Matuffi-Layered Polenta And Sausage Mushroom Tomato Sauce

MATUFFI—LAYERED POLENTA AND 

SAUSAGE MUSHROOM TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients:

Sauce:
1 T. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 T. minced garlic
1-10 oz. pkg. sliced mushrooms
(white or crimini)
12 to 16 oz. spicy or mild Italian
sausages, casings removed
3/4 cup dry red wine
1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes with
added puree
1-14 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice 
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 T. golden brown sugar
1 T. dried oregano

Serves 6.
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper 
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, divided use
Polenta:
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups whole milk or more
chicken broth
2 T. unsalted butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
cheese

1. For sauce, heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms and garlic; sauté until softened, about 12 minutes. Add sausage to pan; sauté until cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 7 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Add remaining ingredients, except for the basil. Cover and simmer until flavors blend, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Uncover and cook another 10 minutes or so or until thickened and flavorful. Discard bay leaf and stir in half the basil. Keep warm.
2. For Polenta, bring broth, milk, butter, salt and pepper to a boil in a large pot. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until very thick and creamy, about 9 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.
3. To serve spoon half the polenta onto plates or into bowls. Top with half the sauce. Repeat with polenta and sauce and finish with basil.

Mushroom And Sweet Onion Gnocchi Casserole

Mushroom And Sweet Onion Gnocchi Casserole

Puffy gnocchi in a savoury, creamy sauce laden with mushrooms and sweet onions makes for a nice change from tomato-pasta casseroles. Having a few dishes of this comfort-food meal tucked in the freezer for a simple reheat can save the day when the holiday preparations are in full swing. If you prefer to use one larger casserole dish, use an 8-cup shallow dish and allow 24 to 36 hours to thaw (or defrost in the microwave); the reheating time will be the same. You can also double the recipe easily: just sauté the mushrooms in two separate batches. Serve a crispy, vinaigrette-dressed green salad on the side.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp butter, divided
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
1 lb gnocchi
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups 10% cream, heated
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Additional 10% cream or milk, warmed
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil and 1 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add mushrooms, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper; sauté for about 10 minutes or until mushrooms have released their liquid and are lightly browned. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add remaining butter to skillet and melt over medium heat. Add onion, rosemary and ¼ tsp salt. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until softened. Reduce heat to medium- low and cook, stirring often, for about 20 minutes or until soft and golden.

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring often, for about 3 to 4 minutes or just until they rise to the surface (do not overcook). Using a metal sieve, scoop gnocchi out of water, draining well, and transfer to a large bowl, reserving cooking water. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to gnocchi and stir gently to coat. Set aside to cool.

Add garlic to onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until fragrant. Increase heat to medium-high and pour in wine. Bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits in pan. Boil for 2 minutes or until reduced by about half.

Whisk flour into cream and gradually pour into skillet, while stirring. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into bowl with mushrooms and let cool.

Pour mushroom sauce over gnocchi in bowl and stir gently to coat. Add reserved cooking water, a little at a time, to moisten as desired. You want the gnocchi to be quite saucy as the liquid will be absorbed upon baking. Stir in parsley.

Spoon gnocchi into three or four 2- to 4-cup shallow baking dishes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap then place dishes in freezer bags or cover with foil. Freeze for up to 1 month.

To serve, let gnocchi thaw in refrigerator for at least 12 hours or for up to 2 days (alternatively, microwave baking dishes, one at a time, loosely covered with plastic wrap, on defrost/ 50% power, stirring every 2 minutes, until thawed, being careful not to let them heat).

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Remove plastic wrap and cover baking dishes with foil. Bake gnocchi for about 45 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes to brown top lightly.

Serve with a little warm cream to stir in and thin sauce, as desired, then sprinkle with Parmesan.

Serves 4

Chicken Breasts With Chianti Mushroom Sauce

Chicken Breasts With 
Chianti Mushroom Sauce

Serves 8.

3 cups Chianti wine
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1 T. tomato paste
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
Salt and pepper for seasoning
2 T. olive oil

4 T. unsalted butter, divided use 
2 shallots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 lb. sliced crimini mushrooms
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves 
2 T. flour

1. Place Chianti, beef broth and tomato paste in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve tomato paste. Continue to cook down by half. Cover and set aside.

2. Trim chicken and pound to an even 1/2 inch thickness; season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and brown 2 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate.

3. Melt 2 T. butter in the same skillet and then add the shallots and garlic and toss until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and thyme; sprinkle lightly with salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until mushrooms cook off all the excess liquid and begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the reduced wine to the mushrooms and bring to a boil, stirring often.

4. Return chicken to the skillet, turning to coat in the sauce. Simmer chicken until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove chicken to serving plates and stir the remaining 2 T. butter into the sauce. Serve sauce spooned over the chicken with a side of pasta or polenta.

Garlic Mushroom Bites

Garlic Mushroom Bites

These Garlic-Bacon Mushroom Bites are so scrumptious, so savory, and so simply delicious cooked in melted, paprika-spiked butter. Serves: 24 

Ingredients: 

24 large cremini mushrooms 

1 stick butter, melted 

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 

1 large egg 

1 clove garlic, very finely chopped 

4 thick slices peppered bacon, cooked and finely diced 

2 teaspoons sweet paprika 

¼ cup green onions, chopped 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Pull the stems from each of the mushrooms. Wash and gently dry with a clean paper towel. 

Dip mushrooms in melted butter, then place mushrooms round-side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or in a large parchment-lined skillet or baking dish). Arrange the mushrooms so they’re not touching. Bake for 15-18 minutes in the preheated oven until mushrooms are tender and dark brown. Flip each mushroom so the bottom side is up. 

In a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, egg, garlic, and bacon. Beat until smooth. Spoon into the center of each mushroom. Drizzle with butter and sprinkle with paprika. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until the center mixture melts and begins to bubble lightly around the edges. Cool slightly before serving. Garnish with chopped green onions. 

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes With Easy Mushroom Gravy

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes With

Easy Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients:

2 pounds of Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes, peeled or

   unpeeled and cut into chunks

1 small head of cauliflower (1 1/2 pounds) chopped

   into bite sized chunks

2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter

1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic minced

Milk or non-dairy milk if desired

***

Directions:

Place  the potatoes in a very large saucepan and add water to cover.  Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes for 10 minutes uncovered.

After 10 minutes add the cauliflower to the saucepan with the potatoes.  Boil both vegetables for 10 minutes more, uncovered until they are fork tender. 

Drain the potatoes and cauliflower and return them to the saucepan.  Mash with a potato masher until smooth. adding the butter, salt, pepper, and garlic as you mash.  Resist the urge to add milk right off the bar.  As you mash the cauliflower, it will release some water and thin out the mixture.  If you need to add some milk at the end do so to make the mixture your desired consistency, feel free to do so.

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Easy Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 sweet or yellow onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic
Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups finely sliced cremini mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari, or to taste.

*

Directions:

In a skillet or saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add the sliced mushrooms and rosemary and raise the heat to medium-high.  Sauté for 8 to 9 minutes more, or until most of the water is released by the mushrooms has cooked off.

Stir in the flour until all of the vegetables are coated.

Add the broth and tamari gradually  and stir quickly to smooth out any lumps of flour.  Bring the mixture to a simmer.  Cook stirring often to ensure that it doesn't burn, for 5 minutes more.

When the gravy has thickened to your liking, remove the pan from the heat and serve.

Giada's Mushroom Salad

Giada's Mushroom Salad

Two chefs who are televised on The Food Channel get my nod for being cooks who use healthy preparation methods with fresh and nutritious ingredients. Giadi DeLaurentis and Ina Gerten have programs that I will take the time to view occasionally as they prepare foods that I would serve my family. Today I watched Giada prepare this salad and thought it looked so tasty that I would prepare it.

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Ingredients:
1 pound large button mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-ounce piece Parmesan

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Serving suggestion: assorted French cheeses and Poilane Bakery-style breads

***

Directions: In a medium salad bowl, mix together the mushrooms and parsley. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and lemon juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the oil mixture to the salad bowl and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan on top and serve.