Dijon Mushrooms

Recipes posted a year ago:

• Spicy-Roasted Broccoli with Garlic
• Sirloin Steaks with Parsley and Capers

Dijon mustard has a unique blend of mustard and spice that is great for a lot of sauces, marinades, and rubs (just check out the tag cloud at the left of this post and click on the word “dijon”).  So, when looking for a side dish to accompany our Dijon Grilled Round Steak the other night, I thought it would be a good chance to try combining some of the mustard with sauteed mushrooms.  But rather than stop there, I mixed things up a bit more by combining shiitake with our regular mushrooms, and adding in minced garlic and shallots.

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Carrot Beet Slaw

Alternate Title: The Recipe That Made Me Like Beets

I will be the first to admit that I have never been a fan of beets.  Growing up, we would occasionally have pickled beets in the house (I remember being told they were one of my grandpa’s favorites).  We also grew them in our garden, and I can remember my mom making them occasionally (though usually she would pickle them).  Over the years, I’ve tried them at various times – some places will put a slice or two on your salad when they bring it out, and occasionally they’ll show up roasted with other root veggies.  But they always had an overly “earthy” taste to me.  Actually, more accurately, they always made me consider what consuming a dirt clod would taste like.  The only thing I really ever had liked about beets were the greens.

So, you can imagine my lack of enthusiasm when our CSA newsletter listed beets as one of the items in our share this past Thursday.  I am not going to turn down anything that is part of our weekly share (with exception of wheat and similar gluten-containing grains if they come up), and I enjoy the challenge of finding ways to try to use as much of the plant we receive as possible (even if it just means chopping up the greens in a big salad).  So I wasn’t going to turn down the beets – I just wasn’t sure what I was going to use them for.  Until I showed up to pick up the CSA share…

Chicken and Radishes with Mushroom Tarragon Sauce

Our recent CSA share included a bunch of radishes (which were nice and spicy) and I wanted to do more than just slice them up for a salad.  I came across a recipe for sauteing them along with some chicken, and serving with tarragon and mustard that gave me some ideas to start playing a little.  Here are the results, which let you savor the taste of the sautéed radishes both alone and accompanied by a thick reduction of mushrooms, mustard, tarragon, shallots, and sherry – all over top simple pan-browned chicken breasts.

Orange Hazelnut Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

This is a tasty and easy salad to throw together for just about any meal.  The sweetness of the mandarin oranges blends perfectly with the bite of red wine vinegar in the dressing, while roughly chopped hazelnuts (filberts for those native to the PNW) add just a little crunch for texture.

Wine-Herb Grilled Chicken

Grilling is a great way to cook just about anything (in my opinion, at least), and chicken is no exception.  Chicken can still end up a bit bland, however, unless it has a good rub or marinade prior to going over the coals (it also helps to use bone-in pieces).  So when you want to really make chicken tasty off the grill, plan on spending a little extra time prepping it the morning (or evening) before so it can sit and “stew” in some added flavors before cooking.

Dijon Grilled Round Steak

In keeping with our “quick and easy” streak this week, here’s a great recipe that’s easy to throw together last minute with great results.  If you plan it right, you will also make use of some leftover sauce from one of our other meals this week – making it even easier to get this from the fridge to the table in no time at all.

Grilled Salmon with Coconut Dijon Sauce

This is a super-simple and super-quick recipe for a weeknight when you don’t have a lot of time to prep and still want a meal with lots of flavor.  The sauce is made while the fish is on the grill, and requires only a few simply ingredients that should be in the pantry of any primal cook.  In the process of making this dish, you’ll also have the base for a sauce that would go great with just about any seafood or light meat combination you can think of (grilled pork, fried chicken, scallops – you name it).  So save the leftovers for lunch, and plan something complimentary in the next couple of nights that’s equally quick to use up the remaining sauce.