Delish: Tuscan Stuffed Mushrooms

I love making stuffed mushrooms, but I wanted to find a version that didn't have a ton of breadcrumbs in the filling.  This is apparently a tall order.  But I finally came across this recipe, which called for spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. I switched to lacinato kale to give it more of an Italian feel, and I baked them the traditional way.  Definitely a winner.

Tuscan Stuffed Mushrooms
Adapted from Delish.com

1 bunch lacinato kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped

1-2 teaspoons nutritional yeast (optional)
¼ cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (about 4 pieces), patted dry and finely chopped
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ pound cremini mushrooms
1 tablespoon Italian-style bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Drizzle some oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat; when hot, add kale.  Sauté kale until wilted and tender.  Season with nutritional yeast, if desired.  Set aside to cool.

 
In a medium bowl, stir cooked kale, tomatoes, cream cheese, basil, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and a few grinds of pepper to combine.

Remove stems from mushrooms. On a work surface, arrange mushroom caps domed side down. Mound kale mixture into each mushroom cap. Sprinkle top of spinach mixture with bread crumbs. Arrange mushrooms stuffed side up in a glass dish sprayed with cooking spray or drizzled with oil. Cook until mushrooms are tender and filling is hot, 20 to 25 minutes.

Arrange mushrooms on a platter. Garnish with basil.

Makes 4 appetizer servings

Aarti Sequeira: Aarti's Saag Paneer

I'm normally a huge fan of Aarti's recipes, so I was super excited to find this one.  Unfortunately, it just didn't do it for me.  It feels like something is....missing.  Don't get me wrong, it's not bad.  Just not what I'm looking for.  So I am still on the search for the perfect saag paneer recipe.

Aarti's Saag Paneer

From Aarti Sequeira as seen at Food Network

1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons plus 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces paneer
1 (16-ounce package) frozen chopped spinach
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 (1-inch thumb) ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green serrano chile, finely chopped (seeds removed if you don't like it spicy!)
½ teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup plain yogurt, stirred until smooth

In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Gently, drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss, taking care not to break the cubes if you're using the homemade kind. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.

Thaw the spinach in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, 5 minutes on high, then puree in a food processor until smooth. Alternatively, you can chop it up very finely with your knife.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes give the pan a toss; each piece of paneer should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so, and then remove the paneer from the pan onto a plate.

Add the remaining 1½ tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chile. Now here's the important part: sauté the mixture until it's evenly toffee-colored, which should take about 15 minutes. Don't skip this step - this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.

Add the garam masala, coriander and cumin. If you haven't already, sprinkle a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cook out, and it all smells a bit more melodious, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Add a little salt and ½ cup of water, stir, and cook about 5 minutes with the lid off.

Turn the heat off. Add the yogurt, a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes.

Makes 4 servings