chicken and mushroom ragu

My bolognese sauce is my favorite accompaniment for pasta, but I don't always have 2 hours to let it simmer. For another protein-rich option, I tried this 20 minute option for chicken "ragu" from October's issue of Gourmet. Next time I won't pulse the mushrooms in a food processor - maybe chop them fine by hand to leave more texture - and possibly will add some olives and a pinch of red pepper for kick. This is a good base made with an inexpensive cut of chicken, so I'll make room in the rotation for this recipe.

grocery list: 6 oz cremini or baby bella mushrooms, 3 cloves garlic, olive oil, 1 1/4 lb sinless boneless chicken thighs, 1 small onion, 3/4 tsp fresh rosemary (chopped), 3 T balsamic vinegar, 1 28-oz can whole italian tomatoes, 1/2 dried pasta (pappardelle recommended in the original), 5 oz fresh arugula (I used spinach instead), plus grated parmesan.



Pulse mushrooms and garlic in a food processor till finely chopped.



Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces, and season with salt and pepper. Heat a few T olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, then saute the chicken (stirring frequently) for 3-4 minutes, until it starts to brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon to a small bowl.



Turn heat down to medium, then add the small chopped onion and cook till it starts to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture, chopped rosemary, and more salt and pepper. Keep stirring until the mushrooms start to release their juice and turn brown - about 4-5 minutes. Add vinegar and cook until it reduces down, another couple minutes.



Return the chicken to the pan, and add the tomatoes (as well as the juice). Break the tomatoes down and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Cook pasta and drain. When the sauce is the right consistency, add the arugula or spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until it wilts. Stir in the pasta and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with grated parmesan.

wild mushroom crostini

The same great article in Bon Appetit ("Molto Americano" - new Italian restaurant recipes) that featured the SPQR lamb cacciatore also had a recipe for the side dish I made that night: wild mushroom crostini, from Baltimore's Cinghiale restaurant. All that was involved was toasting some slices of bread, sauteing some wild mushrooms, and topping with a quick thyme vinaigrette and truffle oil. While these 2 recipes were from different restaurants, they complemented each other remarkably well.  As an added bonus, together they took less than 30 minutes total prep time - perfect for a weeknight.

Grocery list: butter, 12 oz wild mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, crimini, etc), fresh thyme, red wine vinegar, mayo, 1 shallot, olive oil, slices of rustic bread, truffle oil.



To make the topping, simple saute the sliced mushrooms in butter over medium-high heat with 1-2 T chopped fresh thyme, for about 8 minutes (until browned). Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat.



This recipe made MUCH more thyme vinaigrette than I needed for the crostinis. However, it wasn't wasted - I used the leftovers as a spread for turkey sandwiches with avocado and arugula. (This was another great way to spice up a boring turkey sandwich.)



In a food processor, pulse 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 3 T fresh thyme leaves, 2T mayo, and 1 small chopped shallot. Slowly pour in 1/3 -1/2 cup olive oil while the machine is running. Season with salt and pepper to taste.



Brush the bread slices with a little olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes (turning once), until slightly crisp.



Mound some of the mushrooms on each piece, drizzle with the vinaigrette, and top with just a bit of truffle oil. I think this would make a great appetizer (I'd use a sliced baguette instead), since it's so easy to make ahead and assemble at the last minute.

weekday breakfast: egg white omelet

Making a healthy breakfast only takes me about 10 minutes. It may seem like that's 10 minutes you don't have in the morning, but if you invest there, you won't have to take extra time out mid-morning to go get a snack or another coffee. I also take one morning (or Sunday afternoons) to prep the ingredients for several breakfasts at once, so it's even easier to just grab a handful of veggies and throw them in the pan.

Here's a version of an egg white omelet I've been making this week - but you can switch up any of the ingredients. My mom was actually just telling me about her omelet du jour, a greek-inspired version with feta, sundried tomatoes, spinach, tomatoes and red onions. I'll try that one next.



First, I dice up a couple slices of center cut bacon, and fry those in a pan for 3-4 minutes, till they are almost done. Then, I add 3-4 sliced button mushrooms.



After they've cooked for 3-4 more minutes, I add a couple handfuls of fresh spinach. The spinach only takes a minute or 2 to wilt, then you can add the eggs (or egg whites, if you prefer).



I normally cook 6-8 egg whites for me and A - with him getting about 2/3 of the entire omelet. Anyway, once you pour in the eggs, stir them a few times slowly, so that the eggs that have started to stick to the bottom get shifted around. This will help them cook more evenly. After about a minute or two, even out all the fillings and half-cooked egg whites so it's flat and in the right shape. From this point, you won't have to do anything, just leave it alone for a couple minutes (turn down the heat to medium-low if you don't want the eggs overcooked on the bottom). Add cheese if you like, then fold in half. I'll serve this with a slice of wheat toast (with peanut butter and jelly for extra energy!) and I won't be hungry again for hours.

mushrooms and leeks with pecorino fonduta

It should be fairly obvious by now that I have an obsession with Food & Wine magazine, and especially any of their Italian recipes, so this recipe from their April 2008 issue is right up my alley. According to the article, fonduta is basically Italian fondue. You serve this easy-as-possible cheese sauce over sauteed leeks and mushrooms, which rest on top of crusted slices of baguette. So simple and unique.

Grocery list: butter, 2 pounds leeks, 4 garlic cloves, 1 pound wild mushrooms, rosemary, half-and-half, parmesan cheese, pecorino cheese, balsamic vinegar, grilled italian bread slices.


Start by melting a stick of butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced, and the leeks. (Side note: to prepare leeks, chop off the tough green leaves and the very end of the white root; slice lengthwise and rinse under cool water, trying to separate the leaves to get the water into all the crevices. Chop the white and tender green parts only, about 1/2 inch slices, then place in a bowl of cold water. Let them soak for a few minutes, then squeeze and shake one handful at a time and remove to the pan you're cooking with.) Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.



Add the wild mushrooms and cook until the excess liquid has evaporated and they are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp minced rosemary, season with salt and pepper, then keep warm.



In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup half-and-half (the original calls for cream, but I don't use cream unless it's absolutely necessary) to a boil and reduce to 2/3 cup, about 7 minutes. Turn off the flame and stir in 1/2 cup grated parmesan and 1/4 cup grated pecorino.



Drizzle the mushrooms with a few teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, then serve over the bread slices. Top with the fonduta.

pappardelle with porcini mushrooms and garlic roast chicken

A recipe for "pappardelle with porcini and pistachios" was recently featured in Food & Wine magazine, from the chef at Cru restaurant in NYC. I decided I wanted to try it, but needed to add roast chicken (if I want to make pasta at home, it is absolutely mandatory that I find a way to include protein, or my boyfriend will insist on skipping dinner and just having a protein shake). I also substituted pine nuts for the pistachios, and used dried porcinis instead of fresh. The result? My sweet aforementioned boyfriend rated this dish one of his all-time favorites. The caramelized onions are a surprising sweet contrast to the garlicky chicken and earthy mushrooms.

Grocery list: 2 boneless chicken breasts WITH skin (about 1-1.5 pounds), garlic, lemon, thyme; pappardelle pasta (could substitute fettucine), large red onion, 1 pound fresh porcini or 2 packages dried porcini mushrooms, 1 shallot, chicken stock, parsley, pine nutes, lemon, dried red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese for serving.



I've covered roasted chicken before, but this variation involves stuffing a garlic and thyme paste and a few lemon slices up under the skin, so that the chicken is more flavorful. I saw this on the well fed food blog and it looked amazing -- it's perfect for this recipe. The picture above is a technique to easily get the peel off a clove of garlic -- is this something everyone does? I can't remember where I learned it but it's so useful. Chop off the hard end of the garlic, and lay the flat side of your knife blade down on the garlic. Whack it one time, in a quick motion. The garlic clove crushes on the inside, and the peel will fall right off.

Mince 3 garlic cloves, and mince a couple of stems of thyme. Pour some salt right on the garlic and thyme, and mash with the flat side of your knife blade slowly, massaging the garlic until it turns into paste.



Smear the garlic paste under the skin of the chicken, forming a little pocket, and insert a couple of lemon slices. Place skin-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil, and grind salt and pepper on top; bake 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Let the chicken rest.



When you remove it from the pan, it should easily separate from the skin (the skin will stay on the pan), and then you can shred it and set aside for later.



Let's cover the prep work for the mushroom sauce first. If you're using dried mushrooms, rinse them very well in cold water, then put into a bowl. Boil about a cup of water, and pour over the dried mushrooms. Let them sit for 20 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside. While they are sitting in the water, you can caramelize the red onion by sauteing it in 3T melted butter over medium heat for at least 15 minutes. Slice a couple of garlic cloves as thinly as you can, and mince 1-2 shallots.



The original recipe calls for fresh porcinis, so if you're using them instead, you would remove the onion from the pan and cook the fresh mushrooms in a few more tablespoons of butter for 8 minutes. I realized this step is unnecessary if you're using dehydrated mushrooms -- at this point in the process, just add the mushrooms to the onion in the pan. Season with salt and pepper, then add the garlic and shallot and cook for about 1 minute.



Next, add 2 cups of chicken stock and a handful of chopped parsley to the pan, and simmer over medium-high heat till it is reduced down to the consistency of a thick sauce (about 10 minutes). Stir in the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a handful of pine nuts, and the shredded roast chicken.



Cook the pappardelle according to the package directions, and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta and the 1/2 cup of cooking water in with the mushroom sauce and chicken, and top with grated parmesan to serve.