If you don't like or can't find oyster mushrooms, try mixed or porcini mushrooms.
Mushrooms add earthy flavour to this slow-cooked dish. Dried shiitakes are a good substitute for the porcini.
The woodsy flavour of this topping works beautifully with the multigrain dough. For a stylish finish, drizzle with truffle or porcini oil before serving.
Dried mushrooms add so much flavour to a consomme. Porcini, morels or shiitake, now available at most grocery stores or at specialty stores or delis, are good choices.
Serve with: Barley pilaf. Pork tenderloin is an extremely lean cut of meat with no waste. Coating the pork in ground porcini mushrooms gives it a delicious mushroom-flavoured crust.
No need to invest in a big bottle of truffle (or porcini) oil when sample-size bottles are available in many supermarkets and specialty stores. Even without the flourish of fancy oil, this salad is a winner.
Use the soaking liquid from your favourite dried mushrooms to give this side dish an intense mushroom flavour. In the Test Kitchen, we like the soft nuttiness of chanterelle mushrooms with chicken and the rich, robust taste of porcini mushrooms with beef or lamb. Choose whole wheat couscous over regular for a fibre boost.
All this fabulously rich sauce needs is a bed of broad noodles, such as pappardelle or fettuccine. This makes enough to tuck extra away in the freezer for another meal or to use when making lasagna.
This recipe is done in a pressure cooker (I use a 6 quart Fagor) with a triple-ply base. I am always trying different recipes in the pressure cooker. Risotto is one of my favourites. I use it as the main dish with the addition of lentils. With or without lentils, I serve it as a side to roasted salmon with wilted spinach. I specify arborio rice but use Carnaroli or Vialone Nano, if you can find either, for the best results. Green lentils are used since they hold their shape in a pressure cooker. Romano cheese is my personal preference over parmesan.
