Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Roasted Portabella Mushroom, Pepper Steak & Garlic Kale

I'm loving mushrooms right now, even the funky white ones.  Well, ok, I'm loving all of them except for straw  mushrooms.  Those have always and probably always will freak me out.  I've never eaten them and never intend to.  Ugh!  I just really think they look like mini people and that is creepy.  My sister-in-law Debbie used to always get Moo Goo Gai Pan whenever we went to get Chinese back home and loved those things.  Every time she popped one in her mouth, I cringed, thinking she was eating people.  Strange I know, but they really look like people to me!  Besides those, I love the mushrooms that I have tried thus far.  Especially morels!  Seriously delicious! 

I was just talking to my Mum the other day, who lives in Michigan and she was telling me that hopefully this coming spring will be a good time to go hunting for mushrooms in the woods.  The last few years have not been great and she has not found a ton of morels, but even finding one is so worth it!  She usually dries them at home and then will send them to me because they're too fragile to be shipped all the way from Michigan to New York fresh.  But damn, I remember them being the most amazing thing in the world when they were fresh picked from the woods behind our house.  I remember seeing small containers of dried morel mushrooms at Whole Foods Bowery for over $200 per pound.  Yes that is $200 / lb!  No thanks!  And where the heck where they picked?  I'll stick to my Mum's home picked morels, thanks!  Unfortunately, since it is still a little early for morels, I had to settle on portabellas, even though that is not really settling because portos are super tasty too.  Waiting (not so) patiently for those morels! 

Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Roasted Portabella Mushroom, Kale & Pepper Steak:





Sauteed Kale, Roasted Portabella, Pepper Steak & Mashed Pots



Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, prepared

Sauteed Kale, prepared

Pepper Steak, prepared

Roasted Portabella Mushroom:

2 portabella mushrooms, large stem removed

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pinches onion powder

2 pinches garlic powder

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2.  In the meantime, prepare the mushrooms.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Get your spices and fresh garlic ready.  Drizzle the mushrooms on one side with the oil and immediately sprinkle with the sea salt, black pepper, fresh minced garlic, and garlic and onion powder.  Flip the mushroom over and do the same to the other side.  Place the seasoned mushrooms in the oven and roast for about 10 minutes on each side, flipping the mushrooms over half-way through the baking.

3.  The mushrooms are finished when the edges are browned and crispy and the very center is soft and juicy.

4.  Allow the mushroom to cool for at least 5 minutes for the juices to distribute.  If you try to cut the mushrooms right away, all the juice will immediately come out and the flavor will not be as good.  It's worth the wait. 

4.  To serve, place a portion of the potatoes and gravy, pepper steak, sauteed kale and sliced portabella mushrooms on the plate.

Enjoy!

-Koko