Mushrooms in a Mustard-Wine Sauce

We eat a lot of mushrooms, much to my daughter's chagrin. If you really think about it, mushrooms are gross. I've seen enough wild mushrooms in the forest to start me thinking, "Do I really eat stuff related to this?"

But mushrooms do have nutritional value: They have a high selenium content, reported to help prevent prostate cancer, and they contain a fair amount of B-vitamins. Mushrooms also taste great if done right. So it's best to forget where mushrooms come from and what some of their uglier cousins look like.

The nice thing about mushrooms is that can readily adapt to just about any flavor. We typically mushrooms in an oriental setting, but this recipe is somewhat different. The mushrooms are cooked in a mustard and wine sauce, which gives it a tangy but rich flavor.

Mushrooms in a Mustard-Wine Sauce

Ingredients

Sauce:

1 T Dijon mustard

2 T Worcestershire sauce

2 T brown sugar

¾ c dry red wine

1 T soy sauce

ground pepper

Veggies:

1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms

½ c boiling water

1 lb mushrooms

1½ T oil

1 onion, diced

salt to taste

1 large red bell pepper, diced

½ block of firm tofu, cubed

Steps

1. Cover the dried shiitake mushrooms with the boiling water and set aside until they soften, about 10 minutes. Reserve the soaking liquid and cut the hard stems out. Cut the mushrooms into strips.

2. Clean the fresh mushrooms and cut into halves (or quarters if they are big).

3. Heat oil in a large skillet, add the onions and a pinch of salt, and saute over medium heat until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.

4. Add both fresh and dried mushrooms and the peppers and cook a little bit more, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to darken.

5. Add the sauce and the soaking liquid from the shiitakes. Add the tofu and simmer slowly until the sauce has reduced and thickened, about 40 minutes.

6. Serve in bowls on top of rice or noodles.

Zen Stew

When the cold weather comes, the amount of soup that flows through the Evolution Kitchen can be enormous. As the first snow hits us here in the high plains, I wanted a hearty soup that soothes the stomach and the soul. This simple Asian-influenced soup fit the bill.

Zen Stew

Ingredients

2 oz of dried or fresh shiitake mushrooms

1 c water

1 c vegetable broth

½ c red onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1 c brown rice, cooked

4 oz tofu, sliced into ½-inch cubes

1 scallion, thinly sliced

3 bunches of spinach, trimmed and coarsely chopped

1/3 c miso paste

½ c warm water

Steps

1. If using dried mushrooms, soak them in boiling water for 30 minutes. For both dried and fresh, remove hard stems and slice the caps in thin strips.

2. In a large saucepan, heat 1 cup of water and broth, and the mushrooms, onion, carrot, cooked rice, and tofu. Bring to a low boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, add the scallion and stir in the spinach. Cover the saucepan for a few minutes until the spinach wilts.

3. Mix the miso with the ½ cup of warm water and stir until all lumps are gone. Stir this into the soup. Serve hot.

Fried Rice with Mushrooms

We love fried rice, and there are about a million things you could do to it. This is number 34,227: rice with a heavy dose of mushrooms. Originally, this recipe began life as rice pancakes, but when the pancakes refused to maintain their shape, tada! Fried rice! (This same phenomena is how my omelets mysteriously turn into scrambled eggs.) But despite the culinary catastrophe, the rice turned out darn good, and in the end much easier to make than fussy pancakes.

Fried Rice with Mushrooms

Ingredients

5 t olive oil, divided

5 c mushrooms, thinly sliced

½ c onion, finely chopped

½ c red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 garlic, minced

1 T fresh thyme, or 1 t dried thyme

¾ t salt

¼ t pepper

1 c vegetable broth

1 t arrowroot or cornstarch

3 c cooked brown rice

Steps

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onions, and bell pepper. Cook for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked off, stirring occasionally.

2. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the thyme, salt, and pepper. Remove 1 cup of the mixture and set aside.

3. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the broth and arrowroot. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Set aside but keep warm.

4. In another pan, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Dump in the rice and reserved mushroom mixture. Stir fry until desired doneness. Serve hot with mushroom sauce.

Buckwhat?

Our exotic ingredient for the day is buckwheat. Most people recognize Buckwheat as the name of that little boy (played by Billie Thomas) from the 1930's show Our Gang.

The buckwheat I want to talk about is another overlooked grain in the SAD. Buckwheat is quite common in Russian, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine.

Despite its name, buckwheat is not a wheat at all, nor is it a cereal or grass. It is a fruit seed related to rhubarb. The seeds can be cooked and eaten like a hot cereal, or used in pilaf type dishes. The seeds are also ground into a flour (gluten-free), which can be used in breads or noodles (like the Japanese soba).

Buckwheat is generally available in well-stocked groceries and markets. If you can't find it, there's always dependable Amazon: BUCKWHEAT GROATS, 12 oz bag

Buckwheat has a distinctive, earthy flavor that may not appeal to everyone. It pairs wonderfully with mushrooms. Therefore, this dish I present is a mushroom and buckwheat pilaf, a simple yet tasty side dish.

Mushroom and Buckwheat Pilaf

You can use toasted buckwheat, but that will have a much stronger and overpowering flavor. It is best to use raw buckwheat groats.

Ingredients

1 large onion, sliced thinly
2 T vegetable oil
½ lb mushrooms, washed and stems left intact, sliced
1 c raw buckwheat groats
1¾ c vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for about 8 minutes, until they are translucent.

2. Stir in the buckwheat, broth, and the mushrooms. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the groats are tender (about 20 minutes). Add more water if needed.

Tomato-Stuffed Portobellos

Portobello mushrooms used to be priced as a luxury food that put them into the "once in a blue moon" category, but lately their prices have come down enough to enjoy them once in a while. We love these cooked on the grill. With temperatures warming up, I pulled out the grill out of winter storage just for this recipe.

For the mozzarella cheese, we used a rice-based cheese, and it worked beautifully, melting just like you'd expect. Don't let my lousy photo fool you; it is wonderful!

Tomato-Stuffed Portobellos

Ingredients

2/3 c fresh tomatoes (about 2 medium), seeded and chopped

¼ c shredded mozzarella cheese

2 t olive oil, divided

1 t dried oregano

¼ t ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 T lemon juice

1 T balsamic vinegar

6 large portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed

Steps

1. Preheat the grill to medium heat.

2. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, cheese, 1 teaspoon olive oil, oregano, pepper, and garlic.

3. In another small bowl, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, and the rest of the olive oil. Whisk to mix well.

4. Brush the lemon-oil juice on both sides of the mushrooms. Grill them stem side down first for 5-7 minutes or until soft. Flip them over and fill with the tomato mixture. Close the grill lid and cook another 3 minutes until the mixture is heated through and the cheese melts.

5. Sprinkle with parsley and/or basil. Serve hot.