Make mushrooms the star of your meal
Even smaller groceries stores offer mushrooms in various colors, shapes, and textures these days, but button mushrooms remain one of the most popular varieties. They are found fresh all year long in most areas, and canned mushrooms are available whenever fresh ones aren’t. Fresh button mushrooms are good raw in salads and such, but they are more flavorful when cooked.
- - - - -
Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1-1/2 pounds button mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup long-grain white rice
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
6 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup whipping cream or half-and-half
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until mushrooms are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add rice, chicken broth, and beef broth to pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is very tender, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly. Puree half of soup in blender until smooth; return to pot. Stir in scallions and cream. Makes 8 servings.
- - - - -
For best results, check steaks with a meat thermometer. For medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145 degrees; for medium, 160 degrees; and for well done, 170 degrees.
Steak and Mushrooms
2 boneless beef sirloin or round steaks (about 5 ounces each)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 8-ounce package button mushrooms, sliced
Rub both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add steaks and cook until meat reaches desired doneness. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, sauté mushrooms until tender; serve with steaks. Makes 2 servings.
- - - - -
Pantry Pointers
When purchasing a package of button mushrooms, choose ones without visible moisture inside the package.
When purchasing loose button mushrooms, select mushrooms that are dry, are not bruised, and have closed caps. If the caps are open and the gills underneath exposed, they will not keep as long. Store in a paper bag in the refrigerator.
There is some disagreement as to whether or not water can be used to clean mushrooms. Common cleaning instructions involve brushing mushrooms or wiping them with a damp cloth or paper towel. But the amount of water mushrooms absorb is minimal, so you can clean them by putting them in a bowl of water and swishing them around until the dirt comes off. Rinse and pat dry before using.
The Practical Pantry ©2006 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Next entry: Use frozen shrimp to make quick, low-fat meals
Previous entry: Skip the ricotta for these lasagna recipes