Pan-Seared Filet Mignon with Mushroom Wine Sauce

I am not a big beef-eater. I mean, I like it just fine when I have it, but I don't feel the need to gorge on red meat every day. I think that stems from the fact that my dad is a Meat-and-Potatoes guy who didn't think that it was a real meal unless there was some sort of 4-legged animal on the plate. Growing up, beef was on the menu at least 3 out of the 7 days, and of course, in order to swing that, we had a lot of the cheaper cuts: ground beef, cube steak and pot roast for example.

I remember the first time I ever had filet mignon I was stunned at how tender it was with no sign of gristle running through it interrupting every bite, which was my recollection of cube steak. Last night I wanted to treat myself to something special, and I was craving beef, so I opted for a little home-cooked filet. I started by pan-searing the meat on both sides to develop a crust, and then roasting it in a preheated pan really hot oven. Topped off with a mushroom-wine sauce, and you've got everything you need: the tender meat which literally almost melts in your mouth, and the rich flavor of the sauce.

Pan-Seared Filet Mignon with Mushroom Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

• beef tenderloin cut into two 1-1/2 in. - 2 in. thick filet mignons
• butter
• salt
• pepper

For the sauce:

• 3 T butter
• 2 T chopped shallot
• 1/4 cup cremini mushrooms, finely diced
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (I used a Bordeaux)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1/2 t sugar
• 2 T fresh thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450 F.
• Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray and place in the oven to preheat for 30 minutes.
• Season the filets with salt and pepper on both sides and let come to room temperature
• Place a heavy skillet over high heat and melt 1 T butter. Sear the filets for 3 minutes on each side, flipping with tongs, NOT a fork. You don't want to pierce the meat.
• Once the meat has browned on both sides, remove from the skillet and place in the preheated roasting pan and roast for 4 to 6 minutes for rare, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare, or 8 to 10 minutes for medium. If the filets are thicker cut, opt for the longer cooking times of the ranges given.
• Take the meat out and let rest on a plate, tented with foil.
• While the meat is roasting, melt 3 T butter over medium-high heat in the same pan you seared the meat in. Add the chopped shallots and mushroom and stir up all the browned bits (fond) from searing the meat.
• Cook for 2 minutes and then add the wine, bring to a boil and really scrape up all of the fond. Once most of the wine has cooked down, add the beef broth, thyme, sugar and tomato paste and let reduce. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.
• Additionally, you can stir in 2 T cold butter to the sauce, but this is good as-is.
• Slice the meat across the grain and serve with the sauce.

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Mushroom Barley Soup

Who doesn't love soup?

"We both have so much in common. We both love soup."


Well, there you go. lol

Soup really cures what ails you. When you have a cold, what could be better, more satisfying and nourishing than a bowl of mom's special chicken noodle soup? Or, on a chilly day, nothing warms the stomach and the soul quite as well as a nice filling bowl of hot soup. Cold soups like gazpacho or a fruity melon-cucumber soup help relieve the heat of summer, while delicate bisques, with their subtle complexity of flavors, form the perfect complement to an elegant dinner, and hearty bean soups provide all the warmth and solidity of a full meal in a single bowlful.

No soup is foreign to me. Hell, I'll even drink a cup of a well-made broth as a small warming snack. I love the onset of cool weather so I can try out new soup recipes and return to old friends. One of my favorites is this mushroom-barley soup, which is endlessly adaptable, accommodating different types of mushrooms, broth and even the addition of meat.

Mushroom- Barley Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 - 5 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 small celery root, finely diced (or 1 stalk of celery)
  
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup pearl barley (pearl or quick-cooking)
  
• 1/2 oz dried wild mushrooms, reconstituted and chopped (comes to 4 oz)
• 1 t salt
• 1 T fresh thyme
• black pepper
• butter
  

Directions:

1. Saute onions, carrot, celery root in butter until nicely softened.
   


2. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes.
   


3. Add the reconstituted wild mushrooms until they start releasing liquid, and then gradually add the rest of the mushrooms.
   


4. Add the barley and stir to coat. Add the salt and some black pepper, then 2 cups of the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover, letting it simmer.
   


5. Check on it frequently, gradually adding more broth until the barley has cooked and the consistency is to your taste. If you use quick-cooking barley, the soup only needs to simmer for about 20 minutes. If you use pearl barley, it will take quite a bit longer, closer to 45 minutes.
   


6. Stir in the thyme near the end. Taste, taste and taste again, adjusting the salt and pepper to suit your taste.
   


7. If you like, you may add some cream, a dollop of sour cream, or sherry just before serving, though I like it as is.
   

Notes:

• I used celery root because I was out of celery, too lazy to go to the store and, oddly enough, had a celery root handy. I had been saving it for a creamy leek and celery root soup, but alas, I have no leeks either. Maybe next time. :p
  


• In addition to the 4 oz (half a standard package) of baby bellas (cremini), I used a mixture of dried porcini and morels. It's a lovely mix of mushrooms.
  


• This makes a small batch of soup, about 4 servings. It doubles very well for larger batches, but if you are planning on making a large batch to refrigerate or freeze for later, bear in mind that the longer it sits, the more liquid gets absorbed by the barley, changing the texture.
  

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Scrambled Tofu with Mushroom, Onion and Bell Pepper

Poor tofu gets such a bad rap from its bland flavor, sometimes spongy texture and its soy origin. I say that its blandness only means that it won't compete with other strong flavors in a dish. It literally soaks up marinades, so with a wonderful mixture of spices and seasonings, you can have a dish that is every bit as flavorful as any meat-based dish.

Be sure to choose the right kind of tofu for your task: Japanese-style Silken tofu is an excellent choice in blended smoothies and desserts, while Chinese-style extra firm varieties make the best stir-fries and baked dishes. You can further affect the texture by pressing out the excess water and even freezing it.

As for the stigma of its soy roots, I have yet to see good evidence that it causes cancer or makes you gay.

This recipe gives you a double-shot of umami goodness with the wild mushrooms and nutritional yeast.

Scrambled Tofu with Mushroom, Onion and Bell Pepper

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• ¼ block of extra firm tofu (I like nasoya organic tofu best)
• ½ onion, chopped
• ½ orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (½ oz) packet dried mushrooms, rehydrated to make 2 oz. mushrooms
  
• ¾ t onion powder
• ¾ t garlic powder
• ½ t turmeric
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put the olive oil in a pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the rehydrated mushrooms and cook until nicely browned and they release no more moisture. Set aside.
   


2. In another skillet, pour in about 2 T olive oil.
   


3. Drain the tofu and blot it with a paper towel. You can even squeeze it a bit to release more moisture.
   


4. Crumble the tofu into the pan and saute until it's nicely golden-brown.


5. Push the tofu to the sides of the pan and add the chopped onion and saute until translucent.


6. Add the orange bell pepper and stir the mixture together.


7. Stir in the onion powder, garlic powder and turmeric and mix well.


8. Dump in the cooked mushrooms and mix well.
   


9. Fold in the nutritional yeast, making sure that everything is well coated. Let it cook for about a minute more, then plate.


10. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

See the steam rising? Hot and tasty.

Notes:

• This dish works well with almost any combination of vegetables. I often use chopped tomato in it, added just before the nutritional yeast goes in. Sometimes I cook up a separate skillet of diced potato and fold that in once the other vegetables are done, before seasoning with the spices.
  


• I prefer to cook the mushrooms in a separate skillet because, even over high heat, they give off moisture. Dried, reconstituted mushrooms give off less moisture than fresh, but still I don't like adding any extra water to tofu when it's browning.
  

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Mushroom Onion Quiche with Bacon

Quiche is one of my favorite lighter meals, though it seems absurd to call something made with heavy cream, eggs, and cheese then folded into a rich, buttery pastry crust "light." A little of this dish goes a long way, however, especially when accompanied by a large green salad.

This quiche can be served warm or cold.

Mushroom Onion Quiche with Bacon

Ingredients:

• 1 pastry crust for 9-in pie*
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, minced
  
• 1 pound assorted mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (½ oz.) packet of dried porcini mushrooms - reconstitutes to 2 oz.
• sherry
  
• 4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 3 large eggs
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 ounces cheese, grated (1 ½ cups) - traditionally, this dish would call for Gruyère, but a nice sharp cheddar also works nicely in this dish
  

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, pour boiling water over the dried mushrooms to reconstitute them. Let them sit for 30 minutes, then strain and chop them coarsely. Set aside.
   


2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle, or, press the pastry dough into a tart pan or 9-inch pie plate, pressing the dough into corners.
   


3. Transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes if the crust seems to be oily or greasy. We want the fat in the crust to be cold when it goes into the oven.
   
   If you do put the pastry in the fridge to chill, be sure to take it out and let it sit on the counter so the dish can come to room temperature. Putting a cold dish into a hot oven spells disaster.
   


4. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line the pastry with a circle of parchment paper or aluminum foil, pressing into the corners and edges.
   


5. Fill at least two-thirds with baking weights - dried beans, rice, or ceramic pie weights. Bake first for 10 minutes, remove from oven and let cool a few minutes.
   


6. Carefully remove parchment paper and weights. Poke the bottom of the pie pan with the tines of a fork and return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until lightly golden. (Fork holes are for any air to escape.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool while making filling.


7. Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and shallot and cook, stirring, until translucent but not brown, about 1 minute.
   


8. Add the chopped, fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms first release their liquid.
   


9. Add the rehydrated porcini mushrooms and continue to cook over medium high heat until all the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are dark golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
   


10. Add a dash of sherry and cook until that evaporates as well.
    


11. Place tart pan on a baking sheet to catch any run-off there might be. Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the bottom of the crust. Spread the mushroom and onion mixture over the cheese, crumble some bacon on top of that, top with remaining cheese and bacon.
    


12. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, cream, and eggs. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour over cheese.
    


13. Transfer to oven, and bake until just set in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before slicing.

* Pastry Crust for 1 9-inch pie

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (½ cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
   


2. While the blade is running, add only enough of the ice water until the dough begins to form a ball. You can test this by grabbing a small handful (when the food processor is turned OFF and unplugged) and squeezing it: If it doesn't hold together, then add more ice water, ½ tablespoon at a time, pulsing until it is just incorporated, then test again.
   
   Be sure not to overwork the dough, or pastry will be tough. We don't want to build up the gluten in this dough, we just want the fat evenly distributed and the dough to hold together when we roll it out.
   


3. Once the dough holds together well, take it out of the bowl of the food processor and shape it into a compact ball. Then, flatten it into a round disc. Wrap the disc of pastry in plastic wrap and put that into a plastic bag and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
   


4. When you are ready to roll out the dough, take it out of the refrigerator and, on a well-floured surface, roll it with a floured rolling pin until it is approximately 1/8 inch and 12 inches in diameter.
   


5. Transfer it to your pie plate or tart pan.
   

Notes:

• This pastry crust recipe is a basic, all-purpose crust which can be used interchangeably between dessert pies like apple or pumpkin and quiches.
  


• Here is an easy way to transfer a pastry crust to the plate without it ripping:
  
  
  
  • Starting with one outside edge, roll the crust onto the rolling pin until it is all curled around it.
    
  
  
  • Unroll it into your tart pan or pie plate.
    
  
  
  • Trim off the edges and you're ready to blind-bake the pastry
  
  
  
  

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Crab-stuffed Mushrooms

These make a nice appetizer if you use the smaller cremini/baby bella mushrooms, but I like to make these with large portobello caps and have them for dinner with a green salad.

Crab-stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 8-oz container crabmeat
• 1 package of shallot and chive flavor Boursin® cheese
• 2 T mayo (or more to achieve the desired consistency)
  
• ½ onion, finely diced
• Old Bay® seasoning
• ½ cup of soft bread crumbs or cracker crumbs (Ritz or saltines work well)
• 6 large portobello mushroom caps or 20 smaller cremini/baby bellas
  
• Panko crumbs
• freshly grated parmesan or romano
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. In a large bowl, mix together the crab meat, Boursin® cheese and mayo. Mix well.


3. Fold in the diced onion and cracker or bread crumbs, stirring until everything is incorporated well.


4. Clean the mushroom caps by removing the stems and gills and brushing off any accumulated dirt.


5. Place the caps on a baking sheet.


6. Put a healthy dollop of the crab mixture in the cavity of each mushroom cap and sprinkle generously with Old Bay®. Top with grated cheese and panko crumbs.
   


7. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the tops are nicely browned and the filling is slightly bubbly on the sides. The larger portobello caps take longer.
   


8. Serve hot.

Note:

• If watching carbs is a concern for you, omit the bread crumbs or cracker crumbs to the crab meat mixture in the bowl and top the mushrooms with just the freshly grated parmesan and no panko bread crumbs.
  

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Wild Mushroom Risotto with Pancetta, Thyme and Cream

I know that some people consider it a blasphemy to add cream to an already creamy risotto, but I like to live decadently. Besides, I don't eat this every day.

This serves 4 people as a side dish or elegant appetizer; 2 people as a main dish or 1 person gluttonously.

Don't even ask me how I know that.

Wild Mushroom Risotto with Pancetta, Thyme and Cream

Ingredients:

½ oz pancetta, diced (about three slices)
Olive oil
3 cremini mushrooms, sliced
An assortment of dried mushrooms, reconstituted and chopped
5 cups chicken stock
butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup of white wine
1 tablespoon heavy cream
¼ cup shredded pecorino romano
Fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Saute the pancetta in a little bit of olive oil, rendering off the fat.
Remove the pancetta and sauté the fresh cremini in the rendered fat until they’re nicely golden.
Add the pancetta back to the pan and toss together for a few seconds, then take out of the pan and drain the excess oil/fat.
Saute the shallots in butter over medium-high heat until translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the chopped wild mushrooms, let cook for a minute or so and then add the rice and stir to coat well.
Pour in the wine and stir. Once it has absorbed into the rice, start adding the stock, one ladleful at a time. Stir constantly.
Once the rice is cooked (no longer chalky-white in the center, but still firm (but not crunchy) to taste, add the cream, pecorino and thyme.
Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Then toss in the pancetta and cremini mushrooms.

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