Yummy Lummy

A blog about food and me

Tag: Mushrooms

  • Creamed spinach with blue vein cheese and mushrooms

    Creamed spinach with blue vein cheese and mushrooms


    Today began with strange dreams. I know I tossed and turned a lot. My dreams involved family members in unusual predicaments. Friends’ faces appeared randomly. There were no clear actions in the dreams.

    This morning, I went for a walk along the beach and enjoyed the early sunrise. I expect to continue relishing this until October, when daylight saving time begins, which may affect my mood. Many people prefer walking later in the day. Daylight saving times makes this choice easier. I treasure walking in early morning light and sunshine.

    Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Butter
    • Spinach leaves
    • Swiss brown mushrooms
    • Cream cheese (softened)
    • Cream
    • Blue vein cheese
    • Salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper

    Method

    1. Roughly cut some Swiss brown mushrooms.
    2. Place a frypan over medium heat. Add the butter and allow it to melt (but not brown).
    3. Sauté the mushrooms.
    4. Increase the heat to medium–high and add the spinach in batches, stirring each handful until just wilted before adding more.
    5. Once all the spinach is wilted, reduce the heat to medium. Stir through the cream cheese and heavy cream until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
    6. Crumble in the blue vein cheese. Remember to stir constantly. Continue to cook for 2–3 minutes. Cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
    7. Season with salt and pepper.

    Make ahead and “safe” storage.

    • This dish can be prepared up to a day in advance.
    • Cool completely, cover and refrigerate.
    • To reheat, gently warm in a saucepan over low heat. Add a splash of cream if the sauce has thickened too much.
    • Enjoy with steak, roast chicken or simply on its own for a luscious side.

    Photographs

    This is a gallery of photographs. Select one and scroll through the rest of the images.

    Thoughts on the meal

    • Sometimes, I enjoy eating spinach leaves. I used to have steamed spinach leaves every morning with some cheese and a steamed egg. Later, I read about some issues related to eating too much spinach.
    • I had the creamed spinach as a side dish with a rump cap steak. The steak and creamed spinach go well together.
    • I enjoyed the meal. It was delicious.

    Questions

    • Do you dream a lot?
    • Do you remember your dreams?
    • How do you feel about daylight saving time?
    • Do you enjoy eating spinach leaves?

    Morning photographs

    ISO 280, focal length 24 mm, shutter speed 1/250th second, and aperture f8.

  • Crumbed chicken and mushroom

    Crumbed chicken and mushroom


    Tonight’s meal is not elaborate. I bought the chicken from my butcher, so I didn’t create the crumbed chicken from scratch. I did make the sauce from basic ingredients.

    Normally, I wouldn’t eat crumbed chicken (or any crumbed meat for that matter). I felt like celebrating.

    I had a pretty good week. I spent a couple of days in Melbourne for work, and last night my footy team, viz., the Dolphins, defeated the Warriors in a tight game. While we led early, we were behind for much of the game and almost the entire second half. A last-minute try sealed the win. The win, however, came at a significant cost. Herbie and Jamayne are injured. Herbie’s hamstring injury may see him out for six weeks. Jamayne strained his groin early in the match and struggled with goal kicking. If he’s out for a few weeks, we’ll feel it. While not injured, Felise was sent to the sin bin for ten minutes at the end of the game. He’s just returned from a two-week suspension, and he may be suspended again. He’s a tough player and, in my opinion, the victim of circumstance.

    Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Crumbed chicken (thigh)
    • Beef fat
    • Pure pouring cream
    • Blue vein cheese
    • Swiss brown mushrooms
    • Butter
    • Black peppercorns

    Equipment

    • Frypan
    • Saucepan
    • Barbecue grill

    Instructions

    Chicken

    1. Heat the barbecue grill.
    2. Melt some beef fat on the grill plate.
    3. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side.

    Mushroom sauce

    1. Sauté the mushrooms in a bit of butter.
    2. Crumble the blue vein cheese into a dash of cream and gently heat in a saucepan while stirring continuously.
    3. When the cheese and cream have “become one,” add in the mushrooms and keep stirring.
    4. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens.

    Serving

    1. Place the crumbed chicken on a plate.
    2. Gently pour the mushroom and cheese sauce over the chicken.
    3. Season with freshly cracked black peppercorns.

    Photographs

    This is a gallery of photographs. Select one and scroll through the gallery.

    Thoughts on the meal

    The crumbed chicken was perfect. The meat was tender and tasty. The crumb had the perfect mouthfeel and absorbed the creamy cheesy sauce beautifully.

    Questions

    1. Do you like crumbed chicken?
    2. Do you like crumbed meat in general?
    3. What’s your favourite dish using crumbed chicken?

    Other photographs

    This is a one-second exposure (handheld) of the shoreline from Henley Beach Jetty this morning, just after sunrise.