roasted mushrooms with soy garlic beurre blanc

i make this recipe every week...almost 2 times a week.  even though the name sounds fancy, this recipe is super easy to make.  more importantly, it uses my favorite flavor combination: soy sauce, butter and garlic...yum!  even rob's dad, who hates mushrooms or anything too garlicky, loves this recipe.  it's the perfect side to any entree!  please note: there are 2 methods of cooking this recipe...via saute pan or oven.  enjoy!

ingredients:

- 1 pound various mushrooms (crimini, shitake, etc), cleaned and cut into halves

- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

- 3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

- 1 tablespoon soy sauce

- dash of lemon juice

- s&p

saute pan directions:

- heat oil in saute pan over medium heat

- add garlic cloves and saute for a couple minutes

- add mushrooms and mix until coated

- scatter butter pieces throughout pan and stir, cook for about 5 minutes

- add soy sauce, stir and cook for another 3 minutes to lightly caramelize

- finish with a dash of lemon juice and s&p to taste

oven directions:

- preheat oven to 400 degrees

- fold a large piece of foil in half, creating an envelope

- drizzle oil to top and bottom

- add mushrooms to the foil, followed by garlic cloves and butter pieces

- mix in soy sauce

- close foil envelope and fold edges

- bake for 15 minutes until mushrooms are done

- finish with a dash of lemon juice and s&p to taste

xoxo,

kara

japanese sukiyaki

for those of you who don't know what sukiyaki is (other than that 90s song), it's one of my favorite japanese dishes.  sukiyaki is a delicious one pot meal that is usually cooked at the table (like shabu shabu), and the flavors from the beef and vegetables mixed with soy sauce and mirin are out-of-this-world delicious.  and the best part is the leftovers!  i love piling the leftovers on top of a warm bowl of rice...yummy!!

ingredients:

- 1.5 pounds thinly sliced beef, cut into large bite-size pieces

- 1 package shirataki noodles, washed and drained

- 10 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed then halved

- 1 package enoki mushroom, bottom trimmed

- 3 stalks green onion, washed and sliced into 2 inch pieces

- 1/2 napa cabbage, washed and cut into 2 inch wide pieces

- 1 package of grilled tofu or firm tofu, drained then cut into 1 inch pieces

for sukiyaki sauce:

- 1/2 cup mirin

- 1/2 cup sake

- 1/3 cup soy sauce

- 5 tablespoons brown sugar

- 3/4 cup water or chicken stock

directions:

- mix mirin, sake, soy sauce, brown sugar and chicken stock in a bowl

- heat a japanese style hot pot or a le creuset type of casserole over medium-high heat (or on a table-top stove)

- add a tablespoon of oil

- add half of the beef slices and saute for a few minutes until browned

- add the sukiyaki sauce mixture to pot

- move the beef over to one side of the pot, then add the vegetables, tofu and noodles in neat sectons

- let the broth come to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes

- reduce heat to a simmer; once all the ingredients are softened, it's ready!

- serve with rice (if you want to be super traditional, also dip ingredients into a bowl of raw beaten eggs).  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara