Mushrooms à la grecque

This supposedly  recipe has many variants but the idea is to cook white mushrooms in a spiced tomato sauce, and eat them cold as an appetizer, along with other salads. This dish (which is great for a buffet or a barbecue party) came to mind to welcome the early spring time.

Ingredients:

• 250 g (1/2 pound) white mushrooms. Choose them small and firm.
• the juice of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup white wine (a dry one, e.g. Pino Grigio)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 branch thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• about 20 whole coriander seeds
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Clean the mushrooms (cut the end of the stem), wash them and dry them with a paper towel.
2. Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, white wine and tomato paste. Add the whole coriander seeds.
3. Bring this sauce to a boil and keep at high heat for one minute.
4. Add the mushroom and boil (over medium-high heat) for 8 to 10 minutes, uncovered.
5. Let the mushrooms cool down then store in the fridge until it's time to eat!

Variants:

1. You can add 1/2 chopped yellow onion, 1 garlic clove and/or 1 cubed carrot to the sauce. Sautée the veggies first in olive oil, then add the other ingredients and bring the sauce to a boil.
2. You can use 2 fresh tomatoes instead of (or in addition to) the tomato paste. Cook the sauce a little longer before adding the mushrooms (otherwise it will be too liquid).
3. You can sprinkle the mushrooms with italian parsley once they are cooked.