Tag Archives: Mushrooms

Pork Tenderloin with Cheesy Polenta

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , ,
Pork Tenderloin and Mushroom Sauce

Pork Tenderloin and Mushroom Sauce

With a name like pork tender loin you would expect this cut of meat to be tender, right?   I may be in the minority here, but I’ve had the experience where it wasn’t tender at all;  more like dry, stringy, tough.  Did I do something wrong that ruined it,  or was it the cut of meat?   Most of the recipes I see for pork tenderloin have you cooking it (in the oven) at a very hot temperature, for a short time.  This may be the method of choice, but it doesn’t give me the results I want.

One thing I know about cooking most meats, is that the outside of it needs to be sealed in some way in order to contain its juices within.  This is what makes a cut juicy.  Without this step, cooking it at a high temperature will only dry it out,  and that equals tough!

So, with that in mind, I experimented with a pork tenderloin that weighed about a pound.  The recipe that follows describes what I did, and I’ll tell you right now that I got the results  I wanted:  a juicy, tender piece of meat with the added benefit of deep umami flavor thanks to the browning of the meat and the mushrooms used in the sauce.  Served with a cheesy polenta to spoon the sauce over,  this meal was outstanding.  In the words of my husband, it was “plate-licking good”.

A moist cut of pork with mushroom sauce to spoon over polenta.

A moist cut of pork with mushroom sauce to spoon over polenta.

PORK TENDERLOIN with CHEESY POLENTA

SERVINGS:   about 4

  • 3 Tablespoons EVOO, divided
  • 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 pound weight
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 small – medium shallots, finely chopped
  • 1  8-ounce pkg. mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup cream, light cream or half and half
  • 1 cup polenta ( cornmeal that cooks in 3 minutes)
  • 6 ounces shredded semisoft cheese, such as fontina, gouda, or jarlsburg
  • chopped flat-leaf parsley, or dried parsley, for garnish

1.  Preheat the oven to 375*F, and lightly spray a baking dish appropriately sized to the meat.

2.  In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon oil over medium heat.  Season the meat all over with salt and pepper, and cook in the skillet, turning until browned, about 10 minutes.  Do not skimp on this step, it’s what produces the sear to keep the juices inside.

3.Transfer meat to the prepared baking dish.  Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.  Put into the oven and roast until the temperature registers 145*—-about 12 – 15 minutes.  When temperature has been reached, remove from the oven, cover with foil to keep warm and let rest while you continue.

4.  In the skillet, add the remaining 2 Tablespoons oil, and over medium heat cook the shallots and mushrooms until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and simmer until reduced, about 3 minutes.  Cover and remove from heat.

5.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring 3 1/4 cups water and the cream to a boil.  Whisk in the polenta.  Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, whisking, until thick, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the cheese;  season with salt and pepper.  Cover and keep warm.

6.  Transfer the pork to a cutting board and slice on an angle.  Arrange on a serving dish, top with mushroom sauce and garnish with parsley.  Serve with polenta.

Slice pork, pour mushroom sauce over top.

Slice pork, pour mushroom sauce over top.

Cheesy Polenta

Cheesy Polenta

IMG_2966

This meal can be completed by the addition of a green vegetable, such as green beans or broccoli.  In the event polenta does not appeal to you,  substitute mashed potatoes or rice to spoon the sauce over.  It will be very good however you serve it.

SOURCE:  A Carolyn Original

Chicken with Mushrooms and Onions in Balsamic Cream Sauce

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , , ,
Chicken with mushrooms and onions in a balsamic cream sauce.

Chicken with mushrooms and onions in a balsamic cream sauce.

Challenge day # 3 without a refrigerator.  This is the requirement right now:  cook with what you have on hand, ONLY.  Going to the grocery store to fill in the blanks is not an option.   Today these were the food items that had priority for usage:  a package of 6 chicken tenders that had defrosted,  a half-package of mushrooms,  some  light cream, and part of a can of chicken broth.  To those ingredients I added 1 large onion, some balsamic vinegar and some butter to come up with what turned out to be a very good chicken dish.

The chicken tenders worked well because they cooked quickly, and remained tender in the cream sauce.  You could also use boneless chicken breasts, cut vertically in half, so they are not too thick.  The amount of sauce is plentiful, so it’s a good idea to plan rice or noodles to spoon it over.  I used a package of herbed rice pilaf with our meal.  To go along with this I used up the leftover  herbed butternut squash from day #1.

This is how I created this entree:     CHICKEN WITH BALSAMIC CREAM SAUCE, MUSHROOMS AND ONIONS

YIELD:   Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

  • Chicken tenders, at least 6 pieces, or 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut vertically in half.

  • Chicken Tenders

    Chicken Tenders

  • 1 large onion, cut vertically in half, then sliced into “half-moons”.

  • A large onion, cut into "half-moons".

    A large onion, cut into “half-moons”.

  • 1 pkg. mushrooms, (or less), sliced or halved

    Mushrooms, butter, and chicken broth.

    Mushrooms, butter, and chicken broth.

  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2  cup cream, light cream, or half and half
  • 3 Tablespoons butter, divided
  • 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Over medium heat, in a large skillet, melt 1 Tablespoon butter.

Hot skillet with butter melted.

Hot skillet with butter melted.

Add the sliced onions, reduce heat to low and sauté until nicely caramelized, about 15 minutes.  Remove to a bowl, and set aside.

Nicely browned, caramelized onions.

Nicely browned, caramelized onions.

2.  Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter in the same skillet, add chicken pieces and cook to brown each side.  Chicken will not be fully cooked at this point.  Remove to a plate.

Chicken browned, but not thoroughly cooked.

Chicken browned, but not thoroughly cooked.

3.  Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits into the broth.  Add the cream and balsamic vinegar and stir.  Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper.  Decrease heat to low and simmer a few minutes.

Saute mushrooms, add broth and cream.

Saute mushrooms, add broth and cream.

4.  Bring heat back up to medium.  Add the chicken and onions to the pan mixture and cook the chicken all the way through.

5.  To serve, transfer chicken pieces to a serving dish, pour mushroom-onion-cream-sauce over the top and garnish with parsley if you wish.  (I did not have any parsley on hand.)

A satisfying dish of chicken, mushrooms and onions in a rich cream sauce.

A satisfying dish of chicken, mushrooms and onions in a rich cream sauce.

Our assessment of this dish?  My husband said ” UHMMM! this is great”.  But he loves mushrooms, so anything with mushrooms in it is AOK with him.  I thought it was a very good combination of flavors.  Most importantly for me is that the chicken remained moist and tender.  I always worry about white meat chicken becoming dried out, tough and chewy, but this didn’t.  The cream in the sauce smoothed out the tang of the vinegar, with the vinegar providing a dark color to the sauce. The mushrooms and onions rounded out the dish and were a good compliment over all.  I’m glad I made rice to go with it to put the sauce on.  I will definitely be making this dish again.

SOURCE:   A Carolyn Original

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Appetizers, Side Dish and tagged with , , , , , ,

I made these mushrooms as a side dish to go with grilled steak and wow! were they good.  They would also be great as an appetizer, especially if you use small mushrooms that can be eaten with the fingers.  My package of mushrooms contained 15 ranging in size from large to medium and two of us ate them all.

I took the liberty of adding 1/2 cup canned crab meat to the filling for no good reason except that I wanted to.  On second thought I think that was a good reason!. For a strictly vegetarian version omit the crab meat.   I have made this recipe in the past exactly as written and it is very good, so either way you prepare them I’m sure you will like mushrooms this way.

INGREDIENTS:

Serves  3-4

  • 12 large fresh mushrooms
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small onion, minced  (I used scallions, about 2 tablespoons, chopped)
  • 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
  • 3 Tablespoons dry sherry  ( I used white wine)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup shredded crab meat,  optional

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a pie plate or other shallow baking pan.  Select one  that will hold all your mushrooms in a snug fit, so they support each other.  They will shrink some as they bake.

2.  Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel.  Snap off the stems and mince them.

3.  Melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and onion and sauté  briefly, stirring.  Add the minced mushroom stems and sauté  5 minutes more.  Remove pan from the heat.

4.  Stir in the bread crumbs, and all remaining ingredients, including crab meat, if using.

5.  Place mushroom caps in the prepared baking dish.  Place a dab of the remaining tablespoon of butter inside each mushroom cap.  Mound some stuffing in the caps, pressing it in with your fingers.

6.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until the mushrooms are brown, tender and juicy.

I served the mushrooms with sirloin tip steak, and steamed broccoli.

SOURCE:    Quick Vegetarian Pleasures,  Jeanne Lemlin

Umami Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with , , , ,

Have you been reading or hearing the word Umami a lot lately?  I have, and no, it does not mean an asian vegetable, fish or any other kind of food.  It is the “fifth taste”, say many food writers; to be added to salty, sweet, acidic and bitter.  Umami is a rich deep flavor such as that  of cooked mushrooms, for example, or aged cheese.  There is lots of umami in this dish what with the mushrooms, tamari and sesame oil.  The dish goes together very quickly, once you have the vegetables sliced and ready.  Purchase precooked shrimp from the market, and save even more time.

UMAMI SHRIMP AND VEGETABLE STIR FRY

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons tamari ( reduced sodium soy sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • dash pepper
  • 1/2 pound cooked shrimp
  • 1 small head broccoli  florets
  • cooked noodles
  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Salt lightly and add raw broccoli.  Cook broccoli florets to crisp tender and remove with a skimmer to a plate.  Use the same water, and cook noodles as package directs.  As pictured here, I used Angel Hair pasta, but any thin pasta will do fine.
  2. While broccoli and pasta are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok or large shallow skillet, over high heat.  Add the mushrooms, stir-fry until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
Transfer mushrooms to a plate.  Add more oil to pan, if needed.  Add the green onions, and stir-fry 1 minute.
Add the 1/2 cup chicken broth, tamari, sesame oil and  pepper to taste.  Heat to boil.  Stir in 1/2 pound  cooked shrimp and cooked broccoli, and reserved mushrooms.
Heat until hot.
Drain noodles, and serve with shrimp and vegetable mixture over the top.

Serves 2

Adapted by Carolyn from a newspaper article.