While most people are used to heavy cream sauces, along the lines of an Alfredo, this dish is much different. The mushrooms are cooked down with some sauteed onion and sherry, and then cream is added at the end to thicken it up just a bit along with some Parmesan cheese. The result is a beautifully light and creamy coating over the pasta, with flavorful tender mushrooms. The chicken adds some extra savory flavor and some protein. I chose orecchiette as the perfect pasta with little pockets to hold the sauce.
Overall, I loved everything about this dish- and I'm not usually a mushroom lover. The different types of mushroom used in this dish make a big impact on the flavor, and I was lucky enough to find that my local Hispanic/Asian store sells them for insanely cheap prices. (Unlike, ahem ahem, the farmer's market or Whole Foods) This would also make a great vegetarian meal by simply omitting the chicken.
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| Shitakes |
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| Oyster Mushrooms |
Ingredients:
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (breasts work too but thighs have more flavor)
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease or vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper OR grains of paradise (we used the latter)
- 8 oz shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
- 8 oz oyster mushrooms, tough stems removed and sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, or 1/2 of a large onion, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb orecchiette
Directions:
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the bacon grease or vegetable oil. Add the garlic and cook for a couple minutes, removing it with a slotted spoon when it just starts to brown. This flavors the oil for the chicken, and the garlic is added back in later. However, if you are in a rush you could skip this step and just add the garlic later on. Trim the fat off of the chicken and season with salt and pepper. If you're using breasts, cut them into smaller pieces to reduce cooking time. Place the chicken in the pan and season the other side. Flip once the first side down has started to brown- about 4-5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water with a couple tablespoons of salt. When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the pan and add the onion and sliced mushrooms. Saute for about 2-4 minutes.
At this point your pasta water should be boiling, so add the pasta and cook until just al dente. Pour the sherry into the onion mushroom mixture and scrape up all the bits on the bottom of the pan to deglaze and allow the mushrooms to absorb all of that flavor. When the sherry has been mostly reduced, add the thyme and garlic.
Cook for about 3 minutes before adding the cream. Stir to combine and when heated through, add the chicken.
Simmer for another 3 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Add 3/4 c Parmesan and mix in.
When the pasta is done, drain it and put it back in the pot. Mix in the sauce, and serve hot with the remaining Parmesan on top.
If you love creamy cheesy dishes like I do, than this creamed spinach recipe is an amazing way to enjoy cooked spinach. It's not the healthiest way to eat it, but the small amount of cream goes a long way and is balanced out by the healthy greens. (or so I think). The addition of cheese adds another flavor element. I like to use a combination of Jarlsberg and Parmesan but other types would work well too.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced2 lbs spinach, washed and chopped (seems like a lot but it really wilts down)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup shredded Jarlsberg cheese (or Swiss)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
In a medium to large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the oil. When the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, 5-7 minutes.
Add the spinach, bit by bit, stirring and allowing it to wilt before adding the next handful.
Once the spinach has fully wilted, add 1 teaspoon salt and saute over medium until some of the liquid has reduced.
After about 10 minutes, add the cream. Stir until heated and slighty reduced, 5 minutes. Add the cheese and stir to melt.
Add the nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the mixture, and taste for more salt and pepper. Let the creamed spinach cool slightly before serving. This will help thicken the mixture. Enjoy!
Onions are one of the most common ingredients we use in our cooking, and it's hard for me to believe there was once a day where I actually hated onions! I think it was more of a texture thing than the actual onion flavor- but I would refuse to eat anything that I knew had onions in it. This white onion cream sauce is a great way to sneak onions in for those picky eaters that would probably enjoy the flavor if they didn't even know onion was in the dish to begin with. I could eat this sauce by the spoonful, it is that good. We used it for a white pizza and it was a perfect base for the toppings. It would also be good with pasta, over broccoli, or in a rice dish. Thanks to Serious Eats for the recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Start by heating a pot over medium-high, and add the butter. When it has melted, add the onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper.
Cook and stir frequently until they have just started to brown (5-7 min). Next, add the wine and bring to a simmer, until the liquid has almost completely reduced.
Add the cream and bring to a simmer, continuing to stir frequently. When the mixture has reduced by 1/3, about 10 minutes.
Blend with an immersion blender or regular blender. A regular blender will get a you a completely smooth consistency, while the immersion blender leaves some chunks. (that's what we used) Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
If you want it to thicken more, leave it in the pot uncovered for a few more minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
Serve as pizza sauce like we did, or on another dish like pasta or with veggies. It is a simple recipe but has tons of delicious flavor!
