Mushroom Grillades

2 Portobello mushrooms, stemmed, cut in half and sliced (use stems for stock)

4 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups mushroom stock

2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup red wine (optional)

1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced  (use stems for stock)

1/2 pound button mushrooms, sliced

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (8-ounce) can tomato paste

1 roasted red bell pepper, peeled, seeded, diced

1 tablespoon cayenne

1/2 tablespoon thyme

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup cream (optional)

Hot cooked grits or rice

Put mushroom stems in a pot with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat; simmer 25 to 30 minutes. Strain and return liquid to pot. Reduce liquid by half to make about 2 cups of mushroom stock.

Saute portobello mushrooms in heated olive oil(or butter) for 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Add celery and onion to oil and wilt down for 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Then add flour to make a light roux.

Add mushroom stock, vegetable stock and red wine if using. Stir well to eliminate lumps. Add sauteed mushrooms, shiitakes, button mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato paste, roasted red pepper, cayenne and thyme. Stir well. (Add cream) Simmer over medium heat 35 to 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve over grits or rice.

Savory Squash and Mushroom Bread Pudding

2 1/2 tablespoons butter, some is for a baking pan

 3 cups baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

 1 cup yellow onion, diced small

 3 cups small yellow squash grated

 6 slices sourdough bread, cut in large cubes

 1/4 cup grated jack cheese

 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese or farmers cheese

 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

 3 large eggs

 1 1/4 cups milk

 1/2 teaspoon salt

 black pepper

   Butter a 9- by 9-inch baking dish or oven proof glass pie dish. In a heavy skillet, melt butter and saute mushrooms and onion until tender. Turned off the heat and add the squash.

   Layer bread, veggie mixture and cheeses in the baking dish.

   Combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper; whisk them until blended. Pour the egg mixture over the layered ingredients. Covered and refrigerate 3 hours to overnight.

     Before baking top with grated cheese and a slice of tomato. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 40 minutes or until top is brown and eggs are firm. .

Crab Strudel

A fun and different way to serve up some Crab!

1/4 cup onions, diced

 3 pounds lump crabmeat

 1/4 cup shallots, diced

 2 teaspoons garlic, minced

 2 cups mushrooms, sliced

 1/4 cup heavy cream

 1 pound cream cheese

 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

 6 sheets phyllo dough

 1/4 cup melted butter

 salt and pepper to taste

 1 small egg beaten

Saute shallots, mushrooms and onions in clarified butter until just tender about three minutes on medium.

Add crabmeat, spices and cheese. Cool down with heavy cream.

Spoon into 5 small individual 8 ounce casserole dishes and top with phyllo dough, press around the sides and brush lightly with beaten egg.

Brown in 350 degree oven for 7 1/2 minutes.

And thats all there is to it.

PASTA PRIMAVERA

4 tbsp. butter

1/4 c. flour

2 1/2 c. milk

4 oz. (1/2 c.) Swiss cheese, shredded

2 c. broccoli, chopped

1 med. onion, sliced in 1/2 inch rings

1/2 red sweet bell pepper, chopped

1/2 c. cherry tomatoes sliced in half

1 c. mushrooms, sliced

4 c. cooked linguini

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in heavy saucepan, add flour and stir to a roux. Cook for about 5 minutes, medium heat - do not scorch. Slowly stir in the skim milk and stir to combine well. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture begins to thicken slightly. Add the Swiss cheese, stirring well to mix. Remove from heat and set aside.

Spray a skillet with non-stick spray and heat to medium. Add all the vegetables, stir until they are slightly cooked.(Add precooked Chicken or shrimp to pan with vegetables.) Pour cheese sauce, stir, then add pasta. Stir until well blended. Remove and place in a warmed bowl and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Cream Of Avocado And Mushroom Soup

2 ripe, avocados

 16 ounces or two cups mushrooms chopped to desired size

 1 cup half and half

 1/4 cup milk

 3/4 stick. butter

 2 Tbsp flour

 1 clove garlic, minced

 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

 salt and pepper to taste

     In a sauce pan, saute mushrooms in 1/2 stick of the butter on medium until just tender. Add the rest of the butter, flour and garlic stir for 1 minute. Add1/2 cup of the half and half lower heat to low, season and cover.

     While mushrooms are simmering , remove pits and flesh from avocados and dice to a size that will easily blend smooth in a blender. Add the avocado and the rest of the half and half plus the 1/4 milk into a blender and blend till smooth. The mushrooms should be just right by this point.

     Add the contents of the blender and the basil to the sauce pan stir well and taste for seasoning. Let simmer until desired thickness and flavor has been achieved. I like a creamy thickness for serving as a soup, or let it reduce more to make a great green bean casserole. Just make the classic with the French fried onions, just omit the can of mushroom soup. Heck if you went as far as to make your on soup. Make that casserole any ole way you please.

Stuffed Spaghatti Squash

 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

    1 onion, chopped

    2 tablespoons minced garlic

    1 24-28 oz jar of favorite spaghetti sauce

    1 tablespoon dried basil

    1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

    black pepper to taste

    1 (15 ounce) can chopped black olives,strained.

    1/2 cup of favorite fresh mushroom, sliced thin

    1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

    1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). cut squash in half. you can remove seeds now or leave them in to remove later, and place it cut side down in a shallow baking dish with about a 1/4" of water.

    Bake squash 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife can be easily inserted. Remove from oven, and cool.

    Meanwhile, spray a non-stick saucepan with cooking spray. Over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic until golden brown. Stir in sauce, basil, nutmeg and black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until you have a medium thick sauce.

    Remove squash strands with a fork, reserving the shells. Layer each half with a spoonful of the sauce, a layer of spaghetti squash strands, olives, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers until shells are full, or until all of the ingredients are used. Top with Parmesan cheese.

    Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until Parmesan cheese melts.

Mushroom sauce

This is a great sauce to pour over grilled fish, steamed, grilled or lightly saluted veggies, asparagus, cauliflower, or just over mashed potatoes.

2 cups fresh mushrooms sliced

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. butter

1/3 cup milk

1 Tbsp. white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, cook and stir mushrooms and onion in butter over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, pinch of salt and pepper. Blend in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, mustard and wine. Taste for seasoning. I have just posted the basic starter. You can add our adjust spices to your liking, or add crumbled Bacon and chives for Potatoes.

Crab Strudel

1/4 cup onions, diced

3 pounds lump crabmeat

1/4 cup shallots, diced

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 pound cream cheese

 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon thyme

 1 teaspoon oregano

1/4  stick butter

6 small sheets of  phyllo dough per casserole, or large sheets sectioned to fit

1/4 cup melted clarified butter
salt and pepper to taste

1 small egg beaten

 Sauté shallots, mushrooms and onions in clarified butter until just tender about three minutes on medium.

Add crabmeat, spices and cheese. Cool down with heavy cream.

Take the phyllo sheets and spread the melted butter evenly over each sheet and stack one on the other six times. You can cut the sheets to fit the casseroles.

Spoon into 5 small individual 8 ounce casserole dishes and top with phyllo dough, press around the sides and brush lightly with beaten egg. Brown in 350 degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes.

Shrimp Victoria

If you have ever been to Brennan's in New Orleans, you know this dish. If not, you can enjoy a simple taste of The Big Easy at home.

1 lb Peeled and De-veined shrimp

 1/4 stick unsalted butter

 1/8 Cup Thinly sliced green onions

 1/8 Cup Finely Chopped fresh basil

 1/4 Cup white mushrooms Thinly Sliced

 2 oz dry white wine

 2 oz heavy cream

 1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste

 Pinch of white pepper

 Pinch of cayenne

 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

 1 Tbsp White Roux (Equal parts unsalted butter and flour, cooked together for 1-2 minutes)

 2 oz sour cream

  Melt the butter in a saute pan, add the Green Onions, Mushrooms, Basil, and Shrimp. Saute until the shrimp just start to turn pink. Add the white wine and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the Heavy Cream, Worcestershire and seasonings. Add the Roux, cook for 1-2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream, adjust the seasonings if necessary, serve immediately. Brennan's serves this over parsley rice, it goes well over pasta also.

   I sometimes replace the wine with spicy hot V8 to make this a little different