Mushroom Marinara

Please excuse the strangely reddish pink hand holding the beautiful pasta to your left. I absolutely adore strozapretti pasta, and not just because strozapretti means "priest choker" in Italian, but also because of the texture of this pasta in my mouth. It's like long macaroni with a seam down the middle, and it tastes simply divine in macaroni and cheese dishes, or along with a simple marinara sauce.

I cook sans meat three or four days a week (if you couldn't tell by the preponderance of vegetarian recipes I have posted), and mushroom marinara is a great upgrade from simple marinara. If you're looking for a quick and easy weeknight vegetarian meal, this one's for you!





Mushroom Marinara

2 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
12 oz. mushrooms (shitake, button, baby bella, etc.)
Good splash of red wine
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
Fresh shaved Parmesan cheese to serve
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute until onions are soft. Add mushrooms to the pan and saute until mushrooms darken and soften. Once cooked through, add a good splash of red wine and cook 1-2 minutes, or until reduced. Add diced tomatoes with their juice to the pan, along with the tomato paste, basil, and oregano. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Serve tossed with your favorite pasta and sprinkled with shaved Parmesan.

Mangia!

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

I use portabella mushrooms on those days I want something "meaty" but I don't quite want meat. I suspect this would be ideal for meatless Mondays, particularly for those who resist the idea of a vegetarian dinner. I've noticed more meat lovers are embracing this new tradition, so I'd like to stress here that not only is vegetarian eating more economical, but it can also be flavorful. I'm never going to become a full-blow vegetarian (please don't get me started on this subject), but I do plan meatless meals three or four days a week.

This recipe also happens to be one in my arsenal that overlaps with staples I make huge batches of and freeze for all manner of meals. The ricotta and spinach mixture I use for lasagna and stuffed shells, and the marinara I use for a quick pasta dinner (which I made as a side dish here) or for pizza, etc. Versatile meal bases are important to me, and they keep me well within my budget.


Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

4 large portobello mushroom caps
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped kalamata olives
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3/4 cup prepared marinara sauce

Directions
(from here)

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Place mushroom caps, gill-side up, on the prepared pan. Sprinkle with salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Roast until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mash ricotta, spinach, 1/4 cup Parmesan, olives, Italian seasoning and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Place marinara sauce in a small bowl, cover and microwave on High until hot, 30 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes.
4. When the mushrooms are tender, carefully pour out any liquid accumulated in the caps. Return the caps to the pan gill-side up. Spread 1 tablespoon marinara into each cap; cover the remaining sauce to keep warm. Mound a generous 1/3 cup ricotta filling into each cap and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until hot, about 10 minutes. Serve with the remaining marinara sauce.

Steaks with Simple Mushroom Pan Sauce

While I am a steak enthusiast, I rarely eat a big slab of beef, opting instead for a smaller size that actually corresponds to the recommended "pack of cards" visual usually touted by the FDA. Since I only buy smaller cuts, the natural beef brand carried at the Co-Op is actually affordable. I'm specifying eye of round for this recipe, but really, you could use just about any cut of beef.






I served this with some simply roasted carrots and baby potatoes tossed with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and chopped Italian parsley.


Steaks with Simple Mushroom Pan Sauce

2 eye of round steaks (about 4 oz. each)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. minced onion
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine (you can also use red)
1 cup beef broth
2 1/2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat; swirl to coat. Add steaks and cook four minutes per side, or until meat is cooked to desired. Remove steaks from pan and keep warm.
2. Add butter to pan. Add minced onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have darkened and start to give off moisture. Pour white wine into pan and let simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Combine beef broth and flour in a bowl until combined, and then add to pan. Let mixture simmer until reduced and thickened. Pour over steaks.

Portabella Mushroom Burgers and Black Bean Couscous with Feta

I love me a good burger, and if there's bacon on it, even better. In fact, if you order a bacon cheeseburger anywhere in the United States, I instantly manifest, wearing a bib and ready to feast. Despite my love for burgers, I also love the veggie options that are currently out there. When I was first introduced to veggie burgers, it was of the tasteless cardboard variety and I never thought a good substitute would make its way to my plate, so I never ordered one again.

That is, until I tasted the Black Bean Chipotle Burger from Morningstar Farms. Don't get me wrong--the texture is somewhat mushy and the patty tends to fall apart if you stare at it too long, and it can never replace the bliss I feel from eating a meat hamburger, but it's pretty darn good compared to the hockey pucks that used to have the veggie market cornered.

My other favorite type of burger is the mushroom burger. Portabella mushrooms are like the meaty burger patty of the fungi world, and the hold marinades pretty well, so if you're one of those who appreciates the juices that flow from a beef patty and are disappointed by the dryness of veggie burgers, try this simple marinade and grill recipe.

In addition, while fries are the standard accompaniment to burgers (and I happen to adore piping hot fried foods in moderation), I decided on couscous with black beans, cherry tomatoes, spinach and feta as a lighter alternative packed with fiber and protein.

Portabella Mushroom Burgers
4 portabella mushroom caps, cleaned
1 shallot, finely minced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. dried oregano
Kosher salt and pepper

1. In a medium bowl, mix shallot, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Place mushroom caps in a shallow baking dish and pour marinade over to cover. Let stand for 30 minutes, turning the caps over occasionally.

2. Heat a grill pan (I used my George Foreman) to nice and hot. Add mushrooms to grill and cook 3-4 minutes a side. While on grill, place sliced cheese on and allow to melt on mushroom caps. Serve with lettuce, tomato, avocado, caramelized onions, or whatever else floats your boat on a steamed whole wheat bun. Enjoy!


Black Bean Couscous with Feta
1 1/4 cup chicken stock
1 cup couscous
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 cups baby spinach
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp. feta cheese

1. Heat chicken stock and 1 tbsp. olive oil until it comes to a boil, then add couscous and remove from heat. Cover and let stand while preparing rest of ingredients.

2. Heat remaining olive oil over medium heat. Saute zucchini in oil until soft, about 5-7 minutes. During the last three minutes, add halved cherry tomatoes and saute.

3. Fold zucchini-tomato mixture into couscous, along with baby spinach (I chiffonade the spinach) and black beans. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper if necessary.