Shrimp and Mushroom Ramekins - Gluten and Sugar-Free

 My notes on this recipe of Joseph's are simple: "Awe-inspiring."

Something about sherry, shrimp, cheese, and mushrooms sends me (Lianne) over the moon. And the creamy sauce is gluten-free! Yay!



Shrimp and Mushroom Ramekins
Serves 2

8 oz. frozen cooked shrimp, tail off
3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
4 to 6 oz. large oyster mushrooms, cut in 1/2-inch chunks
1 scallion, sliced
2 tablespoons white rice flour
1/3 cup Homemade Chicken Stock
1/8 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 shakes of ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dry sherry
Sliced goat cheddar (or cheese of your choice)

Defrost shrimp under running water for a few minutes. Set aside. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees.

In medium-sized skillet, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the ghee. Add mushrooms and scallion and cook until soft. Add another tablespoon of ghee and gradually stir in the rice flour, stirring constantly into a smooth paste. While stirring, gradually add chicken stock, mustard, then cream. Turn off heat.

Add sherry, salt, and pepper. Divide the shrimps into two oven-proof, individual ramekins (about 1 1/2 to 2-cup size). Divide sauce between them. Place cheese slices on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Serve with green salad, and Japanese noodles or other carbohydrate of your choice on the side, with fresh fruit for dessert. Serves 2.

The Very Best Exotic Chicken Curry Kabobs (with Pattypan Squash)

Joseph invented this recipe after we got home from watching the film, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Fast and easy! And it made great use of the awkwardly shaped pattypan squashes he'd bought super-fresh at the farmer's market.

It's mildly spicy as written, but you can control the heat when you add the chili flakes.

[Note from Lianne: If you've got a vegetarian in the house, marinate veggies and meat separately and treat them to marinated squash, mushroom, and onion kabobs. This squash has never tasted so good to me!]

The Very Best Exotic Chicken Curry Kabobs
(With Pattypan Squash)
(Serves 3-4)

1 lb. organic chicken tenders
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon dried chili flakes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 lb. white mushrooms
1 red onion, quartered and separated
4 pattypan summer squashes, cut into large chunks

Mix olive oil and spices in large glass bowl. Stir in chicken and set aside.
Prepare vegetables, adding to chicken mixture. Stir well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.

To cook: Skewer chicken and veggies on strong metal skewers, folding the tenders to skewer twice. Cook on grill, turning regularly until chicken is done and you can pierce the squash with a knife. (Can also be cooked under broiler.)

Serve on a bed of seasoned white rice (ours had toasted pine nuts and dried apricot slivers) with tiny bowls of whole, plain yogurt on the side for dipping. (Or a cucumber-yogurt dipping sauce if you have the time and inclination.)

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Quick Quiche-ittata with Spinach and Mushrooms

Rich as a quiche, fast as a frittata! A blindingly fast way to serve a vegetarian dinner.

Joseph invented this dish in less than 30 minutes from start to finish so that we could make it to a weeknight Rumba class. Then, instead of waiting for this crustless quiche to bake, he cooked it frittata-style. Simple, fast, and delicious!


Quick Quiche-ittata with Spinach and Mushrooms
(Rich as a Quiche, Fast as a Frittata)
Serves 2

4 tablespoons butter
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 bag organic baby spinach leaves
4 oz. crimini mushrooms, chopped
4 eggs
1 cup heavy organic cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup goat cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in an iron skillet (or other skillet you can place under a broiler). Cook onions and mushrooms over medium-high heat, about 8 minutes or until soft. (Turn down the heat if the onions start to stick.) Add spinach and stir, cooking until wilted.

While the onion mixture cooks, place eggs, cream, and pepper in a bowl and whisk. Stir in the cooked onions, mushrooms, and spinach. Add cheeses, mixing well.

Melt the remaining butter in the skillet and pour in the egg mixture, spreading the ingredients around evenly. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees (for even cooking), and set the timer for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat up the broiler. When the timer goes off, place the skillet under the broiler and cook until the eggs are cooked on top. Keep a close watch on it!

Serve with a carbohydrate and you've got a complete meal! We ate ours with frozen raspberries and banana slices.

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Creamiest Mushroom Soup Ever--without cream!

Personally, I would double this recipe because we ate it once, it was the best mushroom soup I've ever eaten, and now it’s all gone! But it's very easy to make.