Smoky Grits With Roasted Tomatoes And Mushrooms Food

CREAMY CHEESE GRITS AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• In a large pot or dutch oven, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the grits. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook let cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the grits from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook until the grits are tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 20-30 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the salt, cheese, and butter and stir until melted. Cover and keep warm.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet or braising pan over medium heat. Add half of the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until golden on the bottom. Flip the mushrooms over and brown on the second side, about 5 minutes more. Remove the mushrooms to a large plate. Add another tablespoon of butter to the pan and repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the now empty pan over medium heat and add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the seared mushrooms and any juices that have accumulated. Add the tomatoes, their juices, and the thyme and bring to a simmer.
• In a small cup, stir together the cornstarch and 1 or 2 tablespoons of cool water to make a slurry. Add this to the pot along with 1/2 cup vegetable stock. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes more. Add the tomato paste and stir until blended. Stir in the cream, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and more stock if needed to make a spoonable sauce that generously coats the mushrooms. Heat thoroughly, being careful not to let it come to a boil. Taste, adding salt if you like.
• Serve the grits in shallow bowls topped with the mushrooms, sauce, and a sprinkle of chives.

SMOKY ROASTED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Toss 2 pounds whole mixed mushrooms, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees F, stirring a few times, until tender and browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Cook 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika in butter until soft; toss with the mushrooms. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and salt.

ROASTED TOMATOES AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Place tomatoes on one rimmed baking sheet, and mushrooms on another. Toss mushrooms with 1/4 cup oil and 1 tablespoon thyme. Toss tomatoes with remaining oil and thyme. Season both with salt and pepper. Spread each in a single layer, turning tomatoes cut-sides up.
• Roast tomatoes on upper rack 15 minutes. Add mushrooms to lower rack and continue roasting until vegetables are soft and golden brown in places, 35 to 45 minutes more. Serve warm or room temperature.

SHEET-PAN MUSHROOM PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the cherry tomatoes on a sheet pan, along with half the garlic, and drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and toss to coat the tomatoes.
• To the sheet pan, add the mushroom caps in between the tomatoes, gill side up, and drizzle each generously with olive oil. (Don't skimp here, as the olive oil will add lots of rich flavor.) Scatter the mushrooms with the remaining garlic, and season each mushroom with salt and black pepper. Fill each mushroom with marinara sauce, and top with cheese. Place in the oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly and golden.
• Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the bread crumbs, basil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Remove from heat immediately and transfer to a bowl or jar.
• To serve, transfer mushrooms to serving plates, along with a few of the roasted cherry tomatoes. Top each mushroom with the basil bread crumbs and scatter with a few basil leaves.

SMOKY GRITS WITH ROASTED TOMATOES AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put a rimmed baking sheet in the oven while it's heating.
• Toss the tomatoes, mushrooms, thyme and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and dump the vegetables onto the pan, shaking to evenly distribute. Return the pan to the oven and roast until the tomatoes burst and the mushrooms are soft, shaking the pan once or twice, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the grits and the remaining teaspoon salt, cover, turn the heat to low and cook until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir the cheese into the grits and keep warm.
• Serve the grits with the roasted vegetables and scatter the olives over top.
• Tip: Try using different varieties of mushrooms, or a mix of them, to add contrasting flavors.

SMOKED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Soak the wood chips in water 1 hour, then prepare your grill for smoking.
• Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Divide the herbs between the disposable pie pans, then add the tomatoes, cut-side down.
• Once the grill reaches 250 degrees F, place the pans with the tomatoes on the cooler side of the grill. Close the grill and let smoke until the tomatoes are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. If using a gas grill, turn off the flame and let the tomatoes sit 10 more minutes (this is not necessary if using charcoal; it imparts more smoky flavor). Remove from the grill and serve hot or at room temperature.

CREAMY GRITS WITH MUSHROOMS AND CHARD

Steps:

• Make the grits: Cook the grits with water according to the package instructions in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed to ensure no grits stick to the pot. The cook time can range from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the age and quality of the grits. When the grits are tender, remove from the hot burner and pour in the oat cream, oil and salt, stir well, and cover. (If you cooked the grits with salt, then start with 1 teaspoon and add more to taste.) Set aside.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium. Once heated, add the onion quarter, jalapeño and garlic cloves. Char and slightly cook the vegetables, turning occasionally. The garlic will likely be done first, after 4 or 6 minutes. Place each item in a bowl when charred and cover with a lid.
• When the charred vegetables are cool to the touch, remove the outer skin of the onion, the jalapeño stem and the garlic peels. If you are very sensitive to spice, slice the jalapeño in half lengthwise and remove one half's seeds and white veins to make it much milder.
• In a blender or mini food processor, blend the onion, jalapeño and garlic with the lemon juice, olive oil and cilantro until smooth. Add more olive oil if needed to blend, 1 tablespoon at a time. Clean the mushrooms with a damp towel and break apart or cut at the stem into 2-inch pieces. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and pour the jalapeño sauce on top; let sit for at least 15 minutes.
• Make the chard: Place the chard shiny side down on a cutting board and slice the stems and ribs away from the green leaves. Stack the leaves in a pile and cut crosswise into thin strips. Transfer to a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the chard stems into 2-inch-long matchsticks. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup water with the jalapeño, vinegar, garlic, onion and sugar, and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chard stems and let sit, uncovered, for at least 10 minutes.
• Heat a medium cast-iron skillet over medium, add the chard leaves and cook, using tongs to move them around quickly in order to keep their bright green color, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Set over medium-high heat. Shake excess sauce off the mushrooms back into the bowl; too much sauce will cause them to steam instead of sear. Add the mushrooms to the hot oil, and cook until tender and caramelized, 2 to 5 minutes per side.
• To serve, spoon the grits onto a large platter and top with the chard, mushrooms and pickled stems.

SMOKY MUSHROOM BURGERS WITH ROASTED GARLIC MAYO

Steps:

• Heat up the barbecue. To make the garlic mayo, wrap the garlic cloves in a foil parcel, position on a hot spot of the barbecue and cook for 20 mins until really soft. Alternatively, bake in a hot oven for 20-30 mins. Leave to cool, then squeeze the cloves out of their skins and mash with a fork. Mix the garlic purée with the mayonnaise, then chill until ready to serve.
• Remove the stalks from the middle of the mushrooms and finely chop them. Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan (on the barbecue or hob), add the stalks and fry for a few mins until golden and soft. Add the peppers, thyme, breadcrumbs, tomato paste, paprika and some seasoning. Cook for 5 mins more, then set aside to cool a little. Rub the mushroom caps with a little oil, season, then top each one with ¼ of the mixture. Can be chilled for up to 1 day.
• Meanwhile, heat a little oil in another frying pan (on the barbecue or hob), and add the onions. Cook for 15 mins until soft and golden, then add the sugar, vinegar and some seasoning. Cook for 5 mins more until caramelised and sticky. Can be chilled for up to 2 days.
• Put the mushrooms on the barbecue (stuffed side up), close the lid or cover with foil, and cook for 20 mins until soft and cooked through. Be sure to keep an eye on the heat and move to the upper shelf if the bottoms of the mushrooms start to burn. Split the rolls and heat these on the barbecue, too. Spread each roll with some garlic mayo, top with salad leaves, a filled mushroom, some sticky onions and a grating of cheese.