Maximizing mushrooms in this decadent burger

If you’ve seen “Anchorman,” I’m sure you can recall Ron Burgundy singing “I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch.” Well, my version of this song would be all about mushrooms, and while it might not be as catchy, and definitely has more syllables, the idea’s still the same because I love putting mushrooms in and on everything!

I had planned to grill these mushroomy burgers for dinner last night. However, I did this without checking the forecast. It’s been raining quite a bit today, so instead of monitoring my burgers while wearing a raincoat and headlamp, I brought out Nana Dollie’s trusty cast-iron skillet instead. I think cooking everything in one skillet made the flavors even better.

Million Mushroom Skillet Burgers 
1 pound 93% lean ground sirloin
3 teaspoons Trader Joe’s Black Truffle Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
8 ounces sliced brown mushrooms
3 slices of Trader Joe’s Triple Cream Brie with Wild Mushrooms
3 pretzel buns, toasted
Salt and pepper

Form ground beef into three patties. Place patties on a plate, season each side with a little bit of salt and pepper, and set plate aside. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, for five minutes or so. Put mushrooms in a bowl and tent bowl with aluminum foil. Increase heat to high and add remaining oil to skillet so surface has a light overall coating. Place patties in skillet and cook for three minutes before flipping. Cook patties for additional 5-7 minutes or until they’re cooked to your preference. Top each patty with a slice of Brie about two minutes before burgers are done. Sandwich the patty, topped with sautéed mushrooms, between buns.

A breakfast beverage to brighten your day

We finally got some much-needed rain out here in California. Never thought I’d be so happy to see gray skies and wet roads! While we’ve been waiting for rain to come, I know plenty of friends and family elsewhere in the country who have had their fill of wintry conditions. No matter the forecast for your neck of the woods, brighten your day with this smoothie. This recipe makes enough to fill two pint glasses, plus a little extra.

Sunshine in a Glass 
2 cups carrot-orange juice
2 bananas
3 cups frozen peaches

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

You just can’t say no to baked ravioli

Baked ravioli is simply irresistible. How do I know?

The first time I made baked ravioli, I was fresh out of college and was just starting to experiment in the kitchen. One night, I got the bright idea to take a package of fresh ravioli, mix it in a baking dish with some marinara sauce, top it with plenty of grated cheese, and bake until melted and bubbly. Not too shabby for a first attempt, I thought, and put a mostly full casserole dish in the fridge after enjoying my dinner.

Imagine my shock when I opened the fridge a couple days later, ready to enjoy my leftovers, and instead discovered an empty, dirty baking dish. My roommate at the time apparently spotted the ravioli, decided to help himself to what would have been three or four meals for me. Instead of cleaning up after himself and apologizing, he thought it would be funny to put the dirty dish back in the fridge and wait for me to find it. Ridiculous.

Let this serve as a warning -- if you make the following recipe, be prepared to fight for your fair share!

Baked Ravioli 
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces brown mushrooms, sliced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
25-ounce bag frozen ravioli (I used Safeway Select Portobello Ravioli)
2 cups grated mozzarella or other shredded cheese (I used cheddar because it was already in the fridge) 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for about a minute before adding mushrooms. Cook mushrooms for a couple minutes, until slightly soft. Add diced tomatoes, oregano, Worcestershire sauce and red pepper flakes to pan. Let sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Spoon one cup of the sauce mix into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Layer half the ravioli in the dish, cover with a half the sauce, top with one cup of cheese, then repeat. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes to brown the cheese. Remove from heat and serve.

Fresh cocktail fit for Fridays

Every day has the potential to be great, but you’ve got to admit -- Fridays are their own kind of wonderful.

The TGIF 
2 mint leaves, plus extra for garnish
2 ounces grapefruit juice
2 ounces vodka
2 teaspoons agave syrup
Soda water

Muddle mint leaves in cocktail mixer. Add grapefruit juice, vodka and agave syrup to mixer. Cover and shake the mixer. Pour contents into glass filled with ice. Top off with some soda water, stir, garnish with mint leaf, and enjoy!

Broiled salmon packed with sweet, smoky flavors

This easy dinner has a lot of things going for it. First off, the key ingredient is delicious salmon. Salmon’s pretty good no matter what you do to it, but it tastes particularly great with this quick miso glaze. Served with some kale wilted with soy sauce and other goodies and you’ve got a wonderful meal that doesn’t take all night to prepare.

Miso Salmon with Kale 
1 pound salmon filet
¼ cup white miso paste
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon agave syrup
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
½ pound kale, cleaned, stems and center ribs removed

Whisk miso paste, ginger, vinegar, 3 teaspoons soy sauce, agave syrup and 1 tablespoon sesame oil together in bowl. Place salmon in glass baking dish and coat with marinade. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 45 minutes. Position oven rack about 6 inches from broiler and preheat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Remove salmon from glass dish and place, skin down, on baking sheet. Place salmon in oven, rotating baking sheet once, and broil for 15-20 minutes, until salmon is cooked through. Remove from oven. While salmon is in the oven, heat remaining sesame oil over medium heat in large frying pan. Add kale, soy and red pepper flakes, cooking until kale wilts. Remove from heat and serve with salmon.

Cookies made with persimmons and spice are quite nice

Our neighbor brought over some lovely hachiya persimmons a while back. I’d never cooked anything with persimmons, but figured the free fruit provided the perfect opportunity to try something new. I’ve had my mom’s persimmon cookie recipe stashed away for years. Glad I found it!

Persimmon Cookies 
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup hachiya persimmon pulp (from overly ripe fruit)
Butter or cooking spray (for cookie sheets)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. MIx first three ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt and baking soda in separate, larger bowl. Stir contents of smaller bowl in with flour mix. Add raisins, walnuts and persimmon pulp. Thoroughly mix ingredients. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto greased cookie sheets. Bake cookies for roughly 15 minutes, until lightly brown.

Summer’s not going anywhere

I know the first day of fall’s right around the corner, but we Californians still have plenty of time to enjoy warm-weather favorites. This salad is a nice, quick fix for those days you’d rather be outside soaking up the sun than spending time in the kitchen.

Quinoa Salad with Tomatoes and Corn 
1 cup uncooked quinoa (red, white, mixed … pick your favorite!)
2 cups water
1 ½ cups tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes, halved)
1 cup white corn
½ cup green onion, chopped
½ cup cilantro
1 avocado, cubed
½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Combine quinoa and water in saucepan. Bring to a boil before covering and simmering until quinoa is cooked, somewhere between 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk olive oil, orange juice, rice wine vinegar and lime juice together in a bowl. Add tomatoes, corn, green onion, cilantro, cotija and dressing to quinoa, tossing well to coat. Top with avocado chunks before serving.