Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Steakhouse Mushrooms


Let me be honest for just a second.  I don't know if I should be proud that I found this recipe or horrified that I enjoy it so much.  I'll just share it and let you be the judge.  Moving on...

Ok, so these were called Italian mushrooms in the magazine I tore them from years ago, but I changed the name to steakhouse mushrooms because I'm classy.  Honestly, they make me think of something I'd get in a nice restaurant, and they pair beautifully with beef.  Make these, and you won't be sorry.  Make them for friends, and you'll be a hero.

Steakhouse Mushrooms
chefjennylyn.com

1 lb. medium fresh mushrooms
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 cup butter, melted (That's a whole stick, folks.)
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

In a medium pot, layer mushrooms and onion.  Combine butter and salad dressing mix; pour over vegetables.  Cover, and cook on low 4-5 hours or until vegetables are tender.  Serve with a slotted spoon. 
(You can also use a slow cooker for this recipe.)



The short ingredient list makes these ideal for those meals you need to take other people.  They've become part of my "You had a baby, so I'll cook for you" rotation because of this and the fact that I don't have to stir constantly, etc.  Here, mushrooms are draining in a Stainless Mesh Colander, and butter is in a 2-Cup Prep Bowl.  As always, my ingredients are resting on the Large Grooved Cutting Board, grooved side down.  I've got the 5" Santoku Knife and Small Mix 'n Scraper ready to go, and the 4-Qt. Stockpot from the Executive Cookware Collection is standing by.


Slicing onions is so simple and easy with the Forged Cutlery Collection.  My method is always to slice top to bottom, cut off the ends, keeping the fuzz, and then make slices.  Cut off the fuzz, and you've got perfectly sliced onions you didn't have to chase all over the cutting board.


Butter is melted in the 2-Cup Prep Bowl and whisked using a Stainless Mini-Whisk.  Have I ever told you how much I adore the Stainless Mini Whisk?  It's a wonderful, wonderful tool that fits all of my small bowls.  Look at those beautifully layered veggies in the pot!  For a brief moment, they'll have you thinking you're about to cook a deliciously healthy side dish.

 
Then this happens.  But seriously, you're serving these with a slotted spoon, so most of that butter gets left in the pan.  Don't be scared.  If you're looking for something simple, comforting, and sure to make your house smell amazing, get these mushrooms going right now.  Let me know how they turn out!
 
 
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Monday, July 28, 2014

Garlicky Grilled Shrimp


One day my husband mentioned that he thought grilled shrimp at home could be pretty good.  Even though I'd never done it before, I figured I'd just do what I always do when trying something new: Find a recipe that looks good, and follow the directions.  You know what?  It worked.  By the time I made these for the third time in just a couple of months, I decided I needed to take pictures and share the love.  Enjoy garlicky grilled shrimp, friends!  (Note: This recipe was in Food & Wine, but I tweaked it tremendously based on what I had available at the time. I like my version just fine.)

Garlicky Grilled Shrimp
chefjennylyn.com

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
8 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp. chicken broth
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Kosher salt and pepper
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Mix oil, onion, garlic, broth, lemon juice, and parsley.  Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.  Add everything together, and let stand for 15 minutes.  (This is a great time to pre-heat the grill.)

Thread the shrimp on 4 skewers, and rub the butter all over the shrimp.  Grill the shrimp over moderate heat, basting with the marinade and turning, just until cooked through, about 7 minutes.


I may not have a green thumb, but I can sure grow some parsley.  I now use my Professional Shears to cut herbs instead of tearing my plants up trying to do it by hand.


So I may have more than two tablespoons of parsley here... Anyway, all of my ingredients are out on the Large Grooved Cutting Board, grooved side down.  My broth is in an Easy Read Mini-Measuring Cup.  When it came to this recipe, I only measured the broth and oil.  Everything else, I kind of just threw in there because this is impossible to mess up.


After cleaning and halving my onions, I put those in the Manual Food Processor with the Parsley.  Get ready to see what I mean when I say this thing will do herbs.


Hello, beautiful mixture of onions and parsley.  You should smell my kitchen right now, by the way.


You've never seen me use the Garlic Peeler on here!  Put your garlic in, give it a roll with the palm of your hand, and get ready for the peel to pop right off.  This is especially handy when you want sliced garlic for a pizza or something.


Add the garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil to the Manual Food Processor.  I'm using the Citrus Press for the lemon, by the way.  No seeds in my marinade!


Give the mixture a few pumps, and there you have it.


To skewer shrimp, go through the meaty bottom and then the meat just before the tail.  These are the BBQ Skewers, of course.  Guess what?  These won't be available after August, so you need to get yours while you can!  Get ready to see why the Large Grooved Cutting Board is perfect for shrimp skewers to rest.


See all of that juicy marinade?  The wells will just catch the run-off!  By the way, my particularly astute readers may notice that I forgot to toss the shrimp in the marinade before skewering.  No problem!  Just glop it on the shrimp, turn them, hit the other sides, and let them rest fifteen minutes.  Whatever you do, don't unskewer everything over something that's no big deal.


I used BBQ Corn & Skewer Rack for these, which was a huge help.  It's nice to have the delicate shrimp off of the grill grates, especially to keep that garlic mixture intact.  Ok, after cooking a while, they'll start turning pink.  Let them keep going until you see a bit of char on some of the tails.


And here you go!  Beautiful shrimp that are worthy of a restaurant menu.  Seriously, these are absolutely delicious, and I think they should be part of your summertime dinner plan.  Enjoy!


Like the products used?
Shop Online 24/7 at pamperedchef.biz/jennylyn
E-mail me: chefjennylyn[at]gmail.com
Call me up: (205) 585-2464