Rachel's Mushroom Pâté

Here's a fanTAStic idea for the upcoming  now-upon-us holiday cocktail party and open house season, whether you're planning your own or attending at least seven per weekend until New Year's Day.  Let's face it: a platter full of the three C's (cheeses, crudité, and charcuterie) are super easy for hosts to throw together and will satisfy most guests, but c'mon....it gets a little predictable. 

The humble, lovely mushroom gets elevated to prize-winning hors d'oeuvres status in this easy-to-make, everyone-is-happy appetizer:  It's rich and delicious but not heavy!  It's non-gluteny and vegetarian!  It goes well with wine, beer, cocktails, and, my personal favorite, Champagne!  Serve it with thin baguette slices, warmed pita triangles, or simple stone-ground wheat crackers, which you can find just about everywhere.  Avoid any flavored or too-sturdy crackers that will overwhelm the pâté's delicate brilliance.  This Mushroom Pâté is so incredibly delicious you'll be making fresh batches and playing with variations all through winter.  It stores well in tupperware in the fridge, so make big batches and then dole it out to people you really like.  *A final note: Presentation matters here, because whipped-up mushrooms do not make the most attractive thing on a buffet table: place a molded round of this on a colorful plate and surround with fresh herbs or grapes, or do it the easier way and just use a brightly colored bowl to hold the goods, surrounded by crackers and breads.  Everyone will be begging you for this recipe.

K, wishing you Bon appétit and happy holiday party season!

*I would recommend at least doubling, if not tripling this recipe.  It is that good.  Plus, it'll hold up well to stretch over several parties.  IF you really have leftovers, it makes a fabulous sandwich with some roasted peppers.

1 c. onions, minced
2 c. assorted mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 T. unsalted butter

some salt and fresh pepper
about 1/2 t. each thyme and paprika
plus a pinch each of tarragon and cayenne
1/3 c. sherry
2/3 c. blanched almonds (while blanched whole almonds are sometimes hard to find, you can almost always  purchase "slivered almonds" which are blanched and then slivered in the baking or nut section)
1 c. cream cheese, softened and at room temp

Sauté onions and mushrooms in the butter for about 10 minutes over medium-high heat, until they're nice and soft.  Add the next ingredients--salt through sherry--and sauté everything another 10 minutes or so.  At that point there shouldn't be too much liquid at the bottom.  If there is, keep cooking until it's mostly--but not totally--absorbed.

Meanwhile, pulverize the almonds  in your food processor until smooth.  Add in cream cheese.  Then add the mushroom mixture to the puréed nuts and cream cheese.  Whirl it around a few minutes until the mixture's nice and smooth.  Taste, and add salt and pepper if necessary.  Place in a sealed tupperware in the fridge.  See above for serving ideas.

Instant Love: Arugula Pesto

I might enjoy fall pesto variants even more than the traditional summer basil pesto. It'd be a hard choice. Maybe my love for a kale or arugula pesto is based in part on the fact that it reminds me of warmer days and sun and fresh tomatoes with pasta, all of which are sadly lacking as winter gets closer and closer. And, since I get home from work as the sun is setting, my internal clock says it's time for sleep and my cooking energies wane. Pestos add a snappy spruce to a quick weeknight meal, without much effort. Plus, added bonus, greens tend to be cheaper than basil, so you can get a lot more pesto for a lot less moolah.

Basically, all you need for a pesto is a nut, a green, some garlic, and some oil. A friend of mine even made one last week with green onions and almonds. As Roomie says, add a little garlic and some cheese, and you can make anything good, so pestos can be an easy way to add a little spinach or kale to your diet if you don't like the flavor too much. The process is simple: pulse some nuts, garlic cloves, and salt in a food processor until coarsely chopped, add your green of choice, and run your food processor while pouring in olive oil until your pesto is smooth. Stir in some parmesan if you'd like and you're ready to go. For heartier greens, like kale, you'll need to cook them first, but a fresh arugula or spinach can go straight into the mix.

For this batch, I used about a half a bag of baby arugula, a half cup of walnuts, 2-3 garlic cloves, and about a tablespoon of lemon juice (plus a lot of olive oil). Add the garlic cloves and lemon juice in intervals - you don't want them to overwhelm the flavor, and they can be easily added in later. Also, if fresh garlic flavor is too strong for your liking, hold the cloves in boiling water for about 30 seconds (e.g. water boiling for pasta) or pop them in the microwave for about 10 seconds - it'll cut the bite a bit. Slather the pesto on a tomato-mozzarella sandwich (like this one here), dollop on some hot pasta, or simply eat with some crusty bread.

Roasted Apple Risotto with Almonds and Arugula

 
This was one of those make-it-up on the spot recipes that worked out phenomenally well.  It started when roomie and I walked over to the Bloomfield farmer's market on a nice fall afternoon, and I wanted to buy some apples for lunches and snacking and such.  I bought a small basket of Cortlands, which the farm lady said would be great for eating as is.  Sadly, she was wrong.  The apples were totally wrong in taste and texture: slightly mushy/mealy, bland, and sad.  I didn't want to waste them, of course, and I considered ways I could cook them into something lovely.  Not too long before this apple shopping mishap, roomie had made a simple and delicious basic risotto with roasted sweet potatoes just gently stirred in.  It was delicious and comforting and oozed of homey fall goodness, so I thought I'd try to create a similar kind of sweet and savory autumnal risotto to redeem the bad apples.  So it's a pretty basic risotto, subbing in red onion and red wine for their usually yellow/white counterparts, with the addition of some roasted apple pieces and soymeat crumbles.  I don't usually brag too much, but this risotto on its own is really fantastic.   If you want to fancy it up even more and plate it restaurant-style to impress someone, instructions for that follow.  I listed the ingredients in a helpful prep order.

K, in creamy fall heaven!

 
Roasted Apple Risotto
1/2 tube Gimme Lean soy sausage, crumbled, and browned in a bit of canola oil (you can use the extra to make breakfast patties or just freeze it for future use)
3-4 unhappy apples, cored, diced, tossed in canola oil and roasted at 350 until soft and caramelized

2 T. unsalted butter
1 medium red onion, diced
1 1/2 c. arborio rice
scant 3/4 c. red wine (I used a pinot noir)
3-4 c. hot broth or stock
fresh thyme stripped from 3-4 sprigs 
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Brown the soy sausage and roast the apples while you prep and measure out the other ingredients and heat the broth or stock you're using.  Cover and set aside apples and soy sausage when done.
2. Melt butter over medium-high heat, add onions, and sauté until nice and soft.  Sprinkle with a bit of salt.
3.  Add rice to onions, and toss to coat in butter.  Cook just under 2 minutes.  Then add red wine, and stir until most, but not all, of the liquid is absorbed by the rice.  Add thyme.
4.  Add hot broth by the ladleful, stirring continuously and not adding more broth until the previous batch is mostly absorbed.  After adding 3 cups, taste the risotto for doneness.  The rice should be cooked but still firm--not mushy.  If it's too hard, keep adding broth until the proper tenderness is achieved.
5.  When the rice is fully cooked, stir in Parmesan, and add salt (at least 1/2 t.) and pepper to taste.  Stir in apples and soy sausage.  Cover the pot and let risotto rest for 2-3 minutes to warm the apples and soy sausage.  Stir the risotto and then spoon it into bowls and serve immediately.  Pass additional Parmesan for cheese freaks like me (and roomie).

If you want to fancy this up restaurant-style...
(1) prepare a balsamic syrup by reducing about 1/4 cup of a nice Balsamic with a few teaspoons of sugar over medium high, until the vinegar turns the consistency of a light syrup.  Add salt and sugar to taste if necessary.
(2) toast a few handfuls of slivered almonds until toasty brown.
(3) clean and dry a few bunches of arugula.

Plate a nice scoop of the risotto next to a handful of bright arugula.  Drizzle both with about a teaspoon of the Balsamic syrup; sprinkle with toasted almonds.  Win over the souls of your guests.

Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas with Walnut-Kale Pesto

The inspiration behind this meal was actually a frozen Kashi meal, Mayan Bake.  It's delicious, if you haven't tried it - quinoa, black beans, plantains, sweet potatoes, and kale.  I loved the idea of sweet potatoes and kale.  I enjoy the hearty green, but I get sick of just cooking it up with some onions and mushrooms.  So, I did a google search for "kale pesto" and bought some walnuts and I was ready to go.  

The first time I made this, I tossed it with pasta instead of chickpeas and I used a lot more olive oil.  I wanted a chunkier pesto this time around - just add the olive oil until you like what you see.  Also, I tried using lacinato or Tuscan kale this time around, but I recommend the regular curly kale, since it cooks softer and makes a smoother pesto.  

The flavors in this are pretty subtle, so it might not be an instant crowd pleaser.  Kale just doesn't pack the same punch as a basil or parsley based sauce.  But for me, it's hearty and healthy and with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan, it's a satisfying fall treat. 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas with Walnut-Kale Pesto

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into half-inch cubs

1 15-oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 bunch curly kale, torn into chunks
1/2 cup whole walnuts
4-5 cloves
1 tsp. lemon juice
Olive oil
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, plus more for garnish

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Toss sweet potato with olive oil and salt and roast until soft and brown.  About 20 minutes into the cooking, throw in the chickpeas.

2) In a large pot, bring a cup or two of water to a boil. Add the kale and a pinch of salt and cook until the kale is very soft, about 10 minutes.

3) In a food processes, pulse the walnuts until coarsely chopped. Add kale, garlic and lemon juice.  While food processor is on, add olive olive until well blended and the consistency you like.  Taste at least once for garlic, salt, and lemon juice.

4) Stir in Parmesan.

5) When sweet potatoes and chickpeas are finished, toss in a large bowl with kale and garnish with additional parmesan.

Instant Love: My Immersion Blender (and some soup)

Favorite Kitchen Tools

There are a few things in our kitchen that I use all the time. My bright red cast iron dutch oven, my santoku knife, my knife sharpener, a cutting board and a heat resistant spatula are usually all I need for a meal. The immersion blender, on the other hand, is one of those devices I don't use regularly, but whenever I do, I am in awe of how much easier it makes my life.  As I've mentioned previously, I am a clumsy woman and a damn clumsy cook.  Anything requiring the transport of hot heavy liquids into a standing blender usually ends in disaster.  Plus, I hate lugging out the blender or food processor and cleaning it and inevitably not cleaning it well enough so having to clean it again.  Such a pain.  That, my friends, is where my immersion blender comes in. Just one little device I can stick into the pot I'm already using, then rinse it off and stick in my dishwasher. Amazing!  Why don't I do this more??

Last week, I had a few foodie friends over for a New American themed dinner party where people were instructed to prepare a course and bring an appropriate beverage pairing.  In keeping with the season, I made a Celery Root Puree Soup (paired with prosecco, for those of you who were wondering). 

Celery Root Soup

1 large shallot, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large celery root (2 1/2 to 3 lbs), peeled and chopped
2-3 medium yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup white wine (or one 187mL mini-bottle)
2 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
4 cups stock
1 tbs. dried tarragon
1/2 cup shredded gruyere

In a large stock pan, saute the shallots and garlic with some salt and olive oil.  Add celery root and potatoes and stir till covered with oil.  Add white wine and cook about 3 minutes (to cook off the alcohol).  Add stock, apples, and tarragon and cook until celery root and potatoes are well cooked, 30-40 minutes.  Puree using immersion blender until smooth (strain through sieve if you want it even smoother).  Add gruyere and stir until melted.  Serve hot with additional gruyere (or gruyere chips - just bake some shredded gruyere until light brown).