Mushrooms and domestic moments

Inspired by the book Julie & Julia, I had every intention of blogging about my many domestic adventures, hence the title "Real life, domestication and everything in between". What I couldn't have anticipated when the I started this blog was how maxed my life would quickly become. Something as joyful and relaxing as dicing onions, chopping carrots and throwing together different ingredients from my overstocked food cupboard was, suddenly was thrown to the wayside as I adjusted my expectations for what my life as a student teacher would look like. I am still adjusting to the many challenges of balancing so much responsibility, but I have started to pick up my spatula a little more frequently.

The common complaint I hear about making dinner is the very reason I love it so much: it takes time! Cooking gives me time to invest creative energy and process my life in big and small ways. There is something really freeing for me about scrubbing potatoes and peeling carrots because I have reason to slow my life down enough to let my thoughts travel the road they need to take. Most recently, my quest towards domestication included an ingredient that I have been actively avoiding for years: mushrooms. Who voluntarily eats fungus anyway?! I was so pleasantly surprised with the outcome of this dish, I thought I would share it with you here.

Chicken Stroganoff:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced into rings

1 green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces (15 medium) button mushrooms, thinly sliced

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch strips

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon hot sauce

½ cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the green pepper, ½ teaspoon of the salt, ¼ teaspoon of the pepper, and the mushrooms. Continue cooking until the mushrooms give up their liquid, about 6 minutes, and are tender.

2. Place the vegetables in a colander, reserving both vegetables and liquid. You should have about ½ cup of liquid.

3. Return to pan to heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Cook the chicken in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add it to the vegetables.

4. Pour the wine, broth and vegetable liquid into the pan and bring to a boil. With a wooden spoon, loosen any brown bits stuck to the pan and let cook in the sauce.

5. Add the barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, and hot sauce. Whisk until smooth. Boil until liquid has reduced by half, to about 1 ½ cups. The liquid should thicken slightly.

6. Reduce heat and whisk in the sour cream. Do not let the sauce boil. Return the vegetables and chicken to the pan and simmer until heated through. Serve over rice, pasta, or toast.