Chanterelle Mushrooms with Cream

It's chanterelle mushroom season here on Vancouver Island. Cars and trucks parked alongside the highway in uninhabited locations usually mean that someone has entered the forest to find their secret location for mushrooms. These secrets are closely guarded. Mushroom picking can be a lucrative business.

I came by these chanterelles in a serendipitous encounter at the grocery store. You can read that story here. They were delicious, a bit of apricot flavor with a hint of pepper and meaty mushroomness. 

This is hardly a recipe - just a suggestion, but here goes.

Chanterelle mushrooms - I used the amount pictured above. Cleaning them took some time. I wiped them with a damp paper towel and picked all the pine needles and forest debris from them. Don't soak them in water unless very dirty, and then only briefly and just before cooking.

Heat 2 Tablespoons butter and 1 T olive oil in a frying pan until melted and hot, but not brown. Add the sliced mushrooms. Stir briefly, then let them cook over high heat. They will release a lot of liquid. Keep cooking them until the liquid is mostly evaporated. They will have shrunk considerably.

When the liquid is gone, pour in about 1/4 cup cream, and 2 cloves of garlic, minced. Stir and boil for 1-2 minutes until the cream thickens slightly. Just before serving, add a handful of chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Mmmmn. I served them over salmon fillet and they were delicious!

Double-Baked Zucchini Soufflés

I'm feeling a little under the weather today - achy, a bit of a sore throat, and a stuffy nose. Not bad enough to make me want to lie around all day, just a bit frail and wanting to be pampered. Souffles are good comfort food, with their light fluffy interiors and cheesy goodness, just perfect for making me feel better mentally, if not physically. 


This recipe is based on one from Laura Calder's French Food at Home. I think Laura Calder is my favourite cooking show host. She sashays around the kitchen in her pretty dresses and makes everything she cooks look simultaneously simple and marvelous. 


A double-baked soufflé is a way to salvage a soufflé that may have fallen. But even if it rises perfectly high and golden the way these did today, a little extra cream and cheese makes them even more wonderful. 


Double-baked Zucchini Soufflés


1 cup milk
1 bay leaf
3 Tablespoons butter
5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs, separated
1 cup pureed cooked zucchini (you could use leftovers, but I simmered one in a little water with two cloves of garlic, peeled, then drained the water off and mashed the zucchini - it wasn't perfectly smooth)
1 cup grated Havarti cheese
salt and pepper


1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 6 - 3/4 cup ramekins and dust with flour. Bring the milk to a simmer with the bay leaf. Let sit to infuse for 10 minutes or so.


Melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook, while whisking for 1 minute. Remove the bay leaf from the milk and add the milk to the mixture, whisking until smooth over medium heat until it's thick. It won't take long because of the heated milk. 


Whisk the egg yolks together and add a bit of the flour-milk mixture to it, then pour the two mixtures together and whisk until smooth. Add the zucchini and cheese and stir together. Season with salt and pepper. You'll want it quite highly seasoned.


Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold them into the vegetable mixture. Fill the ramekins. Set in a baking dish and carefully pour around boiling water to come 2/3 up the sides. Bake until puffed up and golden brown on top. The center will still be slightly soft. It should take about 15 - 20 minutes. 


Remove the soufflés from the water. Let cool for a few minutes. They will fall slightly. Gently remove them from the ramekins and place, golden side up, in a baking dish. Pour the cream gently around the soufflés, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.


This can be done ahead and when ready to serve, place in a hot oven (400 F) until the cream is bubbly and the soufflés are hot. 

Rosemary Roasted Butternut Squash

Of all the wonderful squashes in season just now, I think that butternut is my favourite. I only discovered it a few years ago. Why do I prefer it over other types of squash? Let me count the ways....

* the ratio of squash to seeds is very high

* the skin peels easily

*it has a firmer flesh than acorn squash 

Butternut squash, like other squashes, makes wonderful soup, is great on salads, plain roasted, can take a hit of sweetness but is equally delicious paired with a savory flavoring. Today's was fresh rosemary.

So simple: Trim the ends off a butternut squash so it sits flat on the cutting board. Slice the peel off with a sharp knife from top to bottom (cutting the squash in half helps when maneuvering the knife over the bumps and curves.)

Remove the seeds (using a melon baller works well.) Cut the squash into 3/4 inch cubes. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and a Tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary.

Roast at 420 degrees for about 45 minutes or until tender and beginning to caramelize around the edges. Stir once or twice during cooking.

Enjoy!

Apple Cake

During the summer months I avoid buying apples in favor of all the wonderful soft fruits available. But come fall, it's apple season! This cake is best eaten warm. I like it alone, the apple taste unadulterated. Others like a bit of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream with it. A puddle of crème anglaise wouldn't come amiss either.

One of the best things about this apple cake is how easily it comes together. The apples are not peeled, just thinly sliced. And there are a lot of them in the recipe so the apple-ness is pronounced. Mmm, perfect for autumn.

Apple Cake

4 cups diced unpeeled apples (I cut them into 8ths, then thinly slice them)
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup nuts (walnuts are great, but any nut will do. Or none, as is the case in my household)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda (called for in the original recipe, but I cut it to 1 teaspoon to avoid that metallic taste that can sometimes occur)

Stir together the apples, sugar, oil and nuts. Lightly beat the eggs and combine with the vanilla. Add to the apple mixture. Stir together the dry ingredients, then add them to the apple mixture and stir to combine. There will be a lot of apples and little batter.
Scrape into a 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, then lower the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Twice-baked Sweet Potatoes, Brown Rice Pilaf

I've had some fun cooking challenges lately. For Myrna, a blogging friend whom I invited to dinner last week I planned a gluten, corn, soy and dairy free meal. It was easier than I thought. Potato splats, chicken with olives, capers and oranges, salad and a vegetable that I can't remember just now. For dessert, a coconut milk crème caramel. 

On Monday, friends from Victoria came for dinner. One of them is on a 21-day cleanse, which consisted basically of gluten-free vegan. She didn't make a big deal of it, and would have eaten whatever I'd cooked, but since I knew she was doing this, I decided to see how I could accommodate her. The result is in the above photo: Twice-baked Sweet Potatoes with a hint of heat from chipotle pepper and fresh ginger, a Brown Rice Pilaf, and Green Beans with Fresh Tomatoes cooked down with a little garlic and balsamic vinegar. 


I was very pleased with the blend of flavours and the satisfying quality of the meal. I would probably miss cheese more than meat, but trying out a new way of cooking was enjoyable. 


Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes


4 medium to large sweet potatoes, scrubbed
1 onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
salt to taste


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. With the tip of a knife, poke a few holes into each sweet potato. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender, 45-70 minutes. Let cool until they can be handled.


While the potatoes are cooling, heat the 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a pan. Over low to medium heat sauté the onion until very tender, but not brown. Stir in the fresh ginger and chipotle powder.


Cut a thin slice from the top of each sweet potato. Gently scoop out the insides, leaving a thin shell against the skin. Lightly mash the sweet potato centers and stir in the onion mixture. Add 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil, salt and the fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt or lemon juice as wanted. The chipotle pepper powder tends to increase heat with time, so be judicious in adding more. 


Spoon the seasoned sweet potato mixture back into the shells. These can be prepared ahead to this point, then refrigerated. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the potatoes until hot through, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds to serve, if desired.


Brown Rice Pilaf


1 1/2 cup brown rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 cups of vegetable broth (or chicken broth for non-vegans)
2 scallions, sliced (use both the green and white parts)


Heat the oil in a saucepan. Sauté the minced garlic for about 30 seconds, then add the rice. Stir until all the grains are coated with oil. Add the salt, lemon juice and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the rice is tender. Just before serving, stir in the sliced scallions. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Almond Crusted Chicken

This last week of September has been wonderfully sunny and warm. I'm not quite ready to prepare the heartier meals of fall, but summer fare seems tired and passé. Today's dinner was a blend of autumn and summer - lots of salad greens topped with roasted butternut squash and a tangy, winey, maple-flavoured cranberry onion dressing. To go with it, a simple chicken breast, coated with almonds and fresh herbs. 


It all came together remarkably well. I've begun cooking with pen and paper, usually a scrap of an envelope so that I can record what I do in the kitchen. I tend to cook, as I've said before, by grace, not law. 


Roasted Butternut Squash Salad


1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt


8 cups of mixed salad greens


Dressing (recipe follows)


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and toss all together with your hands. Bake, stirring once for about 30 minutes or until the squash cubes are tender and lightly caramelized. Let cool slightly.


To assemble the salad, place two cups of mixed green on each of 4 plates. Top with some of the butternut squash cubes, then drizzle a generous spoonful or two of the dressing over top. Serve immediately.


Dressing


1 small onion, finely minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1-2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Heat the olive oil in an open skillet. Add the onion and sauté until tender and slightly golden. Add the red wine and and chicken broth. Stir. Bring to a boil and allow to boil steadily at medium heat until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 its original volume. Add the rosemary, cranberries, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Season to taste. Let cool slightly.




Almond Crusted Chicken


4 chicken breasts, slightly pounded to flatten
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 cloves garlic
several stems of fresh parsley
several stems of fresh rosemary, leaves removed and stems discarded
salt to taste
2 Tablespoons olive oil


Note:  2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour can be added to the coating mixture for more thorough covering. Cornstarch or almond flour could also be substituted. 


On a large cutting board, place the almonds, garlic, parsley and rosemary. Finely mince all together. Place in a pie dish or plate. Coat the chicken breasts with the mixture.


Heat the olive oil at medium heat until it begins to shimmer slightly. Gently lay the chicken breasts in the hot oil and cook until done, turning once. This will take 2-4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts.


Slice each chicken breast and place on plate alongside of salad. 

Green Bean and Roasted Tomato Salad

Roasted tomatoes are one of the things I like to put in the freezer for soups and adding richness to winter fare. This morning, early, before the temperatures rose, I roasted a pan of tomatoes. I packaged most for the freezer, but saved back 10 juicy halves for this salad. The green beans are from my pitiful garden and the proportion of beans to tomatoes could certainly be altered.

Green Bean and Roasted Tomato Salad

10 roasted tomato halves (recipe here)
1 generous handful of green beans, topped and tailed, lightly cooked in boiling salted water for about 3 minutes, then drained
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 shallot, minced (or use the white end of green onions)
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste, and maybe some fresh basil or oregano

Mix all ingredients gently, taking care not to break up the tomatoes too much. The tomatoes themselves have oil on them so no more oil is needed in the dressing.