Hamburger Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

When I was growing up I used to cook lunch for my Dad.

I can hear him now calling me, "Bessie Annie come make me a hamburger steak, will you punkin?"

Boy, I remember making these so called Hamburger Steaks often.  Sometimes with onions and beef gravy.  Sometimes plain.  He loved them.  We all did.

Mom would make them ever so often because the use of ground beef was an inexpensive way to feed a family.  Plus...they taste darn good!

I never understand why they called them steaks though.  Technically they were a hamburger pattie, not steak.  But we always formed them a little thicker than your normal pattie, and they were made an oval shape.  I'm sure this was to make it appear more like a steak.  

Regardless of my fascination with the name, I love the flavor all the same.

So craving a Hamburger Steak I decided to make my own with a mushroom gravy.  I'm fond of mushrooms.

MGG is fond of mushrooms.  

Perfect combo.

Break out the ground sirloin for top flavor.  You can't get much easier than this.  Just make the "steaks" and gravy, add some sides and you are set for dinner.  A great hearty meal that's inexpensive, and perfect for a weeknight dinner. 

An ode to my Dad!

Enjoy!

Hamburger Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

serves 4

1 lb of ground sirloin
salt and pepper
8 oz of sliced mushrooms
1 cup beef broth
1 Tablespoon flour

Divide beef into 4 sections.  Form 4 oval patties about 1 inch thick.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add patties and until done.  About 8-9 minutes turning once.

Add mushrooms to the skillet and cook until tender.  Add 1/2 cup of broth to the mushrooms.  Allow to boil.  Add flour to the remaining 1/2 cup beef broth.  Stir to combine.  Add remaining broth to skillet and stir to combine.  Allowing to boil. Cook 1 minute.  Broth will thicken.

Serve hamburger steaks with mushrooms and gravy poured over top.

My Favorite Burger: The Mushroom Swiss Burger

We're still grilling here in Southern California!

The weather is nice, still a little hot during the day.  So why not utilize this great weather with more grilled dinners.   Eating outside, with food hot off the grill.  That's what a late summer is all about.  Food, family, friends, and good times!

We love a good burger and have made many versions.  I recall a conversation with my mom about her favorite burger which was the original burger, no frills and thrills.  She used to mention all the time that her sister and brother in-law (my Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Gene) always made Bacon Cheeseburgers.  She had never had one.

After a few times mentioning this story to me about my Aunt and Uncles' Bacon Cheeseburgers, and the fact she had never had one...I decided it was time to make my mom the best bacon cheeseburger ever!  She gobbled it down in 3 seconds...okay, maybe it was 5 minutes.  Although she loved the Bacon Cheeseburger, I don't think that ever became her favorite though.

I tell you this because everyone has their own favorite hamburger.  Mine is a Mushroom Swiss Burger.  There is just something about that melted Swiss cheese and the meaty mushrooms on top of a burger.  It makes it "meatier" somehow.  I just absolutely love them.  I try to order one every now and then when we find ourselves in a good burger joint, but I don't make them at home that often.  I wonder why not?  Anyway I decided it's high time that I did!

So here's to my favorite burger!  Oh, and I served that wonderful Tomato Salad with it.....a perfect side dish.  What's your favorite burger?

Mushroom Swiss Burger

serves 4

1 lb 10% ground sirloin
1 1/2 T Worcestershire sauce (or use 2 tsp of Williams-Sonoma's Burger Starter)
salt and pepper
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 T butter
4 slices of Swiss cheese
4 kaiser rolls

Place ground beef into a bowl and add Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix to combine but don't handle too much. (use a light, light touch) Form 4 patties.  Set aside.

In a skillet over medium high heat add butter and mushrooms.  Stir and cook until soft and moisture is released.  Set mushrooms aside.  Cook patties in skillet about 7-8 minutes flipping once, until desired doneness.  (you may do this on a grill as well) Add a cheese slice to each pattie and cook 1-2 more minutes until the cheese melts.  Remove from skillet.   Add kaiser rolls to the skillet and brown 1-2 minutes.

Top buns with burgers and mushrooms.  Use additional toppings as desired.


Here are some more burgers you may enjoy:

The Best Stuffed Cheeseburger

Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers

Grilled Santa Fe Burgers

New York Style Sausage and Mushroom Pizza

Pizza has to been one of America's favorite foods.

It's so versatile that every region has their own version, both with the crust and the toppings!  Some examples are NY Style, Chicago Deep Dish, Detroit Sicilian Square and California Style.

Experimenting with different crusts and toppings is a lot of fun to do.   I remember visiting New York and there were two things I had to eat.  Junior's Cheesecake, and NY Style pizza.  We accomplished both!  The cheesecake was outstanding, but the pizza....AWESOME.  Something I will never forget.  The ambiance of the pizza place, and the flavor of the pizza itself.  Memories that are burned in my brain.

So let's re-create a NY Style pizza.  Most important is the crust.  You have to have a nice crust that is both crispy and chewy.  I used my Best Pizza Dough Ever as the crust and it was perfect.  Next, choosing the toppings.  I chose the same topping we had in NY.  Sausage and Mushroom.  Wonderful Italian sausage is cooked and crumbled, and placed alongside the cooked mushrooms on the pizza.  A little sauce, and some fresh mozzarella and the ingredients are set.

The result turned out really good.  The crust isn't exactly like that of NY, but will never be without their water which lends a flavor we can't get here.  But, it is a great variation!

New York Style Sausage and Mushroom Pizza

makes 1 12" pizza

Pizza dough (my Favorite Pizza Dough)
Pizza Sauce (your favorite or here's mine)
1/4 lb. cremini or button mushrooms, sliced 
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 lb. sweet or hot Italian pork sausages, casings removed 
All-purpose flour and cornmeal for dusting
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced 

Place a large pizza stone on the oven rack, and preheat an oven to 450°F, allowing at least 20 minutes for the oven to preheat fully. 

In a large frying pan, heat 1 Tbs. oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they give off their juices and are browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the sausages to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring and breaking them up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms. Set aside.

Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a ball.  Reserve one ball for another use.  Roll, pat and stretch the dough into a round about 12 inches in diameter.  Dust a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet generously with cornmeal.  Transfer the dough to the peel.  Spread with the sauce, leaving a 3/4-inch border uncovered. Top with half of the mozzarella, and the mushroom mixture. 

Slide the pizza off the peel onto the hot stone. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 12 minutes. Using a wide spatula or a rimless baking sheet, remove the baked pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Cut and serve.

Omelettes 101: Mushroom Chive Omelette

Today's post is a tutorial:

How to Make the Perfect Omelette

Recently, I took an omelette class at one of my favorite stores, Williams-Sonoma.  I learned so much about this simple, yet elegant dish that I had to share it with you today.

An omelette takes beaten eggs that are cooked in a shallow pan and may be filled with a variety of flavorful ingredients.  Typically served for breakfast, and omelette can also make a wonderful light lunch or dinner.  

Following are a few steps to make the perfect omelette.

NOTE:  Have all your fillings prepared, and cooked if necessary, before you start.  This is important as making the omelette goes quickly.

1.  Whisk the eggs.  In a large bowl combine 2 eggs, 2 Tablespoons of water, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Use a whisk to beat the mixture just until well blended.  A flat or french whisk is best for this step as you don't want to beat in too much air.

2.  Melt the butter.  Place a medium or 8" nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat and add 1/2 Tablespoon of butter.  When the butter has melted and the foam begins to subside, tilt the pan to distribute the butter evenly.

3.  Add the egg mixture.  Pour the egg mixture into the pan.

4.  Distribute the eggs evenly.  Let the eggs cook for 30 seconds, then using a silicone spatula push the cooked eggs from the edges to the center.  Tilt the pan so that the uncooked eggs will flow towards the edges and the omelette will cook evenly keeping that even layer.

5.  Add the omelette fillings.  When the eggs have set and are no longer moving when you tilt the pan scatter the filling ingredients over the middle of the omelette.  Note, the omelette should look wet in the middle.  You don't want a dry omelette or it will become tough.

6.  Fold the omelette.  Using the spatula fold the out third of the omelette over the filling.  List the skillet and tilt the pan so the unfolded side slides onto the plate.  As it does this turn the pan and flip the omelette so that it folds over the last third that is already on the plate.  This is a tri fold.  Serve immediately.

 Tender, moist, heavenly....breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

That's it!  They come together so quickly, and when you make them tender there is nothing quite like it.  Now, what to put in it?  Anything goes.  We experimented with herbs such as thyme, tarragon, and chives.  We also used a variety of cheese, cooked pancetta, sauteed mushrooms, and sauteed bell pepper.  

Why not build your own omelette bar?  This would be a great idea for Sunday brunch, or even a dinner party.  

So the next day after class I made my own omelette.  My recipe is below.

Mushroom Chive Omelette

serves 1

1/2 T butter
2 oz. mushrooms, sliced
3 T cream sherry
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 T water
salt & pepper
2 t chives, chopped
1/2 T butter
2 T Parmesan cheese, shredded

In a medium skilled over medium-high heat add the 1/2 tablespoon of butter and allow to melt.  Add the mushrooms and saute stirring occasionally.  Cook 3-4 minutes and add the sherry.  Cook another 1-2 minutes until liquid is almost absorbed.  Remove from skillet and set aside.

Wipe skillet clean and return to heat.  Add butter and allow to melt.  Add eggs to bowl along with water and salt & pepper to taste.  Whisk slightly to combine.  Add chives to the eggs and whisk to combine.  Add eggs to the skillet.  Cook pulling cooked eggs from the edges to the center and tilting skillet to allow uncooked eggs to run to the edges keeping a single layer of eggs.  Continue this process.  As soon as there is no more liquid running place mushrooms and cheese down the center.  Using a spatula lift one side and fold it over the center.  List the skillet off the heat, tilting to slide omelette onto a plate, then flip and fold omelette over the final third that is on the plate.  For a treat put a dollop of creme fresh on top!  Serve.

Chicken Fried Steak with Mushroom Gravy

 

One of our family staples is Chicken Fried Steak.

A real Southern dish.

Can't beat it for comfort food, but these days we just don't get to eat it as much as we would like.  Not the healthiest thing to eat.  Since I grew up with this dish I've learned to change it slightly.  Lightening it up, if you will, to reduce the calories, and make it "not so fried".  This eases the conscience some while still feeding the level of comfort obtained from this wonderful dish.

By doing a light pan fry , instead of using all the oil needed for really "fried" food, you get a lighter crust, and definitely cut down the calories.  To cut the calories even more you could use egg whites, or egg substitute for the whole eggs.  Other than that, this steak, using cube steak, is a really lean cut of beef.  This dish which I've added a mushroom gravy to is full of hearty things.  The gravy is a wonderful addition of flavor and meatiness from the mushrooms.  It turns the classic Chicken Fried Steak into another level, more elegant, yet comforting meal!

Since it is technically still winter this dish fits right in.  Not that I wouldn't make this any time of year mind you, but it soooo comforting with mashed potatoes and green beans!  Brings me back to my childhood, which is always a good thing.

Make this meal in 30 minutes or less tonight for your family.  Take a little taste of the South.  It's good!

Chicken Fried Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Serves 4

Time: 30 minutes

2 large eggs
1/3 c flour
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
4 beef cube steaks
1/4 c canola oil
2 c mushrooms, quartered
2 1/2 T flour
1 (14 oz) can low sodium beef broth

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add eggs to a pie pan and beat.  Combine 1/3 cup flour, onion powder, salt & pepper to another pie pan.  Mix to combine.  Dredge one steak in flour mixture, then dip in egg mixture, then again in flour mixture.  Add steak to the skillet.  Repeat with remaining steaks.  

Cook steaks about 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove steaks from pan to a paper towel lined plate and cover with foil to keep warm.  Remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan.

Add quartered mushrooms to the skillet and cook about 3 minutes, stirring often.  Combine 2 1/2 tablespoons of flour and broth, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture to the skillet.  Bring to a boil, cooking 1 minute, stirring constantly until thickened.   Spoon over steaks and serve.

Beef Stroganoff with Horseradish Sour Cream

Ready for some comfort food?

What a great way to take the chill off, other than making comfort food.  This recipe will have dinner on the table in 30 minutes and is made all in the same skillet.  I just love one pot dishes, don't you? 

Beef Stroganoff was such a big hit back in the 70's and 80's, and for good reason.  You can't beat the flavors of rich beef, mushrooms, sour cream, and horseradish.  Memories of this dish bring back pleasant feelings. Always served over egg noodles, I just love it.  Like eating mashed potatoes, such a homey feeling.

So the other day my love got me a special edition magazine called Cuisine One Dish Dinners. What a great book.  If you happened to see it at the grocery store do yourself a favor and pick on up.  It is filled, filled, filled with excellent recipes, and side dishes.  So this recipe for Beef Tip Stroganoff with Horseradish Sour Cream caught my eye and I knew I needed to make this, and soon.  

It appears as a more elegant version of the old classic with a dollop of horseradish sour cream on top rather than stirred into the entire dish.  Also this version is served over rice instead of noodles.  The recipe also called for Beef tenderloin tips which I substituted for a nice top sirloin steak cut into bite sized pieces.  

This dish turned out perfect.  Better than I remembered and definitely considered comfort food.  Great for the family (omit the horseradish for the kiddos) or even elegant enough to serve company.  I just love this dish and intend to bring back the Beef Stroganoff single handedly.  Would you like to join in?

Beef Stroganoff with Horseradish Sour Cream

Adapted from Cuisine One Dish Dinners

Serves 4

Time:  30 minutes

3 T unsalted butter, divided

1 lb beef top sirloin, cut into bite size pieces

8 oz button mushrooms, stemmed

2 c thinly sliced onions

1 T tomato paste

1 T garlic, minced

3 T flour

½ c dry sherry

1 1/3 c reduced sodium beef broth

½ c sour cream

2 T prepared horseradish

1 T fresh minced dill

2 t lemon juice

white or brown rice, cooked

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add beef and sear until browned about 2-3 minutes.  Transfer beef to a place using a slotted spoon.  Melt remaining 2 Tablespoon butter in the same pan.  Add mushrooms and cook until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.  Add onion and cook about 4-5 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook 1 minute.

Sprinkle mushrooms with flour and cook another minute, stirring.  Deglaze pan with sherry, scraping up any brown bits.  Stir in broth and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Stir in beef and return to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

For the sour cream, combine sour cream horseradish, dill and lemon juice.  Stir until well combined.  Serve stroganoff over cooked rice and add a dollop of horseradish sour cream.


Linked to:  Weekend Potluck
                Foodie Friday

                Full Plate Thursday

Mediterranean Chicken

I had the great pleasure of being off from work last week in between the holidays.  Boy, was that nice!  I got to do several things I don't normally have time for, such as re-organizing and sorting out no longer used clothes and household items for the donation bins.  It feels really good to get rid of stuff.  You just feel lighter and less cluttered.  

But I did save some time out for some real fun, like visiting the Cleopatra exhibit on display at the California Science Center.   I've been wanting to go forever, and it's about to leave....so now was my chance.  It was a cold and windy day here, but out I went, all bundled up.  the exhibit was terrific.  The statues, the gold, the jewelry!  Awesome to see.

So after the museum it was back out into the cold and home for some comforting food for lunch.    All this Egyptian art got me to thinking grains...and chicken...and Mediterranean flavors.  (Not Egyptian but it was a tangent!) There I was rooting through the refrigerator to see what was on hand to make something with the flavors I was craving yet still provide a hot comforting meal.  One thing led to another and this Mediterranean dish was born.  

This is full of good for you ingredients.  Brown rice, lean chicken, zucchini, mushrooms, and tomatoes.  Add some spice for zip and you have a nice skillet meal that is hot and comforting.  Especially on a cold day.  This dish tastes as flavorful as it is beautiful.  A smart little side salad, which is now known as the Cleopatra salad, is a great accompaniment   Look for that recipe soon.  

So I hope this inspires you to get in the kitchen and make your family some Mediterranean Chicken.  It will please you to no end!

Mediterranean Chicken

Serves 4

1 c brown rice, uncooked
3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized cubes
1/2 t coarse ground black pepper
1 T olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 c zucchini, cut lengthwise and sliced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c onion, diced
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes with juice
1 c reduced sodium chicken broth
1 T dried oregano
1/2 t salt

Cook rice according to package directions.  Saute chicken in a large nonstick skillet, over medium high heat for about 4-5 minutes.  Remove from pan.  

Add olive oil to the skillet along with the garlic.  Saute for 30 seconds and add zucchini, mushrooms and onion.  Saute about 5 minutes.  Return chicken back to the skillet along with diced tomatoes.  Add broth, oregano and salt.  Stirring to combine.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 6-7 minutes, reducing the liquid.  Add cooked rice to skillet and mix well.  Serve hot.  

Grilled Teriyaki Steaks with Peppers and Mushrooms

It's funny where you get inspiration from, or what may trigger and old memory.

The other day MGG and I were driving around enjoying the nice weather and the pretty scenery.  We often like to drive along the coastline from Santa Monica up to Malibu, have a little coffee or a snack, maybe dinner, and then head home.

On this day there happened to be a LOT of "traffic" on PCH (Pacific Coast Highway).  I mean we were stopped and not moving.  Okay a little exaggeration, we were moving...slowly.  Not enough to catch the wind in your hair!  So I happened to look over and saw the Chart House restaurant.  A beautiful restaurant, all dark and moody inside, right above the water.  Very romantic.

Well, it brought back so many memories.  I used to celebrate my birthday there each year with my parents when I was in my teens.  I used to always get Teriyaki Steak and a virgin Pina Colada.  YUM!  I was in paradise, my own private Hawaii!  Later this restaurant became a go to place for special occasions.  We don't tend to go much any more.  I think MGG and I have only gone there once or twice.  (Note to self:  go to dinner at the Chart House!)

So I started longing for Teriyaki Steak and decided to pick up some NY strips steaks at the store and make my version of their wonderful dish at home.

I took a short cut by using a low sodium bottled Teriyaki sauce from Kikkoman's line. (Sorry, I do have a good homemade recipe but sometimes time is a consideration!)  It's nice and thick.  The one thing with Teriyaki sauce is you have to be careful and baste it on the steaks toward the end.  The high sugar content will have a tendency to burn on your food quickly.  If you do use it as a marinade, choose thin cuts of meat that don't require long cooking times.

I added red bell peppers and mushrooms as a topping to our dish.  MGG loves the veggies and it's a great way to get more in your diet.  This can be whipped up in under 30 minutes.  It's a great family dinner, special occasion, company's coming or weeknight treat.

So I must say, my steaks were fabulous!  I'm just a home cook, but they were darn good!  One bite and I was right back at the Chart House, 18 years old, having dinner.  Only thing missing was the Pina Colada!

Enjoy!

Grilled Teriyaki Steaks with Peppers and Mushrooms

serves 4

4 boneless New York strip steaks (1 inch thick)
Canola oil
3/4 cup low sodium teriyaki marinade and sauce (Such as Kikkoman)
2 tablespoons butter
10 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large red or yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips　

Allow steaks to come to room temperature. Heat grill or grill pan to medium high.

Oil your grate or the indoor grill pan with canola oil. Allow to heat up. Cook steaks, turning once, about 15 minutes for medium doneness, or until your preferred temperature. Baste with teriyaki sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking to avoid burning. Place steaks on a cutting board tented with foil to rest.

Meanwhile in a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Add peppers and cook another 5 minutes until crisp tender. Add remaining teriyaki sauce to the skillet and stir to combine, cook 1 minute until sauce is heated through.  Plate steaks and spoon mushrooms and peppers with sauce over the steaks.

Chicken Marsala

Italy is one of my favorite places and so I goes without saying that I also love it's cuisine.

My mom and I were fortunate enough to travel to Italy and fell in love with the people, the country, and it's food.  We spent 5 wonderful days in Rome, wandering the streets, shopping, site seeing, and eating!  I can't begin to describe the feeling of being in a city that has so much history.  To be able to stand where the ancient Romans stood, to walk where they did, and to dream of another era, but also to be able to see their achievements in monuments, and ruins, that decorate this magical city.  We did a lot of walking...I mean A LOT of WALKING!

Which made us work up an appetite!  We had made quick friends with a local restaurant owner and would visit him nightly for the special dinner he would have prepared for us.  Each day was something different, not from a menu, but made special.  Oh...the risotto...to die for!  And every meal ended with a Baci or kiss!  Such good memories of our time there. 

One dish I adore, and my mom does as well, is Chicken Marsala.  There is something special about the flavors in this dish.  The wine and the cream marry so well and turn out a delicate but full of flavor sauce that tops a simple chicken and mushroom dish.  

The technique is simple, by sauteing chicken and then creating a pan sauce.  Deglazing the pan is important step so that you pull up the little brown bits (fond) that are in the bottom of the skillet, which lends great flavor to the sauce.  To really get good brown bits use a stainless steel pan which allows for a little sticking in the pan.  

Kitchen Tip:  Pound chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap to 1/4" thickness if desired.  This will reduce the cooking time for the chicken by several minutes.

Here's my ode to Rome and my take on Chicken Marsala.  I hope you enjoy it.

Some step by step pics.

 stainless steel pan

 

  See the brown bits?

 

scrape up the brown bits...

add the cream

Heaven in a pan!!!

Chicken Marsala

serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 c flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 pound sliced button mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup Marsala wine

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Add flour to a pan for coating.  Take each piece of chicken and dredge it in the flour, shaking off any excess.  In a large skillet, cook chicken in 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side (4-5 minutes for thin breasts)  Remove and keep warm.  (refer to Kitchen Tip above for pounded chicken breasts.

In the same skillet, saute mushrooms in remaining oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by a third. Stir in cream.  Return to a boil; cook until slightly thickened.

Return chicken to pan and cook to warm through spooning sauce on top of chicken.  Garnish with parsley. 

Pasta with Mushrooms in a Cream Sauce

Sometimes you just want a dish that doesn't include meat.  It's healthy for you.

This dish doesn't lack for anything.  It has great flavor, provides comfort, it has vegetables, and even some alcohol!

I'm in love with this dish.  No really...I'm in love.
I don't take things like this lightly....the creaminess, the mushrooms, the pasta, the creaminess....did I say that already?

Try it, you'll love it to.  Period.

Here we go.

You will need:  Mushrooms, lemon, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, parsley, white wine, heavy cream, grated Parmesan cheese,  and fettuccine.

Clean and slice the mushrooms.  Place in a bowl. Squeeze the juice of the lemon half over the mushrooms and toss.

Add garlic and olive oil to a skillet.  Cook over medium-high heat until garlic sizzles, about 30 seconds.  Add mushrooms, stir and cover.  Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  You want to draw out all the moisture.

At this point, cook your pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water.  Cook 1 -2 minutes less than directed on the package.  The pasta will continue to cook when added to the mushrooms and the sauce.

Remove the lid from the mushrooms, add salt and pepper, and continue to cook another 5 -7 minutes until they are nice and brown and all the moisture had evaporated.

Add parsley.

Add wine to deglaze the pan, stirring up all the bits on the bottom.

Add the cream to the pan.  Let this simmer and sauce will thicken.  Add Parmesan to the sauce and stir. 

Add cooked pasta straight from the pot and in to the mushroom sauce.  No need to drain.  The pasta water will help loosen the sauce a little. 

Add enough pasta to get a good pasta to sauce ratio.  Stir to completely cover the pasta with the sauce. 

Isn't this heaven??

Pasta with Mushrooms in a Cream Sauce

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 lemon

1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

½  tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 T chopped parsley

¼ cup white wine

¼ cup heavy cream

3 T Parmesan, grated

1 lb fettuccine

Directions

Clean and slice mushrooms.  Place in a bowl.  Squeeze the juice of the lemon half over the mushrooms and toss.

Add minced garlic along with olive oil to a large skillet.  Heat over medium-high heat until the garlic begins to sizzle but not brown, about 30 seconds.  Add the mushrooms, stir, and cover.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes.  You want to extract all the water and moisture from the mushrooms.  

Meanwhile bring salted water to a boil in a large pot and cook fettuccine.  Cook about 1 min less than recommended as the pasta will cook more when added to the mushrooms and sauce. 

Remove the lid from the mushrooms, add the salt and pepper.  Cook uncovered about 5-7 minutes more, stirring until they are nicely brown and all the moisture has evaporated.  Stir in the parsley.

Add white wine to deglaze.  Add cream to create a sauce and let simmer.  Add grated Parmesan to the sauce and stir.  

Add cooked pasta, straight from the pot to the mushrooms and sauce in the pan.  No need to drain the pasta, a little water will help loosen the sauce.  Add enough pasta, so there is a good sauce to noodle ratio.  Serve!

Sausage Mushroom Quiche Appetizers

Happy New Year!

The coming of the New Year always makes me think of a "fresh start", a "new beginning", and trying...I said trying to eat healthier!

So I thought I would start the new year off running.  My boyfriend, I call him MGG (My Greek God) for reasons I'll not say, loves eggs.  So I thought I would try a variation of a recipe I saw recently from EatingWell (told you I was trying to eat healthy!)  So this is my variation of Mini Mushroom and Sausage Quiches.  They made theirs in regular muffin cups but I wanted to make tiny bite-sized appetizers and vary the ingredients just a little.  They are crustless, so carbs are down, and they are light and savory.

They are great for a New Year's party or New Year's brunch.  They can also be frozen and pulled out to enjoy later. Hope you enjoy them.


To make this you will need bulk sausage, mushrooms, onion, butter, eggs, milk, swiss cheese, and pepper. Also you will need a mini muffin tin that is non-stick...this is very important. (the non-stick part) Otherwise they will not come out easily and we want things to be easy don't we?

First crumble some sausage and brown it in a skillet.  Make sure to crumble it really fine so they fit in the mini muffin cups. Add onions along with the sausage.  I ran out so I used onion flakes which worked fine, but real onion might be better. Remove sausage to a plate (or in my case a Marie Calendar's pie pan!)

Add a tablespoon of butter (there went the healthy part!) to the hot skillet and saute the mushrooms until golden brown. Add these to the plate as well.

Allow sausage and mushrooms to cool for about 5 min.  Add cheese and pepper and mix it all together.

Whisk eggs and milk in a bowl. 

Pore mixture in each muffin cup about 1/2 way full.  Add a heaping teaspoon of sausage mixture to each one.  Make sure to spread it all evenly amongst all the cups.  It should look like this.

Looks tasty!

Pop them in the oven at 325 degrees and cook until just starting to brown.  About 30 min.

Remove and allow to cool in pan about 5 min.  Then place a cooling rack on top of them and flip them over to release.  Plop! See how pretty!

Allow to cool and then eat 'em up!  Soooo good!  MGG ate about 6 - 7 of these in a matter of minutes...really I lost count cause they seemed to disappear rapidly so I think it was more...but he won't fess up!  Sneaky!

Enjoy these wonderful treats!

Sausage Mushroom Quiche Appetizers

Variation of Mini Mushroom and Sausage Quiches - Source: EatingWell 

INGREDIENTS

8 oz bulk sausage, crumbled into small pieces

1 Tbl butter

8 oz mushrooms, chopped into small pieces

1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

 8 eggs

 1 cup 2% milk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat to 325 degrees. Coat a nonstick mini-muffin tin generously with cooking spray.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes crumbling pieces as you cook so you have tiny crumbles. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Add butter to the pan. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to the bowl with the sausage. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and pepper.

Whisk eggs and milk in a bowl. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a heaping teaspoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.

Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiches out onto the rack. Turn upright and let cool completely.