Sunday, March 30, 2008

Where Pesach is, there Recipes Also Reside

I simply can't deal with talking about cleaning again right now, so if you are dreaming of already being up to the cooking, I offer the following.

ProfK’s Mushrooms Sauteed in Wine Sauce
Note: Not everyone uses mushrooms on Pesach, or some only use canned mushrooms. If you do use mushrooms, this is a change of pace way to use them. If you don't use mushrooms, zucchini can be substituted.

1 pound of fresh mushrooms (Note: portabella if you use them or can find them)
If only canned are available, then one pound equivalent, drained well.
1 large onion
2 Tablespoons oil or spray oil to cover bottom of frying pan
1-1/2 cups sweet red wine

1. Clean mushrooms thoroughly. Cut off bottom part of stems but leave stems attached. Slice about ¼” in thickness.
2. Dice onion in small pieces.
3. Add onion and oil to a frying pan. Sauté over medium low heat only until onions have begun softening.
4. Add in mushrooms, stir, and continue to sauté for 5 minutes more. Mushrooms will have begun to release liquid.
5. Add in wine and cook until mushrooms and onions are soft and liquid in pan has reduced by half.
6. Place in a container and put in refrigerator.

Note: This can be served hot or cold, as an appetizer or as a side dish.

Variation : Chop the onions and mushrooms the same size. Add both at the same time to the pan. Cook as above. Use this to fill blintzes leaves to make mushroom crepes, or add in chopped cooked chicken to equal the amount of mushroom/onion mixture and fill blintzes leaves for a main-dish chicken/mushroom crepe. (Note: a good way to use up the cooked chicken from chicken soup if your family doesn’t like to eat it plain.) Reserve a few spoons of the cooked mushroom mixture to pour over the tops of the crepes.

This mixture can also be used to add to omelets or make as a frittata by mixing the beaten eggs together with the mushroom mixture, placing in a baking pan, and baking at 350 in the oven just until egg mixture is set.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

A while back we asked a rab about the mushrooms and he said not to use them. When we asked why he said that that is how his rebbi held and so he holds the same way. Great. Does anyone know what the real problem might be with mushrooms?

Anonymous said...

We were told that the problem is the material that mushrooms grow in. There is a chance of chometz or kitniyos being in it because they use straw. Our rav says the preferred thing if you do use the mushrooms is to use canned since the manufacturers have stronger cleaning processes. If you use the fresh ones he said to soak them and then scrub them in the sink and then wash the sink well, but only before yom tov.

My experience is that if you do use the fresh and wash before yom tov then cook them right away or they get sort of slimey if they are stored raw in the frige.