Mushroom and Beet Greens Mini-Bakes

Mushroom bakes are a favorite of mine, especially in the winter, and I prepare them often, with different variations.

Mushrooms and Red Wine Beef Ossobuco

Hearty and aromatic Ossobuco stew is an ultimate dish for serving on a cold day. The cross-cut shanks with the bone, are the base for the dish. They are first pan fried, and then cooked with different vegetables and liquids, depending on regional variations and personal taste.

Turkey Patties with Mushrooms, Parsley and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Although I rarely use store ground meat, I’ve had good experience with a local farm product of ground dark turkey meat, and decided to use it once more. This time again, I wanted to add some bold flavors to the somewhat bland meat, and at the same time, add more interesting texture to the patties.

Spelt, Yogurt and Olive Oil Burekitas and Roulade, with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese Filling

The following recipe is a free-style version of the Sephardic Burekitas, (small hand pies), which I’ve previously posted here (check THIS and THIS posts).

Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Chestnuts in Red Wine Sauce

The following tasty dish is quick and easy to make, and will fill your kitchen with amazing earthy fragrances.

Eggplant, Mushrooms and Cheeses Bake

Both mushrooms and eggplants have unique texture and mild flavor, that blend beautifully with cheeses. In the dish here, I decided to combine both in one bake, and the result was just what I was hoping for:

Egg Noodles Bake with Mushrooms and Cheeses

This tasty and aromatic bake is the easiest way to serve pasta to a large party. It is based on the  East-European Jewish “Kugel” dish, that is more known in its sweet version.

Beef Ossobuco with Onions and Mushrooms

The following hearty dish, is perfect for a cold day. The Ossobuco steak (cross-cut beef shank, with the bone in the center), is one of the richest and tastiest cuts. Inspired by the traditional “ossobuco in bianco” (ossobuco in white sauce) dish, that originated around Milan, I’ve decided to cook it with smothered onions and mushrooms, beef stock, white wine, mustard, juniper berries and bay leaves. The result was a falling-of-the-bones tender meat and bone marrow, with rich and aromatic sauce.

Chicken Legs with Mushrooms and Tarragon

Tarragon is one of my favorite herbs, and I always enjoy finding new ways of using it. This time, the tasty classic combination of chicken with tarragon and white wine cream sauce, came to mind, but at the same time, I wanted a lighter sauce. Another favorite pairing – tarragon with mushrooms – also came to mind, and as I had both, it made sense to use them all in one dish. After sautéing the ingredients in a pot, I let it braise in the oven, which resulted an almost fall-of-the bones tender chicken.

A Few More Dishes with Tarragon Cashew Pesto

A few weeks ago, I posted a recipe for tarragon-cashew pesto (click HERE for the recipe), which is one of my favorites. I then mentioned that I use the pesto in numerous dishes. In the recipes here, you can find a few of these free-style dishes. Hopefully they will inspire you to use this, or any other type of pesto, in different, tasty ways. Try them and enjoy.

Israeli Couscous with Mushrooms

Israeli couscous is actually a type of toasted pasta, but the best way to cook it is to treat it like rice, with measured amount of water. This way of cooking will result al-dente and separated grains.