Burgundy Mushrooms

This recipe is adapted from Pioneer Woman's "Burgundy Mushrooms". Look, I even stole her picture. Please don't be mad, PW.  Why adapt a PW recipe you may ask? Everything she makes is perfectly delicious! True, I say- but I didn't have the Burgundy wine, and neither did my grocery store. I desperately tried to talk myself into driving to the local wine store.. and then I didn't have any fresh Dill, but I had some other herbs.. so I went for it. And they turned out AWESOME!
I will post her original recipe and put in (Italics) what I did.

4 pounds White Button Mushrooms
2 sticks Butter
1-½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 liter Burgundy Wine (other Reds Will Work) (I used a liter of Cabernet Sauvignon, along with 2 TBS brown sugar to add the sweetness I was loosing by not using a Burgundy)
1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 cups Boiling Water
4 whole Chicken Bouillon Cubes (I used 1 TBS of chicken "Better than Bouillon")
4 whole Beef Bouillon Cubes (I used 1 TBS of beef "Better than Bouillon")
teaspoon Dill Seed (I used 1 large sprig of Rosemary, 2 med sprigs of Thyme- Just throw the whole thing in. Be sure to pick out stems before serving)
5 cloves Garlic, minced (I also added a large shallot, minced)
teaspoons Salt

Preparation Instructions

Thoroughly wash the mushrooms and throw them into a large stockpot. Add all the remaining ingredients except the salt. Stir to combine.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for six hours. (At this point, I transferred all of this into a crockpot and cooked on low for 6 hrs)

Remove the lid, then continue cooking, uncovered, for three hours. (I did this as well, I noticed it helped reduce the juices and thicken up a bit)

Add salt to taste at the end if desired. The mushrooms will be very dark in color. Simmer until needed. Server straight from the pot or in a serving bowl. Dip crusty bread in the juice—yum!

(The juice also makes an AWESOME Gravy base for your Prime Rib roast this holiday. Just freeze the left over broth. When you are ready, thaw and use it in place of your stock, along with drippings from your Prime Rib- amazing!)

Sicilian Style Spaghetti & Eggplant

I borrowed the Tyler Florence book, Tyler's Ultimate cook book from a friend. I've slowly been able to make a few recipes here and there... I thought I was making Sicilian-Style Spaghetti tonight. I made a mistake when I searched for it on the internet the other day. So, instead, I ended up with Sicilian Style Spaghetti & Eggplant ~ and I'm so glad I did! It was delicious!! And I still have another new recipe to try with the Sicilian-Style Spaghetti.

I copied the recipe below from Foodnetwork.com - but I also made a few changes. If you want to see their version, click here: Sicilian Style Spaghetti & Eggplant

I have to say this, I loved, loved, loved the eggplant this way!!

Ingredients

For the eggplant:

• 1 medium eggplant
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the spaghetti:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tsp red chile flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jar artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half
• 1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 tablespoon capers
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Slice the eggplants into 1/4-inch rounds. Toss them with 1/4 cup olive oil and some salt and pepper. Grill them until marks have formed and they are soft, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place them onto a paper towel lined platter. Scatter over 2 cloves of sliced garlic, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the lemon juice, put on a few torn basil leaves, and season it all with salt and pepper. Set aside while you make the sauce.

(YUM!!)

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Cook the onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chile flakes, garlic, artichoke hearts and a few hand-torn basil leaves. Carefully add the tomatoes and a pinch of sugar; cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. Add the capers, taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the spaghetti. Stir to make sure the pasta doesn't stick. Cover and return to a boil. Remove cover and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until the spaghetti is al dente, drain and add the spaghetti to the tomato sauce. Add the cheese and mix well. Pile onto a platter and top it with the eggplant slices. Garnish with more basil leaves.

Menu #57

Monday: Steaks w/ Cauliflower &

Crispy Breadcrumbs

Tuesday: PWs (Ground Turkey) Meatball sliders

green salad

Wednesday: Beef Tenderloin

PWs Fancy Pants Macaroni

Thursday: Green Chili & Chicken Soup

Tortilla Strips

Friday: Out