Sautéed Asparagus with Mushrooms

I know another Asparagus recipe – well the wife says it’s the best one yet! So give it a try. I used the Criminis

INGREDIENTS:

1 Pound fresh asparagus
4-6 ounces fresh mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, baby bellas, or portabellas)
2 Tbsp. butter
3 shallots
2 slices of fresh ginger (or 2 tsp ground)
¼ tsp Fresh ground Black pepper
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1 tsp orange zest
Orange slices (optional)

PREPARATION:

Wash the mushrooms and pat dry, remove stems and thinly slice. Cut ½” off the bottom of asparagus and peel about 2/3 the length of the spears. Peel and thinly slice the shallots. Slice off the ginger, peel and smash it with the side of a heavy knife or cleaver, keeping it in one piece. Zest the orange.

SAUTÉING:

Heat a skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Melt the butter; add the shallots and smashed ginger. Sauté until just tender. Remove the ginger, add the asparagus and mushrooms. Season with pepper and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the Marsala, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice, Sprinkle with the orange zest. Simmer for another minute or so until the asparagus can just be pierced with a knife.

Garnish with orange slices

Shrimp Stuffed Portabellas

We have these stuffed portabella mushrooms as a main dish, but the smaller crimini variety can be substituted and served as an appetizer. Preferably, don’t use the “white” mushrooms as they are limited in the earthy taste of the dish.

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium Portabella mushrooms 3” diam.
½ to 1 cup shrimp (cooked)
1 medium shallot
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup soft bread crumbs
1/3 cup fresh parsley
3 Tbsp sherry
2 tsp fresh basil
1/4 tsp pepper

PREPARATION:

Rinse mushrooms, pat dry. Remove stems the mushrooms. Wash and peel the shrimp, removing the vein and tail. Chop the shrimp (med-course). Peel and chop the shallot. Peel and mince the garlic. Chop the mushroom stems and save about 2/3 cup for the filling. Remember – try to be somewhat consistent in size when chopping the filling ingredients. Wash the basil and parsley shake off the water remove the leaves from the stem and chop separately.

Preheat the oven to 350 deg.

Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil; coat with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange mushroom caps, bottom up in prepared pan.

COOKING:

Heat a skillet over med-high heat. When hot add the oil letting it heat also. Add the chopped mushroom stems, shallot, and garlic, sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp and parsley; heating through. Remove the skillet from the heat; stir in bread crumbs, sherry, basil, and pepper. Fill each cap with the mixture. Cover pan with foil.

Bake at 350 degree F. for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and Bake more 12 minutes or until mushrooms are heated through.

Remove from the pan, arranging them on a serving dish. Garnish with fresh basil.

Grilled Chilean Sea Bass with Portabella Mushrooms

Here’s one our favorite dishes, a succulent and tasty way to enjoy the most wonderful fish available.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Chilean Sea Bass* Steaks 1 1/4-inch thick 6-8 oz each
5 oz. fresh Large Portabella mushrooms
2 Shallots
1 Tbsp butter
¼ cup Marsala wine (DO NOT use cooking Sherry)
½ cup of chicken stock (low Sodium)
fresh ground white pepper
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divided)
2 rosemary sprigs

PREPARATION:

Wash the fillets and trim if necessary. Removing any skin

Chop the shallots into strips. Wash the mushrooms and pat dry, then slice into full length strips 3/8 to ½” wide. Wash the Rosemary and shake to remove excess water. Measured the other ingredients

Pour 1/2 Olive oil in a small dish and dredge the Bass in it, season with a little white pepper.

Start the Charcoal with a chimney starter. Wait about 15 min. and dump the coal into the grill, replace the grill grids. Oil the grids with olive oil. Wait a few more min.‘till it’s flaming to cook

COOKING:

Precooking time ½ hour

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and sauté the shallots until translucent.

Deglaze the pan with Marsala wine. Reduce the wine to about two tablespoons; add the butter, letting it melt then add the mushroom strips. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté until the mushrooms are tender.

Add the chicken stock, a little pepper, and let the sauce cook down until it thickens somewhat. (When it sticks to the spoon). Reduce heat to absolute minimum, just keeping warm.

Grilling:

When you add the stock to the mushrooms, put the Sea Bass on the grill. Cook them on one side for about 3 minutes and flip them over for another 2 minutes. Close the Cover of the grill and roast for 4-5 minutes. Total Grill time 11-12 min. max!!

Place the grilled Sea Bass on the plates; arrange the mushrooms around them, pouring any sauce on the Bass.

Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and serve while piping hot.
* Chilean Sea Bass is the Patagonia Toothfish and is caught off Chile. There’s a lot of “Sea Bass and bass sold, but it isn’t the same.