Sauteed Button Mushrooms

I am so ready for the leaves to start falling. ENOUGH of this Oklahoma summer, I say. I'm sweaty and I'm grumpy. I'm also out of bug spray so I can't even walk outside without getting eaten alive. Grrr...

Now, Autumn. That's a nice season... it makes me want things with earthy flavors and anything containing apples and raisins and cinnamon and rum in no particular order. It makes me anxiously anticipate cozy layers of fleece, scarves, and smartwool socks... I'm getting carried away again. I was a bit too excited yesterday about the upcoming season and bought a new jacket on Zappos. Too bad  it's still over a hundred flippin degrees here. Ugh.

Mushrooms taste like Fall to me. The fact that mushrooms are available year round in Oklahoma is great because, though I can't snuggle in my new jacket, I can at least savor the flavor of the season.  I never cared for mushrooms until I lived in Miam-uh and got introduced to JM Farms, a major supplier of mushrooms throughout the midwest located just a few miles northeast of my work. You'd think having first hand experience at the SMELL that goes along with mushroom growing would have turned me off but I was intrigued with the little things and they kept giving me free samples at our city business fairs. I'm a sucker for free samples. Unless you're giving out free green beans and then I'll tell you what you can do with them.

Here's a great recipe for sauteed button mushrooms. It's extremely simple and accessible year round in these parts. In the summer, you'll be grateful for a quick side that does't take forever to make over a hot stove. Whatever time of year, you'll love the freshness of it all.  You get highlights of meaty mushrooms without the butter pool which tends to accompany dishes of this kind.
Sauteed Button Mushrooms (Adapted from a recipe by Michael Chiarello)
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds whole small button mushrooms, wiped clean
3 tablespoons butter
Gray sea salt or Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves


1.In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms. Do not move the mushrooms until they have caramelized on the bottom. If you toss them too soon or put them in too small of a pan, they will release their liquid and begin to steam. Steam is the enemy of browning and all that delicious carmelization. When the bottoms are caramelized, toss them and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

2.Add the butter. Cook and toss for 5 minutes, until beautiful =) ( that means browned, of course.)

3.Season with salt and add the garlic. Saute another 2 minutes, and add the thyme, lemon juice, and white wine. Cook to evaporate the liquid.

4.Toss in the parsley and serve immediately.

Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad

Tulsa is so flippin' hot right now that words cannot describe the sweaty, sticky, soppiness of my body. Actually, one word can: Gross. It's gross out there. If lunch time is upon you and if my introductory sentence didn't make you lose your appetite, you might want to consider this pasta salad. Try not to relegate this to the side of that same old sandwich...it can stand alone. And, it's cold. Plus, it features some lovely summer ingredients that will make you really happy and you'll forget that you hate summer and want Fall to arrive with all your heart. Except when Fall comes, you really start to miss all those fresh herbs and tomatoes that actually have flavor...it's a harsh cycle. One day, I'll embrace the flavors that are upon me when they are upon me but, what can I say? I'm always thinking ahead.  

Let me say one more thing before I proceed here... I typically dislike pasta salad. I can't get beyond the cold pasta with the salty mayo thing. I mean, it always sounds good in theory but I never quite enjoy it as much as I feel I should. This pasta salad has no mayo or unidentifiable cream laden bits. Instead, it is oil based and gains it's flavor from a rich base of sun-dried tomatoes, salty capers and olives ( which I actually enjoyed in this dish.) Throw in some fresh basil and sliced local tomatoes ( I used grape tomatoes from Livesay Orchards) and you're in summery bliss. 

Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad

(Serves 12-16----- makes for great leftovers!)

Adapted from Ina Garten: Barefoot Contessa Family Style

For the salad:

1lb corkscrew pasta such as fusili or rotini

About 1 cup assorted black olives, roughly sliced

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced

10-15 basil leaves- chiffonade ( roll em up and slice thin!)

About 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

For the dressing:

7 oz jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil *

4-5 cloves of garlic, slightly crushed.

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 cup extra virgin olive oil**

Optional: 2 teaspoons capers

Salt and Pepper to taste

* You can also get sun-dried tomatoes that have been packed in seasoned oil. This recipe doesn't call for that but it's not a bad idea if you like the flavor variety. Just check your salt levels.
**You can choose to discard the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and add a fresh cup of oil or you can use it here and just add enough new oil to make the total about 1 cup. It is especially tasty to retain that preseasoned oil we just talked about!

 
Add all dressing ingredients to a food processor and puree. That's your dressing! This can totally be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge.

For the pasta, boil until al dente in a large stock pot. Drain and allow to cool. Once cool, toss with dressing to coat. Stir in olives, basil, and tomatoes ( NOTE: if you're planning on making this in advance, I found that adding the tomatoes right before serving keeps things fresh and crisp. I have a thing with tomato consistency... you'll notice I don't even have them in there for the pic! Oops.) Keep chilled until ready to serve. Top with cheese.

Peach and Blueberry Galette

It's the peak of peach season 'round these parts and a galette is a great way to whip up a summery treat. I love the charm of a rustic galette, which is basically a free form pie.  I suppose if I was rolling out pie dough already this would only be mildly easier than making a full fledge pie but, since I was cutting corners with premade dough, this was clearly the way to go. Everyone loved it and it made a great Fourth of July dessert.

Peach and Blueberry Galette (makes 2)

1 box pilsbury pie dough

6 cups sliced peaches

1 cup blueberries

1egg whites

1/4 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

Instructions for one galette- bake individually for best results.

Add 1/2 cup white sugar to peaches and blueberries in a small bowl. Allow to macerate ( mix and do good things with the sugar) for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place one, round pie dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour 1/2 of fruit in center of pie dough, leaving enough room around the edges to roll up around the sides.

Carefully fold the dough around the edges and brush with egg whites. Sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake on center rack for 40-35 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.

Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

Miami, OK has two main sreets, one McDonalds, one Wal-Mart, and four Mexican restaurants. I freaked myself out the first time I said, "Anywhere sounds good....except mexican." Needless to say, standard Mexican fare has worn on me. And, by that, I mean standard American Mexican  food which has been reduced to picking a number off of a combo menu. I needed to experiment with more interesting flavors. Enter Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce. Number one- these aren't swimming in some sauce only distinguishable by its color. Number two- I think these might actually be healthy. I adapted this from the orginal because I really didn't want to ruin all the healthiness by deep frying the tortillas. The result was fresh, light, and very different from my standard #23. Bonus: These are super easy to make.

Chicken Enchiladas in Tomatillo Sauce

Adapted from Simply Mexican by Lourdes Castro

Serves 3-4

1 lb (about 3) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves of garlic, slightly crushed
1 onion, halved
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano ( I only had ground and it seemed to work fine)
1/2 tsp. salt ( plus more to taste)
2 cups Fresh Tomatillo Salsa
3-5 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, sliced thin
Black pepper
9-12 fresh corn tortillas ( this really depends on how full you stuff 'em)
Cilantro sprigs for garnish
1/3 cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese
1 cup mexican crema (OR, you could do like I did and thin out some sour cream with milk)
Optional: shredded iceberg lettuce for garnish

First, poach the chicken. Add chicken, garlic, one onion ( 2 halves), bay leaves, oregano and 1/2 tsp salt to a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil. Decrease heat and simmer ( low boil) for 35 minutes until chicken is done. To check, just slit the chicken and make sure it's no longer pink and the juices run clear.  Allow the chicken to cool in it's broth and when it's cool enough to handle, shred the chicken by hand or with two forks, pulling apart all those delicious fibers.

Note: You can prepare the chicken the day before. Just keep refridgerated.

Next, saute the second onion that you sliced in 1 tbps of oil. Toss in the shredded chicken when the onion is soft and translucent. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the 2 cups of tomatillo sauce over medium heat. Also, prepare your tortillas by lightly pan frying ( 1 tbsp oil per two to three tortillas) the tortillas in a flat skillet until golden but still pliable.

Assembly:

To build the enchiladas, you need your serving platter or individual plates on hand. To assemble, fill a tortilla with the chicken and onion filling ( about 1/4 cup each) and roll, placing the seam side down on your plate. Once you have placed as many as you like on your platter or plate, top with heated tomatillo sauce and finish with crumbled cheese, mexican crema ( or thin sour cream), and sprigs of cilantro. Serve shredded lettuce alongside if you choose.

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

Yes, yes, I know the picture sucks. It's hard to frame up an awesome shot when you're hungry and trying to eat. The important thing here is that I made this and it was GOOD.  Also, I'm feeling real proud of myself because I went shopping for the ingredients on 21st and Garnett which was a pure stroke of genius (great produce, great prices) and I got to feel instantly transported to my homeland--Southern California. I felt... authentic. For those of you not familiar with the Tulsa area, 21st and Garnett is our hispanic district. I was scared to death someone would try to talk to me in spanish only to quickly discover that I'm the worst Mexican ever. Whatever, I can make a mean salsa verde and it's a nice break from the red stuff. Check it:

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa-  yield 2-3 cups

Adpated from Simply Mexican by Lourdes Castro

1 pound of tomatillos (that's about 9- pull them out of the husks, rinse, and quarter.)

2 jalepenos, stemmed and halved (Add more or less depending on your desired heat)

1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems

1 clove of garlic, slightly crushed

1/2 onion roughly chopped ( I used 2 green onions and it was tasty)

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. water

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Puree. Ole!

Can be stored for up to a week in the fridge in a container.

Pasta with Shrimp and Cilantro-Lime Pesto

I'm on a pasta kick. Good for my tastebuds, bad for my physique. Also, bad for the butcher because I haven't seen a need to eat meat for dinner all week. We're talking about ME here... this must be some kind of record. Anyway, the pasta...

First, I'd like to give myself props for actually using my foodie magazine this month and also for not abandoning it when I realized I had no jalepenos last night. I grabbed the car keys and dashed to Reasors. I felt so freakin cool. And, it was worth it. Having never had any pesto other than basil pesto, I was hesitant but quite relieved to find this meal refreshing and completely repeatable. Plus, it introduced me to COTIJA cheese, a mexican hard cheese that crumbles beautifully much like Feta, though more mild in flavor. I'm already looking for another recipe in which to use it.

Pasta With Shrimp And Clilantro-Lime Pesto

Bon Apetit, July 2010 (Adapted from Tejas Texas Grill and Saloon)

Serves 4

1 1/4 cups (packed) fresh cliantro leaves plus 1/4 chopped

1/4 cup (scant) chopped green onions ---I did the full 1/4 because, why bother?

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 Tbsp chopped, seeded jalepeno ( do take care to seed it with a utensil, not your finger... especially if you wear contacts.)

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb linguine

1 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 Tbsps tequila ( Ole!)

1/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese ( or good feta will work fine. Bad feta, will not.)

Blend 1 1/4 cups cilantro and next 4 ingredients in a food processor until a coarse puree forms. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup olive oil. Season generously with salt. It will taste too salty but this will be fine as it will flavor the rest of the dish well.

Do ahead- this can be done the day before. Just cover and chill.

Cook linguine in large pot of boiling watter until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat remaining Tbsp of olive oil in a heavy, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook until almost opaque (about  minutes.) Remove from heat and add tequila. Return to heat and cook an additional 30 sec- 1 minute until liquids are syrupy.

Add pesto, stir to coat and remove from heat. Toss with drained pasta to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste ( I didn't add any seasonings other than the pesto!) Serve sprinkled with crumbled Cotija and chopped cilantro ( if you remembered it.)

Swiss Chard Spaghetti with Garlic Chips

We are now officially moved! I'm happy to say the only thing we've yet to unpack are several boxes of books due to a severe lack of bookcase space. I'm thinking it might be time to part with some of my college-era books...seriously doubting I'll be reading Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age again anytime soon. Also, twenty back issues of Everyday with Rachel Ray may need to go. Tough decisions. Either way, who needs reading material when you live in a city with a bounty of fresh entertainment options?

My entertainment has consisted of grocery shopping seven times in past two weeks. SEVEN TIMES. One trip was a trip to an Indian grocer where I procured garlic ginger paste and tamarind concentrate which will hopefully come in handy while recreating Bhavna cooks.

But, the trip that's nearest to my heart at the moment was my visit to the farmers market where I scored some swiss chard. Some people have a strong aversion to swiss chard despite being greens eaters in general. I have no idea if I like greens or not (seeing as this is the only type I've ever had) but it's dang tasty and the fact that it hums a soothing melody of health as it melts in my mouth makes it my current heart of hearts.

I've adapted the following recipe as found on Smitten Kitchen. The difference is that I substitute feta cheese for freshly grated parmesan and I remove the olives....olives me no likey. The resulting version is bold and earthy and it doesn't get ruined by nasty olives. Bleh.

Swiss Chard with Spaghetti and Garlic Chips

Adapted from Gourmet: November 2008 as represented by Smitten Kitchen

Makes 4-6 servings (we halved this)

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and thinly sliced (lengthwise or crosswise)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 pounds Swiss chard, stems and center ribs finely chopped and leaves coarsely chopped separately (Green Swiss chard is recommended though I used red and green this time with no problems... plus, it looks pretty.)
1/2 cup water
1 pound thin spaghetti ( plus water for cooking)
6 ounces freshly grated parmesan (1 1/2 cups)

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook garlic, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer garlic with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. (Be really careful not to let it burn. It's a total jerk when it burns. Believe me.)

Cook onion in oil remaining in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir chard stems into onion mixture with water and 3/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook, covered, over medium-high heat until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in chard leaves and cook, covered, until stems and leaves are tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 5 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water and drain spaghetti.

Toss hot spaghetti with chard leaves and 1/2 cup cooking water, adding more cooking water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with garlic chips and more cheese if desired.

We're Moving!

Guess what? We're moving.

As in packing boxes, signing papers, fixing faucets, renting U-hauls, MOVING.

Squee!

No more weekened trips to get rare* produce. (* Swiss Chard! Fingerling Potatoes!) No more lengthy intervals between me and Pei Wei Lettuce Wraps ( my new love.) Seriously, though, to everything (turn, turn, turn) there is a season and our time in Miami is just... no more. That's not to say we haven't met some great people, made lasting friendships, or that we won't miss it in any way. But, it is to say, we're moving on to a new place and energy in our lives... and working appliances.

I've been deprived of my oven for the past couple months ( our house's last ditch effort to suck us dry of funds and trap us here forever) so, not only do I get to relocate to the big city, I also get a sparkly new oven.

Maybe I'll finally get around to roasting some cornish game hens in the new one...

For now, I'm becoming quite the stove top gourmet while trying to use up odd ingredients in my pantry so I don't have to pack them. Also trying to clear out the freezer, which reminds me, if you've ever got five chicken thighs you need to use up, don't boil them. That's all I have to say about that.

Ginger Steak Salad

Don't let the word "salad" fool you... this Ginger Steak Salad is a main course, completely filling and packed with flavor. I want to relive it for a moment here...the marinated steak served hot over crisp spring greans with blanched snow peas and topped with a sweet and spicy asian- inspired dressing... Aubrey stopped speaking entirely. Not that he was chattering away or anything but when he did speak, it was to the point: "This could be the best thing I've ever had." Look out Thai Salmon.

This recipe was influenced by The Pioneer Woman's Ginger Steak Salad and is pretty much the same except I added Sriracha in place of jalepeno in the dressing and added sweet snow peas and crisp red onion for color and crunch. I think they gave a nice fresh balance to the rich steak.

Ginger Steak Salad (Serves 2-3 BIG salads)

For Steak Marinade:

2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Sherry
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 tsp. Brown Sugar
1 whole Rib-eye, Strip, Or Sirloin Steak ( I used sirloin and will probably try Rib-eye next time as it was a little tough.)
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For Dressing:

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. White Sugar
1 Tbsp. Lime Juice
2 cloves Garlic, Finely Diced
1 Tbsp. Fresh Ginger, Minced
1 Tbsp. SRIRACHA!

For Salad:

1/2 Red onion thin sliced lengthwise
5-8 oz ( 1 small package) of Organic Spring Greens

4 oz. fresh snow peas, blanched ( boil 2-3 minutes- let cool.)

1. Combine steak marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag or shallow dish. Mix and insert steak. Marinate 30 min. - 2 hours.

2. Whisk together salad dressing ingredients. Set aside.

3.When steak is finished marinating, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a hot skillet or grill pan. Cook steak about 1 1/2 minutes per side, or until medium rare. Remove from skillet and place on cutting board and allow to rest for 5- 8 minutes. Slice thin against the grain, working at an angle. TIP: prep board with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt to avoid losing any delicious flavor. Yeah, I learned that from The Naked Chef.

4. Mound salad greens on a platter or individual plates. Toss with peas and most of red onion. Top with sliced steak. Drizzle salad dressing over the top. Sprinkle with more red onion on top and you're all set.

I highly recommend serving with firecracker shrimp. Be sure to reserve some dressing for dipping.

Firecracker Shrimp

I made P-Dub's Ginger Steak Salad for dinner tonight and had some last minute inspiration to make Firecracker Shrimp in the style of Jaden at Steamy Kitchen. They practically have the same ingredients as the salad dressing so I thought, why the heck not?

"How many shrimp appetizer things do you think would be enough?" I yelled from the kitchen. Response: "Uhhhh.... " --- In Aubrey-speak, that means, "How long have you known me ? You call yourself my wife?" So, I made 14. He ate 10 of them. For perspective, these are JUMBO shrimpys. As in, not small. I can't blame him, though. They were super tasty and fairly easy to make. Probably even easier if I had read all of Jaden's tips beforehand.

Pioneer Woman has a recipe for firecracker shrimp which calls for SIRACHA sauce. Steamy Kitchen's version calls for sweet chili sauce of which I had none. So, I did a hybrid and replaced the sweet chili with the hot chili and it came out amazing.

Here's my adaptation though I highly recommend checking out the original recipe for some great tips that I missed ( which resulted in curly shrimp and less than uniform frying)....

Firecracker Shrimp (in the joint styles of Steamy Kitchen and Pioneer Woman)

14 large tail-on shrimp, deveined and nicked (basically cut three little nicks in the curve of the shrimp to make it lie flat- I read this tip halfway through.)

7 eggroll/springroll wrappers, cut in half diagonally (2 triangles)

oil for frying

Marinade ( this quantity is enough for 20-25 shrimp)

1 tsp. grated garlic
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. SIRACHA!
1 tsp cornstarch

Cornstarch Paste- mix well to combine

1 Tb cornstarch
1/4 cup water

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and marinate shrimp for 20 minutes.

2. Pat dry each shrimp with a paper towel. Wrap each shrimp in a wrapper half. Seal with cornstarch paste. You can see detailed pics of how all this is done and why here.

3. Fry in hot oil for 3 minutes, until golden brown and shrimp is cooked through. Transfer to papertowel lined plate to sop up oil.

Serve with SIRACHA! for dipping ( also, if you're making the Ginger Steak Salad, the dressing is a fab dip, too.)