Exotic Mushrooms over Polenta

With the beginning of the new year, I’ve decided I want to try more meatless meals. This one was very tasty and a good winter meal.

Ingredients

Assorted exotic mushrooms (these can usually be found at finer supermarkets) – sliced

A few white mushrooms – sliced

Chopped parsley

Minced garlic

Chicken broth

Cooked polenta

Directions

Heat some olive oil in a pan. Add the mushrooms, garlic and parsley. Cook slowly until the mushrooms are soft. Add some broth to the pan if it starts to stick.

Make a slurry of flour and broth and set aside.

When the mushrooms are done, add some broth and the slurry. Cook over low heat until the mixture thickens. Adjust the broth level until you have a nice sauce, making sure it’s not runny. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over hot polenta.

Mushroom & Garlic Linguine

This was great!

Ingredients:

1 lb. linguine

Butter

Olive oil

1 lb. sliced cremini mushrooms

6 minced garlic cloves

1/2 c. Pecorino cheese, finely grated

2 T. chopped parsley

Directions:

Cook pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter and oil in a frying pan. Add the mushrooms, seasoning with salt and pepper. Saute until browned and tender. Add the garlic and sauté a bit longer.

When the pasta is done, add the cooked pasta to the mushrooms. Add 3/4 c. of the pasta water too and the cheese. Cook until the water has evaporated. Add the parsley and serve.

Meatballs in Mushroom Cream Sauce

I’ve always loved this dish, only when I was a little girl, we used to use Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup. This was delicious but now I like to know what’s in my food, so I try to make everything from scratch. This recipe is delicious and just as good as that other stuff!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground pork (or ground Italian sausage without fennel)

1/2 lb. ground beef

1 onion (1/2 sliced and 1/2 diced)

1 clove minced garlic

1/3 c. bread crumbs (high quality)

1 egg, beaten

1 t. Italian seasonings or Herbs de Provence (your preference)

1 T. Worchestershire sauce

2 c. sliced mushrooms

2 T. flour

1 c. beef or chicken broth

1 c. fat free milk

1/4 fat free sour cream

Directions:

Saute the minced onions and garlic in some olive oil. Place into a bowl. Add the meats, bread crumbs, egg, Worchestershire, and spices. Using your hands, mix altogether until well combined. Form meatballs about the size of a ping pong ball (or slightly smaller).

In a frying pan, heat some oil and brown the meatballs well on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add the sliced onions and the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are soft and all the liquid has evaporated. Add the flour and stir. Cook for a few minutes. Add the broth. Whisk in the milk and sour cream. Bring to a boil.

Return the mushrooms to the pan and reduce the heat. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, making sure that the liquid doesn’t dry out too much. Season to taste.

Serve over some rice or pasta or mashed potatoes.

 

Mushroom and Garlic Spaghetti

Sometimes just a plain sauce is all that’s need on spaghetti. This has a lot of weight watcher points – 17, but if it’s combined with some 0 point alternatives for lunch or dinner, it’s OK!

Ingredients:

1 lb. dry spaghetti

3 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

1 lb. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and slice

6 cloves garlic

1/2 c. Pecorino cheese, grated

2 T. parsley, chopped

Directions:

Cook the pasta. Reserve 3/4 c. of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat 1 T. butter and oil in a large pan. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until browned and tender. Add the garlic and remaining butter and sauté for a little bit longer.

Add the cooked spaghetti to the mushroom pan, the reserved pasta water,  and 1/2 c. cheese. Cook and toss until the water has evaporated. Add the parsley and toss again. Serve immediately and add more cheese if desired.

Chicken Cacciatore

This was excellent and would be great to cook in the pizza oven, too.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken drumsticks and 2 chicken thighs, with bones and skinned
• 8oz. mixed mushrooms, like crimini and shiitake
• Dried porcini mushrooms, soaked and softened in water (reserve water)
• 1 onion, diced medium
• 1 small yellow and red pepper, diced medium
• 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, shaved
• pitted kalamata olives, a large handful
• 1 cup porcini mushroom water
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• Assorted herbs, parsley, basil, oregano and thyme
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Season chicken with salt, pepper and sprinkled oregano.
2. Heat a heavy cast iron skillet, drizzled with olive oil.
3. Place chicken skin side down and do not move it until it reaches a deep golden brown and it’s easy to turn, brown other side for a few minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
4. Add vegetables, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, a few twigs of thyme, saute for 5 minutes.
5. Add wine and let it reduce.
6. Add mushroom water and marinara sauce.
7. Toss in 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper and chopped fresh basil.
8. Place the chicken back into the pan and sink into the juices.
9. Simmer on low, stove top, for a couple of hours or until chicken falls off the bone. Uncovered.
10. Garnish with fresh parsley.
11. Serve with cooked pasta, polenta or warm crusty bread.

Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms

Delicious!

Ingredients:

Chicken thighs

Baby bello mushroom, thinly sliced

White wine

Broth

Green onions, chopped

Seasonings

Directions:

Cook the mushrooms in some olive oil until done. Remove to plate.

In the hot pan, brown the chicken thighs well on both sides. Deglaze with some white wine.

Add some broth and reduce the heat. Cover and cook until done.

Return the mushrooms to the pan. Turn the heat up to high to evaporate most of the liquid. Make a sludge of water and flour. Add to the pan.

Add the green onion and stir to combine well.

Pork Cacciatore

This was pretty good – and a different take on Cacciatore using pork instead.

5 Weight Watcher Freestyle Points (4 servings)

Ingredients:

12 oz. pork tenderloin, cut into chunks

3 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 bell pepper, cut into chunks

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced or quartered

1 c. marinara sauce

Rosemary to taste

Coat a pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper. Cook the pork until browned. Remove to a plate.

Add more cooking spray. Add the potatoes, onions, and 1/2 cup water. Cook, scraping up the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the peppers, mushrooms, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are browned. Add more water if they start of stick. Cook for about 7 minutes.

Stir in the marinara sauce, pork, and 1/4 water. Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook until the vegetables are tender and the pork is cooked through (about 7 minutes).

Risotto with Pancetta & Mushrooms

This was simply delicious – nice subtle flavors that went together perfectly!

Ingredients:

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 oz. cubed pancetta

8 oz. sliced “exotic” mushrooms – I used trumpet mushrooms

1 1/2 c. Arborio rice

1/2 c. white wine

About 5 cups chicken broth

1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat some olive oil in a stock pot. Add the onions and sauté until beginning to become golden. Add the pancetta and cook until beginning to crisp. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until softened.

Stir in the rice and coat it with the mixture in the pot. Add the wine and cook until the wine has been absorbed.

Begin adding the stock one ladle-ful at a time and stir constantly. When the broth has been absorbed, add more stock. Keep doing this until the rice is tender.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Cream of Mushroom Sauce

This is a wonderful sauce that can be used on chicken and pork.

Ingredients:

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 c. half and half

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Parsley

Directions:

Add the garlic to the pan in some olive oil and cook until soft. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until they have released their water and softened.

Add the chicken broth and cook for a few minutes until the broth has reduced a bit. Add the half and half and cook for a few more minutes. Add the parmesan cheese and chopped parsley and stir until the cheese has melted. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings.

 

Chicken in Garlic Mushroom Sauce

Years ago, I used to make my mushroom sauce by opening a can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup. Even though it was always very good, I knew that it wasn’t healthy. So when I tried this mushroom sauce, I was thrilled. The taste is just as good, if not better, and it’s authentic! You can use this sauce on pork, too.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 c. half and half

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Parsley

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Brown the chicken thighs well in some olive oil. Remove and set aside.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook until soft. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until they have released their water and softened.

Add the chicken broth and cook for a few minutes until the broth has reduced a bit. Add the half and half and cook for a few more minutes. Add the parmesan cheese and chopped parsley and stir until the cheese has melted. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings.

Return the chicken to the pan. Cover the pan and reduce the heat. Cook until the chicken is done.