Tortellini with Italian Sausage, Fennel and Mushrooms

With homegrown fennel and Swiss chard on hand, I found out this recipe, switched the spring spinach for summer chard, and it was a delicious one-pot meal.

Tortellini with Italian Sausage, Fennel and Mushrooms
Adapted from Bon Appetit

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, halved through core, thinly sliced lengthwise (about 3 cups), fronds chopped
1 pound spicy Italian sausages, casings removed, sausage coarsely crumbled
1 8-ounce package sliced fresh crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 16-ounce package fresh tortellini with 3-cheese filling
1 c. Swiss chard, sliced into ribbons
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional (for serving)

Preparation

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced fennel bulb, sausage, and mushrooms; sauté until sausage is brown and cooked through and fennel is almost tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in cream, then 1 cup broth; boil until liquid is reduced and very slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook tortellini in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain tortellini; return to same pot.

Add sausage mixture to tortellini in pot. Toss over medium heat until blended. Add chard; toss gently until chard wilts. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese; add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten if dry. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds, and serve, passing additional cheese.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Photo courtesy of Real Simple

Looking for a way to warm yourself as the weather becomes increasingly chilly? Here’s a hearty soup that is simple and inexpensive to prepare (no meat!) It freezes pretty well too.

One nice thing about making your own soup is that you can control how much salt you add. Regular canned soups can be astronomically high in sodium. Even if you don’t have high blood pressure, sodium causes bloating and nobody wants that. This particular soup also incorporates whole grains (barley, often available in bulk in grocery stores). I love to make a batch of homemade soup at the beginning of the week and eat it for lunch each day; or eat it for a couple days and freeze the rest for later, thus preventing “leftover burn out”.

Mushroom Barley Soup

1 cup barley
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
kosher salt and black pepper
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
20 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
5 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (about 8 sprigs)
sliced sourdough or other country bread, toasted (optional)

Directions

In a medium-size pan, bring the barley and 4 cups of water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook until the onions have softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the carrot and celery and cook, covered, for 6 minutes more.

Add the mushrooms, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, covered, until they release their juices, about 4 minutes.

Add the broth, bay leaves, and thyme and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Stir in the cooked barley; remove and discard the bay leaves. If desired, season with additional salt and pepper and serve with the sourdough toast.

My Favorite Meatless Thing to Grill

It’s summer time, and everybody is hitting the grill, warm weather or no! (Today in Sacramento, it’s raining - unheard of in June!) Here is one of my favorite things to eat from the grill. It’s meatless, simple, and absolutely delicious. Mushrooms are like sponges, and in this recipe, they’re going to soak up the balsamic and herb flavor as they marinate.

I like to top them with a little bit of basil mayonnaise, mixed greens, ripe tomato, and red onion. In my opinion, you can’t get any better than that! You can add your choice of cheese or leave it off, as you like! Enjoy!

Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Ingredients:

4 portobello mushroom caps
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
4 (1 ounce) slices provolone cheese (optional)

Good quality buns, preferably whole wheat

Directions:

Place the mushroom caps, smooth side up, in a large Ziplock bag. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, basil, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour over the mushrooms. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or so, turning twice.

Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Brush grate with oil. Place mushrooms on the grill, reserving marinade for basting. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until tender. Brush with marinade frequently. Top with cheese during the last 2 minutes of grill if desired.