Stuffing Mushroom Casserole

Stuffing Mushroom Casserole

Thanksgiving Leftovers
Stuffing Mushroom Casserole

For Thanksgiving, we always serve The Stuffing Everyone Loves, and there is always plenty leftover because, you know, we never want to run short on that! Rustic ciabatta, with its porous, chewy texture is the perfect bread for this stuffing. A 50-50 ratio of vegetables (mushroom, celery, onion, and leek) to the volume of ciabatta creates a balanced, not overly bready-y dish. Plenty of butter, Italian parsley and butter-fried sage bring the classic flavors of the season.

Leftover from the green bean topping, there were homemade bacon bits. And miscellaneous cheeses were leftover from our appetizer buffet.

I happened to purchase extra mushrooms when shopping for the Thanksgiving feast. And so, two days later…the tasty Leftover Stuffing Mushroom Casserole was born. I suspect your favorite leftover Thanksgiving stuffing would work equally well with this basic template.

Stuffing Mushroom Casserole Recipe

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Bay Scallop Marsala Fettuccine

Bay Scallop Marsala Fettuccine

Bay Scallop Marsala Fettuccine

I’m going to apologize for not sharing this bay scallop pasta dish sooner. It’s always a big hit – delicious, easy, quick, fabulous.

The cost for premium frozen bay scallops from Baja, Mexico are about $3 per person, and the rest of the ingredients are also very reasonable.  The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of Marsala wine per serving, I definitely recommend “the good stuff.”

It’s a super-flavorful, stunning pasta dish thanks to briny, slightly sweet and buttery scallops; the complexity of marsala wine; earthiness of mushrooms; and rich cream. I bet if you prepped everything in advance, it could be on the table in less than 20 minutes?

Be sure to use fresh pasta here, its tender velvety texture pairs wonderfully with the creamy marsala sauce.

Bay Scallop Marsala Fettuccine

Bay Scallop Marsala Recipe

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Seared Albacore, Roasted Mushrooms, Demi-Glace

Seared Albacore, Roasted Mushrooms, Demi-Glace

Seared Albacore, Roasted Trumpet Royale and Maitake Mushrooms, Sherry Demi-Glace

It was devastatingly elegant, perfect in its four-star simplicity with just three items: fish, mushroom, sauce. Ever since I saw this Facebook post by Eric Ripert, I knew I just had to make some version of his dish.

At Le Bernardin where “every fish gets treated according to its personality,” the Chef is a genius at pairing seafood with minimal ingredients and sauces that create synergy on the plate.

Chef Ripert is world-renowned for his exquisite, clean, seafood-centered cuisine where he simultaneously celebrates the beauty and elegance of vegetables. In the original dish that inspired my recipe, the Chef pairs a pristine piece of grilled hiramasa with roasted porcini & maitake and bone marrow bordelaise sauce.

Seared Albacore, Roasted Mushrooms, Demi-Glace Recipe

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Chanterelle Gravy

Chanterelle Gravy

Crispy-Skin Chicken Thighs, Chanterelle Gravy, Microgreens

What would you pay for a whole pound of Fresh, Wild, Golden Chanterelle Mushrooms from Oregon? These fancy, seasonal mushrooms can be quite pricey.  I’ve seen them locally for $30/lb and on the internet for up to $80/lb plus shipping charges. But here at Costco in Las Vegas, a pound of beautiful Oregon Chanterelles cost only $12.99. We couldn’t pass up that deal!

When cooked, luxurious chanterelle mushrooms have a velvety consistency and a woodsy, earthy flavor with hints of mild pepper. Chanterelle gravy is a great way to elevate the humble chicken thigh.

Chanterelle Gravy Recipe

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Vegetarian Meatloaf, Mushroom Gravy

Vegetarian Meatloaf, Mushroom GravyA Moist, Tasty, Satisfying Vegetarian Meatloaf
made with
Oatmeal, Quinoa, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, and Gruyere Cheese
served with
Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy

The somewhat mysterious walnut loaf on the vegetarian restaurant menu seemed way too heavy for lunch, so I ordered the sprouted salad instead.

While the salad was completely delicious, I was still curious about that hearty, compelling “vegetarian meatloaf” so I decided to make one at home.

While researching vegetarian walnut meatloaf recipes, I came across several that sounded similar to our local restaurant’s version. Upon further investigation, it appears that the original recipe is over 2 decades old, from famous vegetarian chef Deborah Madison.

Madison recently noted that 20 years ago she would add cheese to many of her recipes. These days however, with the variety and quality of vegetarian ingredients, she no longer relies on cheese to substitute for the meat. In this vegetarian meatloaf, cheese does play an important role…but vegan cheese should work fine too.

In my interpretation of the recipe, I substitute oatmeal and quinoa for Madison’s brown rice, and make many other adjustments as well, but credit for the concept definitely goes to her.

Vegetarian Meatloaf, Mushroom Gravy Recipe

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