Mushroom Chicken, Rice and Pasta for Comfort Food

Pardon the radio silence on Bake This Day, but we lost a key member of our team, my beloved bulldog Izzy. She passed away on Wednesday, and with her, she took my appetite for a brief while to the grave. We have been overwhelmed, just overwhelmed, with kindness and an outpouring of love and sympathy from all who loved her. Izzy was loved by so many. Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem begins, “Before you know what kindness really is, you must lose things.” I hate that this is true, but so true.

“Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,

you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.

You must wake up with sorrow.

You must speak to it till your voice

catches the thread of all sorrows

and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,

only kindness that ties your shoes

and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread,

only kindness that raises its head

from the crowd of the world to say

It is I you have been looking for,

and then goes with you everywhere

like a shadow or a friend.”

We rescued a new shadow, Kermit Ruffins, from the Louisiana SPCA today. He is shy and not as food-obsessed as our prior business partner, but I think he will continue the trend of pathetic charm.

Meanwhile, we have been seeking out comfort in all forms. Food we find most effective. This delicious dish is your Birthday, Valentines, Anniversary, drown your sorrows, ‘why eat out?’ ever, sort of dinner. 

Creamy Mushroom Chicken and Roasted Garlic Basmati Rice

From Bake This Day PDX kitchen

Mushroom Chicken

Serves 4

The night before, put the chicken breasts in a gallon zip lock and add one liter of warm water and 35-40 grams of kosher salt.  The next morning drain and store in the fridge until you are ready to use. Do NOT leave out this brining step!

3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 T grapeseed oil.

6 chicken thighs (about 3 pounds

8 ounces mushrooms sliced ( I like Cremini)

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dry white wine

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped

One ounce Brown Sugar Bourbon

fresh tarragon

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chicken thighs to the pan in one layer and brown over high heat. Don’t move them around during this process, let them brown and create a nice brown fond on the bottom of the pan.
   Turn and heat for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side.
2. Add the mushrooms to the pan and sprinkle on the flour. Turn the chicken pieces with tongs so the flour is dispersed evenly. Stir in the wine and water and mix well. Be sure to scrape the fond off the bottom of the pan. Remember! “FOND=FLAVOR.
3.  Bring to a boil and add the salt and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook gently for 25 minutes.
4. Add the cream, the Bourbon and bring to a boil uncovered, for about 3 minutes.
5. Serve sprinkled with the chopped tarragon, if desired.

While that is finishing get your fancy rice going!

Fancy Rice

1 1/2 tablespoons Salute Santé grapeseed oil, roasted garlic flavor

1 T butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

4 cloves chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup Basmati rice, I used the brown rice variety

2 cups homemade chicken stock or commercial variety

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the garlic flavored oil and butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cilantro and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the rice and mix well, then add the stock, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.
2. Stir, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook the rice for 20 minutes, or until tender.
3. Try my method for perfect rice every time.  Drain all the liquid off and turn off the heat.  Let the brown rice finish cooking by a 15 minute steam. Then stir and let cool for 10 minutes.
4. Using a ½ cup mold, coated with the garlic oil, pack in rice, flatten and then unmold on your serving platter. Repeat until you have used all the rice and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Smells amazing.

When plating, feel free to serve your guests, a rice mold, your roasted veggie of choice and a chicken thigh.  A nice drizzle of that creamy mushroom sauce just blasts this whole effort into the stratosphere of memorable meals.

Special thanks to Salute Santé Oils for their delicious specialty cold-pressed Grapeseed Oil.

From the New Orleans kitchen, we used grapeseed oil for pasta, my grief food of choice. This meal is quick and simple and requires almost no skill.

Spicy Pasta That Pairs Well with Grief

1 lb of Tuscanini pasta noodles (really doesn’t matter which shape, I chose Gigli)

1 pint container of Tasti-Lee grape tomatoes, cut in half

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp thyme

4 red chili peppers, seeded and chopped (dedos de moca are what I have in the yard)

½ cup-3/4 cup garlic grapeseed oil

½ cup pistachios, chopped

Pinch of kosher salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese PRN

Boil your noodles. Strain, and return to the pot. Add ½ cup grapeseed oil to the cooked noodles and stir, return the pot to the stove and reduce heat to low. Add garlic, thyme, chili peppers and tomatoes. Stir until the tomatoes are heated a little bit exploded, and the oil gets a little pigmented. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with crushed pistachio and parmesan cheese.

Another thing you can do with these tomatoes are to drizzle them with Tuscanini balsamic glaze, add garlic and toss with a little oil and use as topper on toast, frittata, etc.