Tag Archives: mushrooms

Healthy Mushroom and Shallot Quiche

Recovering from vacation . . . it’s painful. So I plan on telling you all about Alaska, but that day is not today. Today, I will drown my sorrows in food. Specifically, some good food.

My lovely friend Cassia has a lovely food blog. Granted, she hasn’t had much time recently to post since she’s entering her second year of graduate school and is up to her ears in books and papers and such, but that doesn’t stop me from gleaning delicious recipes from over yonder, such as this pasta, and now–this quiche.

Cassia made this quiche for our friend Jess Strickler’s baby shower last year. I remember thinking “Oh man! I’ve got to make this!” Then, a year went by. And here we are today, resurrecting the dreams of yesterday.

As you may have guessed by the title, this is not a cheesy, rich quiche (click here for that experience). It only has 4 eggs, a splash of milk, and no cheese. Hence the “healthy.” The real whammy from my perspective is: no half and half. No heavy cream. Let’s get this healthified fungi fest on the road!

Ingredients

(Serves 5)

2 TBS butter
1 1/2 lbs sliced mushrooms
6 cloves garlic
4 shallots
3 green onions
1 1/2 TBS fresh oregano leaves
2 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard
4 eggs
3/4 cup 2% or whole milk
1 unbaked 9 inch frozen pie crust

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Pop in the frozen pie crust for 10 minutes.

When you remove it, it should be nice and golden all over.

Lower the temperature to 375 F.

Dice the shallots and garlic . . .

. . . slice the mushrooms (if they don’t come pre-sliced like mine), and chop up those green onions, for gosh’s sake!

Sorry, I had some bossiness urges that I had to get out there. If not, they fester and I become BossMan McMonsterPants. And I guarantee that’s not what my husband is looking for when he comes home after a long day on campus.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. When melted, add the mushrooms, garlic, shallots, green onions, and all the spices and seasonings.

I added the green onions a little later because I like ’em a little on the crispier side.

Don’t you love fresh oregano? This isn’t the first time that mushrooms and oregano have got together in my kitchen and shown the world they were meant for each other.

Cook over medium high to high heat, stirring occasionally, until all the mushroom liquid has evaporated.

Remove the mushrooms from the heat and let them cool completely. I was kind of in a hurry due to the rumblings of certain stomachs in the household, so I sped things up by Extending My Long Arm of Justice and placing the mushrooms in the freezer.

Break the eggs into a bowl and add the milk.

I’m sorry, heavy whipping cream. I’m sorry I abandoned you!

Whisk together the eggs and milk.

Once the mushrooms are cool, add them to the eggs.

 Stir to combine . . .

. . . then pour the mixture into the pie crust.

Beat yourself over the head because the innards don’t fit in the outtards.

Then stop beating yourself when you realize you can bake the remaining filling in an adorable red ramekin. Phew.

Bake the quiche for 40 minutes, or until puffy and starting to brown on top. Here’s the red ramekin-full, which I took out after about 30 minutes:

Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving–this will allow it to set inside.

She’s a beaut, alright.

Serve with fresh oregano leaves sprinkled over top.

Next time I need to buy a bigger pie crust, because this one ended up simply too full–and I like a higher ratio of crust-to-innards.

See? Totally overstuffed.

But still delicious.

P.S. When we ate the leftovers the following night, the quiche was even better. This may be because I sprinkled all kinds of fresh Parmesan over the top before popping it in the oven to get hot.

“Healthy-schmealthy,” said my taste buds. Whoops. I think they learned that from me.

Click here for printer-friendly version: Healthy Mushroom and Shallot Quiche

Beef Stroganoff

This lovely Beef Stroganoff with brandy and mushrooms and onions was another America’s Test Kitchen success from their “Best International Recipe” cookbook that I bought used after succumbing to the delights of their Thai Chili Beef and Szechwan Green Beans. Beef Stroganoff was a comfort food during my childhood which I had (oddly) never attempted to make myself. All of that changes today. And I’m dragging you along on the journey. Aren’t you glad?!?*

*Please only answer the above question using a) “yes,” b) “you betcha!” c) “can’t wait, girlfriend!” or d) “All of the above.” Thank you and goodnight.

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

1 1/2 lbs flap meat sirloin steak tips
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
10 oz white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 onion, minced
2 TBS flour
1 tsp tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup brandy
1 1/2 tsp dark brown sugar
2/3 cup sour cream
2 tsp lemon juice
1 TBS minced parsley leaves

Pound the beef to 1/2 inch thickness:

I like to cover meat with parchment paper to avoid bits of flying bacteria. I used to pound the meat naked in our little kitchen in the dorms during college. If anyone got some kind of food poisoning as a result, I sincerely apologize. I was extremely unconcerned about culinary hygiene in those days. After all, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?

Unless, of course, it makes you weaker.

Anyway! Slice the pounded beef into strips 2 inches wide, and then slice each strip crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide pieces. Confused? Here’s a visual:

All chunked up! Great. The worst part is over.

Pat the beef dry with paper towels (seriously, this will help it brown waaay better) . . .

. . . and season it with salt and pepper.

Can I just point out how the focus in that picture is on the little falling grains of salt? Yep. Awesome. And a total accident, by the way. Lest you should think my photographic skills are greater than they are and start expecting pictures with grains of salt in focus all the dang time. That would just be . . . too much pressure.

Heat 1 TBS of the oil over medium high heat in a 12 inch skillet. When quite hot, toss in half the beef chunks.

Let ’em sit for a couple minutes before moving them around. Brown the beef on both sides (about 6 minutes).

When the beef is done (= browned, since it will finish cooking through later), remove it to a bowl:

Heat another 1 TBS of oil and cook the second batch of beef in the same way, removing it to the same bowl when it’s done. Trust me–do it in two batches even if your efficient soul is trying to rebel against the words I am speaking to you. It guarantees a nice sear on the meat (which guarantees flavor) instead of a floppy steam (which breeds despair, hysteria, and angry taste buds). As a recovering Efficiency Addict, I can state with confidence that sometimes the ‘best flavor’ and the more ‘efficient way’ have to duke it out–and only one can win.

While the meat is cooking, other prep work can occur: mincing the onion, for one.

Slicing the mushrooms if you didn’t buy the pre-sliced kind like me. Chopping the parsley.

Juicing the lemon.

You only need 2 tsp of the lemon juice, but you can always use the rest to make a Hot Honey ‘n’ Lemon if it’s raining, or a chilled glass of lemonade if it’s hot and sunny.

Add the rest of the oil to the skillet, and when it’s nice and hot add the mushrooms and onion . . .

. . . along with 1/2 tsp of salt.

Immediately the veggies and fungi will start absorbing the meat particles from the skillet. It will smell like paradise.

Cook for about 8 minutes, until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.

Stir in the flour . . .

. . . and tomato paste . . .

. . . and cook for 30 seconds.

You should stir constantly at this point to avoid burnination of the ingredients.

Yes, ‘burnination’ is a technical term. Haven’t you heard of Trogdor?

Now whisk in the broth little by little.

Add the brown sugar . . .

. . . brandy . . .

. . . and beef (with juices).

Stir it all around, bring it to a simmer and turn down the heat to low.

Cook uncovered for 30-35 minutes–the beef will cook through and the sauce will thicken during this time. I also used this interval to cook up some egg noodles.

Once the 30 minutes are up, take the skillet off the heat. Stir a couple spoonfuls of hot sauce into the sour cream to temper it (so that it doesn’t curdle when it hits the hot dish).

Add the tempered sour cream to the skillet . . .

. . . along with the lemon juice . . .

. . . and parsley.

Season to taste, and you’re done!

Serve over rice or pasta–I thought that egg noodles were perfect.

The sauce is flavorful without being overly rich.

The creaminess is perfectly offset by the acidity of the sour cream and lemon juice.

The mushrooms . . . don’t get me started. I love them under any guise.

Me and the fungi–we’re best buds.

This is nothing like the quasi-hamburger helper versions of beef stroganoff out there. There’s a place for those . . . but the chunks of meat in this one have me converted. Give ‘er a whirl!

Click here for printer-friendly version: Beef Stroganoff