The Apartment Kitchen » mushroom

Simple Taco Salad

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 23:35:50 +0000

Wow – what a week. Matt and I moved into our new house on Sunday, and (after a host of problems), we’re pretty much settled. During the packing and the loading and unloading, we were on the moving diet of cereal and sandwiches. So on our first real night, I wanted to cook, but it was a tad on the hot side.

By a tad on the hot side, I mean over a hundred degrees. All day long. And our wonderful new house is without A/C. So as I poured a glass of champagne to celebrate our first night in the house, all I could think of was how I couldn’t make anything that would make the house even hotter. As I thought about it, guacamole sounded like the perfect solution. I did turn on the burner to saute some chicken, mushrooms, and spinach, then I piled it all on top of some chips loaded with cool, delicious guacamole. It was easy, quick, and didn’t have me in the kitchen for long. I know it’s nothing special, but it felt good to cook (even in the heat) and eat in our new dining room in our new house.

Simple Taco Salad

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: Keeps well – though the guacamole will oxidize if it’s not directly covered.

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 thin chicken breasts

salt and pepper, to taste

taco seasoning, to coat

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups mushrooms

2 or 3 handfuls spinach

salt and pepper, to taste

1 red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 jalapeno, seeded, minced

2 avocadoes

salt and pepper, to taste

chips, as needed

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning. Saute the chicken until it’s cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Dice the chicken.

2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the spinach and saute until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Combine the onion, garlic, jalapeno, and avocadoes with a fork until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Arrange the chips on a plate. Top with the chicken, mushrooms and spinach, and guacamole.

Grilled Pork Chops with Chunky Tomato Mushroom Sauce

admin — Sun, 09 May 2010 12:19:27 +0000

Every now and then I hit an uninspired stage. Normally, I can think of lists a mile long of things – new and different and exciting things – that I’d like to cook. Occasionally, when I’m stuck, I’ll stroll through my favorite markets for inspiration. But then there are times, like this past week, where I have no ideas at all.

I’m short on time, I’m working late, or whatever the reason may be – I haven’t had time to think about what to cook during my day and I’m in front of the refrigerator staring at my options. In the end, I suppose this meal is similar to others I’ve made (I love a tomato-based sauce with pork), but I used the veggies I had on hand to make a thick, chunky sauce that sort of dressed up the simple pork chops.

I guess it just goes to show that lack of inspiration doesn’t mean you have to go hungry…falling back on an old favorite is always an option.

Oh, and Happy Mother’s Day Mama!

Grilled Pork Chops with Chunky Tomato-Mushroom Sauce

Served 4.

Leftover Potential: The sauce keeps well and is good with chicken, fish, or steak as well.

4 pork chops

salt and pepper, as needed

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 basket mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup beef or chicken broth

salt and pepper, to taste

fresh chopped thyme, to taste

1. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Set aside and begin to heat the grill/grill pan.

2. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender, about 4-5 minutes more.

3. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to simmer until the liquid mostly evaporates, about 10-15 minutes. It will still have enough liquid to be saucy, but the broth will have reduced and have bolder flavor. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme.

4. Meanwhile, grill the pork chops until cooked through, about 7-9 minutes (or more, depending on thickness). Serve with sauce.

Mustardy Chopped Steak Sandwiches

admin — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:58:58 +0000

Over the weekend I was craving steak. Unfortunately, I’d already been out to a few restaurants and spent a little more than I usually do on the weekends. This sandwich (inspired by one I saw in the fall in Cooking Light), was the perfect solution. I was able to use a cheap cut of steak (really anything you see, as long as it’s cut thin, or you can cut it thin yourself), cover it in a delicious, flavorful sauce, and enjoy the deliciousness of a steak sandwich without the price tag. You could add any vegetables to the filling you like – peppers or greens would be a nice addition…and best of all, because it’s so simple (and the meat takes literally seconds to cook), it was done in no time – leaving me free to continue enjoying the incredible weather we’ve been having all week.

Mustardy Chopped Steak Sandwiches

Inspired by Cooking Light

Served 4

Leftover Potential: I scrambled the leftover steak into eggs with some cheddar for breakfast the next day.

12 oz thin cut steaks

salt and pepper, to taste

1 Tbsp oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp spicy mustard

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup cherry or peppadew peppers, minced

rolls

Calzones with Ricotta, Spinach, Mushrooms, and Caramelized Onions

theapartmentkitchen — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:35:16 +0000

A meal like this calzone is a great excuse to use what you’ve got in the fridge. In my case, that’s usually the things I love most: veggies, cheese, herbs…all of which made their way into this calzone. You could mix up the filling anyway you like (shredded meat doused in a little sauce makes a delicious dinner…think the filling for these tacos).

It takes an understanding of your oven to best understand how to bake these, particularly because they are on the larger side. Feel free to use a pizza stone if you have one. If you find that the bottom is browning too quickly, double up on your baking sheets. If the top needs help browning, use the broiler. Since the filling is cooked before hand, it’s most important to make sure that the crust is baked and crispy!

Calzones with Ricotta, Spinach, Mushrooms, and Caramelized Onion

Served 4.

Leftover Potential: Reheat in the oven for best (and crispiest) results!

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 package baby spinach

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and freshly ground pepper

your favorite pizza dough (my basic one is: here)

1 cup ricotta cheese, or more as needed

olive oil, as needed

kosher salt, as needed

tomato sauce, as needed

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Reduced heat to low, and continue to saute until the onions are lightly brown and caramelized.

2. Add the mushrooms, and continue to cook until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are completely caramelized.

3. Add the spinach and saute until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Roll the pizza dough out on a floured surface to about 1/4″ thick (you can also use your hands to stretch the dough). Brush one half of the dough with olive oil.

5. Fill the calzone with a generous scoop of the veggie filling, and top with spoonfuls of ricotta cheese (you could add additional cheeses like mozzarella, if you like).

6. Fold the dough over the filling. Fold the top edge over the bottom edge, and seal with your fingers or a fork. Brush the surface of the dough with olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Cut one or more vents in the top of the dough with a small knife.

7. Bake in a 400 degree oven until golden brown and cooked through (the filling will be bubbling), about 20-25 minutes. Depending on your oven, it may be necessary to reduce the heat to 350 halfway through cooking. I also ran the calzone under the broiler for a moment to ensure a golden brown crust. Serve warm with tomato sauce.

Mushroom Stuffed Sausage Burgers with Peppadew Peppers

theapartmentkitchen — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:26:55 +0000

**(What’s that? Another dish with sausage and peppadew peppers? Well, yes. I made my cooking “to-do” list at the beginning of the week. I had been craving sausage, but I was cooking for one until tonight when Matt came over. Rather than get stuck with a whole pot of leftovers, I cooked my white beans with sausage on Tuesday night and saved the remaining ingredients for a completely different dish a few days later. So you hardly recognized it, right?)**

Matt loves burgers. I like them too, because I enjoy warm sandwiches. Burgers are easy (and easy to make healthy if you like with lean meats like turkey and chicken and meat substitutions like grated veggies, beans, or portobello mushrooms). I’ve made quite a few types of burgers, but this is one of my all time favorites. Instead of turning to any of my go-to meats or meatless standbys, I used another of Matt’s favorites: sausage. I removed the casings, seasoned the meat, and stuffed the patties with mushrooms and herbs. We finished it off with leftover peppadew peppers for an all-around tasty and Italian-esque burger. It would be great with other toppings, too: sauteed peppers and onions, spinach, mozzarella cheese – get creative! This is a good basic canvas to work with.

Mushroom Stuffed Sausage Burgers with Peppadew Peppers

Served 4.

Leftover Potential: If you‘re only serving 1 or 2, freeze the meat formed into patties. Then you have a burger whenever you want!

1 lb Italian sausage (I used hot turkey sausage), casings removed

1/2 onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 Tbsp ketchup

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 egg

1/4 cup bread crumbs

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup mushrooms, minced

1 Tbsp basil, chiffonade

2 tsp rosemary, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 toasted whole wheat buns

1/2 cup peppadew peppers, diced

1. In a large bowl, combine the sausage, onion, garlic, Worcestershire, ketchup, mustard, egg, and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper.

2. In a small bowl, combine the mushrooms, basil, and rosemary.

3. Form the sausage mixture into balls. Make a hole in the center, and stuff with mushroom mixture. Form the sausage into patties.

4. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through. If you’ve made thick patties, it’s best to cook them for 4-5 minutes per side, then finish them in a 375 degree oven until they are cooked through, 7-10 minutes more.

5. Serve the burgers on toasted buns with the peppadew slices.

White Beans with Sausage, Tomato, and Mushrooms

theapartmentkitchen — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:05:20 +0000

I saw a recipe once on Epicurious for a dish with white beans and sausage. I loved the idea, because white beans (you may have heard me gush about them before) are so creamy and delicious. Combining my favorite beans with sausage (turkey or chicken sausage for a healthier option) and some homemade tomato sauce and I had the perfect substitute for pasta. At the same time, the beans added a heartiness that really filled me up – a wonderful warm, chunky stew of sorts that was tossed together in no time, especially if you have tomato sauce on hand. Even if you don’t, this meal takes less than a half hour.

White Beans with Sausage, Tomato, and Mushrooms

Served 1 generously (or 2 smaller servings)

Leftover Potential: I could see making a big batch of this in the future on a busy week. Adding some chicken stock would make this into more of a soup, which I could see being delish!

1 cup tomato sauce

3/4 cup white beans, cooked (I like to cook mine in chicken or veg stock for more flavor)

1 Tbsp oil

1 hot Italian sausage

1/2 cup mushrooms, diced

1 Tbsp basil

salt and freshly ground pepper

1. In a small pot, heat the tomato sauce over medium heat (you can also cook the beans in the tomato sauce, just add some liquid (stock or broth). Add the white beans, and bring mixture to a simmer.

2. In a small saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, and cook until evenly browned on the outside, turning occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. Slice the sausage, and add it to the white bean mixture.

3. Add the mushrooms to the saute pan, and cook briefly in the remaining fat. Add the mushrooms to the white bean mixture.

4. Simmer until the mushrooms are tender and the sausage is cooked through. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Creamy Sausage, Mushroom, and Pea Risotto with Poached Egg, Parmesan and Baby Basil Leaves

theapartmentkitchen — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:46:10 +0000

I started vacation this week. If you know me, you can note that simply from the recent appearance of pasta and baked goods on my blog. I love food - a little too much. On a day to day basis, I try to keep myself in check – eating healthier foods and smaller portions. But you can’t take the foodie out of the girl, so after two days of being “on vacation” I was in the kitchen making risotto. I love making risotto – the whole process of it. I’m also of the school of adding an egg to just about anything makes it better, so I ended up with this rich, creamy risotto for dinner last night. No matter what any recipe tells you – risotto is easy (this one has butter, sausage, and lots of cheese – how could it ever go wrong?) – just taste it a lot along the way, and you’ll end up with an awesome meal.

Creamy Sausage, Mushroom, and Pea Risotto with Poached Egg, Parmesan, and Baby Basil Leaves

Served 4.

Leftover Potential: I made this dish fresh, but you could very easily use leftover risotto for this meal. Just add one egg and 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs per 1 1/2 cups of leftover risotto. Form into cakes, and pan fry in olive oil until nicely browned. If you like, stuff the cakes with cheese.

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup sausage

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

2 bay leaves

salt, as needed

pepper, as needed

3 cups warm chicken or vegetable stock, or as needed

1/2 cup peas

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, or as needed

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp baby basil leaves

4 poached eggs (check out this site for advice on how to perfectly poach an egg)

1. In a large pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the sausage, and cook until beginning to brown. Add the onion and mushrooms, and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant.

2. Add the rice, and stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and allow to reduce over medium heat, stirring constantly, to almost nothing. Add the bay leaves, and season the mixture with salt and pepper.

3. Begin adding the stock, 1 ladleful at a time, stirring constantly until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. It may take all three cups (or more, or less). Taste the rice along the way, when it is nice and tender, it is finished.

4. When the rice is tender, fold in the peas and parmesan. Finish with parsley and basil.

5. Scoop some risotto onto a plate, sprinkle with more cheese, and top with a poached egg. Finish with salt, pepper, and additional basil leaves.

Creamy Sausage and Mushroom Sandwiches

theapartmentkitchen — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:18:59 +0000

Weekends are a great time for sandwiches. They’re quick to prepare, easy to assemble, and can be made multiple times and as needed. Since sandwiches are simple, it’s important to use great ingredients – fresh vegetables, good quality meats, and well made breads. I used inspiration from my mother for this sandwich – she made a delicious crostini over the holidays using mushrooms, herbs, and Boursin cheese. I thought I would add some meat to round out the sandwich, but it could easily be made without or with more vegetables to be vegetarian.

Creamy Sausage and Mushroom Sandwiches

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: If the bread is re-crisped, the whole dish should be fine. Reheat the mushroom mixture on the stove or in the microwave. Made 1 sandwich after the initial meal.

1 baguette

olive oil, as needed

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, finely sliced

1 scallion, finely sliced

1 box mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 sausages, cooked, chopped***

1/2 cup soft cheese***

fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage), as desired

salt, as needed

pepper, as needed

1. Set the oven on the broil setting. Cut the baguette into 4″ pieces and cut in half. Remove some of the dough to make more room for the filling.

2. Drizzle the bread with olive oil and place in the oven. Allow to toast until brown, then lower the heat and keep warm.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and the scallion, and cook until lightly browned.

4. Add the mushrooms and the garlic, cook until the mushrooms are soft and the garlic is fragrant. Reduce the heat, and add the sausage, allow it to re-heat thoroughly. When the whole mixture is hot, remove from heat.

5. Place the cheese in a large bowl, and cover with the warm mushroom mixture. Mix to combine.

6. Fill the baguette with mushroom mixture and press closed. Serve warm.

***I used the leftover sausages and Boursin from the raviolis I made in my Chicken and Ravioli Soup. Any type of sausage or soft cheese would work nicely.

Mushroom Farro Risotto with Grilled Chicken

theapartmentkitchen — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:32:00 +0000

I love this healthier version of risotto. Using a whole grain instead of arborio rice works incredibly well, while keeping you true to your New Year’s resolution. Farro has enough starch in it to release to creamy perfection when cooked, just like the rice used to make risotto. The result is delicious – rich and smooth.

I flavored this risotto with mushrooms and leeks and topped it with grilled chicken. Farro and other grains take a little while to cook, so it’s best for a weekend meal. But finished with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese – it’s well worth the wait.

Mushroom Farro Risotto with Grilled Chicken

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: You can cook just the amount of chicken breast that you need. There was enough risotto left for a snack after the initial dinner.

Mushroom Farro Risotto

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 leeks, finely sliced

1 1/4 cup farro

1/4 cup white wine

2 1/2 – 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3/4 cup mushrooms, sliced

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1 tbsp butter ***

parmesan cheese, grated, to taste***

1. In a large, tall pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. In another pot, heat the stock over medium low heat. This will help your risotto cook faster, as the liquid will be warm already and won’t take time to heat in the cooking pot.

2. Add the onion to the first pot and cook until translucent.

3. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the leeks and cook until beginning to wilt.

4. Add the farro and cook briefly, stirring to combine with the other ingredients. Add the wine and reduce over medium heat until completely gone, stirring constantly.

5. Begin adding the stock in ladlefuls. Allow to reduce almost completely (stirring constantly) before adding more stock. Continue adding stock until the farro begins to get tender.

6. Add the mushrooms, stir to combine. Allow the mushrooms to become tender.

7. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Finish with butter, stirring to combine, and grated parmesan cheese.

*** You can leave these items out for a healthier option, but they really add a delicious creaminess to the dish.

Grilled Chicken

2 chicken breasts

salt, as needed

pepper, as needed

flour, as needed to coat

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and coat lightly with flour.

2. In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and allow to cook until beginning to gain color, about 3 minutes, before turning over and finishing cooking on the other side. The chicken should feel slightly firm to the touch.

3. Slice the chicken on the bias, and serve on top of the risotto. You can also top the dish with sliced pepperocini peppers, which add a little bit of acidity and spice.