Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

This is a great recipe to use when mushrooms are on sale at the grocery store. You can also, saute the mushrooms in a little butter and freeze them for use later. Store them in freezer bags in 1/2 cup batches.

Ingredients:

1-2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2+ Tbs. butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preparations:

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add sliced mushrooms and saute until mushrooms are tender and have given off half of their moisture. Brown "frond" may appear at the bottom of the pan, this is highly condensed mushroom flavor, which will release from the bottom of the pan when you add liquid.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour and 1 1/2 cups of the milk until smooth. Slowly add the milk and flour mixture to the mushrooms, scraping the "frond" from the bottom of the pan. Stir (or whisk) constantly. Continue slowly adding the remainder of the milk, stirring constantly.  Your soup will begin bubble and thicken. If it becomes too thick, you can thin it with a little more milk or water.

Remove from heat and salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with homemade oyster crackers or use as a base for a casserole.

To store: allow to cool and place in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Cost breakdown:

• 1 cup of mushrooms  = 75¢ (on sale) - $1.25 (when not on sale)
• 2 Tbsp. butter = 25¢
• 1/2 cup flour = 5¢
• 4 cups milk =  75¢ - $1.00 
• spices = nominal
• TOTAL = $1.80 - $2.55 for 3 cans, or  60¢ - 85¢/can

Store brand ingredients: Water, Mushrooms, Wheat Flour, Skim Milk, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Soybean Oil, Whey Protein Concentrate, Salt, Buttermilk Solids, Monosodium Glutamate, Cream, Sea Salt, Modified Cornstarch, Potassium Chloride, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Maltodextrin, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Natural Flavor (Contains Milk). Allergy Warning: Contains Milk, Wheat And Soy. 

Lemon Rice

Lemon rice is a simple Indian dish, usually made with additional ingredients (such as peanuts, dal, and spicy peppers), but this recipe is the rice at its simplest.


Ingredients:

4 Tbs (1/2 stick) butter or extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 cups cooked rice
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of 1 lemon, chopped
Juice of 2 lemons, plus more if needed
Salt and pepper


Preparation:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter or oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet until butter foams or oil is hot. Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add lemon zest, saute for an additional minute. Add cooked rice, tossing and stirring until hot through and through.

Add lemon juice and toss. Stir in the remaining butter or oil and cook for 1 minute.

Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings.