Ode de mushroom

This was a much needed day of R&R.  I got to fall asleep early and sleep in late.  It's been a long time since I got enough sleep!  I was craving a lazy weekend with just my hubs and my pup.  It was almost too lazy, but after the stress of this week I was willing to become a vegetable for a day.

I had my first less-than-stellar attempt to concoct my own recipe.  I guess after this many years of devising my own creations, it was bound to happen sometime.  I think I know how to fix it for any of you who'd like to try it, though.

Mushroom rice

 

• 5 button mushrooms, sliced
• olive oil, just enough to sautee
• balsamic vinegar, equal to olive oil
• 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 serving of brown rice (1/2 cup cooked rice)
• dried minced onion, to taste
• other spices to taste (I used garlic pepper and a savory salt-free mix)

 

Cook rice by stovetop or microwave.  Slice mushrooms and saute in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Once the mixture is sizzling, add the ACV and the spices to taste.

Once the mushrooms are nice, sizzly, and browned, remove from heat and combine with the rice.  You can add the sauce to it for an added punch, or add just the mushrooms for a milder flavor.

I used 1/4 cup ACV, and it was much too strong.  I cut the amount in half for the shared recipe so nobody has to choke down the bitter flavor like I did!  Otherwise, it was very good.

 

Despite my goof with the ACV, my rice was still 10x better than the mushroom ravioli that I had at a national chain restaurant.  It was bad.  They used cheap mushrooms and must not have fixed them right.  The taste was overwhelming.  Then the sauce was more mushroom and heavy cream.  I ended up eating the portion I did because I was trying to decide what flavor could be added to fix it.  Irish didn't want to tell them it wasn't good because he didn't want any spit added to our food.  I wouldn't have had them replace the meal, but I might have asked for the item that would make it taste a little better.  Sadly, I'm not sure anything could have been added to improve it.

Never in a million years would I have thought that I'd be developing discriminating tastes or consider changing a restaurant's menu.  I really love this wide open world of food!  I started the Oven Aversion name because I hate to cook.  Now I enjoy fixing foods, dreaming up recipes, and yes, cooking.  Woohoo!!

Are you a fan of mushrooms?  Do you end up feeling rejuvenated by a lazy day?  Have you ever felt the need to improve upon a restaurant's food?