Caramelized Mushrooms and Onions

What You Need:

• 1/2 lb mushrooms brushed and sliced - discard the stems
• 1/2 onion cut is strips
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

You can use cremini or white button mushrooms. Cremini mushrooms are also called baby bellas or baby portabellas. Creminis have a slightly fuller flavor.

What To Do:

Heat the pan over medium heat then add oil and butter and let it melt.
Cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes.

Add the onions and cook for 5 more minutes.
Lower the heat and let the mushrooms and onion brown (or caramelize).
The mushrooms reduce in size as the water in them is released and evaporates. Once the water evaporates the mushrooms and onions begin to brown.

When the mushrooms and onion are nicely browned add the wine and let it evaporate.
Add fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Caramelized mushrooms and onions are great to top broiled steaks.



FYI:

• If you prefer you can wash the mushroom but do it gently not to break or bruise them.
• It is better to caramelize mushrooms or any vegetable in a stainless steel pan or using enameled cast-iron cookware (Le Creuset being my favorite).

Cauliflower Cream Soup

This soup has a rich flavor and it is a great comfort food. It goes great with Parmesan crisps. See recipe of crisps below.

What You Need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large cauliflower head (about 6 cups chopped cauliflower)
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock (or 3 1/2 cups water and 2 cubes chicken bouillon)
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese finely shredded + Parmesan to sprinkle over the soup.
• Salt and black pepper from the mill, to taste.

What To Do:

Gather your ingredients.   

Heat the oil and the butter on medium heat.

Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened but not browned.

Add the cauliflower and the chicken stock. Instead of chicken stock you can use 3 1/2 cups water and 2 cubes chicken bouillon

Turn the heat to high and bring it to a boil.

Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile make the Parmesan crisps if you want to serve them with the soup.

Now you have 2 options:

Use a potato masher and mash everything.

OR Blend 3 cups of the soup. Use a potato masher to mash what is in the pan. Add the pureed soup to the pan.
Well you can blend the whole soup if you want, so there is a third option.

Add the heavy cream and cheese and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

 





Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan or top with the brown bits of Parmesan crisps.

Optional: Instead of Parmesan you can use Pecorino Romano cheese.

When you serve the soup sprinkle with Pecorino Romano cheese shavings.

Trivia:

Pecorino Romano cheese is an Italian hard and salty cheese made from sheep milk. It is mostly used for grating. In the US you might find in the market a cheese called Romano cheese which is not the Pecorino Romano. It is milder and it has cow’s milk. The Romano has a much more dramatic and pleasantly sharp taste. There are also the Pecorino Toscani and Pecorino Sardo both milder than the Romano, but also very good.

The Pecorino Romano is often used in Italian pasta dishes that have highly flavored sauces like spaghetti alla carbonara and bucattini all’amatriciana.

Parmesan Crisps

Place one cup shredded Parmesan cheese over foil on a cooking sheet.

Distribute the cheese evenly in a thin layer.

Place in 325 F preheated oven for about 8 minutes.

Keep watching and when it is browned remove and let it cool for 5 minutes. 

Cut the cheese in pieces.

You will end up with lots of cheese bits. 

Use them to sprinkle over your soup and place the crisps on the side.

Bon Appétit!

Buttered Potatoes

Whenever you use real butter in a recipe it will taste good. This is particularly true for buttered potatoes but I will probably say the same thing in future recipes.
The fact is that these potatoes are delicious and luscious!
And very easy to make.

Easiest Bolognese Sauce Ever

This sauce is very simple to make. A good choice for when you have no time for preparation. It will take a while to cook but it is basically waiting time as you don't really need to do anything.
It's great over pasta and also for open sandwiches.

Green Beans à la Mimi

Mimi, one of my sisters-in-law, is a fabulous cook. Everything she makes tastes wonderful from simple green beans to fabulous Xmas dinners fit for a king. It's a joy to be with her in the kitchen. She makes cooking look so simple.  Better yet she makes you believe you can do it.

Mimi is also one of the funniest people I know. She makes eating a difficult task as it's really hard to laugh and swallow at the same time.

She taught me this way of making green beans that is very simple, healthy and delicious. She told me to buy green beans at Trader Joe's as they come pre-washed, with the tips cut off, and ready to cook. It makes life easier for sure.

Thanks Mimi!

What You Need:

• green beans
• salt freshly grated from the mill
• olive oil

What To Do:

Gather your ingredients.

Put a pot with water to boil. When the water comes to a rolling boil.

Put the green beans in it, turn off the heat and put the lid on the pan.

Let it sit for 10 minutes.

Drain.

Place them in a serving dish and add salt.

Drizzle olive oil.

And it is done!

Beets and Yogurt Salad

This salad is very easy to make and it tastes and looks amazing.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound beets
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 4 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Extra-virgin oil 
• Balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper from the mill
• 2 tablespoons of salt to cook the beets

What To Do:

Gather your ingredients.

Put water to boil over high heat in a large saucepan.

Meanwhile scrub the beets under running water.


 

When the water boils add the beets and the salt. This causes the water to stop bubbling.
When the water returns to a boil reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 45min to 1 hour.

The beets are cooked when you can easily pierce them with a knife.
Drain and let them cool.
When they are cool enough to handle peel...

...and cut them in cubes.

Let the beets cool in the freezer for 10 minutes in a wide container.

Meanwhile set a pleasant table.

Once the beets are cold spoon the yogurt over the plates.

Place the beets on top.

Drizzle Balsamic vinegar.








Season with salt and pepper.
Top with parsley.
Drizzle olive oil

and Voilá! your salad is ready!
Bon Appetit!

Caipirinha

Ingredients:

• 1 lime washed and dried
• 3 or 4 teaspoons granulated sugar (I like it with 4 teaspoons)
• 2 oz of 'cachaça'
• crushed ice

FYI: 2 oz is the same as 4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup in case you were wondering

What To Do:

Gather your ingredients.

Cut the lemon in 8 parts. (cut in half, then each half in four parts).

Place the lemon pieces in a cup with wide bottom.

Put the sugar on top.

Press everything with a wooden muddler.

Add cachaça.

Add crushed ice.

Place a saucer over the cup.

Shake it well.

FYI
Some people like caipirinha made with vodka instead of cachaça and in Brazil we call it 'caipiroska'.
You can drink it with a straw.