Making Magic!

It's the first day of my 17 straight days off work!  Yay, me! There are so many things I want to do that the days will whip by.  One thing I am going to do is try some new recipes, something I am usually too tired to do except on weekends.

Today, I decided to make magic - Magic Mushroom Powder (Nomnom Paleo) and Magic Dust (The Clothes Make the Girl) new Well Fed 2 cookbook.  Both are seasonings for meat and vegetables but they are quite different.  The Magic Mushroom Powder has a salty, hot, mushroomy umami that adds a lot of flavour to meat.  The Magic Dust is sooooo good, I could eat it with a spoon!

I have made the Magic Mushroom Powder several times (and even given it away as a gift).  The umami comes from dried porcini mushrooms, which I used to be able to get at our local Kin's Market for $4.99 for 1.5 ounces, but they haven't had them for awhile so I was forced to pay $3.99 for .49 of an ounce at Save-On Foods.

You can whip up a batch of Magic Mushroom Powder in less than five minutes.  Start by grinding the dried porcini mushrooms in a spice grinder.  I have a coffee grinder that I keep just for grinding spices.

Pour the ground porcinis into a container, and mix in some kosher salt, red pepper flakes, thyme and pepper.
 

You can use this delicious seasoning on meat (great on steak), vegetables or even your breakfast eggs.

The Magic Dust takes longer but, boy is it worth it.  Start by sauteing some chopped onions and garlic in coconut oil.  Add ground ginger, turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, to the onion/garlic mixture, cooking and stirring until the house smells wonderful.

Then add some lemon juice.

Turn off the heat and then add almonds,, coconut and cashews and coat everything well with the spice mixture.

Scrape the mixture out onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet, and bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cool thoroughly on the counter, then place the mixture into the food processor and pulse until it is coarsely chopped.

I decided to try it out for dinner tonight by making:

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Serves2

1 acorn squash

1 lb. of grass-fed ground beef

1 Tbsp. oil of choice (olive, coconut or ghee)

1 Tbsp. Magic Dust (or more!)

2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast or Parmesan cheese (or use a tablespoon of each)

1. Cut the acorn squash in half horizontally and scrape out the seeds.
2. Place the halves in a baking dish, cut side down.
3. Pour 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the dish and cover with foil.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a parring knife slides in easily.
5. Remove from the oven.
6. Heat the oil in a medium size skillet.
7. Cook the ground beef, sprinkled with the Magic Dust, until the meat is browned.
8. Divide the meat mixture between the two squash halves.

   9.  Sprinkle each stuffed acorn squash with one Tbsp. of nutritional yeast or Parmesan cheese.

10.  Return the squash to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the squash and meat mixture is 

       heat through.

11.  Serve with another vegetable side dish.  I made a side of sauteed cabbage and kale, seasoned with 

       Magic Mushroom Powder.