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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Grilled Steak Kabobs

Do you remember a couple of posts ago when I made chicken kabobs?  Do you remember how it was mid-April, and my plan was derailed by a snowstorm?  Yeah, I do, too.  Anyway, my husband and I had our FPU friends over for a second "Family Dinner" last night, and we served a new kabob recipe - one that turned out to be amazing!  Guess what?  We even got to cook them outside this time!  Buckle up, my sweeties.  You're going to want steak kabobs tonight.

Grilled Steak Kabobs

chefjennylyn.com

2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
2-3 lemons, trimmed and sliced into rounds
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grainy mustard
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 1/4 lb. sirloin steak, but into 1-inch cubes
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes
8 scallions, white portions only, cut into 1-inch pieces

In a small bowl, mix salt and sugar.  Toss with lemon slices, and let stand one hour.

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, mustard, and vinegar.  Transfer one-third of the marinade to a medium bowl.  Marinate beef in remaining marinade, and add tomatoes and scallions to the medium bowl.  Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Thread eight skewers using this pattern:
Beef cube - lemon slice - tomato - beef cube - scallion piece - tomato.

Season kabobs with extra salt and pepper if desired, and grill on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally.  (This cooking time is for medium-rare.)

Note: I used a Rachael Ray recipe that I tore out of a magazine a few years ago.  The recipe above is hers doubled with a few tweaks.  She didn't pay me to make her stuff, but that'd be sweet.

Let's start with something very important.  My in-laws grew these green onions.  That means this recipe is made with an extra dose of love, one you won't find just anywhere.  (I married well, right?)

I'm one for getting everything out at the same time.  The ingredients, the tools, everything.  This prevents fumbling around and wasting valuable minutes.  I've got Batter bowls, a Measure-All Cup, a Pinch Bowl, the Stainless Whisk, the Small Mix 'n Scraper, and a Large Cutting Board out and ready to go.

What makes the Measuring Spoon Set so awesome?  Besides the classic design that won't go out of style, the fact that they snap together for easy storage, and the standard and metric measurements, I'd say the way they fit inside spice bottles.  These small conveniences make a big difference when you're in the nitty-gritty of cooking and baking.

Having good knives in your kitchen is important, especially when you want to get solid, uniform slices of lemon.  The Forged Cutlery Collection will blow your mind!  This is the 5" Santoku, my favorite piece.

Meaure-All Cup!  I've shown this many times, but you press it down to the measurement you want, fill it with whatever is gross or inconvenient to measure (mustard, mayonnaise, peanut butter, honey, etc.), and pop it out.  There's no mess, and you're guaranteed to get every bit of the ingredient out of the cup.  I'm measuring into the Classic Batter Bowl, and my oil and vinegar are hanging out in Easy Read Measuring Cups.

I love kabobs.  I love grilling season.  I love the slicing and dicing and the bright, beautiful colors.  Are you with me?

My lemons and beef are in Stainless Mixing Bowls, and I have tomatoes and scallions in the Classic Batter Bowl.  The Small Mix 'n Scraper is being used to toss everything.

Skewering kabobs takes patience, but it's pretty fun if you have the right playlist, beautiful vegetables, and the Pampered Chef BBQ Skewer Set.  Seriously, these things are amazing!  They have tips pointed just enough to aid in stabbing but not so sharp that people are going to get hurt eating dinner.  The stainless steel means heat throughout the meat, resulting in a faster cooking time.  Then there's the sheer length for adult portions.  Honest moment: I don't want a six-inch kabob.

I'm using the BBQ Corn & Skewer Rack, and that's the BBQ Grill Tray underneath.  I know it's weird, but the tray was already on the grill from peppers, and I figured it wouldn't hurt anything to just set the rack on top.  I was right.  And the BBQ Tongs?  Amazing.  (One note: You may see that I did a couple of kabobs with onions.  That's because I ran out of lemons and improvised.)

What a wonderful night with friends!  Kabobs, Take 2 = Success!

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E-mail me: chefjennylyn[at]gmail.com

Call me up: (205) 585-2464

Creamy Mushroom Fettuccini

Want to know something about me?  I love recipes.  I have four three-ring binders full of them in my kitchen, and I have a fifth binder of to-dos.  The beauty of recipes is that they don't expire, so there's no pressure to try that pasta dish that looked pretty good... tomorrow.  This was in my to-do binder, and it immediately earned itself a spot as a keeper.  Enjoy installment 2 of the "You can do Valentine's Day at home" collection!

 

Creamy Mushroom Fettuccini

chefjennylyn.com

9 oz. refrigerated fresh fettuccini
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
16 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tsp. salt, divided (1/4 and 1/2)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 white wine (I sub chicken stock.)
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil; swirl to coat.
Add onion, mushrooms, garlic, 1/4 tsp. salt, and pepper.  Sauté 12 minutes or until mushrooms are browned and have released their liquid. Add wine and thyme; cook 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.  Remove pan from heat.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Once drained, add mushroom mixture, 1/2 tsp. salt, half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese to pan, tossing to combine.  Serve immediately.

* This is from Cooking Light, but I tweaked a few things.  More mushrooms, more onion, and more garlic, specifically.

 

 

I've shown this before, but this is the quickest way to coarsely chop an onion.  Cut one end off, keeping the fuzzy end.  Then slice it down the middle.  I'm using the 5" Santoku and the Large Cutting Board, my two most often used tools.

Slice the onion into strips, and then slice across, ending at the fuzzy spot.  You'll end up with small, dices pieces, and you won't even have to chase slippery onion around the cutting board.  Safety first!

I never get sick of seeing the Garlic Press do its thing.  You don't have to peel the garlic!  If you're not cooking with fresh garlic, you're missing out. It's ridiculously inexpensive, and it adds so much to every recipe!  Garlic is going into a Pinch Bowl here.

I like to combine ingredients that are going at the same time during prep because it makes things a bit more efficient when the heat is up, and you're adding things in stages.  So just grind the pepper right on top of the garlic.  Looking around, I've got the mushrooms in a Stainless Mesh Colander, the onion in a 1-Cup Prep Bowl, the oil in a Mini Easy-Read Measuring Cup, and my garlic mixture in a Pinch Bowl.

I've found that keeping the Mini Mix 'n Scraper handy for adding ingredients is awesome!  This thing fits right inside my Prep Bowls, Pinch Bowls, and Measuring Cups, so I don't fumble around trying to get things out while what's in the pan continues to cook.  (You can burn garlic in hot oil really quickly while you're trying to get the onion to pour from its bowl.)

Once everything is in the pan, I switch to the Mix 'n Scraper, my favorite tool for cooking.  This thing is a great size for most jobs, and it won't melt when it's left in the hot skillet.  I'm using the 10-Inch Skillet from the Executive Cookware Collection, and the 8-Qt. Stockpot is behind it.  Here's a tip for a recipe where you need a pasta boiled and added to another mixture.  Start the pasta water while you do everything else, and then move it to a large eye of the stove when it's time to really get going.  If you begin with cold water when you actually need to be cooking the pasta, you're going to be waiting a really long time.

The mushroom mixture cooks for 10 minutes, so I use that time to prep the rest of my ingredients.  Stock and half-and-half are in Easy Read Measuring Cups, Parmesan is in a Measuring Cup, and thyme is in a Measuring Spoon.

You should smell this.  Beautiful!

Fresh pasta only cooks for a minute, so this recipe comes together very quickly once the mushroom mixture is done.

While the pasta cooks, I get everything ready to pour in once it's drained.

The pasta drains in a Stainless Mesh Colander, and then everything is added back to the big, hot pot, and it's stirred together to become a delicious dish that pairs so well with beef that it's scary.

For the steak seen in the first picture: Filet Mignon with Chive-Horseradish Butter
And the broccoli: Roasted Broccoli (with Pampered Chef Rub)

 

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E-mail me: chefjennylyn[at]gmail.com

Call me up: (205) 585-2464

Filet Mignon with Chive-Horseradish Butter

 

Today is February 6th.  Valentine's Day is one week from tomorrow.  For a lot of people, that means a crowded restaurant, an overpriced meal, and sense that you've been herded in and out like cattle.  The solution?  Cook at home, friends!  A very nice meal can be prepared at home for a reasonable price, and you don't even have to tip at the end!  I'm all for really good food in my own house, so here's one of my favorite steak recipes.

 

Here are the other two recipes shown:

Creamy Mushroom Fettuccini

Roasted Broccoli

 

Filet Mignon with Chive-Horseradish Butter

chefjennylyn.com

 

5 tsp. butter, softened

1 tbsp. prepared horseradish

1 tbsp. minced fresh chives

4 beef tenderloin steaks

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil (for brushing steak)

 

Combine butter, horseradish, and chives in a small bowl; refrigerate 20 minutes.

 

Brush steaks with olive oil, and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

 

Heat grill pan over medium-high heat.  Add steaks to pan, and cook 4-7 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  (This soooo depends on the thickness of your steak!) Scoop butter mixture onto each steak.

 

I cut the butter into small pieces using a Quikut Paring Knife, and it's softening in a 1-Cup Prep Bowl.  I'm mincing chives with my favorite knife, the 5" Santoku from the Forged Cutlery Collection.  Here's a great tip on mincing, slicing, and dicing: When you get to the end, just let it go.  Don't try to get every last bit, or you'll be much more likely to cut yourself.  For those of us who are simple home cooks, no one expects heroism.  This is how I've used great knives without falling victim to the blade.  I have no problem throwing out twenty-five cents worth of green onion tops.  As always, I'm using the Large Cutting Board for all of that beautiful surface area.

I love that the shape of the Measuring Spoons is such that they get down inside spice bottles, horseradish bottles, etc.

Let's just take a moment to admire this beautiful meat.  Scroll to the bottom for a breakdown of what this meal cost to prepare, but for now, is this not the thickest steak you've ever seen?  To be honest, I like to buy filet as an entire tenderloin, and then I cut the steaks myself, but the store was out of tenderloins, and I had to buy pre-cut.  If I'd had it my way, the total ounces here would have been six steaks, not four.  Oh, well.

One thing I love about the Large Cutting Board is that one side has wells, and the other doesn't.  Once I've finished my vegetables and non-meat items, I can flip it over for beef preparation.  Notice I said NON-MEAT items - Don't do meat and then flip... obviously.  I brushed the meat with olive oil using my Chef's Silicone Kitchen Brush (hidden by my hand), and I had my olive oil in a Prep Bowl.  Then a sprinkle of Pampered Pantry Salt and Pepper with my Bamboo Grinder Set, and I'm ready to go!

This is a great time to use the "Count Up" feature on the Clock/Timer.  When the pan is sizzling and the vent is running (Side note: Turn on the vent fan.), you don't want to be tracking how long something has cooked.

Cook on one side.  Flip.  Finish.  Boom!  I'm using the Chef's Tongs here because they're gentle with that tender, beautiful meat, and they won't melt in my hot pan.

 

It only seems right to show the steak one more time since that last picture was so smoky.  Let me break down what this meal cost to prepare at home.  This is enough for four servings of everything.

 

Beef Tenderloin: $9.99/lb.  I spent $23, but my steaks were crazy thick.

Horseradish: $1.12

Broccoli: $2.99

Pasta: $2.38

Mushrooms: $5.00

Onion: $1.00

Chicken Stock: $.89

 

Everything else was on-hand (olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, etc.), so the grand total was....

 

$36.29 for four people = $9.07 per plate.

 

*** If you order a grill pan from me, I'll pay your shipping.  Happy grilling!***

(Contact me directly for this offer at the phone or email below.)

 

Like the products you saw used?

Shop Online 24/7 at pamperedchef.biz/jennylyn

E-mail me: chefjennylyn[at]gmail.com

Call me up: (205) 585-2464