NYE: Stuffed Mushrooms

Alright everybody, I know it's been awhile since I've posted and I'm sorry for that. I have not really been around enough to do proper cooking worthy of a new post. That and I was out of town for Christmas, so I did not get to cook there! Here's some NYE goodness!

Ingredients:
1 lb White Button Mushrooms
Couscous(2 cups Couscous, 3 cups Water)
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1/3 cup Scallions, diced
Teriyaki Sauce
Brandy*
1800 Silver Tequila*
Dry Sherry*
Port*
Ancho Chili Powder
Garlic Salt
Sesame Seeds
Shredded Asiago Cheese

*ALCOHOL

Tonight I'm going to a shindig at a friends place where I get to bring food! Well, I didn't list the Hummus I am bringing on here because it's the same recipe as I have posted about already! This Stuffed Mushrooms recipe is very involved and should be wonderful.

I began by utilizing my Rice Cooker. 2 cups of Couscous and 3 cups of Water. Plug in, hit the tab to COOK, red light comes on. Let it be.

Now to the ingredients. I was going to use tomatoes too, but that did not occur.

Now take the stems out of the Mushrooms. Place stems to the side.

Now get your alcohol.

Using a large skillet, add in your alcohol. I'd list them, but all the alcohol goes in this part! I used about a 1/4 cup of each with maybe a little more of the Brandy.

Turn the heat to MEDIUM. Once it begins to boil, add in a dusting of Ancho Chili Powder. Then in go the Mushroom caps, gill side down. Cover and reduce heat a little bit. Make sure to flip them in about 2 minutes.

Now there are those pesky mushroom stems. Slice them up and put them in a sauce pot. Add in your diced Scallions and diced Bell Pepper. To this, I added a dash of Tequila and Brandy, along with some Teriyaki Sauce.

Make sure to unplug your Rice Cooker when the Couscous is done so it doesn't get dried out. It should be about 2 minutes after you flipped the Mushroom Caps now, so turn off the heat and remove from that burner. Leave covered so they keep the heat while you tend to other things.

Let the Mushroom Stems, Scallions, and Bell Pepper cook for about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and turn to your Food Processor. Take them out and put them in. Add a sprinkling of Sesame Seeds. Puree.

Now comes the plating part. I have them in an oven ready dish in case we need to heat them up later on. I first spooned in some Couscous.

Then I added the puree mixture. Topped it with a sprinkling of Shredded Asiago Cheese. Enjoy!

Chef's Original: Mixed up Breakfast

As some of you may know, I like to have my lunch and or breakfast for work cooked up the day before. This is generally done because I hate actually cooking right after I wake up since I know I'll probably burn and or cut myself. So I do it the night before. Tomorrow I needed a breakfast and this is the delicious result.

Ingredients:
1 lb White Button Mushrooms
7 XL Eggs
2 Green Bell Peppers
3 Anaheim Peppers
1 cup diced Scallions
Couscous (2 cups Couscous, 3 cups Water)
1.5 cup Pearl Barley
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
1/4 stick Butter
Lime Juice
Teriyaki Sauce
Soy Sauce
Olive Oil
Archer Farms Asian-Inspired Sweet Chile "wing sauce"
Italian Herb Mix
Shredded Asiago Cheese
Shredded Gruyere Cheese

Alright, I did do this kind of in stages. I began with starting my Couscous in my Rice Cooker. If you do not have one of these, I highly suggest picking one up! Once I got the Couscous going, I put the Pearl Barley in a small sauce pot with 4 cups of Water. I turned the heat to MEDIUM. I also diced up the Peppers and Mushrooms.

In a large saucepan I put in about 2/3 cup of Archer Farms Asian-Inspired Sweet Chile "wing sauce". To this I added 2 decent squeezes of the Lime Juice bottle, a good 1/4 cup or so worth of the Soy and Teriyaki Sauces. Turn the heat to MEDIUM.

Once this begins to boil, I threw in the diced Mushrooms. I moved them around to get some of the mixture on each one.

Now about 3 minutes later, I added in a dusting of Black Pepper and Sea Salt. Mix some more.

After about 2 more minutes, the Mushrooms should be done. Check by taste testing and make sure it's cooled when tasting. When done, place in a mixing bowl and put to the side.

I cleaned out the large saucepan and put it back on the stovetop where I left the burner at MEDIUM. It will sizzle with the water on the bottom. I threw in the diced Peppers and a good dollop of Olive Oil. Mix.

I then added some Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper to the mix. I want to say a good dusting, maybe a dash less. Mix.

Once that's done, which should be about 3 minutes total, put in a mixing bowl.

Eggs time. I whisked the 7 Eggs together first. Using the same saucepan, cleaned out again, I put in the Butter. Once that was mostly melted, I added in the whisked Eggs.

Right away I added in the Scallions. I put in about a 1/4 cup's worth. I also added a good amount of both Cheeses listed above.

You should know how to cook eggs, so follow that plan. Look, they're done!

Now just plate how you want. I plated them differently. One way was with the Mushrooms and served on a Tortilla with a dash of Italian Herb Mix. The second way was on the Couscous.

Chef's Breakfast

I have had this recipe in my mind for a few days now and finally got around to cooking it after work today. Yes, after work means not at the allotted breakfast time period but more towards late lunch or early dinner. Does that make it BRINNER? I think so, but am not putting all my eggs in one basket on this one.

Ingredients:
2 Green Bell Peppers
1 Anaheim Pepper
1 lb White Button Mushrooms
10 Large Eggs
1/2 cup Frozen Peas
1/2 cup Ditalini Pasta
1/2 stick Butter
1/2 cup Olive Oil
Ground Black Pepper
Sea Salt
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Shredded Cheese
Italian Herb Mix
Tortilla's

I began this recipe by gathering my ingredients.

I put the Frozen Peas in some water and set them to cook while I sliced and diced. Pay attention to this since it should be boiling and done around the time you put the Eggs in the saucepan.

I then diced up the Peppers and slicing up the Mushrooms.

Now that all of that is done, I decided to cook all of this in 2 different ways. I did this because I am not the hugest fan of Mushrooms, I generally just cook them for other people or put them into mushroom soup.

First dish of them involves the Mushrooms and no Pasta. I put the Butter in the saucepan and set the heat to MEDIUM for it to melt. I also whisked 4 Eggs together in a mixing bowl.

Once melted, I added the 4 Eggs to the saucepan. I then added the spices, which was a quick dash of Ground Black Pepper, pinch of Sea Salt, dash of Paprika, and dash of Garlic Powder.

Then a good handful of the sliced Mushrooms went in.

On top of that I added the diced Peppers.

I then mixed it all together and threw in 2 spoonfuls of Peas. Mix.

Keep mixing it all around so it doesn't adhere too much to the saucepan. Once the mixture is no longer liquid and has some solidity to it, turn the heat off and serve.

This FIRST DISH was served on a Tortilla with a sprinkle of Italian Herb Mix topped with a pinch of Shredded Asiago Cheese.

The Second dish was very similar and I will spare you the long version of it. I had some Ditalini Pasta left over from the other day, so I spooned a good handful of it into the pot where I had the Peas. The water was still hot so it warmed the Pasta up quick. Throw some Olive Oil in the saucepan instead of Butter this time around.

After that, the same process was used without the Mushrooms. I also used 6 Eggs instead of 4. When the Peas go in, the Pasta goes as well.

I served this up on it's own plate. Really, I did that at first. But I sat down and thought this could be better. I remembered the Tortillas and decided that some Breakfast style Taco's were in order. So that is just what I did, complete with some Hot Sauce. Enjoy.

White Mushroom Sauce on Linguine Pasta

I was not feeling all that well last night and my girlfriend made sure that I was going to be alright. I think she did amazing at it even though it wasn't much, but it's the thought that counts. So today on my way home from work, I stopped by the store and picked up some Mushrooms since I was going to whip up some amazing food for her dinner today. So let me know what you think!

Ingredients
Pasta
bunch of Linguine Pasta
Italian Herb Mix
Sea Salt

Mushrooms
1 lb White Button Mushrooms
3 Shallots
1/2 stick Butter
1/2 cup White Wine
Italian Herb Mix
Ground Black Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Fennel Powder
Sea Salt
Fenugreek Seeds
Flax Seeds
Sesame Seeds

I began this with the knowledge that she loves Mushrooms. I have been slowly getting into making sauces because I find the process quite interesting and want to be able to make them for any occasion. So I gathered my materials and began this endeavor.

I filled a pot about halfway with water, a dash of Sea Salt, and a heavy dash of Italian Herb Mix. I turned the heat for it to high. Once it started to boil, I turned the heat down to medium and proceeded to grab the Linguine Pasta. I took out a good amount and snapped it all in half and put them in the pot. Make sure to keep an eye on it at first so it doesn't boil over. Pay no attention to the 2 Chorizo Sausages I am cooking up for tomorrow's lunch in the small pot! Then turn your attention to the Mushrooms.

I diced the Shallots and sliced the Mushrooms first. In the saucepan, I put the half stick of Butter in and turned the heat to high medium. Once the butter was mostly melted, I turned the heat down to just below medium and threw in the diced Shallots.

Once they started to turn translucent, I added in the sliced Mushrooms and half cup of White Wine. Mix really well to get all the Mushrooms covered with the sauce in there. Check your Pasta at this point, it should be close to being done. Once it is done, turn off the burner and cover.

About 1 minute later, I added in the spices. First I went with a heavy pinch of Italian Herb Mix with slightly smaller pinches of Onion and Garlic Powder. Fennel Powder was next and I used about the same amount as I did for the Italian Herb Mix. To finish it a dusting of Flax, Fenugreek, and Sesame Seeds went in. Mix together thoroughly.

Once the Mushrooms are spongey, they are done cooking. Turn off the burner. Now turn your attention to your Pasta. Get a strainer out and pour the pasta into it. Use a pair of tongs to take the pasta out to serve. I used a ladle to scoop out Mushrooms and the sauce mixture from the pan and carefully pour on top of the pasta. I added some grape tomatoes as garnish around the edges, which I must say the color contrast is quite nice. Enjoy.

Mushrooms in Red Wine Marinade

I made this the other day and forgot to get it off my camera until today, so I'm sorry everybody reading this. It was a mushroom recipe I threw together on the fly, so there won't be that exact of amounts listed on much of anything either.





Ingredients:
1 lb White Button Mushrooms
1/2 stick Butter
1 Cup Red Wine
Teriyaki Sauce
Soy Sauce
Lime Juice
Scallions / Green Onions
Parsley
Chives
Ground Black Pepper
Garlic Cloves
Fennel Powder
Italian Herb Mix

I began this by slicing the White Button Mushrooms and putting them to the side. I then made sure the Scallions, Chives, and Garlic Cloves were diced into small pieces. The Parsley I just made sure to cut off the stems.

I put a saucepan on the stovetop with the butter in the pan and turned the heat to medium. Once the butter is mostly melted, I put in the diced Chives and Garlic first. I wanted the Garlic and Chives flavor to be the strongest it could be. About 30 seconds later, in went the diced Scallions and Italian Herb Mix. Make sure to stir them around to get that delicious buttery flavor everywhere. At this point I put in the Parsley as well, and I want to say about 10 sprigs worth. I also added in the Red Wine now and you might want to pour yourself a glass if it's good wine.

I waited until the Garlic appeared to change color and the Scallions started to get soft, and then I added a heavy dash of Teriyaki Sauce, Soy Sauce, and Lime Juice. After that, in went the Mushrooms. Stir thoroughly. Top this off with a dusting of Ground Black Pepper, and Fennel Powder. Stir. Cover.

Once the mushrooms appear to be a brownish orange color and are spongey, they are done. Turn off heat and serve. I put some hot sauce down under mine. Enjoy.

Summertime Appetizer Snack

So as mentioned in my previous post, I made couscous. I also decided that I should make a snack for my girlfriend. I don't think that just couscous alone is enough, so I decided that those Cremini Mushrooms in the fridge needed to be dealt with...as a sauce!

Ingredients:
Mushroom Sauce:
12 Cremini Mushrooms
1 bottle Dark Beer
Orange Juice
Lemon Juice

Green Onions/Scallions

Couscous:
2 cups Pearl Couscous
4 cups Water
dash of Sea Salt
Italian Herb Mix (few pinches)

The couscous was cooked in my rice cooker according to the instructions that it came with, and of course with some herb mix added in. You start this up and let it be since it doesn't need any more attention.

The Mushroom Sauce began with a small saucepot on the stove, where I put in about 3/4 worth of standard beer bottle's beer. Set the heat to medium, any higher and it looks like a cloud is emerging from the pot, trust me...I found this out.

I grabbed my trusty food processor and proceeded to slice up the Cremini Mushrooms and then dice up quite finely. Then pour/dump the mushrooms into the saucepot with the beer. You'll probably have to scoop it out since it is quite sticky at this point, not sure why. Stir.

Let it go for a few minutes, but make sure to watch it in case you have to turn down the heat a little bit or stir. Add in the Orange Juice, maybe 1/2 a cup's worth. As for the lemon juice, I want to say like 10 drops worth were added, barely anything at all. Stir.

At this point your couscous should be done and the rice cooker on 'warm'. So now grab some Green Onions/Scallions and cut them up about halfway down into small chunks. Your mushroom sauce can go for as long as you want it to, but I turned off the heat at this point and dished everything up. Enjoy.

Saucy Stuffed Mushrooms

As many of you who read my blog know, I like to cook mushrooms. They are so easy and versatile that who wouldn't enjoy cooking them?

Well this time, I upped the recipe I used for Stuffed Mushrooms. Yes, it could be done and was so.

Ingredients:
Large White Button Mushrooms
Green Onions(Scallions)
Lemongrass
Anaheim Peppers
Garlic Cloves
Ground Black Pepper
Sake
Soy Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce
Asian Hot Sauce

For the Mushrooms:
You will start with your saucepan on medium high, about 1/2 inch deep filled with Sake, Soy Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, and Ground Black Pepper.
In this you will place the mushroom caps face down, flipping every few minutes until cooked to your preference.

For the Stuffing:
I used a food processor for this part, seemed the easiest thing to do. You grab the stalks from your mushrooms and dice them up before putting in the food processor. On top of that you grab your Lemongrass, which is just like chives for appearances. Dice up a good sized handful and throw it in. On top of this, add 2 diced up cloves of Garlic. Throw in a dash or two (or three if you don't work the next day) of Sake. Puree it until it's almost soupy, but has a bit of texture left to it.

(Green Onions will be cut into small portions as evidenced by the pictures, do not need to put them in anything)

Once the Mushroom Caps are done, arrange on plate. Use a spoon to scoop some of the stuffing out and place in the caps. Top them with some Green Onions and use some Asian Hot Sauce to complete out the meal.