mushrooms

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup! The crockpot is essential, in my opinion. Never mind the fact that a slow-cooker turns the entire house into a well-seasoned bistro. It’s the hands-free unattended cooking with astounding results that makes it a winner in my book. Throw everything together, let it simmer, and enjoy the meal to come. Leftovers are delicious and clean-up is a snap!

CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Ingredients: 

4-6 chicken fillet tenders

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon lemon pepper 

1/8 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon rosemary 

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

60-ounces chicken broth

23-ounce can of cream of chicken soup

3 stalks celery, cut-up

1/2 pound mini carrots, whole

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup onion, chopped

3 bay leaves

2 cups home style noodles

1/2 cup butter

Instructions: 

Sauté chicken tenders in a large skillet with olive oil, lemon pepper, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and celery seed. Remove from heat. Pour the cream of chicken soup into the crockpot. Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring until the two are well. blended. Transfer the sautéed chicken tenders from the skillet. Add celery, carrots, mushrooms, and onions. Stir gently. Add bay leaves. Heat on high setting for four hours. Remove lid and shred the chicken for a chunky consistency. Return to soup. Add noodles and butter. Reduce heat to low and simmer two hours longer. Remove bay leaves before serving. 

Yaki Chicken Udon

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Yaki Chicken Udon! Who likes Japanese noodles, sautéed veggies, and a rich savory sauce? Me, too. If I can sneak a couple mushrooms into a dish, it’s always a good day for me. The hubs isn’t as crazy about fungus as I am, which is why I put in his favorite (carrots) to tastefully distract him. No judgment, please. 

YAKI CHICKEN UDON

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon mirin

7.76-ounce package udon Japanese-style noodles

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup onion, chopped

2-3 whole mushrooms, sliced

4-ounce chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 baby carrots, julienned 

1/4 cup red cabbage, shredded

Cilantro, for garnish

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, and mirin. Mix well; set aside. To prepare the udon noodles, bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the dried udon noodles. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain; set aside. Spray a skillet with nonstick oil. Warm pan over medium heat. Sauté garlic clove and chopped onions. Stir thoroughly, about 2-3 minutes, to prevent scorching. The onions will begin to soften as the garlic turns golden. Add chicken chunks and sliced mushrooms. Cook 3-4 minutes, turning chicken on each side, or until the chicken pieces are seared and cooked thoroughly. Once the chicken is ready, add the udon noodles, soy sauce mixture, julienned carrots, and shredded cabbage. Toss everything together until well coated. Garnish with fresh cilantro. 

Timely Turkey Tetrazzini

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Timely Turkey Tetrazzini! Now here’s a great way to turn leftover turkey into a tantalizing meal. By adding a few ingredients, a magical transformation takes place. Simply add turkey to mixed vegetables for a creamy pasta dish with a buttery breadcrumb topping. Can anyone say YUM?!

TIMELY TURKEY TETRAZZINI 

Casserole Ingredients:

8 ounces spaghetti, cooked

4 ounces can mushroom caps, sliced

2 tablespoons butter

3 cups cooked turkey, cut up

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted 

1 cup Greek yogurt 

2 tablespoons sherry

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup pimentos, diced

1 tablespoon diced onion

Topping Ingredients:

1/3 cup croutons, crushed*

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons butter, melted 

*May be substituted for breadcrumbs. 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to. 325°. Grease a 9″x13″ casserole dish. Prepare spaghetti according to package directions. Drain. Sauté mushrooms in butter. Set aside. In a large bowl combine cream of chicken soup, yogurt, sherry, sriracha sauce, celery seed, and salt. Blend well. Fold in pimentos and onion. Add sautéed mushrooms and butter. Mix in spaghetti and turkey until completely combined. Spread evenly in the casserole dish. Top with crushed croutons and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle melted butter over all. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve immediately. 

Udon Noodle Soup

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Udon Noodle Soup! The debate continues…….are udon noodles flat or round? It depends on who you ask. Personally, I prefer the fettuccine-like flat udon: soft and smooth with a chewiness that allows me to savor whatever ingredients I throw into it. When making them at home (which I haven’t attempted yet) the dough can be rolled out to a thicker or thinner texture. They will both cook in a matter of minutes, so it’s actually a win-win on both counts. The darker the broth, the deeper the color. Either way, once the soup is ladled into bowls, people will dig right in with a slurp-worthy response.  

UDON NOODLE SOUP

Ingredients: 

16 ounces chicken stock 

1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 clove garlic, minced

1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cooked and chopped

1/2 head bok choy, chopped

1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced

7-ounce package dried udon noodles 

Chili Crisp, for garnish

Instructions: 

In a 4-quart pan over medium-high heat, bring the chicken stock, minced ginger, chili powder, and minced garlic to a boil. Add cooked chicken chunks, bok choy, and mushrooms. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Add udon noodles; cook for 4 minutes. Ladle soup mixture into individual bowls. Garnish with chili crisp, if desired. 

Vegetarian Bruschetta

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Vegetarian Bruschetta! There’s something about sharing an appetizer for dinner. It feels sinful and tastes shamefully delicious. The rustic combination of artisan bread, savory veggies, and warm cheese conjure up images of the Italian landscape. Transcend yourself to a country villa in the hills of Tuscany. Lend a little romance to dinner with finger food that melts in your mouth with a slightly salty finish. 

VEGETARIAN BRUSCHETTA 

Ingredients:

1 baguette, sliced horizontal 

1/2 cup olive oil

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper 

12-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 cup mozzarella cheese

2 green onions, snipped

1 tablespoon pimento, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Slice baguette horizontally and place open face on baking sheet. Spread olive oil on top of baguette. Sprinkle with garlic powder, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Drain artichoke hearts, reserving liquid. Cut artichokes into bite size pieces and add back into the liquid. Add mushrooms to liquid. Mix well to coat. Divide artichoke/mushroom mixture between the baguette halves. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is crunchy. Cut into diagonal slices. Garnish with green onion and pimento. 

Gourmet Shrimp Conchiglie Pasta

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Gourmet Shrimp Conchiglie Pasta! 

(Inspired by Other Bloggers)

Every once in awhile you have to pause and share the inspiration of fellow bloggers. Today is that day for me. My friend, Andrea, of http://oliveandpastel.wordpress.com/2015/06/24

posted a wonderful recipe for shrimp fettuccine recently. I used her recipe with the ingredients I had on hand in my pantry and created a different version of an old favorite. You can do the same with recipes you find on my blog. It’s really very simple, and the results are tastefully rewarding. Here’s my version. 

GOURMET SHRIMP CONCHIGLIE PASTA

Conchiglie is an Italian word which translates to “seashells”, which describes the shape of this pasta.  The gourmet part is the color wheel of flavors: spinach, tomato, squid ink, wheat. 

Ingredients:

1 cup Conchiglie Gourmet Pasta

1 pound shrimp, cooked, peeled, and tail shells removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Chesapeake Bay Style Seasoning 

1/4 teaspoon dill

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 jar Bertolli Parmesan Alfredo sauce

Instructions:

In a deep skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and sauté shrimp in seasoning and dill. Remove from pan and brown mushrooms in pan drippings. Do not let pan go dry. If you need moisture, add a tablespoon of lemon juice or lime juice. (Water can be substituted.) Return shrimp to the mushrooms. Add Alfredo sauce and gently stir. Simmer while the pasta is cooking. Meanwhile, cook Conchiglie according to package directions. Drain well and add to the sauce. Mix completely. Simmer 5 minutes longer and then serve. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese. 

Taste Testing for the Living

“Through trial-and-error and 

observable outcomes, our 

ancestors narrowed the field 

of edible mushroom candidates 

to just a few with remarkable, 

health-supporting properties.” 

~ Paul Stamets

Beef Au Jus

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Beef au Jus! Talk about a no-brainer.  This is a great meal when you have no time.  I pop a frozen beef roast into my Le Creuset covered roaster first thing in the morning and let it slow cook all day long.  By the time I return, the mouth-watering aroma greets me at the door.  Then all I have to do is add peeled potatoes, baby carrots, and some red wine.  A nice French Bordeaux adds richness and balance.  Go ahead and pour a glass for yourself and relax!  An hour later, dinner is served. Bon Appétit!

BEEF AU JUS

Ingredients:

3 lb. Beef Roast

1 can Beef Consommé 

Herbs de Provence

4 Idaho Potatoes 

1 lb. bag of Baby Carrots

1/2 lb. fresh Mushrooms 

1 cup Dry Red Wine

Directions:

Put frozen beef roast, herbs de Provence seasoning, and one can of beef consommé into a covered roaster. Set oven to 285 °.  Let it slow cook for 6-8 hours.  The meat will be juicy and fork-tender.  Add peeled and cut-up potatoes, baby carrots, and sliced mushrooms. Pour one cup of dry red wine over all. Cover.  Bake for one hour, or until tender.   Serve with crusty bread and dip into the “au jus”.  It’s so delicious, you’ll be tempted to drink it!

***Option:  The potatoes may be mashed with butter and milk.  Leave a few lumps for texture.  Top with “au jus”.

Udon Noodles With Shrimp

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Udon Noodles with Shrimp! Everyone goes crazy over noodles. Udon noodles, made popular by the Japanese culture, offer the chewy thick texture associated with comfort food. Basically made from flour, salt, and water, they can take on the flavor of whatever ingredient you add to it. Being a shrimp-lover and mushroom fanatic, the choices here were not even up for debate. My kitchen, my choice. But I can tell you this, the sauce alone is slurp-worthy. 

UDON NOODLES WITH SHRIMP

Ingredients:

7-ounce package udon noodles 

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/3 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped

8-10 large shrimp, precooked and tails removed

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt 

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

1/2 cup baby spinach leaves

1 green onion, chopped for garnish

Ingredients for the Sauce:

2 tablespoons oyster sauce 

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar 

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 

Instructions:

Make the sauce first by combining oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and toasted sesame oil. Whisk until smooth. Set aside. Boil the udon noodles, according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside. Warm one tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Increase heat to medium-high setting. Add sliced mushrooms. Stir 2-3 minutes until cooked. Add chopped yellow onions and cook 2-3 minutes longer, or until soft. Transfer vegetables to a platter. In the same skillet, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add large shrimp. Sprinkle with garlic powder, seasoned salt, and red pepper flakes. Sauté both sides of the shrimp. Add the udon noodles to the skillet to heat through. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and noodles. Stir. Add mushrooms and onions; gently toss. Turn off heat. Fold in the baby spinach leaves; allow them to slightly wilt. Scoop noodle mixture into individual bowls. Garnish with green onion pieces. Serve immediately.