Mushroom Archives • Mushroompride

Mushroom Meatball Noodle Soup + Mayer Airfryer Giveaway! – Delishar

There is something comforting about soup, and more so when there’s noodles swimming inside the glorious broth. Not other is it easy to make, it’s easy to consume as well. I always think that slurping down the last drop of soup in the bowl is always a fun way to end a meal. Probably I get to put my face so close to the bowl, it’s literally in it. There isn’t much opportunities that calls for that.

The husband who is NOT at all a mushroom fan took every last bite from the bowl. Maybe he was just being nice. LOL. The little girls asked if it’s mushrooms in their bowl when they took a peek in it. I did inform them that we are going to try something new that night. And they loudly exclaimed,”I don’t like mushrooms, this doesn’t taste good.”, without even trying. However, they quickly changed their minds. Slurping down their noodle and broth, and asking for more. The littlest one even resorted to stealing meatballs out of her elder sister’s bowl!

So anyway… The original recipe calls for the meatballs to be shallow fried in a wok. I decided to bake them instead to reduce the amount of oil needed. If you can’t bake it because you do not have an oven, you can air-fry them. If you do not have an air-fryer, here is your chance to win one. I’m giving away a Mayer MMAF8 Air Fryer! It also comes with a baking tray for you to bake my absolutely delicious Best Moist Double Chocolate Muffins or any of my other bakes for your dessert!

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Mushroom Meatball Process

Mushroom Meatball Noodle Soup

Sharon of Delishar

3 servings of rice vermicelli
5 dried shiitake mushrooms
300 g minced beef
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 stalk spring onion chopped
1 egg white
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
Ground white pepper to taste
2 tsp Shaoxing wine
4 cups beef stock
Soy sauce to taste
1 tsp sugar
100 g Enoki mushrooms trimmed
2 cups sliced Chinese napa cabbage
Some oil to grease
Coriander to garnish
Chilli powder optional

Soak dried mushrooms in 1 cup of boiling water for 30 minutes.
Squeeze dry, remove stem, and slice into large slices.
Reserve soaking liquid.
Preheat oven to 200C
Soak rice vermicelli in boiling water until softened.
Drain and set aside.
In a food processor, add beef, garlic, ginger, spring onion, 1 tbsp soy, white pepper, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, egg, and corn flour.
Pulse until combined.
Lightly grease baking tray with oil.
Shape meatballs into about 1 inch size, and place on baking tray.
Lightly spray cooking oil over meatball and bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring beef broth, reserved mushroom liquid, shiitake mushroom, sugar, and soy to a boil.
When meatball is ready, add it into the broth.
Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes.
Add enoki mushrooms and cabbage.
Allow to cook for 3 minutes.
Serve over softened rice vermicelli.
Garnish with coriander and chilli powder.

Adapted from Best of Wok Cooking

mushroom meatball soup

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This giveaway ends on Tuesday, August 11, 2015 at 12:00 a.m. Singapore time (GMT+8). The winner will be selected by random.org and will contacted by email. The winner will need to respond within 48 hours. If there is no response from the winner after 48 hours, another winner will be selected. Meet up required for prize collection, therefore it is open to Singapore entrants only.

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One Pot Chicken Mushroom Pasta – Delishar

It is one pot meals like this one that makes life’s demands much more manageable. As much as I want to cook up a feast on most days, there are days where there seems to be absolutely no time to even take a short break. Let alone preparing, cooking, then cleaning up after the whole family. And such days usually falls on a Sunday.

Sunday is the day the husband goes for his softball game, it is also the day that my helper goes on her well-deserved day off. The kids has a short 1.5 hour phonic class in the morning, so I usually drop them off, then go to the supermarket to buy stuff I need for lunch and dinner. Get back home, get lunch ready, and I have to rush off to go buy fresh pressed juice for the girls before picking them up. Once home, we have lunch, clean up, and I’ll have to keep them busy with some activities for a while before getting them ready for naps.

Most of the time it’s a “get back to your room and nap!” or “Mummy, I just want to sleep with my eyes open.” or the girls will be driving each other up the wall and I have to step in to break up fights. In between that, if I’m lucky I get some work in. If not I’ll be cleaning up closets/hidden areas where my helper chucks stuff away or clean up nooks and crannies covered in dust, settling bills, mails etc. Then in no time at all, prepare dinner. If you don’t know yet, we eat dinner very early. Sometime between 4.30pm to 5pm. Plus the husband will be back around 4pm and usually famished. However, as much as I am kept very busy on Sunday, I love that I get to spend quality alone time with my kids. And for that, I will not trade anything for. 🙂

Chicken Mushroom One Pot Pasta 1

So such a meal is really a life-saver! Again, no heavy cream was used to get the creamy consistency of the pasta sauce. The low-fat milk reduces beautifully and coats each pasta nicely. By using low fat milk instead of heavy or double cream, it reduces the calorie and fat intake, making this meal a healthier alternative. Here’s a little peek into what I saw when I removed my cover. Dinner was ready in no time at all, with effort close to none. Haha! It was so easy, I almost felt guilty and a little embarrassed for serving it to the family. But when I hear the “Mmmm”, “Yummm”, and “Ahhh” coming from the kids and the husband. I knew this is another one pot winner!

Chicken Mushroom One Pot Pasta Process

One Pot Chicken Mushroom Pasta (Serves 4)

200g spiral pasta, uncooked
2 chicken breast, cubed
2 cups baby spinach
1 chicken bullion cube
125g button mushrooms, sliced
650ml milk
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat pot, then when it’s hot, add oil.
Saute chicken for a minute then add onion.
Continue to cook until onion is soft, then add garlic, and mushrooms.
Saute for another minute and add pasta.
Pour in milk, add bullion cube, and give it a stir.
Remember to scrap the bottom of the pan to release all that flavourful goodness!
Bring to boil, give it another stir.
Lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 6-7 minutes.
Add spinach, give it a stir, and allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Or until spinach has wilted and pasta cooked through.
Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve immediately.

PS. Not sure why my Recipe Card isn’t working. I’m sorting it out with the support team. Meanwhile, you can still use the print button at the end of this post to customise printing. 🙂

Chicken Mushroom One Pot Pasta 3

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Mushroom Risotto with Golden Chicken – Delishar

Here’s a one pot recipe that will look like you worked your arse off in the kitchen. Well, I’m not saying it’s effortless. But it’s a pretty straight forward recipe and all that stirring is going to pay off in more than one way. Your biceps, taste-buds, and tummy will thank you. And because you made such a good meal for your other half, you might even get lucky that night! The other half might just offer to do the dishes for you! 🙂 What were you thinking?

The constant stirring of the arborio rice helps to release the starch in the rice giving it a creamy texture. I read that making risotto has to be a slow process, stirring the rice helps the grains rub against each other. And adding the stock a little at a time helps the starch release slowly. It’s important to use hot stock, this is to keep the cooking temperature constant.

I find that making it this way gives you control of getting the consistency you prefer your risotto to be. That way what ever your fancy pants wants, your fancy pants gets. Some like it wet, runny, and creamy. Others like it slightly on the drier side with more of a bite. How do you like your risotto? That being said, if you decide that stirring is definitely not how you wanna roll. Then try out my other one pot No Stir Chicken & Sausage Risotto Recipe.

Don’t forget to take part in the Chinese New Year 2016 S$500 Paypal Cash Giveaway! Click to go to GIVEAWAY PAGE and complete the rafflecopter widget at the end of the post!

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Creamy Mushroom Risotto with Pan Fried Chicken

Delishar

Pan-fried Chicken

4 bone-in skin on chicken legs
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp cooking oil

Creamy Mushroom Risotto

1 1/2 cups arborio rice
150 g button mushrooms sliced
150 g oyster mushrooms torn
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp chopped spring onions
1 tbsp chopped italian parsley

Pan-Fried Chicken

Season both sides of the chicken generously with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Heat French oven on medium high heat, and add 2 tbsp cooking oil.
When oil is shimmering, place chicken skin side down.
Do not touch it for 4-5 minutes to get a nice golden sear.
When the chicken is ready, it will release on it’s own.
Flip and cook until done, about 10-12 minutes total time.
Remove chicken, and set aside.
Drain grease from French oven, and return pot to stove.

Creamy Mushroom Risotto

Microwave chicken stock until hot, and set aside ( or you can use a sauce pan to heat up the chicken broth)
In the same French oven, melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat.
Saute onions and garlic, until onion is translucent.
Add mushrooms, and saute until tender, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add rice, and stir to coat.
Add wine, and stir until wine has almost completely evaporated.
Add hot chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly.
Allow each addition of broth to be absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup.
Cook until rice is tender but still firm to the bite, and mixture has a creamy consistency, about 25-30 minutes.
Remove from heat, and stir in parmesan cheese.
Transfer risotto to serving bowl, top with chicken, and sprinkle some spring onions and parsley.
Serve immediately.

Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

Creamy Mushroom Risotto 3

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Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce – Delishar

One skillet cooking makes it so easy to clean up!! I only have one pan to wash, and that also means that I do not have to be cooking multiple dishes at once to get dinner ready in time for the husband to come home too. The husband comes home famish and ready to eat a whole cow every single work day. He usually skips lunch because he doesn’t have enough time, or he has his lunch too early in the day because that’s his only break time. So I always made sure that food is ready, plated, and served the moment he steps into the house.

Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce insta 1

I made this meal about a week or 2 ago. I was trying to cut down on carbs after my Thailand trip which I probably overloaded on carbo! So I made this protein rich meal to compensate for the lost in carbs to keep our belly satiate. The husband took a bite, opened his eyes wide, and said,”Wow, this is gooooooood!”. It hit the spot for him. Perhaps it’s the wine! lol! If you are worried about the alcohol, don’t be. The alcohol cooks off and evaporates in the cooking process leaving the essence of the wine that gives the sauce it’s depth. This is coming from someone who DOES NOT drink any alcohol at all. I get hives if I drink, and this meal did not give me any hives.

However, if you just want to be extra safe especially if you are cooking for pregnant, breast-feeding ladies, or kids. Then substitute the alcohol with chicken stock. Also, I used the pan to saute my beans with onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Gave it a little wipe down before making my chicken. So this is truly a one skillet meal. 🙂

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Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Delishar

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tbsp butter
2 tbso olive oil
400 g button mushroom sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 yellow onion diced
1 &1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
2 tsp dried thyme or 1 heaping tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup heavy cream

Drege chicken in flour, and set aside.
Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Cook chicken on both sides until golden brown, remove from pan, and set aside. (4-5 minutes each side)
Reduce heat to medium, and add onion, saute for a minute, then add mushroom & garlic.
Saute for a few minutes until mushroom are limp.
Add wine/broth, scraping up the bottom of the pan, and add thyme.
Bring to boil, and add chicken back into the pan.
Lower heat to low, and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Add cream, mustard, and parmesan cheese.
Stir to combine, and allow sauce to thicken.
Remove from heat and serve.

Adapted from Laughing Spatula

Get the pre portioned cook kit for this amazing dish and
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Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

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Sausage and Mushroom Pasta – Delishar

Dinner time is very precious and important to me. It’s a time to connect without distractions, no tv, no phones, no technology. Just family. Well, after my picture shots that is. A time where we catch up as a family. It starts with the usual, “How was your day?”, “Did anything interesting happen today?”, “Tell us something you learned in school today.”

Then there’s a little small talk exchanges between the husband and I. Most often than not, aligning schedule or decisions about the kids. You know, mundane parenting stuff. But nonetheless, over delicious homemade food. 😀 By the way, this recipe converted my non-mushroom loving family into mushroom lovers.

As we were talking as usual over dinner, the husband brought up spring break, and the possibility of a short vacation. A romantic one, just him and I. *insert heart emoji here* He suggested going to Bali for a our getaway, which I thought was a great idea.

The last time we were in Bali, we had the kids with us, and had a blast. I remembered our gorgeous orange villa in Seminyak area. Private pool, in-house massages, great food all around, great service, and have I mentioned how gorgeous our villa was? We hardly left the place, partly because of our young kids and partly because we wanted to fully enjoy our villa.

So this time round, we are thinking of going back to Bali during spring break to enjoy what Indonesia has to offer. And since we had such a great experience with Villa Getaways, we have been villa shopping for our holiday plans. For now, we are just spoilt for choice. So, lets get back to the pasta.

I ran out of cooking cream that day, and improvised by using roux and milk to make the cream sauce. In order to convert the non-mushroom loving family, I used fresh sausage to flavor the pasta. Because, who can say no to sausages right?! As the sausage cooks, it renders flavorsome fat, which was used to cook the mushrooms, and create the roux. No wastage here.

The end result was an incredibly delicious plate of pasta. A whole new level of umami-ness with the mushroom, cream sauce, and beautifully browned sausage meat. I didn’t have to keep reminding the girls to finish their food and finish it fast. Granted, there was some hesitation at first when they found out it has mushrooms in it. But after applying the golden rule of “Always try new food first, before saying I don’t like it”, solved that problem. After their first bite, they smiled, and I knew I won that battle.

Sausage & Mushroom Pasta

Delishar

250 g spaghetti
300 g fresh sausage of choice casing removed
300 g brown Swiss mushrooms sliced
100 g Shimeji mushrooms separated
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp flour
1-3/4 cup fresh milk I used low-fat
1/4 cup italian parsley chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste

Cook pasta in a pot of salted water until just shy of al-dente.
Drain, and set aside.
In a pan, cook sausage until brown over medium heat breaking it up into small pieces with your spatula.
Remove sausage on a plate, and drain fat, leaving 2 tbsp in the pan. Set aside the fat for later.
In the same pan, over medium high heat, cook garlic for 30 seconds.
Then add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and saute until brown.
Pour mushrooms onto the same plate where you have your cooked sausage.
Add 2 tbsp of reserved fat into the same pan, and stir in flour.
Cook over medium high heat for a minute.
Then slowly drizzle in milk while stirring consistently with a whisk or wooden spoon until combined, and sauce thickens.
Add in cooked pasta, sausage, and mushrooms.
Toss to combine, and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Remove from heat.
Toss in chopped parsley before serving.

* Disclaimer: Although this post is sponsored by Villa Getaways. I’m only recommending them because we had experienced first hand, the impeccable service they had to offer when we traveled to Bali on our own a few years back.