Mushrooms, oh mushrooms! They are an ultimate ingredient sent straight from the heavens. Mushrooms are amazing for a wide variety of reasons. One is their versatility- sauté them, bake them, roast them, grill them- you get the idea. Another reason for their amazingness is that they complement and enhance so many dishes and cuisines. French, Japanese, Northern Italian and Chinese cooking all would be lost without the heavenly mushroom. The final reason, at least in today’s list as I’m sure there are many, many reasons, mushrooms are just so amazing is one that you probably are aware of, but have never put a name to it. It is the mushroom’s umami quality.

Uma-whatnow? Umami has long been defined by the Japanese as the fifth taste (in addition to sweet, salty, sour and bitter), which is described as a delicious savory or meatiness. You know that indescribable rich taste you get from a mouthwatering cut of steak, an oyster, or a generous shaving of Parmesan cheese? That, my friends, is umami taking over your tastebuds.

In 1985 scientists determined that the umami taste was caused by foods high in glutamate. In the last 15 or so years, it has become a popular term among chefs, critics and foodies in the United States so you may have heard it before on Top Chef or the Food Network. To me, umami describes a bite that isn’t a sweet dessert, but makes you go “oh-my-this-is-melting-in-my-mouth-amazing-is-this-real-life-right-now???”, or, you know, something along those lines.

These balsamic roasted mushrooms will definitely make you experience that fifth taste. Chop up some mushrooms, toss them with balsamic and herbs, then bake until tender and this dish could not be any easier. Serve alongside some steak, tossed with a cream sauce pasta, on top of a spinach salad or just eat them by the forkful. Wait until you see how I serve them later this week!

Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
• 16 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick foil and set aside.
2. Whisk together the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard and parsley in a medium bowl. Add the mushrooms and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper then place on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden and tender, tossing once during cooking.

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Lauren Uncategorized 1 Comment

The lemon cheesecake that serves as the base of this recipe is the first cheesecake I ever baked from scratch. Matt had gotten me my stand mixer for my birthday (lucky girl!) and I wanted to christen my new kitchen toy with an epic recipe. After days of sifting through cookbooks and blog posts to pick the perfect recipe we decided on a lemon cheesecake with lemon curd.

My, oh my, was it outrageous. I have since made the lemon curd many times over for all sorts of recipes and occasions, but had yet to revisit the fluffy and tart lemon cheesecake. Four years later I decided it was finally time to make it again. I told you it takes me a long time to remake recipes! I thought the lemon would pair perfectly with cranberry for the holiday season because of the flavors and beautiful color.

This cranberry raspberry compote is simply made with cranberries, raspberries, orange juice and sugar. It is sweet, tart, fruity and a great cheesecake topping.

If you have never made a cheesecake before I urge you to give it a shot. You will feel so impressed with yourself when you’re done and your tastebuds will thank you. Although it may seem intimidating, homemade cheesecake is rather simple.

The key to an extra light and fluffy texture is to keep beating the cream cheese past when you normally think you should stop. If the cream cheese is extra airy before you pour it into the crust you will have an unbelievable texture once it is baked.

Lemon Cheesecake with Cranberry Raspberry Compote

 

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Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

for the crust

• 16 graham cracker squares
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

for the filling

• 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon

for the compote

• ½ cup orange juice
• ½ cup sugar
• 6 ounces fresh cranberries
• 1 cup fresh raspberries

Directions

for the crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor to create crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until the graham cracker crumbs are coated. Evenly press into the bottom and ½" up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

for the filling

1. Beat the cream cheese until very fluffy. It should almost have a satiny quality to it. Add the sugar then beat until smooth. Add 1 egg then beat for 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining 2 eggs. Stir in the lemon juice and zest.
2. Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is set, except for the center which should look almost just set and glossy. Let cool to room temperature on a cooling rack then cover the pan and chill in the fridge overnight.

for the compote

1. Combine the orange juice and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, add the cranberries and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
2. Once the mixture comes to a boil and most of the cranberries have started to burst, add the raspberries then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Let cool in the fridge. Pour over the top of the cheesecake.

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Lauren Uncategorized 1 Comment

To me, the ultimate telling of a great salad is that it doesn’t seem like you are eating a salad. It doesn’t taste diet-y or as though all you’re doing is consuming a large bowl of raw vegetables like a rabbit raiding the produce aisle.

It simply tastes like a really delicious dish. The flavors are well-balanced and the textures vary. Extra bonus points if there are both hot and cold components.

This warm lemon and mustard potato salad hits all the marks on my great salad scale. The key to this meal-worthy salad is that the potatoes aren’t just average roasted potatoes. Before being placed in the oven to get nice and crispy, the potatoes are tossed with a lemon and mustard vinaigrette.

Tart, tangy and creamy, these potatoes are even better when combined with the freshness of the salad greens and the nuttiness of the walnuts. This dish is great for a vegetarian main dish or an elevated first course that will have your guests requesting the recipe.

Warm Lemon & Mustard Potato Salad

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

for the dressing

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper

for the salad

• 1½ pounds baby red-skinned potatoes, halves
• 1 orange or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 4 cups mixed greens
• ¼ cup walnut pieces, toasted
• Salt and pepper

Directions

for the dressing

1. Whisk together the mustard, parsley, zest, juice and olive oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place 3 tablespoons of the dressing in a small bowl and set aside.

for the salad

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Add the potatoes to the large bowl with the dressing and toss until coated. Place the potatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, or until cooked through and crispy.
3. When ready to serve, toss the bell pepper and greens with the reserved dressing. Place on the serving dish then top with the roasted potatoes and toasted walnut pieces.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

I love doing these holiday round up posts because they give me a chance to look back through everything I have posted on Lemon & Mocha. About 97% of the time I am so busy trying new recipes from my endless stream of cooking magazines, cookbooks and Pinterest that years go by between making the same dish twice. Looking through this list here today though made me want to start December by re-making each and every single one of these. I may or may not have been drooling in anticipation as omg-this-is-so-freakin-delicious food memories came flooding back. So here is some inspiration for you for Thanksgiving or really anytime you’re looking for something out of this world to eat. Enjoy!

Caramelized Onion & Apple Dip. Start the big day off right with an indulgent dip to tide your guests over until the turkey is ready.

Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Soup. The curry butter adds a unique twist to this fall soup.

Greek Yogurt Cornbread. The most moist and delicious cornbread you will ever eat.

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms. Free up some room in your oven with this outrageously delicious dish.

Lemon, Garlic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower. Add some healthy and flavor-packed veggies to your Thanksgiving table.

Pineapple Bread Pudding. It sounds unusual, but this is the most life-changing side dish. Warning: you may not want to share.

French Onion Green Beans. A light take on an old classic.

Stracciatella Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato Pie. Delight your guests with an out-of-this-world showstopper dessert.

Turkey Manchego Panini with Sun-dried Tomato Mayo. Perfect sandwich for leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Fresh Rolls with Cranberry Dipping Sauce. A unique way and light way to use up your leftovers.

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

Thanksgiving is almost here! Only a few more days until we get to say thanks for all the good events and people that graced our lives over the past year. Of course, our thanks would not be complete without an all-day marathon gorge fest.

After the glorious turkey, mashed potatoes lathered with gravy, piping hot biscuits, tart cranberry sauce and 23 other dishes, the great finale of any traditional Thanksgiving meal are the pies. Along with the pies comes the great pie debate. Apple pie or cherry pie? Pumpkin pie or lemon meringue pie? Blueberry pie or the ever mysterious chess pie?

One of my favorites is the classic pecan pie, although it is usually missing a very important key ingredient. Chocolate! Once you experience pecan pie loaded up with chocolately chip goodness you will never want to settle for regular, plain old, chocolate-lacking pecan pie again.

How pecan pie minus chocolate chips is the standard completely boggles my mind. I found a mini pie pan at Christmas Tree Shop last year and have been itching to bake up some cuteness.

Mini pies are fantastic because they take less time in the oven, are adorable and you can have a whole pie all to yourself! Thanksgiving is all about sharing, but when it comes to dessert… just don’t get your fork too close to my pie…

Mini Molten Chocolate Pecan Pies

 

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Yield: 5 mini pies

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup dark corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1¼ cups pecan halves
• ¾ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 sheet unbaked pie crust, pressed into mini pie pans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pre-bake the pie shells, making sure to use pie weights, for 7 minutes.
2. Combine the eggs, brown sugar, flour, vanilla extract and corn syrup in a medium mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and stir. Add the pecans and chocolate chips then stir. Distribute evenly into the prepared mini pie shells.
3. Bake for 20 minutes with a sheet pan underneath to catch any dripping.

Notes

To make one pie instead of mini pies, press the pie crust into a 9" pan. Pour all the filling into the pie shell then bake for 50-60 minutes. Cover the crust with aluminum foil partway through baking so the crust doesn't get burnt.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments