Mushroom Galette With Roasted Garlic And Thyme

galette

A galette is a rustic, freeform pie/tart which can be savory or sweet. They’re super simple to make and the finished results are very impressive!

This savory tart is filled with roasted cremini and oyster mushrooms with a bulb of roasted garlic smashed into it with hints of fresh thyme. There’s also a three cheese mix of asiago, parmesan and mozzarella melted into it.

Keep in mind you’re free to use any mix of mushrooms you like as well as any mix of cheese you prefer, that is the fun thing about making galettes, do your own thing, make your own combo, this is just a guideline for what I used, which happened to be very successful and delicious!

You can make your own pie crust or even buy a good quality one to make life easier. I’ll let you in on a little secret…  I used a Trader Joe pie crust for this, but every time I use it I make sure to ball up the dough first then I roll it out to the size I want, I never just take it out of the package and use it as is.

If you prefer to make a homemade crust, here’s one that I make that would go very well with this mushroom galette.

roasted mushrooms

Roasted mushrooms always produce great flavor and even more so when you squeeze and smash roasted garlic into the mix.

roasted garlic

The garlic you can roast ahead of time, keeping it in the fridge and using it for multiple dishes as well as this one, it’s a nice treat to have tucked away.

mushroom galette

Another reason I’m such a fan of galettes is that you always get a nice, crispy crust all the way around and on the bottom with each and every slice.

sliced galette

The flavor combination of this rustic, stress free dinner is out of this world good, so good we couldn’t wait to have the leftovers the next day!

I hope you make this heavenly mushroom galette, it’s the perfect fall meal!

5.0 from 2 reviews
Mushroom Galette With Roasted Garlic And Thyme
 
Rustic, freeform and super impressive!
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Ingredients
  • 1 pastry pie crust, either homemade or good quality store bought
  • 1- ½ lbs. of cremini mushrooms, sliced and roasted
  • ½ lb. oyster mushrooms, sliced and roasted (Can use all of one kind or a mix of others)
  • 1 whole bulb of roasted garlic
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • ½ cup shredded asiago
  • 2 heaping tbl. grated parmesan, plus a little extra for garnishing
  • thyme sprigs
  • olive oil
  • 1 egg for egg wash
Instructions
  1. Pre-roast your garlic ahead of time by cutting off the top portion of a whole bulb, placing it in tin foil and dowsing it with olive oil, some salt and pepper and a couple of thyme sprigs. Wrap it up and place into a 350F. oven around 30- 40 minutes or til golden and soft.
  2. Pre-roast mushrooms in 400F. oven sprinkled with thyme leaves and drizzled with olive oil, roast until all the moisture is out and they start to caramelize.
  3. When mushrooms are done and while the pan is still hot, squeeze and smash in the whole bulb of roasted garlic, tossing gently til incorporated, taste if salt and pepper is needed.
  4. On a piece of parchment that will fit a baking sheet, roll out your pastry to around 12 inches, then place the whole thing onto a rimmed baking sheet.
  5. Sprinkle the cheese mixture on the bottom of the pastry leaving an inch and a half border all around, reserve 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture to dot on top of galette.
  6. Spread the mushrooms all around the top of the cheese mixture, covering it completely.
  7. Fold up the edges of the dough all around the filling.
  8. Put reserved tablespoons of cheese on top of mushrooms dotting it in sections. ( it just makes it look pretty when finished).
  9. Whisk egg then brush the folded up edge with it, you'll have leftover egg for sure.
  10. Sprinkle some thyme on the crust edge along with grated parmesan and black pepper.
  11. Top galette with 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme and pop it into a 400F. oven for around 30 to 40 minutes or until deep golden on bottom and crust, all ovens do vary.
  12. Serve warm or at room temp.
  13. Enjoy!

 

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Italian Meatballs with Ricotta (Low Carb and Gluten Free)

ricotta meatballs

There’s nothing like the smell of homemade meatballs cooking in the kitchen, and these tender beef meatballs enhanced with ricotta, pecorino and other classic ingredients are no exception.

Yes, there are many different ways to make classic and traditional Italian meatballs, every family has their own cherished recipes. In my family I make them a few different ways, traditionally with soaked bread and breadcrumbs, a mix of pork and beef, fried, baked, I could go on and on but recently this has become my current favorite and neither bread nor breadcrumbs are added into the mix.

 

ricotta meatballs

Ricotta laced meatballs are so tender and flavorful, the taste is incredible and I promise you you’re not going to miss the addition of bread, so because of that ricotta meatballs are perfect for those on a low carb and gluten free diet.

pan fried meatballs

I like using organic ground beef which is 85% lean and 15% fat. I also prefer to pan fry them in a little olive oil after they’re formed. Pan frying allows them to become caramelized all over and form a crust which is a very important step that adds to the intense flavor, and there’s no need to cook them all the way through.

ricotta meatballs

The meatballs will be finished off in the oven along with a good quality marinara for them to bathe in, preferably homemade.

ricotta meatballs

You’re always going to treasure your own tried and true family recipes that have been handed down through the generations but it’s also fun to discover new favorites along the way, I hope you give these a try, they’re truly amazing!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Italian Meatballs with Ricotta (Low Carb, GF)
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1.5 lbs. organic ground beef, 85% lean 15% fat
  • 1 egg
  • ½ onion, finely chopped
  • 2 very generous heaping tablespoons ricotta, look for a good quality supermarket ricotta, not the over the counter deli type which holds a lot of moisture.
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed or grated on a microplane
  • 1 large handful of grated pecorino romano and 1 large handful of Italian parsley chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 good quality jar of marinara, preferably homemade
  • basil for garnish
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together well. Before you form mixture into balls, fry off a little bit of the meatball mix, this way you can really check for the right seasoning. Sometimes you need more grated cheese, pepper, salt, parsley and this way you'll be able to adjust to your liking.
  2. Drizzle olive oil in a nonstick skillet and when oil is hot drop your formed meatballs into the pan and caramelize on all sides, no need to worry about cooking it all through, just make sure to get a nice crust all around.
  3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  4. Spoon some marinara into the bottom of a casserole dish, add the meatballs, then spoon some sauce on top of each one as well.
  5. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
  6. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
  7. Enjoy!

 

 

 

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Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll Ups

butternut squash lasagna roll ups I’m sorry,  but I’m at it again with butternut squash. I can’t help it, it’s so creamy, delicious and nutritious and it just screams fall to me! Not only that, it’s versatile and can be used in various dishes, just check out my archives for several different ways that I’ve used it in the past.

Sure, I’ve made your typical type lasagna using butternut squash but recently I realized that I never used it in a lasagna roll up.

I’m seriously considering this as my pasta side for Thanksgiving dinner this year, it’s that good!

butternut squash sauce Now lets talk sauce, which is based on a recipe from Chef frank De Carlo, well it just elevates the dish and funny thing is, you don’t really need alot. If you look at my top photo you’ll see I just put a little on the bottom of my baking dish and then I spooned some on top of each roll up, it’s not heavy at all, it’s dreamy!

Infuse some sage into melted butter and shallots, deglaze with broth, whisk in a small amount of pureed squash, add a little bit of cream and some parmesan. This is definitely party worthy!

butternut squash filling Roasted and mashed butternut squash, chopped spinach, a mixture of  ricotta, parmesan and asiago with a slight hint of garlic and lemon zest fills the pasta noodles.

butternut squash lasagna roll upsbutternut squash lasagna roll ups The day I made this my whole family stopped over for one reason or another, I made a big salad to go along with it, and it was devoured in seconds!

butternut squash lasagna roll ups

Great as a stand alone meal right now, but certainly worthy for the upcoming holiday season. I see Thanksgiving side written all over this!
winter squash

Lucky me, I was the recipient of all these beautiful squashes, so no doubt you will be seeing more squash recipes here in the future.

They were sent to me by a wonderful local company called Door to Door Organics, where you can have fresh organic and local produce, plus grocery items delivered right to your home. It’s funny because I had used them myself way before they ever even contacted me.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog you know how I love my veggies so this offer for me to try was a win win for me! I remember in the dead of winter last year how happy I was to see my order sitting outside my front door. What I love about the company is that there’s is no commitment, you could stop and start whenever you want.

So for all my readers who live in the Chicagoland area and want to give Door to Door Organics a try, here’s a ten dollar off coupon for you on your first order.

Now on to the recipe!

Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll Ups
 
Ingredients
  • 1 good sized butternut squash
  • 2½ cups of cooked butternut squash for the entire recipe, 2 cups will be for filling mixture, ½ cup will be reserved for the sauce
  • 1 cup, ricotta
  • ¼ cup of frozen, chopped spinach, measured after it is drained well
  • ½ cup of grated parmesan
  • ⅓ cup of grated asiago
  • 1 egg
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 small garlic clove grated on a microplane
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 or 9 cooked lasagna noodles
  • FOR THE SAUCE
  • ½ cup of reserved squash pulp, pureed smoother than the pulp for the filling
  • 2 shallots, or ½ of a white onion, finely diced
  • ½ stick, unsalted butter
  • 1 small bunch of sage leaves
  • ¾ cup of stock, I used chicken
  • ¾ cup of cream
  • ½ cup of grated parmesan
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Prepare your squash ahead of time. Cut lengthwise, with skin still on, remove seeds and roast the squash, cut side down at 350 degrees until tender and a knife goes through with ease, close to an hour. Let it cool, then scoop out pulp.
  2. FILLING MIXTURE
  3. Mash 2 cups of the squash pulp into small chunks, making it easy for spreading.
  4. Add in ricotta, egg, cheeses,grated garlic, zest, salt and pepper, mix together well, then fold in spinach until incorporated.
  5. SAUCE
  6. Make your sauce by sauteing shallots in the butter with the sage leaves until slightly golden, then deglaze with the broth and whisk in the ½ cup of the well pureed squash that was reserved until nice and smooth on low heat.
  7. Whisk in the cream and add the grated parmesan cheese
  8. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  9. INSTRUCTIONS
  10. Spread about 3 tablespoons of filling on each cooked lasagna noodle, then roll up and place them seam side down on a shallow baking dish that has some of the sauce spooned onto the bottom. Spoon sauce on top of each lasagna roll up, plus grate a little parmesan cheese on top of each.
  11. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, sauce will be set and top will be slightly golden. There should be extra sauce for serving.
  12. This whole recipe can easily be doubled.
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