My Chicken Marsala

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My husband doesn’t ask for much. We have a terrific give-and-take kind of relationship, and I love that when I’ve had a hectic day, or don’t feel in the mood to prep a meal, he happily steps up to the plate, either by grabbing some takeout on his way home, dragging me out to a restaurant, or sometimes taking a turn at the stove himself. And he’s a really good cook, too—one of many things that kept me around in our earliest days together. I couldn’t be with someone who doesn’t enjoy the simple pleasures of food.

So when Les asked me recently to put chicken Marsala back into the meal rotation, I took it to heart. The “rotation” is a running joke at our house—it takes a while for most dishes to cycle back around. I attribute this in part to my having worked 15 years as a deejay at a Top 40 radio station, where every single day was a rearrangement of the same songs I played the day before. We referred to our playlist as a “rotation,” and that’s exactly what it was—‘round and ‘round, over and over. If you think it gets old to hear the same songs every day, well, imagine having to play them! I crave variety, and most of the time, my cooking style is more like a big stack of one-hit wonders than a greatest hits album. Some dishes never get another play in my kitchen, and when they do, they often appear with changes or twists, almost like a “cover” of the original.

I couldn’t distinctly remember the last time I had made chicken Marsala for Les, so I was happy to revisit this dish. It deserves a spot in the Sunday Supper category, not because it requires extra time or a ton of effort (it doesn’t), but because there is a specialness about it that comes from the gentle mushroom gravy that envelops the tender, pan-fried chicken cutlets.

I’m happy to play my hubby’s request!

I went off-script a bit with this Italian classic, beginning with the flour coating. Rather than using plain all-purpose flour to dredge the cutlets, I mixed it half and half with semolina flour—the same kind I use when I shape my pizza dough. My reason for this is that all-purpose flour on its own tends to get soaked by the natural moisture in fresh meat, and that can give it a somewhat gummy texture after frying. Semolina remains drier and creates more of a natural barrier to the hot oil in the pan. I was pleased with the result of this substitution and will likely use all semolina next time this golden oldie comes up in “the rotation.”

Purchase thin cutlets or pound between sheets of parchment to 1/4 inch thickness.
I seasoned my 50/50 flour mixture with salt, pepper and onion powder.
The semolina felt drier than regular flour alone, and created a better barrier to the moisture.
Rest the dredged cutlets on a plate while you heat the oil.

Which kind of Marsala is correct for this dish? Depends on who you ask, as some cooks like the sweet version. Marsala is a fortified Italian wine with warm, gentle flavors of dried fruit and it is frequently paired with chicken and veal. Even the dry version has subtle sweetness, almost like a touch of honey. “Sweet” is not my favorite genre in an entrée course, unless it is balanced with hot, salty or sour—say, Asian food or barbecue sauce. So I found a lovely, dry Marsala in a wine shop rather than the grocery store (which only carries the cheapest bottles). This was an excellent choice and it’s a good quality Marsala that I plan to use again soon—maybe as a sipper with a plate of cured meats, dried figs and salted almonds. Am I teasing an upcoming record in my next quarter hour? 😉

I’m looking forward to enjoying this again!

My other twists on the classic preparation were shortcuts—If time had not been an issue, I would have slow-simmered some chicken parts to make my own rich stock, but I was a bit rushed, so I used a store-bought stock. I definitely recommend stock over broth, because the result is richer and more flavorful. My other shortcut helped me save time on slicing all those plump mushrooms. I needed a whole carton of mushrooms sliced into perfect, ¼-inch slices, so I dug out my trusty egg slicer. It’s the simplest way to make quick work of this part of my recipe.

I’m not partial to this brand, but stock is definitely the way to go.
My sturdy, metal egg slicer is also great for strawberries!
I had my entire carton sliced in under a minute!

Ready to get cooking?

Pan fry the floured cutlets in a little olive oil, just until golden on both sides, then transfer them to a plate. Brown the mushrooms in a touch more oil, then add garlic and splash in the Marsala—watch out for the steam! Whisk the pan to release the stuck-on bits, then add stock and let it come back up to a gentle boil.

Return the chicken cutlets to the skillet, turning to coat them lightly in the Marsala sauce. Cover the pan and turn it down to low heat to simmer. I used this 25-minute simmering time to prep my side veggies—a quick, pan-fried and then steamed broccolini with garlic and red pepper flakes. This vegetable can be hard to find (or easy to miss) in the supermarket, but it’s worth a look as a great alternative for people who don’t enjoy the bitterness of broccoli. Count my hubby among them!

When you’re ready to serve, plate the chicken cutlets and veggies and then, off the heat, quickly whisk in cold butter—one teaspoon pat at a time—into the mushroom sauce. This method creates a silky, emulsified sauce. Spoon the mushroom sauce over the cutlets, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and this dinner is a certified hit!

You can see the sauce getting richer with each teaspoon of butter. A sprinkle of parsley is a nice finishing touch.

My Chicken Marsala

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: Average
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I have taken a few liberties with this Italian classic, which is both elegant and easy. If you are feeling extra fancy, swap the chicken for veal cutlets.


Ingredients

  • 2 large boneless chicken breasts, split into cutlets and pounded thin
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup semolina flour
  • Salt and pepper (to season the flour mixture)
  • 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (most for chicken, remaining for mushrooms)
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 10 oz. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup dry Marsala (preferably not “cooking wine”)
  • 1/2 cup rich chicken stock
  • 1 Tbsp. cold salted butter, cut into three pats (keep cold until the end)
  • Chopped Italian parsley, to garnish

Directions

  1. Combine flours, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge cutlets in the dry mixture and set aside on a plate.
  2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet (if you have one that is not non-stick, that’s best) over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, arrange the cutlets in the pan and cook just until golden on each side, about three minutes each side. Transfer cutlets to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
  3. Add remaining oil to the skillet and saute the shallots until softened. Add the mushrooms, half at first then the rest. Avoid overloading the skillet as this will cause the mushrooms to steam in their own moisture. When the mushrooms are sufficiently browned and excess moisture has cooked off the pan, stir in the garlic.
  4. Add the Marsala wine all at once. This will probably create a big cloud of steam! Use a whisk or utensil to loosen any browned bits in the skillet. Stir in the chicken stock and bring the mixture back up to a slight boil.
  5. Return cutlets to the skillet, reduce heat and cover. Allow the chicken to simmer for 25-40 minutes, depending on what else you have going on. The longer it simmers, the more moisture will reduce, so check on it periodically and add a splash of stock if needed. Turn the cutlets once during simmering as well.
  6. Transfer the tender cutlets to serving plates. Swirl in cold butter, one teaspoon pat at a time. This will blend with the pan juices to create a thickened, luxurious sauce. Immediately spoon over cutlets. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve at once.

This dish is terrific on its own with a vegetable or salad, or you can place the cutlets on top of polenta, risotto, mashed potatoes, rice or buttered pasta.

Philly Cheesesteak Dip

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I don’t care about football. Let’s get that out of the way, OK? But I do love a theme and the camaraderie of a big-game party with friends, and especially the food!

There is no better food for a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan than a real Philly cheesesteak, with its peppers and mushrooms, all that gooey melted cheese and loaded up with thinly sliced steak. It’s a hearty, flavorful sandwich— and it screams Philly. 

It would be the perfect thing to serve for this weekend’s NFC Championship game, right? If only it wasn’t a fat, messy sandwich.

When things get intense and your team is vying for a spot in the NFL’s biggest game of the year, you’ve gotta have an easier way to chow down on those flavors, or you’ll end up with it spilt all over your green jersey! This recipe has all the right stuff, but in a simplified format so you can take a warm, meaty, cheesy bite in between yelling at the refs and cheering your team on to victory.

Our good friends, Bob and Peg, are two such die-hard Eagles fans and they have generously shared Bob’s recipe for this scrumptious, game day party dip. It’s perfect for halftime snacking, regardless of which team you’re pulling for this weekend. But if you’re at Bob and Peg’s house, you’d best be pulling for Philly.

So delicious, hot from the oven!

The game will be aired on FOX this Sunday at 3:00 PM Philadelphia time, and if you have plenty of time to get this dip ready.

Bob’s cheesesteak dip begins with easy-to-find ingredients, and the prep is super simple. You’ll need cream cheese (Philadelphia brand, obviously), onion, bell pepper and mushrooms, a mountain of white cheese and very thinly sliced steaks. Bob’s recipe suggests an Italian “6-cheese” blend, but I used mainly Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheeses because I already had them in the fridge. Some amount of white American cheese would give a nice, melty quality to this dip, too. I’d recommend steering clear of very sharp, hard cheeses, as they tend to break under heat.

It’s good to have everything prepped before you begin cooking.

Put the veggies in a skillet and sauté until they’re soft. Then cook up the thinly sliced steaks and chop them into smaller pieces. I scored a package of fresh, shaved Angus steak in the meat case of my supermarket, but these aren’t always available. Bob’s recipe suggests using Steak-umms, specifically the 14-steak package.

After chopping the steaks, I seasoned them with salt, pepper and garlic powder and put them back in the skillet to get some crispy edges.

While the veggies and meat cool a bit, blend the softened cream cheese together with a dab of mayo, and then blend in the veggies, shredded cheese and chopped steak. It may be a bit clumpy at this stage and that’s OK; it will melt and smooth out during baking.

No mixer? Soften the cream cheese and mix it up in a large bowl with a heavy spoon.

Transfer the whole delicious mess into an oven-safe dish and pop it into the oven at 350 F for half an hour, then top with more cheese (I used our favorite Parm-Romano blend) and put it under the broiler just long enough to get it browned and bubbly on top.

Whoops! The parmesan got away from me a little bit!
Look at the bubbly goodness after a quick time under the broiler.

Serve your cheesesteak dip with slices of French baguette or, as we did at our house, crunchy pita chips. It occurred to me when we were enjoying this that the mixture could also be blended and transferred to a small slow cooker. I’d recommend warming it on the high setting until it’s bubbly, then give it a good stir and drop to low or warm setting to keep it nice and gooey from kickoff until the game is over.

Philly Cheesesteak Dip

  • Servings: About 8
  • Difficulty: Average
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All the scrumptious flavors of a classic Philly cheesesteak sandwich, but easier to eat while cheering your team on to victory!


Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
  • 1 large green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • A large handful fresh mushrooms, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • A quick shake or two of garlic powder
  • 14 slices very thin steak (Steak-Umms work great)
  • 2 bricks cream cheese (Philadelphia brand, duh!), softened
  • 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 12 oz. shredded white cheese (Italian, Monterey Jack, pepper jack are all good choices)
  • About 2 Tbsp. shredded Parm-romano blend cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, then add onions, peppers and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are softened and slightly translucent. Transfer to a bowl.
  2. In the same skillet, fry the steak slices until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper, plus a little shake of garlic powder. Add to the bowl with sautéed veggies.
  3. Using a stand mixer fitted with the beater blade, gently beat the softened cream cheese together with mayonnaise until creamy.
  4. Add sautéed veggies, shredded cheese and browned steak to cream cheese mixture. Mix until evenly blended. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe casserole dish.
  5. Bake cheesesteak dip for 30 minutes, then sprinkle with Parmesan or Parm-Romano blend and broil for 2 to 3 minutes until browned and bubbly.
  6. Remove cheesesteak dip and serve immediately with pita chips or sliced French baguette.

Alternatively, follow instructions through step 4. Transfer mixture to slow cooker on high until bubbly. Reduce to low heat or warm setting so dip stays warm and gooey.

Brie & Mushroom-stuffed Meatloaf

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To say that I’m excited for fall is a bit of an understatement. After stiflingly humid North Carolina summers, I am always eager for the relief that comes in mid-September. I can finally open the windows each morning to let the cool, fresh air permeate our space (at least until afternoon, when the temps rise back into the 90s), and my soul starts longing for all the culinary comforts of the fall and winter seasons—warm herbal teas in the evening, soups and stews that nourish us from the inside out, and the return of what I like to call the Sunday Supper.

This meatloaf is one of my very favorites, though calling it a meatloaf may not do justice to the elegance of the meal, especially if you go the extra mile to make the French Onion Gravy recipe that accompanies it on my plate.

No mashed potatoes necessary.

My first inspiration for this recipe came many years ago when I spotted a wedge of creamy, mushroom-studded brie in the specialty cheese section at Trader Joe’s. It was begging to be part of something special and so I incorporated it into my usual, plain-Jane turkey meatloaf and I never looked back. I have since seen the cheese branded by other companies as well, and I actually bought this one from another supermarket. If you cannot find brie with mushrooms, substitute any other brie, and preferably one that is sold in large wedges, as it is easier to slice evenly for the rollup.

There will be plenty of mushroom in the mix anyway, as I slice and brown nearly a whole package of “baby bellas” to layer with the brie. Oh, and sauteed mushrooms and onions also get chopped and blended right into the meat mixture as well. Yes, this is definitely a mushroom-lover’s meatloaf!

Reserve the browned mushrooms for the assembly.
Season the mushroom-onion mix during saute.
Use a processor to chop the mixture nearly into a spread.

I like using a combination of ground turkey (93% lean) and ground turkey breast (99% lean) for this, because the turkey breast on its own tends to go dry during baking, and the other on its own is almost too soft to shape properly. I suppose this meatloaf could also be made with lean ground beef, but I love it with ground turkey, which has a lighter flavor and leaner calorie load—though I’m sure the brie filling that oozes out into every bite probably cancels out that second part.

Turkey, times two!
Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing mix.
Crush the crumbs and soak in milk.
The panade should be a bit stiff.

To give this meatloaf a hint of Thanksgiving (we are already counting down at our house), I have used dry stuffing mix (which I crushed into crumbs) in the panade, and it forms a glue to hold it all together. Feel free to substitute your favorite bread crumbs. Use less milk for this one than you normally would in a panade, because the turkey meat mixture is fairly loose and it benefits from the sturdier, almost crumbly panade.

The richness of the brie demands a little balance as well, so don’t omit the fresh parsley. Putting this meatloaf together is not as complicated as it might seem. At the end of the post is a click-to-print recipe, but I’ll walk you through it so you can see how easy it really is.

Add the processed mushrooms and egg.
The meatloaf needs the fresh parsley!
Mix gently with your hands until fully blended.
Transfer the mixture onto a parchment-lined sheet.
Press into a rectangle shape.
Layer on the browned mushrooms and send it to the fridge.

Parchment paper is my best friend for the task of shaping the meatloaf, but waxed paper would work in a pinch. Take your time, be sure the long edge and ends are sealed, and bake it on a cookie sheet rather than in a pan, for a beautiful crust. Give it 45 minutes at 400° F, and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Bend the brie so it rolls easily.
Use the paper to assist with rolling.
Lift the far end of the paper to keep the seam on top.
Seal every edge.
Check every side, end and edge. You don’t want that beautiful brie running out in the oven!
Look at that gorgeous crust!

As for the gravy, well, I probably had you at “French onion.” It’s simple enough to make, but it does call for a special ingredient in the Herbes de Provence, which is a blend of herbs well known in the south of France. If you don’t have or can’t find it, substitute a blend of thyme, rosemary, marjoram and lemon peel. It won’t be quite the same, but these flavors will help to highlight and complement the onions. Use sweet or yellow onions and your choice of chicken or vegetable broth.

Sprinkle with Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper.
When onions begin to brown, add flour.
Cook until flour is no longer dry.
Deglaze with a splash of dry wine or vermouth.
Add broth and stir to thicken.
Good gravy! 🙂

Serve the meal by ladling a portion of gravy directly onto the plate, and top with thick slices of the brie and mushroom-stuffed meatloaf. This entree does not need mashed potatoes, but if you crave them, may I suggest my hubby’s fantastic Garlic Mashed? You won’t regret it. 🙂

Brie & Mushroom-stuffed Meatloaf

  • Servings: About 8 slices
  • Difficulty: intermediate
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Don't let the fancy swirl pattern in these meatloaf slices intimidate you! With a little patience and a sheet of parchment paper, you can make this delicious turkey meatloaf that literally oozes with comfort!


Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dry herb stuffing mix (such as Pepperidge Farm), crushed into small crumbs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided (note directions for when to use)
  • 1/2 sweet onion, minced
  • 12 oz. carton cremini mushrooms, divided
  • 1 lb. ground turkey (93% lean)
  • 1/2 lb. ground turkey breast (99% lean)
  • 1 large egg
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Small handful chopped, fresh parsley
  • 6 oz. brie (with mushrooms, if possible)

Directions

  1. Make a panade, combining the dry stuffing mix with milk. You should have just barely enough milk to cover the stuffing mix. Let this rest while you prepare the rest of the meatloaf mixture.
  2. Clean and trim all the mushrooms and divide them, chopping enough into small pieces to measure about 1/2 cup. Slice the remaining mushrooms into thin slices and set aside.
  3. Place a non-stick skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the minced onion until translucent. Season with Herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté together until the mushrooms are soft and most of their moisture has evaporated. Cool this mixture and then process (or chop) into smaller bits.
  4. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and brown half of the sliced mushrooms until they are golden on both sides. Repeat with the remaining oil and mushrooms. Don’t be tempted to cook the mushrooms all at once, unless your pan is very large. If they are crowded in the pan, they will cook by steaming rather than browning, and you’ll lose the texture of the mushrooms. Transfer the browned mushroom slices into a bowl to cool.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey (both), egg, panade, mushroom-onion mixture and parsley. Toss in a generous pinch of salt and a few twists of black pepper. Use your hands to evenly combine these ingredients until they are uniform, but try not to overwork the mixture.
  6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the meatloaf mixture onto the parchment, using oiled hands to pat it into a rectangle about 9 by 12 inches, and about 3/4-inch thick. Layer the browned mushrooms evenly over the surface, leaving a 1-inch border around all edges. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 30 minutes to firm up. Use this time to preheat the oven to 400° F and to prepare the French onion gravy.
  7. Slice the brie cheese wedge into uniform thickness pieces, about 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the slices in a single layer all over the chilled meatloaf, keeping a 1-inch border along both sides, and at least 2 inches from the far, short end. This will help prevent the brie from melting out of the meatloaf during baking.
  8. Use the parchment paper to assist rolling the meatloaf, beginning with the short end near you. Bend the brie, if needed, so that it will roll easier. Keep the roll snug as you go, and pinch to seal all edges, finishing with the end seal on top of the roll. Sprinkle the surface of the meatloaf lightly with kosher salt and bake for 45 minutes, until the meatloaf is browned with a slight crust all over; internal temperature will be about 160° F. Remove it from the oven and allow it to rest about 10 minutes before slicing. The residual heat will continue to cook the meatloaf during this time.
  9. Serve with French Onion Pan Gravy.


French Onion Pan Gravy

  • Servings: 3 cups
  • Difficulty: average
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Ingredients

  • 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced into crescent shapes
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. Herbs de Provence seasoning
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp. dry vermouth (or dry white wine)
  • 3 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp. bouillon paste (optional, for richer flavor)

Directions

  1. Heat a large skillet or shallow sauce pot over medium heat. Swirl in olive oil and saute the onion crescents until translucent. Season with Herbs de Provence, salt and pepper and continue cooking until onions begin to caramelize.
  2. Sprinkle flour over the onions and add the butter, stirring to melt the butter and evenly coat the onions in roux. Cook until the onions no longer appear dry from the flour, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add dry vermouth to the skillet and stir to deglaze any browned bits. The liquid will probably dissipate rather quickly. Add broth, about half at a time, stirring to distribute evenly. When sauce begins to bubble and thicken, reduce heat to low and cover the skillet. Let it simmer while meatloaf is in the oven.
  4. Just before serving, taste and adjust seasonings. For additional richness, swirl in a heaping teaspoon of bouillon paste.
  5. Plate a ladle-ful of gravy, and top it with slices of the brie and mushroom-stuffed meatloaf.

Vegan Mushroom Gravy

8 Comments

With so much to do in advance of Thanksgiving, it may seem a little nuts to make the gravy ahead but hear me out on this. There are two big reasons I like to make this vegan mushroom gravy, and neither is related to having a vegan guest at the table.

First, the final minutes before dinner are hectic—the turkey has to be rested before carving, and the oven braces itself for round two, as I shove a baking sheet of vegetables in to roast or a casserole for final re-heating. The warmed dishes all need to be brought to the table and you can’t really make the turkey gravy until after the bird has emerged from the oven. If something goes wrong with the turkey gravy (been there, done that), I love having the savory, earthy flavors of this mushroom gravy as a backup.

Mmmm, mushrooms!

Secondly, the mushroom gravy is less heavy—both in flavor and in calories—than a typical turkey gravy. It more than satisfies my craving for gravy without cranking up my cholesterol levels. Besides being completely delicious and easy to make several days ahead of the holiday commotion, this gravy can do double duty as a sauce for green bean casserole. And when we do have a vegan guest at the table, I like to do just one version of that dish for everyone to enjoy.

Rave reviews from all around the table, made from simple ingredients and easy to do ahead; this is a winner no matter how you slice, er, pour it. 😉

Ingredients

8 oz. carton of cremini mushrooms, cleaned and diced or pulsed in processor

4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

4 Tbsp. mushroom and sage-infused olive oil (+ 2 Tbsp. more later in the recipe)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

A few shakes umami seasoning* (see notes)

A few shakes poultry seasoning

1 shallot, minced

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 cups low sodium vegetable broth*

2 Tbsp. dry white wine

1 bulb prepared roasted garlic*

*Notes

The umami seasoning is a Trader Joe’s product, and it gets plenty of use whenever I’m making a vegan dish. The ingredients are porcini and white mushroom powders, dried onions, ground mustard, crushed red pepper and dried thyme. It brings a depth of savory flavor to everything it touches, but if you cannot find it, I would recommend substituting with the flavors you do have and also use prepared mushroom broth in place of the vegetable broth. Look for mushroom broth in cartons in a well-stocked supermarket.

I always choose low sodium broths because it helps me control the overall sodium of a recipe. In this recipe, I specifically used a vegetable broth that does not contain tomatoes.

Roasted garlic is easy to make at home, and it gives a lot of depth and complexity to this mushroom gravy. If you have never made your own roasted garlic, please check out this post for step-by-step instructions.

Instructions

As usual, the photos tell the story better than written instructions. Please have a look at the slides and keep scrolling for a downloadable pdf for your recipe files.

  • First things first, make your roasted garlic, which is needed for this recipe. My instructions for this is linked in the ingredients list.
  • Cut the cremini mushrooms and shallots into a fine dice. If you prefer, use a food processor and pulse about six times.
  • I could not live without this stuff in the fall! If you don’t have a specialty olive oil store in your town, look for it online or swap in regular olive oil.
  • Cook half the mushrooms initially, so that they don’t overcrowd in the pan.
  • These two seasonings keep this gravy true to Thanksgiving, and still plant-based.
  • When the first mushrooms are softened, add the remaining mushrooms and continue to saute until golden.
  • Add an extra splash of oil to the center of the pot and then add the shallots.
  • Measure about 3 tablespoons of flour into the mixture, and stir to coat evenly.
  • Cook this mix a few minutes so that the flour hydrates with the oil. If it seems dry or powdery, add a touch more oil.
  • Low sodium vegetable broth adds extra layers of flavor. Mix it well until the gravy reaches a low boil, then simmer.
  • Despite its name, poultry seasoning has no poultry. It is usually a blend of sage, thyme and rosemary. Bell’s seasoning would be a terrific substitute.
  • Add a splash of dry white wine. I went out on a limb this time and used a splash of red vermouth, but I like the white wine better.
  • Slice the shiitakes thin to add to the finished gravy. I love the texture and mellow flavor of shiitakes.
  • My garlic is ready! You want to roast it until it reaches this golden color. Only use one bulb in the gravy, and save the other for your mashed potatoes! 🙂
  • Grip the garlic bulb with a paper towel and gently squeeze the roasted cloves out, directly into the gravy pot.
  • On a whim, I decided to use the immersion blender to puree the gravy. It is fine to keep the bits of mushroom as they are.
  • After blending, the gravy resembles a creamy mushroom soup.
  • Brown the shiitake slices in a touch of olive oil, then add them to the gravy.
  • Call me to the table, already!
  1. If you don’t already have your roasted garlic, go make that. Please don’t try to substitute with fresh sauteed garlic. The flavor will be too strong.
  2. Heat 4 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Sauté half of the mushrooms, tossing to coat them in the oil, until they give off their moisture and shrink in size. Repeat with remaining mushrooms. Season with salt, pepper and umami seasoning. Move the mushrooms to the sides of the pot.
  3. Swirl another tablespoon of oil into the center of the pot and add the shallots. Saute until slightly softened. Add flour and toss until absorbed into the oil. The mixture should look somewhat pasty, but not dry. Add a final tablespoon of oil if needed to reach this consistency. Cook the mixture for a minute or two.
  4. Add vegetable broth all at once and stir continuously for a minute or two to hydrate the roux. Bring to a slight boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until mixture is thickened. Stir in wine and simmer over very low heat for about an hour.
  5. Squeeze in the entire bulb of roasted garlic, taking care to not drop the garlic paper into the pot. Use a whisk to ensure the garlic is fully blended, or use an immersion blender to whip the gravy into a smoother consistency.
  6. In a small skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil and sauté the sliced shiitake mushrooms until softened and slightly browned, then stir them into the gravy. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to three days ahead.
This gravy has so much rich, savory flavor, you’ll never miss the meat.

This gravy is delicious on a lentil mushroom wellington or use it as a substitute for cream of mushroom soup in any casserole you’d like to convert to vegan.

Vegan Mushroom GravyPrint it!

Lentil Mushroom Wellington

12 Comments

Thanksgiving is the favored holiday at our house. My husband, Les, and I both love preparing the traditional meal and we made an agreement early in our relationship to alternate responsibility for the turkey. We love having friends and family at the table and, more often than not, the friends outnumber the family members by at least two-to-one. I have no children, and Les’s two adult kids can’t always make it. His son, Alex, lives and works in Europe, and has only been here for one holiday season since I’ve known him. His daughter, Sydney, lives two hours away in the mountains of North Carolina, but she also sometimes has her own plans with her mother’s family or her friends. When she is able to join us, though, I have more than a few adjustments to make to the menu because Syd is vegan.

If the idea of having a vegan at the holiday table scares you, then I hope this recipe brings some relief. It most certainly will bring some big Thanksgiving flavor, and everyone at our table—vegan or otherwise—has asked for seconds. One of my friends, a regular guest at our Thanksgiving table, has been begging me for almost two years to share this recipe, so she is probably screaming right now to finally see it on my blog (you’re welcome, Linda). 😉

There’s so much texture and flavor, you will never miss the meat.

You might wonder, “why not just share it with your friend after the first request instead of making her wait?” Linda (who is not a vegan) has been asking the same, and the reason is simple—I didn’t actually have a recipe for it. As I have said many times about my way of cooking, I develop recipes by instinct (otherwise known as flying by the seat of my pants), and it has only been since I began blogging that I have bothered to write down how much of what goes into most of my dishes. The first time I made this lentil mushroom wellington, I couldn’t even quite remember all the ingredients so there was no possibility of describing it to someone else. But just after Christmas last year, I made the dish again when Syd came for a post-holiday visit—and on that occasion, I kept my notes—but I didn’t post it on the blog right away because the holidays were over at that point and I doubted that anyone would want to make a fuss over such a showstopper without a special occasion. It isn’t exactly a quick weeknight recipe.

In the spirit of full disclosure, this dish does take time and effort, though none of it is difficult. If you wish to make it for Thanksgiving, perhaps for a vegan guest at your table, the good news is that almost all of it can be done in advance. You will find most of the ingredients familiar—cooked lentils, rice blend, cremini mushrooms, kale, sweet potatoes and (vegan) puff pastry—and I’ll describe in more detail how I put the whole thing together and even gave it a faux “egg wash” before baking, to give it a golden crust while keeping it plant-based.

Now, with the holidays upon us, the timing is right and I have a written-down recipe to share. So for Linda, and anyone else who wants to enjoy a pretty, entirely plant-based meal that still captures the essence of Thanksgiving, here is my recipe for the lentil mushroom wellington. Enjoy!

Arrange the whole mushrooms inside the wellington for a beautiful sliced presentation inside the flaky crust.

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked lentils, rinsed and picked over* (see notes)

3/4 cup uncooked brown rice or rice blend

32 oz. carton low-sodium vegetable broth

1 or 2 bay leaves

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes

Extra virgin olive oil*

1 leek, cleaned and sliced (white and light green parts only)*

1 rib celery, strings removed and chopped

1 tsp. umami seasoning blend (Trader Joe’s “Mushroom & Company”)*

A fat handful of kale leaves, washed and chopped

6 to 8 large whole mushrooms, cleaned*

Liquid from a can of chickpeas (use low-sodium; reserve the chickpeas for another use)

1 Tbsp. milled flax seed*

1/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted

3 Tbsp. hemp hearts

A pinch (or two) of dried thyme leaves (or several sprigs of fresh thyme, if you have it)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 sheet puff pastry (choose one with plant-based ingredients, such as Wewalka or Pepperidge Farm)

Flour to dust the countertop

Small handful (about 1/4 cup) of panko bread crumbs

For brushing, in place of egg wash:

1 Tbsp. plant milk, such as almond or soy

1 Tbsp. real maple syrup

1 Tbsp. canola or avocado oil

*Notes

I use a lentil blend, which includes green, red and black beluga lentils. If you choose a single type of lentil, I would recommend using the green ones. Cook the lentils in vegetable broth rather than plain water. Why miss a chance to add flavor?

My go-to olive oil this time of year is the wild mushroom and sage-infused oil found in specialty olive oil and balsamic vinegar stores. But any olive oil is fine, or substitute canola oil or a favorite plant-based butter, if you prefer.

If using leeks, be sure to clean them properly to remove all traces of grit between layers. Drain and pat completely dry on layers of paper towel before sautéing. If preferred, substitute 1 medium sweet or yellow onion.

The umami seasoning blend is a product sold at Trader Joe’s, and its flavors include dried mushroom, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. If you can’t buy it, you can substitute with a combination of onion powder, garlic powder and a couple shakes of red pepper flakes, plus a pinch of salt. You might also want to mince up a couple of mushrooms to sauté with the kale or leeks to add earthy flavor to the lentil loaf.

Flax seeds are loaded with Omega-3 fats and very good for heart health, but you may not know that our bodies only reap that benefit when the seeds have been milled. You can buy flax seed already milled, but keep it fresh in a tightly sealed container in the fridge or freezer. I purchase bags of whole flax seeds and use my blade-style coffee grinder to mill it a little at a time as I need it. For this recipe, it’s essential for the flax to be milled because it will be used in place of an egg as a binding agent.

I chose a combination of cremini mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms for this recipe. Use the largest ones you can find; mine were each about the size of a silver dollar. Clean the mushrooms as suggested in the slideshow before sautéing them.

There are many components to this recipe, and I believe it is helpful to break it down into manageable tasks over two days, beginning with preparation of the lentils, rice, sweet potato and vegetable mixtures (steps 1-6). On the second day, you can relax and focus on assembling and baking the dish.

Helpful tools for this recipe: food processor or small blender, rolling pin, pastry brush.

Instructions

  • Cook the lentils in vegetable broth rather than water. In addition to the flavor they bring, lentils are an excellent source of protein.
  • Likewise, cook the rice in vegetable broth. I like the extra flavors of a rice blend, but regular brown rice is fine.
  • Toss the sweet potato chunks in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender (but still holding shape) with browned edges.
  • Slice the leek lengthwise, then into half-moon slices. Rinse well to remove any grit trapped between layers.
  • This is what I call a “fat handful” of kale. Trim off tough stems and chop it into bite sized pieces.
  • Saute the kale until it is softened and lightly browned at the edges.
  • Add umami seasoning when you saute the leeks. This is one of the easiest ways to add a rich, meaty flavor to vegan dishes. See the recipe notes for substitution ideas.
  • You can make a flax “egg” using milled flax seed and plain water, but for savory recipes, I prefer to use the reduced liquid from a can of chick peas, called aquafaba.
  • After several minutes, the flax will absorb the aquafaba and create a thickened, gel-like substance. This will be the binder that holds the lentil mixture together.
  • Use a paring knife to cut away the spongy, white edges around the stem of the cremini mushrooms, and pluck it away from the stem.
  • With the fluffy rim removed, moisture won’t get trapped under the mushroom cap.
  • Saute the mushrooms until browned, turning several times, to draw out excess moisture.
  • Lay the mushrooms on layers of paper toweling, to drain the excess moisture from the bottoms.
  • Add a scoop each of the cooked lentils and rice, plus all of the flax “egg” mixture, to the bowl of a food processor.
  • Pulse the mixture until it resembles a thick porridge. It won’t look very appealing, but don’t worry, it will disappear into the lentil loaf mixture.
  • Hemp hearts add another boost of protein to the lentil mixture, and they have an interesting, slightly nutty flavor.
  • Time to mix up the lentil loaf! I added toasted pecans to the mix, but toasted walnuts or chopped pumpkin seeds would also be terrific.
  • Add the binding mixture to the lentil mix. Season with pepper and thyme leaves. Fold gently to combine.
  • The lentil mixture should be thick. Adjust salt to taste and refrigerate the mixture for several hours before assembling the wellington.
  • Use a puff pastry with non-dairy ingredients. I like this brand, which is in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. Pepperidge Farm makes one also, found in the freezer case.
  • Dust your countertop with flour, and lightly flour the top of the dough. Use a rolling pin to smooth wrinkles and spread it slightly thinner.
  • A layer of panko crumbs will help absorb moisture from the lentil loaf, so the bottom of your wellington won’t get soggy.
  • Lay the sauteed kale over the panko crumbs. I had just a shake of crumbs left in the carton, so I sprinkled more on top.
  • Mound half of the lentil mixture in a loaf shape with a slight indent down the center. Arrange the whole mushrooms in a tight line on top of the mixture, and press down slightly.
  • Shape the rest of the lentil mixture over the top, so that it resembles a meatloaf.
  • Trim off the corners of puff pastry in a rounded fashion. Reserve the excess pastry for patching or decorating. Cut strips along each side, about 1 1/2 inches apart.
  • Fold up both ends of the pastry, and shape them so they “hug” the ends of the lentil loaf.
  • Fold the strips over the lentil loaf, alternating sides. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but aim for even coverage with just a bit of the lentil mixture peeking through.
  • For extra pizzazz, embellish the wellington with cut-out shapes of the excess puff pastry.
  • No egg wash for a vegan dish! But a mixture of plant milk, maple syrup and canola oil will help you achieve the same golden finish.
  • This wellington is ready for the oven. 400° F for about 45 minutes.
  • My oven rack was a couple of inches too high, but the wellington is lovely, even with a few dark spots.
  1. Cook lentils according to package instructions, using low-sodium vegetable broth in place of some or all of the water. During simmer, add a bay leaf to the pot. Drain excess liquid when lentils reach desired tenderness. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Add salt to taste.
  2. Cook rice according to package instructions, using low-sodium vegetable broth in place of some or all of the water. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Add salt to taste.
  3. Toss the cubed sweet potatoes with enough olive oil to lightly coat all sides. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 400° F until they can be pierced with the tip of a paring knife and are only slightly firm to the bite. Cool completely.
  4. Sauté leeks (or onions) and chopped celery in a tablespoon of olive oil. Season with umami seasoning (or recommended substitute) and black pepper. When vegetables are tender and have given up their moisture, transfer to a bowl and cool completely.
  5. Swirl another teaspoon or so of oil into the skillet and sauté the chopped kale until it has softened and reduced somewhat in volume. Resist the urge to cook the kale together with the onions; it will be used as a bed for the lentil mixture, not as part of the filling.
  6. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Arrange the mushrooms topside down, in the skillet, and then cook until the tops are browned and tender. Turn them over and sauté the underside. The mushrooms should give off a good bit of their moisture, but not to the point of shriveling. Lay them on layered paper towels to cool, allowing excess moisture to drain from the underside.
  7. To assemble the mixture, gather up all the prepared components from steps 1 to 6. In a small saucepan, heat the liquid drained from the chickpeas over medium low heat. Simmer until it is reduced in volume to about 1/4 cup. Transfer the liquid to a bowl and stir in the milled flax seed. Let this mixture rest for at least 20 minutes. It will thicken up into a gel-like substance.
  8. Transfer about 1/3 cup of the cooked lentils and about 1/4 cup of the cooked rice to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add the flax mixture to the bowl and pulse a few times until the mixture has the consistency of a loose porridge.
  9. In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining lentils, rice, sweet potatoes, leek-celery mixture, toasted pecans and hemp hearts. Toss them all together. Give this mixture a final taste and adjust salt to your liking. Sprinkle thyme leaves and give the pepper mill a few twists over the mixture. Add the full amount of flax binder and fold to combine this mixture well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  10. Preheat oven to 400° F, with oven rack slightly lower than center, so that the wellington will rest squarely in the center of the heat.
  11. Thaw puff pastry (if using frozen) according to package instructions. *Note: when working with puff pastry, do your best to work quickly to keep the pastry from getting warm. Sprinkle flour onto the counter and use a rolling pin to smooth out wrinkles and slightly enlarge the rectangle.
  12. Spread panko crumbs over the center of the puff pastry, then layer the cooked kale on top of it. This will be a bed for the lentil mixture, and the crumbs will help absorb excess moisture so the puff pastry doesn’t become soggy on the bottom.
  13. Scoop about half of the lentil mixture onto the kale, shaping it into an oblong mound like a meatloaf. Arrange the mushrooms in a tight line down the center, pressing them slightly into the lentil mixture. Shape the remaining lentil mixture over the mushrooms.
  14. Use a paring knife to trim off the square corners of the puff pastry, leaving them rounded to match the shape of the lentil loaf. Use a cookie cutter on the scrap corners to make embellishments for the top of the wellington. Score the long sides of the puff pastry into strips, about 1 ½ inches apart. These will fold over the top of the lentil loaf, kind of like shoelaces over a sneaker. Turn up both ends of puff pastry to enclose the ends of the lentil loaf, then carefully fold the strips in alternating order across the top. Tuck in any loose edges.
  15. Transfer the wellington to a parchment-lined, heavy cookie sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together plant milk, maple syrup and oil. Brush this mixture evenly over all exposed puff pastry, including down the sides. This will produce a beautiful golden color on the baked wellington.
  16. Bake for 45-50 minutes, rotating pan once after 25 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a serving platter. Cut into thick slices and serve on individual plates with vegan mushroom gravy and tangy lemon-pomegranate Brussels sprouts. And don’t worry, I’ll have those recipes for you later this week.
Kinda makes you want to go vegan, right?
Lentil Mushroom WellingtonPrint

Savory Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

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When push comes to shove on the whole “pumpkin spice” issue, you’ll find me squarely on the side of those who love the seasonal combination, and I made that obvious recently with my post for sourdough pumpkin spice waffles. But I get it—the flavor isn’t for everyone, or maybe it used to be but has become overplayed, kind of like any number of the classic rock songs that always seem to come up in heavy rotation on our music streaming services. Do I want music with dinner? You bet! But please, not “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “Piano Man” for the 37th time this week.

And I guess, for many people, it is the same with pumpkin spice, and we can thank Starbucks and Trader Joe’s for that. But don’t blame it on the pumpkin, which is one of nature’s true powerhouse foods—full of fiber, low in calories, a good source of potassium and, like every other orange-hued vegetable, loaded with the antioxidant vitamin known as beta-carotene. You can still enjoy the benefits of pumpkin without the cliché cinnamon and nutmeg.

Today’s recipe is a perfectly savory example for using and serving this ubiquitous autumn gourd. I had a little better than half a can of pumpkin puree left over from the sourdough waffles I had made, and that was more than enough to flavor up the béchamel-based cheese sauce that wraps around the caserecce pasta in this dish. The other additions to this savory, meatless meal were inspired by the infused olive oil that is my go-to cooking agent this time of year.

My wild mushroom and sage olive oil does not have a brand because the stores that sell it are franchised from Veronica Foods. Look for it in a specialty store near you.

Every fall, I purchase a new bottle of this stuff and I use it in so many things, such as roasting vegetables, frying potatoes, amping up the earthy flavor in vegan dishes and even in some of my homemade sourdough bread recipes. For this mac and cheese, I used the mushroom and sage oil in the roux (along with real butter), but I used actual mushrooms and fresh sage in the final dish, too.

Tastes like autumn!

The color is vibrant and autumn-like, and the aroma of the sage is, well, intoxicating. The mac and cheese was easy to make, and you can skip the step of baking it, if you prefer a quicker stovetop version. Either way, I hope it gives you a chance to enjoy pumpkin without the overplayed “sweet and spice” aspect.

And for those of you sitting on my side of the pumpkin spice fence, don’t you worry! I’ll be sharing a fun new pumpkin spice recipe that covers my entire wish list for an easy, no-bake Thanksgiving dessert. It’s so simple, I even made it without a kitchen! Watch for it in the second week of November.

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. wild mushroom and sage olive oil* (see notes)

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 Tbsp. salted butter

4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

8 oz. smoked gouda (processed)*, shredded

8 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)

5 or 6 cremini mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed

Small handful fresh sage leaves, finely minced

1 lb. firm pasta shape*

2 Tbsp. melted butter or olive oil

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup parm-romano blend (optional, see notes)

*Notes

The wild mushroom and sage-infused olive oil is available at specialty oil and vinegar shops. If you cannot get your hands on it, use any favorite olive oil or substitute butter.

The smoked gouda I used for this recipe was technically a “processed” cheese, similar to American in texture. In most of my cheese sauces, I use a processed cheese in the base because it provides a creamier texture. If you prefer, use regular cheese and expect a slightly less silky sauce.

Many of my mac and cheese recipes call for elbows, but when I intend for the dish to be an entree, I choose a sturdier pasta shape, such as caserecce, rotini or farfalle (bow ties). It adds a little more body and makes it more satisfying.

  • This oil finds its way into many of my autumn-themed recipes!
  • Technically, this is real cheese, but processed with special salts that make it more melt-able.
  • Any firm pasta shape works well when making a mac and cheese main dish. I recently discovered caserecce and love the texture!

Here’s something interesting I’ve learned recently in my research and development of “meatless” dishes: there is no such thing as vegetarian parmesan. According to this article and many others I’ve found online, the process for making certain cheeses (including parmesan and pecorino romano) requires the use of animal rennet, and there is apparently no suitable substitute. Rennet is an enzyme found in the digestive system of animals, and it cannot be extracted from them while they are living. If you adhere to a vegetarian diet for reasons of animal welfare, omit my parm-romano blend from any of my otherwise “meatless” recipes, and always read labels on the cheeses you buy, just to be sure.

Instructions

  • I transferred most of the sautéed onions to a separate bowl, so they had more presence in the final dish.
  • A little butter to supplement the mushroom and sage olive oil.
  • For this mac and cheese, I cooked the roux until it was golden in color.
  • Whole milk results in a creamy, rich sauce. But 2% is OK, too.
  • I’ve learned that the rind on smoked cheese does not melt well. A vegetable peeler removed it, slick as a whistle!
  • Much of the kitchen had already been packed when I decided to make this dish, so I had to use the tiny shredder that is designed for Hobbits. 🙂
  • I chose sharp yellow cheddar for the remaining cheese, for the bold flavor but also because I wanted to play up the pumpkin color.
  • Hello, pumpkin! The sauce can carry about 1/2 cup of the puree without losing its creamy texture.
  • Cheesy, creamy, pumpkin-y good!
  • You know that I can’t help myself when it comes to cheese sauce. I use my immersion blender for about one minute. This step is not essential, but worth the trouble.
  • Sage is potent and earthy, so I didn’t use a ton of it, and I minced it fine before adding it to the browned mushrooms.
  • I tossed the onions into the skillet to re-warm them.
  • I transferred the drained pasta directly into the warm cheese sauce. Do it in batches to be sure there’s enough cheese sauce to go around. Leftover pasta can be used in a salad.
  • Folding the mushroom mixture into the mac and cheese.
  • Where did I put my sunglasses? 🙂 I preheated the oven to 350° F while I prepped the panko topping.
  • I minced and sautéed a couple more mushrooms and used the mixture to moisten panko crumbs.
  • A little of our parm-romano blend for extra flavor. Then scatter the buttered panko crumbs all over the top and bake 45 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven when the crumb topping is crispy and the cheese sauce is bubbling around all the edges.
  1. Heat 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Saute the onions until soft, then transfer most of them to a separate bowl.
  2. Add butter to the pot until melted. Add the flour and whisk until the flour is absorbed and appears bubbly. Add the milk all at once, cooking and whisking continuously until the mixture is smooth and thickened, which could be 8 to 12 minutes. Add shredded gouda and stir or whisk until melted and creamy. Repeat with shredded cheddar. Stir in pumpkin puree until evenly blended.
  3. For the creamiest sauce, process with an immersion blender for about one minute. This step is optional, but I am sold on this technique, as my sauces turn out as smooth as velvet.
  4. Prepare the pasta to the al-dente stage, and proceed with the next step while it is cooking.
  5. In a separate skillet, heat remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Brown the mushroom slices, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding. Add the sautéed onions to heat through and sprinkle in the rosemary.
  6. Drain the pasta and add it to the cheese sauce, stirring until creamy. I generally add the pasta half at a time, to ensure that I have enough sauce. Fold in the mushroom-onion mixture. If you’re planning to bake the mac and cheese, transfer it to a 2 qt. baking dish and preheat the oven to 350° F.
  7. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in the skillet used for the mushrooms. I had two extra mushrooms, which I chopped into fine bits and sautéed briefly. Toss panko crumbs in the butter mixture and sprinkle it over the mac and cheese before baking.
  8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until crumb topping is slightly crunchy and cheese is bubbling up around all the edges. Cool 10 minutes before serving.
Savory Pumpkin Mac & Cheese with Mushrooms and Sage
Savory Pumpkin Mac and CheesePrint it!

Slow Cooker Elk Meatloaf

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First of all, our kitchen remodel is going well overall. We are beginning to realize our dreams as it relates to having more storage, counter space and lighting. The quartz countertop was installed successfully last week, though they rattled something loose on a couple of the drawers which will require adjustment. I am already excited about this five-foot long stretch of counter space, which will likely become my husband’s primary spot for prepping when we work together in the kitchen. Everything about our new plan is designed to give us more freedom to be in there at the same time, without bumping fannies or otherwise getting in each other’s way. We especially can’t wait for Thanksgiving in this new kitchen!

Our microwave will be housed in the open cabinet above this counter, and the base cabinet is a pull-out trash/recycling station.

There have been a few snags, of course, many of which I suspect could have been avoided, but what do I know? As I write this, an electrician is spending a second full day working to achieve our wishes for under-cabinet plug molds and lighting, a tricky proposition because some of the old outlets and junction boxes were capped off and covered by new cabinets before these guys had a chance to do their “rough-in.” While they have wrestled with that, I’ve been holed up in our home office with our nervous-about-noises dog, Nilla, listening to the soothing intonations of Melody Gardot. If you have never heard of her, it’s time you did. Click play on the video below and you will understand at once why I play her music during high-stress situations. Go ahead and subscribe to her YouTube channel while you’re at it—you can thank me later.

One of the hardest things for me to endure amid the ruckus of this remodel is not anxiety for the renovation itself—our general contractor has been very responsive to our concerns—but mainly for not having enough time to keep my usual schedule of posting here on Comfort du Jour. I had more than a dozen completed recipes in archive that I wanted to share with you during this time, but I haven’t had time to write them up, send them to Les (my talented copy editor/husband), edit and caption the photos, format the whole thing on WordPress and hit “publish.” Whew. A lot goes into maintaining my blog, and I love every second of it, though I have not had enough consecutive seconds lately to manage it all. Unexpectedly, I have appreciated these two days of electrical work for giving me a bit of time to catch up. And breathe.

When I originally sat down to contemplate how to cook without a kitchen, I expected we would make a lot of soup-and-sandwich meals, and that has been true to some degree. But I also wanted to stretch myself to explore other methods of cooking, and this recipe is one of the resulting meals. My shopping list recently included ground beef, as I wanted to try making meatloaf in the multi-purpose slow cooker, otherwise known as my new best friend. But then, right next to the packaged grass-fed beef I was reaching for, this caught my eye, and I thought, “why not?”

Elk is naturally lean, and similar in flavor to beef but richer. It is not a strong flavor, as venison or lamb.

A few years ago, I tasted elk for the first time in a restaurant burger, and I found it delicious—similar to beef but richer and more flavorful. Elk is a very lean meat (91%, as noted on the package I bought), but I had a few ideas in mind for keeping the meatloaf moist and they all worked together perfectly. First, I used a more generous glug of olive oil than usual to sauté my onions on the “browning” feature of the slow cooker. Some chunky sautéed mushrooms created pockets of moisture throughout the mixture. The egg I used as a binder also added moisture, thanks to the natural fats in the yolk. Finally, the glaze on top helped protect the surface from drying out during baking, which is true for an oven meatloaf as well.

I can’t say for sure that meatloaf would be successful in every kind of slow cooker, but I’ve seen some evidence on Pinterest to support that idea, and most of those recipes involve lining the cooker with foil and pressing a double batch of meatloaf mixture into the shape of the cooker insert. Our Cuisinart slow-cooker, which is quickly gaining major respect in my eyes, also has a “roast” feature that is said to function just like any oven, so I gave it a try. See for yourself how it turned out—looking so sexy on our fancy Chinet plates!

My elk meatloaf sliced beautifully, and we served it up with simple steamed green beans and homemade applesauce that Les had made a few days before…also in the slow cooker! 🙂

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground elk (or any other ground meat with similar fat content)

1/3 cup panko crumbs

1/3 cup whole milk* (see notes)

4 Tbsp. olive or canola oil

1/2 large sweet or yellow onion, chopped

About 5 cremini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, minced

1 large egg

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup bbq sauce, chili sauce or whatever you like as a meatloaf topper*

*Notes

I used whole milk to moisten the panko crumbs, but if you are dairy-sensitive, I have also had good luck using aquafaba, the liquid drained off a can of garbanzo beans. The purpose of the milk is to help convert the crumbs into a sticky binder to hold the meatloaf together, and the aquafaba is a fine stand-in.

My sauce for this meatloaf was left from the kielbasa bites I made from that crazy “Chopped” challenge. It was chili sauce mixed with grape jelly, so it had a tomato base with a bit of heat, onions and spices, plus the sweetness and stickiness of the jelly. I enjoyed the combination so much that I saved the sauce after we finished the kielbasa. And of course, now I want to re-create it, just not with three pounds of kielbasa.

Instructions

  • I kept the add-ins for my meatloaf simple, and chopped the mushrooms fairly large so they would hold moisture better.
  • The panko crumb and milk mixture is called a “panade” and it goes a long way toward binding a meatloaf mixture together.
  • I sauteed the onions first, then added the mushrooms and finally the garlic.
  • I cooked the onions and mushrooms until they were soft and golden in color.
  • OK, everyone into the pool! I mixed everything up with my hands, which explains why there is no picture for that step. 🙂
  • I always do this with meatloaf, and an hour in the fridge helps it keep its shape and structure during baking.
  • I used the plastic wrap to press a shallow “valley” in the surface of the meatloaf, to hold my glaze.
  • Cuisinart says the “roast” feature lets me use the cooker like an oven. This thing is winning me over!
  • Any kind of sauce can go on top, but I usually use a combination of tomato flavors with sweet, spicy and savory.
  • I “baked” the meatloaf for an hour, then the slow cooker switched to a warm setting, keeping it cozy until Les got home for dinner.
  1. In a bowl large enough for combining the full meatloaf mixture, moisten the panko crumbs in the milk. I usually eyeball the amounts, but it is approximately 1/3 cup of each. Give the mixture (called a “panade”) enough time to hydrate, then push it to one side of the bowl.
  2. Crumble the ground elk meat into the other side of the mixing bowl, so that blending with the other ingredients will not require a heavy hand.
  3. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat (this was 350° F on my slow cooker setting). Add onions and cook until softened. Add the rest of the oil, plus the mushrooms and garlic, and sauté until everything is golden and caramelized, but not so long that the mushrooms dry out. Turn off the slow cooker and transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool several minutes.
  4. Add the onion mixture to the bowl with the meat and panade. Add the egg and chopped rosemary, and season with salt and pepper. Combine everything as evenly as you can without mixing too heavily. My method is to plunge both hands into the bowl, twisting away from each other as if adjusting faucets or stereo knobs. It seems to get the job done quickly and it’s also a good way to work out any aggression you may have over your kitchen remodel. When the meat mixture is sufficiently blended, shape it into a log on a large piece of plastic wrap and twist the ends up like a sausage chub. Tuck it into the fridge (or a lunchbox with some ice packs, if you can’t sneak past the electricians that are taking for-freaking-ever) and let it chill for about an hour. I do this for any meatloaf because it seems to improve the structure and texture during baking. Plus, it gives me time to clean up my workspace before the next steps.
  5. Prepare your slow cooker if you’re using one, or preheat the oven to 350° F. The notes from Cuisinart suggested turning the insert rack upside down for roasting, and I laid down a piece of folded parchment paper to keep the meat from oozing through the mesh rack. Unwrap the meatloaf and place it on the parchment, tucking extra paper edges underneath.
  6. Spoon the sauce topper over the meatloaf. Bake on roast setting for one hour, then reduce temperature to keep warm until you’re ready to serve.
Slow Cooker Elk MeatloafPrint it!
It’s a winner!

Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna

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Today marks the beginning of something I’ve been looking forward to, and I don’t mean that my kitchen renovation is underway—we are still waiting, but we do at least have good news today. After a few false starts related to the delivery of our new cabinets, we finally got word from Matt, our contractor: “We have the cabinets!!” So that hurdle is cleared and now the real chaos (the tearing out of the existing kitchen) is slated to begin on Friday (Yay)!

The delay gave me enough time to whip up a few dishes that I would have otherwise missed, including this one, which is a flavorful shout out to the significance of this day.

What I’m referring to is Autumn Equinox, otherwise known as the first full day of fall, but affectionately known at my house as the start of soup and stew season, the unpacking of my favorite sweaters, the countdown to the first flick of the switch on the gas fireplace, and the return of the hot toddy, and I am loving all of the above.

In fact, it feels like the perfect time to introduce you to one of my favorite homemade autumn-themed dishes, this butternut squash lasagna, which I first started making almost 10 years ago. This comforting casserole is layered, not with Italian seasonings or tomatoes or mozzarella, but with flavorful, seasonal vegetables, including onions and kale, two kinds of mushrooms and oven-roasted butternut squash. Nestled between the vegetable layers you’ll find a lemon-scented ricotta, shredded fontina and a creamy, cheesy bechamel that is spiked with even more butternut squash. It is rich and satisfying, even without meat, and makes my taste buds very happy.

Layer upon layer of comforting fall flavor!

There is nothing complicated about this meal but, like any lasagna, it does take some time to pull together. My suggestion is to break it up into two days; prep the separate components ahead of time, so assembly and baking will be a snap on the second day. The other thing that is great about this dish is that you can customize it to increase the amounts of favorite ingredients and reduce any of the others that are not favorites. If you prefer more squash and less kale, just swap the amounts and change up the layering.

Ingredients

1 medium or large butternut squash, peeled and cubed* (see notes)

1 large bunch curly kale, washed and stripped of heavy stems*

12 oz. fresh mushrooms (I used a combination of cremini and shiitake)

1 medium onion, chopped

14 oz. whole milk ricotta, strained of excess liquid

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Zest of one lemon (organic is best)

1 large egg

4 Tbsp. butter (either salted or unsalted is fine)

4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1 bulb roasted garlic

1 cup shredded gouda cheese*

A few shakes ground white pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg (about 6 passes on a microplane)

Enough lasagna noodles or sheets for three layers of it in your preferred pan*

2 cups shredded fontina cheese*

About 1/3 cup grated parm-romano blend

*Notes

Part of the squash will be cubed and roasted, and the rest will be simmered and mashed to be blended into the bechamel. I usually use the smooth neck part of the gourd for roasting, and the round part, which usually appears stringy after cleaning out the seeds, gets boiled and mashed to be added to the bechamel sauce. Keep this in mind as you prep the squash.

  • Nilla can smell butternut squash from miles away.
  • Cube and roast the “pretty” part of the squash, and cook and mash the rest.
  • Good catch!
    I cannot refuse this dog! ❤

For this year’s version of my recipe, I went heavier on the kale than usual. It would be perfectly fine to use half as much, and perhaps double the mushrooms or increase the butternut squash to make up some of the volume. You could also substitute swiss chard or spinach; it all depends on your palate.

  • I know this seems like a ton of kale…
  • But that whole pile cooks down to fit in this one bowl.

I chose Gouda and fontina cheeses for this dish because of their creamy, meltable texture and rich, nutty flavors. Some other cheeses would work well in this dish, including Havarti, Gruyere, raclette, mild white cheddar or Monterey jack. I do not recommend mozzarella, which has too much “pull.” 

Normally, I use a special square lasagna baking dish, but we are in the middle of planning for this remodel, and darned if I can find it! No worries, I pulled out a glass 9 x 13 and it worked great. The noodles do not have to be boiled first; I usually just moisten them for several minutes in hot water while I get everything else into place. If the noodles are layered next to ingredients with plenty of moisture, they will cook just fine.

We are still trying to trim down the pantry, so I used the random lasagna noodles we already had!

Prep the Squash

Divide the squash so that you have uniform cubes from the neck of the squash, which you will toss in olive oil, salt and pepper, and then roast at 350°F until evenly browned, about 40 minutes. Allow it to cool on the pan before transferring to a separate bowl. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the lasagna.

Add the remaining squash (from the bulb end) to a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until fork tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

  • The solid neck of the squash is easily cubed.
  • Go for extra flavor with mushroom and sage olive oil!
  • Roast the cubes until they are nicely browned.
  • Simmer the rest, then drain and mash.

Prep the Kale

Strip the heavy stems and wash the kale leaves. Working in batches, pulse handfuls of the kale about six times in a food processor, until kale is a fine texture. Sauté in olive oil until wilted and lightly browned on some of the edges. Just before cooking the last batch, sauté the chopped onion in the skillet first, then add kale. Season this final batch with salt and pepper and combine with previously cooked kale. Set aside.

  • This is actually easier than buying kale in bags. Just zip the leaves right off the stems.
  • Give the kale a thorough rinse under running water.
  • Pulse in a processor until the leaves are small bits.
  • Lemon-fused olive oil brightens the flavor!

Prep the Mushrooms

Clean and dry the mushrooms, then trim the stems and slice evenly. Brown the mushrooms, about one-third at a time, in olive oil. Season the last batch with salt, pepper and a few sprinkles of dried thyme leaves. Combine all mushrooms in a separate bowl and set aside.

  • I use my trusty egg slicer to make easy, uniform slices.
  • This is 8 oz. cremini and 4 oz. shiitake. Use your favorites!
  • Cook them in batches for even browning.

Prep the Ricotta Mixture

Drain the ricotta in a mesh strainer over a bowl. Stir occasionally to evenly strain the excess liquid from the cheese. Different brands will release varying amounts of liquid, but 30 minutes should do it. Discard the drained liquid. Add lemon zest, fresh garlic and black pepper to the ricotta. Stir in egg. Set aside for now if you’re working ahead.

  • Depending on the brand, draining will release a little moisture, or a lot.
  • Lemon zest, fresh garlic and black pepper are my add-ins.
  • And stir one egg into the mixture for extra protein and even baking.

Make the Bechamel

Remember, this is just a fancy French word that means “thickened cream sauce.” It’s easy to make! I prefer to make the bechamel just before assembling the lasagna, but if you are pressed for time, it’s fine to make it ahead and then re-heat in a pot until it is a smooth, pourable consistency. There are several steps for this component, and several flavorful add-ins, so I’ll describe it in pictures.

  • This is a typical bechamel, with equal parts melted butter and all-purpose flour.
  • When the mixture is blended and bubbly, you may add the milk.
  • This time, I let it cook a few minutes longer until the butter was browned and very fragrant.
  • Add the milk, half at a time, and whisk after each addition until mixture is blended and thickened.
  • For layers of flavor, there are several add-ins to this bechamel. First, nutmeg, and freshly grated is best.
  • A whole head of roasted garlic also gets whisked in. Mine went straight to the bottom before I could snap a photo!
  • About 2/3 cup of the boiled and mashed butternut squash also gets mixed in.
  • Finally, one cup of the shredded cheese.
  • There is nothing wrong with proceeding directly from this point, because the lumps in this sauce will never be seen inside the lasagna.
  • But I love hitting my bechamel with the immersion blender. About 60 seconds will do it.
  • There, much smoother and so creamy!
  • White pepper will give the sauce some undernotes of heat.

Heat a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter until melted. Whisk in flour and cook until it is bubbly, lightly browned and fragrantly nutty. Add the milk, about half at a time, whisking the first amount until smooth before adding the rest. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened and bubbly. Whisk in about 2/3 cup of the mashed butternut squash and cook until heated through. Stir in shredded gouda, whisking until melted. Use an immersion blender, if you have one, to blend the bechamel sauce to a super-smooth consistency. This is not an essential step, but I love the silky texture that is achieved with the blender. Keep the sauce warm enough to be pourable and spreadable for assembling the lasagna.

Assemble and Bake

Ladle about 1/2 cup of the butternut-bechamel sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Then, layer the individual components as follows:

  • Begin with a thin layer of bechamel, then noodles, and ricotta mixture spread on top. This first layer is always a little tricky because everything is slippery, but it gets easier.
  • Layer half of the kale-onion mixture, then some of the shredded cheese and a few spoons of the bechamel. Time for a second layer of noodles.
  • Gently press down each new layer of noodles, to squish the bechamel sauce into the crevices of the other ingredients.
  • Ricotta goes on top, and the moisture in it will help ensure even cooking of the noodles.
  • I am crazy about roasted butternut squash, and it is very high in beta carotene. There’s no harm in using lots of it in this layer.
  • More shredded cheese, and a little more bechamel if you have enough. I reserved mine for the top layer this time.
  • The last of the ricotta goes on next.
  • The final layer has the remaining kale-onion mixture and the browned mushroom slices. And, of course, the rest of the bechamel.
  • Scatter on the remaining shredded cheese, then a handful or two of parm-romano blend. Cover the dish with foil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes to help the noodles soften.
  • Remove the foil and bake the casserole at 350° F for about 45 minutes, until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is beautifully browned.
  • Happy fall, y’all! 🙂

Cover casserole with plastic wrap or foil and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes, to give the noodles time to absorb some of the moisture from the other ingredients. Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in center position.

Remove wrap or foil and bake about 45 minutes, or until layers are bubbly throughout and cheese on top is browned in several places.

Let the lasagna rest about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Roasted Butternut Squash LasagnaPrint it!

Coq au Vermouth

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Excuse me, where is the umbrella?

I spent two years in French class during high school, and that is pretty much all I remember how to ask—“excusez-moi, où est le parapluie?” I suppose it is a question that would have been essential had I become a world traveler (I didn’t), and in fact it was a common question asked among my fellow French club members when we took our senior trip to Quebec City, Canada—they don’t speak much English there, in case you didn’t know. It rained the entire three-day weekend, but it was still a glorious visit to a city rich with history and speckled with exquisite, copper-roofed buildings.

Spanish would undoubtedly have been a more useful class for me, given the increase of Spanish-speaking people in the U.S. since I graduated all those years ago. But there was something sooo sexy about the French spoken word, and well, my best friend signed up for French so I did, too. Our teacher was cool and we got to choose our own names for the class, which was good because there wasn’t a name on the list that was a literal translation for Terrie. My friend Debbie became Christine, pronounced CREE-steen, my friend Christine became Danielle and yours truly selected the name Jacqueline, which was fun to say—zhah-KLEEN, like the French fashion designer who steals Nigel’s dream job in The Devil Wears Prada.

French class was always lively, and we were encouraged to play up the accent and the nasal sound as much as possible. We went through round after round of language exercises, covering the French words for common places, including the bookstore (la librairie) and the library (la bibliothèque) and reciting all the various tenses of the verb words, and for every kind of individual and group instance. For example: for the verb “go,” we would cycle through the French words that meant, “I go, you go, he goes, she goes, we go and they go.” Round and round we went, and after all that repetitious recitation, all I remember how to say is “where is the umbrella?”

Anyway, for me, there is still a lot of mystery and intrigue associated with the French language, and I learned during my short time working in the Pinch of Thyme catering kitchen that if you want people to swoon over food, call it something French! As luck would have it, I do at least remember some of the French words for certain foods, including poulet (chicken), champignons (mushrooms) and carottes (carrots, obviously). I was excited to find this recipe in my most recent digital edition of Imbibe magazine because I have used splashes of vermouth in a few dishes and found it more complex and vibrant than wine, which would traditionally be used for braising chicken in the classic coq au vin. But this recipe was more than a splash, it was a generous amount in a very French-technique kind of recipe.

I could not resist turning this into a Sunday Supper meal, with a side of buttered red bliss potatoes and sauteed spinach, and it was—how shall I say—très délicieux!

This dish was rich and succulent, exactly as it should be. The chicken thighs remained tender and moist.

A word or few about vermouth…

I have known about vermouth for decades, but it has only been the past couple of years that I have become more closely acquainted with it, and today I almost always have a bottle open in the fridge for an end-of-day gin martini. Vermouth is a fortified wine, which means other alcohol has been added to grapes during fermentation, and that results in higher alcohol by volume than typical wine. Any variety of botanical ingredients are thrown into the process as well, including herbs, bitter ingredients, bark, roots and spices. Vermouth may be red or white, dry or sweet or really sweet, depending on its origin and method, and it is commonly used as an ingredient for classic cocktails, including martinis and Manhattans. Vermouth, on its own, is also a popular apéritif (pre-dinner drink) in Spain, Italy, France and my house.

In a literal French-to-English translation, coq au vermouth would demand use of a rooster, but it is not every day that you’d find such a creature in your local market. Large hen thighs is what I used for the recipe, and it was tender, flavorful and oh so fancy. Don’t be intimidated, though, because despite all of the foreign language I’ve been throwing around, this was a very simple dish to make. All you need is a cast iron skillet, chicken thighs, bacon, mushrooms and mirepoix—oops, another French word that is simply a mix of carrots, onions and celery. All that, plus a decent amount of dry white vermouth. Don’t worry, vermouth is easy to find, wherever you might buy wine. To keep the recipe true to its origin, choose a brand from France. I used Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry, dry, in the green bottle. 😊

This is one of my go-to vermouth brands for Gibson cocktails:
2 oz. dry gin, 1/2 oz. dry vermouth, shaken or stirred with ice, strained into a cocktail glass and served with a pickled pearl onion.

Inspired by Coq au Vermouth – Imbibe Magazine

Ingredients

3 slices bacon, cut into thin pieces

4 large, free-range chicken thighs (bone-in and skin-on)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 medium onion, sliced or diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thick diagonal slices

2 stalks celery, cleaned, ribs removed and diced

3 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced

About 1 cup cremini mushrooms, cleaned and cut into quarters

1/2 cup dry vermouth (extra dry would be fine, also)

1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

2 fresh sprigs of thyme

2 Tbsp. cold butter

Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon

Instructions

Let’s run through it in pictures first, and if you keep scrolling, you’ll find the instructions spelled out (in English), and I’ll also include a downloadable PDF for your recipe files.

  • For this recipe, I used bacon with a slightly smoky flavor. Cook in the skillet until the fat renders somewhat and the edges of the bacon are crispy.
  • There is no need to rinse chicken parts. Simply pat them dry and season liberally with salt and pepper before frying.
  • Keep your spatter screen handy, because the thighs will pop and spew as you crisp up the skin!
  • This three-ingredient combo is called “mirepoix” and it sounds almost like you are saying “mirror pwah.” These aromatics are essential in the base of many French dishes.
  • I’m very fond of these drippy pan leavings. Actually, “fond” is what a French chef would call it. Keep it, because there is incredible flavor lurking in the skillet.
  • Saute the mirepoix in the fond until the onions and celery are slightly softened.
  • Add the quartered mushrooms and garlic to this medley mixture, which the French would call a “mélange.”
  • The broth-vermouth mixture will de-glaze the skillet, picking up all that lingering flavor for you to enjoy.
  • Arrange the crispy thighs right on top of the mélange, Note that they will not stay crispy, but searing them rendered the chicken fat into the skillet, and fat = flavor.
  • Scatter the crispy bacon all over the skillet ingredients.
  • Lay the thyme leaves across the whole thing, and cover the skillet. Reduce the heat to simmer for about half an hour. Just enough time to enjoy a dry martini. 🙂
  • At the end of simmer time, the chicken skin has softened again, delivering all the flavor back into the skillet. Discard the thyme sprigs and transfer the chicken to a separate dish.
  • It’s easy to see how rich the mélange is already, but we will push the envelope by blending in the butter. Add a squeeze of lemon at this point, too.
  • I gave the chicken thighs one final, skin-down dip into the mixture before plating.
  • Plate the chicken thighs, and spoon a generous amount of the vegetable mélange over the top of each piece.
  • Every bite of this meal was utterly delicious! The ingredients are simple, and it all happens in one skillet.
  1. Place a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken thighs liberally with salt and pepper. Cook the bacon until the fat is rendered and the edges begin to crisp. Transfer the pieces to a paper-towel lined dish, keeping all the bacon grease in the skillet. Arrange the chicken thighs, skin side down, into the skillet. Cook them until the skin is crispy and golden, then turn the pieces and cook the other side about two minutes.
  2. Transfer the thighs to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep them warm. Add the mirepoix (carrots, onions and celery) to the fond (pan drippings) in the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and mushrooms, tossing with the other vegetables until slightly browned. Pour in the vermouth and vegetable broth, and simmer for about two minutes.
  3. Return the chicken thighs to the skillet, skin side up. Sprinkle the bacon pieces over the top and lay the whole thyme sprigs in a criss-cross fashion over the combination. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet tightly and simmer about 30 minutes.
  4. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate. Add the cold butter and lemon juice to the simmered vegetable mixture and stir until it is a rich, luscious sauce. Just before plating, place the thighs, skin side down, into the skillet to drench them in the sauce. Plate the chicken, then spoon the simmered vegetable mixture (a.k.a. mélange) over the thighs.
I love when an elegant dish is this simple!
Coq au Vermouthbon appétit!

Cajun Shrimp & Garlicky Cheese Grits

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Take a road trip across the Southeast, and you’ll find a wide array of flavors and presentation in dishes that all claim to be “shrimp and grits.”

And they all are.

There is no right-or-wrong when it comes to this classic southern dish. Whether served with a lush and savory gravy, or piled high with onions, peppers and tomatoes, or spiked with spicy andouille or tasso ham, cheese or no cheese, you are guaranteed a flavorful experience. Over the 34 years that I’ve lived in N.C., I’ve developed my own recipe into what I believe captures the best of all the varieties I’ve tasted around these parts, though I can’t claim to make it the same every time. My “comfort du jour” usually depends on what ingredients are in the fridge, and many times, my decision to make shrimp and grits is a last-minute one.

I almost always have good quality, wild American shrimp in the freezer. I’m guaranteed to have some kind of pork product—ham, bacon, sausage or chorizo—and just about any kind of onion or pepper works, so whatever I have on hand can slide into place. I may or may not incorporate cheese, depending on the other ingredients. One thing that remains constant is my method of cooking the grits. You cannot rush them, and for goodness sake, don’t cheat yourself by using instant. It should take a minimum of 20 minutes on the stove, unless you have, you know, “magic grits.” I think we all remember how that played out in My Cousin Vinny.

If you have ever eaten grits and thought they were, well, gritty—the simple explanation is that they were not cooked long enough or with enough liquid. Grits (or polenta, which is nearly the same thing) are made of broken-down, dried corn. They are tooth-cracking hard straight from the package, and I have found that it takes a good bit longer than the package instructions suggest to get them right. They are kind of like oatmeal in that regard—you can have creamy, soft oatmeal that drips off the spoon, or sticky, gloppy oatmeal that sticks to everything it touches. The difference is all in the cooking process.

The other complaint some people have about grits is a common one—“they’re so bland.” And if you use only water to cook them, they certainly are. Grits do not have much flavor on their own, but you can coax the flavor out of those dry little kernels with the right technique and the right stuff. In other words, ignore the package instructions and use your own cooking instincts. There is no magic to it. 😉

Here’s my secret for perfect, creamy grits every time: treat them like risotto. Cook them low and slow, with plenty of broth additions and plenty of stirring, and finish them with a little cream or half and half. You’ll be rewarded with a silky, luxurious base for whatever you choose to pile on top of them.

These grits are perfectly creamy, with no clumps and no gritty texture.

For this batch of shrimp and grits, I used smoked andouille sausage, cut up and lightly fried until the edges were crispy, sautéed cremini mushrooms, a sprinkle of Cajun seasoning on the shrimp, and scallions on top to finish the dish. The grits, as always, were creamy and delicious, with a few cloves of chopped garlic in the broth and just enough cheddar cheese at the end, to give them some extra body, and a few shakes of RedHot sauce for tangy-spicy flavor.

This recipe serves 2, with a scoop of grits left over to go under your weekend eggs.

There’s so much texture here, beginning with the juicy shrimp and crispy sausage, and down to the creamy, cheesy grits. This is one of our faves!

Ingredients

1 cup yellow grits, a.k.a. polenta* (see notes)

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

About 2 cups hot water, as needed for cooking the grits*

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

Frank’s RedHot Original sauce, to taste*

2 Tbsp. light cream or half and half*

1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Extra virgin olive oil for sautéing

2 links smoked andouille sausage, cut into bite-size pieces

Handful of cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

About 2/3 pound of wild-caught shrimp, peeled and de-veined

A few shakes of your favorite Cajun seasoning*

2 scallions (green onions), trimmed and sliced

*Notes

For the best results, and creamy grits, do not use anything packaged as “instant.” My preferred brand is Bob’s Red Mill polenta, which you can find in well-stocked supermarkets, including Super Walmart.

It’s helpful to heat the water in a teakettle or the microwave ahead of time and keep it on standby. When you add liquid to polenta or risotto that is already cooking, you want the liquid to be warm.

As always, you will need to adjust the salt amount to work with your other ingredients. I lean toward low-sodium versions of broth and seasonings so that I have more control of the overall salt in my recipes. Check your labels and taste as you go.

I love the flavor of RedHot sauce, but Texas Pete or Tabasco would also be good for a spike of flavor in the grits.

For readers abroad, “half and half” is a term used to describe a popular dairy product in the U.S. It is essentially equal parts light cream and whole milk, with about 12% milkfat.

We use a dry Cajun seasoning that my husband picked up in New Orleans, but there are plenty of options available in your supermarket. You could also make up your own, with some combination of garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper and thyme.

Instructions

I’m a visual learner. If you are, too, then follow along with my slideshow or keep scrolling for written instructions and a pdf you can download for your recipe files.

  • When the seasoned broth reaches a high simmer/low boil stage, add the grits and stir immediately to prevent clumping.
  • The mixture will be very thin at this point. Stir frequently until the grit kernels are obviously expanded and absorbing the broth.
  • When it seems less like soup and more like porridge, it is time to add more liquid.
  • Use warm water in each addition, and repeat with 1/2 cup amounts of water at a time.
  • While the grits are going, prep the ingredients for your shrimp topping. I cut the andouille sausage into half-moon shapes and tossed them into a skillet with olive oil to crisp them up.
  • Move the sausage to the outer edge of the skillet and saute the mushrooms as well, until browned on both sides.
  • Near the end of cooking time for the grits, shake in a little hot sauce if you desire, as much or as little as your taste buds like.
  • Finish the grits by stirring in a splash of light cream or half and half.
  • Stir in about 1/3 cup shredded cheddar, sharp or mild as you prefer. Allow it time to melt into the grits.
  • Season the prepared shrimp with your favorite Cajun seasoning, but not so much that it overwhelms the sweet shrimp flavor.
  • I place the shrimp into the preheated pan, one at a time, and by the time the last one goes in, the first is just about ready to turn. Follow the same order for turning them.
  • Transfer the sausage and mushrooms back to the skillet, and give the mixture a few quick tosses to heat through.
  • These grits are perfectly creamy, with no clumps and no gritty texture.
  • Top a mound of the grits with the sausage, mushrooms and shrimp. Garnish with a quick scatter of the sliced scallions.
  • This is just one of many ways to enjoy shrimp and grits. I’ll share some other versions in a future post. 🙂
  • A smooth and smoky red wine is just the right accompaniment to the smoked sausage and Cajun flavors.

  1. Place a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add vegetable broth, garlic, salt and pepper, and heat to nearly boiling. Add polenta, stirring constantly until it is fully mixed with the broth and no visible clumps appear. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid is absorbed.
  2. Add hot water, 1/2 cup at a time, and continue with frequent stirring until each addition is absorbed and grits take on a smooth, creamy appearance. This may be up to 2 cups of additional liquid, and may take as long as 40 minutes.
  3. When grits achieve desired consistency, add a few shakes of RedHot sauce and stir in the light cream. Stir in shredded cheddar until melted and smooth. Remove grits from heat and cover to keep warm until you are ready to assemble the dish with the shrimp and other ingredients.
  4. Season the prepared shrimp with a few shakes of Cajun dry seasoning, and toss to let the flavor meld with the shrimp.
  5. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and brown the andouille sausage bits until they have slightly crispy edges. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan, tossing to brown them on both sides. Transfer sausage and mushrooms to a bowl.
  6. In the same skillet, again over medium heat, swirl in another tablespoon of olive oil. When oil is shimmering, place shrimp into the pan, one at a time. Allow them to cook, undisturbed, about one minute, then begin turning them, following the same order, to cook the other side.
  7. Add the cooked sausage and mushrooms back to the skillet and give the whole thing a few quick tosses to heat everything through.
  8. Spoon a generous amount of grits onto your serving bowls or plates, top with sausage, shrimp and mushrooms. Sprinkle dish with scallions and serve.

Time for dinner!
Cajun Shrimp and Garlicky Cheese GritsGet it!