Baked Spinach Mushroom Quesadillas

 Quick and delicious from "Dizzy, Busy & Hungry".

Ingredients

4 8-inch tortillas

Olive oil

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 cups chopped spinach

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place mushroom slices in microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 2 - 3 minutes to soften them.

Drain and set aside.

Lightly brush one side of each tortilla with olive oil and place on baking sheet, oiled side down.

Distribute half of the cheese over half of each tortilla. Then layer spinach and mushrooms, then the other half of the cheese. Fold the tortilla half over the top.

Bake about 6 minutes, then flip and bake another 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are browned

Miso Fish Soup with Soba

 Start the new year out right with this delicious and healthy soup. This recipe from Simply Recipes serves two.

Ingredients

8 - 12 ounces tilapia

3 ounces soba buckwheat noodles

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

2 cup chicken stock

2 Tablespoon white miso

8 ounces sliced cremini or shitake mushrooms

3/4 cup sugar snap peas

1/2 cup shelled edamame

2 Tablespoons sliced green onions

Note: The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and 1/4 cup chopped parsley. I omitted both, but fans of cilantro or parsley may wish to add one or both.

Instructions

Cut the fish into 2 inch pieces and set aside.

In large pot, boil 2 quarts water. Add the soba noodles and cook for three minutes or until tender, but still a little firm. Drain in a colander and rinse under cool water to remove starch. 

Divide the noodles between two soup bowls. Add one teaspoon sesame oil to each and toss to coat the noodles.

In the same pot, add the chicken stock and one cup water. Bring to a boil.

Add the mushrooms and snap peas. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered for 3 minutes.

Add the edamame and fish to the pot. Cover with a lid. Cook at e gentle simmer for 3 - 5 minutes of just until the fish is cooked through.

With a slotted spoon, remove the fish from the broth and divide it between the bowls, placing it on top of the noodles. 

In a small bowl, whisk miso with 1/2 cup hot water.  Stir it into the pot (along with cilantro and parsley, if desired).  Ladle the broth and vegetables over the noodles and sprinkle with sliced green onion.

Egg Drop Soup with Chicken and Shitake Mushrooms

This soup is low in calories and full of flavor.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 cups fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger root
4 sliced green onions, keep white and green sections separate.
3 cups  chicken broth
4 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic chili paste
1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten

Instructions

Coat a medium sauce pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add mushroom, ginger and white sections of green onions. Stir frequently until mushrooms are tender, about 5  minutes.

Add broth, chicken, soy sauce and chili paste. Bring to a boil and cook for one minute

Stir together cornstarch and one Tablespoon water in small bowl. Add to soup. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for three minutes.

Beat eggs with fork in small bowl. Add 1/4 cup of broth to the eggs and stir well. Slowly pour the egg  mixture back into the soup, stirring constantly as you add it. Cook for one minute.

Serve soup garnished to chopped green parts of the scallion and additional chili paste to add to taste.

To make this soup vegetarian, you can swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and use cubed tofu instead of chicken.

Beef and Mushroom Burgers

This is not only a healthier burger, but it is full of mushroom flavor. Substituting half of the meat for mushrooms is the secret to this recipe.

Ingredients

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed
4 ounces white mushrooms, stems removed
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 ounces 90% lean ground sirlion
Cooking spray

Instructions

Place cremini and white  mushrooms in a food processor. Pulse 4 or 5 times or until coarsely chopped.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic and saute about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Cook 7 - 10 minutes or until the liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool mushroom mixture completely.

Place beef in bowl. Add cooled mushroom mixture and combine with your hands. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Shape into four patties. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Refrigerate until ready to grill.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place patties in pan and cook about 3 minutes on each side or until desired doneness.

Recipe Source: Cooking Light

Mushroom and Fontina Pizza

This pizza is all about the quality of the ingredients. We drive to a mushroom farm to buy fresh mushrooms which taste incredible. And I use fontina cheese in this recipe - no substitutions.
You can buy ready-made pizza dough in a tube, but, again, this recipe is best with homemade pizza dough.

Ingredients

Pizza dough for one pizza
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small shallot, minced
3/4 pound assorted mushrooms, stems removed and chopped into bite size pieces
3/4 cup white wine
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 cups grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Corn meal

Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place pizza stone in oven for an hour before baking pizza.
Melt 1 Tablespoon butter and 1 Tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until softened and lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
Add mushrooms, garlic and shallot and saute for about 4  minutes. Add wine and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 10 - 15 minutes. Add rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.

Roll out pizza dough. Brush top with olive oil and place on pizza peel that has been sprinkled with corn meal. Sprinkle about 2/3 of the fontina cheese over the top. Top with mushroom mixture. Sprinkle remaining fontina and mozzarella on top.
Slide pizza onto pizza stone in oven. Bake for 10  minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing.

Wild Mushroom Pasta

We have a mushroom farm near us and it is my favorite place to go to buy mushrooms. They are fresh and delicious. I often get a mixed bag and it can contain all sorts of interesting varieties of mushrooms. This is a favorite meal to make with fresh mushrooms and basil from my garden.

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
4 ounces assorted mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
3 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup white wine
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt and pepper
Pasta of your choice - I prefer whole wheat spaghetti
Shaved Parmesan


Instructions

Cook pasta according to manufacturer's instructions.
While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce.
Heat oil in large skillet. Cook onions and garlic until soft. Lower heat to medium. Add mushroom, tomatoes, pinenuts, wine, butter, salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are heated through and flavors blend - about 5 minutes.
Stir in basil and cook just to heat - about one minute.
Drain pasta and top with sauce. Add shaved parmesan on top.

Pork Tenderloin with Fig and Mushroom Sauce

Figs are one of my very favorite foods and here in Colorado, we rarely see fresh figs. So, we have to make do with dried figs. Still, they add a depth of flavor of any dish. In this recipe, they blend well with the flavor of porcini and shitake mushrooms.

Ingredients

1/2 ounce dry porcini mushrooms
1 cup boiling low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound shitake mushrooms, wiped clean and tough stems removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat and silver skin - about 1.5 pounds
1 large shallot
1 cup red wine
3 dried figs, stemmed and chopped
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

Place porcini mushrooms in bowl and pour boiling broth over them. Let stand to soften, about 30 minutes.
Line a strainer with a coffee filter or cheesecloth and strain the  mushroom liquid through the filter and into a bowl or measuring cup. Squeeze mushrooms to extract any excess liquid.
Rinse the reconstituted mushrooms with cool water to remove any grit. Pat dry with paper towels. Finely chop.

In large skillet, heat one Tablespoon of olive oil and one Tablespoon of butter over medium high heat. Season pork on all sides with salt and pepper. Place pork in pan and brown on all sides - about 3 - 4 minutes per side.
Place pork in baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees while preparing the sauce.
Heat 1/2 Tablespoon of oil and butter in medium skillet. Add shitake mushrooms and cook until they release their juices and are tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat remaining half Tablespoon of oil and half Tablespoon of butter in small saucepan. Add shallot and cooked until softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine and reserved mushroom liquid and chopped figs. Bring to boil and reduce by half. Add wine reduction to skillet used to cook pork.  Bring to boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Stir in thyme.
Add chopped porcini mushrooms. Remove pan from heat and swirl in final one Tablespoon of butter.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Cut pork into 1-inch thick slices. Return them to the pan with sauce to heat through. Divide pork among dinner plates. Spoon fig and mushroom sauce on top of the medallions. Top each with a spoonful of mushrooms.

This dish is excellent with baked sweet potatoes.

Pickled Mushrooms

This makes a great addition to an appetizer plate.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sliced red onions
2 (4.5 ounce) jars whole mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 (2 ounce) jar chopped pimientos
2 minced garlic cloves
8 drops hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Instructions

In nonmetal bowl, combine mushrooms and onion  rings. In jar, combine all marinade ingredients. Shake well. Pour over mushrooms and onions. Stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight to blend the flavors.
Drain just before serving.

Teriyaki Portabella Mushrooms

Ingredients

1 pound fresh portabella mushrooms, sliced
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

Place sliced mushrooms in plastic bag, set in a bowl. Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over mushrooms. Close bag and refrigerate for 1 - 4 hours, turning several times.

Place mushrooms and marinade in saucepan. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Uncover and simmer an additional 3 - 5 minutes or until almost all the liquid is gone.
Cool to room temperature.

Gorgonzola Roasted Mushrooms and Onions

This recipe is a perfect accompaniment to a grilled steak.

Ingredients

3/4 cup shitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced into 1/2 inch slices
2 medium or 1 large red onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
5 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the mushrooms with onions and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30  minutes or until tender, tossing once. Sprinkle with thyme and toss altogether. Sprinkle with Gorgonzola cheese and roast about 5 minutes more.

Thin Crust Pizza with Onions, Mushrooms and Ricotta

This dish is great as an appetizer or meat-free main dish.

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
Pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 large flour tortillas or sandwich wraps
1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
6 button, baby portabello or cremini mushrooms
Salt and pepper
Corn meal

Instructions

Place pizza stone on top of middle rack in oven. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Allow pizza stone to heat in oven at least 15 minutes before baking pizza.
Heat one Tablespoon olive oil in small saute pan on medium high heat. Add sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to soften. Add pinch of sugar and balsamic vinegar. Cook for a few minutes more until the onions are very soft and translucent. Remove from heat.
Sprinkle pizza stone with corn meal. Brush tortillas with olive oil. Sprinkle each tortilla with Asiago cheese. Add small spoonfuls of ricotta cheese, using about 1/3 cup per tortilla. Top with mushrooms, then onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place tortilla on pizza stone. Bake until crust is crisp, about 5 minutes.
Remove and cut with pizza cutter.

Wild Mushroom Ragout

Near Fort Collins, Colorado, there is a mushroom farm. We love to stop there and buy fresh mushrooms. You never quite know what varieties will be available, but they are all amazing! We often come home with bags of mushrooms and this led me to find recipes that showcase the flavor of mushrooms.  This recipe is decadent. It is rich and creamy and lets the flavor of the mushroom shine through.   Serve it with a buttery oaked Chardonnay and it is heaven.

Ingredients

2 packaged refrigerated wild mushroom ravioli
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 pound thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 pounds mixed wild mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
1 large shallot, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 cup Marsala wine
3/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions
Cook ravioli according to package instructions.

In deep skillet, heat olive oil. Add pancetta and cook over moderately high heat, stirring about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and transfer to plate.

Add mushrooms to skillet, adding butter, if needed. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally until lightly browned and softened, about 8 minutes. Add shallot and thyme and cook until shallot is softened. Add Marsala wine and cook until liquid is evaporated, stirring up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 2-3 minutes. Add pancetta right before serving.

Place ravioli on plate. Top with sauce.