Savory Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

One of D's friends went hunting last weekend and brought us one of the pheasants he caught, so on Sunday night we had a crazy attempt at cooking our first wild bird. D did all the plucking and removed all the innards, but the whole bloody mess in the kitchen kind of ruined my appetite. We cooked the bird according to this recipe from Emeril Legasse, the famous New Orleans chef, but it smelled funny coming out of the oven and was too gamey for our tastes, so we tossed it out, thinking that maybe it had gone bad hanging in the cold garage.

I also cooked this Savory Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding that Emeril suggested as an accompaniment to the pheasant, and it was tasty and rich, just like something you'd be served in one of his NOLA restaurants. I think it would be great with a simple roasted chicken and salad.

Serves 6-8 (large portions)

2 tsps vegetable oil

1 cup (250ml) sliced yellow onions

10 oz/325g assorted wild mushrooms, such as oyster, shitake, chanterelles, wood ear, or porcini

1 tsp minced garlic

3 tsp Essence, recipe follows

1.5 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup (60 ml) lager beer

5 large eggs

3 cups (750 ml) heavy cream/double cream

1/4 cup (60ml) molasses (I used maple syrup)

1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp minced fresh thyme

3/4 cup (185ml) grated Gouda cheese

3/4 cup (185ml) grated white cheddar cheese

3/4 lb (375g) stale white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp plain bread crumbs

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown and tender, 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Essence, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 3/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and have given off their liquid, about 5 minutes. Note: be careful when adding the spices to the onions--if too much of the chili & paprika gets into the air it can make you cough and choke. Add the beer and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan and until the mixture is almost dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of Essence, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and whisk well to combine. Add the mushroom mixture and cheeses and stir well. Add the bread cubes and let sit until the bread has absorbed the liquid, 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with the butter. Add the bread crumbs, shaking to cover the bottom evenly. Pour the bread pudding mixture into the prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour and uncover. Continue baking until risen and firm in the center, and golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning)-makes about 2/3 cup:

2.5 Tbsp paprika

2 Tbsp salt

2 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp black pepper

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp dried leaf oregano

1 Tbsp dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Chicken, Black Bean and Tortilla Casserole

This new recipe came out of The Big Book of Casseroles, and is quick to prepare if you buy ready-cooked, diced chicken. It's less expensive if you poach your own chicken before-hand, but takes an extra 20-30 minutes to prepare, poach and cool/chop the chicken pieces. Your choice! It was a big hit with D, who had 2nd helpings.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (14.5 oz/425g) chopped tomatoes, including juices,

lightly pureed with a hand blender or in a food processor

1/2 cup jarred tomato salsa

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

3/4 tsp salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained

3 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts

(I used 3 full breast pieces)

8 corn tortillas

3-4 cups (375-500g) grated Monterey Jack cheese

(I usually find grated Jack cheese at larger Sainsbury's)

Optional toppings:

Sour cream

Avocado slices

Sliced green onions

Chopped olives

Salsa & hot sauce

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil. Add yellow onion, bell pepper and garlic and saute until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salsa, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and mix well. Stir in beans and chicken pieces.

2. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. In a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil, spread 1/3 of the chicken & bean mixture over the bottom. Top with 4 tortillas and sprinkle with 1 cup (250 ml) cheese.

3. Add another 1/3 of the bean & chicken mixture, 4 more tortillas and 1 cup cheese. Finish with remaining bean and chicken mixture, and 1/2 to 1 cup cheese. Cover and bake, 40 minutes. Remove lid, add remaining cheese and bake until bubbly and lightly brown, about 10 more minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with toppings as desired.

Pork Tenderloin & Mixed Squash with Pecans Gratin

I bought some 'Delicata' squash from Whole Foods in London (see photo below) to use for our Thanksgiving decorations and decided to cook them up before they expire. This squash dish received rave reviews from D (it hardly tastes like vegetables) and would be great for kids who are fussy about squash. The pork recipe came from my mom and the squash recipe (Vegetarian) came from The Big Book of Casseroles, which I'm finally diving into after years of flipping through. The squash also paired well with grilled salmon fillets with dill seasoning.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin & Mixed Squash with Pecans Gratin

(serves 4)

Pork Tenderloin

(serves 3-4, depending on size of tenderloin)

1 pork tenderloin, any size, in a vacuum pack

1/4 c soy sauce

2 Tbsp sake or dry sherry

1 1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

Rinse meat, pat dry. Put meat in a resealable plastic bag. Add the rest of the ingredients, set bag in a bowl to marinate. Chill 30 minutes or overnight. Barbeque 25 minutes or grill according to pork's packaging instructions if a bbq is not available. Reserve marinade to brush over meat while grilling.

Mixed Squash with Pecans Gratin (serves 4)

1 zucchini (courgette), about 8oz./250g, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 delicata squash, about 8oz./250g, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 large egg

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup/125ml chopped green onions/spring onions, including some tender green tops

1 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh ground pepper

2 Tbsp butter

3/4 cup/375 ml dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup/60 ml finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Place squashes in a steamer ans steam over gently boiling water for about 10 minutes.

2. Transfer squash to a food processor. With pulses, coarsely chop squash. Add egg, cheese, onions, dill, salt and pepper to squash mixture. Mix briefly. Turn into a 9-inch glass pie plate or 8" x 8" square glass casserole dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil.

3. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add crumbs and nuts and stir until toasted, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle on top of squash mixture. Bake, uncovered, until puffed up and set, about 30 minutes.

Leftover Turkey & Mash 'Cottage Pie'

If any of you in the U.S. have leftover turkey and mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving, like I do, then this is the perfect recipe! I got inspiration from this recipe on CD Kitchen, but modified it a bit, and made it today in about 15 minutes + baking time. My version is below:

Turkey & Mash 'Cottage Pie' (Serve's 4-6)

Ingredients:

1/4 c. butter or margarine

1/4 c. plain flour

1 pouch dry Lipton Onion Soup Mix

3 cups water

1 pouch dry Turkey Gravy w/parsley & sage

2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, cut up into bite sized pieces

1 (10oz) package fresh or frozen chopped mixed vegetables (ideally onion, celery, and carrots)

3/4 c. frozen peas

Any loose leftover stuffing or glazed pearl onions

2-3 c. mashed potatoes

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F/180C. In a large saucepan over med.-high heat., melt the butter, then add the flour and stir constantly for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Mix onion soup mix, gravy mix and water thoroughly in a large bowl and add to flour mixture in pan. Stir until thickened. Mix in vegetables, turkey, peas, stuffing and onions (if using) and heat through.

Pour mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish (8 x 8 x 2 worked for me) and spread mashed potatoes evenly across the top. You can spray a little olive oil over the potatoes or drizzle a little melted butter if you like, then bake the dish for 30 minutes, or until bubbling. You can also crank up the heat and broil the potatoes for the last few minutes to give them a golden brown crust.