Spinach and Mushroom Orzo

Taken from Kittencalskitchen, serves 8 as a side dish
Date made: 2/26/2012

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced*
1/2 lb spinach, washed*
3 c. vegetable broth
1 1/2 c uncooked orzo pasta
1/3 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste

Heat about 1 Tbsp of olive oil in saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion and mushrooms and cook until tender and golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and cayenne pepper and cook for 2 minutes more.
Add spinach and mix together.  Cook for 2 more minutes.
Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
While stirring, add orzo, and reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer until orzo is tender, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the dish, and serve.

Roasted Summer Vegetables

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 4 (as main dish)
Date made: 5/1/2011

1 zucchini, chopped*
2 yellow squash, chopped*
1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, cleaned*
1/2 medium onion, chopped*
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp black pepper

Mix olive oil and herbs/spices together.  Toss with vegetables and mushrooms.  Spread evenly in a 9x13 baking dish and bake in preheated oven at 425°F.  Serve over rice or pasta.

Potato, Onion, and Mushroom Saute

Adapted from Coconut and Lime, serves 2
Date made: 4/30/2011

2 small red potatoes, diced*

1 c onion, diced*

1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms*

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried sage leaves

1/2 tsp black pepper

Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes, garlic and onions. Saute, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.Add salt, pepper and sage.

Continue to saute, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are softened. Add mushrooms and saute an additional 5-10 minutes or until they have cooked down. Serve immediately.

Beet Green Gratin

Adapted from Food Network, serves 6-8
Date made: 4/4/2011

1 Tbsp butter
8 oz shiitake mushrooms*
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb beet greens, cleaned and picked*
4 egg yolks, beaten*
1 c ricotta
1/2 c Parmesan, grated
3/4 crumbled crackers
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Melt butter in saucepan on medium heat.  Add mushrooms and garlic and sweat.  Add beet greens and mix well.
Remove pan from heat and season with salt and pepper.
In separate bowl, combine egg yolks, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, and 1/4 tsp of salt.  Combine everything and transfer to a lightly oiled 8x8 baking dish.
Top with crumbled crackers, cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.


YAY!  Hollygrove gave us eggs in our box this week!  I love how I can find recipes that somehow incorporate my Hollygrove produce.  I only wish that I could be this imaginative.

So I'm still not 100% sold on beets/beet greens.  However, I found it to be tasty enough, though the egg kind of threw me off a little bit.  Though my best friend came into town and said she thought it was pretty good, so I guess that's enough for me!

Poor Man's "Beef" Stroganoff

Adapted from Joy of Cooking, serves 4
Date made: February 13, 2011

1 lb ground turkey
3 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 c chicken stock
1 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp honey dijon mustard
12 oz pkg wheat noodles
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced*
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Cook wheat noodles in per package directions.
Season ground turkey with salt and ground pepper to taste.
Melt 1 1/2 Tbsp butter in small saucepan over medium heat.
Add flour and stir with a whisk until smooth.
And chicken stock and whisk constantly to prevent lumps from forming.  Heat slowly and allow to simmer until smooth and thickened.
Set aside and keep warm.
Melt remaining butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Add turkey and crumble into small pieces.  Add onions and cook until turkey is browned.
While the turkey is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat.  Add mushrooms and toss constantly until mushrooms begin to color.
Add garlic and parsley and cook for another minute.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove onion from meat and discard.

Transfer meat onto a warm dish and set aside.

Stir in sauce with juices from cooked meat and heat without boiling.
Stir in sour cream and mustard, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Add meat and mushrooms to the sauce and mix well.  Serve over the wheat noodles and enjoy!

This recipe follows the 1997 version of the Joy of Cooking cookbook.  I ended up saving the onions and using it to make a soup with the leftover chicken stock and some barley from the Winter Borscht.  In hindsight, I would have done something more along the lines of what's posted on the The Joy Kitchen, but it still turned out well considering it was my first time making this.  It's one of those dishes that I associate with my childhood, although I remember not really liking it much until I started liking mushrooms.  Also, I'm a huge fan of the Mix 'n Chop, courtesy of Pampered Chef.  I think that every kitchen should have one.

Mustard Mustard Greens

Adapted from Hollygrove Market, serves 2 (main course) or 4 (side dish)
Date made: 2/6/2011

1 bunch mustard greens, washed, destemmed, and torn into large pieces*
1 pint small shiitake mushrooms*
2 large turnips, sliced*
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp honey dijon mustard
1 Tbsp sugar
salt, pepper, and Tony Cacherie's to taste
water
Cajun brown rice*

Saute turnips on medium heat in a couple tablespoons of olive oil until they start to become translucent.
Add mushrooms and continue cooking until mushrooms are tender.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, saute garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil in a pot.  Add greens and enough water to cover the bottom of the pot, 3-4 tablespoons.
Add a tablespoon of sugar and season with salt and pepper.  Add Tony Cacherie's, if desired.
Cook until wilted.  Remove greens and squeeze as much liquid as possible into the pot.  Reduce liquid by half and add butter and mustard.
Add greens, mushrooms, and turnips to pot and mix well.
Serve over a bed of Cajun brown rice.  Can also be served as a side dish alone with some sort of protein.

Trying to cook mustard greens has been the bane of my existence.  For some reason, they'd always turn out bitter to the point of being inedible.  I guess I should have done some reading first: apparently, wilted greens = bitter greens.
http://www.naturalchoice.net/articles/cookinggr.htm.

From Mimi's cooking lesson on collards and okra, I always add a little bit of sugar to my greens, and I'd like to think that it cuts the bitterness as well.  I cooked these greens that day after I got them, and by following the source recipe and tweaking it a little, the greens turned out pretty well, the only bitterness coming from the dijon mustard.  Although I chose the honey dijon because it was the first mustard I found in the fridge, I kind of like the slight sweetness it brings to the dish.

Marinated Mushrooms

Adapted from several recipes I found online
Date made: ???

1/2 lb mushrooms, cleaned*
1 green onion, chopped finely*
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
juice of 1 orange*
1/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Saute mushrooms in about 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat until it starts to sweat.  Add balsamic vinegar and green onion, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and let simmer until tender.
Add herbs, salt, pepper, and orange juice.  Pour mixture into a sterilized mason jar, seal, and allow to cool.  Refrigerate for several hours to a few days.


I don't remember exactly how I made this dish, but I think this is about right.  I might've added a clove of garlic as well.  I really just wanted something to do with the crap load of citrus I'd been getting at Hollygrove.  I got sick the week prior and the resulting sore throat was rather averse to acids for a while.

After the mushrooms marinated for several days I tossed it with a box of cooked penne and added some salt.  The mushrooms turned out pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.  I would probably something else to dress up the pasta though.