Sauteed Mushrooms

I never gave much thought to something as simple as sauteed mushrooms. That all changed after tasting some mushrooms which wowed me.

So what sets apart a great dish of sauteed mushrooms from the mundane? Texture. A delicious sauteed mushroom is firm, browned or seared, and definitely not soggy. Seasoned with salt and a little pepper, a properly sauteed mushroom is a great topping to grilled meats, an omelet, or a lightly grilled piece of bread that has been rubbed with a little garlic.

I've found success in grilling mushrooms with the following procedure:

1) Use a non-stick skillet

2) Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium high heat.

3) Add sliced mushrooms (button, brown, portabella) to the hot oil. The mushrooms do not need to be in a single layer. Don't hesitate to add a lot to the pan, the mushrooms will cook down considerably.

4) Cook over medium high heat for at least 15 minutes. All of the excess moisture should be gone, and the mushrooms nicely browned.

5) Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Enjoy

Turkey "Bracciola"

Inspiration comes from many places. Last night's inspiration was a NY Times Mark Bittman video on bracciola.

Bracciola is an Italian dish in which beef (flank steak) is rolled up like a jelly rolly with a filling of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, though, as in the case with Mark Bittman, it can also include vegetables.

I wanted something other than beef, and chose turkey breast cutlets. I split the cutlets, pounded them thin (about 1/4 inch), then placed a thin slice of prosciutto on each cutlet, and covered the prosciutto with a mixture of bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, sauted garlic and mushrooms. The cutlets were too narrow to roll up, so I folded them in half; they looked like a sandwich. Each cutlet was dredged in cornmeal, egg, then seasoned bread crumbs. After browning the "sandwiches" on each side in olive oil, they were put in a single layer into a glass casserole, covered with foil, then baked for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

The result, a crispy outside with a moist flavorful inside. Enjoy!