Stuffed Mushrooms

I love a good stuffed mushroom, either as finger food, an appetizer, or even a main course.   They are incredibly versatile and the stuffing can be as varied as your imagination allows.  I'm going to give you a very basic recipe and then suggestions for how you can customize these, but don't be limited by my suggestions.  

16 ounces of good whole mushrooms.   I like Baby Bellas (small portobello mushrooms) because they've got a hearty taste.  But if you like something mellower, feel free to use white button mushrooms.  The important thing is that they have a nice hollow interior to stuff .

1 small onion, diced

3-4 large garlic cloves, minced

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Bread crumbs (any kind will do)

Take your mushrooms and if there's any dirt on them, wipe it off with a damp paper towel.  DO NOT rinse your mushrooms with water because they will absorb too much and it will ruin the texture of your finished product.

Remove all the stems from your mushrooms and mince them up.

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil with a pinch of salt and some pepper until translucent and then add the minced mushroom stems and continue to saute for another 4-5 minutes.  

When the mushroom, onion and garlic mixture is cooked, add in enough bread crumbs to make it all come together.   Roughly 2/3 of a cup.  You can use plain or seasoned, fine or panko.  They're all good.  Toss with enough additional olive oil to bring it all together, and taste your mixture for salt and pepper.  Adjust to your taste.

You can now spoon this mixture into your mushrooms.  Really pack it in there and leave a nice mound on the top.   Put them in a baking dish and roast them in a 450 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.  They're done when the top is golden brown.

Now for the customization -- you can take the basic mixture and add pretty much anything you want.

To keep things vegetarian, add some chopped spinach, shredded carrots and/or zucchini, etc.  Or you could caramelize a few more onions and add them and some thyme to the mixture.

It's always great to add some cheese -- I like parmigiano reggiano or crumbled feta, but again, whatever is your favorite is great!  A good smoked cheese would be delicious too.

Crabmeat or crumbled sausage is also a popular add-in and turns this into a much heartier dish that could serve as a main course.  Indeed, if you've ever been to a real NYC diner, crabmeat stuffed mushrooms are a very popular entree.  

These are just a few suggestions -- the sky is the limit and whatever flavor combos you like can work in this recipe.

Saag Paneer

This is my favorite Indian dish of all.  There's something about the savory, spicy, creamy nature of this dish that is so comforting and enticing.   And surprisingly easy to make!  My version is the amalgam of MANY recipes I've read and I've taken a bit from each of them to come up with my own version.  

16 ounces fresh baby spinach, chopped (I've read many recipes that say it's OK to use frozen spinach.  They are wrong -- I've tried making this dish with frozen spinach and it's such a poor substitute that it's not even worth making.  Trust me.)

3 cloves of garlic

1 shallot

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tsp. tumeric

1 tbsp. garam masala 

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cardamom

2/3 cup of plain yogurt (not Greek style)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. minced hot pepper (optional)

Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

8 ounces of  (so far, I buy pre-made paneer and am very happy with it, but I gather it's also pretty easy to make and you can google a recipe if you are feeling brave and want to make your own)

Saute the shallot, garlic and ginger (and hot pepper if desired) in olive oil over low heat.   Add a generous pinch of salt to help release the water in the veggies.

Once the veggies become translucent, add all the spices, including pepper, and let them saute for a few minutes so the spices "bloom" and their flavor opens up.

Then add the spinach and fold it into the veggie and spice mixture, sprinkling with a little more salt to help the wilting process.  

Once the spinach has fully wilted, stir in the yogurt, and add bite-sized cubes of paneer to the mixture, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  (If you would like your dish to be even creamer, feel free to add a splash or two of heavy cream as well)

Taste before serving to see if you need more salt or any additional seasonings, and serve with basmati rice and warm naan.  If you don't have any cilantro averse diners, add some to the top for garnish and flavor, but it's OK without it as well.

This also reheats beautifully the next day.

"Chorizo," beans, and greens stew

I made this for the first time tonight, expecting my meat loving husband to tolerate it but no more than that.  He loved it!  And so did I.  It was warm, hearty, and spicy and it was filling without being too heavy.  This one will definitely go into the monthly rotation for fall and winter months.

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cups of hearty greens, chopped (kale, collard greens, mustard greens, chard, or rapini/broccoli rabe would all be great)

2 cups of cannellini beans (if you use canned beans, rinse them well)

2 links (about 1 pound) of soy chorizo or any other sausage (meat or plant based) that you like

1 tablespoon "Better Than Boullion," or whatever flavor enhancer you like.

2 tablespoons olive oil

A splash or two of red wine vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.    Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil, with a pinch or two of salt, and some fresh-cracked black pepper, until translucent.

2.    Remove the sausage from its casings and add to the onion and garlic.  Saute until fully cooked and slightly browned.   If you're using port sausage and there's a lot of fat, you can drain some off before continuing if you'd like.

3.      Add the greens and toss them in the mixture, adding another pinch or two of salt.  Cover and let them cook for a few minutes.

4.    Add the 2 cups of cannellini beans, stir everything together, and cover with water.  Water should be about an inch above all the ingredients.  

5.    Add some more pepper and the boullion or flavor enhancer, but not too much -- there's a already a lot of flavor from the veggies and sausage.

6.  Bring to a low boil, turn the heat to low, cover the lid and lit it simmer for at least a half hour.

7.  Uncover and taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.  At this point, you could turn up the heat a bit and let it cook uncovered to reduce the liquid a bit and make it more like a stew than a soup.  Or, you could serve it still soupy.

8.  Right before serving, add a splash or two of red wine vinegar for just a little tang.

Be sure to have some fresh, crusty bread to soak up all the juices when you're done!