Wild Mushroom Cakes with Avocado Pesto and Red Pepper Coulis

By lindsayvk

These vegetarian-friendly cakes are served with an addictive nontraditional pesto that gets its creaminess and lovely light green color from avocados. Complete the meal with a salad.

Ingredients

• Red Pepper Coulis:
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 small garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 Tbsp whole milk
• 1 1/2 tsp honey
• Mushroom Cakes:
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 8-oz packages sliced button mushrooms
• 2 large portobello mushrooms (about 6 oz total), gills scraped out, sliced
• 8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large eggs beaten to blend
• 2 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup panko crumbs, plus additional for coating
• Avocado Pesto:
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 cup coarsely mashed avocado (from about 2 large avocados)
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Red Pepper Coulis:
Char peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened all over. Seal in plastic or paper bag; let stand 15 minutes. Peel and seed peppers. Place in blender. Place garlic cloves in small dry skillet. Cover; cook over medium heat until browned and tender, shaking skillet occasionally, about 7 minutes. Cool. Peel garlic; add to blender with peppers. Add milk and honey to blender. Puree until smooth. Transfer to bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Mushroom Cakes:
Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add all mushrooms and saute until browned and edges begin to crisp, stirring often, about 14 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Transfer mixture to processor. Add eggs, Parmesan, herbs, salt and pepper to processor. Using on/off turns, process until mushrooms are coarsely chopped. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in 1/2 cup panko. Divide mushroom mix into 8 equal portions (1/4 to 1/3 cup each). Form each into 3/4-inch-thick cake. Spread additional panko out on plate. Coat cakes with panko. Place on rimmed baking sheet.

Avocado Pesto:
Place pin nuts in processor; using on/off turns, process until coarsely ground. Add avocado, Parmesan, cilantro, parsley, and lime juice. Process to blend. With machine running, gradually add 1/4 cup oil through feed tube. Transfer to bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Melt butter with 2 Tbsp oil in large skillet over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, add mushroom cakes; cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to baking sheet; place in oven. Spoon about 1/4 cup avocado pesto into center of each plate; using back of spoon, spread out to 5-inch round. Place 2 cakes on each plate. Drizzle with red pepper coulis.