Tag: mushrooms

Mushroom Soup

Mushroom Soup

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 2 Comments

This creamy mushroom soup is delicious on cold winter evenings, especially with corn bread. I use fresh button mushrooms that are firm and have a lovely woodsy flavour.

Ingredients

Button mushrooms 250 g

Onion 1 large, chopped

Garlic 3 cloves, minced

Butter 100 g

Olive oil 4 tbsps

All-purpose flour 4 tbsps

Milk 1/3 cup

Fresh cream 1 cup

Salt and pepper to taste

Water as needed

Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Slice the mushrooms.

Add the butter and olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pan and heat till the butter melts.

Add the onions and mushrooms. Sauté till the mushrooms are brown.

Add the minced garlic and fry till the raw smell disappears.

Add the flour and sauté for two minutes. Add the milk, stirring all the time. Add 2 cups of water and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook till the soup begins to boil.

Add the cream and stir till bubble begin to appear.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with corn bread.

Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken Tetrazzini

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

I use spaghetti instead of linguine to make chicken tetrazzini as I feel it holds its shape better. Also the sauce adheres better, making for a tastier dish. The combination of full cream and garlic lends a rich flavour to the chicken tetrazzini.

Ingredients

Spaghetti 500 g, cooked al dente

Boneless chicken breasts 3

Vegetable oil 1/3 cup

Salt and pepper to taste

Butter 1 tbsp

Olive oil 2 tbsp

Button mushrooms 250 g, sliced

Onion 1 large, chopped

Frozen peas 1 cup

Garlic 5 cloves, minced

Full cream 2 cups

Full cream milk 500 ml

All-purpose flour 1/3 cup

White wine 1/3 cup

Italian herbs 3 tbsps

White bread 6 slices, toasted and ground coarsely into crumbs

Cheddar cheese 1 cup, grated

Method

Cook and drain the spaghetti and keep it aside.

Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken breasts. Pour the vegetable oil into a heavy bottomed frying pan and fry the chicken breasts till they are golden brown. Let the chicken cool and shred roughly.

Add the butter and olive oil to the same pan and fry the mushrooms till they are brown. Add the onions and fry till they are soft and translucent.

Add the minced garlic and fry for a few seconds. Add the wine and cook till it evaporates. Remove to a bowl.

Add butter and olive oil to the same pan and add flour. Roast till the raw smell of the flour disappears.

Add the milk, constantly stirring to prevent any lumps from forming. Add salt and pepper.

Add the cream. Simmer for two minutes.

Add the shredded chicken, the mushroom mixture and frozen peas to the sauce.

Switch off the heat and add spaghetti to the sauce.

Grease a baking casserole with olive oil and add the spaghetti and sauce.

Mix the bread crumbs with Italian herbs and spread over the spaghetti.

Sprinkle generously with the grated cheese.

Bake in a 180 degree C oven for 25 minutes till the cheese bubbles.

Serve hot with focaccia bread and salad.

Bacon and Potato Pie

Bacon and Potato Pie

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

This recipe was shared with me by a friend and I would make it very often for my son when he was a teenager. This is certain to be a hit with every hungry teenager and it is quick as easy to make. It makes a hearty meal because of the meat, potatoes and cheese, and it is easier to make than ordering takeout.

Ingredients

(Serves 2)

Streaky bacon 200 g

Potatoes 3 medium, sliced

Mushrooms 1 cup, sliced

Oil 1 tbsp

Italian herbs 2 tbsps

Cheddar cheese 2 cups, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Snip the bacon roughly with a pair or scissors to 1” pieces and add it along with the mushrooms to heated oil in a frying pan. Fry till the mushrooms are brown and the bacon is cooked.

In a baking tray, pour a tablespoon of bacon grease. Arrange a layer of potato slices. Add a layer of the bacon and mushroom mixture. Add a layer of overlapping potato slices. Sprinkle a layer of cheese and Italian herbs. Add another layer of potatoes.

Repeat the layers again. Finish with a thick layer of cheese.

Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and herbs.

Bake in a 180 degree C oven for 20 minutes till the cheese is bubbling.

Rest for 10 minutes and serve with a green salad.

Spinach and Egg Rice

Spinach and Egg Rice

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

This is a dish you can make if guests surprise you. It takes hardly any time. Ten minutes to assemble the dish on the gas and six minutes in the microwave, and voila, it is ready. It is a balanced meal with rice, spinach, mushrooms, egg and cheese. The flavours of Italian herbs and red chilli flakes give it a gentle boost.

Ingredients

(Serves 3)

Cooked rice 2 cups

Onion 1 large, chopped

Spinach 6 cups, chopped

Mushrooms 1 cup, chopped

Eggs 2

Cheddar cheese 1 cup, grated

Italian herb mix 1 tsp

Chilli flakes 1 tbsp

Pepper powder 2 tsps

Salt to taste

Vegetable oil 1 tbsp

Method

Take cooked rice, basmati or any long-grained variety is best. If it is made the night before and kept in the refrigerator, it is even better. Fluff it up with a fork and keep aside.

Add oil to a wok and fry the onions. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Add the spinach and continue to sauté for another 4-5 minutes till the leaves are wilted. Add chilli flakes, Italian herbs and pepper.

Add the rice and salt and mix well.

Transfer to a glass microwave dish and spread it evenly.

Break the eggs over the rice, sunny side up.

Sprinkle salt and pepper and spread the cheese over it.

Microwave it for 6 minutes and serve hot.

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

A restaurant that was a favourite with us in Singapore was Aglio Olio. We would go there two to three times a week. The restaurant offered pasta with a Singaporean twist through the use of chilli padi. I tried various permutations and combinations till I succeeded in getting the taste right.

Creamy goodness

Ingredients

(Serves 3 persons)

Penne pasta 1 cup cooked al dente

Cream 1 cup

Mushrooms 250 g, sliced

Onion 1 small, chopped

Garlic 3 cloves, minced

Chilli padi 5, chopped (or 3 green chillies chopped)

Coriander leaves chopped

Salt to taste

Pepper powder 1 tsp

Peperoncino flakes 1 tsp

Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup, grated fine

Olive oil 2 tbsp

Method

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan. Don’t let it smoke.

Add the onion and chillies. Reduce the heat and fry till the onion becomes transparent.

Add the garlic and fry till the raw smell is gone.

Add the mushroom and sauté till the mushrooms are cooked. Add 1/4 cup water.

When it boils, add the cream. Stir well.

Add the salt, pepper powder and peperoncino flakes. Stir and add the pasta. Switch off the heat.

Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves and cheese.

Mutter-mushroom Curry (Peas and Mushroom Curry)

Mutter-mushroom Curry (Peas and Mushroom Curry)

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

The combination of mushrooms and peas in a delicately flavoured tomato gravy is delicious. This is a dish that I fell in love with when I was a young girl. I loved the version of this curry sold at a restaurant called Chic Fish near my home. I have experimented till I have managed to get the same taste and texture.

Mutter-mushroom Curry

Ingredients

Peas 1 cup, fresh or frozen
Button mushroom 250 g, sliced
Onion 1 large, roughly chopped
Tomatoes 2 large, roughly chopped
Garlic 4 cloves
Ginger 1” piece
Green chillies 2, sliced on a slant
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnish
Cream 1 tbsp for garnish

Method

Grind the onion, tomato, garlic and ginger to a fine paste.

Pour oil into a hot wok and add the cumin seeds. When they stop sputtering, add the ground paste. Sauté till oil begins to leave the sides of wok.

Saute till oil leaves the sides of the pan

Add the red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Fry for 1 minute on medium heat.

Add the mushrooms
Add the peas

Add the peas and mushrooms. Add salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes till the peas and mushrooms are cooked. The gravy would have thickened as well.

Take the curry into a serving dish and garnish with the cream, coriander leaves and sliced green chillies.

Serve hot with rice or bread.

Mushroom Fry Up

Mushroom Fry Up

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

The first time I ate this dish, Mushroom Fry Up, was almost 30 years ago on my first visit to London, when my aunt made it for breakfast. She served it with sausages and it was delicious. I have been making it ever since. It became a favourite in my family for Sunday breakfast.

Best breakfast combo

Ingredients

Mushrooms 250 g
Onion 1 large
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Oil 1 tbsp

Method

Slice the mushrooms and onions. I use button mushrooms for this dish.

Finely sliced mushrooms and onions

Pour the oil to a heated frying pan and add the mushrooms and onions. Fry till the water released from the mushrooms dries up.

Turn off the heat and add salt and pepper.

Fry the sausages in the same pan. Once the sausages are done, fry the tomato halves in the same pan.

Serve hot with fresh bread and cheese.