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.

Risotto… there’s nothing more comforting on a cool evening. Not that you’ll need it, after all that stirring you’ll be too hot to want it.

I love a good bowl of risotto. But, frankly, all the stirring made it more of a once-a-year treat instead of a staple meal in our house. That is until we got the Instant Pot.  Add to it mushrooms (our veggie of the month) and it’s a meal in itself. (Make a lot as it’s great for leftovers!)

Of course, the basis of risotto is rice, and rice originates from the Middle East and Asia.  When the Romans brought back rice from their escapades in the 13th Century, they find that the shot-grained rice grew well  Fast forward to today and there are more than 4,000 rice growers in Italy, mostly in the Piedmont region.

Risotto rice is a bit particular. it’s short, round, and plump.  Arborio is most common, but there are also Baldo, Carnaroli, Maratelli, Padano, Roma, and Vialone Nano. The key is they all have a high percentage of starch called amylopectin, which thickens the liquids, making it creamy while the rice doesn’t disintegrate.

But the problem is, to make it work, traditionally, you can’t add all the liquid at once. And you need to stir… a lot, to make sure the liquid is absorbed.  But not with the Instant Pot.  You just stir before closing the lid and after for amazingly creamy goodness.

And here’s what I love about this recipe: if you have any leftover cream of mushroom soup from the recipe last time, you can add it to this in combination with the chicken broth. The result is a creamier, shroomy-er effect.

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Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 small onion, finally chopped
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions

• Turn on the saute setting on the Instant Pot and add the oil.
• When the oil is hot, add the onions and mushrroms. Cook 3-4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
• Add the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add white wine and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the Instant Pot.
• Stir in broth, garlic and seasonings. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to seal. Set to pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
• After the cooking time, let it sit for 10 minutes without opening. Release any remaining pressure after 10 minutes and open lid.
• Stir in the butter and half the Parmesan cheese.
• Serve in bowls and add the remaining cheese on top of each bowl.

A couple of notes: I used truffle butter instead of regular butter in the cooking. I also drizzled a bit of truffle oil on each bowl in addition to adding the cheese.

And yes! This can be doubled!

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.

Sweet potatoes may be the oldest vegetable known, cultivated well before the regular potato and other root vegetables. It conjures the feelings of home, doesn’t it? It’s a Thanksgiving staple. Yet many just dab the marshmallows on them and call it a day.  (Please, don’t muck your sweet potatoes with marshmallows. There is a better way!)

While it originated in either Central or South America, sweet potatoes were later introduced to the southeastern United States and grown by Native Americans. In most places in Latin America, the sweet potato is called “camote”, but the Incans called it “batata” and that is apparently the origin of our word “potato”. As Europeans settled in the area, the sweet potato crop became a cornerstone in sustenance farming.

It’s no wonder they became a staple quickly. Not only are they lower in calories and carbohydrates than the regular potato.  One sweet potato provides far more than 100% of your recommended daily allotment of vitamin A. They are rich in vitamin C and vitamin B6 and have about 4 grams of plant-based fiber.

And yes, they taste great. If you’ve only had the marshmallow-laden variety, you are missing out.  Get ready for something special with today’s recipe: Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas.

This recipe is not only a family favorite but a great option for potlucks or feeding a crowd. And although this recipe is not vegan, you can easily substitute the cheese and sour cream to make it so!

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Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: black beans, enchiladas, sweet potato

Ingredients

• 1 cup red enchilada sauce
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 4 oz can diced green chiles
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 10 oz can of diced tomatoes fire roasted preferred
• 1.5 cups cooked black beans
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 10 corn or flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
• reduced fat sour cream

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put 1/4 cup red enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic and onions, and cook until the onions become translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Add the cubed sweet potatoes, canned, chiles, diced tomatoes, black beans, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Place a generous 1/3 cup filling in the center of each tortilla, roll up and place in the baking dish seam-side down.
• Top with the remaining 3/4 cup enchilada sauce and the cheese. Bake, covered with foil, until the enchiladas are hot and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Top with more cilantro and serve with sour cream if desired.