is not. What happen to the hamburger?" I found this to be very funny and replied, "No dear, I asked you if you wanted a mushroom burger. I did not say mushroom hamburger." She then informed me that my mushroom burger is not a burger. She ate it any ways. She even grudgingly told me that she liked it a lot. I will continue to call this a mushroom burger especially since the tavern does.

Mushroom Burger


2 large portabella mushroom caps
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
2 strips of roasted red pepper
1/2 cup of fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
2 slices of Provolone cheese
2 hamburger buns ( I toasted mine)


Directions:

1. Remove the stems of the mushrooms and clean well.
2. Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
3. Brush the caps with the oil mixture.
4. Heat a skillet over medium heat.
5. Spray the skillet with cooking spray and add the spinach leaves.
6. Saute the leaves for about 3-5 minutes until they are welted. Set aside in a small dish.
7. Add the roasted red peppers to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes.
8. Set aside with the spinach.
9. Mix the spinach and red peppers with the Parmesan cheese.
10. Add the caps stem side down into the pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip the cap and cook the other side for 5 minutes.
11. Add the spinach leaves and red pepper cap to the middle of the portabella mushroom cap.
12. Top the mushroom cap with a slice of Provolone cheese.
13. Remove from the skillet and place on top of a plate to allow the juices to settle before placing on the bun (which I should have done).

Recipe from Sweet Morris.

Did you already know...............
-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lewis Carrol were born.
-In 1880, Thomas Edison received a patent for his incandescent light.
-In 1888, the National Geographic Society was founded.
-The #1 song on US charts was "All for Love" by Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, and Sting.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

We finally have snow here. It has been one strange year. I am not complaining since I prefer the warm weather. Since it is so cold, I dress with lots of layers. I also dress my younger children in layers. 

 The other day my youngest daughter was walking outside and she didn't have her hat. My husband told her that she needs her hat while he is outside without his jacket. I don't even think we were outside but for five minutes but she still needed her hat. My oldest daughter follows my husbands lead and unless I remind her she will try not to wear a jacket.

I saw this recipe on Tasty Kitchen and I asked my husband if I should make them. He said yes then he wasn't feeling good and never got to try them. My oldest daughter devoured them. She isn't even a spicy girl. The recipe does call for Panko bread crumbs. I guess I was in a hurry since I didn't intentionally forget them. I really liked them. Next time, I am going to leave the bread crumbs off. My sister follows a gluten free diet so she could even try this recipe.

Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms


12 large mushrooms, cleaned
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 oz. cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
2 oz. cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp salt and pepper


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small skillet, saute the bacon until crisp.
3. Take the stems out of the mushrooms and place the mushroom caps onto a cookie sheet.
4. Chop the mushrooms stems.
5. Saute the stems, pepper, onion, and garlic with the bacon. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool slightly. 
7. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and cheddar together.
8. Add the cooked bacon with vegetables to the cheese mixture. Mix well.
9. Top the center of each mushroom cap with the cheese mixture. 
10. Bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
11. Let the mushrooms rest for 5 minutes to cool.

Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen.

Did you already know.............
-On average, January is the coldest month in Maine and July is the warmest.  
-The average temperature in Portland, Maine in January is 31 degrees and in July is 79 degrees.
-In 2009, Maine record low was -50 degrees.
-In 1911, Maine record high was 105 degrees.

Burgundy Mushrooms

When I was a kid, I did not like mushrooms. I did not like the texture. Also, mushrooms really did not have much of a taste. As an adult, I really like mushrooms. I cook a lot with mushrooms as if you couldn't tell if you read my blog often.

When I lived in Colorado, I use to order marinated mushrooms. The dish was served as an appetizer and they were so good. The restaurant is now closed but I sure miss that dish. These mushrooms look and taste very similar to that appetizer. The recipe takes all day to make.

Burgundy Mushrooms
2 lbs white button mushrooms, cleaned throughly
1/2 liter of Burgundy wine
1 cups boiling water
1 sticks butter
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Add the mushrooms, wine, boiling water, butter, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, bouillon cubes, and garlic to a large pot. Stir to combine.
2. Bring the mushrooms to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 6 hours covered.
3. Remove the lid and continue to cook for 3 hours, uncovered.
4. Add salt to taste after the 3 hours. 
5. Serve with bread, as a side dish, or over meat.

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook.

Did you already know.........
-Burgundy wine is produced from the Burgundy region of France.
-Burgundy wine can be white or red.
-A red Burgundy wine is Pinot Noir. 
-A white Burgundy wine is a Chardonnay.