Creamy Cremini Soup

 

From the infant white button, to the teenaged cremini, to the adult portabello, these fleshy mushrooms are hard to resist. Chunky, robust, and flavorful when sauteed, they make a hearty winter soup. I have refrained from putting down exact measurements here to allow for easy customization.

Ingredients

About 2 cups chopped or sliced Cremini or portabello mushrooms

1/2 Onion, chopped

About 2 cups Vegetable stock (or bullion substitute per taste)

About 1/4 cup heavy cream 

dried medium sage leaves (or 1/4 tsp ground sage)

dried bay leaves

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp black pepper, ground

1/2 cup cooked brown rice

garnish: spring onions

Preparation

1. Saute the sliced mushrooms in olive oil, with chopped onions and a pinch of salt in a soup pot.
2. Add the stock, brown rice, sage, bay leaves, and 1/4 tsp  black pepper powder, cover with the lid and allow to simmer on medium heat
   
3. Adjust flavors to taste, sprinkle with more black pepper, stir in heavy cream, garnish with chopped spring onions
4. Serve warm with favorite toasted bread
   

Ptitim with Mushrooms and Peppers

For the last month or so, I have been resorting to comfort foods like the usual soups and stews and casseroles. Plus, the usual round of viral influenza had us down one after the other, so, nothing exciting in the kitchen...

Now that Spring is in the air, and my kale and arugula have tender baby leaves perfect for a quick side salad, it felt like a good time to cook up simple and wholesome meals.

Ptitim, sometimes known as Israeli cous cous, has large pearls which when cooked al dente makes a fine accompaniment for sauteed or stir-fried veggies.

This time, I went with mushroom, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and kale, lightly flavored with Balsamic Vinegar and Bragg Liquid Aminos.

Stir-fried Portobello Mushrooms

A simple stir fry with some custom-made marinade/sauce. Snap peas, peppers and onions add body and flavor to the meaty texture of the portobello mushrooms.

Ingredients for marinade/stir-fry sauce:
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp coconut sugar (or agave nectar)
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp water

Stir together the marinade/sauce ingredients and pour over the veggies, allow to marinate for 10 minutes or so. Then, heat a cast iron skillet or wok to high heat, add a tablespoon of sesame oil, then add in the marinated veggies with all the marinade; stir on and off till crisp-tender.

Serve on a bed of arugula, or with brown basmati rice.

Portabella Mushroom and Radish Greens Curry

Now that winter is here and there's not enough sunlight, I miss the fresh herbs and baby greens from my garden. I particularly miss tender fenugreek leaves and young mustard greens, which I incorporate in my cooking as much for their healthful properties as their fresh crisp taste.

To remind me of the joys of fenugreek leaves, I decided to include a picture here taken over summer in my garden.

Fresh Fenugreek leaves from summer garden

In summer, I make this mushroom curry on and off with different varieties of mushrooms and greens -- the most common version is with with white button mushrooms and fenugreek leaves. Portabella being my favorite, I use it more often than other kinds. Stuffed Portabella makes a fantastic meal on its own, and especially when paired with my favorite arugula-and-pear salad, it feels like a feast.

This time, I went with Portabella mushrooms and radish greens. Now, radish is another favorite in my home garden – mainly, I must admit, for its gorgeous lilac flowers when it goes to seed and particularly the edible radish seed pods! We did the seed-saving and planting for a couple of years and then I got lazy... Maybe next year I get to do it again.

This is a simple curry, Indian-style: Saute and simmer, that's it.


Ingredients
1 cup radish greens, coarsely chopped with stems and all
1 Portabella mushroom, diced
½ large purple onion, diced
1 large tomato, diced
6 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
½ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Marinate the Portabella mushroom in yogurt mixed with turmeric powder, keep it aside while assembling the rest of the ingredients
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, a pinch of salt, and saute
3. Add the radish greens and marinated mushrooms, spices and seasoning, a splash of water, cover and simmer on low heat till mushrooms are cooked through and the flavors meld
4. Serve warm with naan or roti, or even cooked millet or cous cous.

Portabella Stuffed with Chard, Peppers, Peas

"Giant Fungus? No, thank you!"

That seems to be the trend with the majority of the population in the household.

I happen to love mushrooms of all kinds, especially portabella/cremini. With fancy names like that, how can one sideline them as mere fungi.

Every once in a while, I make it just for myself, as an indulgence. Not an elaborate recipe, but whatever is handy as a stuffing is fine with me - like, leftover rice and beans, TVP, or just cheese and tomatoes and onions.

This stuffing here is my all-time favorite for portabella. Fresh chard, colorful peppers, red onions, jalapeños, peas in a creamy cheese sauce. Simply saute the veggies till softened, add some cheese and heavy cream to make a thick filling.

Rather than bake it in a 400 °F oven for about 10 minutes, I went with cooking it in a cast iron skillet. Gill the portabella and drizzle some Braggs Liquid Aminos and Balsamic vinegar, add some stuffing (I like to pile it on), cook in a lightly oiled hot cast iron skillet with a fitting lid on. Then, remove the lid and cook till done, adding more cheese or filling as desired.

Mushroom and Cherry Pepper Shahi Curry

"Shahi" Curries usually have a rich nutty base with mild spices blended layer by layer to add deep flavors.

Any vegetable can be used, or even home-made cottage cheese, paneer. Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, chayote squash, butternut squash, potatoes, and even ivy gourd (coccinia grandis) are wonderful vegetables to make this curry with.

Sweet red cherry peppers along with meaty cremini mushrooms and red onions makes this a perfect dish to serve with naan or brown basmati rice.

Ingredients

For the Masala Paste:
2 Tbsp roasted peanuts
2 Tbsp roasted cashews
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2-inch piece of Indian cinnamon bark
2 cardamom pods
1 start anise
1 teaspoon toasted poppy seeds
1 Tbsp cumin powder
2 Tbsp Tamarind concentrate (sold as Sour Soup Mix in Asian stores)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 teaspoon hot chili powder
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste


Curry sauce:
¼ cup vegetable stock
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or ghee, if handy)
salt to taste
Mushrooms, onions, and cherry red peppers, chopped into chunks


Preparation

1. Combine the masala paste ingredients and grind to a fine paste
2. Heat oil in a pan, saute the masala paste till oil separates; add tomato paste and saute a bit more
3. Add the vegetables, and the rest of the curry sauce ingredients, cover and simmer till vegetables are done

Quinoa Fritters with Eggplant, Kale, Zucchini and Mushrooms

I had ground up some quinoa to stock up on quinoa meal, about fine corn meal consistency, to make vegetable porridge. And used some of it to make these griddle cake-like fritters loaded with veggies.

Of course, the outsides got a bit too well done on the cast iron skillet, but, the insides were moist and cooked; the taste was just fine, so we enjoyed it with some chutneys.

1. Finely grate eggplant and zucchini, squeeze out excess water and keep handy
2. Finely mince kale, onions, and mushrooms
3. Add seasoning to taste
4. Fold in the quinoa flour or meal, adding a little water as needed to make the batter about pancake consistency; alternately, keep water to a minimum to shape into patties
5. Cook on a medium hot cast iron skillet
6. Serve with tomato chutney and coriander-mint chutney

Mushroom and Paneer in Tamarind Curry

Mushrooms and Paneer. Two of my favorites. No one else in the house likes these. So, I don't get to make it often. But, when I do, I relish it and am grateful for each bite.

While I do make Paneer on and off with milk and lemon juice, more often than not I go for the store-bought Paneer blocks, just like Tofu blocks. They are firm and solid and hold up well in cooking.

The curry gravy part is made-up, as usual. Which is the most compelling reason to share it here.

Ingredients
5 or 6 Cremini mushrooms, chopped into chunks
10 to 12 Paneer cubes, pan-fried much like pan-fried tofu
½ cup red, green bell peppers, chopped
¼ large red onion, chopped
1 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste
½ tsp brown sugar (optional)

For the curry paste:
½ tsp Tamicon® tamarind paste
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 green chilies. chopped
¼ large red onion, chopped
2 Tbsp minced garlic
¼ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup stewed tomatoes
1 Tbsp coriander powder
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro


Preparation

1. Combine the curry paste ingredients in a food processor and blend to a fine paste
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the curry paste, chopped onions, and a pinch of salt cook over medium heat till the rawness of onion fades and oil separates, about 5 minutes
3. Add the bell peppers, mushrooms and paneer cubes, water as needed, cover and simmer till vegetables are just cooked, not mushy
4. Stir in the brown sugar, if using, adjust salt to taste and serve warm with fragrant jasmine or basmati rice, or home-made naan or paratha or simple roti.

Baked Mushrooms with Chipotle Walnut Pesto

Being the sole mushroom-lover in the family, I don't get to eat it often. And when I do, it is an indulgence, taking the trouble to make it just for me.

My favorite is Portabella mushrooms; and the Baby Bella/Cremini as well. Just a touch of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper baked in a 425°F oven for about 10 minutes makes it perfect, depending on the size of the baby bella.

This Chipotle Pesto is quite versatile - stir in a little into ground turkey to make baked meatballs or croquettes, use it as a spread for falafel pita pockets, or as an interesting alternative 'pizza sauce', or even just a humble sandwich or bagel spread....

Chipotle Walnut Pesto
2 chipotle chilies  (canned in adobo sauce) + 1 Tbsp adobo sauce
2 Tbsp chopped sundried tomates packed in oil
½ Tbsp chopped garlic
2 Tbsp canola oil or olive oil
¼ cup chopped celery leaves, tender stalk
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
salt to taste

Combine the ingredients and blend to paste - as smooth or as coarse as preferred. If it is too thick, add a bit more of oil as needed.

The Chipotle Pesto can be stored in an air-tight container for up to a week.

Chermoula Mushroom and Potatoes

Chermoula is a North African spice-paste/sauce-mix with rich flavors that I appreciate in Indian curries. For this recipe, I deviated slightly from my Chermoula Eggplant Two Ways formula in keeping with my fusion cuisine signature.

I had just a couple of wedges of Preserved Lemons left and thought they'd be perfect for this batch of Chermoula. When I make a batch, it is usually a large one, so I store it in the fridge for upto 5 days and use it up to flavor different dishes.

Potatoes and mushrooms with sauteed onions are such a perfect combination, and with some green bell peppers they turn heavenly.

So, I decided to serve them in two ways:

1. Chermoula Mushroom and Potatoes, infused with South Indian flavor from Curry leaves and dry red chilies
2. South Indian pan-sauteed Mushroom and Potatoes with Curry Leaves, Tempered with Mustard Seeds and Urad Dal

Chermoula Mushroom and Potatoes

For Chermoula sauce:
2 Tbsp coriander powder
1 cup loosely packed fresh chopped cilantro leaves, stem and all
2 Tbsp sweet paprika powder
1 Tbsp whole black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp turmeric powder
4 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
2 wedges of preserved lemon
2 Tbsp olive oil

3 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed (or any other variety of potatoes)
8 to 10 Baby Bella or Cremini - small Portabella mushrooms, sliced
6 to 8 Snow peas (optional)
6 curry leaves (available at Indian stores)
1 Jalapeño pepper sliced
1 medium green bell pepper chopped into chunks (optional)
1 small yelow onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil

Preparation

1. Combine the chermoula ingredients and grind to a fine paste, adding water if needed
2. Par-cook the potatoes in the microwave
3. Heat olive oil in a pan, add the curry leaves and jalapeños and sauteé a bit; then add the onions, chermoula paste and lower the heat to medium and sauté stirring frequently till the chermoula paste loses the rawness and turns a richer, deeper color
4. Add the mushrooms, snow peas, bell peppers and par-cooked potatoes, cover and allow to simmer for a few minutes over low to medium-low heat till flavors meld and potatoes are cooked through but not mushy
5. Serve warm with plain hot basmati rice or flatbread 

Mushroom and Potatoes South Indian style

Many of the vegetables sides I grew up with were made in the simple South Indian style of tempering with mustard seeds and urad dal (peeled, split black gram), with curry leaves and dry red chilies, some salt; and perhaps some grated coconut. 

To this day, I love green beans and all varieties of string beans, snake gourd, chayote squash and pumpkin cooked this way.

Ingredients

½ tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp split urad dal

2 Tbsp vegetable oil or sesame oil

6 to 8 fresh curry leaves

2 to 3 dry red chilies, broken to release the seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp asafoetida powder

salt to taste

Peeled, cubed and cooked potatoes, firm not mushy

Sliced Portabella mushrooms (or any other favorite)

diced onions

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, when the oil is shimmering, add the urad dal and allow it to get golden brown; then add the mustard seeds and cover with a screen lid to contain the splattering mustard seeds, then immediately add the dry red chilies and then the curry leaves; allow the curry leaves to crisp up a bit, then add the asafoetida and turmeric powder
2. Add the onions and sauté a bit, then add the potatoes and mushroom, stir well and cover and cook on medium-low heat for a few minutes till mushroom sweats and is not raw anymore
3. This dish is fairly dry so cook till excess water from the mushrooms and onions are gone
4. Serve with rice and sambar or koottu or dal

Spicy Black-eyed Peas and Colorful Peppers

This spicy black-eyed peas with colorful peppers is a quick and easy side if the peas are cooked and ready to go. On and off, I soak 2 cups of  dry black-eyed peas and pressure cook them and freeze them in 1 cup portion, ready to thaw and use when needed.

The spice paste is a fairly standard one I use, but the proportions and herbs/spice powders can be varied as preferred. Sometimes I use cayenne pepper powder and paprika instead of cumin and dry red chilies, or even my red curry paste or green curry paste for the spice base.

Ingredients
for the spice paste:
2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp tomato paste
6 to 8 dry red chilies
½ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp cumin powder
1 Tbsp plain white vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar

1½ cups cooked black-eyed peas
4 mini colorful peppers, cut into rings
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
optional: cremini mushrooms

salt to taste
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

water as needed
garnish: spring onions, cilantro

Preparation

Combine the spice paste ingredients in a blender and grind to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan, add the spice paste, onions, chopped peppers, and a pinch of salt, and sautée till rawness fades.

Add the cooked black-eyed peas, some water, cover and cook till flavors meld.

Garnish and serve warm as a side, or with rice or naan.

Coconut Cream Soup with Colorful Peppers and Cremini Mushrooms

Simple, rich and colorful, this Coconut Milk-based Cremini and tri-color Peppers soup can be enjoyed hot from the stove or at room temperature. Make it a bit thicker and it can be a curry served with delicious nutty brown rice. Adjust the flavors for a Thai-style or Indian-style curry.

Ingredients
14 oz. light coconut milk
5 or 6 Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
12 to 16 red, orange, yellow peppers, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 Tbsp Madras Curry Powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder (optional)
salt to taste
water or stock as needed
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Spring onions, chives, cilantro, roasted peanuts for garnish

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the onions and mushrooms and a pinch of salt, sautee
2. Add the peppers, spices, coconut milk, stock/water, adjust salt to taste; cover and simmer till peppers are cooked but not mushy
3. Garnish and preferred and serve warm

Mushroom in Red Wine Sauce with Bean Thread Noodles

Some baby bella mushrooms with pearl onions came together in a rich-flavored simple sauce for this dish, served with mung bean thread noodles.

Cook bean thread per package directions, or serve with rice sticks, or just plain jasmine rice; or with quinoa, or even brown rice.

Ingredients
pearl onions, peeled
baby bella mushrooms, chopped if to big
2 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste
water as needed

For garnish: cilantro and spring onions

For the sauce:
½ cup red wine (I used some Gato Negro Shiraz I had handy)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp oregano powder or 1 Tbsp crushed dried oregano (+/-)
½ tsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp brown sugar or 1 Tbsp Agave nectar
1 Tbsp minced garlic

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the pearl onions and mushrooms a bit, remove from pan, keep aside
2. In the same pan, add the tomato paste and garlic, sauté till tomato paste turns rich red and aromatic, add the spices, wine, and half to one cup of water, cover and allow to simmer and reduce a bit
3. Toss back in the mushrooms and pearl onions, simmer together to desired sauce consistency; add water as needed

Cremini Mushroom in Chili Garlic Sauce with Brown Rice

Portabello/Cremini mushrooms are my all time favorites among mushrooms. Since D will not eat mushrooms of any kind (how can you voluntarily ingest fungus?!), I don't get to cook much of it. Every once in a while, I do indulge in my very own marinated grilled portabello sandwiches or Mushroom Stroganoff or spicy Mushroom-and-Bell-pepper Curry or Baked Mushroom with Walnut-Cilantro Pesto...

Anyway, nothing extraordinary about this Mushroom in Chili Garlic Sauce, except that I made it exclusively for myself and enjoyed the whole experience, including eating it as leftovers the next day when it tasted even better.

If store-bought Black Bean Chili Garlic Sauce is available, go for it. I have a self-imposed ban on many of the store-bought items, especially the ones with MSG, or are heavily processed. Just a short-term ban to manage the wicked-nasty migraines... hopefully I can reintroduce some of them later on.

A large jar of Sambal Oelek is a staple in my kitchen, but, any other favorite chili paste or home-made chili concoction is good for that extra bite.

Ingredients
3 or 4 cremini or portabello mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 medium onion sliced thin
a handful of baby spinach leaves (optional)
Cilantro and Spring onions for garnish

1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 Tbsp light soy sauce

Preparation

1. Heat the sesame oil in a pan, add the garlic and ginger, sauté a bit, then add the onions, mushroom, spices, cover and cook till mushrooms are just done
2. Toss in the spinach if using, cover and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving. The slightly wilted spinach adds a nice texture and flavor to this simple dish

Mushroom Stroganoff

This Russian-inspired mushroom stew is adapted from Paul Gayler's recipe in Ultimate Vegetarian cookbook. Since I am partial to fusion cuisine I used sake in this recipe as I had it handy and was in the mood for experimenting, but, any dry white wine can be used instead.

Also, since I don't eat beef, this is just a vegetarian version featuring mushrooms as the primary ingredient.

Serve it with rice or noodles or even rotis, or enjoy it by itself. I like it with quinoa.

Ingredients
4-6 cups sliced mixed wild mushrooms
¼ cup sake or dry white wine
1 medium red onion diced finely
1 small gherkin, finely chopped or sliced (optional)
1 cup canned evaporated milk -or- heavy cream
½ cup vegetable stock
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard (optional)
1 Tbsp Hungarian paprika
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
chopped spring onions for garnish

Preparation

1. Dredge the mushrooms in half the paprika, sprinkle some salt and toss it around till well coated
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the mushrooms, sauté for a few minutes, remove from pan; then add the onions and sauté for a couple of minutes over medium high heat, add the stock and wine and bring to a boil
3. Stir in the evaporated milk or heavy cream, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer till sauce reduces by half and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon
4. Add the mushrooms back, the gherkins and mustard if using, the remaining paprika and lemon juice, stir well, season to taste; garnish with spring onions

Baked Mushrooms with Walnut-Spinach-Cilantro Pesto

The name seems too long for a dish that is simple to make and easy to disappear, but it says it all.

This is more of an appetizer or snack, and I usually make it just for me as nobody else in the house likes mushrooms. They don't know what they are missing.


One quick way I like to make baby portabella mushrooms, especially in small batches as appetizer is as follows:

• saute about 2 Tbsp of finely chopped onions in some olive oil
• optional herbs - rosemary, thyme - chopped
• combine the sauteed onions, herbs, crumbled feta and pesto to make a filling
• brush the cremini or baby bella mushrooms with olive oil and cook them in a pan with stem side down
• in a minute or two, flip the mushrooms over so the stem side is up, drizzle some balsamic vinegar, splash some water, cover the pan and cook the mushrooms for about 3 to 4 minutes or so over moderate heat
• remove from heat, spoon the filling and enjoy!

Ingredients
baby portabella or cremini mushrooms woody stems removed and cleaned
finely chopped onions, sauteed
colby jack or monterey jack or any favorite melty cheese
spring onions for garnish
Walnut-Spinach-Cilantro Pesto (recipe follows) OR- any favorite store bought pesto
olive oil as needed
soy sauce, just a few Tbsp to drizzle onto the mushrooms

Preparation for baked mushrooms

1. Heat the oven to 375°F
2. Spray the cleaned mushrooms with cooking spray, drizzle some soy sauce, spoon some Walnut-Spinach-Cilantro Pesto into the cavity, top with cheese
3. Bake in the 375°F oven for about 20 minutes, checking on and off to make sure cheese doesn't burn; mushrooms are watery enough to stand upto even 400°F oven
4. Serve warm, garnished with chopped spring onions

Walnut-Spinach-Cilantro Pesto:

1 cup baby spinach leaves, loosely packed
½ cup Cilantro leaves and stem, chopped coarsely
¼ cup toasted walnuts, perhaps a little more, if preferred
½ medium jalapeno, diced
¼ cup olive oil
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Combine all but olive oil and salt in a food processor and blend to coarse paste
2. Add in the olive oil and blend to desired smoothness
3. Adjust salt to taste

Adjust the amount of the ingredients to taste, this is quite a flexible recipe