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Porcini Mushroom Soup

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? on February 21, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published in Gourmet, December 2008.

If you read my blog regularly, you know I have a certain love affair with mushrooms.  I’ve experimented with a lot of different types of mushrooms, but I’ve always wondered about the dried and exotic mushrooms at the end of the counter.  I’ll be honest – they smell funny.  I know they’re supposed to be delicious, but I simply didn’t know where to start… until now.

Soup is one of those things I love to make, but seem to get tired of quickly.  Luckily, my husband eats everything I make until it is gone.  I think it is a quest for him to empty the refrigerator before I do the weekly grocery shopping.  The reason I point this out, is that I try to choose my soup recipes wisely.  It has to make me happy, but be appealing enough to my husband that he’ll finish it once I tire of it.  This recipe had it all:

• It wasn’t creamy (creamy soups are not my husband’s favorite)
• It has mushrooms (obviously for me)
• It has “fancy” mushrooms (exciting for me to try)
• It is chock full of healthy vegetables (both of us need this – especially the mushrooms Vitamin D for me)
• It is vegetarian (we are trying to eat meat-free at least a couple times of week)

My finished product:

© You Want Me to Cook?
Porcini Mushroom Soup

Just looking at this picture makes me wish I had a bowl.  It is rich, yet doesn’t rely on cream to make it that way.  Of course, I wish I had used fresh herbs (the dried just kind of float there), but I can’t justify buying a bunch that I know will go bad after I use 2 tablespoons.

Chili-Apricot Pork Chops with Truffled Mash

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? on February 20, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of the Chili-Apricot Pork Chops, please click here.

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of the Truffled Mash, please click here.

Chili-Apricot Pork Chops recipe originally published in Taste of Home, December/January 2011.

Truffled Mash recipe originally published in Food Network Magazine, January/February 2011.

I was going through my refrigerator, cleaning stuff out, and I found a jar of partially used sugar-free apricot preserves.  It reminded me of some delicious chicken wings I made for a party.  I can’t honestly say that I went searching for a recipe that used the preserves, but it certainly influenced my decision to select this one when I came across it.  Pork chops aren’t one of those things that you can eat alone or with a salad… at least in my mind.  Granted, my mind is kind of simple, but something about them cries out for potatoes – preferably mashed.

Now, every time I watch Iron Chef America, they’re using truffles, truffle oil, truffle salt – everything truffle – so when I found this recipe in Food Network’s magazine (coincidentally the next one I read after Taste of Home with the pork chops), I was excited to try it and see how they tasted.  Apparently they’re all magical or something.  According to Alton Brown on Iron Chef America, "Those white truffles are better than 97% of the sex you will have during your lifetime." (Thanks to Eater for this little nugget of delight!)

My finished product:

© You Want Me to Cook?
Chili-Apricot Pork Chops with Truffled Mash

Chili-Apricot Pork Chops Picture published with recipe: © Taste of Home

Truffled Mash Picture published with recipe: © Food Network Magazine

Breakfast Biscuits

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? on February 20, 2011.

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published in Good Housekeeping, February 2011.

I’m not one for spicy food.  I like a little kick, but too much seems flavorless to me.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t knock anyone who likes the spice, I’m just saying I don’t care for it.  The reason I bring this up now is that when I read through this recipe, I didn’t realize how much of a kick pepper Jack cheese had.  I had the biscuits in the oven when I sampled my cheese and started wondering if I was going to like this or not.

I made the entire recipe of biscuits (I’m not going to save a ½ container of refrigerated biscuits), but since I cook for only two of us, I cut the eggs in half.  I could have made the entire dish, but I don’t care for scrambled eggs as leftovers.

My finished product: © You Want Me to Cook? Breakfast Biscuits

Picture published with recipe: None

This is a quickie recipe from Good Housekeeping that didn’t post pictures – again.  I have a vision in my head of the chefs running around screaming, “the Breakfast Biscuits are done.  What is next?  No, throw it away; I’m in a hurry here!  It’s QUICKIE RECIPE TIME!”  At least my picture looks gorgeous.  Golden-browned biscuits with fluffy eggs is my idea of a breakfast.

Sticky Pecan Buns

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? on February 20, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published in Good Housekeeping, February 2011.

So my quest to make breakfast has lately hit a roadblock.  Before it did, I was cranking out an egg dish every week.  Then I decided I needed to make a pastry as well, if only because I have a ton of recipes for muffins, rolls, waffles, pancakes, etc…  I was going to start out big and bold and then chickened out.  I ended up picking out a quickie recipe for a very complex pastry.

My finished product: © You Want Me to Cook? Sticky Pecan Buns

Picture published with recipe: None

Good Housekeeping had done a whole bunch of these quickie recipes and none of them had pictures.  And what a shame!  I am far from a professional photographer (I barely can point-and-click) and look how gorgeous these look on the plate.  As I was going through my pictures for this post, I began to drool.

Pecan-Crusted Turkey Cutlets with Wild Rice and Mushrooms

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? on February 18, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Find just the Pecan-Crusted Turkey Cutlets recipe here.

Find just the Wild Rice and Mushrooms recipe here.

Pecan-Crusted Turkey Cutlets recipe originally published in Taste of Home, December/January 2011.

Wild Rice and Mushrooms recipe originally published by Pillsbury.

Usually, when I’m putting two dishes together, it is driven by the entree.  Not so in this case.  I found the recipe for the Wild Rice and Mushrooms and didn’t know what to do with it.  Ordinarily, when I have a breaded poultry dish, I look for a potato, but I decided to break from what I usually do and pair it with the rice.  I’m a daredevil like that – rice or potato, what will she choose?!?!?!

I also learned a couple things while making this meal.  One was very interesting and the other was a cooking lesson I will keep with me always.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Pecan-Crusted Turkey Cutlets with Wild Rice and Mushrooms

I was proud of how pretty the dish looked.  Okay, I was most proud of how the breaded turkey looked, and I really felt like I needed more green or red on my plate, but I still didn’t think it turned out too bad.