Mushroom Soup

I am not a huge soup fan. However, there is something very appealing about a warm soup simmering on the stove on a cold day.  Today, I just had to make mushroom soup. I love the earthy flavor of mushrooms in a creamy soup. I am going to pair it with some toasted bread and a parmesan roasted tomatoes for a vegetarian dinner. Nothing spectacular, but after the heaviness of the holidays, a welcome change. I made a mushroom stock from the stems of the mushrooms and carrots, celery, onion and the dark ends of the leeks. It isn't a necessary step. Chicken or vegetable broth would work just as well. Remember that leeks are masters of holding dirt and grit, so wash them thoroughly. No sense in going through all of this effort to produce a bowl of sandy grit!  Here is the recipe that I used.

Mushroom Soup

1 lb. assorted mushrooms, sliced. (I used crimini, shiitake and Portobello)
2 cups chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)
1 Tbl. chopped thyme
6 Tbl. olive oil, divided
1/4 cup flour
1 cup dry sherry
4 cups mushroom, vegetable or chicken stock
1/3 cup cream, half and half or fat free half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley
drizzle of truffle oil (optional)

Sauté leeks in 2 Tbl of the olive oil over medium high heat until soft and slightly translucent.

 Add mushrooms and thyme, continue to cook until the mushrooms are cooked through.

Salt and pepper the mushroom leek mixture to taste. add in the remaining 4 Tbl of olive oil and the flour. Stir until the flour has cooked for a couple of minutes in the pan (with the mushroom mixture). Add in the sherry. Continue cooking and stirring until the flour and sherry have formed a thick paste. Add the stock and stir until you get an even consistency with the soup.

 

 

For a thicker soup, ladle out about 2 cups of the soup into a blender or an immersion blender. Blend well and incorporate back into the soup.

Finish soup with 1/3 cup of cream or half and half and the parsley (lends some bright notes to such a rich soup). To really gild the lily, add 8 or 9 drops of truffle oil at the end. Be careful to not overdo the truffle, it is delicious, but potent stuff.

Warm Mushroom Arugula Salad

I based this salad from an Ina Garten recipe. I really her enjoy her quick, simple recipes. My husband was a little leary of the idea of a mushroom salad for dinner. We were both pleasantly surprised by how flavorful and satisfying this salad turned out. The original recipe calls for procuitto for the cured meat. I had some leftover spanish chorizo and salami from a trio pack of Spanish meats that I had purchased from Costco, so I used those. I think that procuitto would be just as good. The meat gave a nice, salty contrast against the greens. Here is the recipe. You can double it for however many people you are serving. I always have lettuce because I buy a lot of prepackaged lettuce. At the end of the week, I will make a leftover lettuce salad, and just throw all lettuces that are left into one salad. It may not make for an award winning salad, but I feel like I am opening my wallet and tossing money directly into the garbage when I throw away unprepared food.

Warm Mushroom Arugula Salad
serves 2

2/3 Package of triple washed arugula
5 - 6 cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp olive oil
4 oz cured, smoked deli style meat, such as procuitto, salami or chorizo
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Dressing
Juice of one lemon
1 tsp white or red wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp honey
1/4 c. olive oil


Place arugula in a serving bowl or a platter that has sides to keep the dressing from running off. Sprinkle arugula with red onion and parmesan. Combine all dressing ingredients and wisk until well blended. Drizzle dressing over arugula. Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan. Saute mushrooms, adding salt and pepper to taste. While mushrooms are cooking, lay meat around the edge of the salad platter. When mushrooms are cooked, lay them over the arugula. Let the mushrooms sit on the arugula for a couple of minutes before tossing the salad. The warm mushrooms will slightly wilt the arugula. Serve with crusty bread.

Stuffed Jalepenos

With football season beginning, I thought I would post my favorite and most requested party appetizer, stuffed jalepenos. At the beginning of every football season, my husband fires up the grill, and twenty minutes later, we induldge in these salty, savory bites of heaven.

One note about jalepenos, I have discovered that jalepenos are much milder in the summer than the winter. This information is entirely based on my own observations, not grounded in any scientific data other than my mouth burning for hours when I make them for Superbowl parties. In the summer, a perfect amount of heat. Winter stuffed jalepenos are not for the faint of heart.

Here is the recipe.

Stuffed Jalepenos:

15 Large Jalepenos
1 pkg cream cheese, softened at room temperature
2 Tbl brown sugar
1 Lb bacon
Wooden toothpicks

Half each of the jalepenos lengthwise. using a spoon, carefully scoop out the seeds and core of each of the jalepenoes. A grapefruit sppon works very well for this process, if you have one. I also recommend wearing disposable rubber gloves to protect your hands. Fold the brown sugar and cream cheese together in a bowl. Using a teaspoon, fill each jalepeno half with the cream cheese mixture. Do not mound the cream cheese on the jalepeno, but level each half off with the cream cheese. if you mound it, the excess will just melt into the grill, making a mess. Lay the stuffed jalepenoes on a lipped cookie sheet.

On a cutting board, lay a strip of bacon. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound the bacon into flat strips, working from the center of the strip to the edges. This helps the jalepeno to cook evenly. Lay a prepared jalepeno at one end of the bacon strip. Roll the jalepeno until it has been completely wrapped once with the bacon. Cut off the excess bacon and save for the next jalepeno. I can usually wrap 2 to 3 jalepeno halves with one strip of bacon. Secure loose ends of the bacon with a jalepeno.

Heat grill to high. Place jalepenos on the grill. Lower the heat to low, to prevent flare ups from the bacon grease. Cook jalepenoes for about 10 minutes. The more charred they are, the better they seem to taste. Alternatively, you can cook them in a 350 oven for 30 - 40 minutes.

Father's Day Menu

Fathers day dinner

Tomato pesto bruschetta

Grilled ribeye pepper steak sauce
Grill prosciutto wrapped asparagus
Fried sage polenta

Chocolate mousse cake

Menu for week of June 11, 2012

Have been busy finishing school for summer. Back in the swing of things, here is the menu for the upcoming week.

Menu for week of June 11, 2012

Sunday -  meatloaf with salad and mash pots

Monday - grilled pork chops with mushroom vermouth sauce, potato cakes and grilled tomatoes

Tuesday - grilled chk breast and procuitto with panzenella salad

Wednesday - Salmon with orange salsa and broccoli

Thursday - dinner out

Friday - grilled tuna niscoise salad

Father's day is next Sunday. Am working on a menu that will impress and honor the Dad's in our family. Will post when I get it finished.