Sauteed Mushrooms with Thyme

This is a basic recipe from the Great Food Fast collection. A simple and fast way to prepare mushrooms. I used some leftover pesto instead of thyme - mushrooms and basil are yummy!

Sauteed Mushrooms with Thyme
Serves 4.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 1/2 lbs small white mushrooms, halved
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup water

To make:
1. In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the shallot; cook stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium. Add the mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Uncover; raise the heat to high. Cook, tossing, until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the thyme and water. Cook until the skillet is almost dry, 1 minute. Serve hot.

Stir-fried Mushrooms

Also known as, Phad Het Kap Met Mamaung =)

Since I never like my veggies, I had to share when I finally made a veggie dish I liked. This came from a Thai cookbook, but the recipe doesn't actually have any specifically Thai spices in it. It does go with East Asian food well.

Stir-fried Mushrooms

Total time: 55 min
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
20 oz. mushrooms, sliced
7 oz. cashew nuts
1/2 cup oil
4 tsp garlic, chopped
3/4 cup of onions, cut into wide squares
1/2 cup green bell pepper, cut into wide squares
4 dry roasted red chillis
4 spring onions, chopped
2 green chillis, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Blanche the mushrooms (immerse in boiling water until cooked) and drain; keep aside. Fry the cashew nuts until golden brown.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet. Saute the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add all the ingredients, including the mushrooms and cashew nuts, and toss on high heat for a few minutes. Add a little stock if needed.
4. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Spinach Mushroom Tart

I wanted to make this to go with the Mediterranean Chicken Stew (which isn't really a stew, see earlier post) and couscous. I stupidly left my cookbook at work because I was taking down items for my grocery list, but luckily there are lots of other people out there who enjoy the Great Food Fast book. Phew!!

Spinach Mushroom Tart from Everyday Food

Ingredients:

Flour
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package)
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
20 oz white or brown mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
10 oz fresh baby spinach
2 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Thaw puff pastry according to package instructions.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, toss the onion with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt. Cover and cook over medium heat until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir. Continue cooking with the cover on for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. While onions are cooking, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the mushrooms; cover and cook until tender and all liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Fold in the spinach; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes more. Drain off any liquid.

4. When puff pastry has thawed, roll the dough out on a floured surface into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Place the pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score the dough to form a 1-inch border. Using a fork, prick the dough inside the border every ½ inch. Bake until golden, rotating the pan once, about 15 minutes.

5. Top the dough with the mushroom-spinach mixture. Scatter the onions and goat cheese on top. Bake until the cheese is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Note: I sauteed 2 cloves of garlic with the mushrooms, just to add more flavor. I also used a double layer of puff pastry (both sheets in the box) because another blogger noted it was too thin with just one. Double the yumminess!

Serves: 4
Time: 45 minutes

Corn pudding

Closet Cooking is one of my favorite blogs to follow, and I knew when I saw the recipe for corn pudding I just had to try it. Especially because it looked soooo good in the picture. Pictures speak louder than words, sometimes. :) My mom used to make a great corn pudding-type thing every thanksgiving when I was young, and I still remember it and crave it sometimes. I should probably ask her if she still has the recipe, but I was hoping this would save me the trouble. :)

It was yummy but a bit sweet, and I think I'd prefer a less sugary version. Maybe next time I'll cut down on the sugar in the recipe. Otherwise, it was pretty good! The recipe recommends 30 min in the oven, but my oven took about 50 min to brown the top (but I was also making something else in the oven). I would start with 30 min and keep checking until it has browned sufficiently.

Corn Pudding, from A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen, via Closet Cooking

Ingredients:
2 ears worth

of corn kernels
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 egg (beaten)

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon of melted butter
1/4 teaspoon freshly

grated nutmeg

Directions:
1. Mix everything in a bowl.
2. Pour into a baking dish.
3. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until it is golden brown on top and set like a custard, about 30 minutes. (A knife inserted into the center should come out clean.)

Okra Bhaji

We eat okra a lot at home but I hadn't tried it yet until now. If anyone's looking for a desi-style recipe for okra, this one is pretty simple.

Okra Bhaji
Servings: 2

8 oz. okra (pick the shorter ones <4 inches because they are more tender)
2 tbsp sliced onion
2 tbsp cooking oil
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cumin
salt to taste

1. Wash and drain okra. Slice thinly.
2. Heat oil in frying pan. Add okra, onion, turmeric, cumin and salt. Add 2 tbsp water, stir, cover, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Stir bhaji until okra is cooked.

Alur Dom (Potato Curry)

I love all things potato, curry not excepted. This is a recipe that is a great accompaniment to desi daawat (party) food, and also goes great with either bread or rice.

Alur Dom (Potato Curry)
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 lb. of potatos
1/2 cup of cooking oil
1 bayleaf
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 cardomom pods
2 1-inch cinnamon sticks
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tbsp salt
2 tsbp yogurt (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil the potato until fully cooked, peel, and cut into cubes. Make some of the cubes half broken.

2. Make a paste of the ground spices (turmeric, chilli powder, ginger, cumin, coriander) by adding water till pasty.

3. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf, and stir for one minute. Add the paste of ground spices and 1 cup of water. Cook stirring frequently.

4. When the oil surfaces, add the potato and the rest of the ingredients. Fry for 2 minutes.

5. Add 1/2 cup of water, and simmer for 5 minutes.