Indian Spiced Mushroom Puff Pastry Braid with Plum Chutney

Recipe courtesy of Michelle from The Tiffin Box.

Prep Time: 20 mins. | Cook Time: 55 mins.

Ingredients

1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil + an extra 2 teaspoons
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 an inch fresh ginger, grated
1 generous pinch, hot chilli powder
1 tbsp garam masala (homemade is best)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 package mushrooms (crimini or white, or a combination)
3/4 tsp salt or to taste
A big handful of chopped fresh coriander
A small handful of chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 package (200g) puff pastry (I use Tenderflake)
1/4 cup pecans, toasted
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup date chutney

Method

1. Make the date chutney, recipe here. Keep aside.
2. Heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a pan, and saute the onions, till soft and golden, about 7 – 10 minutes. Add the ginger and stir for an additional 30 seconds.
3. In a smaller pan, add the 2 teaspoons of oil, and saute the chilli powder, garam masala, cinnamon and nutmeg for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring all the time. This will take away any rawness in the spices.
4. Add the fried spices to the onion-ginger mixture, and saute for about 1 minute more. Add salt.
5. Slice the mushrooms thickly, and add to the onion mixture. Cook for about 10 minutes on a medium high heat, until the mushrooms are tender. They will release their juices, so if the masala is too watery, turn up the heat and boil away any excess water. The mixture should be moist, but not watery.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning. Take off heat, and let cool completely. Stir in the fresh coriander and mint. Leave to go cold.
7. While the mushrooms are cooling, preheat the oven to 400 F.
8. Roll out the puff pastry to about 30 cm by 22 cm rectangle. Using a ruler or similar, gently mark out thirds lengthwise in the pastry. This will help you figure out where the filling goes (the two pictures below the recipe will help).
9. Gently spread the chutney in the middle third of the pastry rectangle. Top with the spiced mushrooms, then sprinkle over the toasted pecans.
10. Then cut the side wings of the pastry into 1 inch strips at an angle, like left side of a V. Again, refer to picture below to help.
11. Fold the top and bottom edges of the pastry over the filling.
12. The brush the sides of pastry with the beaten egg, and gently fold the angled strips over the filling, like a braid or a plait, brushing with more egg to seal. Once the braid is done, brush over more egg wash on top, and place in the oven.
13. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, checking every so often, until the pastry is golden.
14. Gently slide on to a serving plate, and let cool a little. Cut into slices to serve. Goes brilliantly with a simple side salad, as well as part of a larger festive dinner.
If you prefer, you can make smaller puffs instead of the braid, and serve as appetizers as well.
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Hungarian Beef and Mushroom Soup

Light enough to lead into a meal, filling enough to be the main attraction at lunch, this soup showcases the classic Hungarian trio of flavours — onions, sour cream and paprika. Mushrooms add umami, beef brings protein and a trio of dried peppers keeps things interesting.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Charmian from The Messy Baker.

Prep Time: 15 mins. | Cook Time: 30 mins.

Ingredients

3 tablespoon butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound lean ground beef
12 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 tsp dried dill
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups low-sodium or homemade beef or chicken stock
1 cup sour cream (plus more for garnish)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Garnish
sour cream
fresh ground black pepper

Method

  1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter gently over medium-low heat. Add the onions and salt, and cook for 10 minutes or until the onions are very soft.
  2. Increase the heat to medium and add the beef. Cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the mushrooms, dill, thyme, paprika(s) and cayenne, mixing to incorporate well. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes on medium-low or until the mushrooms have softened and the spices have infused their flavours.
  4. Stir in the stock, then increase heat to bring the soup to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer another 5 minutes.
  5. Swirl in the sour cream and lemon juice. Taste, adding more salt if necessary.
  6. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a grinding of fresh black pepper. Serve immediately.
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Grilled Turkey and Crimini Sandwich with Fig Jam and Feta

“I love the flavour that a pan of mushrooms gets when cooked on the grill with the thighs. You could alternatively place them in a foil packet, but they don’t crisp as nicely.”

Recipe courtesy of Kelly from The Gouda Life.

Prep Time: 10 mins. | Cook Time: 30 mins. | Makes: 4 sandwiches.

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless turkey thighs
2 tbsp yogurt
1 tbsp fig jam, *recipe follows
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced thin
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley
2 pinches salt

Fig Jam
makes 1/2 cup
6 large figs, skins peeled off if they are tough
2 tbsp brandy

1/2 tbsp lemon zest (half a large lemon)
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup sugar

Method

  1. Preheat barbecue to medium high, covered for 10 minutes. Open barbecue and place yogurt-marinated thighs down.
  2. With the lid kept open, cook, turning once or twice, until internal temperature reaches 170, 15-20 minutes. Shred slightly so it fits well into the sandwich.
  3. While thighs cook, place a cast iron skillet on the barbecue and add the mushrooms, oil and garlic. Cook, without stirring for about 7 minutes (this helps them get nice and crisp) until golden brown around the edges, 15-20 minutes.

To build the sandwiches:
8 slices whole wheat bread
the rest of the fig jam
sheep’s milk feta
fresh ground pepper
baby kale or spinach

  1. Place your slices of bread down, and top with a layer of fig jam, the grilled turkey thighs, a layer of mushrooms, crumbled feta and lots of pepper. Top with greens and place second slice of bread on top. Slice in half and enjoy!

Fig Jam

  1. Chop your skinned figs in half and place in a pot with brandy, lemon zest and juice, and sugar.
  2. Let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
  3. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 30 minutes.
  4. Break up the fruit with a fork or a potato masher. Pour into a jam jar and place in the fridge to cool. Will keep for 2 weeks.
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Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms with Turkey-Sage Filling

Recipe courtesy of Isabelle from Crumb: A Food Blog.

Prep Time: 15 mins. | Cook Time: 20 mins. | Serves: 4 as a main, 8 as an appetizer

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, finely minced
1 clove garlic
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
1 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
16 large button mushrooms
1/2 cup finely shredded asiago cheese

Method

1. In a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat, cook the shallots and garlic for 7-10 minutes or until soft and starting to colour. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, walnuts, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, sage, salt, pepper and the cooled shallots. Using your hands, knead the mixture until well combined. Divide into 16 equal portions, and roll each one into a ball.
Remove the stems from the mushrooms and discard. Arrange the caps on a platter, and season the insides with a little salt and pepper. Place a ball of the turkey mixture onto each mushroom cap, and gently pat down to fill the cap.
3. Preheat one side of a lightly-oiled grate over high heat (or, if using charcoal, pile the coals to one side).
4. As soon as the grill is hot, arrange the mushrooms on the cool side of the grill. Cover and cook over indirect heat with the cover closed for 10 minutes. Top each mushroom with a pinch of cheese, then close up again and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes, or until the stuffing registers an internal temperature of 165F and the cheese is bubbly and browned. Serve immediately.

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Grilled Strip Steak topped with Creamed Mushrooms and Crispy Shallots

In this recipe, I use 3 varieties of mushrooms, Portabella, Shiitake and King Oyster Mushrooms that absorb the flavours of the ingredients you’re cooking with, while retaining the “mushroomy” flavour we all savour.

Recipe courtesy of Lauren from Elle Cuisine.

Prep Time: 1 hr. | Cook Time: 25 mins.

Ingredients

2 tbsps fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tbsps fresh thyme, chopped
2 pcs portabella mushrooms, julienned
4 pcs shiitake mushrooms, julienned
2 pcs king oyster mushrooms, julienned
1 cup whipping cream
½ cup white wine
4 pcs shallots, julienned
2 tbsps flour, all purpose
2 tbsps butter
2-3 tbsps canola or vegetable oil
2 pcs DJ Steaks NY Angus Strip Steak

Method

Steak:
1. Rub 1 tbsp of rosemary, 1 tbsp of thyme, and 1 tbsp of oil into steaks. Let sit at room temperature for 45-60 min to allow flavours to develop.
2. Preheat your grill until it is smoking hot. Crust steaks with freshly cracked pepper and kosher salt. Grill steaks on high heat for 4 minutes per side (or until perfectly medium rare). Let rest for 3-5 minutes before serving.
Creamed Mushrooms:
1. Preheat a stainless steel pan until very hot. Add 1 tbsp of canola oil, 1 tbsp of butter. Immediately add mushrooms to the pan. Do not stir. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, and the remaining rosemary and thyme. Let the mushrooms fry in the butter until they are golden brown.
2. Deglaze the pan with white wine & cream. Reduce until thickened to a sauce. Adjust seasoning to
taste.
Crispy Shallots:
1. Fill a pot halfway with canola or vegetable oil. Preheat the oil until it is 300-325 degrees F.
2. Thinly julienne shallots. Immediately add flour and toss until the shallots are evenly coated. Deep fry in the oil until golden brown and crispy.
Assembly:
1. Top steak with creamed wild mushrooms & crispy shallots (try to achieve as much height as possible). Serve with tarragon mashed potatoes & grilled asparagus for the perfect steak dinner.
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