Sesame Prosecco Salad

I've been wondering what I should do with our new wine vinegars. Their zesty flavors are perfect for salads, but pictures of my plain green salads and vinegar don't make blog posts(even if I do eat them often).

A sale on shrimp moved this salad to the fore! All the measurements are for 2 side salads so scale up however you need. The dressing makes a little over 1/2 cup, so it should last you a bit longer!

Sesame Prosecco Salad

8-12 medium shrimp, cooked
4 cups favorite greens
1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 lime, sliced into wedges *optional*
1 tbsp Sesame Oil with Garlic and Ginger
1 tsp light soy sauce
sesame seeds for garnish

In a saute pan, warm the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. After 1-2 minutes, they should be almost warmed through. Raise the temperature to high and sprinkle with the soy sauce. Let caramelize for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and toss with sesame seeds.

Assemble the salad with a good toss and drizzle with dressing.

Prosecco Lime Dressing

1/4 cup Prosecco Vinegar
1/4 cup Persian Lime Olive Oil
3 tbsp Honey

Place all ingredients in a sealed jar and shake.

Beef Stoganoff

My last post about the steak was fun. I've really missed posting food. It stinks that the weather keeps so many people away from town, but it does give me time to catch up here. So hello!

This is actually a leftovers recipe. That steak was fun, but I made a couple too many. So, I had to do something fun with the leftovers. And this sure was fun!

It's not a traditional stroganoff, but with the sour cream sauce, it's the closest thing. I enjoyed it anyway.

Beef Stroganoff

1 cup precooked beef strips
1 lb pappardelle pasta
2 cups mixed mushrooms, shitake, portobello, button
1/3 cup beef or vegetable broth
black pepper
1 tsp cumin
8 oz sour cream
1/4 cup cream or milk
2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
Himalayan Pink Salt
1 tsp Espresso Balsamic

Toss the mushrooms with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and cumin. Saute in a very large pan over medium low heat until they are reduced by at least half. Increase the heat to medium high and add the beef strips, Balsamic, black pepper to taste and the broth.

Cook the pasta to al dente, rinse and drain. Slowly pour into the pan with the beef and mushrooms.

Stir in the sour cream adding the cream if it is too thick.

Porcini Pasta with Prosciutto and Pine Nuts

Okay, the alliteration has just been making me giggle for about 10 minutes now. If your food can't make you happy, what good is it?

This is the first time I'm using the new Porcini Olive Oil, it's not up online yet, you have to come in and try it! I may have over did it on the mushrooms, but what can I say, I like them.

Porcini Pasta with Prosciutto and Pine Nuts

1 lb linguine pasta
1 pkg dried porcini mushrooms
1 strip Prosciutto per portion (4-6 pieces)
Pine Nuts
6 tbsp Porcini Olive Oil
1 jar Mushroom Pate
1/2 pint sliced mushrooms
pinch of Toasted Onion Sea Salt

Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in about a half cup of room temperature water for at least 10 minutes. I like to break them in small pieces before soaking them, but you can chop them after too.

Cook the linguine in well salted water until it is al dente. Rinse and set aside in a large bowl.

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a very large saute pan to a medium high and add the fresh sliced mushrooms. Saute 5-10 minutes or until they are nice and soft. Add in the mushroom pate and the rest of the olive oil. Stir until the pate is smooth and then add in the dried mushrooms and their liquid.

Let simmer until warmed through then add the pasta and toss to coat.

Plate and top with a pinch of sea salt, a sprinkle of pine nuts and a torn piece of prosciutto.

Cheesy Pasta with Mushrooms

I needed a quick meal the other night. This was great and provided enough leftovers for the whole week!

Cheesy Pasta with Mushrooms

1/2 lb curly pasta
2 pints mushrooms, sliced
1 bag, 16oz shredded cheddar
1/4 cup milk
2-4 tbsp sour cream
4 diced plum tomatoes, or 2 medium regular tomatoes
4 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
good pinch Himalayan Pink Salt

Pour the olive oil and the mushrooms into a saute pan and heat over medium heat. Sprinkle with a bit of the salt. Cook slowly about 10 minutes, stirring often. The mushrooms should be reduced by at least half. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and put back in the pan over low heat. Stir in the mushrooms and the milk. Slowly add in the shredded cheese. Add in two tablespoons of the sour cream and stir. If you like the consistency, leave it be, if you want it thinner, add in the extra 2 tbsps of sour cream.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

So this is what I have been eating all week. The risotto on it's own was very nice. This soup is even better. Could be because I have a cold. Maybe not. Maybe it's the Porcini mushrooms. Either way. This is so good.

If you don't have a couple cups of risotto leftover to make this with, feel free to use a couple cups of rice. Just be sure to up your mushrooms by about a pint. I think carrots would be nice with this as well, or chunks of squash...Hm, I may have another soup idea on my hands.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

2-3 cups Wheat-berry Risotto
1 jar Porcini Cream*
2 quarts vegetable stock
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp Vanilla Olive Oil
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
1 pinch nutmeg
6 or 7 dried porcini mushrooms
1 or 2 pints more mushrooms, diced

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil to medium heat and add in the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until the garlic is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the stock to the pan and raise the heat to medium high. Break up the dried porcini mushrooms and put them in the broth. Cook, at just below a simmer until the mushrooms soften, 5 minutes.

Add the leftover risotto, the garlic, the rest of the mushrooms and the pinch of nutmeg. Let this simmer away for about 10 minutes.

Now it is time for the porcini cream. Add in the whole jar. You will not be sorry. (If you don't have any, a can of cream of mushroom will do, but not be near as tasty) Stir around to incorporate.

Simmer for 10-20 minutes. It's hard to overcook soup. Taste for salt. Sprinkle some of that in. Add in a big pinch of black pepper, because it's good for you.

Eat the soup and feel better.

*Porcini mushroom cream available in the store.

Wheatberry Risotto

Sorry for my absence this week. I got more than leftovers from our little family on Thanksgiving. ::Sniff Sniff::

But the upshot is that even though this recipe is late, I took all the leftovers of it from last week and turned it into something I really needed this week. Soup. That will come tomorrow.

Risotto is typically made with rice. But you can use pretty much any kind of grain you want to. Wheat-berries take a little bit longer to cook than regular rice and they retain this kind of al dente bite even after they are done that I really love. They also have this great nutty flavor that I have amped up with some walnuts. But you could leave those out if you want. Feel free to change up the herbs. If you only have dried, use only a teaspoon at most of each.

As this was part of my vegan offerings for Thanksgiving, it is lacking the cheese that is so customary for risotto. I didn't miss it. But go ahead and add it in if the mood takes you. It ususally uses a half cup of Parmesan cheese.

Wheat-berry Risotto with Mushrooms

1/4 cup Garlic Olive Oil
1 cup hard wheat-berries
1/2 onion, diced
2 pints mushrooms, rough chopped
1 1/2 boxes of low-sodium vegetable stock (quart size)
3/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
pinch of salt
sprinkle of Porcini Sea Salt, to finish each plate

The stock should be warm when you add it. Either warm it in a pan on the stove or microwave it a little bit before you need it.

In a large pan with high sides, add the olive oil and turn the heat to medium. Put in all the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften. Add in the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook about 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to release some of their juices.

Stir in the wheat-berries and about 1/2 cup of the stock. Stir and cook until the pan is almost dry. Then work in 1 cup increments until the wheat-berries soften up. It should take about an hour, but you don't have to stir this constantly like a regular rice risotto. Walking away from it for a few minutes is okay.

It is ready when the wheat-berries are soft, but still a little al dente. Add in all the herbs and the walnuts and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkle of Porcini Sea Salt on top.

Mushrooms and Rice

Now, this isn't your traditional breakfast. But it is filling, tasty and nutritious. Who is to say that breakfast has to be eggs!

Mushrooms and Rice

2 pints sliced mushrooms, any kind
3 cups brown rice, cooked
1 bell pepper
1 sweet onion
1 bunch spring onions
2-3 strips crispy bacon, crumbled
Salt and pepper
3 cups spinach
4 tbsp Bacon Olive Oil,
     Or Blood Orange Olive Oil

Add 2 tbsp oil to a large saute pan and heat to medium. Dump in the mushrooms and stir until coated with oil. Saute until they are reduced in size and well cooked, about 7-8 minutes. Add in the spinach and a little extra olive oil if needed and a pinch of salt. Toss together and let the spinach wilt, about 3 minutes.

While that is cooking, dice the veggies. When the spinach is fully wilted, add in the onions and the bell pepper. Stir to combine, then add the rice and black pepper. Stir to distribute the rice, add the rest of the oil if things seem a little dry.

Cover and cook about 3 minutes. Everything should be well heated through.

I suggest using our newest salt, the Vermont Maple Sea Salt. It is lightly sweet with a nice and strong maple smell and syrupy aftertaste, it just hit the shelves this week! Come in and try it today!

For a fun option, treat this like fried rice and add a couple chopped scrambled eggs! Great for breakfast or a nice side dish to anything. I may just eat this for all three meals today!

Mushroom Teriyaki with Balsamic Vinegar

I am so so so excited. I love our Toasted Sesame Oil! I love Asian foods, so it's perfect for so many things I like to cook. And sesame is a very hard flavor to get in an olive oil, I know, we've tried.

Mushroom Teriyaki with Balsamic

1/2 pkg of fettuccine noodles

2 tbsp teriyaki sauce

1 pint sliced mushrooms

1 tbsp Traditional Balsamic

1 onion, sliced thinly

2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil with Garlic and Ginger

Salt

Cook the fettuccine a minute less than al dente. Set it aside.

Heat the Sesame Oil in a large saute pan to medium high heat. Add the onion and a sprinkle of salt. Saute for 5 minutes or so. The onions should be soft and starting to caramelize. Add the mushrooms and saute for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the noodles to the pan and the teriyaki sauce and Balsamic. Toss everything to coat. Cover and let cook for another 2-4 minutes. 

Serve and enjoy!

Toasted Sesame Omelette

This spicy little thing came about because I was hungry, but didn't really want to cook. That means it's time for eggs. Cooking an omelette isn't really cooking to me. If it only takes 2 minutes, it's not cooking.

So egg! Half the time with this comes from beating the eggs beforehand.

Spicy Toasted Sesame Omelette

2 eggs
1 tbsp Spicy Condiment with Mushrooms*
2 tbsp shredded cheddar
1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
a pinch of sesame seeds


Spread the Toasted Sesame Oil around the pan and heat to medium. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat, stirring in the mushrooms and the cheddar. When it is well combined, pour into the heated pan.

Now wait until it starts to appear dry on top. Flip and cook for about 30 seconds. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, fold and serve.

*available by phone or in store

Stuffed Portobello Caps

I had some of my friends over this past weekend. One of them is vegan, so I picked up some things to make stuffed mushroom caps for her. While I was at the store, I picked up some crackers and things for appetizers too, but I kept circling back to the vegan 'meats'. 

I found vegan chorizo crumbles. And I figured, what the heck? Lets try that.

This was awesome! You can always unvegan it. But either way, it can feed all your friends and you won't be sad if there are leftovers. And you can size this recipe however you like it. This is set up for 4 people.

Stuffed Portobello Caps

serves 4

4 portobello caps

1/2 cups cooked rice

1/2 cup 'Cheddar Cheese' shreds

1/2 lb 'Chorizo' crumbles

3 tbsp Citrus Habanero Olive Oil

1 onion, finely sliced

Preheat your oven to 400degrees. Clean your mushrooms and chop the stems. Brush them with some of the olive oil and set aside on a baking tray.

Heat the olive oil to medium high heat in a large pan. Add the onion slices and the mushroom stems and saute for 3-5 minutes. Add in the 'chorizo' and stir to combine. Most of the vegan 'meats' are precooked, check your packaging on this. I just browned mine for about 3 minutes, but if yours needs to cook longer, please follow your package directions.

Turn the heat to low and stir in the rice and 'cheese'. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the mixture onto each mushroom cap. Bake for about 10 minutes. The mushrooms should be tender and everything should be nice and brown.

Drizzle with Traditional Balsamic before serving.

Beef and Mushrooms with Dill Sauce

This is not a creamy dill sauce like you would have over fish or chicken. If you want it to be thicker, you could use sour cream or a thick yogurt in place of the heavy cream.

You can serve this over rice or pasta, or by itself as an easy weeknight meal.

And a big THANK YOU to Unionville Winery! They were nice enough to let us come to their tasting room and set up a small selection of our oils and balsamics this weekend. I really had a great time. And I love their Revolutionary Red wine with this dish!

Beef and Mushrooms with Creamy Dill Sauce

2 tbsp Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
1lb ground beef
2 pints mushrooms, any kind
Sea Salt (I used our new sea salt from Crete!)
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tbsp fresh dill, rough chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Heat the Meyer Lemon Olive Oil in a pan to medium high heat. Brown the beef, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.

Rough chop the mushrooms and add them to the beef. Sprinkle with salt and saute about 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium low. Stir in the cream, mustard, dill and red pepper, if using. Stirring constantly, cook 2-4 minutes until everything is well incorporated and the cream is warmed through.

Serve with a glass of wine  and have a good night!

Thanks again guys!

Mushroom Spinach Pinwheels

Mushroom Spinach Pinwheels

1 pint sliced mushrooms

1 bag baby spinach

2-4 tbsp Portobello and Garlic Olive Oil - plus more for brushing

1/2 pkg puff pastry dough

Porcini Sea Salt

Saute the mushrooms in 2 tbsp of the olive oil over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently 5-10 minutes until they are reduced in size by around half. Now stir in the spinach and additional olive oil if needed. Cook until wilted. Set pan aside to cool.

Pull out your thawed puff pastry dough. Roll out one of the sheets on a lightly floured surface and brush with olive oil. Spoon filling across the whole sheet in an even and thin layer, leaving about 1/4 inch on all sides. Starting with the longest side, start rolling until it forms a tube. Carefully pinch the bottom seam and the ends closed.

Heat oven to 400degrees.

Now, because it's summer, cutting perfect rounds can be a challenge. If you look at the picture and see my squishy looking slices, you can see that I should have put my roll into the fridge to cool before trying to slice. Or turned on my air conditioner. It doesn't change the taste, just the presentation. So if it is too soft, give it 10 or 20 minutes to cool down before slicing it up.

So, slice into rounds, about 1/4 inch thick. Place on baking sheet that has been lightly brushed with olive oil, or a baking stone. Brush the tops of each round with the additional olive oil. Bake 10-14 minutes. The pastry should be lightly browned.

Cool slightly and serve fresh, or cool and reheat to take to parties. I suggest paring them with creamy goat cheese, almonds and grapes and sprinkled with a little Porcini Sea Salt!

Chili-Lime Noodles

I have a deep love of Asian cuisine. When I am sick, the only foods I want to eat are lo-mein and wonton soup. I could eat sushi and things every day of the week. 

This habit can get a little expensive. So I am trying to get better at making these kinds of foods.

These are my Chili-Lime Noodles. I got this recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine. But I have adapted it in a few ways. It could also easily work with chicken in place of the tofu. (Even thin cut flank steak would be great with this!)

Chili-Lime Noodles
serves 4

4oz glass noodles- also called cellophane noodles or bean threads

• 3 Tbs. hoisin sauce

• 2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce

• 3 Tbs. lime juice

• 2Tbs. Persian Lime Olive Oil

• 1 tsp. chile-garlic sauce

• 2Tbs. toasted sesame oil

• Chipotle Olive Oil, to taste

• 18 oz. pkg. plain tofu, diced (or other meats)

• 1 12 oz. pkg. mushrooms, sliced

• 1/2lb. baby bok choy, thinly sliced

• 2 carrots, cut into ribbons

• 2 1/2Tbs. minced fresh ginger

• 
  

1. Soak noodles in large bowl of hot water 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

2. Whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, and chile-
garlic sauce and Lime olive oil.

3. Heat 1 Tbs of sesame oil in skillet over high heat. Add tofu, and stir-fry 4 minutes, or until golden 
on all sides. Add 1/4 cup water, and cook 2 minutes, transfer 
to bowl.

4. Add remaining 1 Tbs. sesame oil to skillet. Add mushrooms and bok choy; stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in noodles and carrots, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in hoisin mixture, green onions, ginger, and tofu; stir-fry 1 minute. Taste. If desired, add some Chipotle Olive oil to kick up the heat. 

I sprinkled some Thai Ginger sea salt on before I served it. Have fun with it!