Wild Mushroom, Cream and White Wine Fettuccine

Nutty, meaty wild mushrooms mingle with sweet coconut cream and floral white wine in this wonderful fettuccine dish that’s quick enough for a weeknight but fancy enough for company.

Is there anything better than wild, foraged mushrooms? Yes! Wild, foraged mushrooms that were gifted to you. Nah, not really. I really like foraging for mushrooms actually, but I literally jumped for joy when my mom gave me one pound (yes, 1 lb!!!) of fresh, hedgehog mushrooms that she gathered in Seward, Alaska. It’s a three hour drive from where we live, which is a little far to take the wee one, so obviously I was beyond ecstatic.

I’m new to mushroom hunting; this year I gathered and cooked up some birch boletes and puffballs, basically whatever I found on our walks. Oliver helped, carrying around a small wicker basket filled with our finds: wild mushrooms, and raspberries and kale from the garden. #cutestthingever Check out my instagram @katiecski for those photos, you won’t be sorry. Next year I hope to seriously go out mushroom hunting in our area. I would die to find some morels and chanterelles! What about you? Are you a master of wild mushrooms?

Wild Mushroom, Cream and White Wine Fettuccine

Recipe by Kathleen @ Produce On Parade

Nutty, meaty wild mushrooms mingle with sweet coconut cream and floral white wine in this wonderful fettuccine dish that’s quick enough for a weeknight but fancy enough for company.

Ingredients

• 1 lb dry fettuccine pasta
• 1 tbsp vegan butter
• 1 lb of wild mushrooms or cremini (I used wild hedgehog mushrooms), cleaned and sliced
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup vegan white wine
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 tbsp red miso
• ½ cup canned coconut milk
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dry thyme)
• ½ tsp seasoning salt or table salt
• ½ tsp lemon pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling add a dash of salt then cook pasta according to the package so it’s al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large high-rimmed frying pan. Saute the mushrooms in three batches, so that there is one single layer of mushrooms in the pan. Saute each batch for 5 minutes, until the mushrooms just start to stick to the bottom. Transfer to a medium bowl.
3. Once all the mushrooms are cooked, deglaze the pan a with a little water and saute the onion and garlic for about 5-8 minutes until just starting to brown.
4. Add all the mushrooms back to the pan and deglaze it with the wine, stir in the broth. Whisk the miso into the hot water and add to the pan. Whisk the milk and flour together then whisk slowly into the pan.
5. Stir in the thyme, salt, and pepper then the cooked pasta. Serve hot.

Stuffed Portobello Melts

Hearty and comforting, giant stuffed portobellos are a perfectly wonderful meal on their own or great as a side dish. On the table in 30 minutes, nutritious, and packed full of umami flavor, these meaty melts are sure to be a favorite and impress your dinner guests.

Todd and I love portobello mushrooms though I don't often serve them myself. We really enjoyed them grilled as 'steaks' at an upscale restaurant in downtown Cleveland (they were absolutely amazing). However, they really were a standout dish when we had them stuffed with a delicious bread filling at a charming little eatery in Hawaii. I knew I just had to try to recreate them. About a year ago, I made my own stuffed portobello mushroom caps a couple times but they were really underwhelming. I decided to take a break on trying to live up to our Hawiian portobello encounter... until now!

Third time's the charm; enter this fantastic fungi fête! This is redemption at it's finest. These portobello melts are comforting and gooey with melty cheese and savory bread crumbs, meaty mushrooms and sausage, and just the right balance of seasonings. I love how quick they come together and are so simple even our little Oliver was able to help out! These are definitely going to be on regular rotation in our house. I hope you love them as much as we do!

Stuffed Portobello Melts

Recipe by Kathleen @ Produce On Parade

Hearty and comforting, giant stuffed portobellos are a perfectly wonderful meal on their own or great as a side dish. On the table in 30 minutes, nutritious, and packed full of umami flavor, these meaty melts are sure to be a favorite and impress your dinner guests.

Yield: 4

Ingredients

• 4 large portobello mushrooms
• 1 cup vegan breadcrumbs (I use panko)
• ½ cup shredded vegan cheese
• 1 Tofurky Kielbasa sausage link, chopped small
• 3 tbsp white wine (or vegetable broth)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp large-flake nutritional yeast
• ¾ tsp seasoning salt or table salt + extra for sprinkling
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 4 slices of vegan cheese (I like Field Roast Chao)
• sprinkling of fresh lemon thyme, for garnish (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Clean the mushroom caps with a dry towel; remove and discard the stem. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and arrange the portobellos gills side up. Sprinkle each with a dash of salt and roast for 15 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients except for the slices of cheese and thyme. Spoon and pack the bread crumb filling within the cap of the mushrooms dividing it evenly between the four caps. Top each mushroom with one slice of cheese. Roast for another 10 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and garnish with lemon thyme. Serve hot.

Creamy Sage Polenta + Caramelized Onions and Portobellos

Do you ever feel fancy pants? Sometimes I do. Like if I go to the grocery store wearing something besides scrubs. If I rent a foreign film or wear shoes out other than boots or garden clogs. Brandishing a statement necklace (I have but one and you can bet I brandish it). Sometimes classy food can make me feel pretty snooty too.  Today's recipe is one classy dish indeed and definitely raised the stylish-food bar in our home. If you're in the need to impress guests or just want to sophisticate your palate (mine is très sophistiqué...okay, maybe not), then this is the perfect dinner for you. Honestly though, it's pretty good on a Friday night in yoga pants too. 

Sweet sage cashew cream blends with silky polenta as a fluffy bed for perfectly caramelized balsamic onions and portobello mushrooms.

Creamy Sage Polenta + Caramelized Onions and Portobellos 

Serves 3

• Onions & Portobellos:
• 1 Tbsp. vegan butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 large portobello cap, halved and sliced
• pinch of salt
• pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• Cashew Cream:
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked
• 1/4 cup water 
• 3 fresh sage leaves (1 Tbsp. chopped)
• 1/2 Tbsp. agave nectar
• pinch of salt
• Polenta:
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup dry polenta
• pinch of salt

Notes: Careful not to let the onions burn while caramelizing. Low heat is required, don't try to rush it. It should take about 30-40 minutes. 

Begin by soaking the 1 cup of cashews in fresh water (enough to cover) in a medium bowl.

To cook the onion and mushroom, melt the butter in a large frying pan or cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute for about 10 minutes, then add the portobello. Saute for an additional 20-30 minutes, until the onions are significantly shrunken and the onions have caramelized to a dark brown. Brown bits will accumulate on the bottom of the pan (this is called "fond"), but when the pan is deglazed it will come right off. However, if think it be starting to burn remove the pan from heat. Caramelizing takes a long time, so don't rush it. 

When they appear caramelized, stir in a pinch of salt and black pepper. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar, scraping up the fond. 

Meanwhile, drain and rinse the cashews then add them to a blender. Add in the remaining cashew cream ingredients. Blend on high until very smooth and set aside.

In a large saucepan, bring the water for the polenta to a boil over high heat. Add in the polenta while stirring as well as a pinch of salt. Continue to stir very often until smooth and all the water has evaporated, about 10 minutes. 

Add the cashew cream to the polenta and stir well to incorporate until clump-free. 

Serve hot as a bed of polenta, topped with the caramelized onions and portobellos.

Garnish with fresh sage. 

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German Word of The Day: Mushroom --> Pilz (pronounced: pills)

Good Deed of The Day: Today, I encourage you to simply wish yourself well, wish yourself happiness, and wish yourself free from suffering. That 's what I learned in my meditation today!

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