Mushroom Bourguignon

This going to be one of those posts with bad photos because I got hungry. Oops.

After neglecting this blog for more than a week, I'm just going to go ahead and post another adapted smitten kitchen recipe. This one is awesome, by the way. She says it's for winter. I made it for spring. Really tasty no matter the season.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 pound portobello mushrooms, cut into 1 inch squares
1/3 pound baby bella mushrooms, quartered
1/2 carrot, diced
4 shallots, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken broth, really any kind will do
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup frozen pearl onions
Whole wheat, no yolk egg noodles, for serving



Since this is already shaping up to be a lazy post, I'm just going to let you follow smitten's instructions. They're perfect anyway.

Pineapple Part 2: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

As soon as I made this caramel mixture and poured it into a cake pan, I thought to myself "there is no way anything is coming out of this pan upside down..."

Lo and behold, I was wrong. It came out perfectly from my lightly greased, disposable 9-inch cake pan. My cake may not be as pretty as hers, but this recipe was sort of proof for me that the smitten kitchen doesn't lie. This is my variation, which went over very well on a recent "ladies night in."

Ingredients:
For the topping:
1/3 small-medium pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced thin
3/4 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
Batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour, for health's sake!
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground dry ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon brandy
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons brandy for sprinkling over cake

To make my version of this cake, please just follow the original excellent directions, while adding the ginger to the dry ingredients before mixing. Also, use a cheap disposable cake pan and make your caramel in a old pot while almost ruining your spoon and slightly burning your tongue (seriously, be careful when making the caramel).

Pineapple Part 1: Pineapple Fried Rice

Tonight, I cut open a pineapple. This seemingly simple task resulted in dinner + leftovers, a cake for a party and a kitchen that looked like a war zone. This post will deal with the first dish I made, Pineapple Fried Rice.

I suppose it is "Thai style" pineapple fried rice, but there was no way I was going to be skillful enough with my knife to carve a nice little bowl out of my pineapple. Some restaurants and recipes suggest that...

Ingredients:
1.5 cups dry jasmine rice. Cook the rice and let it sit overnight
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1 red pepper (like the ones that look like red jalapenos but aren't actually that spicy)
4-6 green chillies, sliced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon dried red chili flakes
A dash of turmeric
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 cups napa cabbage, sliced as thin as you can get it or chopped up
2 chicken thighs (marinated overnight in lemon juice and ginger-garlic paste)
2 eggs, beaten
Ghee or oil for frying
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
1/2 a small-medium pineapple, cored and cut into small chunks

OK, cook your marinated chicken. I used a pressure cooker. Let it cool and cut it up into smaller bits. Stir fry all of your spices (onion, garlic and ginger included) in the ghee or oil. Wait until onions are translucent and then add your eggs. Fry at medium heat for about two minutes (without stirring) and add your veggies while stirring a lot. Add your pineapple and rice while continuing to mix. Add the chicken now too. Salt and pepper time. Mix very well and serve it, in a pineapple if you have to.

Wild Rice Tart

So much of what I've been cooking lately has either been a curry or a copy of another blogger's recipe. All week, I've been planning to get back to my roots and make something super Minnesotan. Today, I finally got around to making what I will eventually consider a 'classic.'

I'll admit that this was an experiment, but oh boy, was it successful! Luckily, I had my previous experience with a smitten kitchen tart to guide me, and I had the forethought to be careful with my smoked salmon (the ricotta totally stopped it from taking over).

Ingredients:
3/4 cup uncooked wild rice
1.5 cups mushrooms, cremini, chopped
1 small onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, diced
1 sprig rosemary, needles removed from stalk
1 tablespoon dried dill
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 frozen peas, unfrozen but not overcooked
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
3 oz, smoked salmon, in thin strips if possible
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 eggs
1/4 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
1 store-bought pie crust, pre-baked for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Simmer the wild rice in water for about 30 minutes until you've reached a nice texture. Drain. Saute the onions in the butter until almost translucent. Add your mushrooms, rosemary and dill. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and keep cooking until everything is soft.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the hard cheeses, cream and egg. Add rice, peas and sauteed ingredients. Mix well with salt and pepper. Now, coat your pie crust with a thin layer of ricotta and top with the smoked salmon.


Now, add your rice mixture into the pie crust and top with a bit more Parmesan and the bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Let cool for 15 more minutes.