Stovetop Mushroom Lasagna

This easy and creamy vegetarian stovetop lasagna was very well received by my family. 😉 The original recipe said that it wasn’t as pretty as a typical baked and layered lasagna, but I thought that it looked pretty appealing.

The recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Sarah Jampel. I increased the amount of mushrooms and garlic. I also used no-boil lasagna noodles. It is a perfect weeknight dish.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 5 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 12 to 16 oz mixed mushrooms (such as maitake, oyster, shiitake, and/or crimini), trimmed, cut or torn into 1″ pieces (I used stemmed & quartered cremini mushrooms)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 T thyme leaves
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 3 to 6 garlic cloves, finely grated or chopped
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 2 3/4 cups whole milk
• freshly ground black pepper
• lemon zest, plus wedges for serving, optional
• 1/3 cup crème fraîche or thinned sour cream
• 8 to 9 oz regular lasagna noodles, broken in half (no-boil okay)
• 4 to 5 oz mozzarella, thinly sliced
• finely grated Parmesan, for serving

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large high-sided ovenproof skillet (preferably with a lid) or small Dutch oven over medium-high. (I used a large, wide enameled cast iron pot.)
2. Add mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; mix in thyme.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop the shallot and garlic cloves in the bowl of a mini food processor.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 1 minute.
5. Sprinkle flour over and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute.
6. Add milk, pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 3/4 cups water, then finely grate zest of 1/4 lemon into pan. Stir to dissolve flour, increase heat to medium, and cook until gently bubbling.
7. Reduce heat to low, whisk in crème fraîche (or sour cream), and stir to combine.
8. Add about one third of noodles, pushing down into sauce to submerge, followed by a third of the mushrooms.
9. Repeat with half of remaining noodles and mushrooms.
10. Top with another layer of noodles. **Set remaining mushrooms aside.**
11. Cover with a lid or foil and cook 15 minutes. (If lasagna threatens to boil over, use very lowest heat and/or prop open the cover.)
12. Uncover; cook, gently lifting and separating noodles occasionally with tongs or a spatula to let sauce flow around, until sauce is thickened and noodles are cooked through, 6–10 minutes. Mixture should be bubbling gently; adjust heat as necessary. Remove from heat.
13. Heat broiler. Top lasagna with mozzarella and reserved mushrooms.
14. Broil until cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, about 2 minutes.
15. Finely grate more lemon zest over. Sprinkle with Parmesan; season with pepper.
16. Let sit 5–10 minutes. Cut lemon into wedges, if desired, and serve with lasagna.

One-Skillet Hot Sausage and Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry

This was a crowd-pleasing dish to make with my beautiful CSA Napa cabbage. As suggested in the original recipe, we ate it in flour tortillas but it would also be delicious served over rice. It was reminiscent of one of our family favorites, Thai One-Pot.

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Claire Saffitz. I modified the proportions, used scallions instead of chives, and wilted all of the Napa cabbage.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
• 6 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 16 to 18 ounces hot Italian sausages, casings removed (I used 6 sausages)
• 2 tablespoons (or more) vegetable oil
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 6 to 10 cups very thinly sliced Napa cabbage, divided (I used 1/2 of a large head)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions or chives
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 8 large flour tortillas or mu-shu wraps, warmed (I used Trader Joe’s handmade flour tortillas)
• hoisin sauce and Sriracha, for serving, as desired

1. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, work ginger and garlic into sausage in a medium bowl.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron (I used a 14″ stainless skillet), over medium-high and cook sausage mixture, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, crisp, and cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage mixture to a clean bowl.
3. Increase heat to high and cook mushrooms in the fat in the skillet, tossing often, until browned and starting to release their juices, about 4 minutes (if skillet looks dry at any point, add a bit more oil).
4. Add half of cabbage and cook, tossing often, until cabbage is wilted and tender, about 4 minutes. (I incorporated all of the cabbage, a handful at a time.)
5. Drizzle in vinegar and soy sauce and cook, tossing, until liquid is mostly reduced and skillet is dry in spots, about 2 minutes.
6. Remove skillet from heat and incorporate sausage and remaining cabbage (if reserved) into stir-fry.
7. Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with scallions/chives and sesame seeds.
8. Serve stir-fry with tortillas, hoisin sauce, and Sriracha for making individual wraps.

Creamy Bucatini with Crispy Mushrooms

As in my last post, this wonderful dish is also part of Bon Appétit’s Most Popular Recipes of 2019. I made this and several other dishes on the list before it was compiled- apparently I was not alone! 😉

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Andy Baraghani. I added garlic and white wine. Yummy comfort food.

Yield: Serves 4

• 4 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 lb mixed mushrooms (such as maitake, oyster, crimini, and/or shiitake), torn into bite-size pieces (I used 10oz quartered cremini and 8oz torn shiitake)
• Kosher salt
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 lb spaghetti or 12 oz bucatini
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 oz Parmesan, finely grated (about 1/2 cup), plus more for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium-high. Cook half of mushrooms in a single layer, undisturbed, until edges are brown and starting to crisp, about 3 minutes. Give mushrooms a toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until all sides are brown and crisp, about 5 minutes more.
2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a plate; season with salt.
3. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and mushrooms and more salt.
4. Finely chop the shallots and garlic in a mini-food processor, if desired.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and return all of the mushrooms to the pot. Add shallots and garlic; cook, stirring often, until shallots are translucent and softened, about 2 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
7. Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with mushrooms and add cream, white wine, and 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
8. Increase heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and liquid is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
9. Remove pot from heat. Add lemon zest and juice, parsley, butter, 1/2 oz Parmesan, and lots of pepper and toss to combine.
10. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Adjust consistency with additional pasta water, if needed.
11. Divide pasta among bowls and top with more Parmesan and parsley, as desired.

Mushroom Bourguignon with Polenta

For Christmas, my brother and sister-in-law gave me a beautiful box loaded with goodies from Eataly in New York City. I chose this vegetarian version of this classic French dish to make with the special polenta from my box.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I used a combination of cremini and shiitake mushrooms. The mushrooms are cooked until they are dark brown, giving the dish a wonderful depth of flavor. I also loved the combination of pearl onions and leeks. Nice.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

• 6 T butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed (I used 3 T each)
• 2 pounds mixed mushrooms, such as portobello, cremini, white button, shiitake or oyster, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 10 cups)
• 8 ounces peeled pearl onions (2 cups), larger ones cut in half (I used frozen pearl onions)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large leek or 2 small/medium leeks, white and light green parts, diced (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 to 5 garlic cloves (2 to 4 minced, 1 grated to a paste)
• 1 T tomato paste
• 2 ½ T all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups dry red wine
• 1 ½ cups beef, mushroom or vegetable broth
• 1 T tamari or soy sauce, plus more to taste (I used dark soy sauce)
• 3 large fresh thyme branches or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 to 4 ounces shiitake, chanterelle or oyster mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
• smoked paprika, for serving
• polenta, egg noodles or mashed potatoes, for serving (I used Polenta Valsugana)
• chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving

1. Add 2 tablespoons butter or oil to a large Dutch oven or pot and set it over medium heat.
2. When the fat is hot, stir in half the mushrooms and half the pearl onions. (If it doesn’t all fit in the pot in one layer, you might have to do this in three batches, rather than two.) Without moving them around too much, cook the mushrooms until they are brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Stir and let them brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more.
3. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mushrooms and onions to a large bowl or plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Repeat with another 2 tablespoons butter and the remaining mushrooms and pearl onions, seasoning them as you go.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add another 1 tablespoon butter or oil to pan.
6. Add leeks and carrot and sauté until the leeks turn lightly golden and start to soften, 5 minutes.
7. Add the 2 minced garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute longer.
8. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
9. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add wine, broth, 1 tablespoon tamari, thyme and bay leaf, scraping up the brown bits at bottom of pot.
10. Add reserved cooked mushrooms and pearl onions back to the pot and bring to a simmer.
11. Partly cover the pot and simmer on low heat until carrots and onions are tender and sauce is thick, 30 to 40 minutes. (Meanwhile, at this point, prepare the polenta according to the package directions, if using.)
12. Taste and add more salt and tamari if needed. Stir in the grated garlic clove.
13. Just before serving, heat a small skillet over high heat and add 1/2 tablespoon butter or oil. Add half of the sliced chanterelles or oyster mushrooms and let cook without moving until they are crisp and brown on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with salt and smoked paprika. Repeat with remaining butter and mushrooms.
14. Serve mushroom Bourguignon over polenta, noodles or mashed potatoes, topped with fried mushrooms and parsley.

Cauliflower Bolognese

This healthy, hearty, and tasty vegetarian dish is from one of Bon Appétit’s “healthy-ish” issues. It initially had a mixed reception from the meat lovers in my house because the sauce closely resembled meat sauce in appearance and texture- but not in taste, of course. They gobbled it up in the end. 😉

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Andy Baraghani. I increased the amount of garlic, used freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce (and to reheat leftovers). I served it with roasted asparagus. Yum.

Yield: 6 servings

• 12 oz mushrooms, such as shiitake or crimini, stems removed
• 1 medium head of cauliflower (about 2¼ lbs), broken into florets
• 6 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 T unsalted butter, divided
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 6 to 10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 chile, such as serrano, Holland, or Fresno, thinly sliced, or ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 T finely chopped rosemary
• ⅓ cup double-concentrated tomato paste
• Kosher salt
• 1 lb rigatoni
• 2 oz finely grated Parmesan (about 1 cup), plus more for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• 3 T finely chopped parsley
• freshly grated zest of 1/2 to 1 lemon

1. Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out food processor bowl.
2. Working in 3 batches, pulse cauliflower in food processor until pieces are about the size of a grain of rice (some smaller and some larger ones are fine), transferring to a medium bowl as you go.
3. Heat ¼ cup oil and 2 T butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high.
4. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 4–6 minutes.
5. Add onion and 2 T oil to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very soft and golden brown, 6–8 minutes.
6. Add garlic, chile, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is softened and mixture is very fragrant, about 3 minutes.
7. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until paste is slightly darkened, about 2 minutes.
8. Add cauliflower and cook, yes, still stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is cooked down slightly and begins to stick to bottom of pot, 6–8 minutes.
9. Season with salt, then keep warm over low heat.
10. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until almost al dente, about 1 minute less than package directions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water.
11. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to pot with sauce.
12. Add Parmesan, remaining 2 T butter, and 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and sauce is clinging to pasta, about 3 minutes.
13. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
14. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt (it’ll probably need another pinch or two).
15. Finely zest lemon over pasta and toss once more.
16. Divide pasta among bowls. Top with more Parmesan, then drizzle with oil.

Vinegar Chicken with Crisp Roasted Mushrooms

It’s all about the sauce for me, and it’s all about the sauce in this dish. I try to adapt most skin-on chicken recipes to use my go-to protein, boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, but the skin is essential in this preparation.

This recipe was adapted from the New York Times, contributed by Alison Roman. I used red wine vinegar and stock in the sauce and also added garlic. We ate it with a giant green salad instead of the lemon-dressed lettuce in the original recipe but I included the gem lettuce option below.

I served this tangy chicken and roasted mushrooms with crusty sourdough baguette (to soak up the sauce), roasted potatoes, and a dollop of Greek yogurt. Amazing!

Yield: 6 servings

For the Chicken:

• 3 1/2 to 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken (use any combination of legs, thighs or drumsticks, or breasts halved crosswise)(I used 8 bone-in chicken thighs)
• Kosher salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 medium red onions, cut into 1-inch wedges
• 8 large garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar or white distilled vinegar
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or water
• 1/2 bunch thyme, plus leaves for garnish

For the Roasted Mushrooms:

• 2 pounds mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, maitake, button, chanterelle or oyster, torn into large pieces or quartered (I used 24 oz cremini mushrooms and 10 oz button mushrooms, quartered)
• 3 T olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Lemony Salad Greens with Sumac & to Serve:

• mesclun salad greens or 2 to 3 heads Little Gem lettuces, ends trimmed, quartered lengthwise
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 T finely grated lemon zest
• Kosher salt and ground pepper
• sumac, for sprinkling
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• crusty bread, for serving
• Greek yogurt, labneh, or sour cream, for serving

1. Dry chicken with paper towels and season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. (I used a large and wide enameled cast iron pan.)
3. Working in batches, add chicken skin-side down and cook until skin is golden brown and releases easily from the pot, 7 to 10 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken to brown on the other side, another 4 to 8 minutes, depending on what cut you’re using. As the chicken browns, transfer it to a large plate.
4. Add onions and garlic to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, without moving them so they have a chance to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Add vinegar and stock/water, then use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
6. Bring to a simmer and return chicken to the pot, skin-side up, nestling all the pieces in there. (They don’t need to be totally submerged.) Scatter thyme around and place the lid on top. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook at a gentle simmer until chicken is cooked through and tender, with an internal temperature of 165 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, roast the mushrooms. Heat the oven to 425 or 450 degrees, preferably on convection roast.
8. Toss mushrooms with olive oil on a parchment paper-lined, rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once or twice, until the mushrooms are deeply browned and crispy on the outside but tender on the inside, 15 to 20 minutes depending on the type of mushroom and strength of your oven. (I roasted potatoes in the same oven.)
9. If serving the salad, toss Little Gems with lemon juice and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and arrange on a large platter. Sprinkle with sumac and drizzle with olive oil before serving. (I served the chicken with green salad instead.)
10. Remove chicken from heat and season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper as needed.
11. Transfer chicken, onions and thyme to a large serving platter, spooning cooking liquid over the top, or alternatively, serve directly from the pot, with the mushrooms and salad alongside you like. Add toast and something creamy if you choose.

Additional Suggestions to Complete the Meal:

• Bread: Slice any good, crusty loaf of your choosing about 3/4-inch thick and toast until golden brown. Rub with a cut garlic clove and drizzle with olive oil. Garlicky or spicy bread crumbs would also be welcome if you’re feeling carb-inclined. I served the dish with sliced sourdough baguette.
• Something creamy: Chicken loves more fat, especially this very tangy chicken. A bowlful of any seasoned creamy ingredient like sour cream, full-fat yogurt or labneh sprinkled with chives is excellent for spooning onto or underneath the chicken, over lemony lettuces and onto toast. I served the chicken with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
• Quick pickles: For a quick, light pickle, toss thinly sliced vegetables such as radishes or fennel with a little thinly sliced shallot and season with a good splash of vinegar, salt and pepper.

Union Square Cafe’s Seared Salmon with Spinach, Corn & Mushrooms

I made this lovely dish for Easter dinner. The sauce was absolutely incredible. I also loved that the salmon was served over a plate of sautéed vegetables. The recipe was adapted from one of the most popular menu items at NYC’s Union Square Café in the 1990’s.

The recipe is from the 40th Anniversary Special Edition of Food and Wine magazine titled “Our 40 Best-Ever Recipes,” contributed by Michael Romano.  I am keeping this issue as a “cookbook” because I want to try so many (practically all!) of the dishes. The issue states that this salmon dish is one of the best recipes Food and Wine has ever published. Very special.

We finished our meal with a celebratory Bunny Cake, of course!

Yield: Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a first course (this recipe can be doubled easily)

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (6 ounces), divided
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion (I used 1/2 of a large red onion)
• 3 garlic cloves (2 thinly sliced and 1 whole), divided
• 1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and reserved, caps quartered, divided
• 1 medium-size ripe tomato, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound fresh spinach
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 3-4 ears)
• 1 (1 to 1 1/2 pound) center-cut salmon fillet, sliced crosswise into 4 to 6 strips
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Make the Sauce:

1. Cut 6 tablespoons butter into 1/2-inch cubes, and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium nonreactive saucepan over medium-low.
3. Add onion, sliced garlic, shiitake stems, tomato, black peppercorns, and bay leaf, and cook until vegetables are soft but not brown, about 12 minutes.
4. Add balsamic vinegar and 1/3 cup water, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is syrupy, about 4 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to low, and add cubed butter, 2 to 3 pieces at a time, whisking thoroughly between additions.
6. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Pour sauce through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids.
8. Keep sauce warm over a double boiler.

Prepare the Spinach:

1. Spear whole garlic clove with a dinner fork. (I’ve never done this before- genius!)
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high until just beginning to smoke.
3. Add spinach; cook, stirring using fork with garlic clove, until spinach is wilted.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste; transfer to a colander to drain. Discard garlic clove.

Prepare the Corn & Mushrooms:

1. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Reduce heat to medium, and add 3 tablespoons butter.
2. Add shiitake caps, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in corn kernels; cook until completely heated through, about 3 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl, and keep warm.

Prepare the Salmon:

1. Increase heat to high, and add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet.
2. Season salmon strips with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add fish to skillet, and cook until browned but barely cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

To Serve:

1. Divide spinach among 6 plates; surround with corn and shiitakes.
2. Place a salmon strip on top of spinach, and spoon vinegar sauce on fish.
3. Garnish with a sprinkling of chives; serve immediately.