roasted cornish game hens with mushrooms and truffle butter

Cornish game hens are just small chickens, and are available at any major grocery store. Because of their size, they are ready in under an hour. Truffle oil is available at Whole Foods or specialty grocery stores. It's a little pricey but well worth it: truffle flavor is out of this world, and a little goes a long way!

serves 2

2 cornish game hens, rinsed inside and out and patted dry
8 oz cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, stemmed and cut in half
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lemon, cut into two
2 sprigs rosemary
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp truffle oil
olive oil
salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Rub hens with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Place 1 lemon piece and 1 sprig rosemary in cavity of each hen. Toss mushrooms, garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix butter and truffle oil together and set aside. Place hens in a large, heavy roasting pan and arrange mushrooms around the birds. Roast for 25 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together wine and chicken broth; pour over hens. Stir mushrooms. Continue roasting about 25 minutes longer, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear. Gently rub 1/2 of truffle butter over each bird and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

To serve, divide mushrooms evenly between two plates and place whole hens on top.

mushroom-thyme pilaf

I like to make this pilaf with quinoa because it's high in filling protein, but you can make it with rice as well, if you prefer. Soy sauce may seem like a strange ingredient here, but it really brings out the meaty flavor of the mushrooms.

Serves 4

1 cup quinoa or rice
1 lb mushrooms (shitake, cremini, oyster, etc.)
1/2 onion, peeled and cut into chunks
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup grated parmesan
olive oil
pepper

Cook quinoa or rice according to package directions. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet. In the food processor, pulse mushrooms, onions and garlic together until finely chopped. When oil is hot, add vegetables and thyme to skillet (no need to chop the thyme, just add the whole sprigs). Cook for 5 minutes, then add soy sauce. Continue to cook until soy sauce has evaporated and season with pepper. Remove from heat and toss with quinoa or rice and parmesan.

soy-glazed salmon with shitakes

This glaze is so flavorful, you can flavor every bite with just a thin brushing of it over the salmon in the final minutes of cooking. Shitake mushrooms add an earthy balance to the sweet and spicy tastes of the glaze.

Serves 2

2 salmon portions
4 0z shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sriracha sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
canola oil

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place salmon portions, skin side down, in a baking dish. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms to dry pan and cook to release water. Add 1 tsp canola oil and sautee mushrooms until browned. Spoon evenly over top of salmon, cover with foil, and bake for 7-10 minutes or until fish is just cooked through (center is almost fully opaque).

While salmon bakes, whisk together garlic, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, and brown sugar and bring to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook, careful not to scorch, until reduced by half. Sauce should coat the back of a spoon.

Remove salmon from the oven, drizzle with the glaze, and serve.

wild mushroom stuffing

This is the dish I look forward to most every year at Thanksgiving. It has all the woodsy, herbal richness of heavier sausage-based stuffings, but is light enough to have a second helping. To break up the prep, slice the bread cubes the day before and let them dry out overnight. I also make this stuffing first, to get it out of the way, then bake it off with the turkey an hour before serving.

Serves 6

1 large loaf of crusty sourdough bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 lbs wild mushroom mix (creminis, oyster, shitake, etc.), chopped
1 cup dried chantarelle mushrooms
4 celery stalks, cut into large chunks
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp fresh thyme, removed from stems
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, removed from stems
3 cups low sodium beef or vegetable broth
3/4 cup soy sauce
olive oil
salt and pepper

Spread bread cubes out in a single layer on a baking sheet and allow to dry out for at least 8 hours. Bring broth and soy sauce to a boil in a large saucepan, remove from heat and add chantarelle mushrooms. Cover and allow mushrooms to steep in broth until soft, 30-45 minutes. In a food processor, pulse celery, onions, garlic, thyme, and rosemary (in batches, if necessary - food should never come up higher than halfway in processor bowl) until finely chopped.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. When oil shimmers, add mushrooms and cook for 15 minutes until mushrooms are just browning. Lower heat to medium, then add vegetable mixture. Season with pepper. Continue to cook until vegetables are translucent, another 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine mushroom mixture, bread cubes, and broth mixture. Scoop stuffing mixture into a large, buttered baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for one hour, removing foil for final 15 minutes of cooking.

wild mushroom panzanella salad

I had a salad like this a restaurant once, and have been craving it ever since. It turns the typical summery panzanella salad (with fresh tomatoes, basil, lemon, and mozzarella) into a celebration of fall. It's perfect as a starter, but to turn this into an entree, just add some shredded rotisserie chicken.

Serves 4 as an entree or 6 as a starter

For salad:

6 cups sourdough bread, cut into large cubes
4 cups wild mushroom mix (creminis, oyster, shitake, etc.)
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cups arugula
4 celery stalks, sliced diagonally, not too thinly
1 medium yellow onion, cut in half and then sliced thickly
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper

For vinaigrette:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread bread cubes onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season cubes with salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat. Bake cubes for 10-15 minutes or until toasted. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

While cubes are baking, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When oil shimmers, add mushrooms and celery. Cook for 10 minutes until mushrooms are just browning. Lower heat to medium, then add tomatoes, onions, garlic, and thyme to pan and continue to cook until onions are translucent, about another 10 minutes. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Remove from heat once cooked and allow to cool slightly, discarding thyme stems.

Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Toss bread cubes, vegetable mixture, arugula, and goat cheese with vinaigrette in a large salad bowl. Allow salad to stand for 10 minutes before serving to allow vinaigrette to soak in. Serve warm.

stuffed mushrooms

You can make these with any stuffing you like once you have the technique down. The trick is to pre-cook the mushrooms to remove the moisture they contain, otherwise you'll be covered in hot water when you take a bite!

serves 8

2 packages baby portabella mushrooms, stems pulled out
1 cup modern mirepoix
1/2 tube breakfast sausage or 2 cups chopped frozen spinach
1/4 cup italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place mushrooms on a baking sheet, open side down. Bake for 20 minutes to remove moisture. Meanwhile, sautee mirepoix and sausage or spinach together, allow to cool. Remove mushrooms from oven and cool. Mix stuffing mixture with breadcrumbs and parmesan. Stuff mushroom caps with about 1 tablespoon stuffing and place back on baking sheet. Top each mushroom with mozzarella and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

wild mushroom lasagna

serves 6

olive oil
1 lb cremini (baby portabella) mushrooms
1 lb mixed wild mushrooms (shitake, oyster, porcini, etc.)
1 lb lasagna noodles
1 jar marinara sauce
3 tbsp all purpose flour
3 cups milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
dash nutmeg
2 cups shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan or asiago cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions; strain and toss with small amount of olive oil so they don't stick together. Heat 1/4 cup oil over med-hi heat in a large saucepan. When oil begins to smoke, add mushrooms and let brown (do not stir frequently). Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan and add flour, one tablespoon at a time, stirring to combine and cooking for 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Lower heat to medium-low and stir in nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic and thyme to mushrooms and stir, cooking for another few minutes, then turn off heat. Stir 1 cup mozzarella and all parmesan into milk sauce, a handful at a time, stirring to melt cheese. Remove from heat. Place mushrooms in food processor and process a few times until chopped (no not overchop!)

Pour a few tablespoons of cheese sauce in the bottom of a lasagna dish so noodles don't stick. Layer lasagna noodles, mushroom mixture, and cheese sauce until all are used up, ending with cheese sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top and bake for 30-40 minutes or until cheese on top is brown and bubbly.

mushroom wine sauce

makes 1-2 cups



I make two versions of this sauce, one for chicken and one for steaks. You can use just a cup of thinly sliced mushrooms for a "saucier" sauce, or tons of roughly chopped mushrooms for more of a side dish. Either way, you will not be disappointed!



olive oil
1-2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced or roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
half an onion, chopped
red pepper flakes
1 cup broth (beef or chicken)
1 cup red wine
2 tbsp all purpose flour

Heat half of a cup of olive oil in a large sautee pan over med-hi heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms (they should be in a single layer for the best browning). Let brown for a few minutes before stirring, then allow to brown, undisturbed, for a few more minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir, allowing flour to cook and become translucent. Add the onion and garlic and lower heat to medium. Sautee for 5 minutes until onions are just browned. Add the red pepper flakes and herb of your choice. Sautee for 2 more minutes, then add broth and wine and raise heat to high to bring to a boil. Cook until liquid is reduced by half.