Mushrooms truly are amazing. If you read a previous post about them, you already know that mushrooms aren’t a plant or animal.

And you know those mushrooms from Mario Bros? (Sorry, my girl is super into Mario and his entourage at the moment.) Those are real. And slightly poisonous. Not only do they look just like the ones in the game, but if you eat the skin it can make you feel larger, or make the world feel larger. Which is pretty much what they do in the game.  (I do not know this personally, by the way.)

But back to mushrooms as food. Not only are mushrooms extremely high in nutrients, but they also are a great source of Vitamin B (a metabolism booster). And they’re made up of 80%-90% water, making them low in calories.

Some experts say the taste of mushrooms belongs to a “fifth flavor”–beyond sweet, sour, salty, and bitter–known as umami, from the Japanese word meaning “delicious.” And with today’s recipe, you’ll be saying delicious… a lot.

What’s great about this recipe is its flexibility. Use whatever pasta you have on hand. And choose what mushrooms you have. You can swap out the herbs and choose the greens you love. No lemon juice? No worries. Use some white wine. Truly a great way to experiment.

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Pasta with mushrooms and goat cheese

Course: Main Course

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta I prefer rotelli or ziti.
• 12 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1/8 cup fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/8 cup fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbs lemon zest
• 2 cups fresh greens I typically use spinach.
• 6 oz soft goat cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Cook pasta in heavily salted boiling water until al dente. Save 1/4 cup of the water from the pasta.
• Meanwhile, in a pan, heat the oil to medium high, and cook the garlic, mushrooms, herbs and lemon zest together for about 5 minutes. Stir every so often.
• Reduce heat to low. Add lemon juice and greens. Cook for about two minutes until greens are wilted.
• Add the pasta water and the Parmesan cheese. Stir until melted.
• Combine the drained pasta with the mushroom mixture. And small bits of the goat cheese and stir them into the pasta. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Mushrooms have been a part of the human diet for thousands of years. It’s a great addition to many dishes and has some solid nutritional value. But is the mushroom a vegetable? Fungi? Or something else?

The answer is both.  Scientifically, mushrooms are fungi, as they have no leaves, roots, or seeds. But according to the US Department of Agriculture, they are classified as a vegetable, because they have many of the same nutrients veggies do.

Confused? It’s okay. I’m am not going to get into the science vs. government debate today. (We’re all kind of sick of that one anyway, right?)

What you should know is there are hundreds of different kinds of mushrooms we can eat and even more ways to cook them.

And one of my favorites is Cream of Mushroom Soup. Forget that stuff in the can, which is full of salt and even less flavor. This soup is ‘professional-quality’ stuff, meaning people will swear you got it at a restaurant. But the problem with a good, flavorful soup is that it takes so much time.

But not with the Instant Pot. Yes, I have waxed poetic about mine. (I have two, actually.) But seriously, this soup takes only about 25 minutes from scratch.

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Instant Pot Cream of Mushroom Soup

the most amazing soup for every day and special occassions

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: instant pot, mushrooms, soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb baby bella or white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup cooking sherry or dry white wine
• 1/4 cup flour
• 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 cup dried mushrooms I use a mixture.
• 2 Tbs dried thyme
• 1 Tbs seasoned salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• truffle oil optional

Instructions

• Place the butter in the Instant Pot and hit “Sauté” and Adjust so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting. (Alternatively you can also do this on the stovetop in a large fry pan.)
• Once the butter’s melted, add in all the mushrooms, coat well with the butter and let cook (while stirring occasionally) for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes of cooking, add in the half the sherry and continue to cook the mushrooms for another 5 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, take out about 1/2 cup of the mushrooms and put aside.
• Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes.
• Add the rest of the sherry and cook 1 minute.
• Add the flour and stir constantly, cooking for 3 minutes.
• Add the thyme, salt, dried mushrooms, and broth. Stir well.
• Secure the lid and hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” and then hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 7 minutes. Quick release when done.
• Once the lid comes off, take an immersion blender (or use a regular blender), blend everything in the pot together for about a minute until it’s pureéd. The soup will thicken.
• Add the cream and reserved mushrooms, stirring well.
• Ladle into bowls and add a drop or two of truffle oil if desired.

I hope my previous recipes for Brussels sprouts have gotten you eager to try them if you haven’t or try them a new way! We’ve been talking about them every Tuesday this month as the veggie of the month.

And today’s recipe is so simple, my girls can do it! Plus, if you love garlic as much as my family does, this recipe is going to make you very happy. (And vampire-free!)

And while around the table enjoying these sprouts with tons of garlic, you might want to have some fun conversation with some Brussels sprouts trivia. I’ve shared a bit in my previous posts but did you know:

• The U.S. produces 70 million pounds of sprouts each year.
• Brussels sprouts can be purple! Those are the result of a hybrid developed from purple cabbage in the 1940s.
• One serving of these healthy veggies delivers four times more vitamin C than an orange.
• Linus Urbanect ate 31 Brussels sprouts in a minute back in 2008 for the world record.
• A little under one ounce of these vegetables provides 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.

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Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Butter

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Brussels sprouts

Ingredients

• 1 LB Brussels sprouts
• 3 Tbs butter
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the flat of a knife Or more cloves if you desire!
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Slice the sprouts in half or quarters, depending on size.
• Melt butter and oil in large skillet over medium high heat until butter foams.
• Reduce heat to medium and add smashed garlic. Cook until lightly brown.
• Remove garlic and set aside.
• Add sprouts cut side down and cover pan. Cook without stirring on medium-low for 10-15 minutes, or until sprouts are tender.
• Add garlic and stir to warm the garlic. (About 2 minutes)
• Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

I never had Brussels sprouts as a kid.  My dad hated them so much I think they were banned from the house. So I was always dubious about these little cabbage-looking things. (And cabbage is right, as they are part of the same family as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower.)

But about a decade ago, they showed up in my CSA box in January. I was determined to give them a try.  The most ‘classic’ way they were served in the past was boiled, which turns them grayish and – frankly – a vile, smelly mush.  And that’s how my dad always had them growing up. No wonder he thought they were gross!

So, how could I make these little balls into something more delish? Turns out, roasting them made all the difference.  When roasting Brussels sprouts they are sweet and nutty, nothing like the boiled counterpart. And so began my relationship with the formerly detested veggie. And, only my dad had them, he began waxing poetic about the once reviled sprout.

Each week of January, I’m going to share a favorite Brussels sprouts recipe. So find one you like and try it too.

Now, there many ways to make these roasted beauties a standout, I prefer to embrace the season and work in some pomegranate seeds into the mix for a great sweet, savory combo.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate Balsamic Glaze

Delicious easy recipe that goes well with beef

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Brussels sprouts

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed and cut in half If some sprouts are still much bigger than others after cutting, cut them again.
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbs brown sugar
• 3-5 tsp juice from pomegranate
• 2/3 cups fresh pomegranate seeds

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• In a large bowl, mix the oil, garlic, salt and pepper until combined.
• Add the Brussels sprouts and toss to coat evenly.
• Place the sprouts on a baking sheet and roast for about 20-25 minutes. (Keep the bowl you used handy.)
• While the sprouts are roasting, add the vinegar, brown sugar, and pomegranate juice to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally. Let it boil and evaporate over ten minutes, while whisking once in a while.
• When the sprouts have finished roasting, add them back into the original bowl you used to toss them, and drizzle the balsamic glaze over them.  Toss to coat.
• Place them back on the sheet pan and roast for an additional approximately 7 minutes or so. Keep a close eye on them because the sugar in the glaze will be prone to burning in the final moments of roasting.
• Remove them from the oven, place them into a serving bowl, add the pomegranate seeds, toss to combine, and serve immediately.