Tag Archives: mushroom

Hardcore Hobbit: Mushroom “Stew”

Posted on March 11, 2013 | Leave a comment

Hobbits and mushrooms are like a glass and milk! they just go together. It has been fun juggling ideas to make this recipe come to life. So much pondering. Finally I had a tasty, filling idea come to me, I bounced it off my husband and he added an idea that made it even better. In the game mushroom stew is made with just mushrooms and coney stock. Well, I don’t keep coney stock on hand so I went with chicken. Still, it needed something to make it exciting. That’s when my husband suggested “what about a blend of different types of mushrooms.” So simple and so brilliant. The end result smelt so delicious when cooking it was maddening…and tasting it warmed us to the core. A definite win.

100_2923

  • 1 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced to desired size (I like to cut mine small)
  • 1 cup lobster mushrooms, sliced to desired size (I like to cut mine small)
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbl rice bran oil (or other suitable cooking oil)
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add the shallots, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the poultry seasoning, then add the quinoa. Stir, cooking for 30 seconds.
  3. Add the broth and wine to the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer covered until liquid is absorbed, about 20-30 minutes.

It may not technically be a stew but I figured the mushrooms were being stewed as much as I would go for. Serves 4. Each serving contains 255 calories, 6.6 grams fat, 33 grams carbs, 3.4 grams fibre, and 7.5 grams protein. Experiment with your own mushroom blends, that is a big part of the fun with this dish. Great as a side or as your main.

Leave a comment

Posted in Comfort Foods, Dinner, Sidedish, The Hardcore Hobbit

Tagged , , , ,

Hardcore Hobbit: Wild Mushroom Soup

Posted on October 26, 2011 | 4 comments

To make up for not posting for so long I have made it a double hardcore hobbit recipe week. Am I forgiven? How about after you taste this soup? It is delicious! It is exactly what I needed after a busy day. I paired it with some light havarti stuffed buns. Omnomnom! In Lotro this soup is made using mushrooms, mixed herbs, and leek stock. Fantastic! The soup was nummy nutritious velvet in a bowl. With the large serving size it was incredibly filling, a great dinner course all on it’s own. What hobbit would protest a dinner with mushrooms as the star? Shall we?

  • 5 cups Hardcore Hobbit Leek Stock
  • 4-5 cups various mushrooms, sliced (I used shiitake, portobello, and crimini)
  • 2 tbl soy sauce
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 fl. ounce dry sherry
  1. Combine the ingredients in a crockpot. Do not worry if the mushrooms seem to over power the amount of stock, they will cook down and provide their own liquid.
  2. Cook for 8 hours on low (or stovetop simmer 30- 60 minutes)
  3. Using a handblender or blending in batches process the soup until it is blended. I went with a texture that was blended but not smooth. I liked the variations in colour and texture. That is personal taste, go with what you like! Season with extra salt or pepper as needed. Serve.
  4. Want a tasty variation? My husband topped his soup with fat free sour cream. He even made a ghost on top to celebrate the season. Isn’t it cute? I tasted his variation and it is indeed nummy!!

Makes 5 generous and filling servings. Each serving contains 205 calories, 5 grams fat, 35 grams carbs, 4.7 grams fibre, and 5.9 grams protein. A great fall day treat. Using local mushrooms makes the flavour of those mushrooms sing! When selecting your variety of mushrooms you might want to check out what is local to your particular shire and in season. Every hobbit deserves the best mushrooms they can find.

4 Comments

Posted in Comfort Foods, Crockpot Creations, Dinner, Lunch, The Hardcore Hobbit

Tagged , , , , , ,

Hardcore Hobbit: Full Breakfast

Posted on August 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

This is a nice and easy hardcore hobbit to get back into the swing of things. Apparently when hobbits say full breakfast, they truly mean FULL breakfast! This makes a great meal for a busy day when you might not have time to stop for a full lunch. You certainly will not be hungry by lunch time….you might not even be done eating your full breakfast by lunch time. In the game a full breakfast includes mushroom, egg, tater, bacon, pork sausage and chives to make it epic. Yes, we got it all in there, with healthy alternatives! Want to see?

  • 2 chicken or turkey sausages ( I suggest visiting your local farmers market or butcher for some really unique flavours. The one we have here is a chicken, pineapple, curry, and cheese sausage from market on millstream)
  • 1 cup egg substitute (like egg creations, etc.)
  • 2 tbl chopped fresh chives
  • 4 slices of canadian bacon
  • Hardcore Hobbit fried mushrooms
  • potato pancakes
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Prepare the sausage and canadian bacon to taste. We did ours on the bbq. Who said the grill is for lunch and dinner only?
  2. Prepare the fried mushroom and potato pancakes and plate.
  3. In a medium heated pan scramble the eggs and plate.
  4. Plate the sausage and canadian bacon and garnish with the chopped chives.

This is another one of those recipes that a nutritional calculation cannot be done for since it all depends on your sausage choices in the end. Choose wisely young hobbits and enjoy a full breakfast!

Is it just me or is that breakfast kind of smiling at us?

Leave a comment

Posted in Breakfast, Comfort Foods, The Hardcore Hobbit

Tagged , , , , ,

Lentil Sliders

Posted on August 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

A few weeks ago my husband and I went out to a vegetarian style restaurant with some gaming buddies of ours called Rebar. You may have heard of them, they have a cookbook that many people swear by. I ended up ordering their almond burger. It was quite tasty and did not disappoint….especially with it’s topping of aioli and alfalfa sprouts. I love alfalfa sprouts…my dad used to call them frog hairs…which made me love them more…I was a very strange little girl. I remain a very strange girl ofcourse. I had been toying with the idea of a lentil slider for some time and this burger inspired me to add almonds. I loved the texture that the almonds in their burger gave. It definitely was that last missing touch to the slider I’ve been aiming for. So, thank you Rebar for the inspiration! Remember, it is good for yourself and the environment if you have atleast one meat free meal a day.

  • 1/2 cup dry red lentils
  • 3 tbl dry couscous
  • 5 crimini mushrooms
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 green onion
  • 3 carrots, grated
  • 4 tbl sliced almonds
  1. Cook the lentils according to the directions on the package. This is usually 1 1/2 cup of water and lentils simmering for 12 minutes or so.
  2. Using a blender, combine the garlic, mushrooms and half of the still hot lentils.
  3. Pour into a bowl. Add the sliced green onions, dry cous cous, carrots, almonds, and remaining lentils. Stir until well combined. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
  4. Form the mixture into 10 slider patties. Freeze for atleast 4 hours.
  5. Grill or pan fry, usually about 2 minutes per side.

Makes 10 lentil sliders. Each contain (without bun or toppings) 48 calories, 1.3 grams fat, 7.2 grams carbs, 1.8 grams fibre, and 2.2 grams protein. Great served as an open face slider topped with a bit of light mayo mixed with sriracha sauce. Num! In fact these are so nice and light why not serve them as a lovely trio outside?

Leave a comment

Posted in Dinner, Lunch

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Hardcore Hobbit: Complete Hobbit Breakfast

Posted on June 6, 2011 | 3 comments

Lotro tells us this delicious breakfast is full of potato, egg, bacon, and mushroom. Really, who could ask for more? This one came to us by accident sort of. Weekend breakfasts are my husband’s domain. Lately though he has been strapped for ideas. He told me he was in the mood for eggs though. So we talked it out and concluded that we should poach said egg and place it on a tasty potato pancake. Then he asked if I wanted bacon. To which I countered “you know…if we work in mushrooms…we have a complete hobbit breakfast!”. So, we tried it out and yes it works. Totally delicious and I would do it again. Each flavour comes through and it is indeed those ingredients in their purest form. Best of all, the egg was a perfect medium poach. My favourite kind. I love it when the egg yolk becomes this gooey buttery sauce to tie together the dish. Break the yolk first and dive in, you won’t regret it.

  • 2 medium red potatoes
  • 2 strips bacon
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 crimini mushrooms (or mushroom of choice), sliced
  • cooking spray
  • ground pepper to taste
  1. Peel, grate and squeeze the moisture out of the potatoes. Form into two cakes and set aside.
  2. Crisp the bacon in a pan and drain off the fat. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until the liquids come out and get soaked up again.
  3. Pulse the mushrooms in a blender to create a tapenade  like texture (chunky, not a puree). Set aside.
  4. Place the potato pancakes in the pan. Cook until golden on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip, press down, and cook until golden. Place on your plate.
  5. Poach the eggs to desired firmness. We use an egg poacher, for the free wheeling way of making these without a poacher you would best refer to Julia Child.
  6. Spoon the mushroom tapenade on the potato pancake. Place the poached egg on top and garnish with your pieces of bacon. Serve!

Serves two. Each serving contains 275 calories, 8.4 grams fat, 37.8 grams carbs, 4.9 grams fibre, and 13 grams protein. What a pretty plate and a tasty brunch that was. Go husband!

 

3 Comments

Posted in Breakfast, The Hardcore Hobbit

Tagged , , ,

Philly Cheese Steak

Posted on May 4, 2011 | 2 comments

This is one of those recipes that isn’t much of a recipe really. More like an example of how to make those naughty things we love a bit healthier. My husband loves philly cheese steaks, especially when they come in pizza form. So with some leftover buns I decided to give making these healthier a go and see if they pass with the cheese steak eater. They did! Here is what I did.

  • Thinly sliced eye of round steak, tossed in montreal steak spice
  • thinly sliced 4 crimini mushrooms
  • thinly sliced 1/2 sweet onion
  • thinly sliced 1/2 red pepper
  • 4 sliced of reduced fat provolone cheese
  • 2 herbed sub buns
  1. Saute the steak in a hot pan until done. Remove and set aside and keep warm.
  2. Add the mushrooms and onions to the pan and cook until the juices come out and the onion caramelize slightly. You can add the red peppers to the cooking mixture if you like. I like mine to have some crunch left in them.
  3. Layer the steak in the cut buns, top with the mushroom and onion mixture. Layer red peppers on top and then the cheese.
  4. Arrange the sandwiches on a flat pan and put under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly. Serve!

Makes two subs. There is so much room for variation in this recipe it’s difficult to post nutritionals for it. I will say though that for us it was what I usually spend on dinner. This philly was totally conquered and really easy.

2 Comments

Posted in Comfort Foods, Craving Buster, Dinner

Tagged , , , ,

Hardcore Hobbit: Barley Stew

Posted on March 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

Alright, it’s a barley risotto. So creamy, so nummy, and so filling. According to the game barley stew is made with barley and coney stock. Well, to me when you get a grain like that and some stock together it just begs to be made into a risotto. Yes the barley tells me to do things. You can hear it too…I know you can…don’t deny it. Granted, my husband claims I have already made barley stew…that one time I was a bit overzealous adding the barley to the soup. It was tasty yes but this is more elegant and involves mushrooms. What self-respecting hobbit turns down another opportunity for mushrooms? Exactly.

  • 1 cup barley
  • 200g mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
  • 3 cup coney stock (any stock of choice works here too, chicken especially)
  • 3/4 cup white wine
  • 14 g parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1 tbl dried parsley (more if using fresh)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • cooking spray
  1. Combine the stock and the wine in a pot and heat to near boiling. Lower the heat to low and allow to simmer. We want to keep that good and warm for when we make the risotto.
  2. Spray a pan and heat to medium. Add sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently until done. About 2-4 minutes depending on desired doneness. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. Add the shallot and garlic to the pan. Cook until the shallots begin to turn golden.
  4. Add the barley to the pan and toast for a couple of minutes. Stirring constantly.
  5. Now is the time to have your adventure in babysitting. Add the stock mixture one or two ladles at a time. Allow the liquid to mostly absorb before adding another ladle.  This process takes around 20 minutes, so be patient and keep stirring.
  6. After the last ladle has been poured in and mostly absorbed, add the parsley, parmesan, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and serve immediately.

I like this topped with an additional tablespoon of parmesan but that is not included in the nutritional info. Serves four, each serving contains 252 calories, 1.8 grams of fat and 8.5 grams of fibre. I know! Check out that fibre. That’s the reason why you feel so full after eating this side dish. You can serve this for two as a main dish. Prepare to be super full! I love risotto.

Leave a comment

Posted in Comfort Foods, Dinner, Sidedish, The Hardcore Hobbit

Tagged , , , ,

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Posted on March 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

We are still locked in those cold days of winter so we need something comforting and warming. I always shake my head when I see those frozen entree salisbury steak dinners. We can do so much better with just a bit of prep. You can even form these patties ahead of time, refrigerate or freeze them (as long as you started with fresh meat ofcourse). You could get this dish on the table in the time it takes to make one of those frozen dinners in the oven. Hehe, I can’t compete with the microwave. Want to know something interesting, they eat this in Japan. It is that international a dish, although out there they call it Hanbagu. I just like saying it, it makes me feel very engrish. Hanbagu is awesome! Fear the hanbagu! We love you hanbagu!

  • 400 grams extra lean ground beef
  • 1 onion thinly sliced
  • 200 grams mushrooms
  • 2 pkg beef oxo, reduced salt
  • 1 tbl light butter
  • 2 tbl cornstarch
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tbl montreal steak spice
  • 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Combine the beef, garlic, worcestershire sauce and montreal steak spice in a bowl. Form the mixture into small patties and set aside.
  2. Heat a pan to medium. Spray and add onions and mushrooms, cook until desired doneness, remove from pan. If you like a chunky gravy just set them aside. If you prefer a smoother gravy puree these with the water and set aside.
  3. Add the patties to the pan and sear on each side. Traditionally, you will finish cooking these in your gravy. If you are doing these remove them and set aside. If not, then cook until done.
  4. While the patties are searing or cooking. Add the cornstarch, oxo and butter to a small pot. Allow the butter to melt and stir to combine with the dry ingredient. Add the water or puree slowly, whisking the whole time to avoid lumps. Bring the sauce to a boil. If you had the onions and mushrooms set aside add them now.
  5. If you are cooking the patties in the sauce place them in your gravy now and allow to simmer covered for 20-30 minutes. If you opted for the cooked patties serve the sauce over the patties and enjoy!

Serves 4. Each serving of patties and mushroom gravy contains 291 calories, 18 grams of fat and 1.1 grams of fibre. Definitely one of those comfort foods, it may be low in calories but the fat is something you don’t want to do everyday. Tasty with rustic mashed potatoes (especially those royal mashed potatoes) and some cooked carrots.

Leave a comment

Posted in Comfort Foods, Dinner

Tagged , , , ,

Hardcore Hobbit: Roast Pork

Posted on February 21, 2011 | 1 comment

So, in the game roast pork is made from pork, onion and butter. The item is described as being “cooked simply”. Well hmmm, that leaves far too much wiggle room. So I sat down and asked…wwhd…what would hobbits do? hehe. The answer was obvious really. Stuff it with mushrooms ofcourse! I love stuffed pork tenderloin. Lovely organic mushrooms were even on sale this week. So, I sent my husband out on a mission of mushroom retrieval and began plotting. The end result was delicious!

  • 1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
  • 150 grams crimini mushrooms
  • 2 tbl yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 small  garlic clove
  • 2 tbl dry sherry
  • 1 tbl chopped fresh basil
  • 1 tsp light butter or butter flavoured cooking spray
  • 12 ounces pork tenderloin
  • salt and pepper
  1. Slice the pork lengthwise but not all the way through, open it up, cover with plastic and pound flat. I find 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch thickness works best for me.
  2. Puree the olive oil, mushrooms, onion, garlic, sherry, and a bit of salt and pepper together until you get a smooth almost mousse like consistency.
  3. Fill the center of the pounded pork with the mushroom filling and roll closed. Bind it closed using either cooking twine or toothpicks.
  4. Melt the butter and brush on the tenderloin or spray with butter flavoured cooking spray. Season by sprinkling with salt, pepper, and chopped basil.
  5. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Allow to rest for atleast 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serves 4. Each serving contains 215 calories, 9.6 grams of fat, and 2.6 grams of fibre. Calculated using light butter although this time I used cooking spray. I served this with a lovely butter lettuce salad. A side note this mushroom mousse recipe of mine was originally used to fill homemade ravioli. So delicious! If you are also a home pasta maker I definitely recommend this as a filling. My original recipe for the pasta filling though was half baby bella and half shitaake. Either way is very tasty.

1 Comment

Posted in Dinner, The Hardcore Hobbit

Tagged , , , ,

Hardcore Hobbit: Fried Mushrooms

Posted on February 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

A true hobbit favourite, a basic recipe but always a winner. Like it says in the description “easy to make and enjoyable anytime.” These are great as a side dish or topping for any main ingredient. According to the game all you need is mushrooms and butter, and it is so true! Choose a tasty fancy mushroom and let that flavour shine through!

  • 400 grams Mushroom of choice
  • 1 tbl light butter
  • 1 clove garlic, pressed
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  1. Clean the mushrooms and slice them. You can leave the stalks on most types if you wish, I tend to remove them and reward my foodie puppies with them.
  2. Heat a pan to medium, Spray the pan with butter flavoured cooking spray. Add the mushrooms then add the butter.
  3. As the butter melts add the garlic and a bit of salt and pepper. Either shake or stir the mushrooms around making sure that neither the mushrooms or the butter burns.
  4. Allow the juices from the mushrooms and the butter reduce, serve!

This makes plenty for two, especially for hobbits such as ourselves. Each serving contains 71 calories, 3.2 grams of fat and 2.7 grams of fibre. Great even on toast! An awesome simple recipe that helps build a dish to true hobbit greatness.

Leave a comment

Posted in Sidedish, The Hardcore Hobbit

Tagged ,