HOME COOKING SERIES #2
- Sindhu Prabakar
- Sep 10, 2021
- 3 min read
So the weather has been pretty gloomy the past couple of days, which basically translates to cozy and hot comfort food. Here are some delish dishes that absolutely hit the spot on a rainy day. The main ingredient of this post being MUSHROOMS!
Mushrooms can be cooked in numerous ways, right from appetizers to main courses, they add a unique flavor that leaves a lingering after taste. Enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, button mushrooms, Portobello mushrooms etc. are but a few fungi varieties that are often used in home cooking. Lets get started!
CREAMY MUSHROOM SOUP
Soups are mandatory even for a drizzle, and this particular soup is perfect for cold weather and as a lazy evening snack or even dinner!
INGREDIENTS:
Button Mushrooms - 200g/250g
Butter
Garlic - 8 cloves
All purpose flour/Maida
Milk
Water
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Cheese slice
METHOD
Wash and clean mushrooms thoroughly
Add all mushrooms to a bowl and pour in water till submerged, let boil until it reduces to half the size
Take a pan, add 1 tablespoon butter, let melt
Add equal amount all purpose floor and roast for a few minutes
Add 1 cup milk and whisk till smooth mixture
Pour in boiled mushrooms ALONG with the boiled water
Let it cook for a few minutes
Simultaneously, fry finely chopped garlic in a small pan with oil or butter until it cooks, don't let it brown
Mix everything together, add in salt and pepper according to taste
Lastly add a slice of cheese (optional), it gives a bit of sourness to the soup and blends all the flavors together
Boiling the mushrooms was a big life saving trick that I happen to come across, since mushrooms leave out water, utilizing it triples the flavor, rather than letting the water dry. Usually what is done is dry cooking the mushrooms till the water evaporates but trust me you want the water.
Another small tip to enhance this soup would be to add fried onions on top and side it with a few pieces of croutons.
BUTTER GARLIC MUSHROOMS
This is a simple yet fulfilling appetizer that can be made by simply anybody. All you need is a hungry stomach and a few mushrooms to go!
INGREDIENTS:
Button mushrooms - 300g
Butter - 100g
Olive oil
Garlic - 10-15 cloves
Onion - 1 large
Coriander or parsley
Salt and pepper
Mixed herbs/Oregano (optional)
METHOD:
Heat a pan with equal amount of butter as that off one onion
Add in finely chopped onion and cook till translucent
Add in whole button mushrooms that are washed
Remember to keep the flame high while adding mushrooms, you don't want the mushrooms to leave out water
Keep cooking high flame until they shrink
Add in chopped garlic and sauté till cooked, you can reduce the flame once mushrooms shrink
Season with sufficient salt and pepper
Garnish with coriander or parsley
Drizzle of olive oil to blend flavors and serve!
This is yet another dish where cooking the mushrooms are tricky, you have to keep in mind that water is your enemy and always keep the flame high. You can serve this dish as an appetizer or even as a sandwich filling, it can be paired with a cheese platter and wine as well as rice and roti!
FUNGHI PASTA
The best use of mushrooms would be to pair them with a white sauce or creamy base and any kind of pasta. Many iterations can be made with this base and you can add meat or any other veggies you want too!
INGREDIENTS:
Button Mushrooms - 200g
Pasta- Penne or Farfalle recommended
Butter, all purpose flour/maida - white sauce preparation
1 large onion
Garlic - 5 cloves
1 slice of cheese
Red chili flakes
Salt and pepper
Veggies or meat of preference
Butter and olive oil
METHOD:
Prepare and set aside white sauce as given in the previous recipe
Fry onion and garlic together till brown in sufficient butter or olive oil
Boil pasta and retain pasta water
In the same water boil mushrooms until half cooked
Mix all of this together including pasta water
Season with salt, pepper and chili flakes
Add a slice of cheese - preferable parmesan (optional)
Add in cooked meat or veggies of choice (optional), personally I recommend broccoli or olives, they go well with mushrooms, you can even add bell pepper and zucchini
Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and enjoy!
The best part about this recipe is that this is just one variation, you can add any kind of sauce you have at home to change the flavor. For instance, you could add BBQ sauce to give it a more tangy flavor, Schezwan sauce and soy sauce to make it more Asian, you could even add garam masala and curry to add Indian flavors!
Stay tuned for more such recipes and leave your comments below if you tried them!
Check this post out for more quick and easy home cooking recipes https://quirkyaverage.wixsite.com/website/post/home-cooking-series-1
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