Polenta with Mushrooms

Polenta with Mushrooms

by | Gluten Free, Sauces, TOP Five, Vegetables

mushroom-polenta

Wow, how time flies! Sorry for not posting any new recipes these past several months. I have been busy with kid activities and overall… just trying to be a “good parent” to my two teenagers! The ups and downs of being a full-time mom can definitely take it’s toll on a person. But all in all, I am grateful for this new chapter in my life. I am still cooking a ton, but haven’t posted anything, so I thought I would spend some of my summer sharing some of my favorites.

I have tried this recipe several times, and both my husband and son agree this is one of their “top 5” faves! This is a recipe I found on the NY Times website, but made some minor modifications to it. I hope you enjoy! Serves 8-10

FOR THE POLENTA

  • 3 cups milk
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups polenta (I love Bob’s Organic Red Mill Polenta)
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan

FOR THE MUSHROOMS

  • 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1 cup of home-made chicken broth (or store bought)
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pats, divided
  • 3 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced thin
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper

In a large deep pan over high heat, bring the milk and water to a boil; add salt, and gradually stir in polenta. Reduce heat and summer gently, stirring frequently to prevent clumping and sticking, until mixture is very thick (approximately 30-45 minutes). If the polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep the polenta soft enough to stir. Stir in butter and the parmesan cheese.

Meanwhile, boil the chicken broth; add in the dried porcini mushroom. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and pat dry, then chop roughly. Reserve the mushroom/chicken stock.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan set over high heat until it has melted. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic brown.

Add the fresh and reconstituted porcini mushrooms and thyme to the pan, and sauté 8 minutes, turning until browned. Add about 1/4 cup of the mushroom stock to deglaze the surface, using a wooden spoon to scrape at the browned bits. Allow the stock to reduce by half, then turn the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, whisking to combine, followed by the soy sauce, cream and olive oil. Allow mixture to cook until it thickens a little, then remove from heat. Taste for seasoning, adding black pepper, salt or more parmesan cheese, if desired.

Place the polenta into warmed bowls, then top with mushrooms and the sauce. Serve immediately.

Gluten-Free Breakfast Crepes (aka Swedish Pancakes)

Gluten-Free Breakfast Crepes (aka Swedish Pancakes)

by | Breakfast, Gluten Free

swedish-pancakes

My 12 year old daughter is not only very picky when it comes to food, she is also gluten intolerant, but of course loves breakfast foods! Growing up with a Swedish mother, has given me an upper hand on making these “crepes”, or, as we call them, “Swedish pancakes”. I have tried this recipe, which feels like a thousand times, using different gluten free flours, and finally… I found the perfect one! It’s King Arthur’s Multi-Purpose Gluten Free Flour. The flour is light and fine, and not at all “grainy”, and has a very mild taste (unlike coconut and almond flour.) I used it without having to alter the proportions in a regular crepe recipe. I also made them with almond milk, instead of whole/skim cow’s milk, as she is also slightly intolerant to dairy… UGH! The challenges of a mom… who loves to cook! Again, I searched far and wide for an almond milk that was not too thick, too sweet and without a strong almond flavor. I found Pacific brand Organic Vanilla Unsweetened Almond milk. (Pictures of products below).

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp organic sugar
  • 1 cup King Arthur’s multi-purpose gluten free flour
  • 1 ⅓ cup Pacific’s unsweetened organic vanilla almond milk
  • 4 tbsp butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Whisk eggs with vanilla, salt, and sugar. Slowly whisk in the flour. (I do this, to avoid any clumping). Whisk until smooth. Slowly stir in the almond milk, until you have a nice thin batter. In a crepe pan, or large skillet add a ½ tbsp of butter, enough to melt and cover the bottom of the pan, be sure to roll butter around the edges of skillet. Pour in a scant ⅓ cup batter and quickly swirl the pan to evenly coat the bottom. Cook until the pancake sets, 1 to 1 ½  minutes. Using a rubber spatula, carefully lift the pancake by the edges and flip; cook until lightly golden on the other side, 15 to 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate; keep warm in the oven while making the others. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter to make about 12 pancakes. If the pancakes seem too thick, thin the batter slightly with almond milk. These are great served with powdered sugar, and fresh fruit. You can place all in the ingredients in a line in the center and roll and serve. But, we like doing this “self-serve” style, with a smorgasbord of fixings, as everyone has their favorite filling, including lingonberry jam for those traditional Swedes!

Here are the photos of the flour, almond milk and vanilla.

IMG_0784 IMG_0789 (1) IMG_0786 (1)

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