So much rain means...Mushrooms!

It's has been raining a lot these past few weeks and the Delaware River has risen above flood stage...which means I am staying home and  thinking about....mushrooms!  Mushrooms are a wonderful phenomenon.There are so many varieties and they are so good for us in so many ways. First and foremost, for all of us breast cancer survivors, mushrooms have been found to play a significant role in helping to prevent breast cancer by inhibiting tumor growth and boosting the immune system. They contain a phytochemical that inhibits the production of a protein in our body than makes estrogen. This is important news for post-menopausal women who have had an estrogen driven cancer (75% of post menopausal  breast cancers are hormone dependent). 

That, for me , is a great reason to eat loads of  yummy fungi. Big white stuffing mushrooms came in first, but shiitake, portobello, cremini and button mushrooms have also been named as preventive dynamos. There are other mushrooms that are not commonly available fresh in our neck of the woods: reishi, maitake. enoki, oyster, & pocini, to name a few, that can be found dried( easily reconstituted in simmering water) that have been found to have cholesterol reducing and immune system boosting properties.

So, the lowly mushroom, long used in Japan and China for their health sustaining properties, but scorned as nothing more than salad bar fillers in this country, have become an important weapon in our arsenal of cancer fighting weapons. And best of all, they are delicious!  Their versatility is limited only by one's imagination. In soups, stews, ground up as fillers for stuffings, used as vehicles for stuffing....the possibilities are endless.

One of my favorite restaurants has a wild mushroom gratin on it's menu that I can not resist...sauteed mixed mushrooms, a splash of sherry and a topping of Jarlsberg Swiss (and/or Gruyere), shoved under the broiler 'til brown and bubbly...oh my.... some crunchy bread and I'm in heaven.

Here's a recipe I have made many times that has been a popular menu item.

                                Portobellos Stuffed w/ Spinach and Goat Cheese

• Portobello Mushrooms, wiped clean*, & de-stemmed

• White wine  or dry Sherry**

• Olive Oil

• Garlic, minced

• Onion fine chop

• Fresh spinach~ 2-3 bags or about a pound at least. That will look like a huge amount , but will cook down to a much smaller amount, no worries

• Goat cheese ~your favorite or Feta if you are not fond of goat

• Toasted pine nuts

Spray a rimmed cookie sheet.

Place mushrooms gill side up on the pan and sprinkle liberally w. wine or better yet sherry

Bake 350 for 10-15 min.

Meanwhile, soften the garlic and onion in a splash of olive oil in a large-ish pot

Add your well washed spinach, toss around a bit

When spinach wilts keep stirring to allow liquid to reduce.

Remove from heat.

Mound onto mushrooms, crumble goat cheese on top, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and broil briefly to melt cheese.

Remove to serving plate and pour pan juices over all

Sit down and enjoy this wonderful dish!

*never soak or wash mushrooms if a wiping can suffice to clean them . When fresh they are like sponges and will absorb too much water.

**always cook with wine that you would drink and having a glass while you cook is not such a bad idea.

You will notice that I never give you exact amounts....I am trusting your judgment as should you. Plus I do not know if you are cooking for one or ten.

It's a Rainy Night in Pennsetucky.......

Arrrgghh !  What to make for supper? I cook all week long at work and I have fun doing it most of the time so why is it soooo hard to make a meal at home?  Because it's just for 2! My Sweetie does not like leftovers, or the big pot of soup that lasts all week (I am fine with that, I can eat the same thing every day no problem) I took a look in my pantry, which is usually pretty well stocked with basic staples, but happens to be on the slim side at the moment. We need something hearty, not too heavy as I have to hit the rack soon, and Fast. Here is what I came up with.

                                      Miracle From the Depths

Ok so, put a pot of water on to boil.

Chop an onion and Saute in a splash of olive oil

• Open a jar of artichoke hearts.

• Find the open green olives in the refrigerator...grab the capers while you are at it, and might as well use the kalamata olives too.

• Dump your various and sundry finds into the pan with the onions, and mix up well.

• Throw in a can of  diced  (or whatever...)tomatoes, and that hard rind of Parmesan that's in the bottom of the cheese drawer.

• Grab some pesto (if you are one of those crazy basil growers who makes pesto by the quart just before the frost so the gigantic harvest of basil does not go to waste...)  If there's no pesto, then a sprinkle of some dried herbs* would suffice: oregano, basil, & a touch of thyme.
• Grind some pepper in to taste. Add some chopped garlic (I usually leave mine in big chunks because I am lazy and I like to bite down on a big piece of garlic every now and again)
• Simmer this for a half hour or so

Cook some whole wheat pasta...Bio Naturae is a great brand, made in Italy. (If you grow and can your own  your own tomatoes, you offset your carbon footprint a tiny bit)

Drain your al dente pasta, throw it back in the pot , add the sauce and  hey presto! you have supper!  Add a little salad and you are set.

Now if you live with a carnivore, a little handful of julienne'd pepperoni on top of their bowl of pasta would make him/her very happy. Oh and another thing...take a bite of the cheese rind that has been simmered in your sauce..... oooboy.
*A little note: dried herbs are dicey things. If kept at room temperature in a spice rack out in the light , they lose a lot . Their flavor gets dusty and stale. Now if you can buy them in smaller quantities  and keep them in the door of your freezer, they are just as handy as the spice rack and way tastier. Just a thought.

An Avocado a Day......

 I am crazy over avocados. I can eat them mashed on a slice of whole grain toast with a dash of hot sauce or forget the toast and put the sauce in the pit divot and scoop with a spoon....that there is heaven! And even though avocados have a lot a fat for a fruit, that fat is Good for You! Not that you want to eat a whole one one everyday (wahh!!!), but as a part of what you consume over the course of a week, they will do you more good than harm in spite of their high fat. They are high in potassium (great for your heart  and BP)and folate ( for you Moms to be) and are a great source of fiber. They're rich in monounsaturated fat, particularly one called oloeic acid which helps maintain and improve fat levels in the blood stream,  lower levels of LDL (baadd cholesterol), and increase HDL (the good guy).

Enough blabbering, let's make something good and yummy.

                                                Avocado Quinoa Salad (V)(GF)

•  Look at my February post. Cook Quinoa  ( 5Xor6X the recipe depending on how much you want. Adjust the vegetable amounts as needed or to taste)as described , switching the liquid to a good veggie broth.(don't use the cubes, blegh) and eliminating spices and dried fruits. Leave the nuts if you want to. 

• When the quinoa is cooked, squeeze a load of lemon or lime juice in, maybe 2 big lemons or 4 little limes.  Be sure to do this as soon as you dump your cooked Q. into a bowl so it soaks up the citrus flavor.

• Cut up some ripe bell peppers, scallions, purple cabbage (for crunch), shredded carrots  and fresh parsley. Don't be shy,  just chop up whatever veggies you happen to find in the bottom drawer

• When the quinoa is cool add the veggies and mix up well. Chunk up an avocado or 2 and toss them in. Fold the mixture over a couple of times to mix, but try to avoid mushing up your Avocado Chunks.

 That's it! A fabulous salad with limitless possibilities!

• Add fresh basil or fresh cilantro . Throw in a Handful of olives or chunks of cheddar, or chopped fresh tomato( the Real tomatoes of high summer, not the tasteless golf balls of winter). A Dollop of sour cream (organic low fat or vegan) would not be an untoward addition.

Don't be alarmed if you find that the avocado in your salad has turned brown over night. You can dribble lemon juice over the pieces before storing it in the fridge, or do what I do...strip mine the chunks out of the salad, eat 'em up, and add fresh tomorrow.......