Spicy Rapini & Mushrooms

Dec 10

Dec 10 Quick Veg: Spicy Rapini & Mushrooms

Sometimes, with the pressure of creating “perfectly” balanced plates for every meal, we forget that sometimes all we really need is a pile of veg. Rapini and mushrooms, sautéed in butter and topped with red chili flakes is the kind of straight veggie dish you’ll crave over and over! The perfect combination of bitter, buttery and hot, ready in under 15 minutes.

Jump to Recipe ⇣

In this new series: Quick Veg, I’ll be providing some ideas for super quick and easy veggie dishes for those days where you want good fast nutrients without thinking too hard about it. I think for those of us who are animal product eaters, we often get stuck in the assumption that a meal is not full without a source of protein sitting on the plate. I know I often think that! It is a leftover ideology from our food pyramid childhoods.

The truth is, if you’re eating animal or fish protein most days of the week, chances are you are getting more than enough. And I think it is important to free ourselves, simplify and allow lunch some days to just be a giant pile of vegetables. Think of it as the health-supportive lazy (wo)man’s approach. (And during the holidays a nice complement to the eggnog, cookies and Latkes!)

That being said, all the dishes in Quick Veg, including this Spicy Rapini & Mushrooms, can also act as bangin’ side dishes, and complements to a larger meal. I highly recommend serving it with eggs, Umami Meatballs, or your grain of choice! Leave a comment below ⇣ to let us know how you quick veg!

Ingredient Fun Facts:

- rapini: aka broccoli rabe, is closely related to turnip greens but resembles tiny broccoli. This cruciferous vegetable has a tangy, bitter taste, and pairs beautifully with silky, fatty flavors (like buttery mushrooms!). It contains a lot of the same antioxidants and vitamins of other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and kale
- shiitake mushrooms: can be replaced with any mushroom really, shiitake mushrooms just have a rich flavor that I find delightful alongside the rapini. Oyster and portobello mushrooms are also a good option!
- grass fed butter: I try to pick and choose my battles in terms of what I spend extra money on for the best quality. Animal products in general, I believe should be where we spend the extra cash to get the best quality in flavor and animal care. Grass fed butter is a nutritionally different animal (so to speak) from conventional butter. The vitamin and healthful fat content is wildly different, and entirely worth spending the money on. Additionally, supporting farms that produce organic and grass fed butter, supports a sustainable farming practices. If I’m going to spend twice the money on butter, let it be to support sustainable industry!

1. Preheat a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Roughly cut the washed rapini into 1” pieces. Rapini is an all-in vegetable, eat the leaves n’ all! Then slice the mushrooms into similarly sized pieces about 1/4” thick (if using a portobello, first cut it in half then slice)

2. Once the pan is hot, add the butter to the pan to coat, followed by the mushrooms. Arrange the mushrooms so that they lay flat in the pan and are not overlapping. If the mushrooms look dry, add a bit more butter until they are well saturated.

3. Fry for 3-5 minutes until brown on the underside, then flip them to fry for another 3 minutes

4. Once the mushrooms are nearly done, add the rapini to the pan, and toss to coat in butter. Let the rapini fry for 3-5 minutes, until the leaves are wilted and the stems reach your desired tenderness (I like to leave a little crunch)

5. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper to taste

6. Serve just hot enough not to burn your mouth, by itself or as a side dish with any protein or starch!

7. Store leftovers in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days

Yield: 1-2

Author: Samantha Sterman

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min

Ingredients

1 bunch of rapini, washed
1 cup of shiitake mushrooms (or 1 large portobello head)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt & black pepper to taste
1 tbsp grass fed butter for cooking

Instructions

Preheat a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Roughly cut the washed rapini into 1” pieces*, then slice the mushrooms into similarly sized pieces about 1/4” thick (if using a portobello, first cut it in half then slice)
Once the pan is hot, add the butter to the pan to coat, followed by the mushrooms. Arrange the mushrooms so that they lay flat in the pan and are not overlapping. If the mushrooms look dry, add a bit more butter until they are well saturated.
Fry for 3-5 minutes until brown on the underside, then flip them to fry for another 3 minutes
Once the mushrooms are nearly done, add the rapini to the pan, and toss to coat in butter. Let the rapini fry for 3-5 minutes, until the leaves are wilted and the stems reach your desired tenderness (I like to leave a little crunch)
Season with red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper to taste
Serve just hot enough not to burn your mouth, by itself or as a side dish with any protein or starch!
Store leftovers in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days