Fresh and Wild Mushroom Stew from NY Times

  • 1 ½ pounds crecipes-wildmushroomstew-master675ultivated brown mushrooms, like shiitake, cremini or portobello
  • ½ pound pale wild mushrooms, like chanterelle (or use King trumpet or oyster)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
  • 1 teaspoon chopped sage or rosemary
  • Pinch red pepper flakes or cayenne
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 small ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • Porcini broth, heated, or use chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

    Clean mushrooms, keeping colors separate, and trim tough stems. (Save stems for stock.) Slice mushrooms about 1/8-inch thick.In a wide skillet, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until onion has softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

    Add 1 more tablespoon oil and turn heat to high. Add brown mushrooms, season lightly and stir-fry until nicely colored, about 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Add thyme, sage, red pepper and tomato paste. Add tomatoes, stir well, and cook for 1 minute. Season again with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour, stir to incorporate and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in reserved onions.

    Add 1 cup mushroom broth and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Gradually add 1 more cup broth and cook for 2 minutes. Sauce should have gravy-like consistency; thin with more broth if necessary. Adjust seasoning. (May be prepared to this point several hours ahead and reheated.)

    Just before serving, put butter and 1 tablespoon olive in wide skillet over medium high heat. When butter begins to brown, add chanterelles, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 2 minutes, until cooked through and beginning to brown. Add garlic and parsley, stir to coat and cook 1 minute more. Add chanterelles to brown mushroom mixture and transfer to a warm serving bowl. Accompany with polenta or pasta if you wish.

Spaghetti Puttanesca from seriouseats.com

  • 20160221-puttanesca-pasta-week-221/2 pound (225g) dried spaghetti
  • Kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons (90ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced or finely chopped by hand (see note above)
  • 4 to 6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons; 20–30ml chopped anchovy)
  • Large pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained and chopped (about 2 ounces; 60g) (see note above)
  • 1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives (about 2 ounces; 60g) (see note above)
  • 1 cup (225g) whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, roughly broken up by hand (about half a 14 ounce can)
  • Small handful minced fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 ounce (30g) finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (5-ounce; 140g) can oil-packed tuna (optional)

 

  • Place spaghetti in a large skillet, sauté pan, or saucepan and cover with water. Add a small pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking.

  • 2.Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, combine 4 tablespoons (60ml) oil, garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat until garlic is very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep it gently sizzling.) Add capers and olives and stir to combine.
  • 3.Add tomatoes, stir to combine, and bring to a bare simmer. Continue to simmer until pasta is cooked to just under al dente (about 1 minute less than the package recommends).
  • 4.Using tongs, transfer pasta to sauce. Alternatively, drain pasta through a colander, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add drained pasta to sauce.
  • 5.Add a few tablespoons of pasta water to sauce and increase heat to bring pasta and sauce to a vigorous simmer. Cook, stirring and shaking the pan and adding more pasta water as necessary to keep sauce loose, until pasta is perfectly al dente, 1 to 2 minutes longer. (The pasta will cook more slowly in the sauce than it did in the water.) Stir in remaining olive oil, parsley, and cheese.
  • 6.Season with salt and pepper. (Be generous with the pepper and scant with the salt—the dish will be plenty salty from the other ingredients.) If using, stir in canned tuna and break it up with a fork. Serve immediately with more grated cheese at the table.

 

Caprese panino from Mario

1000x400-Q80_a35eac1e31c2186023e716a019a2f09fCAPRESE PANINO

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (roughly chopped)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 vine-ripe tomatoes (cores removed, thinly sliced into rounds)
  • 1 loaf ciabatta (cut lengthwise, cut into 6-inch pieces)
  • 2 balls buffalo mozzarella (about 8 ounces each, sliced)

BASIL PESTO

  • 2 1/2 cups basil leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic (peeled)
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts (raw)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
  • Preheat a grill pan or panini maker to medium heat.
  • In a large bowl, add red wine vinegar or basmalic, dried oregano, fresh oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Add the tomatoes and toss to coat. Set aside.
  • For the Pesto: in the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts. Pulse and chop until almost blended. The resulting pesto will be a little chunky and not too wet. Pulse a few times to chop and combine. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil until combined, The resulting pesto should be a little chunky and not too wet. Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and pulse a couple times just to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set the sauce aside so that the flavors meld.
  • To build the sandwiches, lay out a top and bottom piece of ciabatta with the insides facing up. Spread some pesto on both slices of bread. On the bottom piece, add some mozzarella and dressed tomato slices. Top with bread. Brush the outside of the sandwich with a little olive oil. Place on preheated panini maker and close. Cook until golden brown and the cheese has slightly melted, about 3-5 minutes. Continue building sandwiches with remaining ingredients.
  • Tip: alternatively, cook the panini stovetop in a skillet or grill pan and press with a weighted object.

Michael Ruhlman’s Pasta with Tomato Water, Basil, and Garlic

bcb38808-7b60-4b88-bfcd-d6c612d9d13d--14784151680_5687dc752d_b

  • 4 ripe tomatoes, large dice
  • 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
  • 12 ounces spaghetti or any pasta you like
  • 10 cloves of garlic
  • 1cup basil, cut into ribbons
  • 3 ounces butter, cut into three chunks
  • Olive oil, as needed
  1. Season the tomatoes with the salt and toss them well.
  2. Put a big pot of water on to boil.
  3. Smash the garlic with the flat side of a knife, give it all a few rough chops with the knife and set them a side in a small bowl.
  4. Cut the basil into ribbons or roughly chop it. Take a pinch of this basil, chop it finely, and add it to the tomatoes to season the water.
  5. Cook your pasta, drain it, put it back in the pot, and oil the pasta to keep it from sticking to itself. (Meanwhile, even if your water isn’t boiling yet, you should still get your garlic cooking in the next step).
  6. Heat a teaspoon or two of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the garlic and cook it till it is just beginning to brown around the edges and soften, a couple minutes. Give it a pinch of salt if you wish.
  7. Pour the tomatoes into a strainer or colander over the garlic so that the tomato water will stream into the pan below. Set the strainer with the tomatoes into the bowl so they don’t drip on the counter, and swirl the sauce to bring it to a simmer. Add the butter while continuing to swirl or stir the sauce. Keep the sauce moving until all the butter is melted. Add the pasta and toss to coat the pasta evenly. Divide the pasta among four bowls and top with the tomatoes and basil.

 

Dina’s tossed mushrooms

Unstuffed-Mushrooms

All the deliciousness of stuffed mushrooms without all the work! An easy side dish you can serve any night of the week!

  • 1 pound white button mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1⁄4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon thyme (fresh or dried)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil to drizzle
  • olive oil spray
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Slice off the bottom of the stems; then, use a moist paper towel to gently remove any dirt from mushrooms.
  3. Quarter or halve the mushrooms, depending on the size.
  4. Sprinkle water in the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish then place mushrooms in a single layer on top of the water.
  5. In a small bowl combine next six ingredients: breadcrumbs through salt/pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly on top of the mushrooms.
  6. Drizzle evenly with olive oil then spray the top with olive oil spray so it’s evenly coated. Bake uncovered until the mushrooms are golden, about 20 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

 

Patricia Wells’ Fake Frites

  • 368c4873-5ccc-4cd2-9708-f3f916104e19--2014-1220_fake-frites-0792 pounds baking potatoes, such as Idaho russets or Bintje, peeled and cut into thick fries, 3/4 inch by 3 inches
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Fine sea salt to taste
  1. Preheat the oven to 500° F. Bring 1 quart of water to a simmer in the bottom of a steamer. Place the potatoes on the steaming rack, place the rack in the steamer, cover, and steam just until a knife inserted in a potato comes away clean, 10 to 12 minutes. (The potatoes should not be cooked through, or they will tend to fall apart.)
  2. Transfer the steamed potatoes to a bowl and drizzle with oil. Carefully toss to coat evenly with oil. (The potatoes can be prepared to this point several hours in advance. Set aside at room temperature.)
  3. With a large slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes in a single layer to a nonstick baking sheet. Discard any excess oil or liquid. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake, turning so they brown evenly, until the potatoes are crisp and deep golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, season generously with salt, and serve immediately.

Swordfish with lemon-garlic sauce

swordfishFor the lemon-garlic sauce

  • 1 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • Grated zest from 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • 1 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoons parsley for garnish, snipped or cut into small pieces

Take the swordfish out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature.

Dry off fish, salt and pepper it, put a very small amount of grapeseed oil in cast iron pan and heat until quite hot. Depending on thickness of fish cook 3-7 min on each side.

Make the lemon-garlic sauce

You can make the sauce while the swordfish steaks roast in the oven – so fast and easy to do, and the smell is addictive.

1.  Add the butter and olive oil to a small skillet, and melt over low heat. 

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook over very low heat (you don’t want to burn the garlic!) until the garlic softens, add capers.  Set aside until the fish is done.

2. Use a spatula to carefully remove the swordfish from the pan and put it on a serving platter.

3.  Add the white wine to the cooking pan and stir to deglaze – remember to use oven mitts when touching the hot pan!  Pour the wine mixture into the skillet with the garlic, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, to reduce the volume.  Remove from the heat, and stir in the grated lemon zest and lemon juice.  Pour over the swordfish, and garnish with the parsley.

Serving suggestions

Serve this delicious swordfish with lemon-garlic sauce with linguine or another type of pasta, a green vegetable such as steamed broccoli, and crusty slices of French bread. 

Israeli coucous salad

18recipehealth-master675For the Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

  • 1 large lemon, juice of
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp dill weed
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper 

For the Israeli Couscous

  • 2 cups Israeli couscous (Pearl couscous)
  • Olive oil
  • Water
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped red onions
  • ½ English cucumber, finely chopped
  • ½ cup good pitted kalamta olives
  • 15-20 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped or torn; more for garnish
  • 10 mini fresh mozzarella balls (or 1 cup chopped fresh mozzarella), optional
  1. To make the lemon-dill vinaigrette, place the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together to combine. Set aside briefly.
  2. In a medium-sized heavy pot, heat two tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the couscous in the olive oil briefly until golden brown. Add 3 cups of boiling water (or the amount instructed on the package), and cook according to package. When ready, drain in a colander. Set aside in a bowl to cool.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients minus the basil and mozzarella. Then add the couscous and the basil and mix together gently.
  4. Now, give the lemon-dill vinaigrette a quick whisk and add it to the couscous salad. Mix again to combine. Test and adjust salt, if needed.

Easy stuffed fresh mozzarella caprese from anitalianinmykitchen.com

mozzarella-capr-2-1-of-1

1 large and 1 medium fresh mozzarella (I used 2 medium and had a lot of caprese left over)**
12 cherry tomatoes or 2 or 3 medium to large ripe but firm tomatoes (seeded and chopped)
1/4 small onion chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
3/4 teaspoon oregano (3/4 gram)
1/4 teaspoon salt (1.35 grams)
4-5 fresh basil leaves chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil (54 grams)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (14 grams)

Place the fresh mozzarella in a sieve over a bowl for approximately 20 minutes. Carefully hollow out the mozzarella, chop the excess mozzarella.

In a medium bowl combine, chopped excess mozzarella, chopped tomatoes, onion and celery, oregano,salt, chopped basil, 3 tablespoons olive oil and balsamic vinegar, toss gently together.

Fill the hollowed out fresh mozzarella with the caprese mixture, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and serve the extra caprese mixture on the side. Enjoy!