Avena con Champiñones/Oats with Mushrooms

By vvvanessa • February 11, 2010 • 0 Comments

◅ ▻

Avena con Champiñones/Oats with Mushrooms — 1 of 2 Photo by Sarah Shatz

⎙

Author Notes: This recipe is my attempt to recreate a lip-smacking dish I had in a small, vegetarian restaurant in Barcleona. The chef was nice enough to let me in the kitchen to show me how it was made, but his instructions were along the lines of "Throw in some of this and some of that!" without exactly explaining what "this" and "that" were. If you have access to setas or cèpes or porcini, be sure to include them; otherwise, use a blend of shiitake, chanterelle, oyster, crimini, or whatever else you see at the market. I like a little variety in the texture of the mushrooms, so mince the shiitakes and oyster mushrooms but leave the crimini in bigger chunks. - vvvanessa - vvvanessa

Food52 Review: I chose this recipe because I honestly...HATE oatmeal. The texture of it puts me off, but not this one. It was sturdier, in fact "studlier" due to the fact that it did not have a goopy texture. The white wine really added a zing to it, elevating it to the next level -- I served this for lunch with simply a roasted chicken and it paired fabulously. I loved the texture, once again, it just blew my mind. It seemed almost like a sticky rice. Extremely comforting, I loved this recipe and can't wait to make it again! - Marnely - Marnely

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

1 cup whole oat groats, uncooked
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white or yellow onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small red bell pepper, minced
2 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms, minced and/or chopped (see note above)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons minced mix of fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano, and flat leaf parsley
sea salt and pepper

In a saucepan, bring the oats, 2 cups of water, and a fat pinch of salt to a boil. Cover and bring to very low simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes or until the oats are tender but still firm.
Once the oats are cooked, heat oilve oil in a large sauté pan or dutch oven. Over medium-high heat, sauté onions, garlic, and red bell pepper until soft and slightly browned.
Add in mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms have given off most of their liquid and become very soft.
Add in the white wine and cook until it is mostly cooked off.
Add the tomatoes and the oats to the mushroom mixture and stir well to combine and heat through. Continue to cook for a few minutes more. If the oats seem too thick, add in a little water or stock to find the consistency you like (I like mine on the thick side).
Add in salt and pepper to taste.
Just before serving, stir in the herbs, reserving some if you'd like to use them as garnish.
Serve piping hot with a dusting of parmigiano, a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and/or some fresh herbs.