Velvety Mushroom Soup

I always crave soup this time of year...the weather is chilly, and a nice bowl of hot soup warms me up and just hits the spot.  I've been making a lot of butternut squash variations, spicy pumpkin and hearty chili.  I was looking for something new to try.

I'm in love with a book I "borrowed" from my sister (you have to actually give it back for it to be considered borrowing, and I'm not sure I'm there just yet!).  It's called Fresh Happy Tasty, by Jane Coxwell.  She was the personal chef to Diane Von Furstenberg, and I share her approach to cooking: real food, fresh ingredients, simple preparation.

While reading it cover to cover, I spied a mushroom soup recipe that was described so beautifully that I knew I had to try it.  I made just a couple changes (I added some goat yogurt, used a large shallot instead of red onion and added a little more oil when sautéing the veggies), but either way, it's so perfect and simple that I wanted to share it with you.

I was first struck by the fact that she broiled the mushrooms; this brings out all their warm, earthy flavor.  I usually sauté my veggies when I make soup, but I was excited to try this method.  Toss a pound of sliced mushrooms with some olive oil, fresh thyme leaves and sea salt (Jane loves Maldon sea salt, and I do too - its large flakes give wonderful flavor).

Lay the mushrooms out on a baking sheet and broil for about 10-15 minutes, tossing occasionally, until browned, being careful not to burn them.

When mushrooms are done, place in a medium saucepan with any of the juice from the pan and a little olive oil.  Add chopped shallots (or red onion) and a few cloves of garlic.  Saute until the shallot is softened, stirring occasionally so garlic doesn't burn.  As far as chopping goes, you're going to puree this, so you can do a bit of a large chop, so nothing burns.

When shallots are soft, add enough broth to cover.  I used 2 1/2  cups of chicken broth (you can keep it vegetarian by using vegetable broth).  I ended up adding another 1/4 cup when I pureed it to get the consistency I liked.  Bring this to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Transfer to a blender and puree for at least 2-3 minutes until velvety smooth.  If patience is not your strong suit (like me), you're probably used to just blending it until everything is combined.  But trust me on this one....let it go for a few minutes and it becomes so silky and delicious.  Jane says about most of her pureed soups, "when you think it's smooth enough, blend even more."  She's absolutely right!

Now this is where I like to play, and encourage people in my cooking classes to taste and balance their flavors.   A soup or sauce is a great place to start learning about adding elements to create the perfect taste.  You can see what I added below, but start playing this little game with yourself: taste the soup, and then add a pinch of salt.  Taste it again and see how the flavors have woken up.  Try a little acid - vinegar, citrus juice, yogurt - and see what that does to the flavors.  If you're nervous about ruining a whole pot of your soup, put a little into a small bowl and play with just that amount.  When you've figured out your secret formula, then you can add it to the pot.

I added goat yogurt (has a nice tanginess about it, and is tolerated by most people with lactose issues), some lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.  And viola!  A little bit of sourdough and I was in heaven.  A perfect lunch to get me ready for wrapping Christmas gifts!  Speaking of, this would be a nice addition to your usual Christmas Eve dinner - maybe little mushroom soup shooters to start the meal.....

Velvety Mushroom Soup
Serves 2-3

1 lb. sliced cremini mushrooms
leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 1/2 cup chicken broth, plus extra for desired consistency during puree
1 tablespoon plain goat yogurt
Juice of half a lemon
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Goat yogurt and thyme leaves to garnish

• Preheat broiler
• Toss mushrooms, thyme, salt and 1/4 cup olive oil in a large bowl.
• Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes until browned, being careful not to burn.
• Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and any of their juices from the pan, shallot and garlic.  Saute, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add 2 1/2 cups broth, or enough to cover mushrooms.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
• Transfer to blender, add goat yogurt and lemon juice and puree 2-3 minutes until velvety smooth, adding more broth if needed to reach desired consistency.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper to your taste.
• Garnish with a dollop of yogurt and a couple small thyme sprigs.

Mushroom Pate.....c'est magnifique!

Let's get a little wack-a-doo, shall we?
I was cleaning out my fridge today in preparation for a big week: two cooking classes and a wedding to cater.  I discovered a lot of mushrooms in the crisper, so I needed to figure out how to put them to good use.  The usuals came to mind: mushroom stroganoff, puff pastry pockets with creamy mushroom filling, roasted mushrooms, rosemary, and madiera over chicken.   But I'm in the mood for a challenge today....

So I got out my favorite culinary helper, The Flavor Bible, to look up what other ingredients mushroom like to hang out with, besides the ones I usually use.  There was a little blurb about a classic French pairing, called persillade: fresh parsley and garlic.  After sauteing mushrooms in butter, you add the parsley and garlic, hit it with a pinch of salt and call it a day. "That's all a mushroom needs most of the time."

This immediately took me back to my grandmere's kitchen.  She always had a bowl of fresh chopped parsley, diced onion, and minced garlic ready to go.  It was the foundation of her cooking.  These smells still take me back to the little girl in her kitchen wanting to learn and help...and eat!  So in honor of my grandmere, I decided to get my "French" on today. 

I grew up eating pate and other rich dishes from our French heritage.  As a kid I loved pate; I think it was because my grandmere and grandpere got such a kick out me enjoying such an adult food.  As an adult, however, I've lost my taste for it.  Too rich for me.  So with my wack-a-doo beret on, I came up with.....

Mushroom Pate!

I started out sauteing shallots and garlic in butter until softened.

Then I added crimini and shiitake mushrooms and cooked them until nicely browned.  To that I added parsley, thyme and a bit of red wine, and cooked that down to reduce the liquid and infuse the mushrooms with all that gorgeous flavor.  Lastly, I hit it with a bit of All Star Organics' French Herb Salt and fresh cracked pepper.

While the mushrooms were sauteing, I blended a cup of walnuts and some olive oil in the food processor to help make a base for the pate.  Process it until it become a soft paste.  This helps give you the consistency of an actual pate.

Add the mushroom mixture to the food processor along with a teaspoon of sherry and let 'er rip until completely smooth.  I couldn't wait to dig in, but the flavors only get better as it sits.  My friend Corinne came by, and I served us up a plate of pate and Grace Baking Chiabatta bread.   After her first couple bites she said, "good thing I ate before I got here or I would eat that entire bowl."  Yep, it's that good!!

Mushroom Pate
Makes 1 1/2 cups

2 tablespooons butter
1/2 cup chopped shallot
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 lbs crimini mushrooms
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
pinch cayenne
1 cup walnuts
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sherry

• Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet.
• Add shallot and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes until softened.
• Add mushrooms and cook 5-8 minutes until browned, stirring occasionally.
• Add wine, parsley, and thyme.  Turn heat up to high and continue cooking until liquid evaporates.
• Meanwhile place walnuts in bowl of food processor and pulse to break down into breadcrumb consistency.  With motor running stream in the olive oil until a paste forms (you may need to stop and scrape down sides).
• Add cooked mushroom mixture to food processor along with sherry and blend until completely smooth.  Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Serve with crackers or baguette slices.

yum it up!

Veggie Pot Pie.....Oh MY!

For me, cooking is not just a passion or a business; it's like a drug. I need to do it.  I get a little "itchy" if I'm kept from it.  So last Friday, knowing that I was looking at a weekend away, filled with dining out and no chance of cooking, I had to get a quick fix in before I left.  Well....bettter make it good.

...and it was!!  Veggie Pot Pie.

I've been dreaming about pot pies for weeks.  My friend Ken has been raving about a wonderful chicken pot pie he gets at a market nearby, and last week he brought me one.  It was delicious, and anytime I eat something that inspiring, I try to figure out how to make it myself....and make it even better (and healthier).

First of all, I had to deal with the dough.  I'm just not a fan of baking.  It's important to measure and be precise, and that's just not my style.  I'm more of a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl.  So I opted to use Pepperidge Farms puff pastry sheets.  The thing about the way I cook and teach is that I like things to be easy, approachable, and most of all quick.  So the puff pastry sheets made all that possible.  The rest of the recipe comes together in no time.

You can use any seasonal vegetables that you like, but I have a special love of mushrooms.  They're meaty and add great texture, so I can skip the meat. They're also one of the most nutritious veggies out there, full of disease fightling vitamins and minerals.  I sauteed portobellos, crimini and shiitakes with sweet onion, diced carrot and baby spinach.  Now there are certain foods that naturally scream out for other ingredients.  In the case of mushrooms they love rosemary and sherry.  Who am I to keep them apart?

What would a pot pie be without that creamy sauce the veggies swim in?  This is where it gets genius.  Originally I was planning on making a veloute.  Veloute is one of the five "mother sauces," and takes a little bit of time and attention to make.  It's not hard, but it's also not easy.....and you know I like easy.  So instead, I pulled the skillet off the heat and stirred in a 7 ounce container of creme fraiche.  I tasted it (always taste your food before you serve it...more salt, pepper, spice???) and did one of those "growls" the students at Bauman pointed out to me that I make when my taste buds are particularly happy.

Lastly, top with a square of puff pasrty, brush with egg  and bake to golden, crispy goodness!

Oh yeah, baby!

Veggie Pot Pie

Serves 4



1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb shiitakes, sliced

1/2 lb crimini mushrooms, sliced

2 portobello mushrooms, stem and gills removed, caps thinly sliced

2 carrots, diced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

4 cups baby spinach

1/4 cup sherry

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon French Herb Salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

7 ounces creme fraiche

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (time it right so it doesn't sit too long or it's difficult to work with)

1 egg, lightly beaten

• Preheat oven to 450°.
• Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
• Add mushrooms, onions and carrots and saute 8-10 minutes.
• Add spinach, sherry, rosemary, salt and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted, stirring occassionally.
• Remove from heat and stir in the creme fraiche.
• Unfold the thawed puff party sheet.  On a floured surface, with a lightly dusted rolling pin, roll out to a 12" square and cut into 4 equal squares.
• Divide veggie mixture between four 8 ounce ramekins.  Top with puff pasrty, folding down around the rim.
• Pierce all over top with a fork and brush with egg.
• Place on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

So glad I still had a couple waiting for me when I got back home....

Chicken & Veggie Gratin

Watching all those ridiculously skinny actresses last night on the Oscars made me really hungry!  So here's what I think Angelina could use...

I was craving caramelized onions ( I know, I'm a little weird), and that always makes me think of a yummy tian or gratin.  Lately I like the idea of working with whatever I've got.  Fortunately, my kitchen is usually pretty accommodating to an improv dinner (and not just cereal).  So into the pantry and fridge we go.....onions, baby bliss potatoes, mushrooms, thyme, chicken, gruyere (you KNOW I always have cheese on hand....or in mouth), and panko.

Start with a little olive oil and butter in a large skillet, and slowly cook the onions on medium-low heat. 

In a separate skillet, cook a couple chicken breasts, simply seasoned with salt and pepper.  I used this fantastic French herb salt that I picked up at the farmers' market from All Star Organics. I also added a little to the onions....



Caramelizing onions takes time, so if you're starving or in a rush, plan on making something else.  Once the onions are golden, add the sliced mushrooms.

 While chicken and onions cook, thinly slice some baby bliss potatoes, and lay them in the bottom of a lightly oiled baking dish.  Cover the bottom completely.  If you have a mandoline, use it.  If you are using a knife, be sure to keep the cuts uniform, so they will all cook the same.

Drizzle potatoes with olive oil and some thyme leaves.  Then start layering: onion mixture, chicken, cheese and panko.  Bake covered for 30 minutes, remove cover and cook an additional 5-10 minutes.

Caramelized Onion and Chicken Gratin

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for pan

1 table spoon unsalted butter

2 yellow onions, thinly sliced

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

salt & pepper

8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced

5 Baby Bliss potatoes, sliced 1/4" thick

2 teaspoons thyme leaves, divided

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup panko

• Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil a baking dish and set aside.
• Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add sliced onions and reduce heat to medium-low.  Let onions cook, stirring only occasionally, for 10 minutes, then add a pinch of salt and conmtinue to cook 2-3 more minutes before adding the mushrooms.
• Add mushrooms and continue cooking another 10-15 minutes.
• In a spearate skillet, cook chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper.  When cooked, remove from heat and when cool enough to handle, shred.
• Place sliced potatoes, slightly overlapping, in the  bottom of prepared baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the thyme leaves.
• Top with onion and mushroom mixture, then shredded chickenm then cheese, and top with panko and remaining teaspoon of thyme leaves.
• Cover and bake for 30 minutes.  remove cover and bake an addtional 5 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

It's Time...

I saw Food, Inc. about three years ago,and immediately stopped eating chicken, beef and pork (well except for that occasional torrid fling I have with prosciutto (come on, it's prosciutto!)  It wasn't too difficult for me to give up beef because I just never really cared one way or the other about it.  It was a little bit harder to say "goodbye" to sausage, bacon and chicken.  The knowledge of how most commercially "grown" chickens,cows and pigs are treated and, even more so, slaughtered was really disturbing to me, so I changed the way I ate. After about six months of no animal protein except for organic eggs and dairy, I felt really tired and decided that my body needed more animal protein.  I added organic chicken back into my diet and found my energy again.  I believe that all of us are designed to eat a certain way; for me, it was eating mostly vegetarian meals, with some chicken and seafood.  Interestingly enough, I read about a theory that I refer to as "genetic eating," that basically maintains we are programed to eat a certain way based on our ancestry.  It was fascinating to me to realize that on my dad's side of the family, they were Irish fishermen.  On my mom's side, they were farmers in France who also raised chickens.  So it made perfect sense to me that those were the foods that my body was telling me to eat.

Recently, however, I've had cravings for a burger.  What the???  I believe that if you're really in tune with your body, you will know what it's telling you it needs.  I find myself craving an orange every once in a while....my body needs vitamin C.  I crave a huge glass of ice water; my body's dehydrated.  So I had to listen to this beef craving, and realized that I was probably iron deficient.  Most women are.  So I sought the advice of my culinary guru, Tom, and decided on a skirt steak recipe I saw in Real Simple.  I was looking for a little guidance on how to cook red meat again, and he gave me the confidence to give it a try. I'm a bit of a recipe nerd and like to cook a recipe the first time just as it was written.  But then I bust it out and do it "Suzanne Style."  So last night I cooked the recipe from the mag (big hit, even with Fancy-Pants-Tom), but today, with my leftover piece of steak, I mixed it up a bit, simplified it, and boosted the flavor.... so here's my Mushroom-Shallot Skirt Steak:

Start out with about a pound of skirt steak, trimmed nicely from your butcher, and grass-fed if you can swing it.  Simply season it with salt and pepper and throw it into a wicked hot pan (preferably cast iron over high heat) coated with olive oil.  If it's really wicked hot (give it a little flick of water and if it sizzles, you're good), you can cook it in about 3-4 minute per side. Pull it off the heat and degalze the pan with a couple tablespoons of red wine.  Pour that sauce over the steak, tent it with foil, and keep warm.
Wipe out the skillet and add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over high heat,  Add 2 rosemary sprigs, 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, and 1/4 pound shiitakes.  Let it sit - everyone looooves to stir, but stirring too much won't allow the mushrooms to brown.  After about 3-4 minutes, pour off any liquid and continue to cook for a few minutes until mushrooms are browned, but not quite done.  Then add 4 shallots, thinly sliced, and saute for a couple minutes until softened.  Add 2 cloves garlic,also thinly sliced, a couple cups of baby spinach, a cup of arugula ,a healthy pinch of salt and pepper, and cook 1-2 minutes more, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted.  Remove skillet from heat and add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar.  Stir until butter is melted.

Place mushroom mixture on plate and top with skirt steak (maybe a little bit on top, too). 

Sooooo pretty,  And wicked, wicked delicious!!  I have to say that moments after eating this - with a fab twice-baked potato that was so yummy I ate it all before I got a chance to photograph it (oops!) - I felt better.  And here is my testament....

Bring on the Kale!

I never paid attention to kale until a couple years ago. It suffered from"guilt by association" because it was a little too close to Swiss chard, and my childhood memories of Swiss chard were not happy ones.  I think my Irish grandmother used to boil the heck out of it, until it lost all of its flavor (and color).  But a couple years ago I was introduced to homemade kale chips, and I decided to give kale a second look.


If you're not very familiar with kale, take advantage of it in these coming winter months when it's at its best and sweetest.  Kale is full of B vitamins, C, E, K, beta-carotene, iron, calcium, zinc and fiber.  It's one of the best immunity-boosting vegetables around, but it gets better than that....it helps protect your eyes, lungs, and skin and boosts brain power, memory and energy.  What more could you ask for  in a veg???


I love to stir fry it, mix it into soups and chili, roast it sprinkled with smoked paprika for tasty, crunchy chips, or "massage" the leaves with olive oil and salt to wilt them for a new twist on your usual salad.

But my latest kale creation is.....LASAGNA!

One note: alternative lasagna noodles are not as readily available as "enriched pasta" noodles, and I must confess that I used Barilla No-Boil Lasagna Noodles for this recipe test, but you can find gluten-free noodles on Amazon, and I intend to play with this recipe some more using some of the ones they offer. 

I started out by sauteeing mushrooms and onions. 

When softened, I added a couple cloves of garlic and the kale, and continued to saute until the kale wilts.

When done, pull the skillet off the heat and let it cool slightly.  Meanwhile mix ricotta with a teaspoon each of dried basil and organo in a bowl. Next is the marinara sauce...to make things easy, I recommend Trader Joe's Tomato-Basil Sauce; it has all natural ingredients (and very few), and it tastes great.  If you would like to make your own marinara sauce, it's super easy, and you can finds lots of recipes online.

Cover the bottom of your 8X8 pan with a thin layer of sauce, then 2 lasagna noodles.  Cover with half the ricotta mixture, and half the mushroom/kale mixture and 1/3 cup of sauce.  Top with another 2 noodles, the rest of the cheese and kale and 2 more noodles.  Top with remaining sauce and 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese. 

Bake uncovered in a 400 degree oven for 35-45 minutes until bubbly and heated through.

And then try not to eat the whole thing!

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

We've all been there at one point...you know he's not good for you, but you just can't stay away.  When you're together it's delicious and wonderful.  But afterward, you get that bad feeling in the pit of your stomach.  Well that's where I find myself these days.  And the "he" in my life is......cheese.

I love cheese;  always have.  It started when I was a little kid with that cheese spread that came in a jar (what the heck WAS that?  Cheese in a JAR?).  Then in college I met Velveeta, that yummy, perfectly meltable block of who-knows-what.  I've graduated to  real cheese (hello Cow Girl Creamery!), but my dependence on it has become an issue.

For one, I think it's a culinary cop-out that I add cheese to so many dishes.  "This dish could use a little something. What is it?.....Oh yeah, cheese!" has become an all too familiar sentence in my kitchen. 

Secondly, I recently read The China Study, and it makes a very compelling argument for eliminating dairy from our diets. 

So I've decided to try a cheese-free week.  I know I can't completely break up with cheese forever, but I do think we need to see less of each other.  So let's start with Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, shall we?

Scrape out the gills from two portobellos.  Brush both sides with a little olive oil and either bake or grill them, cut side down for a 3-5 minutes.

While they're cooking, chop some onion, carrot, bell pepper, and celery.  I also added the mushrooms stems, a few extra cremini mushrooms and a couple cloves of garlic.

Saute all the chopped veggies in a little olive oil, add some panko (better than regular breadcrumbs) and smoked paprika.  The smoked paprika is key; it makes everything taste better.  Smoked paprika is going to help me get over my breakup with cheese.

When the veggies are still crisp-tender, fill the portobellos and grill or bake for another 5 minutes.  Make a little salad on the side, and you've got a fantastic vegetarian dinner.

Whoops, did you notice that little bit of Gorgonzola on top?  Shoot! Well, I said that breaking up was hard.  I'll start my cheese free week tomorrow.....