Mushroom and Wild Rice Casserole

Posted on April 12, 2010 by kitchenbelle

I am crazy about wild rice and I always have my eye out for recipes that incorporate it. I was reading this recipe over at 101 Cookbooks where Heidi suggests trying any of your favorite grains in her mushroom casserole recipe. I saw it as great opportunity to use some wild rice! 

This recipe calls for three cups of cooked rice–I replaced that with two cups of cooked wild rice plus one cup of cooked brown rice. (For added flavor cook your rice in chicken or vegetable broth instead of water.) 

One mistake I made that I will warn you against is this: When I was making the rice to use for this recipe I was not thinking straight and I measured out two cups of DRY wild rice plus one cup of DRY brown rice and then cooked them in two separate pans according to their respective package directions.  Well, DUH.   Rice expands while cooking and nearly triples its volume! So, unless you want to have lots of leftover rice, only prepare enough dry rice to yield a total of three cups cooked!  (I see some new wild rice recipes in my immediate future!)

I intended to serve this as an accompaniment to some flank steaks I purchased from Whole Foods, however, as I was about to put the steak onto the grill pan I realized I wasn’t that hungry. My husband wasn’t that hungry either so we decided to eat this as a main dish.  We both really liked it! It is a very lightened-up version of the old school cream of mushroom soup recipes that we all love so much.  (Don’t expect that canned-soup level of moistness, though.)  The flavors were great and I plan to eat the reheated leftovers for lunch this week!

Mushroom and Wild Rice Casserole:

  • 2 cups of cooked wild rice
  • 1 cup of cooked brown rice
  • 8-10 ounces of mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup of grated cheese (you could use Parmesan, mozzarella, or a combination of the two)
  • a few tablespoons of fresh chives, roughly chopped
  • 2 scallions, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Coat a 9 x 13 glass baking dish or casserole with olive oil and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat saute the mushrooms in a tablespoon or two of olive oil.  Sprinkle with some salt. Stir every few minutes and cook until the mushrooms have browned a bit and released their liquid. Add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes or until they are transluscent.  Add the garlic, cook for another minute then remove from the heat.

Add the brown rice and wild rice to the skillet. Stir until combined.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream and salt.

Combine in the rice/mushroom mixture with the cottage cheese mixture. Stir until well combined and pour into the prepared 9×13 dish. Sprinkle with 2/3 of the grated cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 more minutes or until bubbly and golden around the edges. Sprinkle with chives, scallions, remaining cheese.  (Add some chicken or vegetable broth if you’d like some additional moisture.)

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

Filed under: cheese, chives, Main Dish, mushroom, rice, Side, VEGETARIAN | 8 Comments »

Delicata Squash Stuffed with Kale and White Beans

Posted on February 7, 2010 by kitchenbelle

This may sound odd, however, I am going to say it anyway.  There are certain foods that when I look at them my first thought is, “There really is a god.”  Now, I wouldn’t exactly categorize myself as super religious, however, when I see little pieces of nature that strike me so intricate I can’t help but be taken back.  Blackberries are one of those foods.  Each little perfectly plump drupelet can’t be a fluke.  And delicata squash is another.  Each one is like a little work of art.  It looks like someone took a paintbrush and daintily and deliberately stroked each one to perfection.  They are just so darn pretty!

This recipe is so bright with the colors of nature and rich in vitamins and nutrients you will feel good eating it.  It would nicely accompany most any protein I can think of (I served ours with stuffed pork).  Enjoy!

Delicata Squash Stuffed with Kale and White Beans:

  • 2 delicata squashes
  • a few glugs of olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 large bunch of fresh kale, washed, dried and roughly chopped
  • 1-2 cans of white beans (cannellini or navy beans will both work well)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Use a large knife to carefully cut each squash in half. Scoop out seeds and discard.  (Or toast them for munching!)  Place squash halves cut side up in a  9×13 glass baking dish.  Carefully add water to the baking dish so that it reaches about a quarter of the way up the side of the squash.  Cover the dish tightly with foil. (You are creating an environment to steam the squash.)  Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until the inside of the squash is tender and can be easily scraped with a fork.

Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large-medium pan.  Add the finely chopped onion and cook until very tender.  I think it is important not to rush the onion.  The longer and slower they cook, the sweeter they will be.  Once they are soft and you are happy with their fragrance add the garlic (be careful not to burn it) and cook until tender.  Then add your kale.  Cover the pan and let the kale steam for about 10 minutes, but keep your eye on it.  Uncover occasionally to stir.  Once kale has wilted, add the white beans, salt and pepper.  Stir and warm until the entire mixture is heated through. 

Remove squash from the oven and place each one on your serving dish.  Use a fork to gently scrape the squash from the sides of the skin.  Fill each squash with kale filling and serve.

A Kitchenbelle Original inspired by Eggs on Sunday.

Filed under: beans, cannellini beans, Fall, kale, Side, squash, VEGETARIAN | 3 Comments »

Maple Baked Beans–Barefoot Contessa Style

Posted on January 9, 2010 by kitchenbelle

Hello, friends.  Are you still there?  I hope so!  My absence has not been because I have not been cooking–quite the opposite actually!  I spent a week cooking with my mom in preparation for our annual Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fish.  Except, we do way more than seven!  Baked stuffed lobsters, bacala, shrimp mousse, and baked scallops, just to name a few.  I really should have planned ahead and done an entire Christmas Eve post for you!  It’s just that sometimes whipping out the camera interferes with the mood, you know? I started taking photos on the first day of cooking but then doing so just seemed to interfere with the fun we were having!

Immediately after the start of the new year it was my husband’s birthday.  I decided to prepare a laid-back-comfort-food-meal.  It turned out to take a lot more time than I expected, though, I must say, in this case the time and labor really seemed to be worth it.  I thoroughly enjoyed the meal!  I made hot roast beef sandwiches with gravy (sometimes called Beef on Weck in Buffalo, NY), jalepeno cheddar corn bread, sunflower seed salad and these baked beans from Barefoot Contessa*, one of my most favorite ladies in the world.  As if that wasn’t enough comfort food I made a special request for hotdog mac ‘n’ cheese from my mom.  She hesitated, “Mac ‘n’ cheese with hotdogs?  Really?” but after my serious begging and insistence that no one would turn it down she obliged.  And everyone was quite thankful. DELICIOUS!  …and the next day everyone made a mad dash for the gym. 🙂

These baked beans were very well-received.    They are sweet, yet don’t let that fool you–they have a serious kick.  You will definitely need to plan ahead to make these.  The beans should soak in cold water over night and then they will need to bake for 6-8 hours.  I made the number one amateur cooking mistake and I didn’t read the recipe through.  I ended up putting them in the oven at 10am and taking them out the very moment I served dinner.  Very close call!  These are definitely a great side for a barbeque or tailgating party, but also they were really good on top of a baked potato for a super filling week night main course meal. 

I doubled the below recipe and you may want to do the same if you are cooking for a crowd.

*If you don’t have any Barefoot Contessa/Ina Garten cookbooks, I strongly encourage you to purchase one.  Each is a work of art.  You can feel her warmth and passion as you turn the pages.  Her excitement for good hearty unpretentious food is contagious.  And her kitchen is a haven of peace. 

Maple Baked Beans–Barefoot Contessa Style:

  • 1 pound small red beans
  • 1 large yellow onion, cut in eighths
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 whole black peppercorns
  • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese chili paste
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (you can sub 1/2 tablespoon dry)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 5 ounces thick cut smoked bacon, cubed

Put the dry beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  The next day drain and rinse the beans then drain again.

Place the beans in a large pot (I love using my Le Creuset) and add about 2 quarts of water, the onion segments, a bay leaf, and peppercorns.  Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for about 50 minutes, or until tender.  Drain the beans reserving the draining liquid.

Preheat the oven to 225 F.

In a small saucepan whisk together maple syrup, brown sugar, ketchup, chili paste, ginger, salt and 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid that you drained from the beans.  Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat for 6 minutes.

Add half of the bacon cubes to the beans and stir.  Cover the top of the beans with the remaining bacon cubes.  Pour the maple syrup sauce over the beans.  Place the lid on top and bake for 6-8 hours.  Check occasionally and if the beans appear dry add some of the reserved cooking liquid.  Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking in order to thicken the sauce.  Remove and discard the bay leaf.  Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from this recipe by Barefoot Contessa/Ina Garten.  Also found in Barefoot Contessa at Home published by Clarkson Potter.

Filed under: beans, Main Dish, Side | 5 Comments »

German Potato Salad

Posted on December 15, 2009 by kitchenbelle

When you think of potato salad you might think of it accompanying burgers at a Memorial Day or Fourth of July party–I know I do.  However, I recently determined that potato salad is a great side-kick to many proteins any time of the year. 

Use red bliss potatoes instead of russet and leave the skin on for some beautiful fall-esque color (and added nutrients).  Serve it warm along side pulled pork sandwiches, kielbasa, roasted pork, seared steaks, or three cheese paninis.  It works really well as a fall and/or winter side dish!  This recipe is great because it is light, fragrant and fresh.  It is very different from the cold summery mayonaise-based salads that are often at cook-outs. 

(Pst–look closely at the photo–I love how the potato salad matches my table cloth!) 

A big tip! The tip I am about to share with you has been passed down from many generations of potato salad makers (aka my mom, her mom etc.)  I encourage you to take notes, as this is classified information. 😉

Rather than dice the potatoes into cubes using a knife, use a fork to smash the potatoes.  The nooks and crannies left by the fork tines allow the potatoes to be coated by the dressing more effectively creating a much tastier potato.  Straight edges made by a knife allow the dressing to drip off leaving a pool at the bottom of your bowl. 

German Potato Salad:

  • 3 pounds red bliss potatoes
  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1/2 pound bacon, diced
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 3/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 8 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Place potatoes and yellow onion in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.  (Do not over cook.) Drain the potatoes and discard the onion.  Place the potatoes in a large bowl.  Smash them using the back of a fork and then cover to keep warm.

In a large saute pan, cook the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onions to the rendered bacon fat and cook until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully add the vinegar and mustard seeds and cook for 2 more minutes. Whisk in the oil and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the hot dressing to the potatoes and toss gently to coat. Fold in the green onions and parsley. Season again with salt and pepper, to taste.

Adapted from Bobby Flay’s German Potato Salad recipe found here on Foodnetwork.com.

Filed under: Fall, salad, Side | 1 Comment »

Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese

Posted on October 2, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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It has been a difficult week in the land of Kitchenbelle.  While enjoying the weekend at BlogHer Food ’09 in beautiful San Francisco (at the fabulous cocktail party hosted by The Mushroom Channel, to be exact) I learned of the unexpected death of a dear friend of ours.  He was a regular visitor to this blog and each time we were together he inquired about it.  Also, he was quite the prankster and his silly comments on this blog (one claimed “I made this meal [tuna noodle casserole] the other night and it was wonderful.  Me and my cat await your next masterpiece.  Meow!”) will be sorely missed.  He will be sorely missed and my words here will not do him  justice. 

Though I try to keep Kitchenbelle.com a place of cheer, happiness, and inspiration I couldn’t not mention this loss.  I am sure you would have sensed it anyway.  For me food is something I can control and something I can look forward to.  So I guess it is natural that in times of despair, I find myself baking and cooking more often.  The methods and rhythms soothe me.  The smells provide comfort.  Sitting across the table from my husband over a warm home-cooked and nutritious meal, on a dark cool night, especially during my favorite season of the year, ground me.  They give me hope and encourage me to be thankful.

My husband has had an especially difficult few days prompting me to want to do nothing more than to take care of him.  The best way I know how to do that is to shower him with love and dinner.  It is a feeble attempt at easing the pain, but it is what I know. 

Our friend was buried yesterday, one of the first beautiful breezy sunny autumn days in the northeast.  I found myself thinking of those verses from Ecclesiastes (I remember being struck by them while studying the Old Testament during ninth grade humanities class) that the Yardbirds spun into that popular song:  “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven…a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to dance…a time to get, a time to lose…”  Autumn is already a nostalgic season. 

After all was said and done we took a ride to a pumpkin stand and purchased some gourds and a pumpkin for our stoop.  In hopes of capturing the season as well as offering some respite from a heartbreaking day, I decided to make squash for dinner.  I adjusted this recipe quite a bit and I have noted those changes below. 

Changes and Notes:

*Original recipe called for sage.  My grocery store was out of sage so I used chives.  Sage with squash is a more traditional flavor combination, however, the chives were just fine.

*Original recipe called for blue cheese.  I don’t eat blue cheese so I substituted goat cheese.  Delicious.  I love goat cheese.

*Original recipe was vegetarian. I wanted to add some bulk so I added grilled chicken breasts.

*This is a simple and nutritious (also low calorie, I think) weeknight dinner that could be easily un-healthified (as in, bumped up a notch for company) with the addition of some heavy cream and cheddar.  Email me if you would like to discuss how this could be achieved.

Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese:

  • 5  cups  (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
  • 1  (1 1/2-ounce) bread
  • 4  teaspoons  olive oil, divided
  • 2  cups onion, finely chopped
  • 4  tablespoon  chopped fresh chives or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 3 chicken breasts, grilled and torn into pieces
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • Cooking spray
  • 1  cup crumbled goats cheese (or 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese)

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Steam squash until tender, about 10 minutes.

Place bread in a food processor, and pulse until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Transfer to a small bowl and add 2 teaspoons oil, and toss with a fork to combine.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add butternut squash, chicken (if using), chicken broth, chopped herb, salt, and black pepper to bowl, and toss gently to combine.  Spoon squash mixture into an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. Sprinkle crumbled cheese evenly over squash mixture, and sprinkle evenly with breadcrumb mixture. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and crumbs are golden brown.

Adapted from MyRecipes.com.

Filed under: cheese, chicken, chives, Fall, Main Dish, Side, squash | 4 Comments »

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